I can't believe it's over already. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were welcoming Sam back from Hell with semi-open, extremely cautious arms? And look where we are now. This season has felt like a blur, yet so much has happened. In order to give this finale its due justice, I want to take a look at both finale episodes separately since they were intended to be that way.
'Let it Bleed' opens 1937 Rhode Island. H.P. Lovecraft, who we later discover to be a horror writer who dabbles in the occult, is furiously typing out a novel entitled 'Haunter of the Dark'. As he types 'The End' there is a squeak outside his door. And in true Supernatural fashion, that squeak leads to a blood squirting death. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was taken aback by this scene. What are we doing wasting our time talking about some fiction writer that died in 1937 when we've got C2 to worry about? We soon find out that Lovecraft and his friends successfully opened the door to purgatory and something got out.
Unfortunately, we're not the only ones who have that piece of information. It's bad enough that Castiel and the boys are on the outs but to steal from Bobby's house under the guise of an apology? I have to think that Castiel really meant what he said about patching things up, but from where I'm standing it seems like he had a back up plan when he let himself into Bobby's house. He had to know that stealing the journal would only push the boys further away but he's in too deep to care. So it's no wonder that when Lisa and Ben are kidnapped by Crowley Dean wants to assume that Castiel is in on it.
The phone call between Dean and Ben was emotional on many levels. Dean loves Ben like his own son and this is exactly the moment that he was dreading; the moment that kept him awake at night. He removed himself from their Lisa and Ben's to save them from this kind of danger and to watch him realize that it wasn't enough was heartbreaking. And what was Crowley thinking? In what world would kidnapping a Winchester's loved one be cause for them to back off? Of course I realize that it takes Sam and Dean off the Purgatory hunt for the time being, but either way, they're coming after him, guns blazing. That's usually not a place you want to be.
Since they couldn't trust Castiel, the boys summon Balthazar for help. While he's not the most trustworthy of angels, (although at this point, who is?) they really don't have many other options. I'm not sure whether I was surprised that Balthazar was as much in the dark about Crowley as the boys were. I mean, Castiel was able to hide it from Sam and Dean for so long. But Balthazar is an angel. It's hard to believe he wasn't suspicious. But then again, Castiel hadn't really given him reason to be until now. It's clear that Balthazar was taken aback by the news of Castiel's betrayal. It had to be embarrassing for him thinking that they were friends when all this time Castiel was lying to him.
With no leads on Lisa and Ben Dean resorts to "questioning" any demons he can find. It was obvious that he was losing his cool. The time was ticking and he wasn't any closer to finding Lisa and Ben. So I have to admit I agreed with Sam. They really were "grasping at straws" and even though Castiel had proven himself to be a liar it seems impossible that he would knowingly seek to hurt Dean in that way. I was glad when Sam took matters into his own hands calling for Castiel's help. Sure, he didn't show himself but he was there and I think Sam knew he would be listening.
When Balthazar summoned Castiel to confront him, we learned a little something about a flaw in Castiel's plan. Well, a flaw we didn't already know about. Apparently, Castiel if Castiel sucks up more juice than he can handle he'll explode and take out any and everyone around him. The pitfalls of this plan just keep on coming. I have to keep reminding myself of Castiel's side of the story. Remember? That heartbreaking tale of how he sacrificed everything to ensure that what he, Bobby and the boys had fought for would not be in vain? It's moments like this that I struggle to remind myself of how this all began as a good intention.
Finding out that Dr. Visyak was actually a centuries-old monster was definitely an unexpected twist. I had hoped to find out a bit more about she and Bobby's past, so I guess I go what I was hoping for. I do wish we had found out what kind of monster she is though. Not that it really matters to the story at hand, but I'm still curious. Bobby was surprisingly protective of Ellie. From the sounds of their conversation, they were in a long term relationship. I wonder what caused them to break up? Maybe we'll never know.
Castiel comes to the rescue once again when Dean's devil's trap fails and the conversation they have re-opens last week's wounds. Castiel seems very sincere about seeing Dean as family but Dean can't see past the lies and secrecy. I can't say I blame him, especially now with Lisa and Ben getting dragged into the mix. Still Castiel brings up some good points too. He has been there for Dean, answering his every beck and call and saving his life time and time again and all he asks of Dean is to trust in his plan. This is when I had to remind myself that his plan kind of sucks. It's dangerous and the chances of it going over smoothly are slim to none. Still I found myself wishing that there was a way that they could somehow be on the same side again.
Why, oh why do Sam and Dean always split up? I don't know about you, but if I'm in a big abandoned building with my brother and God knows how many demons I'm sticking pretty close to my brother. I know, I know, you cover more ground that way. That is why I would be a terrible hunter. I did love the scene where Dean takes out all the demons on patrol one by one. They just keep going out like lamb to the slaughter. It was actually kind of comedic. And maybe I should have expected Lisa to be possessed but I didn't. And I certainly didn't expect her to stab herself. I felt so bad for Dean and Ben in that moment. Ben lost any shred of innocence he had left after that moment and Dean watched his nightmare come to life. The car ride to the hospital was miserable to watch, there was such a tone of desperation and for the first time I really thought Lisa wasn't going to make it. And she wouldn't have if Castiel hadn't stepped in to save her.
If ever there was a reason for Dean to trust Castiel again, this was it. Not to say that this rights Castiel's wrongs but it certainly makes up for some of the pain. Of course, Dean is much less of a sucker than I am, and while he genuinely thanked Castiel, he admited that this doesn't change anything. But he does make one final request. In a last-pitch effort to keep them safe, he asks Cas to erase him from Ben and Lisa's memory. It's no doubt a painful request to make and I sincerely hope that it keeps them out of harm's way, but isn't it better to know what's out there so you can be prepared? Maybe it was mostly about their safety but also because seeing them reminds him too much of what he's lost? Sam tries to question his decision, but Dean makes it clear that Ben and Lisa are no longer acceptable topics of conversation.
"You ever mention Lisa and Ben to me again, and I will break your nose."
It sounds like a threat, but there is a desperate plea behind that statement. Dean has lost so much and the only way he knows how to deal with loss is to ignore it altogether. Not the healthiest coping method, but it seems to be working for him alright so far. I expect that this really is the last we'll see of Lisa and Ben, and I'm sorry to see them go. They brought out the best in Dean and gave him a shred of hop that maybe one day he could have a normal life. I'm sorry to see that hope disappear.
Well on that cheery note...there were a few funny lines that I want to mention to get me out of this funk.
*Bobby: "Glad to meet you. Bobby Singer, paranoid bastard."
*Dean: "So who's this Phillips guy?"
Bobby: "Phillips aint his last name, it's Lovecraft"
Sam: "H.P. Lovecraft, let me see that."
Dean: "Am I supposed to know who that is?"
Bobby: "Horror writer. At the Mountains of Madness? The Call of Cthulhu?"
Dean: "Yeah...No. I was too busy having sex with women."
*Crowley "Your chocolate's been in my peanut butter for far too long"
*I love that Crowley referred to Sam as "Jolly Green"
*Bobby: "Wow, you must be catnip to the ladies."
"I'm in a long-term, online relationship, so... "
*"You know, trench coat, looks like Columbo, talks like Rain Man."
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