Supernatural Hiatus Hunting: 5.04 “The End”

Okay, I’m going to take a paragraph to reflect on what just happened there. I’ll also try to avoid rehashing what I said in my review. This is David vs. Goliath. Lucifer is unyielding and deceptive and yes, has one giant ego. He’s also extremely powerful. I’ve heard complaints that people are getting tired of Dean crying but his meltdown is significant here. His vulnerability, his weeping for the loss of mankind and his brother, a purely human trait, is ten times more powerful than Lucifer’s false act of sympathy. That vulnerability makes him stronger than Lucifer at least morally and as long as he hangs onto that humanity, he has a fighting chance. The second he loses that humanity, like his future self did, he becomes weaker and ends up getting squashed like a bug. It’s the same lesson Sam had to learn the hard way in killing Lilith. Lucifer’s greatest weakness is he underestimates the human spirit. Same for Zachariah. We’re just a bunch of hairless apes to them. History has proven that such arrogance leads to downfall.

Okay, back to Dean, who’s back in 2009 with Zachariah. Sort of like going from the frying pan into the fire. Dean has the right line though. “Well if it isn’t the ghost of Christmas screw you.” At least he still has his sense of humor. Zack now goes for the false sincerity. He tells Dean he’s the only one who can prove Lucifer wrong. Dean thinks it’s one of Zachariah’s tricks, and lord knows we are thinking that as well. Some of the “examples” of the future were pretty heavy handed. Zachariah says the time for tricks is over. That’s not an answer! Zack implores Dean to say yes to Michael, before the virus begins, before Lucifer gets to Sam, before billions die.

Dean sees his point, he does need the change the future. Zachariah always forgets one thing with Dean though. Dean doesn’t believe the future has been written yet. He turns away from Zack in contemplation and he gets that defiant look on his face, for something has clicked inside. “Nah.” “Nah?” Zachariah asks, stunned to hear that answer. “Haven’t you learned your lesson?” “I learned a lesson alright. Just not the one you wanted to teach.” Zack goes off, threatening to teach him another one. “Because I’ve got you now boy and I’m never letting you-” Dean’s gone!

Suddenly, Dean is on the same dark street corner as Castiel. Normal Castiel, with neat hair, suit and trench coat. “We had an appointment.” Woo hoo Cas, you rock. Castiel asks how Zack found him. Dean pulls out his cell phone and answers while dialing. “Let’s stay away from the Jevohvah’s witnesses for a while.” For a while? I’ve been trying t avoid them my whole life. It’s too tall an order, they get you eventually. Castiel wants to know what he’s doing. Dean holds the phone up to his ear. “Something I should have done a long time ago.”

Dean waits beside a bridge, and up pulls a crappy gold Lincoln Continental with Oklahoma license plates. Guess who? You see!!! Dean didn’t want to send Sam away both times. He did it out of overinflated sense of duty. He realizes this whole sacrificing his family for the sake of the world ends the world! Zack ain’t so bad after all. Dean did learn the right lesson.

Sam gets out of the crappy vehicle and he and Dean approach each other. No hugs, just awkwardness. Sam especially looks nervous, so it’s obvious he has no idea what Dean wants. He’s especially nervous when Dean pulls out the demon killing ginsu and holds it for a few seconds. He then lunges forward with it and gets Sam straight in the heart. Sam falls backward in stunned disbelief before the lights go out. Psych! I know you saw the episode first. No, Dean hands it to Sam. “You’re serious, you want back in. You should hang onto this. I’m sure you’re rusty.”

Sam takes the knife with some apprehension. Dean says he’s sorry. “I don’t know whatever I need to be, but I was wrong.” Sam wants to know what made him change his mind. You were Lucifer! No, Dean gives him the “long story” line, which is network television speak for we don’t have time for this, budget you know, so it becomes an off camera conversation while driving through America’s heartland. “The point is, maybe we are each other’s Achilles heel, they’ll find a way to use us against each other I don’t know, I just know we’re all we’ve got. More than that, we keep each other human.”

“Thank you, really, thank you.” Sam might be grateful, but he’s quite subdued. He actually looks really depressed. I wonder after Dean’s rebuff if he holed up in a cheap motel or something and downed a pint of HaagenDazs. Or Jack Daniels. Or both. Sam promises he won’t let Dean down and Dean knows he won’t. “You are the second best hunter on the planet.” Aww Dean, you softie. Sam manages somehow to crack a small smile over that. He wants to know what they do now. Dean sets the tone for what’s coming. “We make our own future.” The ending line goes to Sam. “I guess we have no choice.”

So, with that string of nice heavy episodes, we’re back to something light next week with brothers reunited. It’s very much needed, since the brain trust of Kripke, Gamble, Carver, and Edlund just blew my psyche to smithereens. Thanks guys!

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