SUPERNATURAL THINK TANK - Thinky Thoughts and Theories on Supernatural 11x14 "The Vessel"

-by Anna

- b

After watching the episode Baby, I'd posted my thoughts in which I had noted my belief that the vision Sam received from Not John was from either an emissary of God (like Chuck if he's not God himself) or Gabriel.  I still hold true to that belief after watching The Vessel. Lucifer has made it his mission to have everyone believe that he is the only one who can stop Amara.  He told Sam that all his visions were from him, to lead Sam to the only chance humanity has against the Darkness. He's even managed to convince Cas.  Yet, the vision in Baby specifically told Sam that the only ones who can stop the Darkness were them....Sam and Dean.  So if Lucifer truly sent Sam the visions, why would Lucifer warn Sam that it isn't in fact he who is there only hope, but that they themselves are the only hope.  It's because Luci never sent the vision in Baby.  Someone else did though.  So I decided to Wiki  the Hand of God and I copied it's definition:

The Hand of God, or Manus Dei in Latin, also known as Dextera domini/dei, the "right hand of God", is a motif in Jewish and Christian art, especially of theLate Antique and Early Medieval periods, when depiction of Jehovah or God the Father as a full human figure was considered unacceptable. The hand, sometimes including a portion of an arm, or ending about the wrist, is used to indicate the intervention in or approval of affairs on Earth by God, and sometimes as a subject in itself. It is an artistic metaphor that is generally not intended to indicate that a hand was physically present or seen at any subject depicted. The Hand is seen appearing from above in a fairly restricted number of narrative contexts, often in a blessing gesture (in Christian examples), but sometimes performing an action. In later Christian works it tends to be replaced by a fully realized figure of God the Father, whose depiction had become acceptable in Western Christianity, although not in Eastern Orthodox or Jewish art.^[1] Though the hand of God has traditionally been understood as a symbol for God's intervention or approval of human affairs, it is also possible that the hand of God reflects the anthropomorphic conceptions of the deity which may have persisted in late antiquity.^[2]

There are numerous references to the hand, or arm, of God in the Hebrew Bible, some clearly metaphorical in the way that remains current in modern English, but others capable of a literal interpretation.^[7] They are usually distinguished from references to a placement at the right hand of God.  There are three occasions in the gospels when the voice of God is heard, and the hand often represents this in visual art.^[8] Gertrud Schiller distinguishes three functions of the hand in Christian art: as symbol of either God's presence or the voice of God, or signifying God's acceptance of a sacrifice.^[9]

I had started to wonder if the Hand of God might not necessarily be an object, and perhaps it was more metaphorical, which is why I looked up the Hand of God in the first place.   I recalled back in s5 the angels all searching for the Michael Sword and it had been assumed it was an object.  In reality, Dean was the Michael Sword.  So I began to think about Sam discovering the Hand of God and wondered if it wasn't that Dean was meant to find an object, but more that he was meant to witness the power and thus the presence of God.  I watched again to see if there is validity to my thoughts. I kind of think there is, but you all can decide if I'm on the right track or off my nut.  When Sam first learnt of the wreckage, the Hand of God was simply sunken treasure destroyed when the sub was downed by the Germans.  Dean arrives on board, tells Delphine, a WOL, who he is and why he's there.  She believes Dean and thus history changes.  The ship still goes down of course, but not in the way it went down originally.  The ship went down this time due to a sacrifice.  Delphine used the Hand of God and it was God's power in the object that took the ship down.  Dean was there to witness this act.  I'm not referring to the act of sacrifice though.  I think  Dean was meant to witness God's power. His presence. His existence. 

Amara's attraction to Dean might be in part due to the fact that he bore the mark, but let us remember why Dean was considered worthy of the Mark by Cain.  Dean has a darkness within.  He's not only noted it himself, but unfortunately Dean believes that's who he is, someone you don't want at your dinner table.  He liked when he tortured in hell, he liked and found peace in Purgatory.  Dean as a demon went on and on telling Sam he liked the Disease, he didn't want to be cured.  Cas himself noted that the burden of guilt Dean feels for having these dark feelings disappeared when Dean was a demon, it was easier.  I think  some of Dean's darkness can be attributed to not only the horrors in his life, and what was taken from him, but by the one he considers responsible.  God.  Dean has always been shown to have angry feelings when it comes to God.  He certainly doesn't believe God cares. It's my opinion that his anger towards God, attributes to that darkness within and this is the very darkness which Amara is attracted to. Amara's got a bee in her bonnet regarding God and Dean does as well.  I think it could be part of the reason she feels as though he and her will be one, because they share the same feelings regarding God.   If Dean is going to be able to break the hold Amara claims to have on him, then he's going to have to let the light in his heart. I think Dean was on that ship to be a witness to God's actual presence.  I think it's very possible that Dean's trip to the past was necessary to save the future.

I don't believe that Lucifer is the answer to the Amara problem.  I believe the only ones who can stop Amara are Sam and Dean.  Now whether Lucifer is intentionally lying to everyone so he could obtain his freedom, or if he's that egomaniacal that he's convinced himself that he's the only one who can stop Amara, I think it's pretty clear he's wrong.  Lucifer collected all the weapons in his crypts and still they are no match for Amara.  He seems to have forgotten, though Sam reminded him, that it took Lucifer and four archangels to stop Amara and God himself.  It was sad to see once again Dean's reaction to Cas not trusting in team free will and choosing to trust the Devil himself as he once chose to trust working with the King of Hell.  Did Cas forget what happened as a result?  Does Cas honestly believe putting humanity in the hands of the Devil is the answer?  I fear that once again Cas had made a serious error in judgement.  I only hope he comes to realise this before it's too late.

I really enjoyed this episode.  I'm glad the "cat's out" and there are no more secrets.  I really enjoyed the entire MOL aspect and kind of wonder if perhaps a Golem might come in handy....It's good to know that the boys know of one. The acting was great, the guests were wonderful and the whole episode felt like I was watching a movie.  I think it's incredible how 11 seasons in, this show is more exciting now then when it began.  I've always loved the relationship between these boys, but I'm loving more the relationship that exists between these two men. 

Well, that's it for this week.    So looking forward to next, til then.....

-Anna