Remember how in 2013 robbie thompson wrote dean saying I love you to cas and jensen ackles was like ? no. he would not fucking say that but then proceeded to make dean be like 10x gayer in the version they did film
And then 9 years later the same robbie thompson and jensen ackles executive produced an episode in the prequel they developed that repeated thee same speech almost line for line but this time with mary and john instead of dean and cas
And then the next episode involved mary and john getting trapped in a room and they were both gonna die and this was the absolute last chance they have to confess their feelings for each other so they smooched, directed by richard speight jr who very coincidentally directed a rather similar scene like a year and a half earlier but with dean and cas
THE WINCHESTERS AS DEAN’S STORY:
An untraditional video essay showing Dean’s physical and emotional state after the Supernatural finale.
Whether you’ve never seen The Winchesters, haven’t thought about it much in years, or know it inside and out, this should be watchable and understandable to you!
(This project is on AO3 here, as part of my Chuck Won meta series.)
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The Winchesters, as a prequel-sequel show, acts as a thematically consistent commentary on Supernatural. It explicitly brought SPN’s depths to the surface by spotlighting themes like found family being vital, cycles of intergenerational trauma needing healing, and real love triumphing over predetermined fate.
From episode one, Dean is framed as the show’s narrator and he has a voiceover in every episode. This means that The Winchesters is a story being told from his point of view. The show is Dean’s story in the sense that he’s telling it to the audience; but also, metatextually, it’s Dean's story in the sense that it’s all about him through mirroring and parallels.
I tend to fondly refer to The Winchesters as “The Dean Hall of Mirrors show” because that’s exactly what it is. While watching the adventures of John, Mary, Carlos, Lata and Ada—and the struggles they face—we can recognize they provide a secondary purpose of being commentary on Dean’s life. Through parallels, we learn more about the struggles Dean’s been facing since episode 15x20 of Supernatural. The Winchesters is a deliberate, repetitive condemnation of the false veneer of Dean’s “happy ending” in Heaven that some audiences took at face value. It tells us that he’s trapped. And the fact that the show’s plot lines culminate in Jack arriving to subtly threaten Dean back into “peace” is no accident.
Consider this a video essay, but in an untraditional format. Clips from the shows are interspersed to showcase their parallels and construct a full story, with no additional narration from me. Everything that I need to explain and everything that you need to understand is conveyed solely through dialogue and visuals from the shows themselves—demonstrating just how clear and cohesive the full picture is.
This video constructs an argument to show you (rather than tell you) this:
Chuck was not entirely defeated. Jack’s not okay. Dean and his family are trapped and fractured. And true freedom can only be achieved for all of them through speaking truths, trusting in real love, healing trauma, and breaking cycles of violence together.
Aside from a short opening and ending, this video has 5 chapters:
DESTIEL
JACK + DEAN
CHUCK WON
THE TRAP
THE PATH TO FREEDOM
The sections are designed to build upon each other.
As a (very optional) primer before you watch, a short breakdown of that is below.
Firstly, with DESTIEL and JACK + DEAN, we begin with Dean’s emotional context. These most obvious relationship parallels “prove” the language of mirroring that The Winchesters operates in, and they give you a frame of reference for where Dean’s head and his grieving heart are after the finale.
Once you’re familiar with the language of the show’s mirroring—and the tragedy of Jack—this carries through to the more physical context. In CHUCK WON, we see how some of the monsters/villains mirror Chuck, and this tells us things about Chuck’s victory and Jack’s tragic corruption.
Then come the consequences. In THE TRAP, we see what the other monsters/villains in The Winchesters can tell us about the literal trap of unreal “Heaven” that Dean is in, and how he is actively trying to escape.
And finally, in THE PATH TO FREEDOM, we see some of the ways in which The Winchesters' gang consistently escaped these traps: through mending relationships, speaking their truths, and healing from trauma. This provides the roadmap for how Dean and his family must find freedom in the future. And hopefully (if I did my job right) maybe it can give a little bit of catharsis for anyone who watches my version of it :)
Despite its length, this video isn’t even comprehensive. Believe it or not, there are way more parallels in The Winchesters than I was able to include here! I had to tell a semi-linear narrative. But this should be enough to bring the main concepts across.
If you take away nothing else from this project, I hope you see this:
The Winchesters’ consistent themes and plot lines were designed to deliberately and loudly critique Supernatural’s finale. Dean’s not at peace and he’s not done. The finale’s falsity was never the real last word for Dean (because SPN was certainly plenty clear on how Chuck won), but it especially isn’t after The Winchesters. And while I don’t know if we’ll ever get any kind of subversion in the future with a true sequel and get to see that path to freedom be properly fulfilled… from a character standpoint, I think it matters to say that the intent and desire was always there in Dean, and it always will be.
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Please feel free to give the video a "like" on YouTube!
Further reading if you want it:
-The Chuck Won meta on AO3
-The short metas I’ve posted here on Tumblr
-The Winchesters: Misdirecting the Cycle by Deidre T
Every month, all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words. (Click here to learn more about how to nominate a fic for an award!)
Keep reading for some awesome fic recs!
Nominated by @flanneledfae
Sulk by @chevroletdean
ChevroletDean is a wizard when it comes to angst and hurt/comfort. The way they have written this fic is 100% relatable, and the feelings are just so real. I loved it so much.
Santa's Delights by @chevroletdean
This story is just the cutest! I am a sucker for Destiel and Fluff. This fic was perfect for that! And the artwork to go with it was amazing!
Of Rage And Rot by @xpurdyglambertx
Head's up, this fic is VERY dark and twisted. But it is so heartbreaking in the most beautiful way. I love it more every time I read it. (Please heed the tags.)
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Nominated by @heavenssexiestangel
Drunk Calls by @castielscaplan
Caplan fills my heart with some good Ketch stories. I am always so happy when she publishes more. They're all short, and it means I can read them even when I'm overwhelmed with stuff to do, and they always hit righttt.
Flowers For You by @castielscaplan
I just love me some soft Ketch and I needed this okay? Mkay.
Heart Shaped Pancakes by @castielscaplan
This was so cute. Especially the beginning felt very domestic with the mention of the little sounds that make you aware a person shares your space, and I found that so cute. Ikd it was very soft and nice, and a perfect treat for Valentine's
Purgatory Confessions by @castielscaplan
These two just make me insane.
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Nominated by @kazsrm67
As You Wish by @zepskies
This fic grabbed my attention because the title, "As you wish," is a line from the movie Princess Bride, which is one of my favorite movies. I don't often read fics about knights and princesses, but this one pulled me in. I loved it from start to end, and I think you will too.
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Nominated by @leatafandom
joy to the world (let the earth receive her king) by entropic_saudade
This was so dark and so beautifully written. The concept was just fantastic and so well executed. I love a vampire au and when mixed with wincest and boy king Sam its just perfection. This hits so many marks for me, not to mention the beautiful art that goes with it. Just a must-read! ❤️
Stuffed by @xpurdyglambertx
Oh man, just so hot and perfect, wonderful, wonderful tentacle smut, and I adore it! If you like Dean or if you just love tentacles, give this puppy a read; it is fan-flipping-tastic.
Divine Intervention by @xpurdyglambertx
More tentacles!!! So fantastic and with Demon Dean?! God, it's perfection. I really enjoy some trueform fuckery, and this was fantastically done and so well written! It was such a treat to read. I highly recommend this one for anyone who loves tentacles, Demon Dean, and/or some really wonderful grace play.
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Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis
Should've Just Asked by Annie D (scaramouche)
If you enjoy secondhand embarrassment, you will LOVE this Destiel fic! So many misunderstandings, SO MUCH PINING, and it's all told from Cas's POV. Here's the thing, though, Cas does NOT understand that reference. We may get what people are saying, but he very much does not know even what he's saying, half the time. It's hilarious, but filled with awkward moments which will make you cringe and hide under the covers in your bed. Totally worth it!!
it's only death that's all (what is that to love) by need_more_meta
This is just a beautiful Wincest fic. Post-finale, Sam writes letters to Dean, and Dean hears them while he drives in Heaven. Just gorgeous!
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Nominated by @rusearusco
It's Been A Long Time by @leatafandom
Midam, my beloved! I always love fics about this pairing, and this was so sweet! Having it from the POV of Raphael was really cool; they did so little in the show, but the fandom's really brought them to life. This was just an all-around amazing fic, as always!!!
To Keep Soulless Sam by @masoena
I love fics where the Winchesters are just... dangerously good at their jobs. One wink from Dean and the pair of them knew exactly how to destroy this entire group, even with a knife to his throat. This was such a satisfying story to read and a great way of showing what kind of hunter Sam was when he was wandering around without his soul.
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Nominated by @trevelies
MacLeod's Hunters Special by @walkingaline
One of the best and most fun fics I've ever read. STACKED with creative magic, incredible humor, it colors in Crowley's lines in such a fun way. I am obsessed with walkingaline's writing and would happily read an entire fic of their characters just watching paint dry. This fic is post-canon; a hilarious premise of Crowley and Cas reluctantly-and-not-so-reluctantly partnering on a mechanic shop for hunters, but it still has so much heart, charm, and humor. Love intensely.
I Was Bored by @leatafandom
This was so fun - I really LOVE how Leata writes Gabriel: so much heart and humor. I read a quote once to the effect of: comedic actors can play serious roles better than serious actors can play comedic roles. And I think that's something Leata captures really wonderfully in her Gabriel fics. She captures someone that is SO EASY to write or dismiss as "goofy," and she shows some of his cracks even in a light-hearted fic, and puts a smidge of a broken-hearted angel underneath, and I think that's SO incredible.
Blindly Faithful But Following None by @lawsofoptics
This fic was SO unbelievably good. The premise does such an incredible job of showing that "knife's edge" of Supernatural: how quickly it can go from campy humor to a TRUE psychological horror where if you look too directly at the narrative, you'll go insane. LawOfOptics is SUCH an incredible writer and obviously lives and breathes this super close narrative analysis - and WOW I could talk for days about it.
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Nominated by @walkingaline
All On You by @trevelies
It's a story from a while back that plays into the expectations created by a trailer for an episode in season 14. Michael, Dean, and that ominous feeling we had while watching find so much space in this fic! It's both interesting and a good nostalgic reminder of how fun it was to play around with the snippets we got from trailers. The voices are spot on, and the atmospheres are just perfect. A must-read!
You Are What You Eat by @blondie20000
This story is sweet, in the strictest sense of the word. It also starts as a crack thing, but it rapidly slips into the perfect brand of sinister and vaguely horrifying that was so well done on the show. The voices of Sam and Dean are so spot on that you will be profoundly grateful for Bobby. I promise you!
When I Think About The Future by @rusearusco
I rarely read Weechesters, but this one was such a captivating take that I just couldn't ignore it. I love the way Russo looks into Sam's fears and growing awareness, down to the super snappy ending. A fantastic read!
(Divider by @glygriffe)
THANK YOU ALL, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!
