Crowley is an HBO Fan
Speaking of Sam and Crowley, just like Sam and Meg shared some terrific scenes in “Goodbye Stranger”, Sam and Crowley were phenomenal in their scenes together. As I said, Mark Sheppard absolutely nailed Crowley tonight and showed us some rare vulnerability in the King of Hell. We’ve seen him down before, but we’ve never quite seen him so out. While he attempted to spend the first few hours of the 8 hour ritual taunting Sam, he managed to get a message through on the demon hotline (through Sam’s blood, which he ripped from his arm). But the only minion who showed up was Abaddon, who had no desire to save her “King” and wanted to discuss a regime change instead. Sam put an end to her coup by setting her vessel on fire, although Abaddon’s black smoke demon “soul” was able to escape and will likely become the next Meg. But Alaina Huffman was so amazing as Abaddon that I only hope the next actress they cast to play her (or actor, if that’s the case) leaves that same impression on me.
And that’s when Crowley started getting desperate. He began throwing out HBO references left, right and center to convince Sam that they were pals now and couldn’t he just let him go? No dice. Not for the for King of Hell.
There’s No One Before You
Castiel drops Dean off at the church as he returns up to Heaven to investigate. Dean bursts in to stop Sam from killing himself, but Sam is all “….so?” Dean is understandably perturbed by his brother’s willingness to sacrifice himself, despite this happening – you know – about 600 times before. But the truth is that Dean is unwilling to close the Gates of Hell if it means Sam dying. After all, he says, now they know how to “cure” demons and they have a lot more knowledge than they used to. It’s not just about stabbing vessels with Ruby’s knife anymore, they can win the fight against demons even without closing the Gates.
But that’s not good enough for Sam and out spills about 4 years of repressed feelings. Sam brings up the fact that he’s failed Dean and said that his biggest sin during his period of confession was the sheer amount of times he’s failed Dean. He also brought up Dean’s friendships with both Benny and Castiel, but I don’t think either of those were really about jealousy. I’ve said all season that I think Sam’s anger towards Benny was partly jealousy and partly a result of the fact that Dean originally kept him a secret, but thinking back on it now in light of this conversation I think that Sam isn’t jealous of Dean’s friends, he just sees them as manifestations of his failures towards his brother. If Sam had looked for Dean in Purgatory instead of shacking up with Amelia, then Dean might not have had to trust a vampire to save him. If Sam had listened to Dean in season 4 instead of being manipulated by Ruby, Dean may not have become as close to Castiel as he did (that’s idle speculation, obviously, but I’m trying to see this from Sam’s POV). The problem for Sam is not that Dean forges outside bonds, it’s the bonds that he forges in the wake of Sam’s betrayal. That’s not to say that Dean’s relationships with these other characters aren’t important in their own right, because they are. But if you’re looking at this from Sam’s point of view, that makes sense, especially Benny.
But then Dean came back with: “HOLD ON! You seriously think that? Because none of it, NONE OF IT, is true. Listen, man. I know we’ve had our disagreements, okay. I know I’ve said some junk that set you back on your heels. But Sammy, come on. I killed Benny to save you. I’m willing to let this guy and all the others that killed Mom, walk, because of you. Don’t you DARE think there is anything, past or present, that I.”
Dean made it clear that there is no one in the world that he puts above Sam. He even sent Benny to “die” so that his brother could live. And maybe it’s scary and co-dependent, but I still believe that Dean would do whatever he could to save the people he loves, including Sam. I think he believed that Benny had a shot of coming back. Remember, it was Benny’s choice to remain behind. Dean doesn’t love anyone like he loves Sam because he might not ever be able to. After all, their relationship…the blurring of the brother/parental role and their closeness while growing up and general ostracizing from society have made these particular siblings close. And while Dean places Sam above others, the truth is that Sam does the same. You may think that’s not true because of the times he’s left him, but Sam himself confessed that his biggest sin and regret was letting down Dean. Sam’s devotion to Dean simply manifests itself differently. He knew that leaving him in Purgatory was wrong, but I think he just wanted to honor Dean’s wishes and follow through on a promise that he made to his brother after all of the times he had failed him. To the Supernatural fans, that didn’t work out, but if you look back at Sam’s choices now in light of his confession I think that explanation makes perfect sense.
Before the Fall
The point is that Dean managed to convince Sam to walk away from the trials, and from Crowley’s broken body. And while he appeared to be alright for a split second, Sam soon began screaming in pain.
Up in Heaven, Castiel found Naomi’s corpse and a vastly different Metatron from the mild-manner bookworm we had known until now. It turns out Naomi was right, Metatron was not to be trusted. He explained that he wasn’t having Cas complete the Trials, he was gathering ingredients for a spell. And the final ingredient was Castiel’s grace. In other words, Cas has fallen. Metatron delivered him to a forest and as he awoke he spotted something odd in the sky. Outside of the church, Sam was still in agony as some of Dean’s attention was directed in the sky as well. And in the MoL bunker, Kevin was preparing to leave when all of the machines and lights started going haywire.
The cause? Thousands of falling angels. In a scene reminiscent of some of the most spectacular and breathless scenes that Supernatural has ever delivered unto its fans, we were treated to the wings burning off of angels as they hurled towards earth in giant balls of light.
And then….fade to black.
Like I said, that was one hell of a Supernatural finale. The last scenes with Castiel’s fall and the angels raining down from the sky are ones that will haunt me for a very long time. Supernatural fans have been toying with the idea that Cas could fall for several seasons, but there’s a part of me that didn’t believe they would actually do it. Team Free Will is going to be very different now that Cas doesn’t have access to his powers. Does he remember everything about his angelic life and his encounters with the Winchesters? Can he become an angel again if he can retrieve his grace like Anna did? What’s happening to Sam? How will all of the fallen angels affect earth next season?
I love the fact that Metatron is sticking around because I’m dying to know what Heaven will be like under his control. I am, however, deeply saddened by the death of both Naomi and Abaddon because they were terrific characters, but I’m thrilled that Kevin managed to survive the season intact. He will be needed if the Winchesters try to take on the Angel Tablet Trials. Then again, what if the only answer there is death as well? Will Castiel insist on taking them on because he might feel responsible for having been duped by Metatron in the first place?
So many questions! In the past, I’ve gathered a group of terrific Supernatural bloggers for a roundtable review at the midseason and finale points and season 8 will be no exception. Expect that mega review of the season as a whole to be posted on Monday. After that, look for some speculation articles in early summer until we can finally get some spoilers about season 9 at Comic-Con.
That’s it, Supernatural fans. Another season gone. Fortunately, we have season 9 (and likely 10) to look forward to. And a wealth of possibilities for what’s to come.
Keep an eye on our Supernatural page over the summer for more news and theories!
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You highlighted all the plot-holes most of us had issues with the entire season perfectly.The writers should pay attention!
Metatron, WOW what a totally unexpected turn of the events. I was waiting for Naomi to be a whole new level of bad but surprise surprise! I’d say Amanda Tapping made me believe Naomi being on the right side this time given what she’s done all season speaks for her acting skills, well done!
Mark Sheppard, simple phenomenal!
Jensen & Jared, nailed it perfectly & my GOD was that conversation long overdue! I sure hope the back-stabbing & hiding secrets will stop coz it’s been truly overly utilized.Considering the events that happened tonight, they should rid of their old habits and remain on the same page coz A, they can’t afford splitting up & fighting at this point, and B: if they do, that would defeat the purpose of them coming together in the first place and that amazing scene would lose its meaning.
I’m concerned about Sam’s condition. I don’t think he’ll be perfectly OK when the show returns as he didn’t finish the trials and Kevin mentioned there’ll be consequences to that?
One final note, please please PLEASE make Dean back on his game like we’ve seen him tonight. No more I’m worthless crap seriously! Also, I’d really like him to have a significant role in the mytharc next season. The show has been on its best when both Winchesters were involved in the mytharc (S 4 & 5).
This is… I don’t… I think I stopped breathing for a few minutes back there. I am literally having some sort of mental breakdown I cannot even describe how amazing and absolutely terrific this episode was. As you said at the beginning of this article, Jeremy Carver definitely knows how to make one hell of an impression. That final scene, the falling angels, was by far the best scene Supernatural has ever delivered, surpassing even both the opening of Lucifer’s cage and Castiel’s mounting of the throne of God.
I am truly at a loss of words. And as of right now I am against Supernatural ever ending at all. I won’t be able to survive without a 10th, 11th and even 12th season. TV will not be the same without this magnificent show, this epic piece of heavenly gold. Never end Supernatural, never end.
Heil Supernatural!~
Thank Clarissa for the recap. Amazing finale.
Excellent review, excellent comments, I am still rather speechless at the entire thing. The ending was perfection; not to be harsh, but nice to see some special effects at work lol. :) And I love the fact that I care about more than just Sam and Dean here, I care about Kevin way more than I expected; I love Crowley in my own weird way and wonder what’s gonna happen to him; and of course I care about Castiel–dear, dear Castiel, who always wants to make things right, and he ends up the victim. I’m curious about his memories as well, and wondering if his reaction to the falling angels was with knowledge, or just human fascination at an event. (though he seemed to have knowledge imho). So many things can happen next year, I was so pleased with this season, and I’m looking forward to the next!
Minor quibbles, the pacing seemed a bit herky-jerky, and I wish that the season ender, and the important mytharc episodes this year had been given more time, instead of weak ‘monster of the week’ episodes, it took away a lot of tension. Yes, the season started off with Purgatory, Where is Castiel, WTF Sam, but the writers turned that around mis-season and went somewhere new, except for the fact Castiel was manipulated again, too easily trusting and too desperate to save heaven, he just ruined it. The falling angels sequence was amazing, but the snippet of a suited man falling with wings took some of the epicness out, not to mention landing in the water beside the Winchesters, I’ve always wanted to see angels true forms in the show, and reducing them to their meatsuits in this instance, robbed the moment of it’s horror – just a bit – for me. Now we have to find out what the (pardon the pun) fallout will be, angels now hunted by demons as pure sources of grace, or angels reduced (like anna) to infants. Or maybe even angels no longer of import to the Winchesters, now that Metatron is in heaven all alone.
Excellent review Clarissa, and I agree with pretty much everything you said. Now that’s what I call a season finale! I spent most of this episode yelling, “Holy crap!” at my tv. It was just that good. The last 10 minutes were some of the most intense moments of the show, and props must definitely be given to the effects team and music department for the angels falling sequence. The combination of the visual effects and the powerful score was simultaneously beautiful, heartbreaking, and terrifying. Nicely done.
I must admit that I am more disappointed than surprised by Metatron. I had a bad feeling about him when we first met him, but I tried to push it aside in the hopes that I was just being paranoid and he would turn out to be one of the good guys. Alas, he’s just like all the other angels: selfish and power-hungry. I mean, what good will come from banishing all angels to Earth? With few exceptions, I never considered the angels good guys, but at least they helped to maintain the balance. Basically, now that there are no more angels there is no ying to the demons’ yang. Who is going to maintain the balance now? Hunters? There aren’t enough of them because every time a soul goes to Hell a new demon is born. And I have a feeling that once the demons realize that they are the most powerful entity left, they are going to get even bolder than they’ve been in the past. I just really wanted Metatron to be one of the good guys because the Boys (and Cas) could use an actual ally right about now. And Dean, good lord. I feel so deeply for Dean right now because he’s literally got it coming at him from all sides. Look to the right and he’s got Sam dying and all the other crap that they have between them. Look to the left, and he’s got Cas being overly naive and trusting the wrong people again, paving the way for chaos. Look to the front, and he’s got Crowley and his demons trying to take over everything. Look to the back, and he’s got Metatron stabbing him in it. Not to mention he’s got Kevin trying to continually run away from his destiny. Dean is barely holding the center and I wanted Metatron to be a help instead of a hindrance.
That conversation between Sam and Dean has been a long time coming. While I don’t think that exchange totally clears the air, it certainly laid the foundation for them to truly begin to deal with some of their issues. It also helped me understand Sam a bit more regarding Benny. In seasons past, when Sam made bad decisions I still felt like I was able to understand why he was behaving that way. Even though I didn’t agree with him and felt like he was in the wrong, I still understood. However, during the first part of this season, I was kind of at a loss. Given his history I couldn’t understand why Sam was acting the way he was toward Benny, thus, I was pretty frustrated with Sam for the first part of the season. But I get it now. Every time Sam saw Benny and how much Dean trusted him, Sam was reminded of his greatest sin. I still don’t think it was right, but at least I get it now.
I get what you’re saying about Cas, but I kinda sorta disagree. Yes, in S6 everything that happened was a result of Cas’s choices. Yes, for a lot of this season Cas was controlled/manipulated by Naomi. But at the same time, some of what happened towards the end was a result of his choices too. I don’t care how manipulated or confused Cas was after breaking Naomi’s hold, I don’t see any justification for him not trusting Dean and taking off with the angel tablet. His decision to do that put him in a position to be manipulated by Metatron. And even his decision to take on the fake angel trials was made without running it past Dean which was the problem in the first place. Yeah, Dean may have been duped by Metatron too, but he had suspicions about the trials as soon as Cas mentioned it. It would seem to me that Cas should’ve learned by now that his instincts, or lack thereof, aren’t good and he needs to run big decisions like that by the Winchesters first.
Although there have been a few missteps, I have thoroughly enjoyed S8. I feel like the show found its mojo again and this finale set up so many wonderful possibilities for S9 and beyond. What is the aftermath going to be like on Earth and in Heaven with all the angels on Earth? Is Crowley truly changed or is he faking? I think he’s faking. I am monumentally bummed that I have to wait all frakking summer to find out what happens next (especially with Sam in such a horrible condition) but I’m excited about the future. And that’s a feeling that I haven’t had from Supernatural for a little while. Also, I just want to take a moment and mention how much I have enjoyed your reviews this season. You have done a consistently wonderful job and I look forward to debating with you next season. :)
Great write-up, thank you! This is among my favorite SPN season finales and I liked so many things, but that final sequence with the angels falling was a real stand out in the history of the show.
I agree with your take on the Sam and Dean scene. Personally I’m not a big fan of the “only each other/nothing else matters” approach to their codependency but I didn’t get this vibe here, I think it was about the standing issues between them and this moment was necessary to move them forward. As you said, I don’t think this was about that Dean has friends, it’s Sam’s deep fears about failing Dean, and that he can’t live up to the surrogate brothers who’ve watched Dean’s back. The brothers will be close to others, that doesn’t change the strong bond between them and what Sam means to Dean and vice versa.
The Dean and Castiel scenes made me really happy, and that they finally sat down over beers and had a quiet talk, I’ve been wanting that for a long time.
I loved the Castiel storyline. Although it’s sad he didn’t get to make a choice here, I’ve found his story this season satisfying and I think the character was brought into better focus, and there’s a great setup here for season 9. I hope we’ll see more of the Sam and Dean and Castiel dynamics next season, as well as further development of the Dean and Cas relationship and some more Sam and Cas as well.
Also I think things are still wide open for Dean to have some kind of major plot link. While I’m a little let down on that, I’ve been really happy with Dean’s characterization this season and his personal arc.
Season 8 felt like a really strong season overall.
Loved the brotherly moment so so SO much. I felt like a needed a powerful intimate moment like that, cause it’s been missing for quite a long time .. and it was probably the most honest talk they ever got ..
Sad about losing Abbadon e Naomi as well, ’cause they were two strong charachters and the actress were fenomenal really :(
About Sam and his bringin up Cas and Benny ‘s relationship with Dean I feel like it was a long thing coming up and I thought they were never going to address it from Sam POV. I really enjoy the deep, meaningful bond Dean forges with these charachters, but I also always thought it left Sam a bit isolated, and emotionally cut out. This little aknowledging of how he deal with important charachters like Cas and Benny and their bond with Dean was somehow needed in my opinion, and I don’t think it’s jealousy either .. or maybe it is in a way, but not just for the sake of it. Sam saw first with Cas, and this season with Benny, the kind of blind faith and trust Dean gave to them that he never seemed to give to Sam, and not because he thinks he’s something less then Cas or Benny, but because Sam is his little brother and Dean will always have an extra-instinct to shield him. Sam sees it as Dean not trusting him enough or judging him not strong/capable enough .. when really it’s the sheer terror of losing him, of not being able to protect him and save him that’s talking … That somwhow often kept them from having a balanced relationship ’cause Dean always wanted to be the one to shoulder everything and keep Sam from even the possibility of being hurt. With Cas and Benny was always something more of a brother in arms kind of bond .. while with Sam was sharing the foxhole, but keeping an eye on him, meking sure Sam was one step behind of him, to keep him safe. Sam felt he was lacking something, and that was why Dean was keeping him a step behind. Cas and Benny, each in their own way, were the incarnation of Sam’s failure yes, but also, and more than anything the personification of Sam’s lackings as a brother/hunter/partner ..
In this way you can tell he was jealous of the trust Dean had in them, which he never felt Dean had in him. And when Cas let Dean down, Dean, instead of coming to terms with the fact the everyone makes mistakes, and so reconsidering all his way of thinking, just found someone else to trust .. a vampire nontheless .. That’s where all sam’s anger came from in my opinion. Dean trusting an angel the way he doesn’t trust him he can cope with .. but Dean trusting a vampire over him was too much. And I’m not saying Dean is at fault here .. with all the Sam not looking for him when he was in purgatory … I’m completely on board with everything Dean said and did. Dean had every right to feel like he felt, but finally I’m coming to understand a little bit of where Sam was coming from this season ..
With their talk at the end of this ep they finally got to clear all that and I really really loved it. It’s rare to see Sam letting go like this and I’m glad he finally get to talk to his brother about it ALL, without being harsh, or resentful, or angry .. just *completely* honest.