Supernatural 5.22 – It’s All Come Down to This

5.22 – SWAN SONG
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Recap
After the traditional “Wayward Son,” Chuck is writing a history of the cherished and trusty Impala. She was first owned by Sal Moriarty, an alcoholic with “two ex-wives and two blocked arteries” who spent weekends handing out bibles to the poor. After he died, the Impala ended up at a used car lot in Lawrence, Kansas where it was eventually bought by the man we know as John Winchester.

“I guess that’s where the story begins,” Chuck says, “and here’s where it ends.”

Back at Bobby’s, Sam is on the hood of the Impala with a beer when Dean walks over after his convo with Bobby. He grabs one of his own and tells Sam it is his decision whether or not he wants to go through with the jump plan.

“You’re a grown… overgrown man…” Dean tells him and whatever he decides, he’ll support him. Looking out for little Sammy has been his job, it’s who Dean Winchester is, he says. But Sam is a big tree now who can take care of himself, maybe it’s time he grows up too.

Dean doesn’t think they have a chance, but if anyone can do it, it’s Sam.
Sam says he let Luci out, he’s gotta put him back in.

After squeezing juice from two demons into milk gallons, they try to figure out where Luci will exactly set up shop. But Dean knows he’ll be in Detroit.

On the drive over, they hope Luci doesn’t know about the rings. But more importantly, Sam wants to say something to his big brother. He probably won’t come back if their plan works, so he asks Dean to promise him not to try and bring him back. He tells Dean to live a “normal, apple pie life” with Lisa.

In Detroit, they find Luci and the demons.

Before anything, Sam and Bobby say their goodbyes.

Bobby: “See ya around kid.”
Sam: “See ya around.”

They hug.

Bobby; “He gets in, you fight him tooth and nail. You understand? Keep swingin’. Don’t give an inch.”
Sam: “Yes sir.”

Sam goes to shake hands with Castiel, but Cas has no sense of encouragement. It’s alright.

Sam asks Dean for some privacy as he chugs the gallons of demon juice. He’s ready to go. They go call out Luci and the guards take them to him as he waits for them by the window.


Chuck continues writing his story and begins to talk about what makes this Impala special; the little armyman Sam crammed into the ashtray, the Legos Dean shoved into the vents, their initials carved into the seats.

Back in Detroit, Sam tells Luci he’ll say yes. Sam tries to make a deal, but no use because Luci knows they have the rings.

Sam says yes anyway. Immediately, Luci lights up and everyone in the room collapses to the floor except for Dean. He takes the rings out and throws it against the wall, says the spell and opens a black hole to hell.

Sam gets up and says he can feel Luci inside of him… but just kidding, it’s Luci and he has control of Sam body. He shuts the black hole and disappears.

LuciSam arrives at some underground place. Luci talks to Sam through a mirror. He tells Sam that they were made for each other, two halves made whole. He taunts Sam, about how “out of place” Sam was in the family. Luci introduces a couple of people from Sam’s life who have apparently been on Azazel’s payroll. He suggests he and Sam get some revenge.

Meanwhile, the world continues to crumble. Dean, Bobby, and Castiel are watching the news reports.

Castiel: “It’s starting.”
Dean: “You think, genius?”
Castiel: “You don’t have to be mean.”

Castiel suggests they drink themselves to oblivion and wait for the end. Dean doesn’t want to give up. He turns to Bobby, but he’s pretty much given up too. Dean can’t believe it.

Sam and Luci have finished feasting on the minions and Sam can’t believe it.

Continuing the reminiscing courtesy of Chuck, we see Sam and Dean sit out in the middle of nowhere, in silence, just looking up at the stars.

Dean calls Chuck, hoping he knows something about the big battle. All he knows is it’ll happen tomorrow at noon at Stull’s Cemetery. Dean remembers that place being outside of Lawrence.

Dean packs up and gets ready to leave, Bobby and Castiel try to discourage him, but Dean says he’s got nothing to lose. He’s ready to die with his brother.
Dean leaves the two behind.

At the cemetery, LuciSam is waiting as MikeAdam flies in. The brothers meet for the first time in a long time, both saying they wish they didn’t have to do this, but Michael says he has no choice after what Luci did.

Luci says it’s all their dad’s fault, God’s fault. He created everything, He wants all of this. But what’s the point?

Luci suggests they just walk away, not let this happen. But Mike says he can’t do it and he must follow orders because he’s a good son. He tells Luci how he betrayed all of them. They were so happy until he threw his tantrum.

Mike won’t budge, they’ll fight.
The Impala appears on the horizon and Dean puts on Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages” as he drives towards the two brothers.

Dean gets out of the car and says he wants to talk to Sam. Michael says Dean has no right to be there since he’s not the vessel anymore.

“HEY! Assbutt!” Castiel says as he hurls a Molotov of holy fire towards Mike as he bursts into flames and disappears. Castiel says Dean has his five minutes with Sam, but Luci is not happy about that, “No one dicks with Michael but me.”

He snaps his fingers and Castiel bursts all over Bobby.
Dean talks directly to Sam, but it’s still Luci who grabs Dean and hurls him towards the Impala. Bobby takes two shots at Luci, which doesn’t faze him.

Luci twists Bobby neck and he’s dead.
He turns back to Dean and beats his face to a pulp, literally. Dean continues talking to Sam, saying he won’t leave him. Luci is ready for more beat down, but suddenly the light reflects off of the Impala and refocuses LuciSam’s eyes towards the little army man in the ashtray. All the memories begin flooding through LuciSam.


Suddenly, LuciSam backs off. Sam’s got Luci. “It’s okay Dean, I’ve got him.” He takes the rings out of his pocket, says the spell and opens the black hole to hell in the ground. Sam is ready to jump in, but Mike’s back. He continues to harp on his destiny to kill his brother, but Sam’s got other ideas.

Sam looks at Dean and then gets ready to get sucked into the hole. Mike grabs to stop him, but Sam instead pulls him along and they both fall in. The hell hole closes.

Dean kneels on the ground. He looks up to see a good as new Castiel appear. He touches Dean and he gets his pretty face back.

Dean: “Cas, are you God?”
Castiel: “That’s a nice complement, but no. Although I do believe he brought me back… new and improved.”

Castiel walks over to Bobby and wakes him up.

Chuck, now dressed in white, “Endings are hard… 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. But I’m telling, they’re a raging pain in the ass.”

On the road, Dean asks Castiel what he’ll do now. He says he’ll go back to heaven, with Mike gone, he’ll be the new sheriff in town. Castiel has no idea what God wants, nor does he know if He’ll ever return. Dean tells him to tell God anyway that he’ll come looking for Him.

“He helped, maybe even more than we realized,” Castiel tells Dean whom he senses is angry. Dean says God may have brought Castiel back, but what about Sam, how about him… where’s their happy ending?

“You got what you asked for Dean,” Castiel says, “No paradise, no hell, just more of the same. I mean it Dean, what would you rather have? Peace? Or Freedom?”

Castiel flies away.
At the junkyard, Dean says goodbye to Bobby. Chuck narrarates that this will be the last they’ll see each other in a long time. Bobby will go back to hunting next week, but Dean would rather die or find a way to bring Sam back.

But instead, he’ll fulfill his promise to Sam. He goes back to Lisa who welcomes him into her home. He cries as she pulls him into a hug.

Chuck continues, “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 kind of the whole point?”

THE END
Chuck types. “No doubt, endings are hard, but then again, nothing ever really ends, does it?”
He disappears!

Dean, Lisa, and Ben sit at the table for dinner, able to be seen from outside.

The streetlamp burns out and zoom down to see Sam standing there, looking into the home.




Episode Thoughts
After five seasons, this is what it all added up to. It was a satisfying conclusion to a storyline that took pleasantly unexpected twists and turns. From a show about two brothers traveling the backroads of America searching for their missing father to a show about two brothers fighting angels, demons, the devil himself, and maybe mingling with God.

Supernatural has certainly come a long, long way. And what a ride it has been.

Kripke and Co. originally planned for only five seasons, and honestly, this episode could very easily have served as the series finale and it would have been beautiful. While it may have lacked a genuine MaGMC Moment, it was still emotional and very poignant. An excellent way to finish what became an intricate and always engrossing story.

But, just like Chuck said, “nothing ever really ends.”

Speaking of… let’s get it out of the way first. When Chuck did his disappearing act, not for a second did it cross my mind that he may be God. Not at all. Yet, when Sam appears in the very final frame of the episode, my reaction… “SAM IS GOD!”

I was definitely waiting for that moment, Sam reappearing I mean. I just knew he would have to reappear before the end of the episode somehow. Whether it be digging himself out of the ground or what, I didn’t know. But I saw him standing there and immediately I thought, So, could Sam have been God all this time?

And yet, that would make no sense at all. An impulsive reaction, surely. But that doesn’t mean I think Chuck is God either. Would it be that obvious? Maybe God decided to jump into Chuck just recently? I really doubt it’s that simple. When has anything ever been clear cut on Supernatural?

I don’t think season 6 will be all about searching for God, but you never know. I think we’ll be getting a fresh Supernatural in the fall. This would’ve been a fine series finale, but I am definitely happy and excited about more Sam and Dean.

The episode was beautifully directed. Kudos to Steve Boyum. Eric Gewitz and Erik Kripke wrote a brisk, yet meaningful episode that touched on many things, but focused on the most important theme during these last five years of Supernatural.

Supernatural has always been about the incomparable bond between Sam and Dean. Their brotherhood, their friendship. It was all about their family, both their biological family with John and Mary, and their extended family like Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and more. But maybe even deeper, it was about the family they developed with each other.

I mean, Chuck mentioned how they may not have had a four-walled building to call home, yet they were never homeless. As long as the two of them are together, they have a home. The Impala was the physical manifestation of that home (oo deep!), as we saw the memories it held and ultimately the real tool that helped Sam overcome the devil.

Luci tried to twist Sam’s mind into thinking his “foster” family was not who he belonged with, and though it may have made Sam think, he needed that little flash to remind him, no. He knows who his real family is. And he’d do anything for them.

Dean was the same way. No matter what, he wasn’t going to give up on the only family he’s got and the only family he’s been able to depend on. No matter what happens with the picket fence dream with Lisa and Bean, it just may come up short still.

The direction in this episode added to the emotion. What probably has to be one of my favorite scenes ever on the show now is Sam’s conversation with Luci. The shots were very artsy, but it helped set the mood. Tense, emo, serious, yet the culmination of a long journey.

Then there’s Sam’s memory flash. Memories of dressing up, playing in the Impala as kids, pranking each other, messing with each other, fighting the bad things, a time when Jared’s hair wouldn’t get so long… a wonderfully done montage of scenes that added even more to the nostalgia feel, the feeling that this is it. This is what it has all come down to.

Mr. Jared Padalecki. Bravo. A winning performance in that scene as both Sam and Luci. After five years, still able to express all that emotion with just his face. And Mr. Jensen Ackles, who can make funny faces in one scene and deliver a dramatic knockout in the next. Amazing.

Mark Pellegrino has just been perfect as Lucifer. Misha Collins, fun and enjoyable as always. And Jim Beaver, never fails to deliver.

It is going to be exciting to see what’s ahead for the bros. Fall can’t come soon enough. But for these amazing, incredible five years, thank you Eric Kripke. You’ve created a one of a kind series. A series that defied the odds and shattered expectations. There were definitely some hiccups, but you’ve definitely delivered one helluva thrill ride. Just consistently one of the very best hours on television. Going after topics and issues other series wouldn’t even dream of touching. Presenting old habits, traditions, cultures and beliefs in the most unexpected, yet enlighteningly fresh way possible.

Thank you Eric Kripke. And congratulations to the cast and crew of Supernatural on five amazing years. And here’s to #6!

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