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drsilverfish · 6 years ago

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DrSilverfish S14 Meta Masterpost

Well, what a wild ride S14 has been. An extremely rich season for meta, and one of the best seasons of the show, ever (in my view, YMMV). It’s been a blast sharing it with all of you, week by week, on the hoof. Thanks for all the discussion, shared sleuthing and musing, gifs, art, fic, meta and more.

And thanks also to all the readers of, and commenters on, this blog. Reading the tags and replies on Tumblr is still one of the best things.

High points? The writers’ room’s use of mythology (Greek, Biblical, folktale) this season has been rich and satisfying, but in particular their borrowing of Jung’s psychological drama of the encounter between the Self and the Shadow-self, and his interpretation of alchemical writing as representative of the journey of the psyche towards self-integration (for the alchemists, the journey of the soul to God) has been really beautifully crafted.

Also, all the call-backs to previous seasons and episodes of the show, as part of Dabb’s Ouroboros narrative, used to shed light both on the past and the present; even down to matching the call backs numerologically for more snake-swallowing-its-own-tail symmetry.

Stand out episode for me was 14x14 Ouroboros. Steve Yockey is a kick-ass writer and a master of subtext. Noah Ophis the Queer Gorgon was not only a fabulous queer villain but the call-back to Nick the Siren and 4x14 Sex and Violence really reflected on and demonstrated the show’s evolution, as we near the end of the spiral (it’s ages since any female characters have been called a “bitch” or a “whore” for one thing - phew).

Also a shout-out to Meredith Glynn’s 14x08 Byzantium for its lovely re-encounter re Castiel’s relationship to Heaven, his heart-crushing (and uber fairy-tale romantic) deal with The Shadow, as well as for revisiting the awesome Lily Sunder and adding Anubis to the SPN God-machine!

And to Davy Perez 14x11 Damaged Goods for the most subtextually obvious but also tragically heart-breaking, reference to the Ma’lak box as the closet, thanks to Dean showering sparks all over Donna’s 1970s cowboy porn poster collection whilst building it.

Andrew Dabb and Meredith Glynn’s 14x13 Lebanon was excellent too; lovely script, outstanding performances from the original Winchester family, a beautiful little side-meditation on who Castiel would have been, if he hadn’t raised Dean from perdition, and some more alchemical symbolism via the “pearl of great price” (AKA the Philosopher’s Stone).

Meghan Fitzmartin and Yockey’s 14x15 Peace of Mind, was also stand-out, for its biting satire both of MAGA and Heaven, its hilarious whammied Sam (truly one of Jared’s great performances, up there with his Lucifer in The End) and its lashings of queer subtext (from Dean’s fascination with, and anxiety about, the “snake”, to Castiel’s mirrored heavy improv involvement with Sunny’s dick-worshiping erotic epistles).

Finally, Dabb and Sgriccia delivered a gorgeously shot, and epic, finale in 14x20 Moriah, the culmination of Dean’s long and painful encounter with the internalised Ghost of John Winchester in his psyche, as he faced, Ouroboros style, a yellow-eyed “monster” who had (apparently) killed Mary Winchester (again) and THE Father, ordering him to continue his own father’s revenge cycle. Chuck Shurley, avatar of God, ultimate dead-beat Dad and author of the SPN multi-verse, is set up to be the meta villain for the final season, as his characters struggle for true free will.

Here’s hoping MIRROR UNIVERSE and all those zombies busting out of their graves are indeed a giant neon metaphor for the culminating revenge of SPN’s eternal queer subtext.

Low-point of the season; re-fridging Mary Winchester as part of the Ouroboros narrative, even though Glynn and Berens handled her “death” episodes (14x17 and 14x18) beautifully. Re-staging the drama of Azazel, fathers and sons, as part of the story spiral was, of course, irresistable, and profound for our male hero characters; I get it. But, as I am still convinced this is a fake-out, Mary is not really dead, and we will see her again (see my meta from 14x17 onwards) I’m willing to wait before I write my final meta on the show’s relationship to the feminine principle (spoiler alert, a load of suckage along the way, with the possiblity for a, somewhat contingent, writers’ room redemption arc!). I am hoping both Amara, as the feminine God-principle, and Mary (they are already fundamentally linked) will return in the culmination of the narrative. Symbolically, even given this is, indelibly, a narrative about men and the bonds between them, that return of/ integration with the feminine would be the alchemical and Jungian culmination of the journey, and I’m hoping that’s what Dabb is going deliver; via Jack (Hermes/ Mercury) as the mediating principle.

As I’m sure you all are, I’m in equal measure gutted and excited that S15 is to be the final turn of the spiral.

Look forward to sharing all the highs and the lows, as TFW go up against Chuck Almighty himself, with Death, The Empty and metaphysical key Jack Kline Novak Winchester in the mix.

All my meta of the season (with thanks to many of you for enlightening and fun discussion) under the cut this time, because there’s a LOT!:

1) Stranger in a Strange Land (14x01)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/178991484844/stranger-in-a-strange-land-14x01

2) Queer Gods and Monsters (14x02)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179226151009/queer-gods-and-monsters-14x02

3) Dramatic Irony and Castiel in 14x02

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179277272094/dramatic-irony-and-castiel-in-14x02-gods-and

4) Jack and Killing Dean in 14x02 (parallels with Dean and Killing Jack in 13x02 The Rising Son)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179430025509/spookyboysam-and-that-means-that-dean-dies-too

5) 14x03 The Scar - Dean Confronts Dark!Kaia (Dopplegangers, Mirrors and John Winchester’s Ghost)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179463975289/shirtlesssammy-14x03the-scar-meta-writers

6) Batman vs Superman: Connection and Conflict in Mint Condition (14x04) (Plus more John Winchester’s Ghost)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179699654684/batman-vs-superman-connection-and-conflict-in

and some added discussion and further meta with @dimples-of-discontent

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179735406854/batman-vs-superman-connection-and-conflict-in

7) Nightmare Logic (14x05) The Winchester Family Crypt

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179938583519/nightmare-logic-14x05-the-winchester-family

8) Uhmmn... 14x05′s Text Reference Is...? (Nightmare Logic)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179940786549/uhm-14x05s-text-reference-is

and some added discussion and further meta (on Dean and the bi-dent) with @paperwhitenarcissus

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179975186264/uhm-14x05s-text-reference-is

9) 14x05 Nightmare Logic and 13x14 Good Intentions - Dean’s Wardrobe Parallels - a discussion with @postmodernmulticoloredcloak

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179943183099/postmodernmulticoloredcloak-do-you-think-its

10) Inside Dean’s Head - 14x03 The Scar and 14x05 Nightmare Logic

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/179944031049/inside-deans-head

11) 14x06 Optimism - Cock Meta (end comment on a multi-authored discussion)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/180184985249/14x06-cock-a-doodle-doo

12) 14x06 Optimism - a discussion with @postmodernmulticoloredcloak

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/180201135789/postmodernmulticoloredcloak-drsilverfish

13) 14x08 Byzantium (Castiel’s Relationship with Heaven)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/180903052874/byzantium-14x08

14) The Shadow 14x08 (first in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/180906003584/the-shadow-14x08

15) 14x09 The Spear (wounds, penetrations, scars: Destiel)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/181057197034/guysjust-hold-hands-already-protective

16) 14x09 The Spear (Jungian Decoder Ring Edition) (second in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/181122764984/14x09-the-spear-jungian-decoder-ring-edition

17) 14x09 The Spear: Ode to Joy

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/181170752319/14x09-the-spear-ode-to-joy

18) The Dean/ Cas Spiral Narrative - S13 and 14 Edition (so far)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/181231154654/the-dean-cas-spiral-narrative-s13-and-14-edition

19) Pamela Barnes in Nihilism (14x10)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182118505974/pamela-barnes-in-nihilism

20) AU!Michael and the Closet (14x10)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182120562849/aumichael-and-the-closet

21) Rocky’s Bar: A Closer Look in Dean’s Mind (14x10)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182142619479/rockys-bar-a-closer-look-in-deans-mind-14x10

22) Are You There, God? It’s Me, Dean Winchester (S11 Parallels - Jungian meta adjacent)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182150404304/are-you-there-god-its-me-dean-winchester

23) Pamela, The Guardian (this is actually @shirtlesssammy ‘s great meta, to which I added something on Pamela as Dean’s psychopomp and anima - Jungian meta adjacent)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182196788399/pamela-the-guardian-in-14x10

24) What the Light and Shadow Tells Us (some meta on the S14 promo poster and S13 and 14′s use of light and shadow - Jungian meta adjacent)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182257314199/what-the-light-and-shadow-tells-us

25) A Fridge-Locker, An Enochian Puzzle-Box, and the Closet (14x11 Damaged Goods)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182303909819/a-fridge-locker-an-enochian-puzzle-box-a-malak

with some additional discussion with @magnificent-winged-beast and @verobatto-angelxhunter on subtext, canon and the show’s own closet:

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182375754379/a-fridge-locker-an-enochian-puzzle-box-a-malak

26) Jung and Dean’s Journey Towards Self-Integration in 14x11 Damaged Goods (third in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182299438269/jung-and-deans-journey-towards-self-integration

27) Damaged Goods (14x11)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182307242539/damaged-goods-14x11

28) Cosmic Order and Entropy: What’s Death’s Game? (14x11)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182350642244/cosmic-order-and-entropy-whats-deaths-game

and some additional discussion with @emblue-sparks

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182380817269/cosmic-order-and-entropy-whats-deaths-game

29) The Riddle of the Sphinx: 14z12 Prophet and Loss (a guest meta for @metafest ) (including more on the Ghost of John Winchester - Jungian meta adjacent)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182482293379/the-riddle-of-the-sphinx-14x12-prophet-and-loss

and some additional meta and discussion with @verobatto-angelxhunter

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182487467794/the-riddle-of-the-sphinx-14x12-prophet-and-loss

and some more with @emblue-sparks

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182501242824/the-riddle-of-the-sphinx-14x12-prophet-and-loss

30) Ouroboros in Prophet and Loss (14x12) (fourth in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182486474324/ouroboros-in-prophet-and-loss-14x12

31) Dr. Sexy of the Lord in Prophet and Loss

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182501242824/the-riddle-of-the-sphinx-14x12-prophet-and-loss

plus self--reblog with more on the “Dr. Novak” alias

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182538453119/dr-sexy-of-the-lord-in-14x12-prophet-and-loss

32) A Pearl of Great Price - 14x13 Lebanon (fifth in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182660472289/a-pearl-of-great-price-14x13-lebanon

with some additional discussion and meta with @mittensmorgul and @paperwhitenarcissus

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182667170284/a-pearl-of-great-price-14x13-lebanon

33) 14x13 Lebanon - Some Silent Storytelling Notes on the Pawn-Shop

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182666922119/14x13-lebanon-some-silent-storytelling-notes-on

34) The Bruise as a Kiss: Cinematic Queerness and the Violence Between Dean and Cas in 14x13

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182669190399/the-bruise-as-a-kiss-cinematic-queerness-and-the

35) An Angel, and Lucifer’s Kid? Queer-Coding and Dean’s “Found Family” in 14x13 Lebanon

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182794294534/an-angel-and-lucifers-kid-queer-coding-and

36) Movie Poster Meta for 14x13 (end note to a multi-authored discussion with @paintmeahero @mittensmorgul @shirtlesssammy @justanotheridijiton )

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182843848469/paintmeahero-shirtlesssammy-mittensmorgul

37) Old Timey SPN: A Fresh (Queer) Look at 4x06 Yellow Fever

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182874642184/old-timey-spn-a-fresh-queer-look-at-4x06

38) 14x14 Ouroboros Promo: Procrustes Greek Myth Meta-Spec (part of a discussion with @mittensmorgul @postmodernmulticoloredcloak - Jungian meta adjacent)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182991822784/mittensmorgul-postmodernmulticoloredcloak

39) The Man Who Would Be King - Edlund’s Literary Allusion and 6x20

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183118270999/the-man-who-would-be-king-edlunds-literary

40) 14x14 Promo Meta Spec (a discussion with @elizabethrobertajones and @hum-bee - started Destiel, became @hum-bee ‘s meta on Castiel’s depression, then mine on the separate, but related, queer subtext narratives for Dean and Cas this season)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183246356449/dean-is-getting-better-at-communicating

41) The Kiss of the Queer Gorgon in 14x14 Ouroboros

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183323000224/the-kiss-of-the-queer-gorgon-in-14x14-ouroboros

42) The Serpent and the Egg: Snake and Eye Symbology in 14x14 Ouroboros (sixth in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183327000184/the-serpent-and-the-egg-snake-and-eye-symbology

43) Perseus, Jack and the Gorgon in 14x14

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183337497344/perseus-jack-and-the-gorgon-in-14x14

44) The Siren and the Gorgon 4x14 and 14x14

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183342830074/the-siren-and-the-gorgon-4x14-and-14x14

And with an addition:

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183368457514/the-siren-and-the-gorgon-4x14-and-14x14

45) Noah Ophis 14x14 (Meanings and the name of the Gorgon)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183363993019/noah-ophis-14x14

And some further discussion with @justanotheridijiton and @mittensmorgul

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183370426434/noah-ophis-14x14

46) Another Alchemical Easter Egg in 14x14 (seventh in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183388134889/another-alchemical-easter-egg-in-14x14

Plus additions and discussion with @mittensmorgul and @trickster-archangel :

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183876036674/another-alchemical-easter-egg-in-14x14

47) The Justin Smith/ Dean Smith Ouroboros (14x15 and 4x17)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183497401344/the-justin-smith-dean-sm)ith-ouroboros

with additional discussion with @mittensmorgul @a-bit-of-influence @verobatto-angelxhunter and @magnificent-winged-beast :

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183520934439/the-justin-smith-dean-smith-ouroboros

48) Yellow Fever Redux in 14x15 Peace of Mind

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183498528974/yellow-fever-redux-in-peace-of-mind-14x15

and with additional discussion with @magnificent-winged-beast and @verobatto-angelxhunter

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183507216399/yellow-fever-redux-in-peace-of-mind-14x15

49) Oranges are not the Only Fruit (part of a multi-authored discussion with @postmodernmulticoloredcloak and @verobatto-angelxhunter )

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183505777909/verobatto-angelxhunter-drsilverfish

50) Do Snakes Like Bacon? (Queer-Coding) (14x15)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183505636319/celestialdean-do-snakes-like-bacon-bacon-and

51) The Satire in Charming Acres (14x15)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183526003969/the-satire-in-charming-acres-14x15-peace-of-mind

52) The Book of Life in Donatello’s Kitchen (14x15) with thanks to @postmodernmulticoloredcloak for the heads up!

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183528415774/postmodernmulticoloredcloak-look-what-i-found-in

53) “AU” Past Episode References in 14x15 Peace of Mind (and the Theme of Fate vs Free Will)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183549410559/au-past-episode-references-in-14x15-peace-of

and with an addition thanks to @mittensmorgul

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183568337094/au-past-episode-references-in-14x15-peace-of

54) A Call-Back to 4x01 in 14x15 (this is an addition to a meta by @poorreputation about Charming Acres as a Metaphor for Heaven)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183570660759/spn-14x15-peace-of-mind-heaven-and-charming

55) The Bird Represents God (14x15) (an addition/ discussion on bird poop to @verobatto-angelxhunter ‘s S14 meta-spec master-post)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183582551424/my-supernatural-season-14-specs-in-one

56) Dean Made me Watch the Lost Boys Like 20 Times (14x16 Don’t Go in the Woods)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183635993619/dean-made-me-watch-the-lost-boys-like-20-times

57) The Ghostfacers in 14x16

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183638151784/the-ghostfacers-in-14x16

58) The Kohonta, The Wendigo and..... The Winchesters? Cannibalism in 14x16

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183640736269/the-kohonta-the-wendigo-and-the-winchesters

59) More Musings on the Signifiance of Bird Poop in 14x16 with @elizabethrobertajones @mittensmorgul and @neven-ebrez

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183648898244/elizabethrobertajones-five-p-m

60) Lucifer Rides Again?.... Games Within Games in 14x17 Game Night

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183968888069/lucifer-rides-again-games-within-games

61) A Discussion on Alchemy and the Season’s End with @occamshipper

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183972692154/thoughts-for-absencemoriah

62) Sixteenth Century Burmese Blood Rubies (14x17)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183973554064/sixteenth-century-burmese-blood-rubies-14x17

63) Cindy’s Waffle House in 14x17

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183990322609/cindys-waffle-house-in-14x17

64) Nick’s Spell in 14x17 (A Bit of Body-Snatching Spec)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183991533929/nicks-spell-in-14x17-a-bit-of-body-snatching

65) Castiel and Food: A Discussion with @bluestar86 and @tinkdw (14x17)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183993473339/this-episode-again-reminding-us-that-angels-can

66) Is Anael in League with Satan?: A Discussion with @postmodernmulticoloredcloak

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184019357044/postmodernmulticoloredcloak

67) The Scapegoat: Speculative Musings on S14′s End (Moriah) (Linked to the Season’s Jungian Themes - Scapegoating and the Unacknowledged Shadow) (eighth in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184045009309/the-scapegoat-speculative-musings-on-s14s-end

with an additional note:

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184068368304/the-scapegoat-speculative-musings-on-s14s-end

68) You Can Still Be a Cookie-Baking, Cardigan-Wearing Big Softie Without a Soul (14x17 Game Night)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184063447919/you-can-still-be-a-cookie-baking-cardigan-wearing

69) Dutch Camera Angles in 14x17 - A Discussion with @mittensmorgul

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184117004089/mittensmorgul-i-was-just-thinking-of-all-the

70) 14x18 Absence: The Games Continue? (14x18)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184131452324/14x18-absence-the-games-continue

with additional discussion with @shirtlesssammy

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184140015899/14x18-absence-the-games-continue

71) Re-Fridging Mary Winchester: The Ouroboros Narrative Swallows its Origin Story (14x18 Absence)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184188830889/re-fridging-mary-winchester-the-ouroboros

72) Dean Would Never Tell Cas He Was Dead To Him (14x18 - end comment on dramatic irony on a post by @superduperdestiel33 )

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184158399039/dean-would-never-tell-cas-that-he-was-dead-to-him

73) Jack, Godstiel and Jesus Parallels - A 14x19 Promo Discussion with @trickster-archangel (Jungian meta adjacent)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184165716364/trickster-archangel-i-was-watching-the-promo

74) A Spec Discussion on the Snake, Chicken and Egg Story (14x14) in Relation to Jack and 14x19 Jack in the Box and 14x20 Moriah with @neven-ebrez and @mittensmorgul

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184234111884/neven-ebrez-neven-ebrez-mittensmorgul

75) A Pillar of Salt in 14x19 Jack in the Box

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184302344489/a-pillar-of-salt-in-14x19-jack-in-the-box

and with addition discussion with @postmodernmulticoloredcloak

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184305778829/a-pillar-of-salt-in-14x19-jack-in-the-box

76) Hallucifer or Lucifer? (14x19 Jack in the Box)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184303628429/hallucifer-or-lucifer-14x19

77) The Wraith at Mary’s Funeral (14x19) (end comment on a discussion with @mittensmorgul and @postmodernmulticoloredcloak )

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184305430244/hi-mittens-im-not-understanding-what-the-point

78) “So, Who’s Ready to Take on The Book of Samuel?” (14x19 Jack in the Box)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184308630909/so-whos-ready-to-take-on-the-book-of-samuel

79) A Discussion on Dean and Cas and Chuck and Faith (14x19) with @norahastuff

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184325713124/norahastuff-drsilverfish-norahastuff-you

80) Mary is Watching Over You.... From a Mirror Universe? (14x20 Moriah)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184458723054/mary-is-watching-over-you-from-a-mirror

81) Fate vs Free Will - “Welcome to the End” (14x20 Moriah)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184462086934/fate-vs-free-will-welcome-to-the-end-14x20

with additional discussion with @emblue-sparks

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184465647879/fate-vs-free-will-welcome-to-the-end-14x20

82) More Bird-Poop Meta: A Discussion with @trickster-archangel

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184501155254/trickster-archangel-it-just-occurred-to-me

83) “MIrror Universe” Meanings (14x20)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184491569414/mirror-universe-14x20

with additional discussion with @trickster-archangel and @occamshipper

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184508555094/mirror-universe-14x20

84) Dean’s Jungian Shadow Arc in S14: Confronting the Internal Father (2x22 to 14x20 Moriah) (ninth in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184507150574/deans-jungian-shadow-arc-in-s14-confronting-the

85) Jack Kline Novak Winchester: Son, TFW Mirror, Trinity and Key; Quaternity, Ouroboros, Caduceus and Harbinger of The End (14x20) (tenth in a series of meta on the Jungian themes of S14)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184542079054/jack-kline-novak-winchester-son-tfw-mirror

86) So Who Has Been Resurrecting Castiel? (Post 14x20 Musings)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184558105759/so-who-has-been-resurrecting-castiel-post-14x20

and with added discussion with @mittensmorgul

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184570379724/so-who-has-been-resurrecting-castiel-post-14x20

87) Chuck and Reno (14x20 plus S15 Spec on Chuck and Amara - end comment on a discussion by @tarend and @hi-im-dazey

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184580452909/chuck-and-reno

POST-SCRIPT!!!

All My Meta on the Jungian Themes of S14 Collected Together in a 10 Part Series:

1) The Shadow 14x08

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/180906003584/the-shadow-14x08

2) 14x09 The Spear (Jungian Decoder Ring Edition)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/181122764984/14x09-the-spear-jungian-decoder-ring-edition

3) Jung and Dean’s Journey Towards Self-Integration in 14x11 Damaged Goods

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182299438269/jung-and-deans-journey-towards-self-integration

4) Ouroboros in Prophet and Loss (14x12)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182486474324/ouroboros-in-prophet-and-loss-14x12

5) A Pearl of Great Price - 14x13 Lebanon

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182660472289/a-pearl-of-great-price-14x13-lebanon

6) The Serpent and the Egg: Snake and Eye Symbology in 14x14 Ouroboros

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183327000184/the-serpent-and-the-egg-snake-and-eye-symbology

7) Another Alchemical Easter Egg in 14x14

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/183388134889/another-alchemical-easter-egg-in-14x14

8) The Scapegoat: Speculative Musings on S14′s End (Moriah) (Linked to the Season’s Jungian Themes - Scapegoating and the Unacknowledged Shadow)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184045009309/the-scapegoat-speculative-musings-on-s14s-end

9) Dean’s Jungian Shadow Arc in S14: Confronting the Internal Father (2x22 to 14x20 Moriah)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184507150574/deans-jungian-shadow-arc-in-s14-confronting-the

10) Jack Kline Novak Winchester: Son, TFW Mirror, Trinity and Key; Quaternity, Ouroboros, Caduceus and Harbinger of The End (14x20)

https://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/184542079054/jack-kline-novak-winchester-son-tfw-mirror

#Supernatural #S14 #SPN meta #Meta #Meta masterpost #Blog housekeeping #What an amazing season

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sunnykeysmash · 5 years ago

Text

The connection between Brian LeFevre, death and macdennis/sunny meta

In my time obsessing over sunny recently I ended up noticing interesting stuff that I’m gonna try to show here, that was greatly expanded in s14 and that I believe gives us great odds over whether dennis will be acknowledged as gay in s15 or not.

Thesis: There has been an ongoing dichotomy, or “choice”, for Dennis, between Brian/Death/Son/Mandy and Dennis/Life/Love/Mac. Additionally, there has been purposeful ambiguity between what is sunny meta and what is dennis meta in season 14, enough for me to consider them one and the same in most cases. Information which puts Big Mo under a completely new light.

Long analysis under the cut.

Basically, Brian has been symbolically linked to death, thanks to an extensive use of metaphors and parallels, because Brian represents the death of Dennis’ identity. Not a true physical death, but the death of Dennis as a person.

Starting from the very beginning, of course, Brian is a dead guy.

In Dennis’ Double Life, it’s established textually, metatextually and visually that Dennis has an actual mirroring double life (Mandy vs Mac, Brian vs Dennis) and is stuck between the two of them.

This is also thanks to the heavy callbacks to suburbs. Here’s an excerpt from a previous analysis of mine explaining it:

(read more here, seriously I recommend it)

During this episode Dennis’ actually eventually fakes Brian’s death to try to get out of trouble, which is the second clear link to death for the persona.

It doesn’t work.

Mandy: “You can open your eyes now, I know you're not dead.”

Which also works as the first acknowledgement of Dennis not really wanting what the Brian life entails, as it’s a character death as much as it is the death of Dennis’ true wishes. He is not dead, he is not Brian, who IS dead.

Then, as he holds his son, something changes inside him. Suddenly, he is a father. His emotional involvement in choosing between the two lives changes drastically with this.

Nevertheless at the end of the episode Dennis is once again presented with the clear choice, which from this point forward I will address as Son/Death vs Love/Life, he looks at the RPG looming in the background and decides to go, not before a long hesitation and stopping immediately when he thought he was being asked not to go, showing us where his heart lies.

This, him choosing to go away, is because at this point in time, Dennis is still not in the right headspace to accept the right path for him. As Chop will put it, he feels “lonely and needs to do something extreme to feel special”, most of all though he feels lost. The conflicts that started in Boggs and Suburbs still make him unsure, and the presence of his son makes him feel like he has to be better for him, despite himself.

As he goes away, Mac blows up Dennis’ Range Rover with the RPG, car which is later in New Wheels metaphorically linked to Dennis’ identity.

Basically, as Dennis chooses Brian’s life, his actual identity dies.

So during the first half of season 13, he is nobody. He is not Brian and he’s struggling to be Dennis. He’s trying to get back into his old identity, desperate for any semblance of control and to belong, so he ends up looking like a caricature of himself, or rather, precisely who the gang thinks he is and who they see him as, not who he truly is.

New Wheels perfectly shows Dennis desperate to belong when he finds a new group of people, he tries on a whole new and different identity, which isn’t entirely him, but that at least feels welcoming enough. But it’s also a showcase of what Dennis truly wanted, which is to be acknowledged and seen by the gang, but particularly by Mac, feel like he matters to them and to him.

I say Mac specifically because the framing during the beginning scene seems to be fixated on a behind-Mac perspective on Dennis, almost like the conversation were happening just between the two of them, like Dennis was talking to him specifically when he pleads for questions.

These are all different shots, not the same one.

By the end of the episode he finally becomes himself again. And that’s that for s13.

Another thing worth pointing out though is that Dennis apparently has not been kicked out from ND, he himself says “I may go back” in New Wheels, and although in context it sounds more like an empty threat, it’s not empty because he can’t go back, it’s empty because he doesn’t really want to, as can be guessed thanks to his tone. This is because it’s then reinforced at the end of Chop with these lines of dialogue:

Charlie: “I can't believe how quick you gave up Poppins' puppies, though, you know? You didn't even think about keeping 'em.” Mac: “Well, that's a lot of responsibility, Charlie, right? And plus, there's no doggy paternity test to actually prove that they were Poppins' puppies in the first place. But, hey, if Poppins wants to stop by and say, "What's up?" and, like, be a dad for while, he's gonna. Or he won't. Dennis: “Yeah, that's how I do. That's how I do.”

Because of this, it can and should also be argued that the choice I am explaining in this analysis is something that Dennis still has to make, because he is, as it stands, still stuck between the two lives, and he has to settle on one, so choose between them, in order for the struggle to end. During all of s14 he is stuck trying to figure out which of the two he should choose, which is also the cause of his growing frustration. Currently speaking, getting a little speculatory here, I think everything feels like death to him, which is why he is having such a hard time deciding. He obviously doesn’t know the outcome of either option, because he’s not the audience or RCG, which means either of them can potentially kill him, and they both feel like they might to him.

Now, in season 14 is where all of this (the dichotomy of Death/Son vs Life/Love) starts to really become prominent in metatext, and this happens as the episodes start to purposefully confuse meta about the show itself with meta about Dennis. Let’s go through it in order one episode at a time, as that’s easier for me to dissect.

First of all, the backwards message at the end of all season 14 episodes, which is this:

“They leave but they all come back”

Is already a clear example of what I’m talking about. Is it about the show because of the false ending of Big Mo which actually ends with the message that “they’ll never stop doing sunny”? Is it about Dennis coming back from North Dakota? Unclear, but that’s entirely on purpose.

Episode 1: The Gang Gets Romantic

Now, there isn’t any clear connection to the choice as far as I am aware, but it is a first approach to the themes of romantic love, death, sons, as a whole. In this episode, while Frank and Charlie are paired with a father and son, Mac and Dennis get paired with a couple mourning a son (Dennis Jr, the “son” in the metaphor, is dead, but more in general it’s pointing to them slowly healing from the Suburbs conflict in my opinion though).

As a bonus fact, Charlie+Frank have always been set up to mirror Mac+Dennis. It is explicitly said in the Mac and Dennis Break Up commentary, and it shows in a bunch of episodes such as Dines Out, Chokes, or hell that one time Frank got a Charlie mannequin. Anyway, word of god, they are parallels.

TGGR presents us with two plotlines that mirror each other while going in the exact opposite direction, and the mirror element is the “structure”. Charlie and Frank’s plotline follows the romcom tropes closely, its structure, and is thus rewarded with a positive ending. Mac and Dennis’ plotline struggles against them (since the tropes are applying to Mac+Dennis, not Dennis+Lisa and Mac+Greg), which is why their plotline resolves negatively.

At the same time, this episode can have a sunny meta interpretation.

In this perspective, the Mac+Dennis plotline is the option for RCG to end sunny and each do their own thing, while the Charlie+Frank plotline is the option to keep it going, and at the end they conclude with the C+F one, seeing as it’s the option to keep going, which is ultimately what RCG wants.

So when this dialogue happens:

Mac: “You think they're gonna give us a bad review?” Dennis: “Yeah.” Mac: “I guess we're not gonna get that romantic comedy ending after all.”

It is about RCG choosing not to end the show (supported later by Big Mo), as it would not provide anything positive.

Or this:

Dennis: “It just feels like a lot of effort, and it feels desperate, you know what I mean? Like, I never put this much work into banging some cute meat.”

It can be interpreted as the effort to win an Emmy, especially since the Mac+Dennis plotline is the tired one, the one that’s failing.

And then when Alexi and Nikki say they’ll be back “next year”, and Charlie yells back “I love you!”, it can be interpreted that metaphorically Alexi and Nikki are sunny. Which also creates another link between love and the show continuing, or “staying alive”.

Finally, all the talk about “structure” and “acts”, particularly the three act structure, is a writer’s process, which also serves as an additional link to the RCG meta interpretation.

Episode 2: Thunder Gun 4: Maximum Cool

This episode leans heavily in the dichotomy, through various pieces of dialogue.

Starting from this:

Girl: "So, this is the midpoint twist. Thundergun finding out he has a son." Frank: "He has a son?" Girl: "Yes." Frank: "But how is this the twist? I mean, because he's got a kid? I mean, he's probably got a thousand kids, all the raw-dog loads he drops."

Which also calls back to the episode prior, where Dee’s role is called “diversionary plot-twist at best”. Now, all these words, midpoint and diversionary, imply an endgoal that is also opposite of what the twist shows.

The twist, obviously, being that Dennis has a secret life with a girl and a son.

It continues:

Dennis: “We’re feeling a lot of outrage right now, you know, because we want something, and we know we deserve it, - but we’re not getting it. [...] I wanna cling to the way things were, but they’re done. […] Let’s run from this.”

Being now aware of the metatext from Big Mo, once again, is this about RCG not getting an Emmy, being discouraged and wanting to end the show because they’re feeling stuck? Or is it about Dennis running away to North Dakota after he realizes in DDL that things have changed permanently despite Mac’s attempt at keeping them the exact same (the apartment restoration)?

The ambiguity that connects Dennis meta with Sunny/RCG meta continues.

Finally:

Dennis “No-no, you guys don’t get it. It’s a cliffhanger. Yeah? It’s a cliffhanger. We’re gonna find out what happened to John in the next movie, Thunder Gun 5.”

Dennis himself going against what is metaphorically his choice in DDL.

Let’s actually look into that, into what happens to Thundergun.

He sacrifices himself for his son, and dies in the process. Said film is then leaked by the gang and the audience hates it, so the franchise decides to “go back to its roots”. Very clearly sunny meta, but it can absolutely also be seen as Dennis meta. Dennis hating his choice (his thunderson ending) and deciding to come back (go back to his roots).

Additionally, Dennis literally says “give me dong or give me death” at one point, which in the context of all of this feels rather significant, you know?

Episode 3: Dee Day

Surprisingly, and thankfully for me, not much that I can see.

There is this:

Dennis: “And who cares about her feelings anyway? Nobody, that’s who. What about my feelings? Now, that’s interesting, okay?”

Which implies something going on with Dennis’ feelings, and which will more substantially be addressed by Jumper when it’s implied that Dennis tries to completely disregard them when it comes to choices, but other than that, really not much else.

Episode 4: The Gang Chokes

Once again we see a Mac+Dennis and Charlie+Frank parallel conflict. Charlie and Frank resolve their own with words (that mirror Dines Out) while Mac and Dennis resolve theirs with actions, while also solving the much bigger conflicts started by Suburbs (again, check out the other analysis for more context on this) and DDL.

It should also be stressed that Chokes starts by saying:

Charlie: “Uh, guys, I'd like to raise a glass to Frank. Frank, another year has gone by since you came into my life.”

He’s making a toast, which implies that they are celebrating their anniversary, as they were in Dines Out, and so the parallel becomes not only implied in dialogue as I’m about to show, but direct. It is unclear whether this is also a monthly dinner for Mac and Dennis or not, as I don’t think it was ever specified one way or the other.

As for the parallel in dialogue.

In Dines Out:

Mac: “I didn't have your back before, but now I'm gonna be the wind beneath your wings.”

In Chokes:

Frank (to the Waiter): “Hey, you had my back. Now I'm gonna have yours.”

and

Charlie: “Look, Frank, I'm sorry, dude. I screwed up, man. I should've saved you, and I'll always save you from now on, I promise.” Frank: “Thanks, Charlie. I knew you had my back.”

With Brian representing a death for Dennis, it is implied that what Charlie and Frank are saying in words is supposed to be fully applicable for Mac and Dennis, as there is a parallel between Frank almost dying by choking and Dennis almost dying by going to ND.

Therefore, this is about Dennis going to North Dakota and how he wanted to be stopped, “saved” by Mac. This is Mac apologizing, Dennis accepting the apology, and them implicitly moving forward from this conflict in their relationship and for any similar ones in the future if they present themselves. Mac learning the tools to deal with it, “I’ll always save you from now on”.

Which in a way further solidifies that the option that isn’t Brian, Death, Son, Mandy is fully intended as Dennis, Life, Love, Mac. Mac plays a role in the second option, so when choosing life, love, etc, Mac will be involved. As he is the savior in the context.

Continuing on Chokes, the episode itself again focuses a lot on death, both real and perceived, and being saved. There are three main points for this.

First point: Frank’s death.

So, he almost dies and no one helps. Sound familiar? It’s what happened when Dennis went to ND. As a result of no one helping him, Frank lashes out and decides to move out and distance himself. It is then shown that Frank keeps missing Charlie and comparing the Waiter to him subconsciously. It is constantly shown that Frank rejects Charlie’s attempts at helping him despite actually needing him. Which is also what applies to Mac and Dennis, throughout the episode Dennis is shown needing Mac’s help and taking it while verbally refusing it.

Charlie proposes to chew Frank’s food, Frank refuses his help, Frank chokes, Charlie doesn’t help.

Mac constantly helps Dennis, Dennis starts to push him away, Dennis “dies” (chooses to move to ND), Mac doesn’t help.

The episode concludes with the acknowledgement that they should’ve helped, and with the offended part forgiving the other.

Second point: Dee’s death

She witnesses death and is subsequently enthralled by it, seeking thrill by living on the edge. We can draw a parallel to Dennis’ enjoyment in “living in another man’s skin”, you know, “getting off”. It’s how Dennis started the double life he then got lost inside after all, it gave him a thrill. Then, it happened to him exactly what ends up happening to Dee. She experiences real death, is scared shitless by it, and decides to never do it again, going as far as to say this:

Dee: “I saw the other side. I didn't like it. I hated it. It was just blackness. There's nothing there. It's just dark. That's it. Just lights out. I don't want to do that anymore. I don't want to live on the edge. I don't want to die.”

So once again the choice rests on LIFE, it is like this for Dee, as it is for Sunny, as it is for Dennis.

It’s also interesting to point out that Dee is rescued by a third party, after Mac is able to say “No”; as if symbolically that is what should’ve happened to save Dennis, back when he was about to go. A “no”, to stop him.

Third point: Dennis’ death

Dennis witnesses Frank dying and no one helping him and is immediately reminded of his own situation, which he then proceeds to discuss when at home, with Mac. Thanks to Dennis making this correlation we can once again assume that it is meant to be interpreted as a nod to the ND twist. Not only this but it then keeps linking Dennis to the concept of death and being saved.

This dialogue happens:

Mac: “I would've stepped in, but, of course, I was taking my cues from you.” Dennis: “Why?” Mac: “Well, you didn't tell me whether I should save him or not.” Dennis: “But why? I mean, why do I still have to tell you what to do? Why do I still have to order your dinners for you? And why is it up to me to decide whether or not you're going to save a man's life? You know what the problem is? I can't depend on you. I can't depend on anyone. You know, I mean, if that had been me choking tonight, no one would've saved me.” Mac: “No. I would've saved you, Dennis. I would have saved you. If you told me to.” Dennis: “Oh, Jesus Christ if I told you to?”

Dennis is clearly still upset about no one helping him when he needed it, which is, no one stopping him from making the worst decision of his life, a well established metaphorical death, and is projecting this frustration by applying it to Frank’s situation.

Later on, again:

Dennis: “Christ. I feel like I'm dying.” Mac: “Just let me help you, Dennis!”

Then:

Mac: “Look, all the gluten and the sugar and the dairy just wreaks havoc on his system, you know? And it makes him so weak. And then he's gonna depend on me to take care of him, to bring him back from the brink of death.”

Or “from making a wrong decision”.

Continuing:

Dee: “But if you want Dennis to really depend on you, you’re gonna have to save his life for real.”

And:

Dennis: “So you were still gonna rely on a decision that somebody else made, only, this time, you were potentially gonna kill a man?”

In which Dennis is once again, always without fail, the dying man, and Mac the person who saves him, or tries to. Dennis is very adamant in wanting Mac to choose for himself, which is surprising for a man so “obsessed with control”, and specifically it ticks him off that Mac’s decision was once again gonna provoke the death of a man because he couldn’t take action.

All this implied connection between Dennis, North Dakota and Death reinforces the Death/Brian aspect, while also reinforcing the Life/Mac one, as it is Mac that is supposed to save Dennis.

Episode 5: The Gang Texts

A shorter one, but here things get a little interesting, because the dichotomy is highlighted by one particular joke.

Mac: “Bathrooms at zoos are, like, big Grindr spots for closeted dads.”

Mac says this, then later on, in comes Dennis, a dad, and if it weren’t enough, it’s Mac himself who points to the situation once again by asking if it’s a “grindr thing”.

So going with this, his particular struggle (Death/Son vs Life/Love) is being highlighted with a very fitting choice of words, as he is a dad, and so... also closeted. Going with this. These are the words chosen to describe him in the joke, and it ends up being very telling overall.

Episode 6: The Janitor Always Mops Twice

Nothing, pretty much. lol

I’m gonna use this empty space to write that I just realized that Mac is even more linked to the theme of romantic love because he gifts the RPG specifically on Valentines Day.

Also, generally speaking, Dennis leaving would imply the death of the show, so that’s another way in which dennis meta and sunny meta are linked, because every time one is referenced, the other is automatically implied. The show cannot exist without Dennis in it, and Dennis cannot exist if the show ends. And if that’s not enough, in Big Mo they outright link the end of the show to actual death, in a lot of ways that I’m gonna look into in a bit, so once again, remember that.

Finally, Dennis is very adamant on Mac acting in s14 because if Mac were to do it, he would basically make the decision for Dennis, something that he used to do all the time, if you recall Mac and Dennis Break Up.

Episode 7: The Gang Solves Global Warming

The subject itself can be considered a slow death of sorts, so it feels especially significant that it’s Dennis the member of the gang who cares most about stopping it, despite not being able to because Mac doesn’t help him.

That’s not the only reason he fails at the end though.

He keeps trying to be rational and keep feelings out of it, to rationalize with the situation, which is what ultimately crushes him, as that’s impossible long term.

In this episode, he keeps getting mad at Mac for not taking action and instead trusting God’s will.

Frank: “Where is your God now?” Mac: “He will reveal himself at some point.” Dennis: “Well, is he gonna do it before all these people revolt and destroy the place?” Mac: “I don’t know. I don’t question God’s will. If he wants to destroy the Earth, that’s on him. - I support it!”

I think this is stretching it a bit, but this can also be read as Mac accepting Dennis’ decision to leave despite hating it. Dennis is also frequently presented as “God” so it would make some sense.

The crowd “not wanting to stop” and rioting can be read as sunny meta also, though that’s also kind of a stretch to me, I’m pointing it out.

In the end, the whole episode Dennis and Mac keep arguing about action vs inaction, with Dennis insisting that Mac should take action and being distressed when he doesn’t. They also keep arguing about rationality vs God, something that will come up again in Jumper, surprisingly.

Episode 8: Paddy's Has a Jumper

Now, starting from the very obvious, because that’s what’s easy to me, the jumper is called Bryan O’Brien, and if that doesn’t scream Brian=death, then boy I don’t know what does.

Not only that, but the episode spends a significant portion really stressing and beating you over the head with the fact that the jumper is paralleling Dennis.

Not only is Frank mistaken for the father, but Dennis’ dialogue as a whole really insists on this in multiple points. But again let’s go in order.

Discussing his motivations and intentions:

Mac: ”I mean, maybe God is testing us.” Dee: “He's not gonna do anything. This is a classic cry for help.”

Plus, this episode feels like a writers’ room. When they say stuff like:

Charlie: “It doesn't matter if he wants to or he doesn't want to. He's not gonna die falling from that height.” Dennis: “Whoa. Hard disagree, pal. You could absolutely die if you jump from that height.”

This to me sounds equally about RCG discussing the choice for themselves (implying they did at one point consider outright killing Dennis, or at least argued the theoreticals of it in the writers room, as in “would he actually even die with a decision like that?”) as it is the characters arguing the ND thing in the metaphorical sense, with Dennis insisting that a jump would be fatal while the gang thinks he’s completely fine. So, again, the jump represents him moving to North Dakota, as we’ll see.

Also, in general, the whole episode sounds like RCG arguing over whether they should pull the plug on their own show or not (”become a suicide bar”, because again, without Dennis there is no show, if he chooses death, so does the show), RCG themselves stuck in Dennis’ choice. In particular with the whole “Could he? Would he? (choose one or the other?) Should we?”.

But in addition to this, the algorithm, actually algorithms in general, are once again something that Dennis uses regularly to solve his own problems (D.E.N.N.I.S system, hello), which is his downfall.

Dennis: “Based on the analytical conclusions that we draw here, we're gonna be able to come up with a mathematically-accurate, non-emotional answer to all of our questions. Okay? We just need to think like a computer.”

Speaking of rationality vs feelings.

Mac: “Let's not bring science into it. Okay? I mean, this is life or death. This is God's territory. All right? I mean, there is no science.”

Now, this is very important because it allows me to talk about another thing. If it hadn’t been clear enough by now, this choice Dennis is presented with is also one between rationality and feelings.

Choosing to care for your son and move to ND, that is the rational choice, and rational is everything Dennis has always tried to be, especially in this episode and in Global Warming (which also mentions God a lot!).

But throughout s12-13-14, as I have highlighted in this post so far, we have seen where Dennis’ heart lies, his feelings.

It is funny to notice that both in Global Warming and in Jumper, Mac is the half who keeps arguing for the side of religion, of faith, of feelings, while Dennis keeps arguing for the side of rationality, of objectivity, always wanting to keep feelings completely out of the equation.

Dennis: “I think I have a way that we can solve this argument without human emotion mucking it all up.”

Then:

Charlie: “I think what we learned is that there's no way that the jumper's gonna die from this height. You know? So there's no reason for us to do anything about it.”

Once again the gang not recognizing the gravity of the situation and choosing inaction, to which Dennis seems unsure and wants to do more testing.

Ok so, here’s where things get interesting, the biggest parallel links between Dennis and Bryan are brought to light as they are looking through his social media.

“Yeah, it looks like he likes to travel. He was recently on a cruise.”

Referring to how Dennis actually liked being in another man’s skin in general, and he was recently away to do just that.

The Gang: “Okay, so it looks like he's got a lot to live for.” “He's eating food.” Dennis: “Or-or-or is he? Because is-is that just what he wants you to believe?”

Once again it’s Dennis counterarguing, specifically on the points that sound most like himself, though this irony is lost on him. This also once again sounds like RCG discussing Dennis as a character and how the choice would actually impact him and has impacted him.

Generally, speaking about Dennis, everyone thought he was gonna be fine because on the surface, his choice in the s12 finale sounds like a pretty sweet deal, and exactly what Dennis has supposedly wanted ever since The Gang Misses The Boat, though even that episode itself proves that it simply isn’t what is right for him.

“He's hardly a child, but he's still hanging on to his youth. That suggests to me that maybe he's got some daddy issues. Abandonment, abuse.”

All things that perfectly apply to Dennis and that give us interesting insight on him.

“But recently the girlfriend, she's disappeared from his pictures, which tells me that, uh, she probably broke up with him, you know, because of all his father issues, and 'cause he's an alcoholic, and because of the copious requests for butt-eating, which, she was thinking was more of a one-time thing, and he was thinking, this is a thing now, like, from now on.”

Disregarding Dennis’ surprisingly canonical love for getting his butt ate, lol (despite how that could count as more indication of where his true feelings lie, knowing RCG and what their writing intentions might be), he brings out alcoholism out of seemingly nowhere, another thing that again confirms the link between Dennis and the jumper, Bryan.

Dennis: “Basically, what we've concluded is that it would actually be good for the bar if this guy jumps and dies. So the answer to the question of "should we get involved?" is actually yes. [...] You see, we've already established that this guy wants to die and that it would actually benefit our bar if he dies. Now, of course, from an emotional standpoint, we feel as though we should get involved, we feel as though we should save this guy, but the algorithm is actually telling us that that does not benefit anybody.”

This feels to me like Dennis realizing mid discussion that he should pick rationality aka Death, for the greater good, but being emotionally incapable of actually making that choice because of his feelings, and so implicitly pleading the gang to help him do it, to get involved and push him.

It also sounds like RCG coming to the conclusion that the algorithm, aka the show’s FORMULA, is telling them that Dennis ending up in the bad option of said choice is what would normally happen in a show like sunny, although they themselves don’t really want to go through with it.

Charlie: “Can I say something, though? I think this is for the best. You know what I mean? Like, we were going down a road I was not totally comfortable with.” Dee: “You guys want to go back to watching our show?” Charlie: “Let's get back to our show.”

So, a couple of things here. The jumper does not jump, he chooses life, which implies the same fate for Dennis. Coincidentally, pay attention to how the gang calls it “our” show, not like, “that” show, because this is, at the same time, RCG being glad of the decision to not end the show and kill Dennis off.

But here’s where things get real FUN, because the Melon is also used as a metaphor for sunny. Generally speaking, smashing it would’ve been ending it, it’s not a coincidence that the melon represents the jumper, they’re all one and the same.

Cricket: “Guys, why the hell are you wasting a perfectly good casaba melon?”

Why end a show that is doing perfectly fine?

Frank: “Where's my melon? Where's my casaba?” Dennis: “It's right here, man. Why do you care so much about this thing? What is the deal?” Frank: “It's where I stash my Maui Kush.” Charlie: “You hide your weed in a casaba melon?” Frank: “Yeah. In case the cops ransack the place, you got to find a good, unsuspecting spot to stash your drugs.” Mac: “Pot's pretty much legal now. You don't really have to stash it anywhere.” Charlie: “I don't think you have to hide it, man.” Frank: “When did that happen?”

Ok so, this might be the most speculative point I’m going to bring up, but I will anyway, because it’s my post and I do what I want. I think they’re talking about gay subtext here. It is simply something that is kept hidden (thus, subtext, duh), and that they don’t really need to hide anymore. The reason I think this has a metaphorical value is specifically because of how Charlie words “I don’t think you have to hide it, man” which beautifully applies to a Dennis who is still in the closet in the year of the lord 2020, if you catch my drift. Plus the whole situation reads kinda with a weird vibe in general, almost forced. You have to consider that they chose to include this dialogue over stuff like Frank bragging to Dennis about meeting Jackie DeNardo. He doesn’t bring her up at all, actually.

Mac: “Maybe that's, like, part of the problem of taking the humanity out of decisions.” Dennis: “Perhaps the science just isn't there yet.”

They acknowledge that any choice should be made following your feelings, not like a machine, and Dennis agrees with the point. Now, I don’t know about you, but to me Dennis agreeing that sometimes considering feelings in certain situations is necessary is something HUGE. Of course it is for the thesis I’m arguing, as it implies Dennis following his feelings when making the decision he is currently weighted by, and we know where those stand, but it is huge just in general, also. Dennis usually doesn’t do feelings, at least, he tries to repress them usually.

Cricket: “Where did we land on the casaba?” Dennis: “I think you can eat it, man. I think we're done with it.”

Basically, with the tinkering over, and a decision being made by RCG, they can hand it to Cricket (David Hornsby) to write the season finale.

Episode 9: A Woman’s Right To Chop

The salon’s insigna, pictured above.

This episode is full with dennis/sunny meta (which doubles as abortion meta, so bear with me), but it also has a son=death link once again, as “Poppins” is pregnant and were she to have the puppies (which are later directly used as a metaphor for Brian Jr as I already quoted in this post when explaining why Dennis could technically return to ND) she would die.

Poppins himself is linked to Dennis metaphorically, and as we all know it is a dog that simply does not die.

Mac: “Poppins! He came back! My dog came back!” Dennis: “How the hell is that dog still alive?” Dee: “Yeah, Mac, why don't you just put that poor thing out of its misery?” Mac: “Put him down? What, are you crazy? This is my dog, Dee. I love him.” Dee: “Well, he doesn't love you. Comes around every three or four years, eats a bunch of batteries or whatever, takes a giant dump on the floor, and then leaves again.” Mac: “Dee, Poppins comes and goes as he pleases 'cause that's his right as a male.”

Once again Mac is responsible for keeping him alive, and he does so because he loves him. As for “he doesn’t love you”, I mean, it’s Dee, the Gang’s perspective, of course they think that. They also thought Dennis had no feelings. But we know he does, they are why he came back after all.

Dennis: “And if we decide to leave, we're gonna leave. Yeah, 'cause that's nature. That's tradition.” Dee: “That's bullshit. Traditional roles are ridiculous, and they're made up by men.”

The episode discouraging the option of leaving from Dennis.

Now, cutting hair (while yes, abortion stuff, I’m not talking about that here) can also be interpreted as both a metaphor for ending the show, or Dennis cutting ties entirely. It works for all of them.

Dennis: “With luxurious locks like yours, it could take, oh, three, four years to grow back to its current length. Yeah, if it ever grows back.”

Ending the show with all the risks that it would imply, because it could take a while for them to get another show to get off the ground and a new thriving fanbase (years to grow back hair), that is, if it ever happens.

With relationships as established as those Dennis has, it could take years for him to find other people he can be close with, that is, if he ever finds them.

Dee: “Will you please leave these poor women alone? They're clearly bored and lonely and needing to do something extreme in order to make themselves feel special.”

That just screams “reason why Dennis went to ND” to me.

It’s also funny to consider that the episode as a whole is about choice.

And it’s also interesting that in this scenario Dennis is arguing to stop them from having the choice of “ruining their life”, which sounds rather dramatic and also like a lot of self projection on his part.

Reading the script, it also came to me that other people having a say in whether a haircut is made or not sounds like fans having a say in whether a show ends or not, so there’s that.

So, the burping in this episode is a metaphor for emotional pain.

In this case, Dee wants to get the haircut simply because she can, without understanding the ramifications of her actions, and this upsets Frank who actually does understands. He once had long beautiful hair, cut it and gave it away, and it never grew back. This fits in all three metaphorical perspectives, once again. In the end she ends up getting a haircut anyway, despite people trying to stop her, and ends up with a substitute wig that looks pretty much the same.

Dee: “I'm getting the haircut. I'm getting it.” Frank: “Don't do it, Deandra. You'll regret it! I'm telling you!” Car salesman: “What was that all about?” Frank: “Just trying to save a life.”

This is yes, a metaphor about adoption instead of abortion, but it doubles as Dennis meta for everything else we have discussed.

Not cutting, not jumping, not running away, is saving a life. It all works towards the same message without neglecting the episode’s main message.

All in all, I feel like the parallels and metaphors in this episode are only surface level, and the rest works to make the plot and the abortion stuff make sense. It is still significant though, it’s there.

Episode 10: Waiting For Big Mo

Not even gonna try to make sense of all the metaphors in here as I don’t even think they necessarily make sense at all.

The point of it all here is simple, and it is once again sunny meta as much as it is Dennis meta, which ends up being very important.

They always play the game guarding the base, never letting themselves have fun but following a clear formula (word actually used in the episode), because that is simply what has always worked. They have it down to a science.

Yet the desire to have fun keeps messing with it, getting them lower on the leaderboard, and so on so forth.

Dennis is afraid that this will bring on a death, if they can’t guard their base from Big Mo, so he keeps discouraging fun, and asks people to stay on track, manipulates them to reach this goal, even if it makes him miserable.

This is about Dennis keeping his perfected facade instead of following his feelings as much as it is about RCG following the formula instead of having fun with it. For Dennis, the goal of doing this is being perceived as perfect, being accepted, belonging. For RCG, the goal was winning an emmy and staying relevant.

So the episode starts by painting having fun (feelings in Dennis’ case) as something that will bring an inevitable death, which must be how it felt to RCG (if you don’t follow the formula they’ll cancel your show) and how it felt to Dennis (who knows what would happen if you opened up), which is what led him to make the wrong choice in the first place, to avoid getting hurt.

Except the episode then proceeds to make fun of that very notion:

Mac: “Who cares if we're losing?” Charlie: “Dennis said, like, if we leave the base, death is gonna come in the form of a fat kid who's gonna turn us into fart ghosts or something like that. So I got to stay.” Mac: “What?” Charlie: “It sounds crazy now that I'm saying it. Dennis explained it a lot more better. Dennis, we can't leave the base, right? That's the deal?” Dennis: “No. Frank was right. Rutherford B. Crazy's real name was Larry Takashi. Yeah, and he was the founder and owner of Laser Tag Fun Zone. Well, apparently, he killed himself.”

In the episode, Frank is the first to reveal the news to Dennis, and he doesn’t believe him. Up until that point in the ep, he had been using Rutherford/Larry (is it a coincidence that he also has two names? I’ll let you decide) as inspiration for himself and to keep going with his plan to win, the guy was always working towards his goal tirelessly, never having fun. His family hated him, he had no friends, he was completely alone. He died alone and miserable.

This part of the episode in particular feels very heavy, as we notice that Dennis (and it isn’t random that he’s the one having this revelation) is the only one who’s sitting, looking visibly shocked.

Now, Larry Takashi is based on Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. This isn’t only obvious because of the first name, but also because Larry was the person who Rob met that convinced him to not end the show.

He said this to Rob:

“Don’t be an idiot. Never stop. Just keep doing it. One, because it’s the greatest job you could ever want and two, because if you do a final episode they’ll just destroy you for it.“

So it’s easy to assume that this character is an homage to him.

Anyway, Dennis has this realization, and it feels important that he’s the one having it, as the whole season has been subtly about him and his choice, him feeling like he has to be a father but secretly wanting to be Mac’s “leading man”.

Dennis: “I mean, the guy was miserable. But he spent his life building this empire, and it all meant nothing? Shit. So Rutherford be rich. Rutherford be successful as all hell. But you know what else Rutherford be? Rutherford be right. Because it all means nothing if you're not enjoying it.”

This works both ways, and is the right message, but it then gets twisted into “choosing death on our own terms”, obviously for the sake of tricking the audience with a fake finale; as we now know, they have actually chosen life. The dialogue continues to be specifically about sunny.

And with that, it segues into the fake finale, with them saying “time to end the game”, “goodbye base” and all of that.

And it seems like with that they’re giving up, accepting death as something that will happen regardless, ending the show. Saying “screw it, we won’t let others cancel our show, we’ll end it on our terms if that needs to happen”. Or in Dennis’ case “If I’m gonna have to live a miserable life might as well directly kill myself” as, again, so far the implied death of choosing Brian has been METAPHORICAL, the death of Dennis’ identity. Not, you know, real.

Whereas the show ending would imply his eventual real death.

But that’s not how it ends.

“Oh, what? You thought we'd gone? You'd like that, wouldn't you? We ain't going anywhere. We're never leaving, you little piece of shit.”

They’re never leaving. And so, by progression of the metaphor, neither is Dennis, of course, which implies the choice of the other option. Dennis, Life, Love, Mac.

So as the show chooses to live forever, then so should Dennis also choose the option for life, and everything that it implies with it.

And this is why all of this talk about meta and symbolism was very important for me to make, because this is the logical conclusion I have reached.

Logically speaking, for me, this is where all the signs seem to be pointing, and that’s very exciting.

Because as RCG chooses to keep their show alive, they are also choosing to have real fun with it, and this seems to imply that they won’t stick to the formula as closely.

So in a way, Big Mo, as this fake finale, does end up representing the end of sunny as we know it, if I’m reading into it correctly. It ends up being a proper finale and send off, but sunny is not over because of it. Only the one we are used to, whatever that means.

So not only is Dennis choosing that, but it seems RCG might be taking some real artistic liberties or whatever, not be afraid to sink down in the leaderboards anymore but simply do what they please.

So... macdennis? Well, come back to me in a year and we’ll find out together. That is another reason why I made this post after all, to look back at it in the future and see just how wrong or right I was.

Let’s see how Rob chooses to embrace sunny.

#iasip #it's always sunny in philadelphia #analysis #macdennis #macden #meta #dennis reynolds #mac mcdonald #season 14

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