sweetondean’s Wrap Up of Supernatural 8.22 “Clip Show”
One week to go, people. How’d that happen? The last 2 weeks have got us fully locked and loaded for heaven knows what, because seriously, I have no idea where this is all going! This week’s “Clip Show” took us on a crazy ride, one that raised plenty of questions and filled me with both awe and dread. Sam and Dean and Crowley and Abaddon, Cass and Metatron and Naomi…how will it all come together and who will survive?
We kicked off in the bunker. How I love the bunker. I’m holding hope that it survives into season 9 because I know that the crew love it and I know it cost a lot to build, so I’m praying JC leaves it be for budgetary and shooting convenience reasons! Oh and also because it’s awesome, beyond awesome and I feel like we’ve only seen a fraction of it.
So the brothers brought Castiel back to the bunker for him to recover from his tabletectomy and Crowley/Naomi beat-down. Obviously the bunker is not warded against angels. They need to sort that out pronto. Ward it against everything I say.
When Cass looks like a broken child, I can’t help but feel bad for him, but, unpopular opinion time, I was kind of glad Dean told him off. It’s starting to feel like there’s been too many passes for our angel friend. The one thing that Dean holds above everything else is loyalty and Cass has done many things to push Dean to where he now is. Dean has forgiven Cass over and over. For the lying about pulling Sam out of Hell, for teaming with Crowley, for breaking Sam’s wall and sending his brother mad, for the whole Leviathan mess. Not only that, Dean stayed in Purgatory longer than he needed to and risked death by Leviathan bomb and other monsters attracted to the Serif, because he wanted to get Cass out, because he wouldn’t leave his friend behind. Then Cass repays Dean’s fragile faith by not showing any faith in him, by not trusting his friend, by not talking to his friend and by not asking his friend for help. I know Castiel’s heart is always in the right place and in taking Sam’s crazy he tried to make amends for hurting Sam and he’s still trying to make amends for what he did under the Leviathan influence and I’m sure that Dean and Cass rebonded in Purgatory, yet…here we are again. Same old, same old. Another sorry. I’d be peeved with him to.
I’m not saying Dean is faultless, good Lord, far from it and part of all the characters of Supernatural’s great beauty is their flaws and their desire to do good and how human they all are in the mistakes they make along the way. But Cass just keeps making the same mistakes over and over and the Winchesters keep getting caught in the crossfire. When will the angel learn and when is it ok for the brothers to say, enough. I would have said enough a long time ago. Sam and Dean are way better people than me.
I’m not hating on Cass here, I hurt for him when he makes these errors of judgement, I hurt for him when he tries to make amends and fails and I hurt for him when he looks like a lost and sad kitten! He comes from a world where he has never had to face the kind of choices that he has to face now and that must be hard. But he’s been in the Winchester’s world for 4 years and he’s been down this road enough times to know nothing good ever comes of going off and doing his own thing, not once and the first thing he should do is put his trust in his friends. Surely that would be the one great lessons a relationship with the Winchesters would teach. Trust and loyalty are important. Talk to Sam and Dean for goodness sake, if only for the reason that they have a lot more life experience in dealing with bad people and could offer insight. But noooooo. The angel simply never learns and it’s frustrating.
I don’t know how the Castiel and Dean relationship will be healed, maybe it won’t, maybe it will never be what it was, but another one of Dean’s great attributes is his ability to forgive those he loves…eventually…(he can also hold an epic grudge), so maybe there’s hope for their friendship. I’d like to think there is. I did appreciate that Sam tried to smooth things over; that was such a Sam thing to do. Like when he went and prayed to Cass when Cass thought he was God. But Sam never forces his brother’s hand. He will say, be easy on Cass he’s one of the good guys, but he will leave it at that and let Dean stew on it and work it through himself.
I think Sam probably sees a lot of himself in Cass. I see a lot of similarities in them; in their thoughtful natures, in the struggles they’ve both had, in the mistakes they’ve both made when only wanting to do the right thing. I’ve always thought that was part of the reason why Dean was drawn to Cass, because there’s a lot of Sam in Cass and maybe that’s why he’s been willing to try and forgive him in the past. They have so few people; maybe it’s worth putting hurt aside to keep those you love close. Because like I’ve said over and over, if Dean didn’t love Sam and Cass so deeply, he wouldn’t be hurt by and disappointed in them so completely. It’s the love that makes it hurt the most. So it all falls onto Dean and whether he can put the latest betrayal behind him, or whether Cass owns up to and learns from his mistakes and brings the brothers into his latest personal drama.
Have I lost all the Castiel fans out there?
While we’re on Castiel making mistakes – Metatron. Who wasn’t screaming at Cass through their TV? NOOOOO! NOT AGAIN! GO BACK TO THE BUNKER! All of sudden I have a bad feeling about Metatron. He went from a pencil pusher, secretarial angel hiding out from the world, to wanting to take over Heaven, complete with inside information about Naomi? Um ok. He’s either full of crap and way more important than he said – like archangel important – or Naomi has already got to him. Whatever, but it feels like he has ulterior motives and his own thing going on and of course Cass fell for it all hook line and sinker. CASSSSS!!! (With 3 exclamation points). When will our trench-coated angel learn? And when is it ever ok to rip someone’s heart out? Just sayin’! Isn’t it interesting that the trials to close the gates of Hell are all about doing things that can lead to good, kill a hellhound, save an innocent soul, wash a demon clean of sin, but the first angelic trial is ripping out someone’s heart! That in itself makes me suspicious. Without the tablet, how do we know what Metatron is saying is even true? Do you think they cut the Nephilin’s heart out after Cass stabbed her in the neck? I’m not sure the first trial was even started or completed. I must admit to finding that all a tad unclear.
One of my favourite parts of the episode was Abaddon. Isn’t she a peach? Oh, I’m enjoying her. I really hope she survives the finale to sass another day! I did not like that the boys were dumb and left her on her own though, clawless or otherwise. That was a stupid mistake and I hate when the writers make the brothers do dumbass things like that. Put the chair in a damn devil’s trap as a precaution for heaven’s sake! I guess with the devil’s trap bullet in her head, they’d never think that the demon would “Thing” her way out of there. Great scene. I can just see that scene being pitched! “And then she mind powers her severed hand out of a box and it makes it’s way over to her, goes into her mouth and yanks out the bullet.” Score! But yes, stupid boys, you’re better than that.
So if Abaddon sticks around and manages to dethrone the “salesman”, would that make her the Queen of Hell and if so, as she was Knighted by Lucifer himself, do you think her first order as Queen would be to unlock the cage? This is why I think Abaddon and her possibly sticking around could be super interesting. But, I don’t want it to be at the expense of Crowley, though seeing the King brought down a notch or two would be fab!
I’m glad to see Crowley finally flexing those villainous muscles of his. He’s sometimes at risk of being all snark and no action, but he’s turned the evil up to 11 and I like it! I always love me the bad guy (and the bad boy) and this season, I finally see Crowley as a great big bad. He’s sort of just been an irritation before this, that thorn in the brother’s side, but he’s never felt to me as evil as he should, until now. The dude is E-VIL! This was Crowley at his worst and his best.
Why no one has thought of using the Winchester’s surviving victims against them before is beyond me. It’s really all they have; the knowledge that what they do is saving lives and for that reason it’s all worth while. Strip them of that and you strip them of the essence of who they are and why they put up with this crappy, bleak existence. It’s a clever move that gets them right in the hurty bits.
I’m so loving how the books have come into play this season. Id’ never considered how they’d put the Winchesters at risk before. But ALL their secrets are in there (Dean’s full frontal in there, man). They really need to do something about them! Because if Crowley can discover a use for them, any bad critter can.
As part of Crowley’s renewed vigour in attacking the brothers, this week we saw a bunch of returning characters. Nods to the past have been a theme of this season and one that I’ve enjoyed immensely.
Tommy from “Wendigo” was collateral because he was the first victim they had a personal relationship with. I loved the exploding head! The VFX this year have been epic.
Jenny Klein from “Shut Up, Dr. Phil”, umm, well, she was post Chuck’s disappearance, so I’m choosing to assume that Crowley’s minions researched farther a field than just the books. Crowley did say that the brothers leave a mark on the towns they blow through, so maybe the minions are looking into the brother’s various connections. Anyone can be traced I guess. I’m sure, just as the brothers find cases via reports on the net, the minions can find those reports too and follow through to see if Sam and Dean were involved. That’s how I’m working this one in my brains anyway…
Of course, it was Sarah who was the important victim because that took a blow at Sam and at his heart and shook his belief in pursuing the trials above everything else. She was the first girl Sam really had any kind of feelings for immediately after Jess’ death. I bet she’s someone who’s flicked through his mind on and off, wondering what ever happened to her, if she’s well, married, kids? She was married with a kid, which makes her death even more tragic and powerful. But if you’re going to hit someone where it hurts, you have to take a decent stab at it and if you think back at all those the brothers knew survived, Sarah was definitely one that would go straight to both the brother’s hearts. So sad death, yes, but one I could see the reason for (from Crowley’s viewpoint). It’s made Sam wonder, is what they’re trying to achieve worth all this death? Who else needs to die? If their job is saving people, shouldn’t they stop what they’re doing, to save people? Because we know Crowley won’t stop. Way to shake the guy’s resolve.
Crowley’s monologue as the boys frantically searched was a cracker…that scene had me on the edge of my seat. Poor Sarah on the floor gasping, Sam and Dean rushing around, throwing furniture in their wake, the utter desperation of it all as Crowley droned on:
“What’s the line? “Saving people, hunting things. The family business.” Well I think, the people you save, they’re how you justify your pathetic little lives. The alcoholism, the collateral damage, the pain you’ve caused… The one thing that allows you to sleep at night – the one thing is knowing these folks are out there. Still out there. Happy and healthy because of you. You great big bloody heroes. They’re your life’s work and I am going to rip it apart. Piece by piece. Because I can. Because you can’t stop me. Because when they’re all gone, what will you have left?”
Brilliant. The whole scene was brilliant.
I also liked what Sarah said to Sam; that he’d changed, that he seemed more focused and grown up and that he seemed like he knew what he wanted. I agree, that’s how Sam looks to me too. I love it when the brothers hear something like this from someone outside of their immediate circle (of 2). It was a super sad scene with Sam and Dean just staring at the dead Sarah and the bloody hex bag was in the phone all the damn time. Crowley is an utter bastard (I love him).
This cleansing of the demon thing, I think it’s cool (and creepy) but here’s what I’m wondering…if the demon gets cleansed then what happens? Does the demon hang out with the real person inside the meat suit? Bit cosy! I was scratching my head at this. Maybe because they’re all warm and fuzzy after a good exorcism bath, the demon does the polite thing and smokes out? But how brilliant would it be if the brothers could master this little technique. How many lives would be saved if they could make all the demons in the world nice and save the person they’re possessing in the bargain? I’m assuming that the brothers are going to eventually have a light-bulb moment and realise that maybe Sam’s blood is the purified blood they need to finish the trial, seeing as Sam was just saying he feels like he’s being purified and seeing as that’s exactly what they need. They’ll get there eventually…sometimes they’re a little behind the rest of us.
I liked “Clip Show” a lot. I was fully engaged for the whole hour. I thought it was a great set up for the finale. I liked the personal touch of bringing back past victims and undoing the brother’s good work. That’s one thing that has rocked about this season, that the task at hand is so personal. To make this season’s quest personal to the brothers was smart. I think that’s one of the things the last 2 seasons lacked; that personal connection to the issue at hand. But this is about as personal as it gets. Locking up Hell, a place both brothers have spent time and locking up demons, beings that have caused the brothers pain ever since they were children. Let’s throw the possibility of locking Heaven into the picture, because the angels have been pretty bothersome since they entered the Winchesters lives! Then making it physically devastating for Sam, which becomes devastating for Dean. It’s all such good stuff.
So, we’re left with Sam starting to waver (poor thing, all this on top of feeling like crap) and Dean holding firm. Dean asking his brother if he’s with him, saying they’ll “Kick it in the ass” (awww), as usual, saying that they stay on point and keep to plan. I think they’re going to sit down at that super cool map table and nut out a new strategy. But without snacks…because Dean never got to the shops and Castiel got distracted…
Next week I’m wondering what the landscape will look like after the dust settles. Will Sam be cleansed or will he have to sacrifice the chance to be a “real boy” in order to stop the evil powers-that-be doing whatever they’re going to do. Will Abaddon take down that snotty salesman and crown herself Queen? Will Cass remain on the outs with the Winchesters, as once again he follows his own agenda? Will we discover what’s really up with Metatron and will someone finally angel blade Naomi? Because she needs to die in a blinding white light! I’m totally baffled by where it’s all going, what’s going to wrap up and what isn’t and where we kick off season 9. But my one hope is that no Winchester dies and no Winchester disappears, because we’ve all been there and done that. I’m for them standing side by side in the aftermath, together, ready to face whatever catastrophe befalls them as the outcome of their latest attempt to do good for the world! Because the Winchester’s relationship is the heart of this show and that heart is beating strong again and I like.
Oh, and the MoL Batcave has a dungeon, “Finally”. Oh Dean, just when I think I can’t love you any more.
As always, thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week for the… FINALE!!! (with 3 exclamation points) DA-DA-DUMMMM!
-sweetondean
You’ve touched on just about every thought I had about this episode. It was gripping and heart wrenching. The scene with Sarah’s death was perfection. Loved Crowley’s total evilness, his monologue whilst the brothers searched desperately and fruitlessly, Sam’s utter devastation, thus securing Dean’s feeling of devastation, then their total shock at seeing the hex bag in the ruins of the smashed cordless phone. To realise that Dean had the damn thing in his hand all along. O M G.
Abaddon on the loose again is a very bad thing. Yes, she was bound by the demon trap bullet but they shouldn’t have trusted that or the fact that they left her without hands. She’s one powerful demon and their error makes it clear that right now they aren’t thinking on all cylinders.
Kudos to the make up department. They have done a great job of making Jared’s Sam look so sick. I know from past conversation with Jared that he really gets into the head space for these kinds of scenes. Kudos to him for a great acting job. Also to Jensen, the boys are really hitting home runs every episode.
Cas, well, you’d think by now he’d have learned not to trust other angels. Even ones as apparently innocuous as Metatron, who I now think has his own agenda. Jeez, and we used to think Demons were bad news.
Demons I get, Angels are crazy.
I am ready for them to seal the gates of Heaven and shut all the angels away. I’m over them.
Four more days before the finale and again I’m with you, Amy. I have no clue where they are taking us and I fully expect to be totally surprised. I am spoiler-free still, haven’t even watched the trailer for the next ep. I hope I can keep it up. I can see Thursday night being a late night. I think I’ll need to watch the finale then the last couple of eps again before my second viewing of the finale.
Kim J, a few of the promo’s, especially CHCH’s promo reveals key info that you would probably be better off not knowing. I was pretty disappointed that I caved in a watched them. 🙁 Hold strong and don’t watch them! I think you will be happier if the things they revealed in the promos come as surprises during the episode. That’s what I get for being a spoiler hound! 🙁
Excellent recap
You know my take in Metatron? I think he has read way too many books, and now wants to put himself in the role of the rescuer. He basically said so to Cass. He is just too chicken to do it himself, or just lacks the confidence.
He puts himself as Sancho Panza and wants Cass as Don Quixote, with the angels as the windmills.
Probably way off there, but that is how it sounded to me. All eagerness, and no thought as to the consequences.
Well, I guess we’ll see what happens next week.
Again, great job.
This episode just made me say WOW! It had so much packed into it and so many unanswered questions. It was emotional and hit hard. It left me feeling stunned and wanting the answers. That to me is great writing. Thanks for a great review!
[quote]When Cass looks like a broken child, I can’t help but feel bad for him, but, unpopular opinion time….I was kind of glad Dean told him off. It’s starting to feel like there’s been too many passes for our angel friend. [/quote]
Hi Sweetondean, I have always been on team Cas, but I agree with you here on this. Dean is entitled to be angry with Cas. It would have been weird if he wasn’t. But I find it interesting that you don’t mention the one thing that would make anyone entitled to be angry with someone else. Cas tried to kill him.
I think it should be sort of an axiom (since it has come up a couple of times this season): If your partner / soul mate / profound-bonder / brother tries to kill you, whether they are in full possession of their faculties or not, you are entitled to be angry with them! This seems pretty fair to me.
But it should apply to everyone equally.
And if the person REALLY wasn’t able to help themselves from trying to kill you then you should make an effort to forgive them.
But you are entitled to be pissed, and to let them know that.
You’re right and I originally had it in my list of transgressions, but I took it out because he was under the influence and I felt holding him accountable for that would be like holding Sam accountable for being soulless, which should never have happened.
But I agree, Dean would have trouble separating the fact that Cass beat the snot out of him under the power of someone else or not. That’s only human to be hurt by that and Dean is so very human.
My main issue is that Cass had time to stand there and just give Dean the skinny on what was going on and that could have lessened the blow of the whole thing. But he chose not to offer his friend that level of trust and you know what? This is inexcusable for me. After everything? Inexcusable.
Yep, I think Dean has every right to be pissed with Cass. Every right.
Great review sweetondean. I thought this episode was good. I might have been somewhat disappointed because with all the great theories floating around, I was hoping for hints that maybe some of them might bear fruit. Oh well, moving on.
I don’t really think this WILL all come together next week. I think most of it will be carryover to next season. They might wrap up a few things. I hope so anyway.
The bunker. I hope it stays around, if for no other reason, the guys finally have a home. It would kill me to see them lose that. It also has great potential to be a nice endgame for the series. One in which the brothers don’t have to go out in a blaze of glory.
I love Cas, but I am in complete agreement with everything you said. It is getting annoying that he doesn’t learn from his past mistakes. I also don’t like it when the writers show him as fierce and smart in some episodes and almost simple-minded in others. I don’t mind him being naïve, although he should be getting better in that respect too. The writers do that to Sam and Dean in some episodes too, like them leaving Abaddon alone. Come on, they are smarter than that!
I liked Abaddon better in this one but snarky villains are becoming the norm. It would be nice to see something truly horrifying for a change!
I liked the exploding head too, the effects are really good this year. I love how we can say that kind of stuff 😆
Anticipating the finale with some uneasiness, but bring it on! I hope there is at least a little closure for this season involved.
As always Amy, great review! This one left me with so many questions and so many mixed feelings. My heart went out to the guys when they couldn’t save Sarah, especially Sam. She was the one that really got him and would have been a great match for him, but as we well know, the boys just cannot have those kinds of relationships. The acting abilities of JA and JP are just grade A++++ and improving every episode. We feel everything they are trying to get us to feel and then some. Well I guess have to give kudos to MS also because he really is pertraying Crowley as the evil demon with such passion this season. MC well what can you say about him but that he just tugs at your heartstrings the way he tries to do the right thing and get back on Dean’s good graces.
As for Abbadon, I am a minority here because I never liked her and it scares the crap out of me to think of the damage she can do now that she is free again. I cannot believe the writers portrayed the guys as thoughtless ninnys with leaving her alone. That conversation with Crowley could have taken place in front of her. Hell she’s a demon who cares what she thinks or hears! To not have taken precautions and set the chair on a devil’s trap was a large oversight on their part.
The graphics and CGI this entire season have just been awesome! They have been stretching the lenses and pushing the gore and the creep to obtain major effects.
I cannot believe we have only one more episode left then the beginning of a very long summer. I am going to miss these new eps so much. I know I will be overviewing the DVDs I have but then again, is there such a thing as overviewing anything Supernatural related?
Hi SweetonDean-
This must have been a difficult review to write, because I too, found moments of it agonizing to watch and I cannot imagine how to fit the pieces together. I too, am wondering how all that has been presented to us can be resolved. Or worst yet, what will go into Season 9? I loved Dean’s support of Sam in response to the elderly priest and his encouragement to Sam after Sarah had been killed. This is the Dean I love. The man who is aching for his brother’s pain, but the man who has the internal strength to persevere and to give Sam what he feels he needs to finish the job Sam felt so secure about being able to finish in the previous episode. That is why I watch SPN because at its absolute best it shows us just what we can accomplish through the power of love.
And on that note. I feel sorry for Cas. He is lost and the truth is right now, he doesn’t have Dean. Is it a setup again? Who knows? But does he deserve Dean’s forgiveness or has he come to expect that Dean will time and time forgive him no matter what he does? This Cas is, like Dean, hard for me to take. Yes, I laughed at his ineptitude in the quik mart and his desire to get “pie” for Dean. But while we know Cas can be painfully literal in his understanding, no one who contrived to bring down Raphael could have done so without some serious insight into what made Raphael tick. So, why does Cas seem so blind about Dean when he must know by now that Dean values loyalty above all? Shouldn’t Cas understand that? I, like Dean, feel he should.
So why does Cas put his trust in Metatron? Sure, Metatron says he hid out for like forever and lost himself in “stories” created by mankind, but what we’ve seen of angels is that very few of them aren’t scheming, egotistical, controlling and basically out for themselves. Cas is not like that. I don’t understand the set up. I don’t understand why Cas would so easily believe Metatron.
Ah, and the demons. Got to love them with their pure villainy. Sure, Sam and Dean should’ve known better than to leave Abbadon alone. I like her characterization and maybe because we’ve yet to see just how deep her evil goes. I don’t think she cares for where Crowley has managed to climb and the Winchesters may have an unlikely and helpful ally in her. And Crowley, great believer of keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Last week, he was “tricked” because his minions were too nice and Kevin knew they weren’t the real Sam and Dean. Damn, if he didn’t come back with a vengeance. Get the Winchesters in their hearts. I found the scene in the hotel room- the stark whiteness of the walls, the furniture and the white flooring a horrific and heart-breaking contrast to the evil being rained down upon the “innocent” three characters.
I don’t know where tptb are going. But this Dean isn’t as heartsick as he was last year or grieving from all the losses. This Dean hasn’t lost his humanity. It is because of his humanity that Dean can encourage Sam. This Dean has hope, has experience, is hurt but he isn’t crippled by what has happened. Sam is weakened, but Dean came back from Purgatory “cleansed” from the purity he found in “hunting evil” and I can only hope that tptb are going to present a Sam who will emerge from these trials “cleansed” and filled with a renewed sense of who he is so that he can continue to do what the Winchesters do best-“saving people.”
Payton Casden-I agree with you. I thought of Metatron as a would be writer of the angels/heavens destinies but not being strong enough physically he has asked Cass to help him. The problem with that idea is that Metatron was strong enough to move Kevin Tran out of danger and to bring him back to consciousness. That’s a lot of power, so he knows he has that and yet he doesn’t want to use it on the trials. Something is not melding here.
Abaddon is a great character-sort of like a beserker in her drive to kill everyone. And will she try to restore Lucifer to power? That might tie up a lot of loose ends in the story-Adam, Michael, Lucifer, etc.
I thought in one of the episodes Chuck said he continued to write the stories of Sam and Dean, so that is a continuity slip as far as the cupcake lady being baked dead. She was in an episode after Chuck left.
Jared is great in these past episodes-just great. Jensen is there for him, too. I heard Jensen say at the NJ Con that Jared really tore himself up on these last episodes.
The effects of the exploding head as well as Abaddon being sewn together and the hand! Straight back to some 1950’s horror movies-loved it. And how does Abaddon keep her nails so nice?
I thought the scene with Sam and Dean leaving Abaddon alone was stupid on their part. Also the scene of Cass going along with Metatron to kill the half angel/half human girl. Wish the writers would not take easy ways out of situations/events.
This episode seemed to me to be putting all the ducks in order for the finale next week. All the pieces are in place and now it is up to Jeremy Carver to bring it full circle.
I am so looking forward to this.
[quote]All of sudden I have a bad feeling about Metatron. He went from a pencil pusher, secretarial angel hiding out from the world, to wanting to take over Heaven, complete with inside information about Naomi? Um ok. He’s either full of crap and way more important than he said – like archangel important – or Naomi has already got to him. [/quote]
I’m rewatching season 8; I’m up to “Little Slice of Kevin,” in which Kevin starts translating a bit for Crowley. He read out something about “the Archangel Metatron.” So the dud is CLEARLY more than just the secretary he claims to be to Cas.
Nice review as always Sweetondean. Your review has actually made me like the episode a little better than I did the first time around. I really need to watch it again though.
I am really beginning to wonder if there is something else entirely going on. All season long we have been entrenched in the tablet arc as though that is the main story arc of the season. I am beginning to wonder though, if we haven’t even had the full story arc revealed to us. I think something else entirely is going on and that maybe this last episode will change everything we thought was going on and change its direction. I’m not sure how though. What if Crowley has set this whole thing up (Dean in purgatory, Sam with Amelia) because he needs Sam’s blood for whatever reason? Maybe Sam isn’t being purified at all; maybe he’s changing into something demonic in order for Crowley to gain even more power than he currently has. Maybe Crowley realized through reading those books that Sam had demon blood in him and that if he could get ahold of some that he could transform himself to the next level of demon, or something. I am speculating like mad here, but I did begin to wonder if we were having a little season 4 redux with the power players manipulating the boys into releasing Lucifer. With so many nods to the past, it wouldn’t seem too strange to see this type of thing again. I am basing some of this speculation off the info revealed in the promos (spoilerphobes steer clear of the promos!!! They give away loads of info!).
Anyhoo, despite all that I am terrified for Sam and Dean. I am so scared that whatever the boys are doing its going to result in Dean’s death or disappearance again, and I don’t think Sam would be able to handle that another time. At any rate, things look pretty bleak in that eppie don’t they?
Oh E! I love this! The things in those books. They give Crowley such and advantage over the boys because he now can find all their secrets. And I’d never thought about the demon blood thing and that’s a humdinger.
I’m scared. I hope no one dies or disappears, I really don’t but I expect that whatever they do will result in a far worse outcome than what they were originally going for! And we will spend 5 months speculating about it!
Thanks! I kind of hope I’m right and kind of hope I’m wrong too. Oh yeah, I was thinking that maybe Crowley learned about Jenny from the ‘witches network’? Not that there is a witches network really, but since Crowley is 1/2 witch maybe he learned about Jenny through the Starks? That works for me anyway. 😆
I am happy to embrace this theory! 😀
[quote] I am beginning to wonder though, if we haven’t even had the full story arc revealed to us. I think something else entirely is going on and that maybe this last episode will change everything we thought was going on and change its direction. I’m not sure how though. What if Crowley has set this whole thing up (Dean in purgatory, Sam with Amelia) because he needs Sam’s blood for whatever reason? Maybe Sam isn’t being purified at all; maybe he’s changing into something demonic in order for Crowley to gain even more power than he currently has. Maybe Crowley realized through reading those books that Sam had demon blood in him and that if he could get ahold of some that he could transform himself to the next level of demon, or something. I am speculating like mad here, but I did begin to wonder if we were having a little season 4 redux with the power players manipulating the boys into releasing Lucifer. With so many nods to the past, it wouldn’t seem too strange to see this type of thing again. I am basing some of this speculation off the info revealed in the promos (spoilerphobes steer clear of the promos!!! They give away loads of info!).
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Ever since Taxi Driver and the scene where Sam’s in Hell and that girl talks about how she always knew he’d come (or something like that anyway) I’ve wondered if the Show might be revisiting the Boy King storyline from S3. Then when the demon blood was referenced in The Great Escapist for the first time in ages and ages I wondered some more. I love the idea that Sam might be purified of the demon blood but it strikes me that this would be more of a series finale storyline.
[quote]So if Abaddon sticks around and manages to dethrone the “salesmanâ€, would that make her the Queen of Hell and if so, as she was Knighted by Lucifer himself, do you think her first order as Queen would be to unlock the cage? [/quote]
Oohhh…I never thought of this. That’s an intriguing scenario.
Great review, Sweetondean. Like you I really enjoyed this episode and thought it a great set up for the finale. Which I am utterly terrified for. Bad things are going to happen to the boys, I just know it. 😮 😥
Great review as usual. This episode disturbed me somehow, and I find I continue to be disturbed even on Sunday. It also made me sad. I guess I thought it was a pretty powerful episode. I was on the edge of my seat.
The only parts that I was exasperated with were when the boys left Abbadon alone. Really? And Cass just believed Metatron – Marv – Marvatron? Really? And BTW, why were A’s nails perfect and her lipstick smudged? (Makeup Equality, I say!)
The J’s are just getting better and better if that is possible. Jared is just breaking my heart. Jensen plays strong beautifully. Mark Shepherd is becoming frightening at last!
But I am still sad and disturbed. I was optimistically “wait and see” all year. One episode left and there are still new questions being brought out. There are still questions from the beginning half of the season! If what (people) say is true, that what you see is what you get this season, then it is not SPN to me. I like mysterious, then finding out about the mysterious, while more mystery is overlapping. I do not like WYSIWYG. You can see that anywhere.
No doubt the finale will be great. We will be on pins and needles all summer. What will we do all summer?
Still a little sad. No doubt it’s a blood sugar thing.
I made the mistake of watching this episode very late in the evening, just prior to going to bed. Who could sleep after those intense 40-minutes of gripping television? Not me, that’s for sure 😮
Two weeks ago, I wept when Charlie read The Hobbit to her Mum because it reminded me of my Dad. Last week, I cried when Sam told Dean he’d never felt ‘clean’ – and I thought that was some of the best acting I’ve ever seen from Jared and Jensen (and there’s been a lot of highlights over the years). This week, I was sobbing when Sarah died and the boys couldn’t save her. How powerful was that scene? How chilling is Mark Shepherd’s Crowley this season? His performance was exceptional. How do I know this? Because I truly loathe & fear Crowley right now, like I’ve never felt before… (Reminder to self – he’s only a fictional character; breathe) 😮
Man, this SHOW! There is not another story like it; at least not one that affects me the way this one does. Much kudos has to go to Jeremy Carver and everyone that works on Supernatural. I know there have been problems this season for some people, but, in my opinion, they’ve only been small issues & every season has them. I personally have loved the journey that we’ve taken with the boys in season 8, all the ups and the downs; it’s been one hell of a roller-coaster. And I love that we are still guessing about the finale. What will happen? What will be resolved?
I think it’s going to be a bit like the end of season 1, where nothing is actually finalised and it ends with a nasty cliff-hanger. Because the blessing of the early renewal means that the storylines can continue into next season… I’m more than a bit afraid. Eeek.
Sweetondean, I love your review and agree with everything you’ve written. I put Sam and Dean’s carelessness about Abaddon down to their state of mind right now. Sam is barely functioning and Dean is focused on Sam and finishing these trials as quickly as possible. I love the addition of Abaddon… she’s a much more engaging villain than Naomi… who, I agree, needs to die in a blinding flash of light. But I suspect they’ll both survive the finale.
This episode had some really great classic ‘horror’ moments – Abaddon’s hand creeping out of the box was awesome and the black & white film footage was truly creepy. I have absolutely no idea what to make of Metatron, but I was also screaming at my TV for Cas to not blindly trust him. Sigh. :sigh:
And, the final couple of scenes… what can I say, other than heartbreaking. Season 8 is finishing on such a high… even if it’s a tad too emotional for us fans 😥
Thanks Amy! You’re spot on about Cas. I think, because he wasn’t programed to think or feel, and he is a baby in this area. He is making mistakes after mistakes. But I want him to learn from the Winchesters. Sometimes, when the brothers have an issues, Cas would provide one or two good comments/ advices. But when Cas is in a situation where he has to make decisions, he doesn’t know how to. When his emotions get involved, crap happens.
I really like Abaddon. Alaina Huffman is great! I hope she can stick around. She is very tall.
Thanks Amy! One more episode!! One more!!!
Tiny
xx