Supernatural Think Tank - Anna's Thoughts on 13x01 "Lost and Found"

Prelude

First off I'd like to start out by saying...Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a safe and fun Hellatus.   If you are reading this, I'd secondly like to thank you for that as well. I very much appreciate that Amy has allowed me the honour of sharing my thoughts with all of you, even if sometimes we all don't necessarily agree on them.  I very much appreciate the time you take out of your day to read them, whether for sheer enjoyment and interest or simply for the opportunity to comment and share your thoughts, either they be positive or negative.  I am just honoured that you made the effort. 😀  As you may or may not  know, I don't review the eps.  I will rave about it and I will gush with the love and admiration of our characters and the awesome work by both Jared and Jensen, but I leave the actual reviewing to Amy.  She's brilliant at reviewing and she doesn't need any assistance at all in that department.   What I tend to do is share my wandering thoughts with all of you when I find a certain aspect or aspects of the show compelling.  Of course one thing leads to another and before you know it I'm off on tangents as my thoughts simply wander and wonder in all sorts of directions.   I can only hope that some of these thoughts might be something that is as interesting to you as well and thoughts that you might have opinions on that you too would be willing to share.

All that being said, I hope you find the first of my ramblings regarding this season to be at the very most......interesting.😜 

An Interesting Observation in an Interestingly Observational Kind of Way

  I also noticed, as Amy did, as probably many of you have, that Dean's prayer was quite telling. The very fact that he was praying says a lot, especially given the fact that we've seen Dean mock Sam when it was Sam doing the praying.  It appears that Dean isn't in a good place right now to stoop to the likes of asking Chuck/God for help.😟 His prayer said a lot as well.  It wasn't simply about the loss of Cas and Dean asking for his friend to come back.  It wasn't even only about his mom.  I  too think it was more about Dean's need or want of a family.   Dean included Crowley in that prayer.  I have to watch again, but I think he also might have included Rowena as well.  He wants them all back.  For greater or worse, everyone that died, good and bad, was part of that family dynamic that Dean created. They were a part of the Winchester Realm.🏰  These are all the people that Dean's grown accustomed to having in his life, even if having them brought sorrow, pain and death, even when they themselves caused this pain and death.  From a psychological aspect, I found this to be so very enlightening.  Dean is the one, who early on told Sam that it was best to be on their own, to cut all his friends out of his life because it would be easier.  So many times Dean is the one who said that people in their line of work can't get close to people, can't have friends.  Ironically, when Sam jumped in the pit, Dean went to Lisa and Ben.  When Dean lost the one true person in this world he couldn't do without, he tried to substitute  him by adopting this family. 👪 A family I always thought reminded him of his own.   Lucifer took Dean's comfortable dynamic from him. He didn't trust all those taken, but they were a part of his world, a world he was used to. Now it's just him and Sam, Sam being the only reason Dean is able to function right now, Sam being his true support system.  Sam, who is now vulnerable because the two/three people that he's gone to in the past for help  when his brother was in trouble or hurt are now gone.  Dean has just been smacked with the unbearable reality that both he and Sam are once again alone.  Huh, funny how show manages to always allow both brothers to experience the same thing, if even ever a so slightly circumstance.  Not so long ago, Sam had experienced the very same feelings that Dean is feeling right now, the loss of everyone he'd ever cared about, that he loved and the grief and despair and loneliness of being the only one left.  Though each has their own way of handling or not handling their grief, they both broke.  The only difference being that Dean didn't lose Sam in this instance, that he has his brother to pick up his pieces and love and support him until he's made whole again.  Just another example of the boys walking in each other's shoes.  I always treasure these little moments, even when they aren't the happiest ones, simply because I feel it brings the boys closer even if they don't realise it.  When both experience what the other has gone through at some point in their lives, it gives them a better understanding of the other and what it was like for them when they weren't there or hadn't experienced it for themselves.  I feel shared experiences, even if not exactly the same, give the boys insight into each other and thus bring them even closer, forging an even stronger bond.  A bond that nobody nor no circumstance can ever break. 💕

The Sins of the Father

As I was watching the episode it occurred to me that Dean's judgement of Jack isn't based on evidence of any kind.  Dean has decided that Jack will be the destruction of the world and as such must die based largely on who Jack's father is.  It is pretty obvious that Dean is lashing out at Jack, not because of anything he's done, but because of what his father has done.  Dean's opinion of Jack isn't based on his actions,  it's based on who Jack was borne from.  Dean is basically laying the sins of the father onto the son.  There is a flaw in Dean's way of thinking, as Jack isn't only the son of Lucifer, he's also the son of a human, a good, kindhearted, loving human. If one were to examine Jack's situation, one would see that Jack only knows love, as Lucifer has had absolutely no contact with his son at all. Jack also considers Cas to be his father.  Still, regardless of who Jack's father is, so far Jack's only influence has been that of his mother and Cas;  therefore it's been a positive one. 

The irony here is, though Jack was forced to grow up quickly because of the danger he was in, he in essence is still a baby.  Dean and Sam both were in agreement that Jack needed to be protected from Lucifer. Neither brother was willing to kill a child.  So, does not the same rule apply to a child over the age of 12? Dean has decided that Jack will be the end of everything, but would he think the same had Jack come out a baby?  Would Dean change his mind and then suddenly decide that Jack was too much a risk and kill him had he come out an infant?   Let's consider Jack a moment.  He's walking and talking for sure yes, but he has the same innocence that he would've had had he come out an infant. As a baby it's highly unlikely that infant Jack could control his powers.  A hungry or wet baby could've set off Jack's powers and it wouldn't be his fault.  The boys wouldn't kill baby Jack because he was too young to control or understand his abilities.  Well, the situation is still the same for Jack.  He might be walking and talking, but he's basically as blank a slate as he would be as a baby.  Jack is basically.....lost.  He doesn't understand what powers he has or how to yet control them. He doesn't even fully understand the world around him right now. We have seen no desire from Jack to want to hurt anyone.   Yet Dean has decided, without any cause that Jack is in fact evil incarnate.  He's been judged, tried and found guilty without committing any crime. Dean's opinion is hardly a fair one, as it's not based on evidence from Jack himself, it's based on his pain and his grief at the loss he's suffered by Jack's father. He can't take his hurt out on Lucifer, so Dean is taking it out on Lucifer's son.   The danger here is that Dean's condemnation of Jack could be the very thing that pushes him into becoming the very thing Dean has decided he would be.   Lucky for both, they have Sam.

Forever the Optimist

Sam is grieving the loss of his friends as well, but unlike Dean, who is without any hope and pretty much at rock bottom, Sam isn't ready to give up on his mom.  He doesn't believe that she's dead, and with that Sam has found a purpose and a use for Jack. Sam asked if Jack can open the rift again and Jack said he could. Jack has become very important to Sam, as he is the key to getting their mother back.  For Sam, Jack isn't only a mere tool,  Jack is a human being, at least half of one.  Sam doesn't see Jack as Lucifer Das Machina.  He doesn't believe that Jack is necessarily destined to be evil, after all Jack was also born from a mother who loved him.   Sam knows that it's not who you are, it's what you do.  Sam has been supposedly fated to become evil not so long ago.  It was decided by angels and demons alike that Sam would be the "Demon King".  That didn't matter though.  The more his fate seemed destined, the more Sam fought it and proved them all wrong. Sam believes that the same applies to Jack.  He may have an evil father, but he had a loving mother.  Jack can be good.  Jack's destiny is not etched in stone.  Sam is willing to teach Jack, to guide him towards knowing right from wrong and doing the right thing.  Sam is willing to believe in Jack.  He's certainly not going to kill Jack, unless of course, Jack does end up doing something that has earned him that death. Sam, the holder of hope, will do what he can to be the light, not only for Dean, but for Jack as well.  

Sam and Dean are each other's support system.  When one is in the dark, the other is the candle in the window.   As I watched this episode, this song popped into my head.  It applies to both brothers of course, but I think this time around, it's Sam for Dean.

It's like a storm

That cuts a path

It's breaks your will

It feels like that

You think you're lost

But your not lost on your own

You're not alone

I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

If you can't cope

I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let go

It hurts my heart

To see you cry

I know it's dark

This part of life

Oh it finds us all (finds us all)

And we're too small

To stop the rain

Oh but when it rains

I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

And you can't cope

I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let you fall

Don't be afraid to fall

I'm right here to catch you

I won't let you down

It won't get you down

You're gonna make it

Yeah I know you can make it

'Cause I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

And you can't cope

And I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let go

Oh I'm gonna hold you

And I won't let go

Won't let you go

No I won't

Accolades

I thought this episode was amazing.   Everyone brought in their A game and knocked it out of the park.  Jensen did an amazing job portraying a despondent and angry Dean.  You know Dean's in a bad place when he brings God/Chuck into the picture. Jared was incredible as well.  He was thoughtful and kind to Jack at the same time being totally freaked out.  His speech to Jack at the end, as they burned Cas was so heartfelt.  The chemistry between Jack and Sam is wonderful.  I have no doubt that we will start to see chemistry between Jack and Dean as time goes on.  Alex Calvert did an amazing job.  Welcome to the family.  He brought a touch of innocence as well has humour.  Jack is quite likable and at the same time you wonder if he'll stay that way, and touches your heart enough that like Sam, you believe the best in him.  Jack will make for an interesting character for sure.  I look forward to the Winchesters guiding him.  The guest cast did a great job as well and to top it all off, it only took 13 years, but Show finally nailed a Metallica song. 🙏

One Last Thought

I've been wondering if the Future that Cas saw, wasn't our world but perhaps the A/U world?  I wonder if Kelly was right, and Jack does lift the world to it's feet. Maybe Jack brings peace to the Apocalyptic world.  HMMM 🤔 

That's it for this week.  Til next. 

-Anna

Read sweetondean's review and thoughts here