Devil's Trap - This is the episode that spawned the terms hellatus and Kripked. It introduced Bobby and it's also one of my favorite episodes. Highlights - the exorcism of Meg, brothers as firemen, Impala crash, and one of my favorite scenes of all, Possessed John. Everything about this episode rocked. It was the ultimate look into family relationships for the Winchesters. It was also a hard act to follow for the rest of the seasons.
All Hell Breaks Loose, part 2 - This episode proved TPTB in Supernatural had guts. What other show would kill off a 2 season Big Bad? When I first saw this, I was sure YED would weasel his way out. When Dean shot him, my jaw dropped. It was the Impala crash of season 2. Highlights - Dean cries over dead Sam and makes the demon deal, Bobby's verbal smackdown, YED and his death, the devil's gate, and Sam confronts Dean about the deal. It was a fabulous way to both end a major story arc and begin a new one.
No Rest for the Wicked - OK, I knew Dean was going to hell, but seeing it actually played out was jaw dropping too. In a rush to fulfill 4 episodes after the writer's strike, this is the only episode they got right. Highlights - ubercreepy bloodstained Lilith child, Dean's hallucinations, holy water sprinklers, Dean and Sam say goodbye, Ruby died (YEAH!), Dean's death (gruesome), Sam stops Lilith, Sam's grief, and hell. This episode had a whole lot of action and a story line that did not quit.
Lucifer Rising - RUBY DIED...again! That's the highlight for me. Most of the episode revolved around the brother rift. The jaw dropper of course was that Lilith's death freed Satan instead of stopping the Apocalypse, which was an excellent twist. The best thing though is at the end the brothers are on the same side again, killing Ruby and clutching at each other for dear life.
Swan Song - OK, I knew Sam was going to hell, but the entire story line was very poignant. The biggest twist was that the finale was the big emotional episode while the penultimate one had the action. We got official acknowledgement that the Impala is the most important object in the universe - duh. Chuck provided the voice overs, Bobby and Cas died - Cas exploding again in a gorily cool splat, and the power of brother love saved the world while Sam sacrificed himself. This tied up 5 seasons of mytharc neatly and left fans unhappy for Sam but happy with the show.
The Man Who Knew Too Much - This is the tale of 3 Sam's, and that was the best part. Amnesia Sam versus RoboSam was awesome! Sam also gets his best line in 6 years with "You know me. You know why. I'm not leaving my brother alone out there." Who didn't cheer then? Unfortunately, once Sam had reunited all his pieces, we turned to a world where the Winchester clan was over its head as always. Cas had to save them from Raphael. Who will save them from Cas? (to be determined Sept. 23).
Vote your choice for favorite finale and don't forget to comment. Comments are that Friday that ends a long hellatus with the road so far. Also, we will have probably a week or two before the character cup begins, so let me know what Supernatural entertainment you would like to see here on SpoilerTV. I aim to make hellatus go by as quickly as possible with all your help, of course.
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Past Winners:
Lazarus Rising (season 4)
Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester (season 4)
Bad Day at Black Rock (season 3)
The End (season 5)
Simon Said (season 2)
Skin (season 1)
The Usual Suspects (season 2)
Changing Channels (season 5)
Croatoan (season 2)
Abandon All Hope (season 5)
Mystery Spot (season 3)
Jus in Bello (season 3)
The Song Remains the Same (season 5)
Born Under a Bad Sign (season 2)
The French Mistake (season 6)
On the Head of a Pin (season 4)
My Heart Will Go On (season 6)
Point of No Return (season 5)
Mommy Dearest (season 6)
What is and What Should Never Be (season 2)
I'm almost sad to post this poll today because I have enjoyed talking with everyone and reminiscing about the episodes we loved best and which ones we wish we could mind wipe. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me and for providing lots of fun during hellatus. Don't forget to leave a comment on what you'd like to see for the next 2 weeks until the character cup begins. We can do more polls or branch out into other things.
ReplyDeleteExcept for the last one, this was very difficult for me to rank. Thank goodness we had all this time to prepare for it because it was almost painful. The finales showcase some of the series' best work and to vote against any episode is hard. Still, here's my final ranking:
1. All Hell Breaks Loose, part 2 - I went back and forth between whether this should be number 1 or 2. In the end, I decided that one of the best things I like about Supernatural is their willingness to take chances and nothing was riskier than killing YED off in this episode.
2. Devil's Trap - Unless you were there when it aired, you can't know how much that car crash effected the online Supernatural community. I had occasionally looked online to chat about Supernatural before, but this drove me desperately in search of others who sympathized with my hellatus fears. It was the longest summer of my life. However, I love this episode on its own merits too. My heart was constantly in my throat from Dean's "Gotcha" to Meg's death. Never has an interrogation been so intense. Bobby was another plus and we learned that there are real people inside of demons. However, very few scenes trump YED John with the brothers pinned to the wall. It rocked my world!
3. No Rest for the Wicked - Another hard choice as to whether this should be 3 or 4. In the end I chose 3 because it was of high quality throughout the entire episode. The pacing was perfect, we learned a lot about pre-hell, and the brothers and Bobby worked so well together. Plus, Ruby died. I never get tired of gleefully saying that.
4. The Man Who Knew Too Much - If this episode had been solely the 3 Sam story, it would have been in third place on my list. However, we had the angels battling themselves while Dean and Bobby watched. That lessened my excitement for the episode.
5. Swan Song - Yes, it was a perfect ending for the 5 year mytharc. Yes, it was poignant and about as sweet as Supernatural is ever going to get. Yes, I loved the Impala getting its props. However, there were no twists, little action, and I'm not a big fan of Chuck or voice overs. Of all the season finales, this is the one that gets the most stale on repeat for me.
6. Lucifer Rising - For me it ended the single worst half of Supernatural. That's the good side. However, before we could get there we had to go through still more brother fighting and despair. I was thoroughly sick of it by the time the finale came. With the exception of Ruby dying (smiles and beams), there was not much I cheered for or even liked in this episode.
1. Swan Song
ReplyDelete2. Devil's Trap
3. Lucifer Rising
4. The Man who Knew Too Much
5. No Rest for the Wicked
6. All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2
Swan Song easily wins this one out for me because I loved the closure that showed from this one. I always enjoyed seeing Chuck, for the first time I actually felt something towards the Impala, and I really liked the idea of at least one brother getting a happy ending out of the job prospect.
ReplyDeleteSo here's my list:
1. Swan Song
2. All Hell Breaks Loose Pt. 2 - loved they broke tradition of most shows and killed the big bad here, great culmination of the first 2 seasons
3. No Rest for the Wicked - one of the coolest/haunting cliffhangers I know of
4. The Man Who Knew Too Much - mainly cause of Sam's wall crashing and him overcoming it, makes me look forward to that continued storyline in Season 7
5. Devil's Trap - not too shabby, normal episode
6. Lucifer Rising - aside from some good moments, not the best in comparison
I missed out on a lot of the Summer hellatus' because I got into the show during Season 4 so I don't know what the fans were like after Season 1 or Season 3, just ideas. And I agree that if Season 6 finale had been more Sam's wall coming down, it would've been even better because every time they went away from him in the episode I kept saying "go back to Sam." I think from these polls I realized I like Sam more than Dean.
ReplyDelete1. Swan Song
ReplyDelete2. Devil's Trap
3. No Rest for the Wicked
4. The Man who Knew Too Much
5. All Hell Breaks Loose Part 26. Lucifer Rising
I think.....I always find it so difficult to rate the episodes! Ask me again tomorrow and it might be different....though Swan Song will always be No. 1. I just loved it.
i too found this very difficult
ReplyDeleteas they are meant to be, all season finales are just amazing and i really love all of them
in the end it came down to all hell breaks loose part 2 and swan song and i went with all hell breaks loose 2
even the name makes it epic, i mean, all hell literally did break loose and when i was watching it i never expected that to be taken so literally but it was awesome
i loved every moment. dean crying over sam's body, sam coming back, seeing bobby and ellen, killing jake, and that finale battle at the door to hell. i mean, come on, they killed the YED!!! he is still my fave villain because i think he was the most villainous one, he was so creepy and mysterious and evil!! i just loved this episode
2. swan song. probably airing in the height of my supernatural obsession, i really loved every moment. there's not much else i can say but i just know i love this episode
now this is where it gets hard
3. ok, no rest for the wicked. the first season finale i ever saw. i never EVER expected them to actually let dean die. i was so suprised and heart broken, watching sam grab dean after the hell hounds ripped him apart. the boys singing wanted dead or alive in the car was a great moment and i wa so surprised whn lillith was in ruby. and watching little girl lillith kill and torture that family was also pretty awesome. lillith was a great villain too
4. the man who knew too much. the entire sam section of this episode was incredible. i started off so confused but it was really amazing. seeing dean watching over sam as he aly in the panic room flashed me back to all hell breaks loose 2, which i love. and we saw cas smite raphael and own crowley and become very powerful and scary so as a season finale it was really epic
5 and 6. devils trap and lucifer rising. both were epic. there are parts of both that i love and i couln't rank one above the other. its been so long since i've watched devils trap but the last moments when the truck smashed into the impala took my breath away and the scene where john was possesed as you said Dahne was awesome.
lucifer rising was great too, for one it ended season 4, which was my least favourite season. lillith died, ruby died (best moment ever!!) and although it took the whole episode, we finally saw the brothers back together when sam realised what he had done and helped dean stab ruby. and cas became a an official good guy :D
i just wanted to say thanks so much Dahne for putting all these together, they've been so much fun to do and have really helped pass the time during hellatus. i can't think of any suggestions as to what to do next but i assure you that whatever it is i will be here because i hate not having any supernatural to talk about!!
yeah, the sam's wall parts of the finale were diffinately more exciting than the other half of the story
ReplyDeleteits funny, i've also come to love sam more from these polls. it has been dean first then sam for so long but sam is quickly rising back up into that spot of equal fave. which is good because i missed sammy and i hated how season 4 completely spoiled his character for me
Ha! It is fairly clear what people's preferences are (brother, emo vs action, early vs later seasons) when doing the contest like this. I think you are lucky to have missed the first few hiatuses. That first one was a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteOh you can be sure I consider myself lucky on more than just missing out on having to wait between seasons but to miss out on the rabid outcry from the fanbase. No offense to the fans of Supernatural, but some are so highly over defensive which seems to be personified during the hellatus. That being said, I could see myself falling into that needing to talk about the show if I had been watching Season 3 finale live.
ReplyDeleteCurious, do you know how the term hellatus came about?
1 Swan Song -- just BARELY eeks out over AHBL2...There was just so much heartache, I was overwhelmed. But the impala storyline was incredible and my favorite part. and then we got possibly the biggest WTF in SPN history that has yet to be solved: WHAT THE CHUCK?
ReplyDelete2 AHBL -- This is when I knew SPN was my favorite show. When the demons burst forth from the devil's gate, I was like OMFG WHAT WAS THAT!?
(After this it just gets impossible... I love all of them for different reasons and I also have problems with each of them as well...)
3 Lucifer Rising -- While the ending was certainly a nail-biter, what really gets me about this episode is that we FINALLY get to see where it all started: When Azazel (Yellow Eyes) possesses a holy man and slaughters a group of nuns over an altar so that he may speak with Lucifer and put his plan into action.
4 Devil's Trap -- The finale was great overall. Well-acted, good twists here and there, and they faced their demon...but that car crash. The car crash that made me wait for several months on the edge for what could possibly come next!
5 No Rest for the Wicked -- Lilith was at her chilling best, flashing her lights, and breaking old people's bodies while possessing a cute little girl. The ending is one of the ballsiest endings I've ever seen: They killed 1 of the only 2 main characters of a show by viscerally ripping him apart and dragging him to hell. His tortured screams from within the void was really something that freaked me the heck out. Still, because it was rushed with the writer's strike it doesn't actually feel like a finale until the end episode.
6 The Man Who Knew Too Much -- The Twists with Crowley and Castiel and the ending put this in the positive column. It was the best way I could see them end a mediocre but still inspired 6th season. The part with Sam was good in theory but meh in implementation. It ended up being another episode that was pseudo finale with a twist at the very end. (Much like 2-3 of SPN finales are actually, just this time it wasn't as rewarding overall)
Swan Song by far!!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I practically gag when certain scenes come up...the ones you call "emo" and yet I still end up enjoying many really really utterly depressing episodes. I think I just dislike it when cheesy stuff happens, (uh-oh...Some of that brotherly love!) but when you complain about the lack of action it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Especially TMWWBK... I was more riveted by that than half the action of season 6...
ReplyDeleteall Hell Breaks Loose 2 has always been one of my favorite eps (and I think it is my all time favorite episode of the series) Dean's reaction to Sam's death was as heart wrenching as I expected. And as Dahne reminded me...the fact that they killed of a character that seemed like was going to be the Winchester's Wo Fat ( a villain floating around on the outskirts never to be caught)
ReplyDeleteThere's a huge tie for second place 2nd place. Every finale has bee, for me, absolutely satisfying. The semi nailing the whole family. Pins and needles the entire summer. They actually sent Dean to Hell. I didn't think they'd actually do it. I waited the entire ep for that last minute save. Didn't happen and my chin was on the floor. I just realized something... It was kind of dumb for me to Lucifer Rising waiting the last minute save. Nope. Lucifer rose. There was a lot I loved about Swan Song. But for this ep I knew how the day was going to be saved. But all the stuff in between. And I loved the Chuck bookend and the way the car became important.
Third/Last place goes to The Man Who Knew Too Much. Sam's struggle to survive remembering Hell because his brother was in trouble...as it should be. Loved that. But, given that I haven't rewatched most of season 6 (had to replace my DVR) I don't remember much about the ep...I do remember meeting the new Castiel. so this position is mostly technical. :-)
All of these are amazing episodes... its almost impossible to pick a favorite. That being said I'm going to have to vote for The Man Who Knew Too Much. I loved how the episode was set up, Kripke is a master storyteller. The interplay between what was going on in reality and what Sam saw was extremely well thought out and executed. The acting was exceptional and we saw growth from both Sam and Dean... Dean's angiush was overwhelming and palpable, yet he made the heart wrenching decision to leave his brother alone (most likely for good) to go try and save the world. And Sam proved what I'd always known... that he would do the impossible just to get back to Dean & make sure his brother wouldn't have to face the world alone.
ReplyDeleteI'm really pleased at where the relationship between the boys has gotten... it was so touching to see how Sam responded to the Impala. I think it ends giving us a great promise of more brotherly moments in the next season.
(On a more lighthearted and personal note, I can thank this ep for helping me get back inside my house the last time my mom locked us out... it really IS as easy as Sam made it look!)
If you were to set a stop watch to TMWWBK and only timed the instances where people are actively fighting, running, etc - not talking, planning, researching, sitting, stalking, or walking from one place to another - my guess is it is well under 10 minutes of the episode.
ReplyDeleteOn a completely different note, why did people hate The Box on Fringe? It seemed like a fairly typical episode to me.
ReplyDeleteOh I agree that it is a hard choice! All the finales have been incredible
ReplyDeleteTough choices yet again but I'm going with Devil's Trap with No Rest for The Wicked and Swan Song coming in 2nd place. No better how many times I've watched DT, I still cringe and jump when the Impala gets hit by the truck.
ReplyDeleteYou and me both. I jump every time. The Impala crunch was so unexpected I knew that nothing was off limits on this show.
ReplyDeleteDevils Trap. With Swam Song a close second.
ReplyDeleteI know!! add to that--the fact that we wouldn't sure that CW would pick up the show for season 2 that summer...it was nail biting for a few weeks...the other finales were very suspenseful but not to that degree
ReplyDeleteI agree!
ReplyDeleteI felt it was a typically good episode, but in comparison to those around it, specifically the awesome ones of Olivia on the other side just overpowered The Box.
ReplyDeleteAll Hell Breaks Loose - part 2
ReplyDeleteswan song - without a doubt. this to me was a series finale and if it was it wud have been an awesome send off for the show. luckily it came back. I just hope it doesnt be like scrubs and continue when it should have ended on a high
ReplyDeleteIt was really difficult to rate these. But since I had nothing going on today and I knew this was coming, I sat down and watched the first 4 finales again. They all had really great points but, Swan Song was just was so, I don't even have words to use for it. That is my #1.
ReplyDeleteSwan Song
Devil's Trap
No Rest For The Wicked
All Hell Breaks Loose Part Two
Lucifer Rising
The Man Who Knew Too Much
I know what you are saying, but it wasn't just the crash, or that you didn't know who was dead or alive, but Bad Moon Rising playing and Sam pointing THE Colt at that demon who flat out says "You're saving that for someone else" I got the chills. It was so killer.
ReplyDeleteThere is NO way I can choose today.. o_O
ReplyDeleteJust let us choose two episodes (or five)..Please!
Let's see..
6.No Rest for the Wicked.Because there has to be a 6th place.To be honest,the 3rd season is the one I've watched less,so it had a disadvantage in the polls.The last 3 minutes overshadowed the entire episode for me.I wasn't so much into things back then and I don't know if there was a spoiler or rumor that confirmed Dean's death so I clearly remember my jaw dropping when the Hounds attacked..
5.All Hell Breaks Loose Pt.2.Awesome episode and I can't believe what I'm doing.Dean's speech was one of the most memorable scenes in the show.And the YED was defeated!It was the first time I actually cheered in front of a computer screen!It's the finale with the mildest cliffhanger though and no matter how much I complain,deep down I love the cliffhangers..
4.Swan Song.Yes,it's probably gonna win and I'm placing it 4th..We live in a cruel world.I could have lived with a little more action..That's why.But the showdown was heartbreaking.Beautiful scene!
3.The Man Who Knew Too Much.I loved the second half of the 6th season.The writers managed to connect all the storylines and lead them to one person.And I'm still crying for that,actually..The finale was the perfect conclusion for me!Also,we're talking about the mother of all cliffhangers..!
2.Devil's Trap.It was the first finale and that alone makes it special for me.It was also the first time I realized that everything is possible on the show.The truck crushing on the Impala is something I'll never forget.Meg's "interrogation" and John's possession by the YED were huge highlights!
1.Lucifer Rising.Because it ended with freaking Lucifer actually rising! ; )
One of the main reasons I love the show is the twists.And in this episode we have my favorite ones.Angels let the seals break and Lilith is the final seal.."She dies,the end begins"!!
Plus,we have the brothers ending up together despite everything and the scene between Cas and Dean in the Green Room is a personal favorite!So,it gets my vote!
I'm actually sweating after this..Thanks for the polls,Dahne!It really helped time to pass until the premiere and it was so much fun! : )
6. Lucifer Rising: The brother's relationship had really turned to crap, and although they were together at the end, leaving them like that at the end of the season always leaves me depressed. I did however LOVE Ruby getting ganked:
ReplyDeleteRuby: 'You're too late.'
Dean: 'I don't care.' STAB!!!!!!!! Yes, I do have a vicious streak. :)
5. Swan Song: I loved that the Impala was front and center and we had incontrovertible proof of her crucial role in the universe. I loved the unwavering sense of purpose once the plan was decided upon - and the way we knew how terrified they all were despite that. That whole scene in the cemetery was just jawdropping.
Castiel: 'I want you to understand, the only thing you're going to see out there is Michael killing your brother.'
Dean: 'Then I ain't going to let him die alone.'
And:
Dean: "Sammy? Sammy? It's ok, I'm here. I'm not going to leave you.'
And of course:
Cas: 'Hey assbutt!'
4. No Rest For The Wicked: Completely awesome episode from start to finish. I loved how Bobby used the sprinkler system to hold the demons back from the house. Jensen's portrayal of terrified but staunch Dean was brilliant, and Jared's horror and despair as Sam watched the hellhound rip his brother to shreds was perfect. And the final shot of Dean suspended from meathooks and screaming for Sam was a truly sadistic way to end the season.
Dean (to Sam And Bobby): 'This is a terrific plan. I'm excited to be a part of it.'
3. The Man who Knew Too Much: Crowley. Sam's quest to reunite himself with himself was riveting. Once again a finale with Bobby and the brothers racing to avoid catastrophe. Poor Impala on her roof! And as Dahne says, Sam's best line in 6 years.
And:
Sam: 'I was with two guys. One was like a male model type. And the other was an older guy named - Bobby.'
2. Devil's Trap: Once again a fantastic episode. - For all the reasons Dahne gave ( this comment is already waaaaay too long)
Bobby:...'The storm’s coming, and you boys, your Daddy – you are smack in the middle of it.'
1. AHBL 2: Again ditto everything Dahne said.
Sam: 'I kinda can't believe it, Dean. I mean our whole lives, everything has been prepping for this and now I... I kinda don't know what to say.'Dean: 'I do. That was for our mom, you son of a bitch.'
All fantastic episodes. By tomorrow I'll be wishing I'd put them in a different order.
Man, I love this show.
omg, that quote from AHBL2 is epic!!! i haven't watched it for a while but now i am certainly gonna go back and watch it
ReplyDeletei loved how awesome that moment was!
I agree that moment was fantastic
ReplyDeleteI like your listing and I agree with No Rest-- the last six episodes of that season weren't the best and like you said the last 3 minutes of the finale were the best but they overshadowed the episode...
ReplyDeleteAll Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2 :D
ReplyDeleteLOVED it.
I think The Box is alright, it's just surrounded by episodes so good that it always gets the worst ratings of season 3's first half. And you know, people misses the real OD. I have myself come to appreciate the new OD too. Glad that you have begun Fringe season 3, enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteNo rest for the wicked for me! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to choice one of them. Every finale season was incredible.
ReplyDeleteI think we should continue the polls but instead of favorite episode we could have polls about which our favorite episode poll was :) Think about the possibilities, it could go on forever ;)
ReplyDeletevoted for the season 3 finale, still my favorite season
ReplyDeletei voted for no rest for the wicked because the dean in hell thing was awesome and left open how he was going to get out in season 4. Plus it started the path to Sam's demon powers
ReplyDeleteThis is the hardest poll of all...
ReplyDeleteI rewatched all seasons with a friend a month ago (she had never watched SPN before, but now she loves it :D) and I tried to decide which finale was my favorite, but every time I watched a new finale, I changed my mind.. x] My least favorites, even though I love those to, are 'Devil's Trap' and 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'.
I absolutely ADORE 'All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2', 'No Rest for the Wicked', 'Lucifer Rising' and 'Swan Song'. Every one of them were just PERFECT, and I love them all equally much. hmm.. I need to think..
1. Swan Song...it's EPIC.
ReplyDelete2. All Hell Breaks Loose, part 2 - Dean selling soul, vrying to dead Sammy. It was so sad and beautiful in the same time.
3. The Man Who Knew Too Much -it was good.
4/5/6 Devil's Trap.4/5/6 No Rest for the Wicked
4/5/6. Lucifer Rising
I have never in my life watched a greater and heartbreaking finale as the Supernatural season 5 finale.
ReplyDeleteI decided to go with 'Lucifer Rising', because that one had the least votes, and I think it was an incredible episode! It doesn't deserve to be last ;D
ReplyDelete5 ) Swan Song
ReplyDeleteAlthough I liked all the back story, flashbacks and the other sweet things we saw, it wasn't enough to endear this episode to me.
I found it absolutely depressing.
It was lose-lose all the way.
Dean lost his brother and became a broken shell of a man, hiding his hurt in whiskey;
Sam lost Dean and was condemned to suffer in Hell for eternity. Wow!
4)Lucifer Rising
The part where I got most satisfaction was when Sam helped Dean to kill Ruby.
Boy, did she deserve it after the highly professional way she manipulated Sam, getting her hands on him when he was at his lowest.
High spot, the boys holding on to each other at the end giving me ( false! ) hope that they would stand together against Lucifer in season 5.
3 ) Devil's Trap
Here again it was the ending that I liked most, from John's possession to the scene in the cabin and the completely unexpected ending with the truck, leaving the helpless Winchester family at the mercy of a demon.
2 ) No Rest For The Wicked
I hoped to the very end that Dean would not have to go to Hell; that maybe Sam's powers would switch on and save Dean from Lilith and the Hellhounds, but it didn't go that way.
However Dean died a Hero's death.
All heroes are willing to die for the cause they champion and Dean died for his, which was safeguarding the health and the well-being of his younger brother.
He laid down his life for his brother and "greater love hath no man."
1 ) All Hell Breaks Loose part 2
Nothing to say, the perfect episode.
It went from the desperation of Dean's monologue over Sam's body, to the one-sided hug, ( mirrored later in Mystery Spot ) to the bullet shot to Azazel, to Sam's realisation of what Dean had done for him
and his counter that there was NOTHING that he, too, wouldn't do for Dean, bringing us to Dean's heart-warming smile and the ending of the episode on an optimistic" Sam and Dean together against the Demon Army" note. Yes!
Of course I loved AHBL PII, it's just perfect, but I have to vote for Swan Song, because it touched the most emotional core of epicness for me.
ReplyDeleteFor decades I have considered Lord of the Rings the best story ever about fighting evil, when the good guys had no chance at all to win, but nevertheless, they still won. So you picture Frodo and Sam taking the malignant ring to throw it away in Mount Doom, with Sam carrying Frodo for the last stretch, etc. And they are both saved (together with their world) just because of Gollum falling into the pit with the ring, because Frodo just turned bad at the rim of the pit and couldn't do it by himself.
And in SPN we have Sam and Dean who have to throw Lucifer into the pit, but the only one who can do it is Sam this time, and when he turns and says he is not going to do it, it's just like Frodo when he turned bad. But there is no Gollum here, there is just an Impala which reminds Sam of where he comes from, and so his brother cannot carry him, nor save him, just inspire him, with his brave gesture of coming to be with him at the battlefield or even die with him, so that Sam gets strong enough for the extreme sacrifice required. And like a vulgar Gollum (after the Gollumesque scenes between Lucifer and Sam with the mirror) Sam saves the world by throwing himself (with Lucifer) to the pit.
It's just the ultimate twist, the most heartbreaking thing ever. And of course, I still like LOTR's solution better. I'm all for the hero dying to save the world but that shouldn't bring him to eternal hell, in my worldview (not SPN's) his soul would directly go to the highest heaven. It's so awful that they don't have a God in SPN, making sure that heroes do get a nice ending. But somehow Chuck fulfilled that role, even as a prophet, interpreting how the Impala had been there as a 'saving' object for them, and there is also Death (the most Godlike figure in SPN) who (like Gandalf was sure about Frodo, beyond all possible hope, knowing the ring could turn everybody bad) in 5.21 showed that he was sure that Sam would be able to defeat big bad Lucifer, against all odds. And not because he is such a giant (as Frodo was such a little person), Sam thought to himself he was the least valuable one in the team, it wasn't his physical strength, but his love for his brother what won the final battle.
It is this setup for the ultimate battle ever between good and evil what wins me over to choose this episdoe over any other episode in the whole series. Although I always will choose season 2 as the best SPN season, together with its finale.
I have to one!!!!!??? Oh my Word. Okay.
ReplyDelete1 All Hell Breaks Loose part 2 It was perfect. We everything in it. Probably the most incredible emotional scene ever done by an actor on a television series, although I have a seen a picture of Jared, who is supposed dead in the background looking at his cell phone. lol. The fact that Dean got actually kill Yellow Eyes was fabulous. I loved Bobby and Ellen in. John's appearance at the end was a surprise. The biggest thing was Dean selling his soul, Bobby going after him about it, and the confrontation with Sam over it. Just an incredible story line.
2. Devil's Trap. The exorcism of Meg was interesting. It was also surprisingly intense. John possessed was frightening. They that demon's will the truth when can to hurt. I still to this day how much of John of what possessed John said to Dean was what John really felt? We'll never know.
3. No Rest for the Wicked. I never thought they'd actually send Dean to Hell. You would think that by the end of Season 3 I would know better. John went to Hell, but he was not one of the main characters. Sam was resurrected before Season 2 ended. Showing Dean in Hell was won of the freakiest things I've ever seen and left for a very upsetting hellatus.
4. The Man Who Would Be King. I loved this episode. I like the way they had Sam pull his self back together. The battle between the parts of his soul and psyche was a bit confusing at first, but fascinating to watch. Jared Padalecki proved himself to be one fantastic actor season. I never had doubt about either one of them, but Jensen seems to usually get the meatier scenes. This season was Jared's no doubt. Cas going dark side was not totally unexpected by this point, but still shocking. The rumors of deaths had everyone worried.
5. Swan Song. I hated putting this so far down. It was just up against so many favorites. I loved everything about this episode. I can't not cry when I watch it. It's a n emotional roller coaster from the look on Dean's face when Lucifer gains control over Sam and they disappear, the moment when his slips that tape into the Impala and drives into the cemetary. From Cas' "hey Assbutt" to his and Bobby's deaths. The one that gets me most is Lucifer/Sam beating Dean to a bloody pulp and Dean taking and not fighting back, just telling that's it's okay, I'm gonna leave you. I'm almost crying, thinking about it. Yeah, it was the best.
^. Lucifer Rising. It had it's moments but some of it was lacking. I must admit to jumping in the air with a fist raised screaming "YES!!" when the boys killed Ruby. It was very satisfying. It just wrong that Lucifer went free and it was their fault. Everything they had done and had gone through had been for nothing. It was almost a let down. I know that it had to happen to continue the story arc, but couldn't they have come up with a better way?
1. Devil`s Trap
ReplyDelete2. All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2
3. No Rest For The Wicked
4. Swan Song
5. The Man Who Knew Too Much
6. Lucifers Rising
lol, I feel you, darling. I will probably regret my ranking soon as well. And yes, it is another reason to love this show ;)
ReplyDeletegreat quote from AHBL 2 you got there! I also love these:
"It's like, I had one job. I had one job. And I screwed it up" - it's not even the quote, I just love the way his voice breaks at the end. Great acting from Jensen!
and of course, this:
"I had to look out for you. That's my job!"
"And what do you think my job is?"
"What?"
"You saved my life, over and over. Man, you sacrificed everything for me, don't you think I'd do the same for you? You're my big brother. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you"
I'm not sure. My thoughts on all of them in chronological order:
ReplyDeleteDevil's Trap - Probably because I started watching the series late, this doesn't have much of an impact on me. The only part that stands out is the truck crashing into the car.
AHBL - The first half was amazing, second half, not so much. Loved the monologue and Dean selling his soul. I liked the huge devil's trap, the killing of YED, and the release of the demons. I disliked like the "Sam came back wrong" part and the fact that they suddenly all became really bad hunters once they reached the cemetery. They had multiple times to take Jake out, but instead they all sat back and watched while he forced Ellen to put a gun to her head, and then opened the Devil's Gate. I know their friend was in danger, but they let him open the door to Hell. I thought the whole Sam is wrong thing was overdone, and it's really distracting, especially now that we know he didn't come back wrong, and his sudden shift in behavior makes no sense.
No Rest for the Wicked - I really loved this episode, mostly for creepy Lilith, the scary Hell hallucinations, and of course the ending. I had watched the seasons out of order, so I knew Dean was going to Hell, but it shocked me anyway. I also loved the Ruby line at the beginning "I want to watch you scream!" and Dean's response. I might end up voting for this.
Lucifer Rising - The ending was great. I also found Ruby's "I'm awesome" monologue, as Sam stands by in shock that he just let out Lucifer, really funny. This one is serious competition for the first-place slot.
Swan Song - It was awesome, but too sad for me. It takes a lot to bring myself to rewatch it. The Sam montage, Dean showing up the at the graveyard, the scene of a broken Dean at the end, and the dialogue between Sam and Lucifer make this a win. What the heck, I might end up voting for this after all.
TMWKTM - It was a great episode. I'm not sure it feels like a finale though. I can't bring myself to be scared of Cas. Scared for him, sure, but not scared of him. The Sam stuff was great, but it wasn't as action-packed as other finales.
AHBL - Part 2 just beat out Swan Song for me.... Still it's a tough decision
ReplyDeleteAnd tomorrow we're watching all these amazing episodes!
ReplyDeleteas for ideas for new polls, I think we could do episode polls again, maybe not in this hellatus, maybe in the mid season or sth, but this time we could go like: favourite comedy episode, favourite standalone (I think the standalones would have to go by seasons, there were too many of them), favourite alternate universe (although I believe we've done this one already), favourite mytharc episode etc. We could do it like last time, everyone nominating some episodes in each category.
ReplyDeletealso, I was thinking favourite Sam/Dean hug. I know we only got a couple, but would be great to discuss which one was the best ;)
:) the term came after S3 finale if I remember correctly, when Dean went to hell....having to wait 4 months to see what was going to happen....well that was hell xD
ReplyDeleteI don't know, I kinda got scared of Cas when he went all psycho on the soul juice. Just because you could tell he wasn't himself. The new Cas is gonna be unpredictable and like Dean said, the souls scrambled his brain, his judgement, everything. It's pretty scary, considering how powerful he's become.
ReplyDeletemy first real hellatus was after season 5. Initially, I really liked the show, but I wasn't very crazy about it and I was just patiently waiting for them to air each season in my country and as curious as I was to know what happened after season 1 (actually, I believe they aired season 1 on one network and then season 2
ReplyDeleteright after that on its sister network, so I didn't have to wait at
all) and 2 finales, it wasn't too hard for me to wait for season 3 (maybe because s2 didn't really end with a cliffhanger). After season 3 was when it got hard, cause I was so curious how Dean would get out of hell. It was when I decided to start watching online. Watching season 4 is my favourite part of my SPN life, it was when I fell for the show completely. I watched season 5 right after that (took me about 3 months to watch both seasons) and finished it only a couple of days after the finale aired in the US. And then my first hellatus came.
This is my second one and I feel like I've been a part of this online fanbase forever. Sometimes I regret all the discussions I must have missed when I wasn't up to date with the show.
Ah well that makes sense and is quite clever now that I know it was in association with Dean going to Hell.
ReplyDeleteSwan Song by a longshot. It's my favorite episode of all time, and to me had everything that Supernatural is all about in one episode.
ReplyDeletei started to think about season one and two, recently, and I think I had forgotten how good they were. So, I voted for the season one finale.
ReplyDelete1. Lucifer Rising - Great f*ckin' finale from start to finish. A perfect episode.
ReplyDelete2. Swan Song - Almost as good as LR except for the narration and the overindulgent nostalgia.
3. NRFTW - A lot of great tension, Ruby, Lilith, and a decent emotional ending.
4. Devil's Trap - Meg exorcized, lots of possessions, violence, and a wrecked Impala. Not bad.
5. AHBL #2 - Azazel took one in the head. That was cool. Other than that...
6. TMWKTM - Well, it had E. Cerra and M. Sheppard in it. That's something, I guess.
I agree. I would never have foreseen Cas saying submit or die to the Winchesters despite the shady things he was up to all season 6.
ReplyDeleteFav Impala moment would be the single most difficult poll we've ever had for me. But I love talking about her so I say bring it!
ReplyDelete1. No Rest for the Wicked - Totally creepy and the end is downright shocking.
ReplyDelete2. All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2 - I knew YED was going to die, so maybe that's why it is second.
3. Swan Song - Character wise it was pitch perfect, but it could've done with some more tension.
4. Devil's Trap - An exciting episode, just not quiet as momentous the others.
5. Lucifer Rising - Something just felt a little off.
6. The Man Who Knew Too Much - Had so much potential and wasted most of it.
I found this so incredibly difficult, I loved all of these episodes for different reasons and I found it almost impossible to rank them. If I had my way, the top three would all be joint first.
ReplyDelete1. Swan Song
2. The Man Who Knew Too Much
3. All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2
4. No Rest For the Wicked
5. Devil's Trap
6. Lucifer Rising
Swan Song, no doubt! Sam's sacrifice and Dean's broken heart was too much, and then Sam being there at the end gave me hope but so many questions. And Chuck's voice over... awesome touch! The episode had everything, the humor, the tears, the uncertainity of what was to come... The best!!
ReplyDeleteTorn between AHBL2 and SS, but in the end SS got my vote. It is for me one of the most finely crafted hours of TV I have ever seen. The acting, writing and emotional punches to the gut are way beyond the grasp of most TV shows. I rarely re watch this one, but only because it leaves me such an emotional wreck. The heroism of both Dean and Sam (sorry I just cannot understand why some believe Dean was short changed in this ep) , the sacrifices they both make, and the love they have for each other, shine through the screen. Few dramas ever manage to create characters and situations that can make people care and feel so strongly as SPN has done. SS was one of the best examples of the writers using how much they have made us care to torture us and yank out our heart strings. Just brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI feel bad relegating AHBL2 to second place. It is a wonderful ep and in my top 5 SPN eps ever. Just a shame it came up against SS.
3rd would be Devil's trap or NRFTW (can't decide)
4th TMWWBK - loved the 3 Sam's, but indifferent to Cas, so his story left me kind of cold.
177th Lucifer Rising. Hated this ep. I hated most of s4, but the last few eps were particularly dreadful.
People hated "The Box?"
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorites of early season 3...
I'm sorry, did you just equate my taste in television to Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and any teen drama on the CW?
ReplyDeleteI think we're done here, Dahne... -_-
If anything, I'd set that my preferences for tv are good for having action when necessary, while I'm great with dialogue and planning if it's good, dark, and intense. Like Dexter, or Damages, or Breaking Bad. All shows have action, all shows have lots of planning. I don't know what I said that gave you the impression that I think any of the things you listed are decent television or that I'd prefer an episode of SPN steeped in soapy drama. I liked the things like the little fish story, when Luci blew up Cas and we saw it in slow motion (just as reminder of what happens when you go against the tide in the flow of power) and all these other things. I think it was a great setup to show that Cas wanted his full story to be known: that he erroneously pulled Sam sans his soul, that he, in desperation to keep Raphael's insane intentions of restarting apocalypse found himself making deals with none other than the King of Hell, and (amongst other tidbits of info that were great) how awful he felt about Sam's situation and his lying to the Winchesters and Bobby was not only a strong indicator of how much he'd grown towards humanity, but also to provide a strong base for Cas' character to do something brazen. He'd asked God for another way, he'd thought of all the things he could've, and he asked for support, but those bridges were burned and he was in a corner. Now, the twist in TMWKTM was good because we could tell (through his reasoned and yearning story in 6x20) that by the time he'd fulfilled his mission, he'd become something else. No, not God... Just someone on the biggest powertrip in history probably. It was a good way to complete the story and build up tension. Honestly it was better for me than 6x21 or 6x22. I almost loved it as much as Caged Heat & Family Matters.
1) AHBL2
ReplyDelete2) Swan Song
3) Devil's Trap
4) NRFTW
5) Lucifer Rising
6) TMWKTM
LOL '177th' :D
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't. The first use of hellatus as it concerns Supernatural happened on Television Without Pity during the hiatus between season 1 and season 2. It was coined when someone said that waiting for the new season to air was hell. Hence the term hellatus. While I can't absolutely say that it wasn't ever used for another show before it, I had never heard it before and neither had the other people on those boards. We gave Supernatural credit for starting the term. Side reference - Metallicar was coined on the same site during season 1. I forget who did it though.
ReplyDeleteActually it started after the summer before season 2.
ReplyDeleteNOOOO! I know you aren't into Grey's, DH, or most of the CW. Misunderstanding again. I wasn't saying anything about your TV preferences at all in the second paragraph except to say that everyone likes Supernatural for their own reasons. I was explaining why I need action in the story, not implying anything about what you need in a story. Basically, when you said that my need for action "leaves a bad taste in your mouth" I felt the need to explain that while I understand that good scenes can be action-free, I want action in a story too. You liked TMWWBK. I didn't. I don't think that means either of us are wrong nor do I think it is an indication of bad taste on either of our parts. I think we just see it differently. I also see Cas as much less a victim in this situation and I ascribe to him different motives in the episode. Again, not wrong, just different. When I say things like an episode had "little action" as I think you were referring to in the first post, it's my opinion on whether that is bad or good, but it's just my opinion like everyone else here.
ReplyDeleteI actually liked it better than Olivia. I think because I prefer Walter and Peter as characters.
ReplyDeleteIt will be slow going for me since I only have the first 4 episodes of season 3 right now. I will look to find the others on line but since I just got a new computer, I don't want to download episodes from sources I am unsure of.
ReplyDeleteThat's what Adam said on Twitter when I was getting ready to start it. Maybe people looking back didn't like it as much compared to the others.
ReplyDeleteHaving the brothers happy is a highlight for me too. There has been too much despair for two people already. I too am looking forward to season 7.
ReplyDeleteI've flip flopped episodes a lot this summer too. Sometimes they are so close that it just depends on my mood. I think that's a great sign for Supernatural.
ReplyDeleteGlad you've enjoyed it. I love talking about Supernatural too.
ReplyDeleteAHBL confirmed to me exactly why I was hooked on the show. It took great risks and every character in the graveyard scene had a purpose that literally was life or death. The demons pouring out heightened the tension wonderfully. Agree about Devil's Trap too. Sometimes I think Kripke makes fans masochistic. He loves to torture us and we love him for it. Perhaps long time fans should get free therapy with purchase of their DVD's.
ReplyDeleteHa! I've never heard the term Wo Fat before. I also love AHBL2. It's in my top 15 episodes because it has a little of everything I love most about Supernatural. An almost perfect episode.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Supernatural teaching us how to break into houses since 2005. :-P I don't think the CW is going to use this as their next slogan.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like most ppl liked Swan Song. I loved that episode, but I didn't vote for it b/c I am not as in love with episodes that have me bawling like a baby for the entire episode. For that reason, I chose Lucifer Rising. There was action, anticipation, and intensity that didn't make me cry the entire time
ReplyDeleteI like how they picked up In My Time of Dying right where they left off in Decil's Trap. Hearing Sam cry Dean while Bad Moon Rising played in the background before the episode abruptly ended startled me and broke my heart. Then watching him confront the demon in In My Time of Dying had me cheering. You go Sam! All I know is that because of these scenes, whenever Bad Moon Rising comes on my radio I either turn the station or glance around nervously at any big trucks around me. :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I love that you rewatched them all. I had planned on recapping them all before this poll but never had the time.
ReplyDeleteSorry to cause you distress but it great to hear your reasoning. This "no matter how much I complain,deep down I love the cliffhangers. " describes my relationship with Kripke perfectly. I might curse his name, but the cliff hangers give me something to discuss all summer long. It wouldn't be the same show without them.
ReplyDeleteWell at any rate, both storylines were compelling and were together a great arc to the first half of the season.
ReplyDeleteThank you for clearing that up and telling me abouts where it came from, I still think its a very clever term for the break. Although, Metallicar is kind of lame to me but then again I don't hold the car in such high standings as many other fans do.
ReplyDeleteYou picked the best quotes from these episodes. I remember laughing so hard I was gasping when Dean said, "This is a terrific plan. I'm excited to be a part of it." LOVE the snark in the face of death. In fact, I probably used this line one too many times around friends and family that summer. They get sick of my Supernatural quotes. The Bobby one from season 1 and Dean's epitaph over YED were also perfect.
ReplyDeleteThose are definitely other highlights on the quote list. I'm thinking we may need one big quote-off over the winter hiatus this year.
ReplyDeleteBWAH! Love this. It does have to seem odd to non-Supernatural fans how much we do to prevent the hiatus blues. It's just so hard in the last month and a half. A poll about the polls might be scrapping the bottom of a very large well. :-) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJudging it solely before the writer's strike I think season 3 is my favorite as well. It certainly has some of the best episodes in Supernatural history. I think my letdown after the writer's strike (not the finale though), colors my views and it lands around 3rd or 4th overall for me.
ReplyDeleteNo Rest for the Wicked definitely changed the whole scope of
ReplyDeleteSueprnatural. It also caused the most
discussion as to how it would be resolved.
I remember theories were flying fast and furious. We all knew Dean would get out of hell but
the question was how. The big consensus
was that Sam would find a way so the introduction of Cas next season was
completely jaw dropping. It was the
second hardest hellatus of them all for me.
I don't remember anyoen suggesting angel rescue though.
You watched all the seasons in ONE month. Wow! That's dedication. Great job getting your friend hooked.
ReplyDeleteOK as long as you weren't saying that then I'm ok. lol
ReplyDeleteJust put me down for agreeing with all your reasons. I was also disappointed that it looked like maybe there would be brother reconciliation at the beginning of season 5 but then there wasn't. I never really thought about AHBL2 as being the most optimistic finale of them all. Maybe that's another reason why I chose it. I liked that although they had a one year deadline, the brothers had just won in what up to that pint had been the greatest fight of their lives. It was encouraging.
ReplyDeleteI remember loving the box if only for the exploding guy in the subway.
ReplyDelete:P (But you know me...I love some random extremely unnecessarily excessive gore in my shows lol)
This is a beautiful and well though out testament to Swan Song. Thanks for sharing it with us. I love your comparison.
ReplyDeleteThe opening scene of Devil's Trap was the first time we had the Devil's trap used on the show, and the exorcism of Meg Masters still freaks me out to this day. Back then demons were really big and mysterious figures that seemed impossible to kill.
ReplyDelete...lol how things have changed.
I too wonder about what part of Possessed John was true and which parts were YED. It was one the the most intense scenes of all time for me and everything John says cuts like a knife. Brilliantly played by all three actors.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a lot of people were cheering aloud at the scene with Ruby's death. A truly awesome moment.
I agree that every one of these episodes could have gotten my vote if they were in other rounds. Supernatural really does an excellent job with season enders. I also love the part in Devil's Trap where Sam looks back at Dean and knows he made the right decision. It was more about protecting his brother than defying his father and John just didn't get that. It was the subtle brother moments like this one that I missed the most when everything turned into grand speeches over the Impala.
ReplyDeleteAre you having a finale marathon? That sound like a great idea. I might do that myself. I just treated myself to seasons 2 and 3 on iTunes so I don't even have to switch out the DVDs. Definitely a great plan.
ReplyDeleteI love these ideas. I'll definitely add them to the list. Anyone else have other poll ideas?
ReplyDeleteYou never know... they went with 'Catch VD' ...
ReplyDeleteI know I should have expected the guy to explode, but I so did not. Add to it that I was watching while tired and a bit distracted and it explains why I jumped back. In a reclining computer chair. If I get a concussion from watching Fringe, I'm sending all you guys part of my medical bill. :-P
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to choose isn't it? I went back and forth. Every time I came up with a reason to vote for one episode, I ended up coming up with a reason for a different one.
ReplyDeleteGreat point. I remember thinking it was cool that they finally found a way to trap a demon because they were big and scary back then. Now I wonder why they don't have hunters-in-training head to the oldest cemeteries around and burn everyone's bones. Surely that would take out a few random demons.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the truest statements ever written in my opinion: "Few dramas ever manage to create characters and situations that can make people care and feel so strongly as SPN has done. " The writers do like to bring us squarely into a character's life and then squeeze every ounce of pain and heart ache from us by screwing with said character. It wouldn't work if we weren't so emotionally invested in them to begin with.
ReplyDeleteGreat work running these for the SPN fans who get the fever when their show isn't on the air. It's been interesting to see what I have to look forward too and what I don't as I continue my watch through the series... Just sat down to watch Yellow Fever.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the finales I've seen (1-3) my favourite was Season One. The scene with John holding the boys in a lock was awesome, and one of the few scenes that the producers really made the most of casting Jeffrey Dean Morgan!
Second is the season three finale as it was dark, gruesome and delivered exactly what it had been threatening. It was bold and brave, and worked as a result.
Pt. two of All hell Breaks Loose annoyed me as it didn't live up to Pt. one's eerie suspense and the whole game that the group were put in didn't pay off how it was set up. I found the climax in the graveyard a bit wishy washy, thought it could have been better. It also annoyed me that JDM didn't say anything. It wasn't bad but the build up to season two's finale was the best out of the first three seasons, and it had the weaker final forty minutes.
Technically I could comment on the S6 finale as I watched it for the podcast, but that wouldn't do justice to the build up and understanding I'd have had if I'd seen the full season. So I won't judge, just yet :P
No, you watch at your own risk.
ReplyDeleteAnd that made me jump too and I already knew from spoilertv that it was going to happen. lol
BWAH! That would be the worst promo line in history. Not only would no one want to watch it but they would be wondering why the Surgeon General was promoting disease. If they add that promo picture of the 3 leads writhing on the bed, it would complete the absurdity.
ReplyDeleteToo tired to make a big post tonight, so I'll just put my episodes in order:
ReplyDeleteSwan Song
No Rest for the Wicked
All Hell Breaks Loose Pt 2
The Man Who KNew Too Much
Lucifer Rising
Devil's Trap
I'm going to be one the few NOT to vote for All Hell Breaks Loose Pt. 2. That and Swan Song are two fantastic episodes of the series. I loved Dean's monologue to a dead Sam and proof of how far he would go to save his family and Sam's sacrifice in SS was equally as poignant -- if for very different reasons. I loved Devil's Trap, the ca crash was unexpected and JDM was fantastic. The three Winchesters together made the show for me. This years finale was also a surprise with Castiel's situation and I'm again on pins and needles waiting to see how the boys and Bobby get out of this situation intact. But my vote goes to No Rest for the Wicked. They actually killed off a lead character and sent him to Hell. Who does that? I do believe that was the longest hiatus ever waiting to see exactly how they saved Dean. The finales never seem to disappoint.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I disagree about the happy ending prospect. Dean didn't get a happy ending, and he said that himself. All he got was his brother in a hole, and honestly it was the truth. The real Sam was still in Hell, and Dean was suffering the whole time. Dean also admitted himself that even though he was with Lisa and Ben, he still suffered because of the loss of Sam. Dean wasn't happy, and the only reason he went to Lisa and Ben is because Sam asked him to and he made a promise to Sam that he'd go find Lisa and Ben. That's not a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteOh, I agree with you in that. I don't believe John ever understood that between those boys. He left them alone too much, put so much on Dean to protect and raise Sam, it's no wonder Dean is the way he is and why he so much trouble letting Sam grow up. It was drilled into him from age four that he had to take care of Sammy. We've ever enough flashbacks and things that have been let slip between them to know this is true. I have often wondered what John Winchester did to Dean when he came home and found Sam had run away on Dean's watch. The pain in Dean's voice when he realize Sam had been happy away from him, and Dad finding Sam gone on Dean's watch.. There was a lot of pain there. You wonder. As I've said before, I love Jeff as an actor. He was great as John Winchester, and maybe that's why it is easy to dislike John so very much.
ReplyDeleteAnother that always caught me attention about the intensity of the scene. John steps into Dean's space. He gets into his face. It's crossing line. It's an invasion. It was a power play and, Dean, trapped on that wall, had no means of fighting back, except to be smart mouthed. Sam could only look on and try to break free to put a top to it. The attack against Dean. Of course Yellow Eyes wants Sam and Dean is in the way. I have often wondered why John didn't fight harder.. Bobby did in season 5. Of course Yellow Eyes is a powerful demon, but John is not a weak willed man either , and Dean was his son.. I don't know. I still think that maybe Dean reminded John too much of Mary and it bothered him.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. Perhaps happy ending was the wrong definition of it, maybe I was just glad to see one of the brothers get out of the "life." Well without Season 6 we didn't have those emo-confessions about him suffering the whole time and only being there cause Sam made him promise. He at the very least cared for them otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to protect/save them. It could've been the happiest ending (without any knowledge of Season 6) that Dean could've gotten with Sam jumping into the pit to trap Lucifer.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dahne. I don't know how they have done it, those darned writers, but they have us in their grip and now they are just playing with us ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree. The first part of season 3 was mindblowing, then it went downhill because they only had 4 episodes to close all storylines.
ReplyDeleteBut I've just checked how many episodes from each season I chose in these polls and guess what? season 3 is the only season that got 5 of my votes. All the others had 3 or 4.
in general, my votes were like:
season 1 - 3 votes
season 2 - 4 votes
season 3 - 5 votes
season 4 - 3 votes
season 5 - 4 votes
season 6 - 3 votes
which is also weird, because season 4, which is my favourite one got less votes than season 5, my least favourite one. But my season 4 favourites were up against really strong competitors.
Also, I only voted for 9 of the winners (I mean, I would have voted for 9 if I hadn't missed a couple of polls).
These polls were really a great fun and I loved the discussions. Thank you, Dahne, for making our hellatus easier to bear and thanks to everyone who came here daily to vote and discuss.
lol but wouldn't it be going meta? I thought you hated meta, Dahne xD
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you agree with my reasons as I thought that I was rather going against the tide
ReplyDeleteputting Swan Song in the last position but, for me, that episode was all wrong.
The Dean I know would never have agreed to sacrifice his brother like that; at the very most he would have jumped into the cage with him.
Now that would have been more in character for Dean.
As for poor Sam, he didn't get the chance of a hero's death like Dean did in NRFTW.
He didn't get to die for his brother, he only got to die to avoid the Apocalypse, which in my book counts much less that sacrificing yourself for your brother.
Sam felt guilty, he felt that that the freeing of Lucifer and the Apocalypse was all his fault, ( forgetting that everyone had had a hand in it, from Castiel, to the angels, Dean himself and the demons too, ) and throwing himself into Hell for eternity seemed a fair punishment to him.
Gosh, even talking about this episode depresses me!!!
As for AHBL2, I did find it optimistic because I believe that Sam says something like "You're not going to Hell It's my turn to save your ass this time" and obviously not knowing the what was to happen in the future, it seemed good at the time! ciao
Well, no. Actually we watched all seasons in 10 days (if you don't count breaks) :P
ReplyDeleteIt's just that we did it a little over a month ago. xD
If it had ended at season 5, then I would have assumed Dean was eventually happy with Lisa and Ben too. My mind would have created a nice life for him in which he was surrounded by people who cared for him and no longer had the weight of the world on his shoulder. That's about as happy as Supernatural could get, and I was fine with that ending for Dean. In fact, I still hope for it. I was less fine with ending with Sam in hell. I'm glad we got a sixth season if for no other reason than it gives both brothers the chance for a "happy" ending.
ReplyDeleteOK, that is way beyond dedication. I think that points to a psychiatric break down. :-P That's over 12 episodes a day for 10 days. I could not do it.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought that Dean would jump in the pit at the last moment. I was shocked when he didn't. However, I think Sam's death was definitely heroic in the most basic sense. He was the good guy giving up everything to save the whole world. That's pretty heroic to me. I agree that from the last half of season 4 through Swan Song, Supernatural was unusually depressing. It actually got so hard to take that it lessened my joy for the show.
ReplyDeleteI like how claustrophobic the scene feels too. I found myself leaning back when John stepped right up to Dean. It's bad enough to be helpless in front of your biggest enemy, but to not even have breathing room is particularly harsh. That's one of the reasons why YED is still in my top 3 bad guys. He knew how to maximize the discomfort in a situation. Whether it was picking at Dean's biggest sore spots while wearing his dad's face or taunting John about how his sons didn't understand his love for them, he always knew just where to make that last jab to maximize pain. In a way, he was worse than Alastair because he had so much more history with the Winchesters.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Devil's Trap was JDM's finest hour on Supernatural. I loved the intensity and menace that radiated through him while he was possessed. I liked AHBL2 though. I thought it took guts to kill off YED so soon. John not talking bothered me too. However, Mary only saying 4 or so words in Home also bugged me. You'd think parents would want to leave some words of wisdom and comfort before leaving for good. Both cases seemed unnatural.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear what you think of Wishful Thinking. It's one of the most bizarre episodes of all. I really loved it but it is definitely out there.
The sight of poor Dean kneeling on top of the ground that had just closed up over his brother was so heart-breaking that, for me, it would have been better if he had jumped in.
ReplyDeleteI was waiting to see a leather-clad arm grabbing onto Sam's leg at the last minute.
Probably If it had been the series finale that's what would have happened
Of course Sam was a hero, He saved the world, but I feel that he did it because he didn't see any other options and he wanted to atone for his mistakes. He did it with his brain and not with his heart.
If he had been going to Hell in exchange for only Dean's life it would have been done with his heart and soul too.
It' s just a useles little observation on my part, of course!
Here's hoping that in season 7 they will get some happy moments, or at least won't be separated again.
Haha exactly my thoughts :D We need new ideas to not get so bored during the hiatus :)
ReplyDeleteNo, it wouldn't have because we did get all of that said in Swan Song, before Season 6 even started. As Chuck was narrating the story he said about Dean "every part of him, every fiber he's got wants to die or find a way to bring Sam, but he's not going to do neither because he made a promise" and that does not sound like a happy ending to me. That sounds like Dean keeping the promise he made to Sam. Dean told Cas in the car on the way the Lisa's "What about Sam huh? What about me? What about MY grand prize? All I got is my brother in a hole."
ReplyDeleteThat's not a happy ending for Dean, not even close and it was clearly stated in Swan Song, not season 6. Season 6 has absolutely nothing to do with it. Sure, Lisa and Ben might've been the happiest ending he could've got with Sam in Hell being brutally and ruthlessly tortured for all eternity, but it would never be happy because Dean would be living the rest of his life knowing his brother; the person most important to him than anybody or anything in this entire world, is suffering forever in Hell and there was no way to bring him back. You look at it that way and from Dean's perspective and you call that happy? Dean might've fallen in love with Lisa, grew to love the kid, but knowing that Sam was forever trapped in there isn't a happy ending regardless.
If they would have ended it in at Season 5 and left Sam in Hell, not only would I have been devastated but horribly disappointed. I am not fine at all with an ending where Sam is left in Hell to suffer for all eternity. It's like you said, I'm glad we got a 6th season as well. Because maybe once the show eventually ends, we'll see BOTH brothers get a happy ending and not a heartbreaking one that neither deserve.
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding right? You don't think that Sam died a heroic death? Sam died not only to save his brother but to save a planet of what, 6 billion people that could've a rat's ass about him? He sacrificed himself for the entire world, and his big brother and the other people he loved and cared for as well, and that's not heroic? He did die for his brother, because his brother is as much a part of the world as everyone else. You make it sound the apocalypse was just a bad day with a bad guy in it and Sam had to stop the bad day and bad guy by sacrificing himself to do it. The apocalypse was the end of the world. The apocalypse would've eventually taken everyone, Dean included. Sam died for that and if that's not heroic, I don't know what is.
ReplyDeleteWell as Dahne said, which I agree with, I would've expected Dean to eventually be happy with Lisa and Ben had there been no Season 6. Ya sure it sucks that Sam was locked in Hell, sure it would suck to lose someone that close, but you have to look at the positives (as few as they may be). As I said, happy ending might not have been the right way but it was the happiest ending Dean could've gotten considering. You have to look at both sides. I respect your point of view and where you're coming from, but this is just how I perceive the situation.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, where they are now is good because they're back to being brothers which was nice to see in the 2nd half of Season 6. If they had still been so untrustworthy of one another all season like the were for Season 4 and most of 5, I would've completely disregarded Season 6. I'm still unsure of the season as a whole, but the brothers returning to their former selves and trusting one another was a great thing to see after the sad ending Sam received at the end of Swan Song.
I don't even know how you could remotely say that Sam did it with his brain and not his heart. If the apocalypse continued, everybody would die, Dean included. He did it, not only to save the world, but he did it to save his brother. Of course Sam wanted to atone for what he'd done, but he wanted to do it by saving Dean, Bobby and anybody else in the world he knew or loved that was still alive. How could you say that's just with his brain and not with his heart? I do not understand that at all...
ReplyDeleteI think an important part of Sam's overpowering Lucifer was to stop him from killing Dean at that very moment, and then he knew it wouldn't last too long, so he'd better jump into the pit before Lucifer took charge again and killed first Dean and then everybody else (Castiel and Bobby were already dead).
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind reply. I've been thinking that the end of Swan Song also resembles the end of LOTR. After Frodo kind of passes away (going to the ships with the elves), Sam Gamgee goes to his wife and kids in order to finally live a normal life. For Tolkien, it was not Frodo but Sam the main character, who after the big battle comes back to normal life in the shire, the author really wanted to show that, as a bookending with the beginning. Of course, even Sam he will always miss Frodo, he knows that he has been honored by everybody and he is in a better place. Dean didn't have this conviction, so he could not be happy (as discussed by others above). But I believe Kripke wanted to do some bookending too, with one Winchester going back to family as his first family was broken in the first scene of the pilot.
ReplyDeleteYes, this I will agree to.
ReplyDeleteNice comparison, not just this last one - but all of LOTR-SPN Comparisons. Nice going ;)
ReplyDeleteDear SammyWsGirl, I just switched on the computer and saw your posts.
ReplyDeleteYou were quite right to call me out on this. I exaggerated in my concept of heroism.
The fact is that I disliked Swan Song so much that I went off on a rant that took me too far.
Sam was a hero, completely and utterly.
I just felt so sorry for him that he had to make that decision and I felt that nobody really tried to think up something else.
When he suggested it, they all went with it too easily.
He wasn't just going to Hell but to a place where Lucifer would make his eternity unspeakably horrific and that just left me feeling so bad.
Of course he died for Dean and all the others too and he saved the world, I just hate that it was sensitive, good-hearted Sammy that had to suffer for everyone else.
I know that it probably doesn't seem that way to you but my intention was actually to defend Sam in my posts.
I'll try to explain about the love and brain thing although I'll probably just tangle myself up worse.
If Sam had died exclusively for Dean or even Bobby, he would have done it for love because he knew them and loved them. It would have been instinctive.
By dying for the entire world he was dying for people he didn't personally know and for whom he couldn't have that same love, so in a way he was using his intellect because he was aware that the planet had to be saved at all costs.
It's clear that he was saving his brother and Bobby too and, for them, the love was there, so you were quite right to call me out in your posts.
I just want to say that I love Sam and in no way do I want to diminish any thing about him, regards
isleofskye, I apologize if I was harsh in my posts. It's just when I see something about Sam and it feels like an attack, like he's being diminished, it's a knee-jerk reaction for me because of how much this character is ripped apart constantly. Honestly, when I see a Dean attack, I'm the same way with Dean.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I understand what you're saying, I just don't agree with your assessment. It wasn't just a logical/brain decision on Sam's part. It truly came from his heart. Not only that, but Sam is a hunter. His job is saving people's lives that he doesn't even know, just like Dean and just like Bobby. It wasn't just a logical "comes from the brain" decision on Sam's part, but it was from the heart because then he knew by stopping the apocalypse, he was saving his brother from dying too, from the fate we saw Dean have in The End.
I agree with the condemning Sam to Hell bit, but there was no other option. Without Gabriel around to help, they had zero chance at killing Lucifer. There was no other way, no other option and even if they had tried to find another way, we're talking Lucifer here. The Devil, who tricks, lies and deceives, and with Gabriel telling them they had no other option without him, well he was an archangel and knew Lucifer and loved him. Lucifer was his big brother. I think Gabriel would know, wouldn't you? It wasn't like they could trick the Devil and lead him to the hole. They needed Sam to do that, as heartbreaking as it is. Sam was the only one who could.
Dear SammyWsGirl,
ReplyDeletethere is absolutely no apology necessary on your part, it's me who should have apologised!
As I said you were quite right to call me out!
Your reasoning is spot on and it has battered down my point of view, now you,ve got me agreeing 100% with you.
I know how you feel about people ctiticising Sam I, too, get so annoyed when it happens!
I love Sam and Dean together and when I hear people saying that one or the other gets too much screen time or does/doesn't get a story line at the expense of the other it displeases me so much.
For me they are the basis of Supernatural and ALL other characters are only there to enhance their story.
I just hope that in season seven they get a little bit of happiness to make up for what they have gone through up 'till now, best regards