Supernatural 8.23: A Finale Worth Falling For
Posted By Jen Sylvia on May 21, 2013
[Full episode recap with a side of review!]
Here Season 8 ends, leading us into Season 9. And before we don’t cry no more, let’s remember where last week left us: Crowley going one by one through the “I’ve been saved by the Winchesters” rolodex, playing the killing game. Sam’s got one trial left. Sam and Dean got punked by a big bad demon they stupidly left alone. Metatron’s got Castiel working to close the gates of heaven, or doing something that’s so very, very wrong. Hard to tell. Let’s not forget, Adam is still in hell and Naomi is running free.
Hello Sheriff Mills!
Even after seven seasons of fighting, saving, dying and apocalypses, hearing the sweet refrains of “Carry on Wayward Son” still manages to bring a giddy excitement and no dearth of tears. Right away, we’re plunked back into Crowley’s machinations of messing around with any and all friends of the Winchester’s and those they’ve saved. In “Sacrifice,” it’s Jody Mills, a very near and dear to our hearts sheriff. Posing as a human blind date, Crowley uses the “I’ve lost someone, too” line and hexes her. In order to keep her alive, the brothers make a tablet-swap deal. Almost. Anyone who thinks that they don’t have some sort of double cross planned hasn’t watched much of Supernatural.
Where Kevin hid the demon tablet. Right under the devil’s nose.
After a quick stop to retrieve the demon tablet from Kevin (finally giving him the location and key to the lair), Sam and Dean meet with Crowley. Each has brought the tablet they have in their possession; Crowley’s also brought a handy, mile-long contract. But, with no other demons around, Dean performs a nifty sleight of hand, handcuffing Crowley with spelled bracelets, informing him that he is the third trial. But save the former salesman, current King of Hell from damnation? We shall see. Either way, Crowley’s reaction is beautiful to behold.
This little old contract?
Castiel, having hesitantly killed the nephilim last week, is still paired with Metatron. The two are at the location of the next angel trial, a hole in the wall bar in Texas, where they will have to retrieve the bow of Cupid. ”No killing,” promises Marv, though, his utter earnestness is beginning to feel too saccharin. However, Naomi, our favorite bureaucrat, has been tipped off to their location, specifically, and ominously, that Cas is with The Scribe.
When Naomi and her cohorts arrive at the bar, Castiel attempts to fight, but Metatron pleads with Cas to not make it any worse than it is. Metatron, of course, is taken to heaven.
It’s nice to see Crowley restrained.
Crowley is driven to an abandoned church and bound inside as Sam prepares the ritual. While he goes to confessional to purify himself (and thusly be able to use his blood to inject into Crowley), Castiel comes to Dean asking for help, finally revealing his involvement with Metatron and their plans to close heaven as the brothers close hell. Dean resists, not wanting to leave Sam. But Sam, he’s behind the gate closing of the lower and upper realms, and if that means doing the ritual alone, so be it.
During the ritual, Crowley takes a chunk out of Sam’s arm with his teeth, using the blood to dial into hell and almost beg for help. There’s no small amount of satisfaction to be had in that moment. Keep in mind, however, that each injection of Sam’s confessed blood brings Crowley one step closer to redemption; it also makes Sam’s arms light up each time, sapping his strength.
When someone – or something - finally answers Crowley’s call, it’s Abaddon. A fury-ridden, has a bone to pick with hell’s king, Abaddon. She throws Sam through a window, knocking him out cold, before laying into Crowley. She didn’t come to save him; she’s there for a regime change. But not before Sam comes to and burns her meat suit, forcing her smoky demon self to evacuate.
And to think, dentist nightmares were thought hellish in nature.
Metatron, in heaven, is also bound while the morally absent Naomi demands answers. While the two… talk, it’s confirmed that Metatron ran away after God left, and that Naomi, even then, was an interrogator of sorts. She wants to know what he’s planning with Cas, why The Scribe has suddenly quit his hiding hole. “Of the blessings set before you, make your choice and be content,” is the only response he gives as Naomi fires up the brain drill.
Kevin wants done. Castie wants to hear none of that from a Prophet of the Lord.
Castiel, with angel tablet and Dean, transports to the lair where an angry and resistant Kevin is. Kevin cannot catch a break! Castiel, infuriated at his resistance, is having none of it, leaves him and the angel tablet there to translate, taking Dean back to the bar in Texas to await Cupid.
When Cupid does her business, it’s to an effect that no one saw coming, least of all Dean. The bartender, and a regular patron of his, a quiet man of about the same age, are both darted. For each other. Dean’s :blink:blink: and complete speechlessness is one of the highlights of our beloved finale. Outside of the bar, the two listen to Cupid describe the chaos of heaven, how it’s interfered with her own holy work. (Which pointedly includes same gender couples. Ahem.) She chooses to give her bow, which is inscribed in her palm, to Cas (who must cut it out), because he’s willing to try and fix heaven’s mess, even though he understands that he very well may die in the process. Cas’s particular brand of innocence and righteousness is what continues to keep him beloved, even now.
Cupid’s bow. It really makes a lot of sense if you think about it.
Castiel’s instigator in all of this, Metatron, has been found out. I shake my fist at you, Supernatural! Duped! Naomi, who for the past season I’ve found as terrifying as hell’s king, has found Marve out. The Scribe had felt lost after sitting at God’s feet, that when his Father left and he was run out of heaven by the archangels, he’d planned his revenge. He’s not planning on fixing anything.
Sam is going through the trial grinder.
Meanwhile, at the abandoned church, Crowley is changing. The snarky dark British accent fading, a worried and confused, dare I say innocent, presence warring with the blackened demon. Sam is also fading, but our ever-soulful Winchester will see it to the last.
Naomi wings to Castiel and Dean, trying, at last, to do something right, to explain Metatron’s plan to break heaven and expel the angels. Not to hell. To earth. “Our mission was to protect what God created. I don’t know where we forgot that,” says Naomi, actually crying, continuing to reveal that if Sam completes the trials, he will die. It will be the ultimate sacrifice. She offers Cas the olive branch, to get him to stop that which Metatron had him begin; not surprisingly, Cas doesn’t believe her. Dean has Cas take him to Sam – but Cas believes he can still fix heaven and leaves Dean at the church. Inside, Sam is in the act of performing the last bit of the ritual that will convert Crowley, Crowley welcoming it. When Dean tries to get Sam to quit, explaining that this whole thing will mean his death, Sam, confused, replies “So?” Because to Sam, an end to all of this is worth his meager life.
In heaven, Castiel is confronted by a freed Metatron. The Scribe has killed Naomi and when it looks like he’s going to do the same to our Angel of Thursday, we are again surprised. In order to complete the spell – not the angel trials – he’s begun, Metatron needs an angel’s grace. And he takes Cas’s.
Cas’s beautiful grace, bottled up by a crazy scribe.
Did you get that?
Castiel’s grace is gone.
Castiel is now human.
I am different. I am more. I am less.
“And now, something wonderful is going to happen,” Metatron tells Cas, “for me, and for you. I want you to live this new life to the fullest. Find a wife. Make babies. And when your soul comes to heaven, find me. Tell me your story.” And with that, Metatron dispatches human Cas from heaven, forever.
And as if that isn’t enough, as Dean tries to get Sam to quit, for nothing, nothing, is more important to Dean than family, and this is his baby brother, Sam can’t stop. He won’t. Crowley is seconds away from having his humanity restored, but Dean refuses to sacrifice his brother’s life. And then Sam explains why he can’t stop:
“Do you want to know what I confessed in there? What my greatest sin was? How many times I let you down. I can’t do that again.”
After all this time, Sam still feels like he can’t hold up his end. After all. This. Time. Oh, Sam, our hearts bleed for you. And hurts for Dean at the same time. “Don’t you dare think that there is anything, past or present, that I would put in front of you.” The weight of the world, oh so literally, has weighed on these two, and the worst has been their self recrimination and perceived failings to each other. While heaven is being torn asunder, a long wounded relationship begins to heal in new ways.
Dean, to Sam after getting him to stop the final trial: “We’ll figure something out. We always do.”
And just like that, Sam lets go of whatever mystical power he had been holding onto, this act paining him in new, frightening ways.
Castiel awakens in a forest and looks up at the heavens.
Kevin, having prepared to leave the lair, is stopped cold when all the equipment begins working, the conference table map lighting up with red dots. Everywhere.
That’s… new.
Dean, outside with a still-hurting Sam, looks up at the same night sky.
Bright pockets of light illuminate the night sky as all the angels, tossed out from heaven, fall.
I swear I did not stand up and clap as the end credits began rolling.
End Season 8, on a brilliant note. Pushing us right back in. Even if the entire show had ended with “Sacrifice,” it would’ve sufficed. That being said, thank heaven (!) there’s next season for all the new directions we’ve been taken and the guts it took to get us here at this episode.
Season 9 Thoughts:
1. Did Jody live? It’s most likely, but remember, Crowley.
2. What will happen to Sam? He was in an immense amount of pain as he let go of the trials’ power.
3. What will happen to Crowley? An almost confessed Crowley at that. And with Naomi dead, will we ever find out what their prior relationship was? Doubtful.
4. Abaddon. She’s not dead.
5. What’s going to happen on earth with free range angels?
6. Does this make Metatron acting [insane] God?
7. Castiel is human. Castiel is HUMAN.
Oh Season 9, you can’t come fast enough!
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