And they’ve done it again! It is amazing to me that after 8 seasons, ‘Supernatural’ still manages to end each season with such a bang. I am so excited about the new possibilities this finale has created. Even if I have no freaking idea what will happen next. I would also like to add how great it was to have a finale that didn’t involve a dead Winchester. That is the thing that will keep my sanity intact over this hellatus. Isn’t it sad when a possibly dying, but not dead Winchester is the good news?

I couldn’t be happier that Sam survived the trials. At least for now. We’ve all been throwing around the same question for the past few weeks; what happens to Sam if he doesn’t finish the trials? Will he die? For a while there I was under the impression that the last trial is what would make him better. The purification process would be complete and his health would return. Looking back at my wishful thinking self, it seems a little naive. In the words of Dean, “What show have you been watching?”. When has anything ever worked out like that for the Winchesters? Every decision they’ve made over the seasons has involved some level of sacrifice, so it seems obvious that something this huge would require the ultimate sacrifice. And for a while there, I really thought Sam was going to do it. Afterall, he was so close. And since beginning the trials, Sam’s body has taken a beating. He said it himself, his whole body hurt, he was starving and nauseous all at once and everything smelled like rotting meat. That is no way to live. If it were me, I would want a way out.

On top of all that physical pain, Sam was battling some pretty serious emotional baggage. His confession to Dean about what he considers his greatest sin was absolutely heartbreaking.

Sam: “You wanna know what I confessed in there? What my greatest sin was? It was how many times I let you down. I can’t do that again.What happens when you decide I can’t be trusted again? Who are you gonna turn to this time instead of me? Another angel? Another vampire? Do you have any idea what it feels like to watch your brother...”

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Sam would feel this way. There is a lot of truth to what he said. He has let Dean down in the past, just as Dean has let him down. But this is the first time that we’ve really seen it all pour out of Sam in such an open and honest way. It wasn’t really about who did what to whom, he wasn’t asking for an apology, he was telling his brother how he really felt. It was beautiful to watch and one of the best scenes we’ve seen from Jared to date. And if Sam’s confession didn’t get your eyes watering, Dean's response may have done the trick.

Dean: “Just hold on. Do you seriously think that? Because none of it, none of it is true. Listen man, I know we’ve had our disagreements. Hell, I know I’ve said some stuff that set you back on your heels but Sam, come on. I killed Benny to save you. I’m willing to let this bastard and all the sons of bitches that killed mom walk because of you. Don’t you dare think that there is anything past or present that I would put in front of you. It has never been like that, ever. I need you to see that. I’m begging you.”

And cue the waterworks. It’s no secret that Dean loves his brother. Even if he’s never said the L-word outright. But if there was ever a time to vocalize exactly what his brother means to him, this was it. It could have been his last chance to let Sam know that he comes before everything and everyone in Dean’s eyes. Thankfully, it’s exactly what Sam needed to hear. And then they shared another glorious man-hug.

Now let’s take a second to talk about how selfish this choice actually was. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am so happy with their decision, but it was selfish, wasn’t it? Sam was seconds away from closing the gates of Hell and ridding the world of demons forever. But he chose to stop. I’m sure he wasn’t crazy about the idea of dying because who is? But that’s not why he stopped himself from finishing the trial. He did it because Dean asked him to. Dean needed him and Sam was willing to stay for that reason. They both chose to sacrifice the good of the many for a little bit of their own happiness. I think this is the first time we’ve seen a choice like this from Sam and Dean and I, for one, loved it. They have sacrificed everything else. Why should they have to lose each other too?

And it’s not as if their life is going to be a cakewalk now. Sure they know a lot more about hellhounds and curing demons; it may give them a leg up. But look around, Hell is still wide open and now the angels have fallen from Heaven. I can’t even imagine the kind of chaos this could bring. Yet I’m still perfectly content with Sam and Dean’s choice. What about you guys? Do you think they made the right call here?

I was shocked by how close Sam came to curing Crowley. If you read my review last week, you know that I thought there was no way Crowley would ever be cured. And he wasn’t, but man did he come close. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I do wonder if Crowley will revert back to his old self since the exorcism wasn’t completed? Or will he retain a little of the humanity Sam brought out of him? I don’t know. But if he does revert back to the Crowley we all know and love to hate, he is going to be pissed. An angry, vengeful Crowley is a force to be reckoned with. Let’s just hope that Abaddon keeps him preoccupied since I’m assuming she’ll be back with a new meatsuit.

Back to Sam for one more minute. Do you think he has been purified? Like many of you, I hypothesized that these trials were cleansing Sam of the demon blood inside him. Since Sam’s blood was working to cure Crowley I would assume that he has in fact been purified. But what do you think? Did he need to complete the trials to complete the purification process. But then, what would be the point if that meant certain death?

Now on to Metatron. I just want to say that I’ve had a bad feeling about this guy since the day we met him. And something didn’t feel right about how quickly he wanted to jump into the “angel trials” with Cass. What does Metatron hope to gain from this? I know it’s an act of revenge, but if the angels have fallen, doesn’t that mean that he has fallen too? And what exactly is he gaining from that?

I have so many questions about what it means for an angel to fall on this show. We’ve had a few examples of this already. Lucifer fell and he became the King of Hell. He was bitter about what his father had done to him and how his brothers and sisters had betrayed him. But when Anna fell she didn’t remember anything about her time in heaven. She had a family and a normal life for a while there. It seems like this is what Metatron did to Cass before he cast him out of heaven. He stole his essence and his grace and told him to settle down and have a family. Is this what has been done to all the other angels we saw falling from Heaven? Will they know they are angels? Will they retain any of their powers? And what makes falling like Anna did different from Lucifer? If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them!

I apologize for how long this is getting but I do have one more burning question I need to talk about. What the heck was going on inside the Men of Letters lair? As soon as the angels fell, all the control panels began to light up and the sirens went off. What could that mean? And what brought it on? Angels and demons have been walking the Earth this whole time and we’ve never seen it light up like that. Was it just the influx of angels? Do you guys have any ideas?

There was so much to love about this episode and this whole season for that matter. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a season that was this consistently compelling. At some points it was so good that I found myself waiting to be let down. But I can honestly say that didn’t really happen for me. As with every season there were a few stumbling blocks. But looking back over the season as a whole, I would definitely mark this down as a huge win. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for season nine!

As usual, I’d like to finish with some great quotes and moments worth mentioning!

First of all, how funny was it that “Sacrifice” was also the title of the Arrow season finale?

We got another great road so far segment to kick of the episode. And what better song to use than “Carry on Wayward Son”? It was interesting that the subject of purity was referenced twice in this segment. We saw Sam talking about how the trials were purifying him but we were also reminded of when Dean talked about his time in Purgatory feeling pure. This still confuses me a little bit. I don’t think we ever really learned what he meant by that. Any thoughts?


Crowley: “I’ve lost someone too.”
Jodi: “It’s not a date til I’ve cried.”
Jodi survived, right? I sure hope so!

Crowley’s Sir Mix-A-Lot ringtone was hilarious.

Crowley: “Success has many fathers. Failure’s a Winchester.”

Crowley: “You’re gonna move your lips the whole way up here, aren’t you?”
It’s okay Dean, I move my lips when I read too.

Crowley: “You always put emotion before common sense.”

Cass: “Would you say that you’re looking for a partner in crime? Or someone that’s used to nurse roleplay and light domination?”

Sam: “For the first time in a long time it feels like we’re gonna win.”

Dean: “How about what you did to Penny Markle in the sixth grade, why don’t you lead with that?”
Sam: “That was you.”
Dean: “Carry on.”

I was a little shocked that Dean actually went with Cass. One set of trials at a time, people!

Cass: “Dean’s right. There is no ‘out’, only duty.”

Sam: “What the hell, Crowley? Biting? Seriously?”
What a clever little King of Hell.

Cass: “You really think it’s wise to be drinking on the job?”
Dean: “What show have you been watching?”

Crowley: “Would it be possible, Moose. I’d like to ask you a favor, Sam. When you were confessing back there, what did you say? I only ask because given my history, it raises the question, where do I start to even look for forgiveness for me?”

Watching Crowley slowly slip back into humanity was so interesting. To be honest, I love Crowley as an enemy way too much to give him up. But it was still fun to see.

Dean: “You finish this trial, you’re dead Sam.
Sam: “So?”
Heart = Broken

Sam: “How do I stop?”
Dean: “Just let it go.”
Sam: “I can’t, it’s in me Dean. You don’t know what this feels like.”
Dean: “We’ll figure it out. Just like we always do.”