#13x13 meta

[shallowseeker]

I'm the one who requested the broken glass analysis. I was really surprised. Thank you!!! You say it's crack meta, but the bit about Dean and Cas being broken open and exposed blew me away.

I thought I'd frightened you away tbh. But hey, glad you liked it.

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

Vol. C

It was a love story from the very beginning.

Angelic Grace Kink

(13x13)

Hello my friends! I'm here again focusing this meta in just one episode, i will do the same in the next volume with episode 13x14.

We have a lot to talk about sexualization of angels, so, let's start!

The Cute Destiel Mirror

When the 'Devil's Bargain" starts, we have a very cute and blatant destiel mirror.

A girl on rollers with a light brown coat is loosing his equilibrium until a guy dressed in red rescues her and saves her from falling. The dialogue is corny but it's a Destiel reminder, immediately after the episode in which said he was in love.

Gif set credit @destielette

Girl: I think I just fell for you.

Guy: I’d catch you anytime you fell.

This mirror is here to recall us Dean is in love with Castiel by choice.

The Mission Comes First

When Sam and Dean discover Cas was prisoner the whole time and they have been talking everyday with Asmodeus, Dean feels very stupid and bad.

What I could catch during their scene, was Sam's grimacing disgust at the mention of Lucifer.

CAS: Yes. And the archangel, Michael, again the Apocalypse World version, wants to use the spell to invade and conquer our world. That’s why I met with Lucifer.

DEAN: So...You met ... Cas, I specifically told you not to do anything stupid.

CAS: Well, he was weak and given the context of our imminent annihilation it didn’t seem stupid. Lucifer wanted to help fight Michael.

SAM: Oh yeah, Lucifer wanted to help, sure.

Dean's reaction is fear, because meeting Lucifer could be a bad end for the angel. Sam's reaction is totally rejection.

Then, we have a Dedtiel brief talk...

DEAN: (...) Cas, I’m sorry. All that time you were with Asmodeus, I should have known it wasn’t you.

Gif set credit @inacatastrophicmind

CAS: No, he’s a shapeshifter. Besides, I was the one who got myself captured.

DEAN: Yeah, but if Sam and I knew you know we would have–

CAS: Yeah, I know you would have tried another long shot. I’m fine, Dean.

DEAN: You sure about that?

Dean is ashamed, Cas gets it immediately and tries to make him feel better about it.

CAS: Right now, all that matters is getting Jack and your mother out of that place. Kay? Look, I promised Kelly that I would protect her son. I intend to keep that promise.

This is the most important to Cas: The mission. He will put everything under it. What matters the most is the promise he made to Kelly. To protect Jack. That will end with his deal with the Empty that will end with his life in episode 15x18.

Second Meaning Jokes and the sexualization of angelic grace

The re-introdution of Gabe brings the sexuality and angels topic to the show.

The topic is here now to show us angels have sexual desire, and they can have a plenty sexual activity. How is this related to Castiel? First of all, because Cas is an angel, he is able to feel sexual desire (mostly, if we are talking Castiel's behavior applies more for the ace spectrum, this sexual desire is focused just on Dean.)

So, does Dean want to have sex with Cas? He definitely wants.

But, does Castiel want to have sex with Dean? This season and the next one will show us he does.

Before the ewww scene between Ansel and Lucifer, we had a second meaning 'joke' if we can call it like that...

CAS: Lucifer fed on this angel’s grace. Which means he’s trying to restore his power and if he does–

Gif set credit @impalaofgrace-blog

DEAN: We’re boned.

CAS: Epically.

This is very suggestive, as if they were declaring the they they bone will be epics, and it sound like a joke. But after this, we will see how writers decide to sexualize the angelic grace, so this joke takes another meaning when it turns out as a possibility between Cas and Dean.

SISTER JO: It’s better than having you suck me dry and kill me, isn’t it? This way I help you, you help me. Still a businesswoman.

Before jumping into that topic, we have here a deal with an archangel. As a premonition of Dean and Michael agreement.

Then, the scene of Lucifer sucking Ansel's grace is ewww but it's here again to show us angel can be sexually related. We were witnessesnof the grace kink in Supernatural. We will see it again with Gabe.

Joined by the hips

After Dean realizes he almost lost Cas again, he will be glued at him the rest of the episode. We will see him joined by the hips to the angel in every take of the camera.

Gif credit @inacatastrophicmind

I wanna say something else about Ketch, he definitely has something about angels, and mostly, Castiel. Despite people saying he was interested in Dean, i need to say he definitely felt attracted to Cas. But maybe that's just my point of view.

To Conclude:

This episode is a recalling of Dean and Castiel love. Also, is full of angel grace sexualization as a new concept: Angels can feel sexual desire.

Hope you like this meta, see you in the next one.

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-d @michyribeiro @whyjm @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@destielle @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis @superduckbatrebel @2musiclover2 @madronasky @anon-non2 @cea1996 @lisafu02 @asphodelesauvage @destiels-canonahhhhhhhhhh

If you want to be added or removed from this list just let me know.

If you wanna read the previous metas from season 13 here you have the links:

Vol. XCIII, XCIV, XCV, XCVI, XCVII, XCVIII, XCIX

Buenos Aires February 14 2020, 12:31 PM

[angelfishofthelord]

In 13x13 Anael says that she had ideas when she was in heaven,"but no one would listen to me, not Michael, not Raphael, not Naomi." So those are the first three eras of heaven's leadership. Then we had Metatron, Hannah, and then Joshua circa s12. Then it seems like Dumah was in charge in s13 before Naomi came back and kept running it presumably until present day. The question is now how do we making a ranking for the eras of heaven and which infamous leader are you quizes to determine if you're a team player

[holisticfansstuff]

So, I'm watching spn 13x13 and I had no idea Anael is such an interesting character. I love her already.

Also, shout-out to the nice homeless dude who offered curry to the Devil in a moment of kindness and walked away unscathed.

I'm getting vague Bela flashbacks watching Anael, but Anael is much more confident and less - fearful. Fewer sharp edges. But that's to be expected I suppose. She is an angel after all. And she didn't get tricked into signing up for an eternity in hell.

It's interesting that she's feeling the same draw to humanity Cass and Anna did. I don't know if it foreshadows her fall, in the true sense, later in the series, but...yeah, let's see.

I'm trying to understand why she helped Lucifer, because I don't, not really...I don't get why she made that split second decision to back Lucifer against Cass and the Winchesters.

Maybe one possible reason is that she was, as she herself said, in the lower echelons of the angel heirarchy. It's unlikely that she interacted a great deal with Castiel, Naomi or any of her superiors, at least on an equal footing. From where she stands, Castiel laid waste to most of heaven and then caused them to get kicked out altogether. It was liberating for her personally, but she watched her brethren suffer. From an angel's POV, what difference is there, really, between Cass and Lucifer ? Both caused untold suffering to their own kind. Both achieved notoriety in Heaven, even if it were for all the wrong reasons ( unlike her ).

If she were human, she'd have had every reason to support Cass. He averted the apocalypse after all. Twice. But she isn't human. And philanthropic instincts can only run so deep. In any case, to most angels, compassion doesn't seem to come naturally.

Even the good ones seem to care far more about doing the right thing, than about being compassionate. Castiel's compassion for humankind was unusually well developed, but he was an oddity, even among angels. From the point of view of someone who's never been human, it must seem inexplicable , why Cass would turn his back on his own kind and sacrifice so much for what was essentially an alien species.

Besides, Anael at her core, I think, is a rebel. Not in the same way Cass was or even Lucifer was, but nonetheless, in her own way she enjoys doing her own thing. She must have chaffed at the bit, quite a bit in her role in Heaven. It must have felt so confining. And Lucifer is unpredictable.

It's possible she sees him as her ticket to implementing her ideas about how Heaven should be run. Noone ever listened to her before. This time, it might be different.

Given how logical and resourceful she is, her ideas might work, if she's allowed to put them in practice. But Lucifer is such a loose canon - poor impulse control, over emotional, highly impractical in general - I don't know how long their alliance will last, really.

X

[naruhearts]

The amount of love those two can communicate with just a little nod (Cas) and a faint quirk of mouth (Dean) in that 13.13 apology scene. Good god. If someone told me to choose between this and the UST of early seasons I'll gladly choose the present situation. It aches but it's good.

Good good god, amirite nonnie???

Like okay, please bear with me because the Destiel in this ep overall gave me squirmy, warm feelings of faith, hope and love; TPTB delivered the verbal progress I was WAITING for and wow, IMPROVEMENT *flails really really hard*

Dean was so soft, using I, showing Cas he was worried and that he cared. Cas was open in return. Solidarity, interdependence and communication.

(Cas doesn’t hesitate in supporting him. That’s love, my friend.)

Plus the return of hunter husband banter/completing each other’s sentences (no, seriously, BL – Dean’s “We’re boned”, then Cas’ “Epically”? What kind of Dean/Cas euphemist wordplay????)

But I also love BOTH the early season Destiel UST and the present Destiel because it’s a wholesomely lovely picture of their relationship fine-freakin’-wine evolving from unhealthy distrust to mutual trust/honesty; LUST to LOVE, then there’s these particular camera shots–

–where Dean and Cas are together in the background, juxtaposed with Sam doing his own independent thing. *inhales* *exhales*

Visually PREPPING AND PRIMING THEIR RELATIONSHIP AS CANON, as set apart from Sam yet still united, as two hunters who are now starting to USE THEIR WORDS and be upfront with each other regarding their FEELINGS and WANTS; TPTB letting us know that nothing will really change since they naturally click like two damn pieces of the most complex nine-year long romance PUZZLE.

I mean there’s speculation that this is foreshadowing TFW’s fracture–their separation from Sam in an AU like the 13x14 sneak peek has shown us (yes yes, possible Purgatory 2.0), but in an amazing episode which presented Anael mirroring Cas’ S10 speech to Hannah about his personal LIBERATION through the Fall/about Humanity’s capacity to have FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE? In an episode which also gave us a Dean and Cas-coded Lucifer and Anael literally falling into bed together and talking? In an episode which outlines partnerships of different types—-good or bad/Things Looking Like Other Things—-yet seemingly distinguishes Dean and Cas’ TANGIBLE interpersonal (ROMANTIC) partnership??

It’s building, it’s coming, it’s happening.

[trisscar368]

I’m totally dense (I have been staring at the backdrop forever, blankly)

Sister Jo was performing “miracles” in front of a crossroads.

Striking deals, deals that required payment

And Lucifer walked right into it

He stood at the crossroads, said yes, and while he didn’t “kiss” her, you couldn’t pry the sexualization coding off of their scenes with c4.  He may as well have kissed a demon.

I have serious questions, now, about what happens to an angel who consumes another’s grace without killing them...

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

“It humanizes Lucifer a little bit...

...although at his core he’s still Lucifer.” - Bob Singer

I’ve seen polemics about this concept expressed in the promotional video for 13x13 and in general about the current storyline regarding Lucifer, and I must say that I don’t really agree with the negative interpretation of what the show is doing right now.

In the video, Singer and Dabb are talking about the fact that Lucifer finds himself in a position where he’s forced to ask for help, which is something extraneous to him and “humanizes” him. People have been protesting against the idea of “humanizing Lucifer”, but I think it’s actually a good point.

It’s like the universe is pushing “humanity” on Lucifer - and the point is that he keeps rejecting it and despising it.

Remember, if you were around, the general fandom vibe towards Lucifer before he was reintroduced during the Carver era? I remember all the “Lucifer isn’t so bad” comments, the “in this fandom we love Satan” jokes, all the “the devil is misunderstood” posts. But I’m not here to polemicize with that. It’s just our starting point.

The revelation that Lucifer had been the original carrier of the Mark of Cain, the original lock and key for the Darkness, placed the character in a position where it was easy to paint Lucifer as a force of light whose essence was corrupted and wasn’t, ultimately, responsible for his choices and actions.

Dean had fought against the influence of the Mark, people pointed out, but he’d carried it for a couple years, not ever since the dawn of creation! Can we even hold Lucifer responsible for the consequences of his corruption? The Darkness has no longer influence over him, but he’s carried the Mark for eons, and those effects seem to be irreversible, right?

For a little while I also wondered if the show actually was headed in that direction - if not the redemption, at least the salvation of Lucifer, sort of à la Darth Vader, the idea that the darkness had taken a toll on him so large that it was ‘too late’ for him to revert to the light, the subtle reveal that there was a wistfulness in him, a level of awareness of being some sort of victim to a process of corruption that didn’t entirely came from within.

But this show’s favorite thing is to subvert your expectations, and instead of presenting Lucifer as a noble creature victim of his own eagerness to do good for his father (by accepting the great burden of the Mark), instead of painting him as a tragic figure (like he had tried to paint himself in season 5, after all), the show is continuously presenting him to us as an utterly unlikable, pathetic creature.

Remember all the “Lucifer isn’t so bad, the actual Worst(TM) is Metatron!!” posts after the end of season 8 and through the next couple seasons? Ho ho said Dabb. Remember how the Carver era made Metatron human to reveal his core as miserable, despicable and pathetic, in a contrasting parallel to Cas’ own experience with humanity? Well, says Dabb, we’re putting a spin on the theme with our very original Castiel major parallel, Lucifer.

Because Metatron, unlike Lucifer, had a deep sense of reflection, and that inclination to reflect on himself and others ultimately allowed him to find a nobility from his own flaws. Lucifer, on the other hand, has the self-awareness of a fuckboi. Also, while directly experiencing humanity didn’t change Metatron very much, but his respect for his father’s creation including, in fact, especially, humanity led him to his ultimate moment of elevation. Lucifer does not respect humanity, and that’s the whole point. Cas, Metatron, Lucifer all found themselves homeless and alone and facing a plethora of human sensations that were alien and shocking to them. They have had arcs regarding angel grace and change and choices, and choice brings us to the big question of responsibility and accountability for one’s actions. 

Lucifer the grand archangel, force of light, who loved his father to the point that he accepted the greatest burden -- that’s easy to keep to a different scale of judgement than a human. But the show pushes his non-human characters towards humanity for the very reason of putting them bare and ultimately reveal their core. And this is what’s happening with Lucifer. He’s been experiencing physical and emotional sensations close to a human’s, he’s been confronting himself with experiences and people who could potentially offer him some kind of insight (the people around Vince Vincente, Kelly, Anael), but he keeps rejecting humanity. As Singer said, no matter how much humanity we put on Lucifer, his core his still... Lucifer’s.

Humanizing Lucifer means giving him a chance. Giving him choices that maybe he didn’t have as an angel. Stripping him of his angelic attributes, which include the whole corruption via the Darkness thing, means that he has a chance to re-elaborate his self, to experience the world and humanity without the layers formed by his experience with carrying the locked Darkness. It means saying, okay, this is Lucifer. Forget about God, forget about the Darkness, forget about the Mark. This is Lucifer and it’s a vile, wretched creature that does not deserve our sympathy, unless maybe in the form of the homeless guy with the injured leg who very gently told Lucifer that he gave off a repellent vibe and invited him to share a meal with him by the dumpster because the homeless guy was friendly and helpful, not because Lucifer deserved it.

It’s like the universe is giving Lucifer the tools to understand - “I had that experience, I didn’t like it. Hunger. Cold. Loneliness. I don’t know how they keep going” - but he rejects the opportunity and chooses to stick to a certain version of his self - “Lucifer the great and terrible. I don’t know why I said that. Stupid. I mean, it’s like pretty soon, I’m not gonna feel anything, you know. I mean the more I do this, the stronger I get, the more me I become. Lucifer, Prince of Darkness. King of Lies. I’m back, baby”. He does not accept the possibility of changing. Unlike Cas, who embraced change and who only takes steps back if he feels that he has no other choice if he wants to protect Dean/humanity and feels bad about it (season 6, reacquiring angel grace...). Not really unlike Metatron, who never really changed, but still reflected on it and admitted his flaws and saw the good of humanity, and there lies all the difference in the world.

So yeah, let’s humanize Lucifer and show that is core is miserable and pathetic. If this season is about revealing ‘who we are’, there, that’s Lucifer.

[winchestersingerautorepair]

Supernatural Season 13: A Talley

(Let me know if I’ve missed something, and feel free to revise this as I’m sure many of you would be more skilled at sorting through this information)

Antagonists (both potential and established)

Lucifer

Michael

Asmodeus

Jack

Ketch

Rowena

The God Squad

The Shadim

Sister Jo (Anael)

Death (Billie)

Cosmic Entity

Creatures from the Bad Place*

     Total: 11

Major Plotlines and Story Arcs 

cosmic rifts/the multiverse

Mary is stuck in alternate universe,first with Lucifer and now with Michael, the boys want her back

Cas is dead (and then not)

Personal character arcs, including Sam, Dean, Cas, Jack, and Lucifer (5)

Billie is now Death, we see reaper heaven as well as learn about fate and the Winchester’s purpose

The Empty

AU!Michael wants to invade this universe after destroying his own

Jack and the whole unlimited celestial power, son of Satan, nature vs. nurture, finding his place and controlling himself thing. Oh, and now he’s stuck in the AU

Everybody wants Jack for different reasons

Heaven is running low on angels and they need new ones

Another Prince of Hell sprung up to take over hell, but now wants Lucifer dead, also wants to free some ancient demonic hellspawn 

Ketch is suddenly alive and is helping Asmodeus, the Prince of Hell, but also Sam and Dean

Wayward Sisters*

Rowena is back, and now at full power

Lucifer lost most of his grace before escaping the AU, teamed up with Castiel before being imprisoned, attempted to kill Castiel after escaping Hell jail, lived among humanity for a while and got dangerously close to a redemption arc, teamed up with an angel to up his grace before talking angels into letting him take over (!) Heaven (I am counting this one as, like, 4 plotlines)

Donatello is deciphering a tablet for ingredients for a spell but has been compromised by Asmodeus

There is suddenly an Archangel Blade, and... ?Gabriel?

     Total:23

 Possibly World Ending Crises

Michael is attempting to invade and conquer Earth

Asmodeus is reorganizing Hell

Jack is potentially dangerous and vulnerable to influence

Lucifer, in general

Destabilization of Universe due to rifts

     Total: 5

*: included because Wayward Sisters has’t spun off yet

(Above: Me, attempting to keep track of what is going on this season)

Note: apologies if this sounds wanky i didn’t mean it that way, this is just me trying to put the pieces of the large and complicated puzzle together, but i will tag it as such

[tinkdw]

woahthisguy replied to your post “What are your thoughts on us having two back to back episodes with...”

Oh, you mean in the same ep that uses a backdrop from 'Fan Fiction,' that literally acknowledged destiel as a thing?

YES THIS.

OK so I haven't actually mentioned this properly yet because it’s just a tiny nod within the realms of Destiel this season and even in this episode but it is a nice little nod :p In 13x13 we had the Fan Fiction (10x05) backdrop, as you say, the episode that acknowledged that both W*ncest and Destiel are an interpretation of the books. 

In canon then Dean gets really pissy about the W*ncest, reiterating that they’re brothers and ew. He then in complete contrasts tests the waters with Sam about Destiel, bringing it up in order to gauge Sam’s reaction. A reaction which is literally

As Dean says himself, all Sam cares about is the pronunciation. He is totally cool with it, they then call back to the 1x13 scene where Sam teases Dean for being in love with Cassie through San’s teasing and Dean’s reaction of “get in the car!” awkwardly looks around like *nothing to see here!*.

TL;DR the backdrop, which is totally pointless in the episode in itself, is a visual reminder of this scene ^ which

A. establishes that Sam is totally cool with the idea of Destiel.

B. reminds us in turn that Dean feels about Cas the way he felt about Cassie, who he was in love with.

*Ahem remember how Dean’s reaction to being in love with the witch just last episode was to do 3 things he’s canonically done for Cas? Yeah. Good timing.*

10x05 is an episode telling us that shipping interpretations are valid, some might remain fanon but some can become canon, and look, here’s Dean’s view on the ones he’s involved with *side eyes the massive difference here*.

10x05 also brings up the Tulpa, brought into existence by an immense amount of human thought and concentration on an idea. Ie. the power of fandom ;)

[elizabethrobertajones]

Okay, I've gone and had a hot bath and thought about it, and here's the thing with the phone thing:

Obviously something was up because it wasn't Cas and it was Asmodeus calling them, so they use the "he calls Sam instead" trope (not the first time the show has done this, and is an observable silent storytelling character trait thing) to show the dynamic was messed up and the connection was missing. Yockey strained this trope to the very edges by showing Dean was upset with Sam deciding when they do and don't call Cas about what, and that Sam was calling the shots and had been in more contact overall with Casmodeus.

BUT there's a predictable and obvious thing that THEY WON'T FIND OUT this way that it's Casmodeus so by necessity by the time the reveal comes it must still be natural enough to them that they think they were tlaking to Cas that from their perspective nothing was weird. Which means that it is IN CHARACTER for Dean to have been the one who last talked to Casmodeus, also as a commentary on how they were both continuing to be fooled, and because if it turned into a total production that he only called Sam, and Dean was getting jealous to the point of breaking, then obviously something would have twigged them as openly weird, and they would have been questioning it, which they weren't, because the plot dictates that they were fooled.

Pointing out that there is a pattern and what it means for the characters is not the same as predicting that something will happen or that it necessarily means much for the overall story, and in trying times maybe we got too hung up on this, but the plot always dictated that they wouldn't have a clue, and it couldn't come to breaking point over the phone.

Any PROBLEM is with the fact that it's the least proficient writers delivering the end of this arc, and so they lack any nuance to imply in the writing not even that there was suspicion, but that literally anything occurred between 13x07 and 13x13 except that Cas is now free and back with them, and that in this time ALL that happened was that Sam n Dean were fooled by Casmodeus, rather than the other writers using it as a chance to explore some character stuff and give us some interesting perspective on the way this deception was reflected in the dynamic. It falls a little flat, but it's not cheating us of anything, and all the work was done by the better writers in between Buckleming episodes... I still feel weird it escalated into a wank think because I literally never expected it to be much different and never thought there would be an open resolution to this thing, but *shrugs* here we are :P

[shallowseeker]

(Turns out I had a lot of thoughts, and not just about that broken glass. I hope this doesn't disappoint you. Here goes:)

Much ado about lamps, closets, and erect buildings.

The fight scene in 13x13 Devil's Bargain: how the symbols TFW are thrown into reveal their shadow-motivations.

Here's some overthinking to finish up your night, and happy trails!

ANAEL = DELIVERS A POWERFUL HIT TO SAM Duplicity, ambition Anael is lying to Team Free Will. Her gut punch to Sam is a sneaky surprise attack. Anael was "low-level functionary...who had ideas that no one would listen to," and now she wants Lucifer as a leashed beast to do her bidding.

Presented as a money-obsessed material girl, we later see just how much Anael cares about Heaven and Humanity. She meddles and only pretends to be money-obsessed in order to accomplish good in the world. 💔

Here, she thinks she can use Lucifer to help change the world. But she's making a very dangerous choice. Eventually, she'll get burned by Lucifer. (He'll grab her by the neck and lift her off her feet ,just a few episodes later, despite her sacrifices for him).

It seems that not even the savviest businesswoman of all time can safely siphon his power, especially using a veneer of vulnerability.

Anael looks upon Lucifer, the light, hoping to use him to run Heaven as she sees fit and better position herself to help humanity. Anael pretends to be bad, desperate to cover up how much she actually cares. We'll see that revisited in 14x01 Strangers in a Strange Land, when AU Michael compares her inherent Love to Dean.

///

SAM = HIT BY ANAEL, SAM GOES FLYING ACROSS THE ROOM Bedside table, on-lamp to off-lamp Wisdom, past mistakes; alternatively the Righteous thing versus the Selfish thing Sam gets slammed into a bedside table and a lamp, then crumples to the floor. This is a specter of Sam's past betrayals and temptations re:Lucifer's power. Sam was tempted by Lucifer's light. Sam thought he could overpower/outsmart Lucifer for the sake of Good, that Lucifer could be "a powerful lamp" that chases away the darkness and the monsters.

But just like how Sam hits the lamp, that illusion got shattered. Lucifer's light is a lie. Lucifer comes, "as everything you want," which is a callback to Lucifer's original illusory lure, in the bedroom, as Jessica Moore. But it was all a ruse.

Now, Sam knows better, but Anael, who thinks she knows, does not.

ALTERNATIVELY, this off-lamp is a reading on Sam's 2D heroic performance versus the 3D, nuanced complexity of his reality.

Sam goes flying into the bright n' shining lamp. It falls to the ground and goes out. This is because, although Sam performs heroism in the name of Pure Goodness, but he is human and as such, is just as selfishly motivated to save his family as anyone else.

Morality spirals down into Moral Relativism. When our Greater Good becomes protecting our families, that tragic weak spot leads inevitably to darkness. (This is the tragedy of humanity.)

Despite Sam's bright idealism, he is often drawn into saving his loved ones through selfish means, such as when he unleashed The Darkness.

Now, ironically, even though he knows how dangerous tangling with Lucifer can be, he will eventually participate in the same thing as Anael is doing. That is, he shackling Lucifer's power in order to rescue his family (Mary n' Jack) from AU Earth.

It's often spelled out and underlined that Dean and Cas will act as soldiers, doing "whatever it takes" to save the family, such as when Dean pulls a gun on Kaia, or when Cas brain-fries Donatello. But Sam is the same. (So are you, probably, the human who's reading this. "Everyone has a breaking point." Love is weakness, love is strength.)

///

CAS = HIT BY LUCIFER; CAS IS FLUNG UP HIGH OVER THE DOMESTIC READYING SPACE OF THE HOTEL Picture of erect skyscrapers, broken glass Duty, passion When Cas is attacked by Lucifer, he is swept UP into the wall, high, where he slams into a picture of erect buildings. For a brief moment, he's an angel plummeting from the high ground, from that place where he lives "above it all."

This is a three-part combo hit:

1) It's an emasculation, that Lucifer's got a "bigger stick," so to speak (after all, Lucifer has killed him before, and Cas is still fighting him in a fit of foolish, prolonged courageousness)

2) It's a personal nod to Cas's angelicity, "as tall as a Chrysler Building" & his subsequent "Fall from Grace"

3) It's a goading barb about Cas's duty versus his passion.

Cas may play at being solely motivated by duty and chivalrousness, but he's also "Erect, Passionate, Fallen, in Romantic Love," in ways he doesn't want others to know about.

As Cas falls, the glass shatters, breaking this illusion and revealing Castiel's lustful tendencies, the erect skyscrapers.

Cas is also in a domestic "go" space of the hotel, because of who he wants to live among. There's a sink and a stack of clean towels. He's got blood on his hands, sure. But to the angels, he's "dirty" because of how his love for Dean manifests, that he "hungers for strange flesh."

We've seen Cas torn between duty (case details on the left) and his, uh, tall erections (skyscrapers + metal on the right) before.

And Lucifer knows. He's been in Castiel's head. He sees. It's why, in Rock Never Dies, Lucifer tries to goad Castiel (as everyone does), trying to smash through his grayrock composure and get him to react. Cas is not duty-bound, and he's not pleasureless; he only pretends to be. That's why the goading takes the form it does.

When Cas hits the wall, the glass breaks and he falls. Because Lucifer wants to smash that illusion, to take Cas down a peg or two, just like Metatron wanted to--revealing Castiel's hunger, desires, affections, and motivations in full, 3D, technicolor.

///

DEAN= HIT BY LUCIFER; DEAN IS FLUNG INTO A CLOSET, WHERE IT BREAKS AND SPLINTERS, similar to the splintering wood in this episode where the demon accosts him Stereotypical hero, soft teddy bear

Lucifer backhands Dean, the universal hit of disobedience, and Dean goes flying into a literal closet, where the doors shatter and wood splinters all around him. He cowers.

This is a hit on Dean's performance as the stereotypical hero, as the constructed, mythical Malboro man. Inside the closet, Dean is soft, like the pillow on the upper shelf. He's a dork and a teddy bear, and he "wuvs hugs."

Dean's in a closet here, because he closets his true nature (yeah, I know...it's a bit on the nose)

Dean loses his (traveler’s) duffel bag, because what’s hidden inside the closet signifies his sense of home.

There's also a pillow present, because of how soft the real Dean really is, and also who he wants to share his bed with

There's a tan blanket because that bedfellow is Cas; he wants to be covered by Cas in more ways than just comradery

Dean tries to hide his affection and how his love for Cas manifests, but Lucifer knows. That's why his goading took the form it did in season 11, with the desperate, mocking "CAAAS!" This knowledge allows him to enter the bunker in season 15, using Dean's lost love as the illusory lure to get past the door.

///

Lucifer looks on Dean and Cas, thrown down as a unit, illusions shattered. He knows.

Lucifer functions a little bit as symbolic of Chuck's judging eyes here, too.

In the splintered ruins of Dean's emotional walls, and in the shattered remains of Castiel's legendary, military composure, they're right next to one another, almost as if caught out by the Narrative Gaze.

And here we have the layout of the scene:

Dean, broken and vulnerable, with his closet split open, flanked by remnants it’s doors, and splintered pieces. It reveals a soft pillow, a tan blanket. He’s hunched over deep—his squishy insides revealed.

Cas, defeated but stubborn, still desperately crawling towards Dean amidst all that broken glass.

Cas's disarmed angel blade is exposed, in close proximity to Dean, angled at him and nestled alongside one of Dean's splintered pieces.

The truth: Dean is not his performance of Dean. Cas is not solely motivated by Heavenly duty.

As he moves to shield Dean (an extension of his absence in this scene), the rest of the scene reveals a lot about the truth of Cas's protection, the nature of his fall, and about who he shields and why.

It's not a holy cause. This is simpler. Forbidden. Down to earth. (Affection.)

And they cannot protect each other from everything.

///

Meanwhile, Sam is in a deep crouch of his own, hunched over near the blacked-out lamp, also taking a heavy kick to the guts.

After Ketch saves them, Sam stands and helps his brother to his feet (signifying acceptance).

And they stand as a united front against Ketch, Sam flanked by two familial defenders. It calls to mind Chuck's quote, "You still think that Dean and Cas will come charging in, just in the nick of time. You still think you can win."

Well, one thing's for sure. They'll sure as Hell try.

I really enjoyed you pointing out that both dean and mary were assaulted in the same ep. I'd never noticed that before. what do you think about the scene where lucifer attacks all three of them (devil's bargain)? There's broken glass on the floor and i wanna know if you think that's anything

I don't have any thoughts about it right away, but I'll be happy to make something up if inspiration strikes.

[neven-ebrez]

Not quite the same are they? Now things are a little darker. And the road doesn’t continue on forever anymore. We can now see where the road meets the horizon, though we still can not see our destination over the hill. What is the show trying to say, exactly, in doing such a striking visual callback to 10x05?

Has Marie simply sold the rights to the Supernatural play and Sister Jo, our traveling faith healer, simply happened to use a venue hosting the play as a venue of her own? If the play is happening more, what is the show saying by alluding to the fact that the masses are now being shown the Winchester story? When their notoriety is bad and unwanted, as pointed out as recently as 13x11? Is the show saying that Sam and Dean are simply important, as Billie reminds us in 13x05, and their story will live on? Somewhere out past Sioux Falls perhaps?

Or Is the show making meta commentary on the blur between fiction and reality therein? Like the play did with having a real life couple playing Dean and Cas? And now here, the real life wife of Jensen Ackles, Danneel, takes a role as well? Or is the show pointing out Marie’s second-hand incomplete knowledge of the brothers (where the books never gave their last names, and omitted Sam’s demon blood addiction entirely)? Like how Lucifer is currently forced to hear about Jack through Cas, who tells Lucifer of his son yet skips over the fact that Jack has indeed killed before and instead tells him the rosier parts of his child’s life? Lucifer, who now seeks Sister Jo as a way of restoring himself to seek Jack himself?

Which of these interpretations is the truth? Maybe it’s none of them. Maybe it’s all of them. How sure are you? And why? This is the essence of interpretive meta writing, to consider the questions silently being asked in the background and to explore these possibilities, from likely to far fetched, surface level to meta level. If it’s one thing Supernatural is good at, it’s saying many things at once without saying anything at all sometimes. As Calliope once said, “Supernatural… has it all.”

[archangelsanonymous]

FAQ I've been asked about Gabriel's return

1: What's your theory on how he's alive?

Well, I'm an advocate of the Kali Blood Bond theory. In Hammer Of The Gods, Kali bound herself to Sam, Dean, and Gabriel to keep them from leaving her proximity. Thats why Gabriel sends Dean back in to get their blood. Once Gabriel "dies", Sam and Dean took Kali elsewhere, probably had her break their vials, but didn't really care what happened with Gabriel's since he was "dead".

Gabriel's blood probably carried a nice little dose of grace and that could have brought him back after a little bit recharging time.

2: Okay, but where's he been then?

Admittedly, I don't have a super solid answer because I watched the ep at like 1am and my meta brain isn't fully online. HOWEVER, I think Metatron found him in a weakened state, still hanging with Kali, wiped her out (sorry), and locked him up for later. I mean, I can't ignore that look he had in Meta Fiction where he was like a caged bird.

Metatron, after everything went to shit, probably lost Gabriel or traded him or thought he died in some apocalypse or another. Thats how Asmo got a hold of him and has been keeping him as some sort of trump card until this exact thing came along.

3: How do we even know its Gabriel or OUR Gabriel?

Let me stop ya Norse nerds right there. Yes, the sewn lips is a thing that happened to Loki. However, don't ya think that Asmo, prince of hell, might be able to tell if he's dealing with a pagan or an archangel? Honestly, I think the sewn lips was just either Metatron or Crowley having a giggle and also making him shut up via Norse mythology.

As for OUR Gabriel? I can't be certain, but don't ya think AU Michael would have been keeping tabs on his baby bro? I feel like if Gabriel was able to sneak off, Michael would have been right behind him. We still don't know how much of the AU lore matches with ours so we don't know if Gabriel stayed in heaven or didn't. Plus, I don't think AU Gabriel would have the same vessel.

4: Your theories are stupid. I mean, you don't even think Gabriel likes candy.

Well, fuck you we'll see who is right and, you're damn right I don't because its canon supported, bitches. *drops mic*

[blueladoo]

gif by: @some-people-call-it-tragic

Ok, I love this episode for a number of reasons but this has to be my favourite. THIS SCENE! This scene right here was blatantly referring to one of the most, if not THE MOST romantic scene in cinematic history.

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s famous gazebo dance scene from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. 

Gazebos are a symbol of romance as seen in many TV shows and movies. The set designers were not subtle in making this connection. It is clear that this gazebo placed behind Dean and Cas is the exact iconic gazebo from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the movie that solidified SRK’s title as the king of romance. 

It is the exact gazebo, they just took away all the water that originally surrounded it!

Now onto the colours

Kajol’s red saree is something the audience is sure to notice. 

And the fact that there are red objects placed throughout this scene is no accident. The red roses, the random ladies red purse, the women they are interviewing’s red outfit and Dean’s red tie. All of these red things are there for our minds to connect them back to Kajol’s red saree! 

To add on, SRK was wearing a black shirt which mirrors Cas’s black suit which we all know he has on under his trenchcoat.

Next is Movement

When you think of movement what do you associate it with? Dance. Coincidentally (she said sarcastically), there are a handful of background characters walking about. Walking = Movement. Movement = Dance.  The gazebo scene in kuch kuch hota is best known for SRK and Kajols beautiful romantic slow dance.

Also, Cas tilts his head ever so slightly, but we all see it. 

The head tilt is almost identical to SRK’s head tilt when asking Kajol to dance.

gif by: @badtameezi

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly believe that they wanted us to know that Cas was asking Dean to dance with him.

[dustydreamsanddirtyscars]

Things about 13x13 “Devil’s Bargain” #3

I think I really like Sister Jo/Anael (is that spelt right?) and I really enjoy Danneel’s performance so far. Sister Jo (I’m just goign to stick to that name until I know what the right spelling for her angelic name is lol) seems to be somewhat comparable to Balthazar with the difference she trades in money not souls. I do love that she is thoroughly unimpressed by Lucifer and it seems also indeed very much out of his league in terms of brains. :) Plus: Lucifer doesn’t even seem to be interested in wanting to know how he’ll help her, but maybe that will come in the next scene. If not... well...making a deal without knwoing the terms and consequences... Never ends well. And well, I’d be ecstatic if Lucifer was gone lol, but I doubt he’ll disappear from SPN anytime soon sadly.

Found the backdrop rather interesting in the scene as well. Anyone else thinking that is one of the old backdrops from the musical episode? More interesting than the road however I found the sign pointing towards “Lawrence” and “Sioux Falls” since both places are so important for SPN as a whole with Lawrence being the place it “all” started and the Winchesters’ home and Sioux Falls being the home of the Winchesters “surrogat father” Bobby. May that be a hint towards Sister Jo later on in the season playing a hand in getting Mary back from apocalypse world and maybe also bringing Apocalpyse!World!Bobby back too? In any case this seems important...

[charox5]

Anyone actually got what Dabb was hinting at? Lol