Supernatural (7.5): You Can Make A Hell On Earth.

Tonight is the season finale of Supernatural. I am doing a few things to prepare. First, I am a posting some quick thoughts on the two previous episodes, which I apologize for not getting to sooner. Second, I am writing a note to myself reminding 7:30pm-me to wash off my make-up before tonight’s episode starts so that when I ball my eyes out I will not have mascara running down my face. Obviously, I do not think Dean is going to live.

I would rather see him go Hell than hear for one more second Sam advocating using science to gain immortality, which requires replacing worn body parts with new ones. These two recent episodes “Long Distance Call” and “Time Is On My Side” both addressed the issue of desperation: encountering the mystery of death and the prospect of eternal judgment our good sense disappears, and we behave against our best interest and our better nature. Dean almost killed an innocent man (and that innocent man almost killed Dean) because given a chance to speak to someone we have lost our grief will overcome our sense of right and wrong, or of even basic logic. After the silence of death we will listen to anything, even if it is encouragement to harm others or ourselves, or won’t be helpful to our current situation. Good thing Dean realized what he was doing, and Sam killed the evil thing, before Dean ventured too far into Hamlet-country. Sam’s quiet decent into at-any-cost mode might be even more frightening. How many lives would be exchanged to “give Dean more time” if Sam had gotten his way? Could Sam really have lived with himself if he had bargained with a butcher and asked Dean to be one as well? Sam’s reckless disregard for the implications of his proposal points out just how sad Dean’s prospects are.

But, bye bye Bella! Can’t say I am sorry to see you go, though I am thankful the scene cut to black and I didn’t have to see you getting torn apart by Hell Hounds. (My friend Calah thinks she may not be dead, but I respectfully disagree. If the producers are keeping her around, they better come up with something good to do with her, and not just doing Dean.) I am also thankful that the producers decided not to belabor the fact that Bella was sexually abused. Letting us know that tempers our response to her passing; reminding us both that evil actions rarely emerge from nothing, but also there should be some element of human empathy for others, no matter how repugnant we find them. But murder-as-consequence-of-molestation/rape is a worn out trope on TV (CSI anyone?), so I am glad that since it was employed it was done so quickly. Also, Bella not telling Sam and Dean why she made her deal evidenced the smallest amount of dignity on her part: she was willing to kill them to get out of her deal, but she did not make excuses for herself. Well done.

The little girl in black and white with the red eyes is officially the most disturbing thing ever to appear on this show. Oh yeah, and the ice cream scoop.

And finally, I just have to point out that I love being right: I mentioned the “Lilith has Dean’s contract” thing weeks ago. Maybe I am petty for taking pride in seeing something anyone could, but so be it.

The TV Girl