Like Castiel on the road, I’ll just wait here for the second half of season 11. Unlike Castiel, I will share my thoughts with you just a bit as Sam and Lucifer share the Cage ,Dean tries to figure out his connection to Amara, Castiel determines how to face his fear, and Rowena and Crowley plot for their own betterment in an unpredictable new order.
Unlike the end of season 5, season 11 begins during the same time period as the end of season 10. No time has passed and the brothers are together although each experiences the arrival of THE DARKNESS in his own way.The MOC and demon Dean issues have been resolved but this time both brothers are responsible for the new menace to the world as we know it. Like season 6, main arcs have been resolved and we start anew.
In season 6, souless Sam and Mother Eve, dragons and all dominate. The levi breaking in Sam’s head and Padalecki’s performances as souless Sam are outstanding, but season 6 has some episodes that left me wondering what the ______(fill in your own word)! Season 6 has Dean working with Death to save Sam and offers Jensen some emotional moments, but the rift between the main characters starts to surface as distrust. Crowley becomes more prominent and not so willing to help the Winchesters as he and Castiel work together to re-establish the order There is discord not only in Sam’s noggin but also between the characters.
On the other hand, season 11 puts the brothers back together as a team where their individual stories collide. Where season 6 keeps the prospect of cheating Death alive and pushes the natural order of things as central themes, season 11 removes the prospect of boys cheating the new Death, Billie, and offers a new order of things as hinted by the arrival of Amara and her view of the order if she has her way. Dean’s destiny is possibly re-set and one wonders if Dean will re-instate team free will as he seems to be somewhat chained by Amara, or will he always end up facing off against Lucifer as predicted in that Garden scene in “The End” and championing Amara? At the moment. in season 11, there is less possibility of surviving this calamity unscathed and a less hopeful mood as Dean and Sam try to rectify what they brought back from oblivion.
So as seasons 5 and 10 end major arcs, seasons 6 and 11 restart the series with new parameters. These writing choices keep the series fresh and the characters interesting. Certainly Crowley and Castiel have grown in their respective relationships with the brothers. Crowley walks a fine line and has made his intentions clear that the boys are on his to do list. Castiel has been benched for the first half of the season and one hopes just as with season 6, his choices will spice up the second half of season 11. At this point, the hope is that unlike season6, the writing continues to bring out the best story lines with the most inspired acting choices. So far, my disappointment has been limited to one episode and even that had some redeeming points, especially the direction by Jensen. Hoping this is not the end, but the revitalization of Supernatural. Long may it continue.
So I’ll just wait here. Glad to have ya’ll waiting with me on the road.
Congratulations to Jensen Ackles for winning the People’s Choice award for best actor in a scify television series! Demon Dean seems to have moved the vote.
A Blog devoted to J2 and Friends! 
And yet Grandpa Campbell has been seen on set. The actor does a bang up job of making us not like him, unlike Grandad Winchester.
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Me too, but wasn’t their talking of him seen on set? There is something about the actor in general that I can’t warm too. He’s been on other stuff and even recently on Dallas and again played the part of a horrible character. He seems to take on these familiar parts that of the bad guy. I never forgave Samuel for shafting his own grandsons and sending them down the river. Mary would have been so angry he she had come back and found out.
B xx
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Perhaps Mary had her father’s gene for selling out the boys. He sold out the brothers, but she sold out Sam. an innocent baby not even conceived. Yes, she had to save John or we would not have our story, but that idea of selling out for one’s own benefit- don’t see it in the Winchesters so that must be from Henry’s altruistic side of the family.
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I was never very keen on Mitch or the Campbells. I think Sera’s whole reign felt disjointed that I remember reading that she was only writing per episode rather than a main story arc. I think 7 was handled much better than 6 but there were some great stand alones for S6. Soulless Sam, Domesticated Dean, The Campbells, Cas and Bobbies Deaths, The Impala off the road for nearly a whole season were a bit much to take. Sera was a superb writer, but lacked that certain something to be a show-runner. Carver is developing that much more, and is pulling out some great cohesive storylines and clever plot twists. Sam not looking for Dean was his biggest ever mistake, but even this was rectified. Although however, Sam has to do something good, in order to create another catastrophe. I agree with Virile Dean had nothing to do with realising the Darkness, I feel as much as I love Sam this was all on him. Dean however, took on the Mark of Cain which snowballed into this latest danger. So technically I guess they both hold that cross and bear it.
B xxx
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Great points, Bella.
I didn’t care for the Campbells, but then again, I thought the first half of season 6 was pretty terrible. Domesticated!Dean was unnecessary, Soulless!Sam still makes me angry, and Bobby’s death destroyed something fundamental in the show and created problems we’re still dealing with.
I also agree that season 7 was much better. I’ve said countless times on IMDb, Sera was a boring showrunner because she sucked the soul out of the show, but Carver, while never boring and quite innovative, is just offensive. He introduced a lot of great elements but there’s something selfish and self-centered about his vision that ruins his showrunning.
He doesn’t care about canon, continuity, characterization and has very little respect for the story that was told by others before him. He used Sam and Dean as mannequins and had them enact stories that had nothing to do with who they are.
The fact that he had Sam not look for Dean is an abomination, plain and simple. His vendetta towards the brother bond had me wondering if the real Carver’s been kidnapped and if we’re now stuck with his evil shapeshifter. In all honesty, I think he was a good writer under Kripke because Kripke had a clear vision and demanded his writers follow it. Kripke’s comments about the way he was shutting down pitches about angels left and right tells me he had no problem putting his foot down when it came to the scripts that were submitted to him and that he monitored the writing closely.
¨I agree with Virile Dean had nothing to do with realising the Darkness, I feel as much as I love Sam this was all on him.¨
I don’t understand why everyone keep accusing Dean. He took on the Mark, yes, but in order to pay for that crime without releasing a bigger evil he was ready to launching himself into fudging SPACE!!! Releasing The Darkness was ALL ON Sam. If Dean bears all the blame for Gadreel, Amara is all on Sam.
I think it’s fantastic that Sam rid Dean of the mark, consequences be damned. That’s what I’ve always wanted him to do. Show that he cared more about Dean then whatever mess would come from his choice of saving Dean. I don’t understand why the writers now have Sam putting half the blame on Dean. I hate to say it, but this is one of the things Sam haters loathe about him. OWN YOUR CRAP 100%, especially given the way he treats Dean when he’s mad at Dean’s decisions (see season 9 and I’m disowning you because you saved my life by having me possessed by angel).
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” don’t understand why everyone keep accusing Dean. He took on the Mark, yes, but in order to pay for that crime without releasing a bigger evil he was ready to launching himself into fudging SPACE!!! Releasing The Darkness was ALL ON Sam. If Dean bears all the blame for Gadreel, Amara is all on Sam.
I think it’s fantastic that Sam rid Dean of the mark, consequences be damned. That’s what I’ve always wanted him to do. Show that he cared more about Dean then whatever mess would come from his choice of saving Dean. I don’t understand why the writers now have Sam putting half the blame on Dean. I hate to say it, but this is one of the things Sam haters loathe about him. OWN YOUR CRAP 100%, especially given the way he treats Dean when he’s mad at Dean’s decisions (see season 9 and I’m disowning you because you saved my life by having me possessed by angel).”
THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ^
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LOL! Makes your blood boil doesn’t it, The way Dean’s mess is his mess but Sam’s mess is THEIR mess. Pfff.
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Family takes on other family member’s messes.
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Absolutely, as they should. I’m all for them facing whatever mess one or the two of them make together. That’s not my point. My point is Dean has to shoulder the blame of his mistakes alone while Sam gets to blame Dean for things Sam did all by himself.
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I see what you are saying. Dean has always had to clean up other folks’ crap. His Dad’s, Sammy’s. That is who Dean is as a character perhaps to a fault. I get what you are saying and see it as well.
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True, it is a big part of the character. Even Sam mentioned that he never realized how long Dean had been cleaning up Dad’s messes in Dark Side of the Moon.
Thank you for getting the conversation going with your piece by the way, Deb! 🙂
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I think we needed to see that Dean could not be domesticated. It better defined some of the choices he makes as a man. He was becoming John and that is one thing he did not want to happen.That frightened Dean and then he knew he had to let go. In “appointment at Samara” Dean leaves the letter to Ben in case of his own death. At that point, he still considered Ben his family more than Sam. Domesticated Dean could only keep that up but he was a hunter down deep and he came to that realization. I give credit to Carver who sent Sam into domestication with Amelia. It was an uncomfortable few episodes, but it gave Sam time to make a choice as well and to come to accept who he is- a hunter. His quest for a normal life is something he now knows is a child’s dream. In defense of Sam, in season 8, he did say he tried to find Dean but there were no clues and Carver gave the character an opportunity to make a choice about being in the life. There was no chemistry between AMelia and Sam and perhaps that was because both characters were broken, but it lead to dead parts in episodes although the lighting contrasted the choices beautifully.
Sometimes, writers create the split in characters to give them an opportunity to grow as individuals. It didn’t work, but Carver was brave. We were rewarded by scripts that worked both characters together and alone leading up to season 11 which so far has been solid.
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“In defense of Sam, in season 8, he did say he tried to find Dean but there were no clues ”
I don’t remember that at all. Sam basically said they made a promise not to look and he didn’t, which is a bunch of cow dung to me. In the 7 years this show has been on, the Winchesters have vanished into thin air countless times and they’ve always looked for each other.
Carver just sacrificed Sam’s character to push his boring Samelia story which he presented as an incredible romance. Even Jared felt the heat and the backlash against Sam who appeared callous and borderline cruel to many of us. He disavowed the Samelia storyline after the fact and said in convention that Sam not looking made no sense.
It’s all about tastes and I understand you find Carver work positive. I respect that. He was a horrible showrunner to me and seasons 8 and 9 are an abomination when it comes to Sam’s characterization and the brother bond. I don’t think Carver did a good job at all. The only time I gave up on this show and stopped watching was when Carver came on. Based on his interviews in the season 7 to 8 hiatus, I knew he was on a mission to destroy everything I loved about Supernatural and didn’t watch season 8 live. I marathoned it after the end and found I made the right choice because the first half of it was down right unbearable. Carver was justifiably racked over the coals by critics and fans alike and he’s course corrected since then. I WILL give him credit for that. I.m the first one to sing his praises over seasons 10 and 11. 8 and 9 were failures to me.
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Purgatory though….that was inspired and could have been so good……
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Aaahhh… I’m very much in the minority when it comes to this. I’m the only Dean girl I know who didn’t like Purgatory.
Jensen being a badass never gets old to me, don’t get me wrong, but Dean running in the woods didn’t do much for me. I like Benny, a lot, I deeply enjoy what he brought to the show post-Purgatory, and he was the delicious icing on the sundae that made ‘Werther Project” my last perfect 10 episode.
I didn’t care for the Castiel-related angst, the monotone setting. I just wasn’t for me. I much prefer Cain!Dean when it comes to Dean’s storylines. It’s my all-time favorite at this point and the one stellar thing to come out of the abyss of depression that was the second half of season 9. Imo of course 😉
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I loved Purgatory and i loved Benny. Dean finally had a friend!
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I do love Benny. I was sad to see him go.
The writing was on the wall when they started focusing on how hard it was for him to survive on Earth. I was so happy to see him again in Werther. I wish he’d come back but I don’t have much hope.
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Werther may have been my favorite episode of the season!
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Ugh, it was amazing in every way! I looooove Cuthbert. Love the flashback to the MOL. Rowena was cute as a button, and don’t get me started on how AWESOME Sam and Dean were, separately and as a team. Even the guest character, Suzie, rose to the occasion. Standing ovation ❤
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I also applaud the director-I was actually scared for Sam and Dean! And I certainly didnt see the twist with Rowena coming! Great episode.
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Also thought Benny was a plot devise and used to parallel Dean’s difficulty readjusting to life as well as a device to get Sam out of Purgatory when AJAy was ganked by Crowley. Felt sort of Meh about Benny.
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I really enjoyed Benny. Its a pity they had Martin ruin it for him-he was living a happy life till Sam brought Martin into it, and thats when he started having a hard time in this world.
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THought Purgatory would have been more interesting than Samelia. The art design and lighting in Purgatory scenes are amazing. Purgatory story line cut short. Dean with PTSD was amazing performance by Ackles. Samelia’s contrast of lighting and scenery just made it all the worse. Benny- not so much a fan.
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“Dean with PTSD was amazing performance by Ackles”
The scene where hes looking at the vending machine and is overcome and when hes so thrilled with the burger-its a treasure-were wonderfully done.
I loved the visuals of purgatory.
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Impulsivity is a shared WInchester trait. Dean used to be more strategic but since his MOC decision he seems more so. Sam has always been more impulsive and emotional. Shared responsibility just like Jared and Jensen share the responsibility of the show leads. Real life- characters’ lives.
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¨this time both brothers are responsible for the new menace to the world as we know it¨
Dean was ready to launch himself in space to prevent The Darkness from being released. It was Sam’s decision alone to release her. Dean asked him several times not to do it.
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Yes. But initially it was Dean’s decision to take the MOC to go after Abaddon, then Sam tried to save Dean from the mark, so they both have ownership of the problem. Sam pushing Rowena for the spell let the darkness out, but Dean also opted to let it happen by not being banished and saving Sam from Death. I still think Death wanted Sam for his own as he was snarky about Sam standing him up last time.
And round and round we go. Love it! I like that the boys are united against a common enemy, but think they will diverge since Amara has this relationship with Dean. I go back to the comment Sam made in “Baby” to Dean about wanting more, not marriage, but something with someone in the life. Just wonder if this statement is one of those droplets from the writers.
Jared was given the lead and Jensen the side kick role. It has morphed into a shared responsibility. SPN has mirrored reality….again.
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I just disagree that Dean shares responsibility for this. No one says that Sam is partly responsible for him ending up being possessed by Gadreel, yet, he chose/accepted to live in “Sacrifice” when Dean asked him to. Does it means he somehow accepted the cure, whatever the cure was? He sure put all the blame on Dean rhogh. It’s just about fairness to me.
“I like that the boys are united against a common enemy, but think they will diverge since Amara has this relationship with Dean.”
I also love that they’re both focused on the Big Bad instead of bickering at each other, which I hate.
“I go back to the comment Sam made in “Baby” to Dean about wanting more, not marriage, but something with someone in the life. Just wonder if this statement is one of those droplets from the writers.”
I have to say, I don’t know if this ties in to the Amara storyline. I felt that Sam was projecting there since he’s the one always going back in forth between wanting normal and being committed to the hunt. Dean doesn’t hate the idea of normal. Far from it. He just made peace with the fact that it’s not in the cards for him.
Jensen has said in convention that the only companion Dean wants is Sam (ity was question about Dean finding someone to share his life with). I don’t think it’s just an opinion. Dean has said several times in season 8 and after that his place is next to Sam on the road. He already has that hunter who knows about the life and shares the day-to-day with him. He’s not the one who’s eternally unsatisfied with what he has and looking for some unattainable ideal.
I’m all for Amara and Dean having some strange romance. I’ve clamoring for it since the premiere. I don’t however think it stems from some deep need in Dean. Their bond is supernatural, which means it was created by an external force which is the Mark. That totally works for me and I’d give a lot for them to end up consummating whatever they have going on. But that’s simply because I want Dean to get some loving, and the ego boost of being pursued by God Female basically lol. Doesn’t get any better than that. You know you’re hot stuff when God 2.0 chooses you as her consort :DD
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I agree with almost everything you said. I have bad feelings about Dean/Amara romance. I am afraid they are going to play it out that Dean has no consent in it-under her thrall or whatever you want to call it. THAT would NOT make me happy.
However if it was-well Dean you have to have sex with Amara to save the world-Ok I’ll do it…then I am all for it 🙂
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Hehe! Have sex with her and save the world. Dean’s done it for less. No, but seriously, I hear you. I know the consent issues are important to many viewers..
On my end, I tend to disassociate Supernatural from my real world principles. The things I love the most about the show stem from the fact that top-shelve demons are more endearing than angels, and that two brothers are so unhealthily attached to each other that they’d burn the world to keep each other, or, trick their brother into being saved against his will, consent be damned lol.
I love it. I’d take out a restraining order on anyone who’d try that in real life. I eat it up in literary form, so for me, if Amara is so crazy about Dean that she wants him by any means necessary, I’m here with my popcorn, ready for the messiness that is sure to ensue. The messier, the better lmao ;D
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* shelf
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Being taken without consent…..Sam/gadreel- Dean has gone there for others but I still am uncomfortable with the sexual explotation without consent.
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There were some episodes I loved in season 6-but a lot that I didn’t love. I am/was not a fan of the Campbell storyline (boring). However I am enjoying this season.I like that the boys are pretty much on the same page so far. I love Rowena but she cant be trusted at all-time for her to meet her end.
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Thanks for weighing in on this season! The Campbell story line was mishandled in my opinion. It feels forced despite Mitch Peliggi’s portrayal. But as the character is Mary’s Dad, he is kept within the profile of a badass hunter, who in season 6 is about 89 years old and refurbished by Crowley to hunt Alphas. It is all about the Alphas and Mother Eve. Samuel is a plot device without much dimension.It might have been drawn a bit more interesting if the episodes had time, but alas, so much to squeeze into a year and SPN has one of the longest orders for episodes on T.V. As Dads go, Samuel was brought up as a hard nosed hunter. The Winchester line- Henry and John were not born into the life and so their characters appear to be more multi-dimensional( no pun intended). Even John shows a variety of emotions. Samuel is focused on the promise of seeing Mary again. His grandsons hold no interest for him. Blood does not make him family. His namesake, Sam, is the complete opposite when he has a soul.
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“The Campbell story line was mishandled in my opinion. It feels forced despite Mitch Peliggi’s portrayal. ”
Yes this ^
I felt no pity/empathy for him at all. So I couldn’t have cared less about his storyline. I think even the Eve storyline was mishandled. It could have been much better. Maybe the season had too many plotlines that didn’t really intersect all that much?
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I agree. That is the show runner’s department. Sera Gamble now runs a new show called “The Magicians” at scify channel. Not sure if I will try it out just because, but maybe she learned a few things during season 6 as what not to do to multiple characters and multiple plot lines. What if Grandpa Campbell comes back season 11 ?
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I have my DVR set to tape Magicians-I will certainly give it a chance.
OH I would hate grandpa Campbell coming back-i was thrilled when his character bit the dust.
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Honestly, if I never see Grandpa Campbell again, that’ll be too soon. Henry can visit anytime though lol!
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