Reply To: Lets all talk about All Hell Breaks Loose Pt. 2 (S2 E22)
What a GREAT season finale!! I remember watching it the first time and being amazed at the span of emotions I went through from BAWLING my eyes out at Dean’s pain in the beginning to immense relief at getting Sam back to cheering for Ellen’s return and the triumph at the cemetery to tentative hope that they would figure out a way to save Dean.
MAN, rollercoaster doesn’t even cover it. It was an emotional marathon. And THEN…..you wait for months during hellatus to even hear if you ever will find out what happens next or if that was IT for the series. LOL.
Anyhow, a really good episode.
Yes, you both already said it, but there can NEVER be enough praise for Jensen on his acting! Considering this was only season two and he said many times they were still finding their legs as the characters, it’s still a scene that stands TALL and true all these years later. BRAVO
I always particularly admired Jensen for the quick change of emotion he can pull of with so much nuance, like when he shouts at Bobby and then immediately apologizes after – twice – making the quick swivel from absolute grieve-driven anger to remorse totally real.
What makes me MOST sad in this episode (besides just seeing Dean in this much pain over the loss) is the fact that is really drives the point home how little Dean thinks of himself. He blames and beats himself up for failing Sam and John, then he gets further humiliated by the cross road demon basically telling him that he’s not worth anything by a pity deal of one year, then we hear him confess to Bobby that he at least wanted to pay for John’s sacrifice with his own life because he wasn’t supposed to be alive anyway….OUCH!!! SO many hits on him. It’s gut wrenching.
Like you, kate, I want to scream at the TV every time Dean makes that deal. I always want to tell him negotiate for more time at least. You are WORTH so much more.
I loved the tie in with Samuel Colt, the huge devils trap, the way the gun was the key….ALL of that was GREAT and I absolutely love that we get “Frontierland” and even more of a glimpse into that back story later. What cool idea that was.
I have softened a lot over the years regarding John’s way of raising the boys. I never doubted his love for them, but I do still think he failed them miserably many times and although he “did his best” it wasn’t good enough in many places. I think the older I get the more I see how hard live is for so many people and how much is out of one’s control and that has helped me be more sympathetic to John. And to see here that he crawled his way out of hell and help his sons to defeat the freaking monster that had sent them all down this road to begin with was cathartic and a great story point!!!
Love the whole cemetery scene with all its different views and mini actions. And the shot of Dean firing the colt was EPIC!
I also love the scene right after it’s all over where Sam asks Dean if he really thinks that was John and where he thinks John went. Jared manages to make Sam sound SO young and insecure here. It’s sweet and gives a glimpse at “little brother” Sam and that even big Sam still leans on Dean for assurance. Really nice moment especially in contrast to brutal Sam from before and confident Sam in the scene later where he vows to save Dean for a change. Jared does a fine job with all of that.
Lots to love in this episode all around.
PNP
