Reply To: Let’s all talk about Dark Side of the Moon (S5 E16)
Another STELLAR episode and show-and-tell of all SPN can be. Funny and sad, packed with new lore and info and giving great new insight into our main characters. It spans the full scope of emotions and I love it for that.
SO MANY iconic scenes in this episode – fire work in the field (SO beautiful), a visit to the road house in heaven (yesssss, ASH! And Pamela), Dean throwing the amulet away (knife to the heart)…
It’s also a really short episode – only 40 minutes – but seems so much longer.
SOLID argument by Roy that you don’t want a pissed off Dean coming after you for the rest of your life!!! And of course, Dean taunts him with the “when I get back…” I wonder if he actually WAS that confident that he wouldn’t stay dead?
LOVE the way we figure out WITH Dean where he is! Cas’ instructions are hilarious! “Don’t go into the light.” “Thanks, Carol Ann.” hahaha.
I LOVE all of Dean’s memories we get to see.
And although Sam’s good memories seem to be everything BUT of his family, I never bought that this was actually what Sam’s heave really would look like. To me it always was a manipulation of Zachariah to drive a wedge between Sam and Dean.
I’m not saying that Sam didn’t FEEL like he wanted a better family SITUATION than the one he got and that because of that he enjoyed some rare glimpses into other people’s “perfect” lives or have some freedom from the hunting life but I don’t believe that those are Sam’s happiest memories!! Like the night he went to college…might have been a short lived triumph to “get away” but there is no way that is a happy memory.
I completely understand why Dean feels so hurt by all of this, but I also wish Dean would cut Sam a little slack here. After all, they already know that angels are douchebags and messing with them at every chance they get. And they ran into Zachariah enough times to know that he only has his OWN interest at heart! So it isn’t a big stretch to imagine that they are being fucked with here again.
And when you look at Dean’s memories, they aren’t all pure happiness either. When Dean remembers the fight between mom and dad, that would have been scary for a kid. Sam’s observation about how long Dean cleaned up after dad is very poignant. Jensen’s ability to turn into “little boy” mode is incredible.
GODS I miss Ash!!! He would have been such great back ground character to show up every once in a while. SIGH. But at least we get him here and he is GLORIOUS in his “Ashness” (“Bud, blood and beer nuts – best smell in the world.”) and pivotal. THANK YOU, Andrew Dabb!
I remember Chad Lindberg telling the story at a con that it was JENSEN who taught him how to shotgun a beer. LOL
LOVE the comment Ash makes about heaven being “like Disneyland, only without all the antisemitism”. And Roy and Walt (Disney?) being the ones who shot Sam and Dean. HAHA.
Pamela is trying to sell Dean on saying YES to Michael came out of left field for me, but I was happy she found peace and I love the fact that she TAKES a kiss from Dean and confirms that her fantasy was true.
Mary turning mean and then into YED is creepy and Sam Smith is actually doing a pretty good job here. And Kurt Fuller is amazing!
INTERESTING that Joshua says that God is on earth! So, was it implied here already that Chuck is God?
This scene is SO tough to me because you see Dean’s hope for help and Sam’s belief in God crumble into rubble before our eyes.
And when Castiel just stands there almost catatonic in his disbelief, it’s heart-breaking. Unfortunately, I totally get being so deeply disappointed in your father !!!
HAAATE that Dean felt it necessary to let go of the amulet at this particular point – giving up on hope for a solution of the mess they are in AND giving up on Sam for a moment. Believing Cas that the amulet is worthless. So so sad.
Still, with all the pain at the end, it’s an AMAZING episode and so impactful to watch. To me we are left with the feeling of doom overwhelming hope for the first time in the series because DEAN is at that point of hopelessness and it’s scary and it’s GREAT story telling.
PNP