History Recap / SupernaturalS15E20CarryOn

* RevisitingTheRoots: After spending the last few seasons dealing with cosmic level threats the Winchesters' final case turns out to be a vampire hunt. The boys even whip out John's journal and consult it, something they haven't had to do in years. WordOfGod stated this was intentional and they wanted to homage the old school feel of the first few seasons of the show which were all about WanderingTheEarth "saving people, hunting things."

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Dean dies for real, not from any cosmic or universal-endangering threat like Chuck or Death, but from an ordinary vampire hunt.

* ForWantOfANail: Or a piece of rebar, in this case. After defeating God, [[TwistEnding Dean unexpectedly]] [[KilledOffForReal dies during a hunt]]--and not because of the monster they're hunting either, but because he is impaled by a stick of rebar. Had it not existed, Dean would have lived and the series finale would have likely taken a very different direction.

* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: After decades of fighting monsters and [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Punching Out Cthulhu]], Dean dies in a fairly mundane fashion after a spike punctures his vital organs during a routine fight with some vampires.

* FinalSpeech: Dean gives one that lasts [[Memes/Supernatural seven minutes]], in general telling Sam how proud he is of him, reminiscing on the Pilot episode, reassuring Sam he's not going to be alone, and capping it all off with a DyingDeclarationOfLove and a HeadbuttOfLove.

* ProductionForeshadowing: After Dean's funeral, Sam gets a call for a case in Austin. Creator/JaredPadalecki would star in another The CW production, ''Walker'', set in Austin, a few months after the episode aired.

** When Sam and Dean reunite in the afterlife they meet up together on a bridge [[Recap/SupernaturalS01E01Pilot reminiscent of the one that their first onscreen case focused on]] and when they started to reconnect after being estranged for a few years.

* ForWantOfANail: A rusty one, in this case. After defeating God, [[TwistEnding Dean unexpectedly]] [[KilledOffForReal dies during a hunt]]--and not because of the monster they're hunting either, but because he is impaled by a literal nail. Had the nail not existed, Dean would have lived and the series finale would have likely taken a very different direction.

* LastOfHisKind: After Sam dies, his son, Dean, becomes the only surviving Winchester blood. Though it's possible that Dean might have children of his own by that time.

* TimeSkip: Creator/JaredPadalecki revealed during a Q&A that this episode is set about five years after the previous one, although nothing in the episode itself indicates this.

* RealityEnsues: After decades of fighting monsters and [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Punching Out Cthulhu]], Dean dies in a fairly mundane fashion after a spike punctures his vital organs during a routine fight with some vampires.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: After Sam and Dean reunite in Heaven for the actual final shot of the episode, after the fade to black, Creator/JaredPadalecki and Creator/JensenAckles address the audience to thank the fans for their support over the years, then the camera zooms back showing the entire crew waving goodbye to the audience.

* FinalDeath: Dean Winchester suffers his true final death in this episode after being mortally wounded while on a hunt. He also makes sure that Sam promises him not to bring him back since those deals always go rotten. Later in life Sam dies of old age and joins Dean in Heaven.

* KilledOffForReal: After 15 seasons of DeathIsCheap for Sam and Dean, they die for good in this episode.

* TimeSkip: Creator/JaredPadalecki revealed during a Q&A that this episode is set about five years after the previous one.

* BackFromTheDead: Though we never see him, it is implied that Jack brought Castiel back from the Empty, as he is stated to be helping him reconstruct Heaven into a better place.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: After Sam and Dean reunite in Heaven the two turn to the camera and Creator/JaredPadalecki and Creator/JensenAckles thank the fans for their support over the years as the camera zooms back showing the entire crew waving goodbye to the audience.

** Bobby meets up with Dean in Heaven next to a recreation of Harvelle's Roadhouse. He also mentions that various other characters who died throughout the series have places around Heaven that Dean can visit.

* LastOfHisKind: After Sam dies, his son, Dean, becomes the only surviving Winchester blood.

* LikeFatherUnlikeSon:
** Sam's son, Dean, does not follow his father's footsteps by becoming a hunter. Justified, since Sam makes sure to raise him normally, spending time playing and helping him studies.
** This also applies to Sam. By raising his son to live a normal and happy life, Sam become the father opposite to what John was to him and Dean.

** When Sam and Dean reunite in the afterlife they meet up together on a bridge [[Recap/SupernaturalS01E01Pilot reminiscent of the one that their first onscreen case focused on]] and when they started to reconnect after being estranged for a few yeas.

** Arguably, Dean's death is also a happy ending for him. Because he dies doing what he does best and his beloved brother is by his side the whole time. Furthermore, he goes to heaven, reuniting with Bobby and later Sam.

* MaybeEverAfter: While it's shown that Sam got married some point after his and Dean's final case, since the only time we see Sam's wife is afar, it's left ambiguous if this person is Eileen (his current love interest) or if this is someone we've never meet before.
* MeaningfulEcho: When Dean is dying he and Sam repeat the lines of dialogue they gave each other from the pilot when they were discussing Dean's ability to find John on his own. The lines are repeated here though Sam and Dean use each others words and the context is much sadder.

* MaybeEverAfter: While it's stated that Sam got married some point after his and Dean's final case, since the only time we see Sam's wife is afar, it's left ambiguous if this person is Eileen (his current love interest) or if this is someone we've never meet before.