Dean
Just as with Sam, Dean’s character development starts off pretty strong. Is it out of character that he tries to pretend like nothing is wrong in “Sympathy For The Devil†and then finally comes clean with Sam by how hurt he is? No, not at all. It’s classic Dean and it plays out very well. The same for “Good God Y’all.†Just like with “When The Levee Breaks,†he couldn’t see how bad Sam is drowning. The betrayal stings too much. What’s worse this time though is Dean has a world to save. Others need him more than his brother. This was best shown when he goes to save Sam and then stops himself, knowing he has to protect the people in the church basement. Sam is going to have to fend for himself. That’s why he lets Sam go at the end of the episode. That way, he only has to worry about the world. He also doesn’t have to live with that hurt.
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Sam comes back to him though. He’s Lucifer’s vessel and they’re stronger together, not apart. Dean’s head doesn’t believe this, even though his heart wants to help. It’s understandable why he thinks this. He has to consider the bigger picture. “The End†is one of Dean’s greatest defining moments. Dean learns a lesson from Zachariah but it’s not the one the evil angel wanted to teach. Dean sees that unraveling of the world happens when he turns Sam away and Sam says yes to Lucifer. Interesting how turning his back on his own brother is the first step in dooming his own humanity. It’s fascinating that’s what he got out of the future. He still believes in free will and making choices even after seeing his hardened self five years in the future, the destruction of humanity, and Lucifer wearing Sam to the prom. Sure, it all might end up at the same place, but he’s choosing the way to get there.
One thing that hasn’t been well explored is why exactly is Dean resisting Michael so much? What fears are really there? Sure, there’s losing his free will and the fact that millions or even billions will die, but I don’t think the underlying issue has been explored. We haven’t really seen Dean consider the possibility or talk about his true feelings on the matter. Even when his future self confronted him in “The End†it is left with a “that’s not what we do.†Why not? Is it just stubbornness and that’s all? I can’t help but think there’s more to this story. I’m sure when Dean eventually does have his run in with Michael, maybe that will be answered. Maybe not. I anticipate we’ll see further Dean stepping up and becoming a leader in this war, but not without some more growing pains. Losing Ellen and Jo had to have hurt and make him question some decisions.
Sam and Dean
After Dean takes Sam back in “The End,†the brotherly relationship gets somewhat weird. Their issues seemed well played until that point. “Fallen Idols†is a rather clunky attempt at brotherly reconciliation. For one, it didn’t show Dean at his best. I’m sure it is meant to show his flaws, especially when it comes to Sam, but it didn’t seem right he could be so mean and then perfectly fine with Sam’s new terms within a day. Especially since in the next few episodes everything seems back to normal between Dean and Sam. Or is it?
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Take a careful look at “The Curious Case of Dean Winchester.†Things aren’t quite so great between them. For a standalone episode, there were a lot of little nuances in here. For one, Dean still has that “little brother†mentality when it comes to Sam. He doesn’t believe Sam could win at the card game. He is keeping Sam at the kids table. Sure, it is mostly that overprotective instinct kicking in, but again how much does Dean really know about his brother? Not that this is Dean’s fault, for Sam loves keeping him in the dark too. This episode reminds me a lot of “Lazarus Rising.†Sam tried to tell Dean in that episode he had been killing a lot of demons, but Dean pulled “the smarter brother is back†crap. Here too. Sam tries to tell Dean he’s been watching him long enough where he knows how to play cards but Dean won’t listen. Dean would only let him go into that game when they had a plan to work the spell. So, does Sam come clean in the end and tell Dean in detail how he won the poker game? Nope. He brushes it off as getting lucky. No, there are still cracks in the brotherly foundation. Both don’t know each other as well as they claim.
“Abandon All Hope†is a good setup too. Lucifer cannot be killed by the colt. Sam has made the proclamation, “I’ll kill you myself.†Kind of like Lilith, huh? We can only wonder if Sam will break out of Dean’s shadow and leadership again if he’s desperate enough to kill Lucifer. The brotherly bond on the surface never seemed stronger than when they were clanging beers at Bobby’s house, but now that they have to deal with the terrible losses that they suffered, how united will they be? Will Sam follow that same pattern of recklessness? Remember those lingering issues that were swept under the rug? They’re piling up too much not to be noticed. All it takes is someone to step on them (like Lucifer maybe) and they’ll come flying out.
What has me really thinking though is “Changing Channels.†That episode in its awesomeness has Sam and Dean working together through an impossible situation. Sure being bounced through TV land is amusing for us but it’s very traumatic for the brothers. They go through that and solve the mystery by working together. Then Gabriel tells them both that it’s inevitable, one brother is going to have to kill the other. They won’t accept that. Or will they? Dean defiantly doesn’t, but in judging Sam’s silent reaction, he’s thinking of the most practical solution. By the end of the episode Sam doesn’t have it, but that could be just another hint that these reveals are pushing both brothers toward their usual tendencies. Dean faces these obstacles with defiance, Sam tries to find the creative solution. Dean has the power to see through manipulation, Sam doesn’t and needs Dean to help him through that. They both need each other though, because apart they both end up making bad choices that doom the world and together they keep each other human.
One Other Nitpick
Overall the flow of the season has gone really well except for one episode. I’ve actually grown to love “The Real Ghostbusters.†From a standalone perspective, it’s a really decent episode. I especially love how the fandom and all its wackiness comes out from that looking pretty special. Chuck gets a girl and it has in my mind the best ending of all the episodes thus far in season five. The trouble is, the timing of it is all wrong. It makes for a poor follow up to “Changing Channels†and a poor lead in to “Abandon All Hope.†This episode would have been more suited for later in the season, like episode 17 or 18. It would have been nice comic relief from some pretty heavy stuff coming down the pike. It is just too jarring for when it aired and the saga for “Abandon All Hope†could have easily played out through two episodes, starting with the lead on the colt. Even “Fallen Idols†in its clunky execution did have its purpose in the time line.
Hopes For The Second Half Plus One
So, for those that were getting droopy eyes over this in-depth analysis, I’ll just summarize what we should be keeping in the back of our minds for the rest of the season.
· Will there be stronger character arcs for Castiel, including further exploration of his tension with Anna, Gabriel, and Sam?
· Are Sam’s issues really resolved? Will he be tempted to use his powers again? How far will he go to kill Lucifer?
· Which way will the seemingly solid brotherly relationship go? Will it begin to unravel and Sam and Dean move closer to their destinies as the later episodes hint or will they growing stronger and more united in their fight?
· Will a deeper reason behind Dean’s resistance to Michael be explored?
· What will possibly happen to make Sam say yes to Lucifer in six months in Detroit?
· How does Ben Edlund plan on working a Zombie Alligator into the mythos? (Just seeing if Suze is paying attention).
37 days and counting. Plenty of time to speculate. What would you like to see in the second half of season five?
Thank you Alice for observing the same thing i did. I never quite realized the reason why i started hating Castiel this season after being his number one fan last season. The writers have truly done him an injustice. He has lost the charm of what made him special. I’ve always loved that even though he was most of the time in season 4 an asshole to Dean and Sam, i still liked him because he was badass and very warrior like even while learning about humans.
But this season, i feel like the writers decided to do fan service for the Dean/Castiel slash fans by turning him into a whiny, bi-polar, tantrum throwing child who looked at Dean like he was going to rape him any second and acted like he was Dean’s girlfriend. I was disgusted. One minute, he is a warrior, the next he is a virgin who is shy of being with a prostitute? And the next, he is throwing blame and acting like Dean and Sam should worship his feet because he chose to do the right thing? I’m sorry but that isn’t the angel i enjoyed watching last season.
I jumped at the arc of finding God the writers set up for him. But it seems they’ve forgotten all about it all at the cost of taking the amulet away from Dean which still feels wrong. It’s either they have him find God and explore his character or he returns the amulet back where it belongs.
I want to love that character every episode he is in; not every other one.
Also, you hit it right on the nail about the most important aspect of season 5. The brother’s relationship insight. If there is one disappointment they could fix that would make me forgive and forgo all the others; it is for them to focus on the brothers relationship and how it all relates to the whole mytharc unless there won’t be any emotional payoff whatsoever to balance out the sad and miserable breaking of the brothers relationship last season. It is very critical how and when the writers do it. If they wait till the end of the season; it wouldn’t be emotionally satisfying and i for one will feel cheated.
Thanks Alice!
It was hard not to notice that Misha was hardly making a appearance this first half but after watching all 10 episodes back to back I can really see how his only best episodes were the ones you listed. Although I can’t help but praise the writers for making Castiel more human. His comedic moments were awesome, even if it didn’t really play out right, Misha did a fantastic job working with what he was given. I can also understand the fluctuations of his moods. Hes been experiencing these emotions that he can’t really explain. Anna was a great help for him. Sad to see her go last season.
The bit with Sam was something I sadly missed, you are totally right, there’s things missing with him, The powers of course was a big give away, but perhaps its just me but that can never stick? It seems to jump around a lot (his powers I mean). And yes he is back to being the mysterious Sam, all we seem to get is his quest to be on equal terms with Dean.
As for Dean I really didn’t have a problem with him, I felt that ‘The End’ pretty much showed all it needed for Dean, he got a glimpse of what was to happen if he didn’t say yes and what will happen if Sam did. Although I still think that Zachariah maybe have exaggerated a bit on how future Dean was going to be 5 years into the future. It still pretty much summed up greatly.
The big question here that I completely look forward to having answered is of course “What is going to happen in 6 months?!” I have faith the writers some come up with something fantastic but I do agree that Season 4 was chop full of surprises that left me at the edge of my seat episode after episode. With the exception of the things falling in to place this season, season 4 had its fair share. I hope Season 5 can live up to it.
Alice, I was hoping you would give us one of your ‘deep looks’ at this season, and here it is. Thank you for making this hellatus (which doesn’t feel much like one so far) even more colorful.
Singing: ‘Rocking around the Supernatural tree…’ (don’t mind me, x-mas is nigh and it’s snowing like hell here… Like hell? Oh, snow in hell… yeah, this might just mean that we will see impossible things in the upcoming episodes…)
I, too, am astonished at how the show manages to connect the dots they dispersed over the last seasons, and the relationships of the characters have become even deeper and more multi-layered than they have been before. I guess pain and suffering does that to some extent. And, of course, as you wonderfully point out, the brilliance of acting we’re witness to.
And there will, undoubtedly, be more to come. We will learn what will make Sam say ‘the big Yes’ (and I’m terrified… judging from his nature, it must be some impossible, utterly cruel choice, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to hate the writers for it as much as I will admire their work… this is going to be big. Anything else would be illogical). Oh Sammy… Get a grip, Jas, this is a fictional character… I just can’t help it. My heart bleeds from the thought alone…
And Dean… he’s suffered some serious blows, too, and he’s not taking it well. The loss of Ellen and Jo – no doubt – eats away at him, as does his trip to the future…
I think all this will also eat away at the brothers’ relationship. All is not well, yet. I agree with your picture of the piling up issues – one step at the rug, and bam.
There are dark times ahead. Anything else wouldn’t make sense. I’ll have to ‘woman up’ to get through it all, I guess.
What would I love to see?
The return of Sam’s powers. And his return to the light side of the force.
The disentanglement of the Amulet-riddle.
God.
Some peaceful moments for the brothers, perhaps a bit love (and I wouldn’t mind the occasional passionate kiss, come on, I’m a gal, after all).
Bobby walking again.
Mary.
Some more moments of Sam/Lucifer (don’t kill me, Jared was magnificent in that scene. I’d like to see more of that).
Lucifer going down.
If unavoidable, a Butch-Cassidy-Sundance-Kid moment.
Heated discussions between the brothers and reconciliation.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Castiel’s background and history and some more of his dead-pan humor.
I bet there’s more that still needs to come to me.
And, yes, that Zombie alligator.
Best always, Jas
Very nice article.
Mostly I have felt same things in season 5 especially about Sam and brothers relationship.
Sure, I like this new, faulted Castiel. But it’s only logical – when I pretty much hated Castiel in season 4 and I like him now, those, who loved him in season 4 probably dislike him now. The way how show uses this character has changed.
But even as season 4 was full of very strong episodes (at least 2/3 of them), there were moments I really disliked. (I still think no one should be so normal after being 40 years in hell as Dean is. He should have serious trouble to remember how people on earth normally interact. How things work around here. 40 years in hell truly should not be similar to 3-4 years in Vietnam or Iraq, it should be much much much worse. And 30 years of torment before giving up? This is ridiculous, even for a hero. That’s just inhuman, no one could take it. They would completely lose their mind in a year or so.) So I found some of the mytharc very illogical and annoying.
In season 5 there is only one thing that strongly bothers me so far (Sam? who are you now?) and writers still have some time to write it better. So after 5.10 I actually feel much better about show than I felt after 4.10.
Keep up your good work and enjoy the show! =)
I was glad to see Castiel get a bit tough for once in 5.10. It’s very understandable to have doubt, not just creep in, but poison his being to where he was beginning to seem (to us) wishy-washy. Angels are supposed to be bad mofos, but as you point out, they can be a bit more patient then us hot-headed humans. He’s not one of us, so his working through isn’t going to be a quick series of anger, denial, etc.
Just make sure, writers, that the next time you let him throw some punches, make sure they actually connect and hurt. It’s okay to let him win a fight now and then.
Sam IS pretty dark, and I think they’ve handled his arc well. People that don’t wear their heart on their sleeve are really, really really (really) reluctant to open up, and when the older brother that you’ve idolized comes out and says he no longer trusts you (hey, thanks for bringing up the devil), that’s one leaden sky hanging above.
vana, I agree that hell should have had a bit more effect on someone – if you can be broken after witnessing the Eastern Front, this’ll fuck you up good – but it IS a serial, and years of therapy simply wouldn’t translate well to TV. 😉
The brothers’ relationship isn’t going to be fixed for some time, even if Lucifer gets tossed back in his cage, but I think as we move closer to the inevitable showdown, whatever form it takes, those issues will start to bleed into words and deeds.
Hi Alice,
Great, great, article. You covered so much so well. Kudos to you!
I never really occurred to me that The Real Ghostbusters was not well placed in the season, but it makes sense. I just assumed they were doing many light MOTW episodes because of the November sweeps. I really HOPE that we get more light episodes next half. I don’t think I could take serious, gut-wrenching episodes every week. I need my jolt of fun brotherly situations. You know Dean’s smart one-liners and Sam’s bitch face.
Funny about Cas’s development. I never really liked him last season, but this season he has really grown on me…and for all the reasons you felt he was a whinny angel. Now, he just seems to have more faults and can be more readily understood from a human perspective. I guess you can more readily accept humanly mistakes from a human because they ‘re supposed to have faults, than a superior being who is supposed to be all good and righteous….always doing the right thing and knowing ahead of time what that ‘right’ thing is. (I know STEREOTYPING!) anene – Love the Bi-polar, tantrum throwing child comment.
And for me the ‘brothel’ scene never happened. That was just too unacceptable for the whole SPN series. If they ever air that epi on TNT, that scene should be cut! Wouldn’t miss a THING from the episode.
I guess I don’t really see Sam as being mysterious this season. …just quiet, and very scared. The thought of his losing control to Lucifer is very devastating for Sam. I think the angel condom concept affects him more than Dean…not that either are going to go that route.
Dean has re-accepted the leadership role that he lost in season4, and has grown a lot since the start of this season. So good to see the boys back to being were their souls are most comfortable, with each other. Maybe they still have issues, but I think they now realize they HAVE to do this together, so whatever differences they have, they need to work them out. Anything less is a disaster for both of them. And Bobby is there to help too, even though he is going to need to lean on Dean more than he has in the past. But that is what Dean’s role is this life time.
I would love to see stronger character arc for Castiel, more screen time exploring his history with Gabriel, Raphael coming back their interaction and more Dean and Cas, it’s not enought to say they are buddies and have few phone calls!
Wanna see more leadership from Dean and to explore his relation to Michael!
Michael is such a mystery I can’t wait to find out that!
Also Lucifer and Sam! Lu is quite a charmer!
Vava naine and Randal, right there, what Dean went through hardly anyone would be able to endure. A patient I had recently who had undergone several months of torture put it this way: ‘everyone talks on the second day’. If they played it out as it might be in real life, Supernatural would turn into a completely different show (and I, for one, prefer it to be, as it is, far, far away from what I have to deal with every day).
I’ve just started working on an article about Dean’s hell-time and the impact on him. I hope to get it finished soon, but right now work is killing me.
Blessed be, Jas
Alice, do you know something I don’t? ( lots and lots and lots of things, probably, but we haven’t got all night … ) I have faith, this is the Mighty Elund after all … Logic and suchlike hold no terrors for him, if he wants ‘gators, then ‘gators there will be. 😆
Same goes for the rest of the season, really. It has been a bit patchy up to now … I’m going to wait and see how it all ties up at the end before going into full on Oh-what-the-f*ck-are-they-playing-at mode but it does seem to me that they may have bitten off rather more than they can chew and started up more storylines than they can resolve in the time they’ve got left.
I hope we get more Badass Action Cas, although I do like Modern Life Is Rubbish Cas and I thought Stoned Cas was a hoot. I could definitely do without any more Whingy Self-Righteous Cas anymore, ever, ever, ever.
PS. I also want the Trickster ( as was ) to cackle madly and announce tha whole angel-all-along thing was a wind-up. Fingers crossed …
Shit, EDLUND, sorry …
Existential Cas! Beret and cigarette accessories sold separately!
Right, that’s going straight on my christmas list. 😀
Hi Alice
Once again I just love your write-ups.
There have been a couple of times I think the writers were a bit off on the characters. Sam saying he went with Ruby because of the way Dean treated him and Bobby becoming possessed. I still don’t buy that one.
But on the whole I’ve really have enjoyed this season so far.
And as for Castiel I have to admit that on several occasions I wanted to cuff him in the back of the head.
His blame on both Sam and Dean and his attitude that they owe him, because he rebelled for them, has annoyed me.
But then I try to see his side. He was a soldier and he broke all the rules that have been drilled into him since existence. He’s been cast out from heaven, his home. He’s loosing his powers. And he’s experiencing emotions that he’s never had or even knows how to deal with. So I guess I understand his pity party to a certain degree.
However it does look like he’s coming around. He did stand up to Lucifer, telling him he couldn’t have Sam. Thanks for the read.
I think all the deep thinky-thought stuff has already been covered up to here, so I won’t comment much. I just want to vote that in 6 months in Detroit, Lucifer will threaten to unleash his army of 2 million zombie alligators across the globe unless Sam says yes.
Totally works for me …
Great analysis on season 5 this far Alice, couldn’t agree more with you.
So, if we shout really, really loud do you think there’s a chance Endlung actually ear us about those ‘gators? I’m willing to try 😀