The Supernatural Season 8 Finale is right around the corner. An episode entitled, “Sacrifice.” And while I have been mostly ECSTATIC about this year in SPN, I feel like there are a few things I need in order to make it right. I am in no way, under any kind of delusion that even half of my demands will be met. But, it’s always better to fill your boat with wishes instead of rocks, right? And my boat is FULL of wishes. My top ten:

1.) I want to see at least one of my favorite Dean shirts. I’m sure you all know which ones I’m talking about (see right). Both of them have made several S8 appearances. The black & gold one is my old school fave, dating all the way back to Season 2. The multi-color is new and stunning. It should stay forever. No shirt, is always preferable but, these two are the best options if a shirt MUST be worn. I really don’t feel like I’m asking too much here.

2.) I do not want the gates of hell closed just yet. I know this has been the major goal since Kevin first read the tablet, and I know that maybe I did want it closed at one point. REALLY wanted it. But I’ve thought about it and I have changed my mind. This show, our boys, are tied too tightly to the demons. It was a demon who started their story, their journey, in the first place. However, I do want an acceptable reason to why the gate will not be closed at this time. And I am hoping this team of writers can give us a great reason that we’ll need to put off the gate closing for a little bit longer.

3.) I hate to say it, but Crowley must go. I’m not sure I ever thought I would want that. I love Mark Sheppard. To no end. And Crowley has been one of the most fun, scary, interesting, flexible characters Supernatural has ever seen. Still. It’s his time. Threatening to eradicate the Winchesters’ life work? To undo everything they have done? To trivialize and make meaningless, every. Single. Sacrifice? They have given up absolutely everything. Their safety. Their happiness. Their lives. EACH OTHER. Many times over. And to have it mean NOTHING?? To negate the meaning of every last injury and heart break? That would be the most devastating thing of all. Sorry, Crowley, but this has to mean goodbye. Being Supernatural and all, I am sure we will see you again someday. In the mean time, Abaddon is probably out and about looking for a job. I can think of a possible opening.

4.) I want to see Sam find a means of recovery. Or an idea of how to get better. Even if they fail the trials or decide not to finish them. Maybe there is a loophole Kevin missed? Sam must live and with the possibility of health. We all love big brother/caretaker Dean but he cannot make and serve soup for the rest of his life. I mean, he can, but only because he wants to. Not because he has to. Are there repercussions for starting the trials but not finishing them? Is there a way to delay without Sam suffering every moment until they are actually closed?

5.) I may be too lame and too late to ask, but I would love an explanation of how the boys have all of a sudden visited the Grand Canyon. Or, who that guy was who was standing outside of Sam & Amelia’s place in the season premiere (was it really just her long lost husband?). And why was there an Amelia in the first place? I want to be okay with the explanation we were given for Sam refusing to look for Dean, but I am not okay with  it, at all, to be honest. I just feel like we are owed a bit better explanation of these things. No one depends on completion and continuity like SPN fans do.

6.) I want to see Cas and Metatron put their plan to close Heaven into action. And I want it to be made clear that we can trust Metatron. Because I really want to. Though, with this show, you never can tell. If they do close the gates of heaven, what will that mean for Earth-living angels like Cas and Metatron? Is there any way closing the gates of heaven could mean the return or Balthazar and/or Gabriel? Also, what will happen to Naomi?  And shouldn’t closing the gates of Heaven require Dean’s involvement in the trials? They need a warrior, he is tied to Heaven.  It only makes sense.

7.) After Supernatural book references from both Charlie and Crowley this season, I am going to go ahead and demand an update/confirmation on the fate of Chuck. LOVE Chuck! NEED Chuck. Between Cas’ off handed statement of his death and the boys’ emotionless acceptance and/or dismissal of that news, I am unwilling to let go. I need a story. I need to see his face again. Endings are hard. It’s even harder when you don’t get one.

8.) I know that we will get to hear “Carry On Wayward Son” on Wednesday. And even though it means the end of another season and the beginning of another hiatus, I cannot wait to hear it. I look forward to it every year. This song is our anthem and it means so very much to all of us. But… if it’s not asking too much, would it be possible to squeeze one more classic rock jam into the episode? It’s one of the things I miss the most from the earlier seasons. This show would never be the same without Foreigner and Boston and AC/DC. I think we’ve earned at least one more of THOSE. And how perfect would “All Along the Watchtower” be for this show?

9.) I want the return of the Samulet, and I want it NOW. Jensen mentioned at a recent convention that it could come back with the right story. S8 has been chock full of throw backs and GREAT stories. I don’t see how they can’t make two minutes for this VERY IMPORTANT thing to make its re-entry into the Supernatural universe. The brothers seem to be on the same, honest, supportive, loving, page. For the first time in a long time. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful, emotional, perfect, l thing, for Sam to re-gift this symbol of love, back to his brother? Who wouldn’t love to see that beautiful thing, at home around Dean’s neck, once again.

10.) One of the things I’d love most to see would be Sam, Dean and Cas, working together. Saving People. Hunting things. The resurrection of Team Free Will is far over due. Especially if we are expecting Cas to be with us full time next season. No secrets. No lies. No agendas. Just three, hard working warriors, teaming up to make the world better. There are a lot of hatchets to bury, but if anyone has cemetery experience, it’s these guys.

Don’t miss my recap of the Supernatural season 8 finale, Wednesday night at TheTelevixen.com.

One of my favorite attributes in a person is their sense of humor. If we can share genuine laughs together, we are pretty much guaranteed a friendship. My humor tends to be very dry, sarcastic and a little dark. Given this information I think it’s no surprise my pick for favorite male character: Dean Winchester from Supernatural.

I could come up with a big list of all the reasons that I think Dean is spectacular but I’m not really feeling that right now. Instead I just want to share my favorite GIFs of him, because they makes me smile. I was going to do one from each episode but that would be insane because there have been 171 episodes and I’m too lazy. Or am I? Enjoy!

1.1 “Pilot”

1.2 “Wendigo”

1.3 “Dead in the Water”

1.4 “Phantom Traveler”

1.5 “Bloody Mary”

1.6 “Skins”

1.7 “Hook Man”

1.10 “Asylum”

1.11 “Scarecrow”

1.13 “Route 666″

1.14 “Nightmare”

1.15 “The Benders”

1.17 “Hell House”

1.18 “Something Wicked”

1.19 “Provenance”

1.22 “Devil’s Trap”

2.2 “Everybody Loves a Clown”

2.3 “Bloodlust”

2.4 “Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things”

2.5 “Simon Said”

2.6 “No Exit”

2.7 “The Usual Suspects”

2.8 “Crossroad Blues”

2.9 “Croatoan”

2.11 “Playthings”

2.12 “Nightshifter”

2.13 “Houses of the Holy”

2.14 “Born Under a Bad Sign”

2.15 “Tall Tales”

2.16 “Roadkill”

2.18 “Hollywood Babylon”

2.19 “Folsom Prison Blues”

2.20 “What Is and What Should Never Be”

2.21 “All Hell Breaks Loose (Part 1)”

2.22 “All Hell Breaks Loose (Part 2)”

3.1 “The Magnificent Seven”

3.3 “Bad Day at Black Rock”

3.4 “Sin City”

3.5 “Bedtime Stories”

3.6 “Red Sky at Morning”

3.7 “Fresh Blood”

3.8 “A Very Supernatural Christmas”

3.9 “Malleus Maleficarum”

3.10 “Dream a Little Dream of Me”

3.11 “Mystery Spot”

3.12 “Jus in Bello”

3.13 “Ghostfacers”

3.14 “Long Distance Call”

3.15 “Time Is on My Side”

3.16 “No Rest for the Wicked”

4.1 “Lazarus Rising”

4.2 “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Dean Winchester”

4.3 “In the Beginning”

4.4 “Metamorphosis”

4.5 “Monster Movie”

4.6 “Yellow Fever”

4.7 “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester”

4.8 “Wishful Thinking”

4.9 “I Know What You Did Last Summer”

4.10 “Heaven and Hell”

4.11 “Family Remains”

4.12 “Criss Angel Is a Douchebag”

4.13 “After School Special”

4.14 “Sex and Violence”

4.17 “It’s a Terrible Life”

4.18 “The Monster at the End of This Book”

4.19 “Jump the Shark”

4.22 “Lucifer Rising”

5.1 “Sympathy for the Devil”

5.2 “Good God, Y’All!”

5.3 “Free to Be You and Me”

5.5 “Fallen Idols”

5.6 “I Believe the Children Are Our Future”

5.7 “The Curious Case of Dean Winchester”

5.8 “Changing Channels”

5.9 “The Real Ghostbusters”

5.10 “Abandon All Hope…”

5.11 “Sam, Interrupted”

5.12 “Swap Meat”

5.13 “The Song Remains the Same”

5.14 “My Bloody Valentine”

5.15 “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”

5.16 “Dark Side of the Moon”

5.17 “99 Problems”

5.18 “Point of No Return”

5.19 “Hammer of the Gods”

5.20 “The Devil You Know”

5.21 “Two Minutes to Midnight”

6.1 “Exile on Main St.”

6.2 “Two and a Half Men”

6.3 “The Third Man”

6.4 “Weekend at Bobby’s”

6.5 “Live Free or TwiHard”

6.6 “You Can’t Handle the Truth”

6.8 “All Dogs Go to Heaven”

6.9 “Clap Your Hands If You Believe…”

6.10 “Caged Heat”

6.11 “Appointment in Samarra”

6.13 “Unforgiven”

6.14 “Mannequin 3: The Reckoning”

6.15 “The French Mistake”

6.16 “…And Then There Were None”

6.17 “My Heart Will Go On”

6.18 “Frontierland”

6.19 “Mommy Dearest”

7.2 “Hello, Cruel World”

7.3 “The Girl Next Door”

7.4 “Defending Your Life”

7.5 “Shut Up, Dr. Phil”

7.6 “Slash Fiction”

7.7 “The Mentalists”

7.8 “Season 7, Time for a Wedding!”

7.9 “How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters”

7.11 “Adventures in Babysitting”

7.12 “Time After Time”

7.13 “The Slice Girls”

7.14 “Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie”

7.15 “Repo Man”

7.16 “Out with the Old”

7.18 “Party on, Garth”

7.19 “Of Grave Importance”

7.20 “The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo”

7.21 “Reading Is Fundamental”

7.22 “There Will Be Blood”

7.23 “Survival of the Fittest”

8.1 “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

8.2 “What’s Up, Tiger Mommy?”

8.3 “Heartache”

8.4 “Bitten”

8.5 “Blood Brother”

8.6 “Southern Comfort”

8.7 “A Little Slice of Kevin”

8.8 “Hunteri Heroici”

8.9 “Citizen Fang”

8.10 “Torn and Frayed”

8.11 “LARP and the Real Girl”

8.12 “As Time Goes By”

8.13 “Everybody Hates Hitler”

8.14 “Trial and Error”

8.15 “Man’s Best Friend with Benefits”

8.16 “Remember the Titans”

8.17 “Goodbye Stranger”

8.18 “Freaks and Geeks”

8.19 “Taxi Driver”

8.20 “Pac-Man Fever”

8.21 “The Great Escapist”

pimp-stripper-loki:

vchrisi:

#EXCUSE ME WHILE I’M SCREECHING TO DEATH

#SCREAMS #FIRST SUPERWHO #NOW SUPERAVENGE #EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL ONCE MORE

naomster:

vhanstiel:

avatar-alyssa:

Valid

Dean Winchester

jack harkness

Hal Yorke

It’s not even funny anymore :/

I’ve always thought Sam was more forgiving to Cas because, well, he gets it. And I’ve noticed some interesting parallels in their character arcs, but that last episode really made me look at them a bit closer.

Cas and Sam have both been through very similar situations.

Sam trusted a demon (Ruby), wrongly, to help him kill Lilith. While Ruby did, ultimately, help Sam kill Lilith, killing Lilith set about a whole, horrible aftermath (Lucifer’s Cage was opened) and Dean placed the blame almost entirely on Sam for betraying him by trusting Ruby. Sam, being Sam, felt horribly guilty and eventually made the ultimate sacrifice to right his wrong, by jumping into the Cage with Lucifer to put a stop to Armageddon. He was (or at least his soul was) in Hell for a year and a half earth-time, 180 years Hell-time.

Now, let’s look at Cas:

Cas trusted a demon (Crowley), wrongly, to help him open Purgatory. While Crowley did help Cas open Purgatory, opening Purgatory set about a whole, horribly aftermath (the Leviathan were released into the world) and Dean placed the blame almost entirely on Cas for betraying him by trusting Crowley. Cas, being Cas, felt horribly guilty and eventually made the ultimate sacrifice to right his wrong, by taking on Sam’s insanity and brokenness, driving himself insane to save Sam from certain death. He later ends up sucked into Purgatory for a year because he helped Sam and Dean stop Dick Roman (the head of the Leviathan).

When I put it like that, it’s almost impossible not to see why Sam relates so strongly to Cas and why he defends him every single time Cas makes a (completely honest) mistake.

Let’s go a bit deeper though.

What were their motives for trusting Ruby and Crowley? What were their intentions?

Well, Sam wanted to kill Lilith, an evil demon who not only dragged Dean into Hell, but who was actively breaking seals to open Lucifer’s Cage. Sam had no way of knowing Lilith was the final seal. His intentions remained, always, in the right.

Cas made his deal with Crowley because Raphael was waging war in Heaven and he was losing. If Raphael won, he would open the Cage, once more releasing Lucifer and starting the Apocalypse all over again. He needed the souls in Purgatory to give him enough power to defeat Raphael. He had no way of knowing that opening Purgatory would unleash the Leviathan.

Even more interesting, think about this: Pride comes before the fall.

Sam was, near the end of season four and his time with Ruby, addicted to demon’s blood and the power it gave him. He felt invincible, powerful. Stronger than Dean and capable of doing anything. He didn’t only want to kill Lilith – he wanted to show Dean that he was not weak. He wanted to prove something to himself and to Dean. He thought he didn’t need Dean, he thought he didn’t need help and he wanted to do it on his own. He became, basically, prideful, self-righteous and power-hungry. It all culminated in the fight between Sam and Dean and Sam actually having demon-black eyes as he killed Lilith and let the demon’s blood consume him.

Cas was, near the end of season six and his deal with Crowley, becoming just as self-righteous, if not more. He wanted to defeat Raphael, not just to stop Armageddon from happening again but also to prove that he was strong enough to lead the Heavenly Host. He was prideful, he was power-hungry and he let that power go to his head, which resulting in the terrifying God!Cas.

And there are even more parallels in their story lines, involving Dean’s reaction this time.

Dean was adamantly against Sam trusting Ruby. It was a bad idea and he knew it and he was entirely unhappy with it. He felt betrayed and he was angry. However, in the following season, Dean works with Crowley to stop Lucifer in spite of Sam insisting that doing was exactly like what he did with Ruby. You cannot trust demons, according to Dean. Not unless he decides it’s okay.

Dean was vehemently against Cas working with Crowley in season six, going so far as to basically disown Cas for doing so and seeing his involvement and lies as the ultimate betrayal. He was pissed and angry and pretty much told Cas he never wanted to see him again. However, the following season, when they were trying to deal with God!Cas, he is the one who suggested that they go to Crowley for help, which was exactly what he disowned Cas for! Again, it’s only okay to trust demons when Dean says so.

Both Sam and Cas have consistently made mistakes for all the right reasons. They were trying to stop powerful demons or powerful angels from unleashing Hell on earth. They were trying to do the right thing. They were trying to protect the people they care about. They fully took responsibility for their actions and sacrificed themselves as penance for their mistakes.

My point is, they’re very, very similar characters. Which is why, whenever Dean was acting like a total dick to Cas Wednesday night, Sam jumped to defend him.

Sam’s always seem the shades of grey in the world. He wants to see the good in everyone, especially someone like Cas who really was only doing the right thing. Sam, unlike Dean, will take into consideration the motivations and intentions behind someone’s actions.

Dean sees betrayal as betrayal. Everything is black and white. Monsters are evil and deserve to die. People who lie to him, hurt him or don’t trust him when he thinks he should be trusted are simply wrong. He adopted that view from John. John raised them to see the world that way, but Sam, in his stubborn need to not be like John, chose to see it different, while Dean, in his desperate need for John’s approval, chose to see it exactly like that.

I’ve noticed, over the seasons, that they’ve both reached a more middle ground. Sam’s less trusting and less optimistic and, especially lately, Dean’s become more willing to accept the shades of grey he usually refuses to see.

But when it comes to family and friends, he’s still stubborn because family means so much and loyalty means so much that every betrayal hurts. It leaves scars and Dean already has such a low opinion of himself that each breach of trust just cracks his sheild even more. So he reacts viscerally, with anger and violence and unbending stubbornness. And Sam, who’s been where Cas is and sees things from his point of view, reacts with understanding, compassion and open-mindedness.

I just hope Dean’s progress on the road to being more open-minded will continue, because this time I really feel his anger isn’t all the justified. He was so cold to Cas and Cas is trying so hard to do the right thing and to make it up to Dean… I know as a viewer I have a more objective eye on the characters’ motivations and actions, but really, Dean knows about Naomi so I don’t get why he was so angry at Cas. I really want him to lay off the poor guy a bit because Cas doesn’t deserve this and, much as I love Dean, no one really ever calls him out on his hypocrisy and bad attitude.

…So, somehow this post became really analytical feeling. *shrugs* Oh well. The point is, I get why Sam is always defending Cas, I get why Dean gets so angry and I get why Cas does what he does the way he does it.

And also… I am terrified of next Wednesday’s episode. *grabs tissues* I am not going to come out it in one piece.