What does work is the final reveal that Dean and Castiel have been pulled into Purgatory along with Roman. That was a surprise and opens up all kinds of possibilities for next season. Purgatory looks very frightening and I would welcome a chance to actually see one of the boys’ experiences in these alternate vistas, instead of just hear about them. Sam’s devastation at being alone is completely believable and offers a lot of dramatic potential, because Sam has never dealt well in the past when he is separated from Dean.
The Grade:
I give the finale an A- for being able to tie together a disjointed season and offer such a tantalizing glimpse for next season in the I hope capable hands of new show runner Jeremy Carver. On that note, there are some things I hope Carver keeps in mind.
The Castiel Problem:
Castiel was created for the Apocalypse arc and since that story line ended, he’s been a bit of a problem. In his original arc, his power was limited because the archangels were much stronger than he was. With the archangels gone, his power has too often leaked the tension out of the brothers’ predicaments.
He was also created as Dean’s new relationship to balance the one Sam was forming with Ruby. With Ruby long gone, Castiel unbalances Sam and Dean, because the angel has no real relationship with Sam and Sam has no equivalent friend.
I thought the writers did a good job of addressing these issues when they brought Castiel back in the second half of this season. Damaging Cas’ psyche and making him unreliable was an excellent move. I also liked that Castiel cared very much he had hurt Sam and that Sam found it easier to forgive the angel than Dean did. It looked like Sam and Castiel were forging a relationship of their own, which I think is necessary if Castiel is to be an important part of the show again.
With this in mind, I’m not sure the writers made the best choice in trapping Dean and Castiel together in Purgatory. We already know they have a relationship and we know Dean has forgiven Cas. Strengthening Castiel and Dean while Dean and Sam are separated has the potential to make Castiel even more of an unbalancing agent on the show’s main relationship—Sam and Dean. If Sam goes it alone while Dean gets even closer to Cas, there is a risk Sam will start to seem a bit of a third wheel. If Sam gets a new relationship of his own to explore, the writers risk weakening the strongest aspect of the show: Sam and Dean’s chemistry.
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Article comments
1 - Hannah
I very much liked this article and agreed with pretty much all of it, especially your analysis of this uneven season. However, I believe that Dean was left all alone in Purgatory at the end of the episode. Cas was there, but then he was gone. Either he left on his own, or was taken out of Purgatory(by whoever keeps resurrecting him). I do hope that Cas ends up helping Sam and forging some sort of a relationship with him, because you're right that if Cas sticks around, there has to be more balance there. The main thing I'm worried about for season 8 is the show losing focus on the intensity of the Sam and Dean relationship, that's the reason I watch, and I know I'm not alone in that. I am absolutely not interested in a Dean and Cas show with occasional Sam.
2 - Ralph
I agree with everything that's written here, especially about Dick and the Leviathans not being able to be as menacing as they were intended to be.
3 - Gerry
Hannah and Ralph, thanks so much for your comments! I always love Supernatural discussion.
Hannah, you may well be right that Cas vanishing means he went back to earth. I hope so. I wasn't sure that was the case because when Dean said they had to get out of Purgatory, Castiel said it was more likely they would be eaten. I thought he vanished to take a look around. But we'll have to wait until next season to know and I have to give kudos to Sera for ending on such an intriguing note.
Ralph, I think it's really too bad James Patrick Stuart never got a chance to really show his stuff, because he was excellent in the episode with Charlie. We needed to see that kind of up close interaction with Sam and Dean. Somehow the writers needed to find a way to bring the three characters together occasionally. The scene with Dean and Roman in Death's Door was as close as they got and that was chilling. We needed more of that.
4 - r.t.
This is an excellent article. I strongly agree with everything you've said. The season started off great and then I was disappointed. Especially with the finale. Sam and Dean's relationship is what got me hooked from day one and even though I've kept watching the show, I've felt very detached from it unlike the earlier seasons. Sam does seem like a third wheel with Castiel's character around which seems forced. If season 8 continues to be this way, I'm going to lose interest altogether and I don't want that to happen.
5 - Gerry
Hi, r.t., thank for commenting. I liked the season, but did feel the arcs had some pacing issues. I love Sam and Dean's relationship as well. I also like Castiel and felt he added a lot to the episodes he was in this year. I'm more concerned about how he will fit in next season if Sam and Dean spend a lot of time apart. Perhaps Carver will decide to get the boys back together quickly, or perhaps Castiel will be able to communicate with Sam. Lots of possibilities!
6 - oicozzie
I enjoyed season 7 more than 6 at the beginning when the Leviathans looked menacing but then they became boring corporate beings. Season 7 focused more on the secondary characters like Castiel..Bobby ..Garth, Charlie , Kevin the prophet, Monster mama Amy...Becky's wedding to Sam and Dick Ramon..that I felt detached and became non interested in Supernatural as season 7 rolled by.
Next season its the brothers a p a r t...so I will be skipping season 8.
7 - Gerry
Sorry to hear you won't tune for season 8. I think the writers had a hard time with the overall arc this season and as you say, paid more attention to single episodes. I hope this changes for next season--Carver did very well as a showrunner on Being Human, so I have great hopes.
For me, Bobby's and Castiel's relationships with the boys tell us a lot about Sam and Dean as well. I do agree though that I could have had a lot less Felicia Day, good as she was, at that point in the season. The time was needed elsewhere in the narrative. And the Becky episode misfired.
I'll be front and centre for season 8, though. For me there is lots to explore and I don't expect Sam and Dean to be separated for long. If Dean confronts his depression and apathy and Sam gets a chance to rescue his brother, the story line will have a great pay off.
8 - Matthew
what im hoping ist that they will address is all the plot holes.. what about the remaining dicks? there were 3, the other levianthans, and the after effects of the testing they were doing on all the humans/shipments of the food and engineering which basically made everyone slugs. aside from that the potential for being in purgatory will be amazing, imagine possibly running into bobby there bc dont you think that some if not all ghosts who are left behind go there?, fighting tons of old monsters from the past seasons, the cameos and revisiting of some of the better ones would def make me geek out. ( im personally hoping for more dick as i loved his character and wished it was developed alot more) bring back Death as he is always welcome, and of course bring back Mark Pellegrino’s Lucifer, i thought sam being cured was a little too easy after how "badly" he was being affected by his hell wall crumbling. anyways cant wait for season 8. good article. :)
9 - Gerry
Thanks so much! I appreciate the comments you all leave.
Matthew, I'm hoping we get lots of exploration of the potential of Purgatory--though for me, none of what you mention are plot holes, as a plot hole suggests something germane left unexplained and at this point, the remaining Levis and the doped up humans may be explored next season.
Actually, I doubt the doping will be followed up on, and I'm fine with that. We don't really need to see people shaking off the effects and can surmise that is what is happening without it being a specific plot point.
I do hope to see Sam taking care of the headless Levis to some extent. And I really hope Carver sees the potential in showing Dean in Purgatory. I love the idea of seeing past monsters the Winchesters have dispatched. But most of all, I'd love to see Dean having to decide if he's worth fighting for, realizing he is and then doing just that, so he comes back to earth re-energized and knowing why he does what he does. That would be a great use of Purgatory, furthering the overall season arc and Dean's personal arc at the same time.
I only want to see more Dick if he interacts directly with Dean, the way he never did last season. Otherwise, I've had enough of a villain I never really engaged with. But big yes to Death--love his scenes! Not sure how Lucifer can be integrated in again--it would have to be as the actual arch angel and not a hallucination and we've already had an apocalypse story line. But who knows?
I do think we'll get a little more of Sam recovering from the broken wall and that will be very welcome. In the time apart, I'd love to see Sam putting himself back together to fight for Dean and Dean putting himself together to fight for himself and Cas helping Sam find Purgatory.
Yes, I'm looking forward to next season!