Thank you, Dean Winchester.
Thank you, Supernatural.
Obviously I also want to thank everyone else involved, specifically Jared Padalecki, the other half of the show. I'm not going to lie to you, I was nervous for all the wrong reasons before watching this. The past couple of seasons has not been anything like the show I once fell in love with, but when I joined the "family" 10 years ago, it was done. I would never abandon this show. It has been something so unique, so comforting, so familiar - such a safe space. Good or bad, I always knew I could come back here and meet the characters I loved more than anything.
Dean Winchester has changed my life an unmeasurable amount. I identify a lot with him, and is the character I have, undoubtedly, loved the most out of any and all fictional characters I've ever encountered.
Guess I should actually review this, then, huh?
First of all - MIRACLE :hearts:︎ I was so happy they kept her around. The first few minutes are so jam-packed with feel-good TV you just know shit's gonna hit the fan sooner rather than later. It's a monster-of-the-week type thing, a nest of vamps kidnapping kids.
Then the big fight happens, and Dean gets impaled on a rebar that goes through his back.
The speech that happens next is so painful to me I can barely breathe as I watch. The "stay with me", the "I love you so much, my baby brother," the "tell me it's okay," 'cause of course Dean will fight tooth and nail for his last breath until his little brother says he can let go. That Dean's job is done. He has protected his little brother, as he promised, and now he can rest.
Shit man, just yank my heart out, will you?
I've personally always wanted the brothers to die together or not at all in the finale. That doesn't happen. And surprisingly, I'm at peace with that.
Dean goes to Heaven, which is "nearly perfect". There's one puzzle piece missing, because Sam isn't there - but he will be. Time passes differently in Heaven, Bobby says (oh yeah, Bobby's back. For once I don't mind them bringing him back for the millionth time). Bobby asks Dean what he'll be doing now, to which Dean answers that he's gonna go for a drive, as he finally spots Baby. The speakers blasts Carry on My Wayward Son, and you thought you were done crying but nah.
We see Sam's life and Dean on the road, back and forth. Sam has a son now, named after Dean, and we see him raise him throughout the years, aging, going grey (the wig is atrocious but fine), while Dean is still driving down the same, long-stretching dirt roads, still as "young" as always, time seemingly standing still.
Then, as they move to a cover of CoMWS (which is beautiful by the way, my GOD), we see Sam die of old age in his home, surrounded by photos of Dean, their family... They cut to Dean, who's slowing the car down to park on a bridge, and as he gets out to look out over the river below, you can see him sense a presence, before he grins and goes "Hey Sammy" (that's my cue to cry again by the way). Sam responds with Dean's name, they hug, and that's that. It fades to black as they stand together on the bridge, looking out over the river.
Their final words in the show are each other's names. And if you remember from "Dark Side of the Moon" back in season 5, when Castiel says to Dean that he needs to follow the road in Heaven, which will lead him to Sam... The fact that they implemented that here as well, with Dean driving seemingly forever, until Sam dies and his trip ends as they reunite. It's just so achingly beautiful.
I know this review is a mess. I don't expect anyone to read it honestly. But this show has been my life for so long I felt like I owed them this.
We've had our ups and downs, dear show, but you'll always be home to me. Thank you.
Watching this again 10 years later. Many things happened since, lots of tv shows came and went. Still this episode hold its place as one of the greatest season finale ever.
Includes the now-legendary comedy gem of Ted attempting to explain perspective to Dougal.
Simply brilliant.
What a weird way to end it.
