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Supernatural: Do You Believe in Miracles?

"I'm proud of us."

Dean was initially the light brother, and Sam the dark brother. This episode completed the Winchester reversal: Dean is now a demon. So much for all that "not caring" bull; Sam's anguish over Dean's death was huge and painful to watch, and deliberately echoed Dean's total despair in "All Hell Breaks Loose."

But it's a different thing, isn't it? Dean isn't possessed by a demon – he has died and become one, a demon addicted to killing. I'm trying to imagine my Dean as a demon, and I can't quite do it. That's not in any way doubting Jensen Ackles' acting ability because he can do pretty much anything, and he's certainly played evil convincingly before. It's just that Dean has always been the real guy, the one who kept supernatural beings that he didn't kill at arm's length. I hate the idea of Dean as a demon, and I just realized that as I typed it.

Will Dean be the Big Bad next season? Will we be getting the ultimate brother against brother scenario? If ten is the final season, and it should be, it would be a way to end the story with a great big bang. To be honest, I was more comfortable with Sam as the bad guy, though. I don't want it to be my Dean.

If Crowley saw it coming, it's no wonder he's been treating "Not Moose" more like a friend these days. Also interesting that Dean turned to Crowley when he couldn't control his addiction to the First Blade. Crowley's motivations are still a mystery (he said he kicked human blood. Did he?) but there's no doubt that he's become attached to the Winchesters. I'm glad Mark Sheppard is still with us. Crowley is too good a character to kill off.

So is Curtis Armstrong as Metatron. I was expecting the Metatron arc to, you know, end, but no. It was karmic that Metatron ended up in Gadreel's cell. I assume Metatron really didn't know the end of the story, or that it changed when the tablet was smashed? (Loved that the angel tablet was underneath Metatron's typewriter. Perfect.) Metatron was so much fun at first, but he became despicable; his escapade as God in homeless garb was just so slimy. And now he's waiting in the wings, so to speak.

But I was sorry to lose Tahmoh Penikett's Gadreel, who sacrificed his life for the cause (and probably because he couldn't handle more centuries in prison). Seriously, if they have to come up with a Supernatural spinoff, Castiel and Gadreel, buddy angels? They even looked like an angelic version of Dean and Sam, didn't they? Oh, well. Too late now.

And it's too bad because I was enjoying Gadreel's growing relationship with Castiel, whose new knowledge of pop culture is a gift that keeps on giving. Like the tablet under the typewriter, "The Wookiee" was just perfect. I'm so glad we got some quality Castiel this season, although he wasn't human quite long enough for me.

This hasn't been the most successful season of Supernatural, even with the consistently good writing and acting. There have been only two episodes I truly loved: the journey to Oz in "Slumber Party," and Crowley's visit to Sam's brain. But there are interesting places they could go with this Dean as demon thing, and I'll definitely be around in the fall to see where they take us.

Bits:

— This episode began the very second that it left off. Are there always this many beheadings in "The Road So Far"?

— Metatron pushed back his hoodie exactly like Obi-Wan in the original Star Wars. It fit in very well with "The Wookiee."

— Very nice foreshadowing with the lighting on Jensen Ackles during those scenes before Metatron killed him.

— The lovely restaurant scene should have given me a clue too because Crowley tried his best to start a conversation about existence and metamorphosis, and Dean refused a cheeseburger.

— They set up the angel suicide bombing thing well, too. Good job.

— Have we heard anything good yet about God? Metatron talked him down big time.

— I liked Hannah, and she survived the episode. Maybe we'll see her again.

— The gateway symbol in the sandbox was a nice touch. They put thought into everything, and it shows.

— Loved the shot of the brothers under the bridge.

— Why didn't Sam take the First Blade with him when he left the bunker? I hate it when they do something so obviously stupid for plot purposes. Sam is not stupid.

Quotes:

Metatron: "This is a story, Neil. A marvelous story full of love and heartbreak, and love…"
Neil: "Sort of like The Notebook. I love The Notebook."
Come to think of it, that sort of fits with Dean and Sam, doesn't it?

Neil: "More reverb."
Metatron: "Because I'm Lou Gehrig?"
I didn't get that one.

Crowley: "Love, if I wanted a soapy massage from Dr. Phil, I would have hit three on the speed dial, all right?"

Dean: "What the hell is happening to me, you sonovabitch?"
Crowley: "Liquor before beer, bad taco, how should I know?"

Crowley: "I kicked human blood, you know."
Dean: "Oh, so you're full metal douche again. Well, that's fantastic. Would you like a stuffed bear?"

Dean: "How's Hell, Crowley?"
Crowley: "Hell's fine. Hell's like a Swiss watch. Don't worry about Hell. (pause) Hell's complicated."
Dean: "Game of Thrones is complicated. Shower sex, that's complicated. Hell ain't complicated. Your problem ain't Hell. It's you."

Castiel: "Wookiee."
Gadreel: "Brother, I have no idea what that means."

Metatron: "The problem with you, Dean, is the cynicism. Always with the cynicism. But most people, even the real belly crawlers living in filth, or Brentwood, they don't want to be cynical. They just want something to believe in."

Dean: "You are nothing but Bernie Madoff with wings."
Metatron: "So I'm a fake. Do you have any idea how much pancake makeup and soft lighting it took to get God to work a rope line?"

Dean: "What happened with you being okay with this?"
Sam: "I lied."
Dean: "Ain't that a bitch."

I just don't know what sort of rating to give this episode. Maybe it will be clearer in retrospect. What did you all think? Lines are open,

Billie
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Billie Doux has been reviewing Supernatural for so long that Dean and Sam Winchester feel like old friends. Courageous, adventurous, gorgeous old friends.

27 comments:

  1. No, no, no, no, no.

    Not my Dean.

    No.

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  2. I think it was a reference to Lou Gehrig's disease making your voice quaver. It was a pretty nasty remark if so.

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  3. The Lou Gehrig line was a reference to the famous speech from Pride of the Yankee's (I'm the luckiest person on the face of the earth).

    I think this episode was good, but not the greatest season finale we've had on the show. Kind of like the rest of the season, it hasn't been great, but it hasn't been bad either. Better than six, not as good as four or five... you get the idea.

    What really stood out to me was how much of a game changer making Dean into a demon is. This could have far reaching implications, unlike the Sam is dying from the Trials plot from last season. Most of the Angels are in heaven now, the demons are under Crowley's command again, so that opens the world up to different stories again.

    When we do get Angel and Demon stories next season I bet they'll involve the characters we like; more Castiel, more Crowley probably doing a buddy cop routine with newly demonized Dean, and probably some kind of plot involving curing demons too.

    Lets not forget Metatron is waiting in the wings so to speak. It's possibly a final season, so they might throw everything at the wall. Who knows, it might actually be a return to form, rivaling the best seasons from the end of Kripke's run.

    But no matter what happens, I'm just glad the show hasn't totally fallen down, that nine seasons in it is still a show I love to watch. I can't say that about many other shows. Hell, how many shows get ten seasons.

    Looking forward to next season, thanks for reviewing the show so loyally!

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  4. I loved this ep, Billie. I was completely unspoiled about what was to happen, thank God, so Dean turning demon was a total shock to me. I cried over Dean's death, even though I know it's not permanent. I was sad to see Gadreel sacrifice himself, and hope he found peace. I'm confused about Cas' status; why is he dying instead of reverting to becoming human? I think Metatron should have been killed; letting him live can only lead to trouble. He is a nasty, smarmy little worm who will strive to cause trouble for all our heroes in S10. I see a lot of potential in S10 with Dean as a demon. How will the brothers deal with each other now? Will Dean and Crowley become BFFs? And how will Demon Dean get along with Cas?

    Love, Robin

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  5. I have mixed feelings about this episode. I saw the evil Dean thing coming (they've been telegraphing such a move for a while) but I didn't see demon!Dean. I thought he was going to end up killing Sam or Cas or something like that. I think this was actually worse.

    One thing that was interesting to me was Crowley's attitude. He may say that he's off the blood to stay...but he's definitely different than the demon we knew last season. He's ruler of Hell again, but he's not revelling in it. He's bored and looking for an escape In fact...I half think he was sincere in his whole 'demonic road trip' sales pitch that he was feeding Dean throughout the entire episode, especially in the final monologue. I predict that we're going to see a lot of Crowley and Dean together next season and Castiel and Sam working together, sort of like in one big full-circle change to the status quo.

    On the bright side...Sam knows how to cure demons now. I'm not sure how hard it would be to kill a Knight of Hell (one descended from Cain himself, no less) but it can be done. I haven't given up hope on Dean yet.

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  6. I think I might be the only fan in the history of the world that doesn't have a favorite brother. Sometimes I think Dean is more fun/funny/likeable and sometimes I relate more to Sam, but for the most part I am Switzerland.
    With that said, I think evil Dean and good Sam is a long time coming. Sam can't always be the one carrying the evil torch, and I think it's going to be very interesting for Sam to find his limit to what he will do to save his brother. Dean has given his soul to bring Sam back from the dead and played Trickster to get Gadreel in Sam's head to save his life. Both lines he never previously thought he would cross. To the best of my recollection, Sam has never successfully saved Dean, and after all his yammering this season about Dean's choices... how far will he go?

    Crowley and Castiel have been especially on their game lately! Every scene one of them is in, are fun to watch.

    I agree that this wasn't the best season, but I have enjoyed it too. Here's hoping they send us out next season with a BANG. A revert to what used to make this show amazing would be nice, but I will settle for a non-angelcentric story line and both brothers living on to fight evil another day. Together. Not demons. Please don't end this all with our boys on opposite sides!

    Great reviews, as always, Billie.

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  7. Well, just a oh episode for me, not great.
    Demon Dean was so predictable, we saw it coming since the Cain episode. And even if it can bring good storyline, I fear it will bring more conflicts between the brothers. And after half a season like this, I really don't feel like watching more of it.
    I rally really don't care about angels anymore, they bore me, don't want to watch it and that include Cass.
    Sam doesn't exist anymore (he was in what, 10 minutes in this final ?) and of course, he won't be able to save his brother. Sam is not a lead anymore in the show.
    Finally, I only enjoyed the scenes between Sam and Dean, but 3 minutes in a season, that's not good.
    I really hated season 9, sure it can't always be pink and roses but it doesn't have to be so unpleasant.
    Many criticize seasons 6 and 7 but at least I can give you the names of many episodes I loved in this 2 seasons, while none in season 9 come to mind.
    Very very disappointed

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  8. Loved it. As painful as it was, I loved Sam crying over his brother and the two of them reconciling. The Gadreel and Cas buddy cop stuff was precious. I'm still holding out hope Gadreel isn't dead. We didn't see wings, did we?

    This season's definitely been uneven and I think that stems largely from a lack of direction. Guess what we have for season 10? DIRECTION! I'm really excited about Demon!Dean and the places that could go.

    Crowley's addiction to human blood was a big thing this season. Maybe Dean will dose himself with it so he can stay more Dean-y. I hope Cain comes back, because it totally makes sense now. And, speaking of Cain, he was just chilling in his house with his bees and his corn, so maybe the way Dean became a demon will help him avoid the bloodlust thing. Plus, the brothers know how to cure a demon, so Dean's condition isn't necessarily permanent.

    I really hope that Crowley tries to bring Dean in as his protege and Dean tells him to shove it and continues monster hunting with Sam.

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  9. Lou Gehrig: TODAY (today, today) I consider myself (consider myself, consider myself) The luckiest man (luckiest man, luckiest man) on the face of the earth (face of the earth, of the earthh) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STZ2SU02slI

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  10. Crowley did tell Dean that Cain could control the murderous compulsions more easily because of being a demon, so I also don't think Dean's demon development necessarily signals a murder spree from him next season. I want to watch this one again, just to see if I can pick anything else up from Crowley's behavior and reactions, which I found interesting. What did he know and when did he know it? :)

    Btw, I'm dating myself, but did anyone else catch the Revenge of the Nerds reference when Metatron was trying to deal with the bowling alley angel?

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  11. 4 out of four Wookie's. I was going to say black orbs but I'm still sad. Excited to see where this goes but sad nonetheless. I think a funny Dean episode is in order.

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  12. I am still in shock since I watched it last night.. It was painful and I hated seeing my Dean a daemon but I think it's one of those occasions that they writers gave us not what we wanted but what we needed (very Whedonesque)

    I also loved the angels story development. Gadreel redeemed himself and Cas was at his best.

    I'm really looking forward for next season!

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  13. You know this episode, and specifically the final shot, saved this entire season for me. The whole while during this season I've realised I'm not psyched to see the episodes. I've even forgotten to watch them.
    But now I'm on board again. It's very much the same feeling as the Dexter-season with Colin Hanks and Admiral Adama. Let's just hope the next season of Supernatural won't be the Dexter-trainwreck.
    I'm sure it won't. I'm very much looking forward to Demon Dean. Deanon?

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  14. Ah, the Kansas open. It’s always so well done and the song is perfect. In fact, I never hear Carry On now that I don’t think of this show.

    Winning a People’s Choice Award is “not quite the real deal?” Wookie? LOL

    When Metatron stabbed Dean, I gasped and then burst into tears. The death scene, although we have been through them before, wrecked me. The juxtaposition of Dean’s death and Metatron’s reveal was fantastically done.

    Dean as a demon??? NO!!!! But, you can be sure I will be tuning in to see what happens.

    Congratulations on season nine, Billie. Your reviews are always a joy. Thank you.

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  15. Curing a deamon is the third trial. I can just see the series endind with Sam curing Dean which means Sam dies. I hope I'm wrong.

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  16. So Crowley is tired of been King of Hell and Cass doesn't want to be the leader of Heaven? Here's an idea: Let Demon!Dean take over Hell and GoodSam guide the angels. How about that as an ending to Season 10?

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  17. That would be a terrible ending in my opinion. The brothers would be separated forever and Dean would be evil forever. Nope, nope, nope.

    I doubt they will go with a "happy" ending, but please don't make it horrible. We need some kind of closure for the boys. Just give us some ray of hope at the end. Or at least a sense that all this was worth it and significant.

    Mandy

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  18. Yeah, I gotta say, if any show deserves a happy ending, it's this one.

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  19. Reading your review and all of the comments has made me a bit more interested in next season, but I have to say, Supernatural had really lost something for me. I used to adore it and was riveted by each episode. Lately, it has felt like a chore to watch. I didn't find this season's major storyline to be very interesting. I am hating the constant conflict between Dean and Sam since it feels very old to me, and something just seems to be missing from the show. I miss Bobby.

    All that being said, I think I will tune into next season just to see where they are going with Dean as a demon. I definitely didn't see that coming until a minute or so before it happened. Nice twist, but I hope it leads to more interesting storytelling than what we saw this season.

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  20. Hah! I caught up!

    I knew what happened at the end from Tumblr, which I guess pretty much ruined it, really. There's something weird about sitting around waiting for one of your favourite characters to die and become a demon. I think I actually found myself thinking 'oh hurry up and die!' at one point!

    I hope Dean is a demon for a few episodes and then gets cured by Sam and Castiel together (so Sam won't complete the trials and die, plus I need more Castiel in general). Assuming this is the final season, I definitely don't want him to be a demon all season - I want a few more episodes of the boys hunting things before it all ends.

    I'm afraid I do tend to think Sam is pretty stupid, Billie - I actually never quite forgave him for leaving a knife lying around next to a not-dead guy trying to kill in the penultimate episode of season 2 and kicking off basically all the rubbish stuff that's happened to them since! (Though I guess Dean bears some responsibility for making deals with demons). And why didn't Sam wait to see if Castiel could cure Dean with what's left of his stolen grace before resorting to summoning Crowley and starting the whole cycle again?

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  21. Congratulations, Juliette! How long did it take you? A month? :)

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  22. About 2 months I think - I have no life! ;)

    I can no longer cope without it so I'm starting in on the DVD commentaries now...

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  23. The actors are incredible. The writers are amazing. I haven't watched a show this regularly since the early 90's and this one caught me, so that speaks volumes for my opinion of the series. (And yes, I've bought all of the DVDs.)

    And... I wasn't crazy about this season, though. I felt like the writers were busy tying up loose ends on multiple characters, (Jody, the Ghost Facers, Mrs. Tran, Garth, etc.) when I really wanted more interaction between the brothers. And yes, I think that the writers should create a funny, touching show. (The Christmas Special comes to mind! Boy, was that great!) If the whole focus of the show is all doom and gloom, (and I do love me some angst!)it loses the poignancy of contrast.

    All that being said, I expected a Cain and Abel storyline to unfold, so it was a nice surprise that it didn't, although I regretted the potential angst of one brother killing the other. (Did I mention that I love me some angst?)

    We always need more Cas and Crowley, too. Crowley, particularly shone this season. Crowley is just too good of a character. And if some of the fans are bored with the angel line, okay, but Cas is not just an angel -- he's an honorary brother. I kind of regret him getting a zapped-in understanding of pop culture. He was much more fun when he was completely clueless.

    Demon Dean? Bring it. I am hoping that the writers really let Jenson soar with a great story arc, (although I'm more of a Sam kind of gal.) It's the chemistry of the two brothers though, that brings me back every time. So please, oh writers, bring us back our brotherly interaction.

    And let's add some extra kudos for Jarad. They didn't give him enough to do on this finale, although I'm certain that they're making every effort to balance out the focus of the arcs in order to satisfy everyone. However, Jarad's exquisite acting as he held his brother was ... well, exquisite. Thanks for the moment, guys!

    Love the show, and love this whole site, Billie. It lets me get other people's ideas about the show (my friends and family aren't fans, sorry to say) and I love getting insights that I missed. Thanks very much for everyone's input.

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  24. I didn't like season nine much either - I quite liked some of the early stuff when Sam didn't know Ezekiel/Gadreel was using him as a vessel and I love mortal Cas, but the arc was too depressing and for the first time I really didn't like most of the standalones either (Oz was a step too far into another subgenre of fantasy all together for me and the less said about that awful dog thing the better...). But hopefully the demon Dean storyline will energise things a bit - though I agree Anonymous, I want them back talking to each other again before too long!

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  25. Overall I enjoyed this season loved the angel factions story lines. the bit with the Tessa being an angel bugged me. but looked into the retcon of reapers so that cleared that up. the season the Jared was awesome

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  26. I had a who spiel of verbiage and I managed to lose it! 😞 But I digress simpler terms of my post. I hated Metaron and glad he's in jail, so good riddance to over inflated ego's! I cried when Dean died and I'm also on the fence regarding Crowley! Crowley seemed like he was regretful for having Dean Killed and yet the Demon part of him is okay with it. I know Demon but he's feeling ambivalent about what is happening with Dean. I also felt bad that Dean had to "confess" what was going on with himself/mark to Crowley of all people. Yet it does make sense because in away Crowley/Dean are two sides of the same person, plus they are both addicts , one for blood/one for violence. Yes, Crowley is a very sharp observer, nothing gets by him.

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    Replies
    1. I forgot to mention that It was incredibly painful for Sam to have to go through with Dean's death. So sad and yes, weeping buckets with him.

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