Supernatural Think Tank - Anna's Thinky Thoughts on Supernatural 12x01 Keep Calm and Carry On

Preface:   I just wanted to start out by saying that I'm really excited about Season 12.  I honestly believe it's the start of something new.  I've always seen Supernatural as not merely episodic TV, but as a whole story.  I always compare Supernatural to a novel, and each episode as a chapter.  When I first started watching Supernatural I saw it as one story, the life of Sam and Dean Winchester and all of their trials and tribulations thus far.  Of course their story doesn't only include them, on the contrary their story includes many.  Friends, family, monsters, angels, demons and whatever else might go bump in the night.  It's an exciting, heartwarming, scary, funny, endearing story that indeed has it all. It's by far in this girl's opinion, the greatest story ever told.  As the years went by though, I've always felt that there was more. I was convinced of it ever since Cupid told Sam and Dean that they had to be born.  Heaven commanded it. I knew from that moment there was a much bigger picture, but it wasn't until Season 11 that I realised there was always another story.

Whether planned from the start or it's organic evolution, I realised with the introduction of Amara and the return of God/Chuck, that this show wasn't only telling one story, it was telling two. I had already written the article about how the writing had always been on the wall, and my belief still stands.  The moment it was canon that the boys had to be born and every event that followed, both good and bad, I just knew it all  happened for a reason, happened the way it was supposed to, the way Chuck/God had hoped and perhaps even already knew it would. Serendipity or not, Supernatural is not only the story of Sam and Dean Winchester, but the story of the original siblings, the first to exist, the story of Chuck/God and Amara and it is through Sam and Dean Winchester that their story is told. Sam and Dean represent what Chuck/God wanted for himself.  They are his success story.  They are what He had aspired to be.  It is why Chuck/God commanded their creation in the first place.  The trials and tribulations these boys have been through, the tests they have passed, always in the end choosing each other, choosing family.  Chuck/God creating the Winchesters, the tools he would use to save his own family was God's way of choosing His family. By the time Alpha & Omega ended it became clear to me  that this was the conclusion of Chuck/God's and Amara's part of the story. This is the end of their chapter.  Now Chuck/God has left the rest of the story, to the Winchesters, much like Supernatural has been left to a new showrunner with new and fresh ideas for the years to come.

Now we come to Book Two of the Winchester saga, the continuing story of their lives and oh what a beginning.  I absolutely loved the premiere.  Everyone did an amazing job. I was completely floored by Jared's portrayal of Sam in this episode.  This man's talent knows no bounds.  I am constantly in awe at this man's abilities to not only tug at the heart strings but to play a damn concerto with them. I loved Sam in this episode. He was badass and I always love me some badass Sam.  His unbending resolve as he went toe to toe with his torturers, never giving in to their demands and never giving up in the fight, no matter what they did to him. I wish Sam still didn't hold himself responsible for Jessica's death, Kevin's death and Dean's death back in s3.  I don't know if he'll ever forgive himself, which breaks my heart to no end, especially since none of those deaths were his fault. I so loved how he didn't let that guilt break him.  I find Sam's smarts so sexy and squeed just a bit when he got the best of Lady Bevel.  Badass Sam.  Still as badass as Sam is, I couldn't help but want to hug the hell out of him as he sat on those steps feeling so alone, and I got to tell you I got a sense that Lady Toni just might have felt the same way.  The way she looked at him at the end.  The fact that she bandaged his foot and made sure he saw a dr. to get the bullet out of his leg.  Lady B might be a smug righteous ass, but I also got the feeling that she didn't enjoy hurting Sam.  I figured that's why she kept leaving the room, because she couldn't be in there while Bunhead tortured Sam.  I even got the sense out of her that she respected Sam for enduring all that torture.  She was willing to kill him, but I still got the sense she respected him.  Anyway I have a feeling that not even Lady Bevel is immune to Sam's puppy dog eyes and that soon enough the Winchesters might break through her armour, we shall see I guess. I don't think she knows as much as she thinks she knows.

I really enjoyed Cas in this episode.  I've missed this Cas, the smite first ask questions later. I loved that Cas had to be talked down by Dean and I loved it even more that his fury resulted because his friend was missing. Sam and Cas's relationship has evolved into a true friendship and I love this aspect because unfortunately the boys don't have many friends in their line of work. Once upon a time Cas saw Sam as the boy with the demon blood, and now Sam is just as important to him as Dean is. I am also looking forward to Cas's quest to find Lucifer.  I think his pairing up with Crowley will be hysterical and I can't wait to see them on the road together.  Here's hoping we get the true King of Hell back this season. I'm all about the snark don't get me wrong, but I also like my Crowley with a touch of evil, something that's been missing for awhile. I also look forward to Luci jumping from vessel to vessel, I mean if we can't get Pellegrino then I say keep Luci jumping around, it should keep things interesting.

I liked the reintroduction of Mary Winchester.  I like how they've written her thus far.  Her return and her reunion with Dean is believable. It's going to take awhile for everyone to get used to everyone else.  The relationship between mother and sons is practically nonexistent, so it makes sense that there will be a lot of awkwardness and uncertainty. They most certainly all will need time to adjust as it's new for all of them.  She hasn't been a mother and they haven't been mother's sons for 33 years.  I can't wait to see how the boys will relate to their mom after all these years.  Sam Smith is doing a marvelous job so far.  I really like that she's no one to mess with, without portraying her as some kind of Wonder Woman.  She's still a capable and well trained hunter, something she most likely will never forget, even if she wanted out of that life.

Jensen did an incredible job as well, but I gotta admit that at first,  I was a little at sea regarding Dean's behavior. Dean was way too calm in this episode.  We have seen Dean freak out over Sam for much less.  Remember how panicked he was when Sam/Meg took off in BUABS?  He was frantic with Ellen, when Sam just disappeared.  Again, remember how freaked out he was when Sam disappeared from the diner in All Hell Breaks Loose or when Sam disappeared from the bar in The Benders?  The minute Dean saw the blood, I expected a bit more of a stronger reaction.  When he found out from Cas that a woman was waiting and he didn't know where Sam was, I thought for sure Dean would go into freakout mode.  I was even a bit stunned that they took their time in the garage, admiring the car.  It was a funny moment for sure, but it just didn't seem to be the appropriate time for such a moment. I get that Dean hadn't learnt what happened to Sam yet, but still I expected more of an intense reaction.  Then he got on the phone with Lady B and all that rage finally came out in it's glory, especially when he broke the phone in half.  Dean is just as much a badass as Sam.  I then figured it was just that Dean was putting on a calm facade for his mom's sake.  In that moment, when he was alone, his fear and his anger came shining through and Badass Dean had made is appearance...finally.  Just a side note, but has anybody ever kept tally on how many times Dean has gotten his ass kicked by a woman?  It just makes me giggle especially given that Dean once chided Sam for having a woman come to his rescue back in the Magnificent Seven. In both Dean and Cas's defence, she was a bit of a manly woman. LOL

Now to the speculation portion of my article. So here's the thing, Lady Bevel kept mentioning the Old Man. Here is what was significant to me and got my wheels spinning. When Lady B was chastising Sam for the Apocalypse, the Darkness, the Leviathans, Lucifer and everything else under the sun, Sam asked if they knew why didn't they do anything? Lady B told Sam that some of them did want to get involved, but the Old Man said not to. So that got me thinking....who is the Old Man?   The way I see it, since I believe that everything the boys have been through happened for a reason, had always God's plan, it's understandable that no one be allowed to interfere with the Winchesters or the many tests that they were given. That being said, if God/Chuck didn't want anyone to stop the boys, then it stands to reason that there might be at least one other being working for Chuck/God. Someone who has assisted the boys, possibly even been part of their test and who's always, even if it was against his will, helped the boys out. Who do we know that is British and might be referred to as "OLD MAN".  If I were to throw out a guess, I'd say Death. Before you shoot me down, let's just remember that there have been others who have been known to moonlight.  Lest we forget, God/Chuck did a bit of moonlighting as a writer/prophet. Gabriel did a bit of moonlighting himself, as the Trickster.  So is it that far off base to presume that the Old Man who is moonlighting as a British Men of Letters bigwig might very well be our old friend Death?

The things that make you go hmmmm.

That's all for this one.  I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and I hope all of you have a wonderful Supernatural year.  Looking forward to hearing from you.

-Anna