Supernatural Review: "We Happy Few" - Episode 11x22

-by sweetondean

Sooooo there was a moment in “We Happy Few” where I literally thought, SHOW, IF YOU DO THIS TO US I CAN’T EVEN WITH MY HORROR! Yep, that would be the moment that Chuck/God looked at Sam and Sam nodded and I was just like, NO JUST NO NO NO NO NO. I was screaming that at the TV by the way. NOOOOOOO. The thought of that damn Mark of Cain torturing another Winchester brother was too much. I think my heart stopped. Seriously. I couldn’t bear the thought of Sammy having that ugly assed thing on his arm, not after all he’d been through with Dean, and of course all Dean had been through. JUSTTTTT NOOOOO. Then the plan failed and I thought, oh thank God, or Chuck or Amara or whomever I need to send the fruit basket to! No Mark of Cain on Sam. Phew! This show has had me screaming at my TV this season more than any other season, in sheer terror, and overwhelming feels!

Oh, and then there’s that moment where you’re sitting there thinking…wait, did my show just kill God? Well. Ohhhhhkay. Oh Supernatural, how I love you (and your great big balls).

“We Happy Few” was a jammed packed episode, so much was going on I found myself looking at the time and freaking out, wondering how they were going to get through everything! I started to wonder if the finale was a 2 parter…and then I realised, it was kind of a 4 parter, starting off with “Don’t Call Me Shurley”. So before this week’s big episode, I’ll be watching 20-22 again to prepare…at least mentally, I’m pretty sure nothing is going to prepare me emotionally.

I loved that when it came down to it God turned to the Winchesters to structure a plan – “What’d you got?” Oh they’ve got a lot, because as weird as it is, they have pretty good relationships with the ex King of Hell, an angel inside an angel and a powerful witch. It was Supernatural Avengers ASSEMBLE! 

I loved the way the plan coming together played out on screen. It was like a caper movie! I later saw Bob Berens mention Ocean’s 11 and I thought, YES, that’s what it was, it was Ocean’s 11! All the elements coming together, with each ‘persons’ special skills being roped in to get the job done. It was a cool idea, even if in the end it didn’t quite work out.

I’m never going to be comfortable with everyone hanging out in the bunker. I’m just not! This is Sam and Dean’s safe place, their home now, and it seems to be that any old anything can just wander in and make hotcakes! Okay, God is kind of a different kettle of fish I guess, but I still don’t like him hanging out in the bunker! And I really don’t like Lucifer hanging out there…it made me super nervous. Except God was there, so I knew everything was going to be okay, and everyone was going to be safe. But remember that time when the boys still thought he was Cas, and he went through their stuff? Ewww. He squicks me out! And of course Lucifer picked Sam’s room to brood in, because even if he can no longer actually torture Sam, and even if Sam brings his A game of Sam fucking Winchesterness strength when facing down the Devil these days, Lucifer sure can still screw with Sam…by taking over his room. Sam basically needs to fumigate that room when he gets back to the bunker. 

And don’t even start me with Amara burning off all the warding. DAMN IT. It used to be their secret batcave type place! And then she’s going through Dean’s stuff! They need to re-ward that joint and then some.

Even though on an emotional level I want all the deities and super powerful evil angels out of Sam and Dean’s place, it was pretty enjoyable seeing God and Lucifer nut out their dysfunctional father son issues as Sam and Dean watched on. As much as there was a lot of humour in this scene, there was also a lot of depth and a lot of the daddy issues that have been in this show from the beginning. Lucifer just wants his dad to admit that he hurt him by tossing him out and locking him up. He just wants an, I’m sorry. It made me think of the brothers and their relationship with John. Dean’s confrontation with God last week was rooted in his complicated feelings around his dad and how he was raised. John also kicked Sam out of the house when Sam refused to live by his father’s ways and rules. I’m pretty sure both the boys would love to have the opportunity to have a sit down with their dad for oh so many reasons, none the least being to have John hear how they feel and how his decisions for their lives have hurt them. I’m sure Dean would love an I’m sorry for taking your childhood away, and I’m sure Sam would love an I’m sorry for kicking you out for wanting something different in your life. What an emotion charged, complicated conversation that would be, full of love and hurt. I dearly hope we see that one day. Bottom line, the boys love their dad and that’s why sometimes their history hurts…and we saw that mirrored as it play out between Lucifer and God.

And make no mistake… God is very much the father figure image here. From the heartfelt and wounded discussions with his children, to his World’s Greatest Dad mug that you know he gave to himself, to him cooking for the brothers. He’s like the dad that’s been away and is now back, trying to make up for lost time with the kids. I was half expecting him to pop out and come back with some cool new toys for Lucifer and the boys! Or suggest a trip to the zoo or something. Dean was right it was like a weird Full House episode – except not a really bad one, a really funny one!

I love how Crowley and Dean still have this whacky relationship. You can tell the bromance is done, but you can also tell the person who knows Crowley the best, weirdly is Dean…and he can get under Crowley’s skin. He can show Crowley his failings and his folly, and for whatever reason, Crowley listens. Crowley wants his position of power back, a good way to get it would be part of the whole destroying the Darkness thing – to be king again, he needs to remember how to be a soldier – nice one Dean. Dean appeals to his ego, and Crowley’s ego wants to be great again.

Rowena and Sam just flirt…in that angry hateful way! It’s pretty hot. I love them together; they look hilarious if nothing else! And I love all the nicknames Rowena comes up with for Sam! I really hope Rowena makes it through this season. I don’t need to see her all the time by any stretch of the imagination, but I’d like to think she’s still out there.

The plan played out well…until the end bit...then it didn’t. I thought Rowena was still playing both sides when she found Amara, but of course that was her part in the scheme. I loved Crowley smoking out red and joining the fight. Dean’s horror at Sam taking the mark, and Sam rightly pointing out that Dean said Sam would have to be the one to take Amara down because Dean said wouldn’t be able to. The conflict of knowing Sam was right while not wanting it to happen and having zero time to discuss it or come up with another option and so having to agree with something he would never normally agree to, was etched all over Dean’s face! These boys and their being heroes left and right business! I have a feeling that might not be the end of that conversation – even if we are party to seeing it. 

And when everything went pearshaped, Lucifer being yanked out of Cas and briefly becoming Mark Pellegrino in Nick’s clothes and all, was bloody brilliant. I’m not sure if Lucifer is dead or back in the cage, but I’m glad Cas is back.

I’m still super suspicious of God (maybe that’s just me!), in that I think this plan of his may have all been part of a bigger plan. Telling Dean humanity would have to step up, that he and Sam are the firewall between dark and light, couldn’t have been for no reason. Maybe God knew all along he couldn’t defeat Amara – or maybe he just didn’t want to. 

Interestingly, when Dean says he can’t kill Amara God says, maybe that’s because he didn’t want to. But if Dean wants to, could he? What if all of this was to get Dean to a place where he was full force focused on getting rid of her one way or another. I think he’s in a very different mind set now, and if it’s about saving the world and everyone he loves – now that Amara has put the end game well and truly on the table – well we all know how the Winchesters roll. The show has been pointing towards Dean all season, no matter what he believes his abilities around her are, he can resist her, he has proven that. Maybe now, with no other choices at hand, he’ll realise that he can do it, because that’s the only option and the Winchesters are used to being the only option

So we’re set up for a pretty big showdown. Amara vs The Winchesters and their raggedy bunch of supernatural Avenger misfits! If Amara’s brother dies, she dies and takes all of Creation with her; I don’t think she cares anymore… 

I’m pretty terrified by the overarching storyline around sacrifice, as well as the rebirth of the saving people, all the people, above all and anyone else thing. And of course, there was that respecting each other’s decisions thing…which I’m pretty sure, push shove, neither brother is onboard with.

I’m getting ready for end of season 9 level feels – but you never know with this show what they’re going to pull out at the last moment. I saw that the Js said that the finale was written after everyone knew they were locked for a season 12, and it sets up something cool and interesting for the new season. But I’ve learned in the past that their cool and interesting is generally my heartbreak! Yeah real cool and interesting guys, *rocks back and forth in the corner*.

So…is God truly mostly dead? Will Amara be locked up or killed. If God and Amara both die, what does that mean for all of us? If Amara gets locked up, where will the Mark of Cain go (NOT ON SAM) and if she does get locked up, will she be alone? Will there be anyone else in this fight that we don’t see coming (my money is on, yes), will all our players survive (not counting the Winchesters because we know they’ll survive eventually), where does Billie fit into all this – because you know she does, will we have the brothers separated again (noooooo please nooooo). Will I be able to stop crying at the end? OH SHIT…GUYS…IT’S THE FINALE NEXT WEEK!

-sweetondean

In memory of Donatello’s soul…we never got to know ya!