Yet more thoughts on SPN 15x20
Nov. 28th, 2020 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gryfndor_godessIt's been a week now since the finale aired, and I've gone from finding it more-or-less acceptable to more-or-less loathing it. Dean dying so suddenly (and in such an ignominious way to boot) and leaving Sam spits in the face not only of the S15 arc of escaping Chuck's hamster wheel but also, I think, of the last few seasons to boot. If this finale had aired after S10, coming off the MoC storyline and the Gadreel bullshit, I think I would have found Dean's easy acceptance of death and Sam's easy acceptance of a "normal" life much easier to swallow. But in the last few seasons, Dean hasn't had a death wish, and instead of yearning for a normal life a la "After School Special," Sam has been the one stressing the importance of them being together and dying together. He definitely doesn't yearn for any type of normal that doesn't also include Dean. As someone who faithfully watched every ep of S12-S15, the finale feels like a slap in the face.
I have very mixed feelings about Destiel, especially with all the conspiracy theories and the Spanish dub fiasco. Conspiracy theories aren't funny to me in this age of "fake news" and QAnon, and I feel very sorry for Misha Collins and Bobo Berens. I am not a Destiel shipper, but I can appreciate the beauty of Cas's romantic love for Dean. I am not a Cas fan, but I do think he deserved a better ending (and a large part of the reason I'm not a Cas fan is because I think he was written poorly for YEARS; I think for a good chunk of the show the writers had no idea what to do with him and just kept him around for the fans; if he'd been written with any sort of purpose or consistency in powers, I would probably like him more, and I did in fact like him more in these last few seasons when his arc had actual focus around Jack; Misha and Alexander Calvert were a good pair). I hadn't figured out my sexuality back when I first met Cas c. 2012, and I wonder if I rewatched the show now, knowing I'm queer, if I would feel more fannish toward Destiel. I certainly ship/appreciate other queerbait-y ships like Richard/Gareth from Galavant and Swan Queen from OUAT. I suspect not, though, because I am so passionately devoted to Bela/Dean and Meg/Cas and because I will never, ever, ever forgive the writers/audience/fans for embracing Cas in S4 after hating and getting rid of all the female characters for years. Dean had chemistry with Jo. Dean had chemistry with Bela. Dean had chemistry with Lisa (speaking of, Lisa and Ben weren't even in the 15x19 montage but Asmodeus was?? It's a fucking insult). There were plenty of possible Dean ships that didn't involve incest, but the only one that got traction was with a dude? It wasn't okay for a woman to come between the brothers (or to have screen time at all), but another man could? SMH.
Intellectually, I can appreciate the idea of Destiel for the romantic tropes it played into and how Cas and Dean changed each other, but emotionally, it does jackshit for me. For me, Destiel is basically like Jesus. Objectively speaking, I have no issue with it, but I don't want anything to do with the fandom.
As for 15x18 itself, I have no trouble buying that Cas is romantically in love with Dean, but I think it would have been wildly OOC if Dean had reciprocated in that scene the way a lot of fans wish he had. Given time and the emotional wherewithal/peace to explore, could Dean come to realize that he reciprocates Castiel's romantic love? Sure, I could see that. Had Dean actually had any opportunity for introspection re his sexuality or shown any emotional growth indicating he was ready to say "I love you" back in 15x18? Absolutely not. If Dean had said "I love you" back, that would have been fanservice pure and simple, so I'm very glad, both as a non-shipper and writer, that he did not reciprocate (now, obviously the writers could have set up some introspection re his sexuaity earlier in the season, so this doesn't absolve them from queerbaiting).
I've figured out what I think my happy/preferred ending would be for the finale, one that would show Heaven, bring Cas back, and leave the Destiel issue open for the sake of both shippers and non-shippers. Dean still gets impaled on the rebar, but Sam does actually call 911 and argues when Dean says he's ready to die. Sam points out that they don't know where Dean will go because as far as they know, Heaven doesn't take souls that have been to Hell. Dean still gives his emotional speech and basically flatlines. Dean "wakes up" in Heaven and sees Castiel instead of (or in addition to) Bobby. They have a heartfelt reunion, and Cas explains that Jack saved him from The Empty and that they're rebuilding Heaven. We still find out that Heaven has been fixed and that Dean and Sam will end up there when their journeys are done. But, Cas says, your journey isn't done yet; not because there are more apocalypses waiting for you but because now you get to live your life. I didn't sacrifice myself for you to die a week later. I sacrificed it so you could live. With Sam. Meanwhile, mixed in with this conversation we see shots of an ambulance arriving and paramedics working on Dean; we see him in the ICU and Sam anxiously waiting.
Dean asks Cas if he's coming back, too, and Cas says he will eventually; for now, he's going to keep helping Jack because there are a lot of walls left to knock down in Heaven and a lot of people to reunite. But don't worry, he'll return to Sam and Dean someday. And then, of course, they address Castiel's confession, and Dean says something along the lines of, he loves Cas, too, as family, but he doesn't know if...he's never thought about...Basically, Dean stumbles over what I said above, that he's never considered before whether he could be bisexual and not that he couldn't be, but he doesn't know how to answer Cas now. Cas is loving and accepting and tells him it's okay, they have time; they will have time if Dean takes care of himself and lives. Cas tells him he has to be more careful now because when Chuck was running things, he kept Sam and Dean safe from stupid little things like disease and rebar; with free will comes greater risk now. Dean promises to be careful, they embrace a final time, and then Cas touches his forehead and with a flash, he wakes in the hospital.
Sam is very relieved, and Dean feels a renewed drive to live. He tells Sam what he learned about Heaven and that Cas will come back someday. They discuss that maybe they should take fewer risks now and acknowledge the hunting community that Sam created and led; they can use their resources in the bunker and work with the community to make hunting safer for everyone. They don't say they're going to quit hunting completely, but they acknowledge that they can find a compromise between hunting full-time and starting to actually settle down.
As they're talking, Sam's cell phone rings. It's MARY. Jack brought her back, and she's in the bunker anxiously looking for them. The episode ends with Sam and Dean reuniting with Mary and texting/calling various friends, like Eileen, Donna, and Charlie, so that we the audience get a little closure and know they're alive again (and know that Sam/Eileen is also still on the table). The last shot is probably the initials/names on the table to signify they're a family again and that Cas will be back someday, too.
THE END
Tells us what we need to know about Heaven, leaves both boys alive and TOGETHER, brings back Cas, leaves Destiel on the table, and brings back Mary.
Was that so hard, Dabb & Singer???
I haven't decided yet whether I'll actually write this out as a fic, but this is almost definitely going to be the headcanon I use to tie my existing Dean/Bela AU to as much of canon as possible.
I really hope Jensen's "jokes" comes true and that they do do a revival in 5 years. Dean, Sam, and Cas all deserved better than 15x20.
I have very mixed feelings about Destiel, especially with all the conspiracy theories and the Spanish dub fiasco. Conspiracy theories aren't funny to me in this age of "fake news" and QAnon, and I feel very sorry for Misha Collins and Bobo Berens. I am not a Destiel shipper, but I can appreciate the beauty of Cas's romantic love for Dean. I am not a Cas fan, but I do think he deserved a better ending (and a large part of the reason I'm not a Cas fan is because I think he was written poorly for YEARS; I think for a good chunk of the show the writers had no idea what to do with him and just kept him around for the fans; if he'd been written with any sort of purpose or consistency in powers, I would probably like him more, and I did in fact like him more in these last few seasons when his arc had actual focus around Jack; Misha and Alexander Calvert were a good pair). I hadn't figured out my sexuality back when I first met Cas c. 2012, and I wonder if I rewatched the show now, knowing I'm queer, if I would feel more fannish toward Destiel. I certainly ship/appreciate other queerbait-y ships like Richard/Gareth from Galavant and Swan Queen from OUAT. I suspect not, though, because I am so passionately devoted to Bela/Dean and Meg/Cas and because I will never, ever, ever forgive the writers/audience/fans for embracing Cas in S4 after hating and getting rid of all the female characters for years. Dean had chemistry with Jo. Dean had chemistry with Bela. Dean had chemistry with Lisa (speaking of, Lisa and Ben weren't even in the 15x19 montage but Asmodeus was?? It's a fucking insult). There were plenty of possible Dean ships that didn't involve incest, but the only one that got traction was with a dude? It wasn't okay for a woman to come between the brothers (or to have screen time at all), but another man could? SMH.
Intellectually, I can appreciate the idea of Destiel for the romantic tropes it played into and how Cas and Dean changed each other, but emotionally, it does jackshit for me. For me, Destiel is basically like Jesus. Objectively speaking, I have no issue with it, but I don't want anything to do with the fandom.
As for 15x18 itself, I have no trouble buying that Cas is romantically in love with Dean, but I think it would have been wildly OOC if Dean had reciprocated in that scene the way a lot of fans wish he had. Given time and the emotional wherewithal/peace to explore, could Dean come to realize that he reciprocates Castiel's romantic love? Sure, I could see that. Had Dean actually had any opportunity for introspection re his sexuality or shown any emotional growth indicating he was ready to say "I love you" back in 15x18? Absolutely not. If Dean had said "I love you" back, that would have been fanservice pure and simple, so I'm very glad, both as a non-shipper and writer, that he did not reciprocate (now, obviously the writers could have set up some introspection re his sexuaity earlier in the season, so this doesn't absolve them from queerbaiting).
I've figured out what I think my happy/preferred ending would be for the finale, one that would show Heaven, bring Cas back, and leave the Destiel issue open for the sake of both shippers and non-shippers. Dean still gets impaled on the rebar, but Sam does actually call 911 and argues when Dean says he's ready to die. Sam points out that they don't know where Dean will go because as far as they know, Heaven doesn't take souls that have been to Hell. Dean still gives his emotional speech and basically flatlines. Dean "wakes up" in Heaven and sees Castiel instead of (or in addition to) Bobby. They have a heartfelt reunion, and Cas explains that Jack saved him from The Empty and that they're rebuilding Heaven. We still find out that Heaven has been fixed and that Dean and Sam will end up there when their journeys are done. But, Cas says, your journey isn't done yet; not because there are more apocalypses waiting for you but because now you get to live your life. I didn't sacrifice myself for you to die a week later. I sacrificed it so you could live. With Sam. Meanwhile, mixed in with this conversation we see shots of an ambulance arriving and paramedics working on Dean; we see him in the ICU and Sam anxiously waiting.
Dean asks Cas if he's coming back, too, and Cas says he will eventually; for now, he's going to keep helping Jack because there are a lot of walls left to knock down in Heaven and a lot of people to reunite. But don't worry, he'll return to Sam and Dean someday. And then, of course, they address Castiel's confession, and Dean says something along the lines of, he loves Cas, too, as family, but he doesn't know if...he's never thought about...Basically, Dean stumbles over what I said above, that he's never considered before whether he could be bisexual and not that he couldn't be, but he doesn't know how to answer Cas now. Cas is loving and accepting and tells him it's okay, they have time; they will have time if Dean takes care of himself and lives. Cas tells him he has to be more careful now because when Chuck was running things, he kept Sam and Dean safe from stupid little things like disease and rebar; with free will comes greater risk now. Dean promises to be careful, they embrace a final time, and then Cas touches his forehead and with a flash, he wakes in the hospital.
Sam is very relieved, and Dean feels a renewed drive to live. He tells Sam what he learned about Heaven and that Cas will come back someday. They discuss that maybe they should take fewer risks now and acknowledge the hunting community that Sam created and led; they can use their resources in the bunker and work with the community to make hunting safer for everyone. They don't say they're going to quit hunting completely, but they acknowledge that they can find a compromise between hunting full-time and starting to actually settle down.
As they're talking, Sam's cell phone rings. It's MARY. Jack brought her back, and she's in the bunker anxiously looking for them. The episode ends with Sam and Dean reuniting with Mary and texting/calling various friends, like Eileen, Donna, and Charlie, so that we the audience get a little closure and know they're alive again (and know that Sam/Eileen is also still on the table). The last shot is probably the initials/names on the table to signify they're a family again and that Cas will be back someday, too.
THE END
Tells us what we need to know about Heaven, leaves both boys alive and TOGETHER, brings back Cas, leaves Destiel on the table, and brings back Mary.
Was that so hard, Dabb & Singer???
I haven't decided yet whether I'll actually write this out as a fic, but this is almost definitely going to be the headcanon I use to tie my existing Dean/Bela AU to as much of canon as possible.
I really hope Jensen's "jokes" comes true and that they do do a revival in 5 years. Dean, Sam, and Cas all deserved better than 15x20.
Re: belated response because i don't check DW regularly
Date: 2020-12-07 10:58 pm (UTC)lol, I am a known lover of the ILY/NYDBTFSI so I would have been all over it tbh.
Thanks for linking that post which I hadn't seen before and is VERY intriguing. Firstly yes it's all hearsay so I'll take it with a grain of salt. Misha said it wasn't in the script so I take him at his word, but that leaves a number of puzzle pieces still, i.e. how did the Mexican dub even happen. "Rogue translator" is actually even more of a conspiracy theory (if Mexico decided to change the script for whatever reason it would still have required approval from the CW).
But like I said, the unhinged details really don't matter, the salient point here is that no matter what there was homophobia behind what did happen and that is the cause fandom should be lobbying about above all.
Re: belated response because i don't check DW regularly
Date: 2020-12-07 11:44 pm (UTC)Re: belated response because i don't check DW regularly
Date: 2020-12-07 11:58 pm (UTC)Re: belated response because i don't check DW regularly
Date: 2020-12-08 12:45 am (UTC)