Supernatural’s Top 100 Favorite Episodes: Countdown 1 and 2!
#1 “Swan Song” (5.22)
Teleplay By Eric Kripke
Story By Eric “Giz” Gerwirtz
Directed By Steve Boyum
This. Is. It.
The Number One Episode of the Series.
“Swan Song”.
Elle said, “This is just such a complete, full and beautiful epilogue after five years. How could it not be number one?”
Kate38 said, “I loved Chuck’s monologue about the Impala and how he reinforced the position of the car as a pivotal character in the show.”
Lynn said, “This episode is an homage to the Impala as well as to the Winchesters. Complete with boys on her hood and beers in the green cooler.”
Nate Winchester said, “Chuck is right, endings are hard. But they can also be easy. A writer that does the work, establishes a good foundation, can set up an ending that is just right.” He added, “That in the end, it’s not just the boys, but the car that saves the day? It gets me right in the feels every time (hence why I say the episode ‘Baby’ should have been in Season Five, it would have been a perfect set up for the finale). I could go on for quite awhile tracing how everything in this episode was foreshadowed and set up, but that would be at risk of taking over Kim’s article. I’ll just say that this episode deserves to be #1.”
Gail said, “The episode has pretty much everything we could ever want. It is a deserving rank for such powerful storytelling. What a fantastic episode!”
Journalbookbinder said, “This has been my #1 episode of Supernatural since the first time it aired. I remember being on the edge of my seat the entire time on first watch. There is not ONE wasted second, not one wasted frame in this one. Every scene is integral and essential to the story. This is the end of Eric Kripke’s original plan for the show, and it shows. Everything in the first five years carefully built to this moment. The story arc was crafted so superbly to this point. This episode is utter perfection.”
Nightsky said, “This is officially my favorite episode of the series. It is simply epic television. The fact that none of us (who are rarely stricken by a shortage of words!) are even attempting to name the scenes or moments that define this episode is a testament to its impact. Absolutely every second seamlessly weaves together a story that leaves us speechless.”
Alice summed it up best: “This episode is Absolute Perfection in every way.”
Perfection indeed. There are so many incredible, unforgettable moments and scenes and lines in this episode! How do I even try to do a recap? Sam says yes to Lucifer, Dean tries to help/save/stop Sam, Chuck and Baby and Bobby and Cas – there are just so so many things packed into this episode!
Let’s relive those incredible moments, scenes and lines!
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #1:
Chuck. (deep sigh) Our Chuckkkkkk. The original Chuck. He narrates this episode, telling us all of the things about the Implala. And it’s heartbreaking and gut-wrenching and oh crap, I’m already crying.
Journalbookbinder said, “Chuck’s narration throughout is poetry!”
Gail said, “The origins of Baby was fantastic!”
Nightsky said, “I just melt hearing the music, and Chuck’s narration. That’s the Chuck I love.”
Chuck: On April 21, 1967, the 100 millionth GM vehicle rolled off the line at the plant in Janesville – a blue two-door Caprice. There was a big ceremony, speeches. The lieutenant governor even showed up. Three days later, another car rolled off that same line. No one gave two craps about her. But they should have, because this 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car – no, the most important object – in pretty much the whole universe. She was first owned by Sal Moriarty, an alcoholic with two ex-wives and three blocked arteries. On weekends, he’d drive around giving Bibles to the poor, “gettin’ folks right for Judgment Day.” That’s what he said. Sam and Dean don’t know any of this, but if they did, I bet they’d smile. After Sal died, she ended up at Rainbow Motors, a used-car lot in Lawrence, where a young marine bought her on impulse. That is, after a little advice from a friend. I guess that’s where this story begins. And here’s where it ends.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #2:
Sam and Dean find peace with the decision to go after Lucifer, the decision for Sam to say yes to Lucifer in an attempt to send Lucifer back to Hell. But more important than that, I think the boys find a little bit of peace with each other.
Nightsky said, “My heart is full to bursting, especially as I hear this exchange between Sam and Dean.”
Sam: You’re gonna let me say yes?
Dean: No. That’s the thing. It’s not on me to let you do anything. You’re a grown – well, overgrown – man. If this is what you want, I’ll back your play.
Sam: That’s the last thing I thought you’d ever say.
Dean: Might be. I’m not gonna lie to you, though. It goes against every fiber I got. I mean, truth is… You know, watching out for you, it’s kinda been my job, you know? But more than that, it’s… it’s kinda who I am. You’re not a kid anymore, Sam, and I can’t keep treating you like one. Maybe I got to grow up a little, too. I don’t know if we got a snowball’s chance. But I do know that if anybody can do it, it’s you.
Sam: Thank you.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #3:
Sam tells Dean this is it, this is really it, and he insists that Dean make him a promise.
Lynn said, “Sam begging Dean to live a normal life without him is so incredibly hard to hear and hard to watch and it is completely heartbreaking. Dean’s pain is so palpable here, he’s so devastated, and Jensen shows every ounce of that agony for his brother. I am just sobbing now.”
Sam: You go find Lisa. You pray to god she’s dumb enough to take you in, and you – you have barbecues and go to football games. You go live some normal, apple-pie life, Dean. Promise me.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #4:
Never, EVER forget that Bobby loved Sam too. And in the end, when it mattered, Cas was also by Sam’s side.
Lynn said, “That scene, that hug, breaks me. And it breaks Dean as he watches. And that breaks me even more.”
Bobby: He gets in… you fight him tooth and nail, you understand? Keep swingin’. Don’t give an inch.
Sam: Yes, sir.
Sam: Take care of these guys, okay?
Cas: That’s not possible.
Sam: Then humor me.
Cas: Oh. I was supposed to lie. Uh… Sure. They’ll be fine.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #5:
MORE NARRATION FROM CHUCK. I CANNOT.
Nightsky said, “”Americana”… the legos… the army men… Dean’s rebuild of Baby. It’s impossible to not cry.”
Lynn said, “It’s Chuck’s narration about the Impala and the Winchesters’ history that kills me about this episode. Omg, I need more tissues.”
Chuck: The Impala, of course, has all the things other cars have… and a few things they don’t. But none of that stuff’s important. This is the stuff that’s important. The army man that Sam crammed in the ashtray – it’s still stuck there. The Legos that Dean shoved into the vents – to this day, heat comes on and they can hear ’em rattle. These are the things that make the car theirs – really theirs. Even when Dean rebuilt her from the ground up, he made sure all these little things stayed, ’cause it’s the blemishes that make her beautiful. The Devil doesn’t know or care what kind of car the boys drive.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #6:
Sam and Dean confront Lucifer. Sam says that he wants to say yes, but on the condition that Dean and Bobby and all the people he loves remain untouched and safe. Then Lucifer tells Sam that he knows they have the Horsemen’s Rings. Sam insists that doesn’t change anything. As Lucifer takes over Sam’s body, Dean uses the rings and begins the incantation to open Lucifer’s Cage. However, Lucifer is in full control of Sam, and he closes the cage, takes the rings and disappears.
Nightsky said, “It’s uncannily eerie how Jared transforms into Lucifer. It’s the same face, but not the same person at all. Brilliant performance… eerie, but brilliant.”
Lynn agreed, adding, “Jared does such a creepily good job as Lucifer in this scene! The script gives us so much insight into Sam’s lifelong pain, feeling out of place, feeling different – it’s all so heartbreaking, and Jared makes us feel all of that pain.”
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #7:
Later, Dean, Cas and Bobby watch the news, feeling hopeless as they watch so many disasters happening all over the world.
Dean: So what do we do now?
Cas: I suggest we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol… Just wait for the inevitable blast wave.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #8:
It begins with Chuck’s narration, a scene that gave birth to her name, Nightsky. This narration also gives us one of the most iconic lines of the entire series:
Chuck: In between jobs, Sam and Dean would sometimes get a day – sometimes a week, if they were lucky. They’d pass the time lining their pockets. Sam used to insist on honest work, but now he hustles pool, like his brother. They could go anywhere and do anything. They drove 1,000 miles for an Ozzy show, two days for a Jayhawks game. And when it was clear, they’d park her in the middle of nowhere, sit on the hood, and watch the stars, for hours, without saying a word. It never occurred to them that, sure, maybe they never really had a roof and four walls… but they were never, in fact, homeless.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #9:
After Chuck’s narration ends, the scene shifts to real-time, with Dean calling Chuck. Chuck tells him the confrontation between Michael and Lucifer will take place at Stull Cemetery near Lawrence, Kansas. Cas tries to tell Dean there is nothing he can do.
Cas: If you couldn’t reach him here, you’re certainly not gonna be able to on the battlefield.
Dean: Well, if we’ve already lost, I guess I got nothing to lose, right?
Cas: I just want you to understand – the only thing that you’re gonna see out there is Michael killing your brother.
Dean: Well, then I ain’t gonna let him die alone.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #10:
Lucifer and Michael meet at the cemetery. (Of note: Zachariah has resurrected Adam, convincing him to become Michael’s vessel.) They exchange words. And while I am not taking anything away from this exchange, I think what makes this scene unforgettable is Dean’s arrival, with Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages” blaring from the radio.
Lynn said, “Stull Cemetary is so beautiful, haunting, the perfect location for this showdown. And then Dean shows up, in the Impala – roaring up that dirt road right into the middle of the showdown of the Apocalypse… only Dean Winchester would do that. Seriously.”
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #11:
Dean tries to talk to Sam inside Lucifer.
Gail said, “I loved the determination of Dean, not wanting Sam to be alone in his final minutes. I also really loved the fact that Cas and Bobby showed up to back up Dean, and Sam.”
Journalbookbinder said, “I love how, in spite of the agreed-upon plan, Dean just cannot sit back and leave Sam to do this alone. And in this scene, we got “assbutt” AND Bobby’s neck was snapped AND Cas was blown to bloody smithereens. It looked like it truly was the end of everything.”
Dean: Hey. We need to talk.
Lucifer/Sam: Dean, even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid.
Dean: I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to Sam.
Michael/Adam: You’re no longer the vessel, Dean. You got no right to be here.
Dean: Adam, if you’re in there somewhere, I am so sorry.
Michael/Adam: Adam isn’t home right now.
Dean: Well, then you’re next on my list, buttercup. But right now, I need five minutes with him.
Michael/Adam: You little maggot. You are no longer a part of this story!
At that moment, we see that Cas and Bobby have arrived, and Cas throws a Molotov Cocktail of holy oil at Michael, delivering another one of the Show’s most iconic lines, a line which Gail called “one of the funniest and most endearing lines of all time.”
Cas: Hey, ass-butt!
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #12:
Lucifer starts to beat Dean, taunting him, saying that he will kill him slowly and make Sam feel every blow. Dean doesn’t resist, just telling Sam he won’t leave him. But as Sam goes to hit Dean again, the sunlight bounces off the roof of Baby, causing Lucifer/Sam to see his reflection in the window, and then he sees the toy soldier still in the ashtray in the backseat, and suddenly all his memories of life with Dean flood into his mind, allowing Sam to take control over Lucifer.
Lynn said, “To see that what brings Sam back is hearing Dean say ‘I’m not gonna leave you’ and in that moment Sam catches a glimpse of the toy soldier inside the car… Their whole life, everything they’ve been through, everything they’ve meant to each other and to the world – it’s all there in those flashbacks. And it is more than heart breaking, it leaves me devastated, shattered. Oh my heart.”
Nightsky said, “Five years of flashbacks, ending in a silent hug. Brilliant editing. Brilliant storytelling. It’s about the brothers. It’s about Sam’s courage. It’s about Dean’s unimaginable grief. It’s about their sacrifice.”
Journalbookbinder said, “Sam’s ultimate sacrifice is THE ultimate sacrificial death of the entire series (excluding the possibilities in the upcoming season 15, which scares me!). Lucifer/Sam beating Dean to a bloody pulp, and Dean just TAKING it, trying to talk to his brother who’s still in there somewhere is gut-wrenching. Sam gaining control for one last second before the plunge and telling Dean it’s going to be okay – tears Tears TEARS! The reason he gained control was thanks to the memories of his and Dean’s childhood and… now, I’m just sobbing.”
Dean: Sammy, can you hear me?
Lucifer/Sam: You know… I tried to be nice… for Sammy’s sake. But you… are such a pain… in my ass.
Dean: Sammy? Are you in there?
Lucifer/Sam: Oh, he’s in here, all right. And he’s gonna feel the snap of your bones. Every single one. We’re gonna take our time.
Dean: Sam, it’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m here. I’m not gonna leave you. I’m not gonna leave you.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #13:
Sam regains control, tosses the Horsemen’s Rings to the ground and begins to speak the incantation to open Lucifer’s Cage. He and Dean look at each other one last time, but as Sam goes to throw himself in, Michael reappears. As Sam moves to jump in, Michael tries to stop him, so Sam drags him into the cage too.
Lynn said, “How in awe of Sam Winchester are you in this moment? His strength. His conviction. Looking his brother in the eye the whole time, as he throws himself into the Pit. I need more tissues!”
Sam: It’s okay, Dean. It’s gonna be okay. I’ve got him.
UNFOREGETTABLE MOMENT #14:
Dean is bloody and beaten and broken. Cas reappears and heals Dean, then he heals Bobby. Cas tells Dean that God revived him, making him better than before.
Journalbookbinder said, “To see Dean alone – truly alone – after all of this is so painful. I can hardly stand it. At least Cas does not stay dead through the end of the episode, and, thanks to Cas being alive, neither does Bobby.”
UNFOREGETTABLE MOMENT #15:
More narration from Chuck – I am just sobbing.
Chuck: Endings are hard.
(We can see a manuscript for “Supernatural: Swan Song by Carver Edlund” lies on Chuck’s desk.)
Chuck: Any chapped-ass monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There’s always gonna be holes. And since it’s the ending, it’s all supposed to add up to something. I’m telling you, they’re a raging pain in the ass.
The scene shifts to Dean and Cas as they have one final talk:
Cas: He (God) helped. Maybe even more than we realize.
Dean: That’s easy for you to say. He brought you back. But what about Sam? What about me, huh? Where’s my grand prize? All I got is my brother in a hole!
Cas: You got what you asked for, Dean. No paradise. No hell. Just more of the same. I mean it, Dean. What would you rather have? Peace or freedom?
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT #16:
Oh My Heart – more narration from Chuck, and Dean says goodbye to Bobby, and Dean arrives at Lisa’s house grieving and broken, and then more narration from Chuck. I just Can’t.
Gail said, “Wow, what a bittersweet ending.”
Journalbookbinder said, “Dean goes to Lisa’s like he promised Sam he would. Still doing what Sam wants even though Sam’s not around. Still trying to please Sam. Kill me now. What an utterly perfect episode.”
Chuck: This is the last Dean and Bobby will see of each other for a very long time. And, for the record, at this point next week, Bobby will be hunting a Rugaru outside of Dayton. But not Dean. Dean didn’t want Cas to save him. Every part of him, every fiber he’s got, wants to die, or find a way to bring Sam back. But he isn’t gonna do either. Because he made a promise.
And then another one of the Show’s most iconic lines:
Chuck: So, what’s it all add up to? It’s hard to say. But me, I’d say this was a test… for Sam and Dean. And I think they did all right. Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice. They chose family. And, well… isn’t that kinda the whole point?
Chuck: No doubt – endings are hard. But then again… nothing ever really ends, does it?
Nightsky said, “I would like those to be the the last words said at the end of Season 15.” with Lynn echoing, “This really should be the last line of the Show!”
I completely agree. My feels are shattered, my heart is broken into a gabjillion pieces, I’ve cried so so many tears… but I will gladly, happily, willingly continue this journey with Sam and Dean. Here’s to hoping nothing, Nothing, ever really ends.
So those are our picks for the Top Two Episodes of Supernatural! Thank you for being with us on this journey through Supernatural’s last hiatus (at least for now!). The full list of all 100 of our Favorite episodes, ranked in order, follows. Every title deserves to be recognized one more time!
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