But I've jumped ahead. You know, I think "Sacrifice" may be my favourite finale ever. I can't remember ever being so completely surprised with where a finale took us. Not only that, the emotional ruin I was left in was a good one, one that filled me with optimism.
What an amazing performance. Mark Sheppard has always sunk his teeth right into Crowley and given that character and the scenery around him, a damn good chewing. But I would never in a million years have thought he could make me actually feel sad for Crowley, make me actually see that there was once another side to the demon, something long ago lost, but maybe still lying dormant deep within.
Having said that, part of the great joy of Crowley is that he's an evil bastard! I'm assuming with the trials incomplete, he will go off and lick his wounds for a while (once he gets out of that chair) and then revert to his former glory and be back, black hearted and red-eyed as ever!
The aftermath of the spell masquerading as the angel trials was completely unexpected. Every single angel sent hurtling to earth in a spectacular, fiery pyrotechnic display. I totally did not see that coming!
It did pop into my head, that they do have one powerful angel left that still has his mojo intact. Michael. Of course, getting him out of the cage without setting his brother free is probably something that would be impossible to achieve. But it's food for thought. There may also be clues on the angel tablet, but surely Metatron would be all over that!
Ok, back to what I was saying earlier.
Jeremy Carver told us that season 8 was all about perception and here, with Sam and Dean was the most important element of it. Two brothers so close that they can't see each other. Two brothers misunderstanding each other at every turn and too bull-headed to talk about it, until at their weakest, most vulnerable moment, where they have no other way forward but to reach out.
In season 4 things started to go pear-shaped for the Winchester brothers. Sam fell in with Ruby and lied about the demon blood. Dean lied about Hell. This is where all the big secrets really started. The brothers seemed to drift apart, come back together drift apart over and over. In season 5 they tried to make it work, but Dean couldn't let go of what he saw as Sam's betrayal, choosing a demon over his own brother. Then Dean realised that his brother was more important to him than anything, that they're all they've got, but more than that, they "Keep each other human". For a brief shining moment, it looked like maybe the brothers could find a way to be brothers again. At the very end, as they stood on the precipice of the apocalypse, they stood united. Then Sam threw himself in the pit and one brother was no more. In season 6 Sam had no soul. This wasn't his fault and he shouldn't be blamed for it and it's hard to say that Sam should have told Dean something was wrong, even though he knew something was, because he didn't have a soul, so why would he think to tell Dean? That one could go around and around and around! But Dean was deeply injured by Sam both physically through the vampire thing and emotionally through the vampire thing, which ended any chance of a relationship he might have had with Lisa and Ben. Maybe Dean shouldn't have hung on to this hurt like he did, but it was pretty epic, it'd be hard to let go of something like that, who here is that perfect and Dean's far from perfect. Season 7, it wasn't so much that there was any specific angst between the brothers, it was just that it was all kind of gloomy and oppressive and they were so far away from where they once were, I wasn't sure if what they once had was even retrievable. There was still the love, you could see it in little ways, or in epic ways as when Sam was on the verge of dying from sleep exhaustion, but...
I think one of the main issues was that neither task at hand in seasons 6 and 7 felt particularly personal in nature. They didn't feel like it was life or death for the brothers. Season 6 even finished with a cliff-hanger that rested with another character, something I always saw as a colossal error.
Then in season 8, the lens was turned back on to the Winchesters; this was once again their story. It was rocky, but anything good is hard earned. As the season moved on, I started to see method to what initially appeared to be madness. These two had to get to a place where they wanted to be together, where they needed each other again and that wasn't going to come easy. Nothing wonderful ever does. Everything needed to be stripped away before it could be rebuilt. Like starting from scratch.
We will never know exactly what brought Sam to the decision not to look for Dean, only that, as he said, he didn't know Dean was alive and didn't know where to look. I always chose to take Sam's explanation on face value, assuming that Sam tried to move on with his life after a calamitous loss. But each time it was raised, Sam didn't want to discuss it. When Dean first returned and asked about Amelia "There was a girl," Sam said, "There was. And then there wasn't. Any more questions." But the defensive way he said any more questions, sounded more like, I'm not answering any more questions. When Meg asked Sam about not looking for Dean, Sam said nothing, when Bobby asked Sam about not looking for Dean, Sam said nothing. For me, this wasn't Sam not being given the opportunity to talk about it, it was about Sam not wanting to talk about it, because it was written all over his face, he felt awful. If you feel shitty about something, generally speaking you don't want to discuss it. In hindsight, I even think it was written all over his face in the first episode. He thought his brother was gone and it turns out he wasn't"¦ How horrible would that feel?
So we find ourselves with the brothers face-to-face in a tiny, damp church. Sam is on the verge of death and a huge question hangs in the air, Why shouldn't he die for the greater good?
"If you finish this trial, you're dead Sam."
"So."
I watched in awe as my boys stood face-to-face, anguish etched into their lovely features. Dean's heart visibly breaking, Sam's heart visibly broken. Years of sorrow rising to the surface and spewing out in pained and desperate words"¦
Sam:"You want to know what I confessed in there? What my greatest sin was? It was how many times I let you down. I can't do that again. What happens when you've decided I can't be trusted again? I mean, who are you gonna turn to next time instead of me? Another angel, another -- another vampire? Do you have any idea what it feels like to watch your brother just...
Dean:"Hold on, hold on! You seriously think that? Because none of it -- none of it -- is true. Listen, man, I know we've had our disagreements, okay? Hell, I know I've said some junk that set you back on your heels. But, Sammy...come on. I killed Benny to save you. I'm willing to let this bastard and all the sons of bitches that killed mom walk because of you. Don't you dare think that there is anything, past or present, that I would put in front of you! It has never been like that, ever! I need you to see that. I'm begging you."
It was a long time coming and when it happened, it felt so good.
Sam asked how he could stop, because it was inside him. He wasn't just talking about the trials... He was talking about everything. Then Dean wrapped his brother's hand and pulled him into a hug and told him to let it go brother, let it all go. He wasn't just talking about the trials... He was talking about the hurt and he wasn't just talking to Sam, he was talking to himself.
Yeah, I cried, I may or may not be crying now.
For a season where one of the main criticisms I saw was that Sam had no voice, I feel like I know Sam better than I ever have. I've seen him in a new light in season 8. Someone whose hope still burns like a tiny candle inside of him, someone who has learned from past mistakes, someone who has carried a torment deep down since he was a child, someone who yearns for his brother's love just as much as his brother yearns for his. I see a strong man and yet so broken, so like Dean.
And for the first time, I feel like maybe Sam can be happy driving down crazy street next to his brother.
In the end, I saw the sacrifice as not Sam or Dean but what they will sacrifice for each other, the chance to put the creatures that destroyed their family behind locked gates forever, because if they did, it would destroy the only family they have left.
"Sacrifice" was beautiful written, with excellent pacing, breath taking performances from all concerned (special shout out to Padaleski"¦man), visually STUNNING, those falling angels, absolutely surprising and set up a corker of a story for season 9, oh and no-one I really cared for died (sorry Naomi, you took too long to come good). We now have a plethora of characters to pepper through the Winchester's lives and there was even visit to an old friend's car-yard. Bobby was in this finale, even though he wasn't. I thought that was a lovely touch.
When Jeremy Carver took over as show runner of "Supernatural", he said that for him, he always saw the brothers and their relationship as the centre of this story. His past episodes have illustrated that again and again. I feel like JC lived up to his promise for season 8, allowing the brothers and their relationship to take centre stage once more.
As we roar towards the end of this beautiful journey (not the imminent end, I'm thinking another 2 years (season 10 or bust), season 8 and the road we took makes me feel like we may end this series where we started off, 2 brothers, together, driving the back highways of America in a shiny black Chevy, saving people, hunting things, the family business. And that's all I've ever wanted.
Okay, that's me out for season 8. On a personal note, I want to thank everyone for the encouragement. It's been my first full season writing for The Winchester Family Business and helping Alice and Ardeospina out with admin duties and I've had a blast. Occasionally I hit a rough patch, but it was always your enthusiasm and unbridled support for me that has made me pick myself up and plough on with my glass perpetually half full.
(Freckles!)
I'll be seeing you through hellatus. We'll get through this stupidly long break between seasons together, just like the Winchester finally are!Thanks everyone!
-sweetondean