#fun fact from the spn wiki: as of this episode every member of Team Free Will 2.0 has died and been resurrected at least once

[according-to-the-laura]

StackedNatural Day 74: 14x08

StackedNatural Masterpost: [x]

December 6, 2021

14x08: Byzantium

Written by: Meredith Gylnn

Directed by: Eduardo Sánchez

Original air date: December 6, 2018

Plot Synopsis:

When Dean and Sam join forces with an unexpected ally, the outcome will alter the course of two lives. Meanwhile, Heaven faces an attack from a dark force, driving Castiel to make an enormous sacrifice to make things right.

Features:

Jack’s first death, Lily Sunder returns, Anubis, Jack meets Kelly, Cas makes a deal.

My Thoughts:

Oh my GOD this is a good episode. Just spent my lunch break crying in my office and trying to do it quietly. @Meg3point0 was also there and we were both just trying to stifle the insane “waauuugghh” noises coming out of our mouths every five seconds because every scene in this episode hits SO hard. Meredith Glynn, forevermore you have my blade.

I can’t think of a single thing wrong with this episode. Every emotional beat is nailed and there wasn’t a single thing that pulled me out of the story or made me roll my eyes. Super rare, in Stacked.

This episode has the grief sequence that’s missing from 15x01. We get to see the distinct grief and relationship each of the three of them have to Jack and his death. Cas and Dean being out of the room when Jack actually died is heart wrenching but it works so well. Sam and Dean both textually refer to Jack as their child. This is beautiful, although immensely depressing that Dean is only able to express this when Jack is dead.

Meg has a theory that Cas feeling like the death is Wrong is because he is somewhat outside of Chuck’s narrative and he can feel when things are being changed in the story to a less favourable outcome. Dope theory.

I love so, so much that Jack and Kelly get to meet in Kelly’s heaven. Kelly was such a great character, and I really love how even though she dies when Jack is born, she’s such a huge influence on him, and he continues to love her and miss her instead of the story just glossing over the importance of the loss of a parent. Courtney Ford’s acting as Kelly is great, too. I love her and Cas’ genuine friendship.

The effects on the Empty (or the Shadow? I’ve been referring to the entity as the Empty but I think it’s technically the Shadow and the Empty is the place) in the white hallways of Heaven looks really cool, as does Anubis’ abacus. Sidenote, I love that Anubis is the one tracking which souls get into Heaven instead of St. Peter. Very cool. Erica Cerra as Duma/The Shadow rules extremely hard, she does not hold back at all and it works.

Another small but great acting moment was Misha, in the entire episode, but particularly as he’s leaving Kelly’s Heaven and sees Naomi, I think he plays shock and fear very well. He doesn’t forget that the last time he saw her she was lobotomizing him.

Jack got hugged like five times this episode and he deserves it, it should be the standard.

Notable Lines:

“What happens next… for someone like me?"

“The certainty… of death, even for angels, it's always felt natural, but this doesn't. Jack being taken before his time. I mean, taken before me."

“He’s our kid!”

“Take me in his stead. Take me. [...] I'm the one you want. I'm the one who woke you up."

"I want you to suffer. I want you to go back to-- to your normal life and-- and then forget about this and forget about me. And-- And then, when you finally give yourself permission to be happy and let the sun shine on your face, that's when I'll come. That's when I'll come to drag you to nothing."

Laura’s (completely subjective) Episode Rating: 10.0

IMdB Rating: 8.5

In Conclusion: Every one of my notes for this episode was just “he’s their kid waaaah” or “Meredith Glynn I am kissing you on the mouth”, so not much for detailed analysis today.

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