In season 1 of Supernatural, technology was a whole lot different for the boys. Sam mocks Dean for having cassette tapes instead of CDs and now CDs are old news. The only social media that is mentioned is MySpace, which is now defunct. They go from using flip phones, to blackberries, to smart phones, so connecting to places like Hell is now a whole lot easier than hacking someone’s neck open for the bowl of blood required to “make a call.” At first, Sam and Dean had to get up close and personal to talk to monsters, demons, and eventually angels. Then in later seasons, good guys and bad guys had each other in their contacts.
But technology was a whole lot different for fans back then, too. In 2005, the show was on just one network and the story was doled out just once a week. Streaming was basically non-existent. There was no Twitter or Instagram or Zoom. At first, if we wanted more than just Sam and Dean, we were “forced” to physically meet with the actors who played them...and for this reason, I think the Supernatural fandom is really lucky to have started coalescing when it did.
I just want to say a few words to everyone who is dealing with the finale of Supernatural and the end of our beloved show.
What you’re feeling and experiencing now? It’s quite and absolutely normal.
The grief, the feelings of loss, the sadness, the anger, are all ok. Doesn’t matter if you loved or hated the finale, the fact is that Supernatural is over. It’s hard to believe that we won’t be turning on our TV’s next Thursday or Friday (depending on where you are) and getting lost in our favourite show.
For many of you, this is the first time this has happened, especially with a show you've invested so much in, and it’s probably a bit overwhelming to feel so much for a TV show and the characters. But, for some of us, it’s not our first go round the block with this.
I know, I hear a lot of you, why did it have to be this ending? There are many reasons and the blueprint has been there for years. After everything, this finale was really the best way to tie to whole story together and be true to the show’s canon. This episode was not going to resolve all the loose ends. There were just too many and its mind boggling to think anyone could wrap up much in 40 minutes when dealing with 326 episodes behind them. The only hope was to deliver something satisfying at a high level while staying true to the overall themes. So, was that accomplished?
(Miss part one of this review? Check it out here)
Oh man, talk about a middle-aged woman having an ugly cry…
I’m stunned, but probably not in the way most of the SPN Family are. When I interviewed Andrew Dabb at Comic Con in July 2019, he already knew what the ending was. He pitched it to Jared and Jensen, and was now breaking the waters with the media. He joked that about 30 percent would like the ending. Knowing how controversial Dabb’s scripts are most of the time, part of me was thinking he was dead on.
I’m floored to say that I ended up being one of those 30 percent (if it’s that low). I never thought that would happen. I loved “Carry On.” The last few days I’ve watched it numerous times, so many thoughts racing in my head that once I committed it to paper, I had one long ass review done. So, the choice was I could ask you all to grab some coffee and dig in for the long haul, or just break it up into two parts so you all can digest it a bit more. I opted for the latter.
In terms of a finale, this wasn't quite “Swan Song.” The script was very basic, but it did all it needed to do. What knocked the episode into the stratosphere was a collective effort. Outstanding acting, directing, cinematography, score, music, editing…in other words everything else. The visual storytelling (show, don’t tell) is perhaps the best in the series. The emotional scenes are stronger than any other. Everyone must have been fueled with pure emotion when they put “Carry On” together and it showed. As a fan, I am so grateful.
Bottom line, this was a series finale. It was tasked with one main purpose, wrap up the Sam and Dean Winchester story. “Inherit the Earth” took care of season fifteen, so this episode started with the “What happens next?” The rest of their lives it seems, even if one was cut tragically short. Family has always been the primary theme in this show above all else. That is exactly what they sold here in the most spectacular way.
Thoughts on Supernatural 15.20: “Carry On”
How do you begin to sum up the end of an era like Supernatural? I sit here in my basement apartment, surrounded by years of Supernatural memorabilia, collectibles, autographs and photographs of nearly ever cast member and find myself at a loss to begin my last review for this incredible series. It feels like an impossible task for this reviewer to say goodbye and do Supernatural any justice along the way – but I’ll try my best.
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