I don't like the Supernatural season 5 finale
First, very few people actually read this blog, and those that follow me are mainly here for the incorrect quotes, which is valid. So I'm not expecting a lot of action on this post, but I wanted to say this:
The Supernatural season 5 finale is one of the best written finales in the show, and is absolutely stellar on all counts. It is a fantastic piece of television. No arguing with that. What I mean here with this statement is that I don't like the season 5 finale as the finale to the whole show. Everyone (or most people) share the opinion that the show should've ended at season 5, and that the season 5 finale is the true ending. And that is completely understandable and I totally see it. If the show did end there, it would still be fantastic and I would still love it. Eric Kripke had a fantastic vision and the five season arc he planned is one of the best parts of the show. However, it is actually so depressing.
Oh sure, Dean gets a family again and that's great. I love that for him. But you know - you KNOW - that there is a part of him that will always be broken because Sam isn't there, and not just dead and chilling in heaven, but actively trapped in a cage, in hell, with the devil and a seriously ticked off archangel (also Adam but that's less important). He will quite literally be tortured forever, and that knowledge is absolutely torturing Dean. Which means that Sam doesn't get a happy ending. He doesn't get any peace or relief at the end of that road. And even if that was the end of the show and Dean lived out the rest of his life with Lisa and Ben (which I'm not opposed to) then he would eventually die and go to heaven and STILL Sam would be gone. Forever. There is no reuniting, nothing. Sam's sacrifice is beautiful and powerful but it is a constant for the rest of eternity, and personally, I don't like that.
So, controversial opinion here, but I actually am glad the show went on. Did it need all 10 extra seasons? Maybe not. There are definitely some weaker storylines that are unnecessary. But there are also some FANTASTIC moments that we wouldn't have. For me, that's the end of season 6 as Sam reconciles all parts of himself together; season 7 when we met Charlie and Garth; the end of season 8 when Dean tells Sam that "there is NOTHING, past or present, that I would put in front of you"; season 9, when Sam deals with Dean's death; season 10, when Dean is a demon and then later refuses to kill Sam, even if that means he would be free of the Mark; season 11, where we have the episode "Baby" and the return of Lucifer and the true introduction of God (that whole season was well done); season 12 finale, when Dean confronts him mom in the mind space about why he hates her and why he forgives her; season 13 where we meet Jack, and I personally enjoyed the Apocalypse World plot; season 14 where Dean traps Michael in his own mind, and that beautiful scene between Sam and Dean, "I believe in us, Dean. Why don't you believe in us too?"; and season 15, where we see Sam and Dean fight for control of their own lives and their own story.
That ending, that season 15 ending, will always feel more true for me, because it felt so final, and so painfully bittersweet. Oh it was gut-wrenching to watch Dean die a final death and watch Sam live the rest of his life without his beloved brother. But it was so beautiful so see them reunite it heaven and know that they would have each other for eternity, finally at peace. That, for me, is much more important and a much more satisfying ending. Knowing that both Sam and Dean got to "lay their weary heads to rest." Knowing that they were together. And while season 15 wasn't the best written season of the show, the themes were some of the most powerful, about finding free will and writing your own story. In my interpretation, Sam and Dean came full circle, but not in way where they didn't progress. They were in the same places that they were at the beginning of the show, true, but as people they had changed and become much different.
Dean died on a hunt, just as he always thought he would. But he no longer thought that's all he was good for. He no longer defined his identity by being John Winchester's son, Sammy's protector, and just a weapon for hunting. He hunted because that's what he loved to do, and because he loved helping people, and he loved working with Sam. I can't cite the episode, but at one point Dean says (and I'm paraphrasing here), "Helping people, that's my peace." And I fully believe that. He grew to value himself as a person, and see himself as a human being that was free to make his own choices in life. He kept hunting because he CHOSE to, not because he was supposed to or because that's just what he was told to do. And by this point, if he had decided to move on from hunting and pursue something else, I think he would've finally been at peace with that, whereas at the end of season 5, he didn't seem quite ready for that. He knew who he was and what he was, and he died doing what he did best, what he wanted, what he chose to do. His specific death, via giant rusty nail, maybe not the most poetic, true. But It showed that he and Sam were finally free of some grand story. That their lives were no longer being written, and that their lives were just normal (comparatively). I think the fact that it was an accident, that it was a coincidence, that it was so random and unsatisfying was the POINT, because people, that's LIFE. That's real life! Our own life stories never follow the rules of a book or a narrative structure! It's up and down and all around, and things just happen! Just like this.
Sam, on the other hand, also finally accepted who he was. He was no longer trying to run from being a hunter or a Winchester or from his family. He knew what was important to him, and that was family. More than anything. And he knew that he was a hunter, and that's what he loved to do. In the second half of season 10, he says to Charlie (again, paraphrasing), "I've realized that I love hunting, I do. That's who I am. But I don't want to do it without my brother." He kept hunting, because he knew that's who he was, and because he loved to do it with Dean. And because of that acceptance of himself, he was at a place where he COULD move on. He was no longer trying to run away from anything or anyone, he was simply choosing a different life, which I think makes a difference. If Dean had lived and kept hunting, Sam would've done it with him. But Dean died. And so Sam knew that it was time to move on. He knew that Dean always wanted him to have that normal life, and he knew that he didn't want to keep hunting without Dean. So he chose the normal life, and he chose to start a family and he chose to leave the business. He had accepted his family, his past, and his role as a hunter, and thereby was ready to move on. And this time, he finally could move on without Dean. He finally could let Dean go, though I do agree with some people's headcanons that a part of him died that day with Dean. My view is that Sam and Dean are connected in a way few people are, NOT romantically (because incest is ew) but just with a deep, strong, pure love. They are a part of each other. So yeah, I think a part of Sam died that day, but he kept living. And isn't that just what grief is? Carrying someone with you, carrying that weight or that hole or that emptiness of their loss with you everywhere you go but knowing (if you believe in an afterlife of some sort) that you will see them again.
Now, that IS character growth. That IS change. But ultimately, it's HUMAN. One of the reasons I love this show is because of the humanity of it. Literally and narratively. Sam and Dean are such great characters because they make mistakes and because they are flawed and because they regress. A real human being is so utterly complex that it is rare to create a character that truly feels so human, but for me, Sam and Dean do. Their character arcs are not a perfect narrative, which you could blame on messy writing. But as I said earlier, is that not just life? Life is not narratively perfect. Life is not a story. People are complicated and hypocritical and wishy washy and they change and they grow and they learn and sometimes they don't. Even when we have learned a lesson, it is a constant struggle to remember it and to work to change yourself. It's not impossible, of course not, but it is a serious effort. And so I'm not mad about the character arcs Sam and Dean went through, because while it could be frustrating for some viewers at times, it felt true and human. In the literal sense, the story is flawed. But what story isn't? No one can tell a perfect story. There will be plot holes. There will be strong storylines and weak storylines and these days we all have these high expectations for immaculate storytelling but messiness and flaws are, again, human! Part of what gives this story it's humanity is not just the humanity that was written into it, but the very human way it was written. And for me, the message a story tells is the most important part. It is, after all, what you take out of it that makes a story worth your time, and what changes YOU.
Supernatural is a beautiful story of family, love, brotherhood, friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, endurance, perseverance, mercy, grace, forgiveness, choice, free will, the human condition, and more. It is a story about the worst and best of us. It is a story where nothing is black and white, and there are reasons behind every action. it is a story where the love between two brothers overcame everything that was ever thrown out them, even when the conflict came from themselves. People can go on and on about how they wouldn't forgive Sam or Dean for certain actions, and that's understandable. But the point is that Sam and Dean DID forgive each other, and that, as I said, nothing is black and white. The writing of characters like Sam and Dean Winchester is so powerful because i could always understand why they made the choice that they did, why they thought the way that they did. They certainly didn't always make the right choice, but I could always understand THEM and who they truly were as people. And as a viewer, I found that I could always forgive them. Not everyone has this perspective, but I believe that if we could KNOW someone, fully know them and every part of their life and every part of who they are - like a story allows us to know a character - we could find it in ourselves to forgive them. Forgiveness, for me, is understanding. Obviously, forgive does not mean forget. But Supernatural tells that story of forgiveness so tenderly and beautifully, and shows the mercy and grace that Sam and Dean were willing to lend to each other, even when they had been hurt, and that they were able to move past it because ultimately, their brother was more important. Drawing boundaries is also very important, and I hope that happened too. I hope and I believe there were off screen conversations where Sam and Dean were able to work some things out for a more healthy relationship, but the point I'm making is how powerful every moment of forgiveness was, especially in a world of so much hate.
So, this is what Supernatural means to me. This is why I don't like the season 5 finale as the final ending. This is why I love and appreciate the show, ALL parts of it, even the bad parts. This is why I'm glad we have the later ten seasons, why I'm glad it went on. This is how Supernatural has influenced, taught, and changed me. It doesn't have to be that way for everyone. Art is up for interpretation, so of course you don't have to agree with me. And I'm always up for a good critical analysis, so to be clear, I'm not opposed to any critiques people may have, and there are things that I could complain about and wish I could change. But I can't. The show is already made, so how about we appreciate what we got?
And guys, this is why we don't need a reboot. Would I love more Sam and Dean content? Yes, absolutely. But let's let them have their well-earned peace. They've been through enough at this point.
If you managed to read this far, congrats, I applaud you, and thank you for reading my rant/essay and letting me share my thoughts and opinions. Comment your favorite winchester brother moment - serious or funny - and of course, any thoughts :)
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