Supernatural 4 x 21: When the Levee Breaks

[krislaughs]

Oh my fucking HEART, that hurt. I couldn't even post about it until the light of day this morning.

• Sam's wee face begging for Dean to let him out. The Alistair hallucination was creepy as hell (although part of me wondered if now Sam will have some idea of what Dean endured for thirty years). The other hallucinations as reflections of Sam were BRILLIANT. I thought it was no small thing that the only one of his 'visitors' who condoned his actions was the mother he never actually met. The ones who knew him best (himself and Dean) both tried to show him that what he was doing was wrong.
  
  
• Dean's discussion with Bobby broke me a little, too. it reminded me of Salvation, when Bobby was trying to stop Dean from exorcising the demon and allowing Meg to die. Now, as then, I think Dean was right. (I also don't think the complete detox would've killed Sam.)
  
  
• Castiel? Really? I don't know what those angel bitch boys did to him, but he's not on our boys' side anymore. I'm waiting for his redemption now, too.
  
  
• Dean should've known it was an angel who let Sam free. After all, On the Head of a Pin wasn't so long ago. Maybe he did and didn't want to admit it to himself.
  
  
• Dean giving himself over completely to the angel cause broke me a little, too. They got what they wanted, but I don't think Castiel did it in a way that would've pleased him a few weeks ago. And if Sam really crosses over, I wonder whether Dean will hold up his end of the bargain.
  
  
• Sam's reunion with Ruby: I'm with Dean that it has 'manipulation' written all over it. I'm thinking less and less that she wants Sam to stop the apocalypse, more and more like she's grooming him to set something bad into motion.
  
  
• The fight. GUH. Sam choking Dean-- we knew he had this in him even since Asylum, but it still hurt to see it manifest again. Dean telling him exactly what John did close to ten years before-- he picked the words that would drive Sam away the furthest. In this case, he should have listened to Bobby, yo.

Speculation (Disclaimer: I am totally unspoiled except for the promo at the end of the ep)

• Like an abscess maturing before you can lance and drain it, I think things between Sam and Dean needed to get worse if they ever had a shot of getting better again. So I'm still hopeful and still wearing rose-colored glasses.
  
  
• They've both hurt each other in the worst ways possible, now. Sam rubbing Dean's nose in his weakness, using Dean as an excuse to go darkside. Dean out and out calling him monster, treating him like one.
  
  
• I think they're both going to have an integral role in bringing about the apocalypse-- Dean broke the first seal, and I think that Sam killing Lillith will break the last (like the sacrifice necessary to raise Samhain).
  
  
• I've always kinda hoped that Sam would be the vessel for Lucifer. Now I'm wondering if the angels aren't preparing Dean to be the vessel for someone on their side (An archangel, maybe?) to fight him. Should make things interesting. Especially if, as John did in Devil's Trap, the host can assert some form of control over the possessor.
  
  
• I was talking to my housemate as we watched, and we were speculating on the arc through next season:
  him: There's still another season, right?
  me: Yeah. I think they're going to end this one with Lillith dying and the start of the apocalypse. Then finish it next year.
  him: Yeah, because there's not much they can do once that's finished.
  me: Exactly, I mean, there really isn't a bigger bad than the devil.
  his GF: Except...
  me: What?
  his GF: God.
  

Comments

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

I thought it was no small thing that the only one of his 'visitors' who condoned his actions was the mother he never actually met. The ones who knew him best (himself and Dean) both tried to show him that what he was doing was wrong.

Very good point!

[krisomniac.livejournal.com]

Admittedly, the other two didn't do it in the most productive manner, but I couldn't help thinking that the Mary we saw last night was so unlike the Mary back in In The Beginning, and then it struck me; it's because he never got to know her so he's really just imagining her approval because she's the only one he can. If that makes any sense.

[deirdre-c.livejournal.com]

God as the Big Bad. OM(um)GOD!!!!

Lovelovelove!!!!! You for the WIN!!!! <3

[krisomniac.livejournal.com]

hehehee!! It would be very His Dark Materials of Kripke...

[mariana-oconnor.livejournal.com]

I've always kinda hoped that Sam would be the vessel for Lucifer. Now I'm wondering if the angels aren't preparing Dean to be the vessel for someone on their side (An archangel, maybe?) to fight him. Should make things interesting. Especially if, as John did in Devil's Trap, the host can assert some form of control over the possessor.

^_^ Someone else had that idea. Joy! I've been thinking that for a while now (the Sam vessel thing - and the Dean one, come to that) but I'm sort of hoping that won't happen as well, because then they won't really be Sam and Dean anymore.

[krisomniac.livejournal.com]

True, but it would be SO. Damn. Cool. if they were both possessed and both managed to break through it, no?

[framlingem.livejournal.com]

The thing is (I read "Good Omens" lately!), Castiel was very clear that he'd been reminded that he served Heaven, not mankind, not Earth. Heaven wants the Apocalypse to happen - you can't win a war that never finishes, right?

[krisomniac.livejournal.com]

awww, HELLS, that's a good point. But it's still heartbreaking and I still want me some Castiel!redemption, though...