#Oh it's based on s9 btw

[blocksmithkyra]

Did someone say Hermit ladies D&D AU? No? Too bad I did it anyways.

[amwritingmeta]

13x14: Commander Cas and Dean the Foot Soldier

I know this sounds like the title of a delightfully smutty sub/dom piece of fan fiction, but it really isn’t. (sorry) (or maybe it is!) (no infringement intended)

So, I wrote a bit about Cas quite possibly being set up for self-liberation this season by already being shown to have severed his ties to Heaven.

To boil it down: what I took from 13x14 is that he’s being shown to instead have begun to serve Man, aka humanity. The fact that we’ve seen him be disillusioned by and actively rejecting Heaven throughout the season naturally serves to underline this for us. I mean -->

Let me be perfectly clear and immediately tell you I don’t see this shift of servitude - moving from Heaven to humanity - as a positive one at this moment, not how I read that final scene of 13x14, because Cas is absolutely still being governed by his grace into this narrow-minded duty bound Mission Mode he’s on. “The only thing that matters” and all that.

He is still failing in breaking free and asking himself what he wants, rather than doing what he believes is needed of him.

Now, here’s the thing, Cas has been self-assured since he came back. 

For example, the act of getting himself out of the Empty clearly filled him with confidence. He’s found his way back to himself without the depression, but he still has quite a ways to go to prevent himself ending right back in the position that brought on that depression in the first place: a lack of sense of identity.

And what is he doing in 13x14? He is (by necessity) revisiting well-trodden ground to, hopefully, learn the lesson once and for all and truly face what it is that keeps holding him back, keeps messing him up. 

He’s come back with a sense of self, for sure. I mean, he’s not happy that Dean is so happy in 13x06. In fact, he’s frowning up a storm, clearly not exactly pleased that they go on a joyride case right after he’s come back from the dead, not understanding what Dean’s happiness is actually all about, not getting for a second that Dean was broken and it’s his return that’s healed Dean right up. (totally my reading btw - not official real meta)

But it makes sense, right? By 13x13, Cas is so fucking fed up with being taken for granted. With having his strings pulled, if you will, just like he was in S11, where he expressed his anger at his lack of control, not understanding that this lack of control is directly fucking linked to that one thing he actually believes GIVES him control: his damn grace. 

(I am sorry) (I am just not anywhere a fan of that grace anymore) (it is toxic) 

In 13x12 he begins to take action, and he takes it for himself, right? He got himself out of the cage in the Asylum by pissing Lucifer off. Then he got himself back to the brothers in 13x13, learning they never even suspected something had happened to him. I would think that with all the shit going down Cas can’t quite help but move from this attitude of his -->

into this other one -->

I mean -->

Oh yeah. Because 13x14 is so much about lining him up alongside Lucifer that it kind of explodes my mind.

Why?

Because what is one of Cas’ deepest fears, informative of so much of his behaviour, even though he continuously beats against it because his internal need (to be human) is much, much greater than this fear, so much so that his individual arc is pushing him to conquer it?

One of his deepest fears is that severing his ties with Heaven means that he will automatically turn evil.

Consciously and logically he should know this isn’t what will happen to him.

But Lucifer being cast down from Heaven, all the evil Lucifer represents, all the evil Lucifer has done, infects Cas’ choices with the fear that if he chooses a path even remotely similar, it will lead to only one single destination, which means hating and hurting humanity.

It’s an internal obstacle so huge that it’s almost insurmountable.

As long as Cas, subconsciously, remains believing it’s the truth.

And this belief is exactly why the narrative would ever line him up alongside this fear and practically tell us he’s actually becoming what he dreads the most.

Because the reason he’s becoming what he dreads most is due to?

Well, his choices this episode are framed around the fact (if my reading is right) that he believes himself to be acting for the good of humanity now, right? So when an order comes from humanity, well, then that makes that order just, right? Yes, that’s right, because Cas isn’t following his own innate humanity here, he is following Dean “humanity” Winchester’s “order” of whatever it takes. 

He is taking Dean’s words and fitting that order to his own line of thinking BECAUSE HE STILL HAS HIS GRACE.

We’ve seen him do this with Heaven’s orders as well, because he was unable to justify him choosing Sam and Dean again and again any other way than if that choice was directly linked to his orders from Heaven, which he interpreted as being the same as him being put on Earth in order to protect the Winchesters. This self-deception was put an and to by Hester at the end of S7.

Why is he doing it now? Because he knows now that he wants to belong on Earth, he’s come as far as to not kid himself anymore about this, but he’s still making up excuses for why exactly that is. Of course he wants to protect Jack, but Jack has become yet another tool of self-deception. A mission to justify every choice Cas is making is in order to protect and not because he deep down wants to let go of the old and begin anew.

Now, mirroring him with Lucifer the way that they are clearly doing in this episode tells me that what Cas is doing now, and this path he is choosing, is not the right way, is not the better way. 

He is acting as the solider out of this life-long dread of what it would mean for him to not be the soldier.

He is acting out of fear.

Moreover, he is serving humanity, he is making choices believing himself acting for the good of humanity, but he is still guided by his belief that he is needed, first and foremost, as the weapon. 

And, to me, what the narrative is saying is that he will never find the right way, the better way, if he holds onto his grace.

His GRACE will be his downfall, keeping him chained to duty and old fears and blinding ideals.

All of this said, I want to also look at what’s good here. What gives me a lot of faith that, of course, he’s being setup for the narrative to teach him one big lesson and, hopefully, it’s for the final time.

Because by the end of the episode he has stepped into the role of captain, of commander. 

He is stating what is the only way they can win, the only way they can survive, and he is shown to (believe himself to) be in complete control of the situation. He’s even explaining his actions away, and does a good job of it, because he has to, since Dean questions those actions with something as simple as -->

It’s so very significant, that What’s wrong with you?, mostly because I’m hoping it will work at the back of Cas’ head so that he actually starts asking himself that at some point.

Because that question isn't twistable into humanity needing protection, like the other significant thing Dean said to him this episode was: whatever it takes.  This What’s wrong with you? is wholly delivered by Dean to Cas, a personal query, concerned and worried.

The intriguing thing, to me, about this final scene, however, is how forceful Cas is, how self-assured he is that he’s right, and how he ultimately convinces Dean of it. We see Dean be won over, and in 14x15 he is absolutely on board with this plan of Cas’ being the right one.

It’s so good - and it’s SO BAD.

Because Cas isn’t meant to lead them - to my mind, Sam is meant to be the leader figure in TFW. And I’m sure I’m far from alone in thinking that!

(13x15 hammered this home even more and I’m squealing) (squealing I tell you!!)

It’s true that Cas isn’t a born follower. He’s never quite felt like he fit in Heaven, right? He’s “never done what he’s told”, meaning he’s questioned orders, and subconsciously questioned his place, for a very long time. And he commanded his own flight of angels in Heaven, but they were always acting under someone else’s orders. He has leadership in him, especially once he’s balanced out, I’ve no doubt of that, but I feel he never really wanted or truly desired the weight of the leadership cape on his shoulders. He put it on out of necessity. 

My take is that he would make a good team member, because we know he’ll question an order if he disagrees with it, and a team dynamic needs people who think for themselves as much as they can adhere to someone else’s leadership, but he’s not meant to try and see the bigger picture all on his own, especially not while that grace of his is blocking him off from his humanity.

But Dean nodding his head in agreement, ready to follow Cas’ lead in this, not to mention their previous exchange of --> 

Dean: What exactly gives you the right?  Cas: Nothing. I took it. 

--> sends such S6 echoes my way I barely know where to look:

And all the heartbreak and pain and grief and horror that followed on the miscommunications of this season, based in this need to carry all the weight on ones own two shoulders.

And it makes me immediately think of how this defining 6x20 exchange, coming off the back of one messed up season filled with mistrust and suspicion and half-truths, bye the end of S9 is tied back to, when Dean watches an angel kill himself with an angel blade, declaring he’s doing it for Castiel, who is now the chosen commander of his own army of angels. (and let’s note how Dean is absolutely not able to look at Cas as a commander in any way, shape or form)

Dean: Cas, I know you try to be a good guy, okay, I do. You try. But what you’ve got here - this is a fricking cult. The last time you had this kinda juice you did kill humans, and angels, and you did nothing but lie to me and Sam about it the whole damn time.

This mistrust isn’t informative, because I would say it’s influenced heavily by the Mark, but it does show a wound that cuts so deep it still hasn’t fully healed, which I rather love. Cas undid Sam’s wall by the end of S6 -  a means to ending the brothers interfering and getting themselves killed, but still - this isn’t something Dean can easily get over, no matter how unshaken the foundation for his trust in Cas still remains. Cas is known to make bad decisions believing them to be for the greater good. (While the brothers make bad decisions for the sake of what’s good for them, for family.) (so yeah - strike that balance, boys)

Yes, well, when you give up an entire army for one guy...

My point is that we have a S6 exchange of Dean trying to convince Cas to step down, to trust him implicitly and do as he orders him to do (though Dean looks at it as a request) - Cas shooting this need for control down by pointing out that Dean’s just a man while Cas is an angel.

We then have this S9 exchange where Dean reveals that Cas’ actions while toeing the line of megalomania has left his use of power questionable. Add to that the fact that Dean states more than once how he absolutely cannot look at Cas as any type of leader figure. Control freak Dean wouldn’t, would he? No matter how much trust and faith he has in Cas’ actual capabilities, he will deny this to his dying breath because he must be top dog or bust.

Now in 13x14, yes, Dean questions Cas and rightly so, but he steps down, he listens to Cas’ convincing argument, Cas tying it back to what Dean has said twice this season, and this whatever it takes mentality being something Dean can relate to whole heartedly. It’s what he already believes in. He sees the truth of Cas’ words and chooses, this time, not to rip the argument apart and force the upper hand. Instead, he stands down. Cas got them the answers they needed, Cas knows what they have to do. Dean will follow him.

I mean, if this reading is anywhere near correct, this gives me many, many feelings.

If Dean is relinquishing his leadership to Cas, though, this is one big leap forward for him and it means he’s actually ready to open himself up to other things. But I won’t pick Dean apart here because this post is already way too long, my peeps! 

And btw I don’t expect Dean to not lead or take any responsibility or go from needing absolute control to not needing it at all in just one episode.

Baby steps.

But if this is the first baby step. Oh, boy with the final leg of his journey already!

Also, siding with Cas in his destructive scheme to save the world? No good. But if they’re setting us up for the narrative focusing on Dean and Cas, while Sam is pushed to the side because he needs to be brought into the final leg of his journey as well, which should begin with him breaking with the codependency, then bring it! It’s such a gorgeous setup!!

Tagging a few peeps who might find this of interest @elizabethrobertajones @bluestar86 @tinkdw @margarittet @super-sootica @godshipsit @charlie-minion @paperwhitenarcissus @thedogsled @amyoatmeal @sactownbrowns3 @thetwistedwillow @naruhearts @weathergirl83 @casistooadorableandithurts @fuckedupasusual @woahthisguy

[why-this-kolaveri-machi]

Notes on SPN 13.07

Notes on SPN 13.07

Ess-pee-enn! As always, writing this as I watch the episode so as to not pollute your dashes with my liveblogging.

SPOILERS ahead.

1. Suddenly we are reminded of the bizarre Lucifer-and-Mary-in-the-AU sub-plot! At least I was. When did we last visit them? 13.02? 13.03? Anyway, it turns out that AU!Michael has subdued and captured Lucifer, because he needs him.

1.25. About the AU itself: I did not watch a lot of s12, so correct me if I’m wrong, but this is a world where Sam and Dean never existed, yeah? My first instinct is to not make too much of that: I haven’t forgotten about Azazel’s other special children, and maybe it isn’t as straight a line from Mary refusing to deal with Azazel to the near-extinction of humanity as it appears. Maybe in another universe it was Jake Talley that saved the world, or Ava Wilson, or even Andy Gallagher and his twin brother.

Another—very personal—reason is that the idea of the fate of humanity hinging on the Winchesters’ existence is just—it chafes. The idea that this universe that revolves around the Winchesters and reflects them endlessly back onto themselves is just one among many both takes some wind out of the Winchester sails and allows for the possible existence of worlds where abstract concepts needn’t be beautiful women in skimpy dresses that Dean or Sam could shoot or stab. Come to think of it, it’s a very… specific kind of fantasy to be able to kill deities and creatures cobbled from many different cultures with nothing more than two beer-guzzling white male wanderers in a muscle car and an armoury full of guns. It’s just WinchesterLand. It’s almost comforting.

*ahem* Anyway—

1.5. I’m also reminded of End!verse. I have my theories about it, but do you think Zachariah somehow found a way to access the Rift?

2. Shirtless torture scene? Already?! *groans*

2.5. But, like—not only do I get Lucifer’s horror at being stuck in some kind of strange dystopia forever—with a hostile Michael, no less!—but I can’t miss the fact that how he got here is very similar to how he landed in the Cage in s5. If it was Sam the last time, this time it’s Mary.

3. An angel that wants to meet with Castiel alone at this point in the show… very ominous. Dean is right to be worried.

3.25. Where are we on Castiel’s abilities, btw? Is he at full angelic power? Can angels fly now? He wasn’t able to bring that security guard back to life—were angels ever able to bring people back to life? I can’t seem to remember.

4. I thought with the arrival of Asmodeus, Hell would be something other than this dank little courtroom and demons would be something other than suit-clad cronies who speak in corporate-speak. This shtick has become So. Damn. Tired.

4.5. For all the brouhaha surrounding Jack, that he’s named Jack is kind of funny.

5. “why don’t you go whale on mary for a while?” Is she here?? Was she captured by Michael? Why can’t we get more of her instead of Lucifer’s whining?

5.5. Wait, Michael wants to come to WinchesterLand? Why? Like, seriously—Lucifer seems awfully de-powered following his inter-dimensional travel; why would Michael want to risk that? Why would he want to leave this war half-done?

5.65. It’s nice to see Kevin again, though I am curious about his characterisation. It appears to be back to the fidgety, nervous geek bullied by Michael Dean he was when we first saw him in s7; there’s nothing of the self-assuredness he’d gained by s9. I would’ve thought surviving a dystopia would mean we’d get a Kevin distinct from WinchesterLand!Kevin, And if you’re going to commit to a dystopian!divergence!AU, go all the way, because the divergence needn’t just be that Mary refused to deal with Azazel.

5.78. Well if you know how to use the “fly in the ointment” metaphor, why would you have trouble understanding “shut up you worm” didn’t really mean he was calling you a worm?

6. “you think I’d forget somebody who tried to kill me? Twice?” well, Dean, you’ve forgotten and/or worked with people who’ve actually killed/tortured/raped your brother without once bringing that history up, so.

6.5. Still with the torture/murder of women, Show? Like—I watched very, very little of s12, so curious about Rowena’s fate, I checked the wiki, which was quick to provide me with her very last shot—a charred corpse. It was sickening enough that I lost my appetite and couldn’t fall asleep easily that night.

6.75. oh, hello, Daniella! That was abrupt.

7. Satan playing on your sympathies and “I’m the good guy here, really, if you think about it” is kind of his whole shtick but hearing him say “don’t do this, Michael is evil!” chafes, given that he’s… well, him.

7.75. Oh, god… human!Lucifer. *groans*

(it could be potentially interesting—becoming the thing he hates, that he rebelled and got locked away for—but, also, I’m reeeeaaaaallllllyyyyy not here for Lucifer’s journey of self-discovery. Like, not remotely. Not when this fucking show kills off actually interesting recurring characters, especially if they are women.)

8. Asmodeus continues to be a caricature and therefore hilarious.

9. Wait—Rowena’s still around?!

9.5. Evil twin brother?! Ugh. Why can’t you let go of these people, Show? You were so quick to forget about the Leviathan from s7 and the Styne family from s10! And his posh accent is annoying. “Alex-aahhh-nder,” indeed.

9.87. Sam in interrogation!mode almost makes it worth it, though. And I’m believing Alex-ah-nder’s story less and less with every word that comes out of his mouth. And by the way, torturing innocent women by cutting them with a red hot knife is not sadistic??

10. Heyyyy… isn’t Duma the lady who played the bartender that Robo!Sam killed in 6.22?

10.5. “we want to enslave [Jack] so he can breed more angels”. This is a particularly popular SPN porn trope. The implications are unfortunate with this one.

10.75. How the fuck did Lucifer even get there, though? Why/how do things happen in this episode??

11. To pretend that Lucifer even remotely believes in the bullshit he’s spewing about wanting to save the world seems foolhardy, though. I totally believe that he wants to get back at Michael, and that rounding up Castiel—and by extension, the Winchesters—is the surest way to do it in WinchesterLand. His “old buddy, old pal” routine seems like the perfect lure.

I mean, it’s not fun to watch, and quippy!Lucifer is annoying as hell, but I’m pretty sure that’s what’s going on.

11.5. But I’m bemused by Castiel giving ground on something else—referring to Jack repeatedly as Lucifer’s son, without any prompting from Lucifer. Why give him that bond? Why concede that very, very important thing?

12. “Evil Colonel Sanders” sounds about right. LOL. Why would he go and personally collect that poor motel clerk, though? Doesn’t he have minions do that work for him?

12.5. I mean, it’s probably unwise, and Alex-ah-nder is a sadistic serial killer, but I’m weirdly charmed by Sam bothering to make sure that he got a bite to eat and access to the bathroom. Interrogator!Sam is no base torturer, you guys, and in this universe, that’s a big deal.

(also once again only dean is allowed to have feelings about mary)

13. (also once again only dean is allowed to worry about castiel)

13.10. Again: why do demons always forget they have telekinetic abilities when they brawl with SamnDean?

14. So… Sam comes off looking like an idiot for even considering “Alex-ah-nder”’s story so that’s basically what his role in this episode amounts to. Right ho!

14.5. The last 10 minutes has set up quite a bit: a retcon about Rowena and Ketch possessing a charm that would make them immortal (and which requires “charging”), Asmodeus collecting powerful beings and using Ketch to do it (why?? And when did that even happen?), and Castiel and human!Lucifer (blech) in jail.

15. To sum up? 

[angelthefirst1]

Down the Rabbit hole level 1 part 4

So what’s with the 6 rest 13 and how will it work mixed into S8? what does it all mean together? Well… First e6 now let’s think about this in terms of the loop.

We saw the group go to Oceanside twice, first time S7E06 when Tara loses Heath but finds the PPP card which means play piano softly or Play pattern softly for Tara and Heath

 Tara and Heath are yet again another loop representation of Beth and Daryl’s story.

So I’m guessing Heaths story will connect with Beth who will be with another group that is a different representation again of Oceanside (AKA funeral home where their story first got split). And that’s why he has been missing so long, as he represents Beth and Tara Represents Daryl.  

Interesting that Tara at the end of e6 on the way back to Alexandria puts on some sunglasses and is smiling as she makes her way home

And where does she get the sun glasses? An apothecary just another version of Grady hospital and every other location linked to medicine or healing in any way where we see her do this.

The Apothecary is Just another version of Grady hospital the CDC and every other location linked to medicine or healing in any way. As the story is going backwards from S7 we are going to see Daryl need some major sunglasses once he gets his sunshine back! 8.01they are going to play the end first and then we will find out where Beth/ Heath have been.

It’s very possible some connecting story with Dwight and Daryl (the claimers clues mixed with Dwight talking about going to outposts to either kill or recruit saviors to fight Negan) will lead the two groups to intersect somehow just as Len breaking Joe’s rules is what got Daryl the whole cottontail back.

This music playing backwards will eventually lead all the way back to S4E13 for Beth as that’s the start of the 3rd sheriff’s story.

Which actually has a lot more in it than just a reunion and more sweet Bethyl moments (although I’m sure many will be wrapped with that) as we are going to eventually end up at an equal opposite coda to the CDC s1e5and6 cure story (Grady Hospital repeated with the in-between story they didn’t tell), yep that’s right we are getting a cure and who is at the heart of it? Well… it’s Beth!

I also want to add that the scene in the funeral home when Beth is playing the piano and Daryl is watching and then gets in the Coffin has the same symbolic pattern but going the other way to the S7 truck picture.

On the piano where Beth is, there are 16 candles (trust me I’ve counted them all, you can’t see them all from any one shot but ther are 6 medium candles on the top shelf of the piano, 3 on each side and 10 tea light (small) candles on the bottom level of the piano 5 on each side, oh and the loop of Rick’s vase in the middle) , then the candelabra stand to the right of the piano has 7 large candles (S7) next to that on a small table between the lamp stand and the coffin are 6 small candles, then we have Daryl in the coffin and next to him a lamp stand (not on) and then another stand with dead flowers. (the dead flowers are not in the shot here but they are there)

So this pattern is a flipped representation of the Truck symbols.

Music = (Beth), 16, 7, 6 coffin, dark lamp, dead flowers

Pattern plays forward to E16 (the total of small + medium candles on the piano) to the candelabra S7 (Large Candles).

Then after that we are going back to E6 (Small candles) on lower table (which represents going down or the other way and because it is past the S7 candelabra which represents a coda/ending) to get back to Daryl and back to this episode 13

The way they frame the whole scene with the candles gives us huge clues to the future story.

And the numbers of candles and the size meaning will change depending on how they frame a shot making the meaning of the candles change too. The candles loop in meaning just as everything does, I will show you what I mean next.

First we see Beth singing up close and she says the words “and we’ll buy a beer to shotgun” in this frame we see Beth’s back not her face and 5 medium candles on the top level of the piano (S5) and 8 little candles on the bottom level of the piano (E8) 13 candles in total referencing 2 events first 508 and her being shot and second the story looping back to S4E13 representing the 13 on the truck pattern.

The words she sings in conjunction with the candles they show also have meaning.

Here Beth is singing about beer and a shot gun, interesting because as I said I have a feeling Dwight who has been linked to beer will play apart in her reunion but is also a representation of Daryl, and well… she did get shot with a gun in 508.

Then the frame changes to looking over at Daryl leaning on the wall behind her listing to her sing and we see them both front on, part of the piano is visible while we only see 2 medium candles (2 seasons) where she sings “and we’ll lay in our lawn and we’ll be good” (I hate add this but I think Beth and Daryl will only be together again after their reunion for 2 seasons, this points to something happening to Daryl as the loop will come back around to represent something for him again eventually, which is why there is a Daryl look alike on the truck under the symbols from the S7 final too)

After she sings this line she starts playing a little coda to the main tune, then Daryl coughs and interrupts her, she stops playing and is a little startled and turns around to look at him.

This scene is telling two stories of the future

First Beth’s interruption in 5:08 (“Death”)

And second also possibly a story about Daryl, 2 seasons after Beth is back something is going to happen to him. Based on the loop/ pattern I’m hoping that his story may link into the poison/infected arrow story in the comics which would be a loop back to the Arrow in S2 that went through his side and made him delirious but didn’t kill him. Interesting that on the way back from this Andrea shoots him in the head as I mentioned earlier on the same side as Beth, their stories are connected and looping together.

But I’m hoping that by S9 Beth’s cure will be ready to give to others and she can save him again. During the time between their reunion and something happening to Daryl they will “lie in their lawn and be good”

The next scene shows Daryl put his crossbow down while Beth is watching him (another prediction that something will happen to him later on when she is watching on) he then says “the place is nailed up tight, only way in is through the front door” Beth moves in just the right way to make only 5 of the 7 large lampstand candles visible (S5) the place is locked up tight only way in is through the front door all while Beth is not singing (Prediction of Grady and if you go back and watch S5E07 and 8 you will see  them talk about how the only way in is the main entrance)

It also only shows 5 candles while Daryl is climbing into the coffin (S5 is when he will first climb into his burial but as Beth asks him “what are you doing?” she moves and we now only see 3 candles as he answers “this is the comfiest bed I’ve had in years” 3 seasons will be the “years” timeframe he will be in the coffin until she’s back.

She also then moves in a way to first show all 7 of the Candelabra candles

And then moves back so we can see the 6 smaller candles on the little table next to the coffin

   Indicating the time marker, S7 and then back to e6 which is what the truck symbolism gave us in S7E16 and not long after this Daryl asks her to "keep on Singing" which she does. Giving us the time frame for her onscreen arrival (which will happen at the time we go back to another representation of Oceanside e6) 

Daryl being in burial mode all that time she is gone (that’s why he gave Beth a serious piggyback BTW he was going to be carrying her with him all the time she was gone awhhhh) but also in relation to future story for Daryl there are 9 chairs placed in front of the coffin, and the loops will mean that it will go back to his story after Beth’s. It keeps bouncing back and forth between the repeats.

This scene is a prediction of a life coda as opposed to the Death Coda we saw in S7E16 and yes once again its just 3 episodes shy of 3 full seasons between the two scenes.

Added extra here the house number is 26 (now you know the pattern I’m going to let you tell me what the 26 could mean, it has many references so send me a message with your thoughts)

 Thanks for reading team defiance I will be back soon with part 5.

Have an awesome weekend!