Line #108 Recap/SupernaturalS05E22SwanSong


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4
5	'''[[Recap/{{Supernatural}} Recap]] of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'''''\
6	'''Season 5, Episode 22'''
7
8	!Swan Song
9	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/supernatural_swan_song_2411.jpg]]
10	[[caption-width-right:350:Lucifer, Michael, and Dean.]]
11
12	->''Sammy, it's okay, it's okay. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you. I'm not gonna leave you! ''
13	-->--'''Dean to his Lucifer-possessed brother'''
14
15	Written by Eric Kripke and Eric "Giz" Gerwitz.
16
17	Directed by Steve Boyum.
18
19	Air Date: May 13, 2010.
20
21	Chuck is typing away at his computer, waxing lyrical about the most important object in the universe: [[CoolCar a 1967 Chevy Impala]]. There's a toy soldier stuck in the ashtray where a young Sam once shoved it, and Legos rattling in the vents thanks to young Dean. Why should we care about these details? Lucifer doesn't. But these, Chuck says, are the important things.
22
23	Meanwhile, it's go time for Team Free Will. Sam and Dean have had their heart-to-heart, jugs of demon blood are in the trunk, and the Horseman rings are at the ready. As they drive to meet the Devil in Detroit, with the [[BroughtDownToNormal depowered]] [[BroughtDownToBadass Castiel]] sleeping in the backseat and Bobby following behind, Sam [[LastRequest makes Dean promise him]] that once he's gone, Dean will leave him where he is and go live a normal life with Lisa. In Detroit, Sam says his goodbyes to Bobby and Cas and downs the blood. Then he and Dean enter the building. Things don't go according to plan. Lucifer knows that they have the rings. Sam says yes anyway and Lucifer takes him over. Dean opens the gate to the Cage, but it's no use. Lucifer's in control. He zaps himself away.
24
25	Cas and Bobby have given up, but Dean, still determined to do something, calls up Chuck and asks him where the battle will take place. Turns out, it's a cemetery near [[WhereItAllBegan Lawrence, Kansas]]. Dean resolves to go there and talk to Sam. Cas tries to talk Dean out of it, telling him that all he'll see is Michael killing his brother. Dean responds that in that case, [[BigBrotherInstinct he needs to be there for Sam when it happens]].
26
27	The next day, Michael and Lucifer meet at the cemetery, wearing Adam and Sam respectively. They talk briefly. Lucifer tries to convince Michael that they don't need to go through with this, that they could just stop. But [[TheDutifulSon Michael sees that as rebellion against their father]] and refuses. The fight is just about to begin when suddenly, there's the growl of an engine. The Impala roars up, and Dean gets out. Michael and Lucifer are understandably confused, and refuse when Dean asks for five minutes to talk to Sam. So Cas, who's standing nearby with Bobby, nails Michael with a [[HolyHandGrenade holy oil Molotov]], temporarily sending him away. Lucifer is not impressed. With a snap of his fingers, he causes Cas to explode in [[LudicrousGibs a cloud of gore]]. Bobby tries to shoot him, so [[NeckSnap Lucifer breaks his neck]]. Then he turns to Dean, throws him against the hood of the Impala, and begins [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beating him to a bloody pulp]]. Dean's face becomes a mangled, bleeding mess, yet between the punches, he keeps [[YouAreNotAlone telling Sam that it's okay]]. Lucifer raises Sam's fist for one last blow.
28
29	Suddenly, light glints off the side of the Impala. The Impala with the toy soldier in the ashtray and the Legos in the vents; the Impala that Sam and Dean have slept in, laughed in, pranked each other in, argued in, driven all across the country in; the Impala that has carried them as they faced everything, together. These memories flash faster and faster through Sam's mind until he's left with an image of himself and his brother, hugging.
30
31	[[ThePowerOfLove And Sam lowers his fist]]. He tells Dean that he's going to be okay. Then he takes out the rings and opens the pit. Before he can jump, Michael appears, and tells Sam to stop because [[YouCantFightFate he and his brother are destined to fight]]. But Sam ignores him, and [[HeroicSacrifice lets himself fall]]. Michael steps forward and grabs his arm, tries to pull him back, but Sam's weight is too much and he is dragged into the pit as well. The ground closes up, and Dean is [[EverybodysDeadDave left completely alone]]. Until he looks up, and there's Castiel, [[BackFromTheDead resurrected]] [[DeathIsCheap once again]] and restored to his angelic glory and promoted to a Seraphim. Cas touches Dean's face, and instantly it's healed. He brings Bobby back to life as well.
32
33	So, Chuck asks, what does this all add up to? Cas returns to Heaven to deal with the anarchy up there. Bobby continues to hunt. Dean, against every fiber of his being, keeps his promise to Sam and goes to live a normal life with Lisa and Ben. What's the point? According to Chuck, the point is despite being forced to deal with everything from demons to destiny, Sam and Dean chose family over everything else. Chuck types the words "THE END." Then, with a smile and the assertion that nothing ever really ends, he vanishes.
34
35	Meanwhile, Dean is eating dinner with his newfound family. Outside, a streetlight flickers. Standing underneath it, staring at the scene through the window, is Sam....
36
37	!!Body count
38	For this episode = 8 demons.
39
40	For the series so far = At least 407 humans (of which 6 were witches), 73 demons, 33 ghosts, 19 zombies, 13 gods, 11 vampires, 10 angels, 9 hellhounds, 6 changelings, 3 shapeshifters, 2 ghouls, 2 werewolves, 2 dogs, 1 crocotta, 1 djinn, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 reaper, 1 rugaru, 1 shtriga, 1 siren, 1 wendigo, 1 whore of Babylon, and 1 wraith.
41	----
42	!!Tropes:
43	* AchillesInHisTent: Dean at the end of this episode and into the next one.
44	* AndIMustScream: Sam is subjected to being unable to do anything while Lucifer controls his body, which if Lucifer wins, will be ''forever''. Lucifer outright states that this trope is in effect near the end:
45	-->'''Dean:''' Sammy, are you in there?\
46	'''Lucifer:''' Oh, he's in here, all right. ''[hits Dean]'' And he's gonna feel the snap of your ''bones''.
47	* ArchangelMichael: Michael is the secondary villain in this episode. He gets locked in the Cage with Lucifer.
48	* TheAtoner: Sam is willing to suffer a fate worse than death in order to atone for his actions in Season 4.
49	* AuthorAvatar: With Chuck actively writing what looks to be the conclusion of the story it's pretty clear that he's a representation of ''Supernatural'''s writers, Eric Kripke in particular. This becomes overly literal at the end when Chuck is all but outright stated to be God.
50	* BadassBoast[=/=]BringIt: Lucifer has this retort to Michael when Michael tells him that he will destroy him.
51	-->'''Lucifer:''' If that's the way it's gotta be...I'd like to see you try.
52	* BadassFingersnap: Lucifer snaps his fingers and Castiel ''[[LudicrousGibs explodes]]''.
53	* BadBoss: Lucifer assembles a collection of demons that played some part in Sam's past and offers them up to Sam for target practice.
54	* BeautifulDreamer: Cas sleeping in the back of the Impala.
55	-->'''Dean:''' Aw. Ain't he a little angel?
56	* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted. Dean doesn't look too pretty after Lucifer's done beating him to a pulp at the end. Then played straight when Cas heals him miraculously, no swelling, scars, or even blood left behind.
57	* BigBad: [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] and [[ArchangelMichael Michael]], who have possessed Sam and Adam respectively. The two intend on having their fated final showdown with one another, which would cause catastrophic damage to the entire planet, resulting in many people dying no matter who wins. Dean, Castiel, and Bobby pull off a last desperate gambit to prevent this fight from taking place.
58	* BigDamnHeroes: "''Gunter glieben glauchen globen''/All right/I got something to say..."
59	* BigNo: Dean gives one when Lucifer kills Bobby by snapping his neck.
60	* BittersweetEnding: The ending starts out as this, as Sam has to sacrifice himself to avert the Apocalypse and trap both Lucifer and Michael in the Cage. The world doesn't end, but Dean, Bobby, and Castiel have lost a brother and a friend. Bobby continues to hunt, Castiel assumes command of Heaven, and Dean goes to live a normal life, as he promised Sam. Then it turns into TheEndOrIsIt in [[CliffHanger the last several seconds]].
61	* BlasphemousBoast: When Castiel tells Dean that he's going back to Heaven, Dean tells Cas that he is coming for God next.
62	* BlatantLies:
63	-->'''Lucifer:''' Castiel, did you just Molotov my brother with Holy Fire?\
64	'''Castiel:''' [[OhCrap Uh...no]].
65	* ButNowIMustGo: Castiel must go back to heaven to restore order.
66	* CallBack: The streetlight goes out in the presence of NotQuiteDead Sam. Given that the demon Crowley blew out a similar streetlight a couple of episodes back, it adds a disturbing implication to this miraculous return.
67	* CallingTheOldManOut: Lucifer theorizes that since God created everything, he is responsible for the fact that he is so evil.
68	* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: Or, rather, The Call Has Been Following You Your Entire Life, as Lucifer reveals that many important people during Sam's childhood were possessed by demons.
69	* CameBackStrong: Cas returns not only with his angelic abilities, but now more powerful than ever, healing Dean and almost casually resurrecting Bobby.
70	* ChekhovsGun: The army-man toy.
71	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Castiel fails to realize he's supposed to say something reassuring to Sam. When he does, Sam tells him to just stop talking.
72	-->'''Sam:''' Take care of these guys, okay?\
73	'''Castiel:''' [''Sighs''] That's not possible.\
74	'''Sam:''' Then humor me.\
75	'''Castiel:''' Oh. I was supposed to lie. [''{{Beat}}''] Uh... Sure! They'll be fine. I...\
76	'''Sam:''' Just, just... stop talking.
77	* ContinuityNod
78	** Sam's prom date Rachel was among those possessed by a demon. [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E20WhatIsAndWhatShouldNeverBe Wishverse!Sam]] mentions that Dean slept with his prom date Rachel Nave.
79	* CreepyCemetery: The battle for Armageddon will take place in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stull,_Kansas#Stull_Cemetery Stull Cemetery]], an old boneyard just outside of Lawrence, Kansas.
80	* CreepyCrows: A crow is seen flying by when the plot switches to Stull Cemetery.
81	* DespairEventHorizon: Dean after losing Sam and Cas going back to Heaven.
82	-->'''Chuck:''' Dean didn't want Cas to save him. Every part of him, every fiber he's got, wants to die, or find a way to bring Sam back. But he isn't gonna do either. Because he made a promise.
83	* DeusExMachina: Cas turns up and heals all the damage done during the fight. Perhaps in reference to this trope, Dean asks if he's God.
84	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: "Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?"
85	** BlatantLies: "Uh...no?"
86	** Bobby shoots the Devil, then shrugs as if to say, "Well, yeah, I knew that wasn't going to work either..."
87	* DrowningMySorrows: After the gamble fails and Lucifer successfully takes control of Sam's body, Castiel loses all hope and suggests this.
88	-->'''Castiel:''' I suggest we all imbibe copious amounts of alcohol and wait for the inevitable blast wave.\
89	'''Dean:''' Well thanks, [[Creator/CharlesBukowski Bukowski]].
90	* TheDutifulSon: Michael believes he has to kill Lucifer because it is what God would have wanted, calling himself "a good son".
91	* TheEnd: Chuck ends his story with these words. He subverts and plays with it, noting that "Nothing ever really ends".
92	* TheEndOrIsIt: In the very last scene, Dean is having dinner with his old flame and her son, settling down to the normal life he promised Sam. [[WhamShot Pan out the window to Sam]], standing under a streetlight watching, [[CliffHanger aaaaand...credits roll]].
93	* EvilIsDeathlyCold: Lucifer shows this trope, freezing a window with his breath, and states "Sorry if it's a bit chilly. Most people think I burn hot. It's actually quite the opposite."
94	** This is perhaps a ShoutOut to Dante's ''[[Literature/TheDivineComedy Inferno]]'', which rather famously features a frozen Hell that gets colder the closer one gets to Lucifer at the center.
95	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Lucifer tries to talk his brother Michael out of fighting him, pointing out they don't have to do so simply because God laid down the rules an eternity ago.
96	* FantasticRacism: Michael showcases the angelic attitude to humans when he calls Dean a "[[PitifulWorms little maggot]]".
97	* AFriendInNeed: Dean refuses to let Sam [[DyingAlone die alone]].
98	* {{Foreshadowing}}: A rather blatant case [[RewatchBonus the seconding viewing through]], but: "This is the stuff that's important."
99	* {{God}}: Chuck is strongly implied to be God at the end.
100	* GodWasMyCopilot:
101	** Implied. After averting the apocalypse, one of the last shots we're treated to is "The Prophet Chuck", who had unwittingly used his powers to write a series of books about the Winchesters, ending his last book with a soliloquy about how hard it is to write a satisfying ending. He decides that sometimes it's better if things don't really end, ''per se'', then smiles and disappears into thin air. Near halfway through the same episode, he is seen calling a "Mistress Magda," a reference to Mary Magdalene who is believed by some to be a) an adulteress/prostitute and b) the wife/consort of Jesus.
102	** Also played with mere moments before it's played straight. After Castiel shows up and heals Dean, Dean asks if he's God. His response is "That's a nice compliment, but no."
103	* GotMeDoingIt: When [[SpockSpeak Cas]] torches Michael, he says "Hey, assbutt!", something (he thinks) Dean would say.
104	-->'''Dean:''' Assbutt?
105	* HealingHands: When Cas is restored as an angel at the end, he heals Dean's wounds and resurrects Bobby.
106	* HopeSpot: It seems like Sam has retained control of his body after he merged with Lucifer, and prepares to jump into the Cage. Then Lucifer reveals that he was just toying with Dean, and that Sam never stood a chance.
107	* HourglassPlot: In the "Pilot" and other early episodes Sam wanted a normal life, while Dean was a committed hunter who seemed to believe he was destined to die young. This episode ends with Sam "dying" young, and Dean settling into a normal life with Lisa and Ben.
108	* HumanityEnsues: Castiel became human in the previous episode. He shows further signs of this when he's sleeping in the back of the Impala on the way to Lucifer, which Sam notes is something angels plain don't do. ("Angels don't sleep.")
109	* IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight: Averted. Dean tries to reach Sam while Lucifer is possessing his brother, but it's not an example of this trope, because Dean's not fighting.
110	* ImmuneToBullets: When Dean shot Nick!Lucifer with the Colt, it didn't hurt him but it did knock him out for a minute. When Bobby shoots Sam!Lucifer(the true vessel), the Colt does absolutely nothing except get his attention.
111	* ImplausibleDeniability: In plain view of everyone, Castiel hits Michael with flaming sacred oil.
112	-->'''Lucifer:''' ''[incredulous]'' Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?\
113	'''Castiel:''' Um...''[[BlatantLies no]]''.
114	* LudicrousGibs: This time, we actually see Castiel explode from an angel smiting. And he does indeed explode [[Recap/SupernaturalS05E01SympathyForTheDevil like a water balloon of chunky soup.]]
115	* MadonnaWhoreComplex: Dean accuses Chuck of having this.
116	-->"You really got a whole virgin-hooker thing going on, dontcha?"
117	* TheManInTheMirrorTalksBack: Satan has [[DemonicPossession possessed Sam's body]] and has a conversation with Sam's otherwise buried consciousness by using Sam's body to talk into a mirror.
118	* MolotovCocktail: Castiel throws a Molotov cocktail of holy fire at Michael, temporarily banishing the archangel from the fight zone. This allows Dean enough time to try to reach Sam.
119	* MindOverMatter: Lucifer snaps Bobby's neck with a mere hand gesture.
120	* MostWritersAreWriters: The episode is framed with Chuck's attempt to write a satisfying conclusion to the story of the Winchesters.
121	* NeckSnap: Lucifer kills Bobby this way.
122	* NeverMyFault: Lucifer blames anyone but himself for being evil, up to and including God. Michael lampshades this trope when Lucifer tries to convince his brother to join him against God:
123	-->'''Michael:''' You haven't changed a bit, little brother. Always blaming everybody but yourself.
124	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: When Dean interrupts his plans, Lucifer unleashes a brutal beating on Dean, which he says he will relish and perform slowly, while Sam will be ForcedToWatch.
125	* NoSell: Lucifer takes it even further than he did in [[Recap/SupernaturalS05E10AbandonAllHope "Abandon All Hope..." (S05, E10)]]. In his True Vessel (Sam), he's completely immune to the Colt, [[DownplayedTrope and it only affects Sam's body(which Lucifer can of course fix with no problem)]].
126	* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou[=/=]HypocriticalHeartwarming: After Castiel banishes Michael, Lucifer angrily states that "nobody dicks with Michael but ''me''". Then Michael tries to stop Sam from hurling himself into Hell.
127	* ParentalAbandonment: Lucifer, Michael, and the rest of the angels were abandoned by God, their father. Michael blames Lucifer for it, but Lucifer maintains that God did it freely.
128	* ThePowerOfLove: Sam's fond memories of the life he's spent with Dean is what allows him to retake control of his body.
129	* ThePromise: Sam forces Dean to promise him that he will live a normal life after Sam has jumped into the Cage with Lucifer. Dean keeps his word, and joins up with Lisa and Ben. Then it turns out that Sam has returned.
130	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[ExaggeratedTrope Exaggerated]], in that Sam has to end up with a fate even worse than permanent death to atone for starting the Apocalypse. He will be trapped in Lucifer's Cage with an archangel that will torture him until the end of time.
131	* {{Satan}}: Satan, the BigBad of the entire series until now, is the main villain of this episode.
132	* SeriesFauxnale[=/=]SeasonFinale: This specific episode was intended to be the GrandFinale to ''Supernatural'' altogether. It ended up concluding the storyline set up across this season and the first four, and series creator Creator/EricKripke resigned from the show, but ''Supernatural'' ended up continuing with a new executive producer for ''ten'' more seasons, with new stories.
133	* ShapedLikeItself:
134	-->'''Lucifer:''' If I win...well, then I win.
135	* ShoutOut
136	** Lucifer quotes a line from the Devil Went Down to Georgia right as he's about to possess Sam.
137	--->'''Lucifer:''' I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than youuuuu.
138	** In what also serves as a [[ContinuityNod Continuity Nod]], Lucifer when seeing the effects of Sam drinking demon's blood, says "Chock full of Ovaltine, are we?". Azazel [[Recap/SupernaturalS04E03InTheBeginning also compared]] demon's blood to Ovaltine.
139	* StatusQuoIsGod: Castiel gets his full powers back. And Sam is back from the dead.
140	* StealthHiBye
141	* TonightSomeoneDies: The official summary of the episode is quite upfront about how "a beloved character faces death".
142	* TooDumbToLive: InUniverse, Lucifer considers Dean interrupting his fight with Michael as, even for Dean, a "whole new mountain of stupid".
143	* VillainsNeverLie: Lucifer maintains this.
144	-->'''Lucifer:''' I've never lied to you Sam--you can at least pay me the same respect.
145	* WhamEpisode
146	* WhereItAllBegan: The fight between Lucifer and Michael will take place just outside of Lawrence, Kansas, where Sam and Dean were born. Chuck lampshades it.
147	* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Completely averted. Lucifer immediately kills Castiel and Bobby (who actually does shoot him) after they try to stop him. He beats Dean to a bloody mess instead of killing him outright, but only because he wants both Dean and Sam to feel it.
148	* YouMonster: Michael has this retort to Lucifer when his younger brother tries to persuade him to walk away one last time.
149	-->'''Michael:''' You are a monster, Lucifer. And I have to kill you.

Context Recap / SupernaturalS05E22SwanSong