#like thats pretty key when it comes to subversion and when we actually finally go in depth with him and see how persona affects the self

[ilynpilled]

another thing with spoiler talk is that it is often exclusive to just these #shocking big deaths for some reason. and i dont even think those things are the most “harmful” spoilers. the thing w asoiaf for example is how significant the utilization of pov structure is. like the whole series is built on key moments of recontextualization. we are deliberately given just a small chunk of information from the lens of a specific pov or side and the way a lot of the themes are conveyed is the challenging of that. like there is so much meaning in structuring so i am so glad people are way more focused on “googoo gaga this mc dies” kind of spoilers and a lot of the key directions the series chose to take and how remain relatively unspoiled because no one is really oversaturating those moments. like i love not getting certain key info revealed until it should be as it would completely recontextualize scenes and characters etc. i love having preconceived notions and those being challenged. because that was very much george’s intention and it is sometimes a key part of his characterization or framing or whatever

[tinkdw]

12x18 - An episode all about foreshadowing and Dean’s emotional state

So, I have my own POV on season end that I know I talk about a lot, that differs from the, well, proper meta writers, I believe.... so my POV is perhaps slightly different, but for me this episode cements this even further.... and I’ll explain why. 

This whole episode to me is all about misdirection and distraction and has massive foreshadowing for the season finale. It twists and turns through so much misdirection to ultimately lead to Dean being in real danger and Sam killing the monster, twice over, both the human monster and the supernatural being, to hammer the point home. Meanwhile there are a whole lot of references to Cas as well that massively fit with my season conclusion speculation (even though I seem to be relatively in a party of 1 or, well 3 from what I can tell with my chatty buds, but its not universal...).

Oh and Dean, wow, well, I’ve seen loads of waitress meta which is all awesome but for me its the comparison of her with the 12x11 waitress that really cements what is going on here in terms of the distraction they bring and Dean’s angst.

Meanwhile this whole episode IS a distraction as Ketch sent them the case to distract them and get them out of the bunker.

There is so much misdirection in this episode.

Under the cut: both waitresses as the exposition for Dean’s sliding scale of emotional angst and how this episode overall foreshadows season end for me.

The Waitress.

I love all the amazing meta around this and I totally agree with it all, but I haven't seen yet anyone compare her to 12x11 and I think this is so important in the overall narrative of Dean’s emotional state this season.

ALL the meta about the waitress being a distraction and a substitute for Cas, just as the omelette is for Dean’s beloved pancakes literally moments after, not even subtly wedged in there. Yeah, totally agreed. So I won't expand, its been so well meta-d already.

I’m just going to add that for me, the words “work smarter Sammy, not harder”, feel like he is actively telling us that he is aware of what he is doing? Plus the main point:

The waitress is a nameless, voiceless, relatively faceless character and this is what she is to Dean. He’s not a monster, he doesn't force her into anything but Dean is our protagonist, we should see him taking an interest in her at least briefly, but we don't and that is for a reason, we, the audience are seeing her through his POV, that’s how this works. He literally decides he’s going for it and bam, its done, even more so than 12x11, because he is feeling even worse at this point, he needs the distraction even more. 

It’s like these two waitresses are our insight into Dean’s worsening emotional state through how much he cares / doesn't care while he is distracting himself and how much we see of them and their character. Also the fact that 12x11 was only implied sex whereas now it is canon, because they’re the exposition of the sliding scale of Dean’s angst.

This waitress is generic in exactly the same way as Dean’s pick up line is generic, so generic that Sam knows exactly what he is going to say before he says it. Because Sam knows this is what he does (but does he realise its a coping mechanism or still see it as performing!Dean?), and when push comes to shove and Dean is feeling again after having distracted himself for one ‘awesome’ night (cos yeah, it must be so awesome to be distracted from ALL the crap he's got pushed his way over the last few weeks!) he cuts the crap and tells Sam to “grow up”. 

And he then totally ignores the waitress pretty much afterwards? Sitting at the diner eating his burger he doesn't even look over and wink at her for Sam’s benefit? Yeah, she's a distraction, literally, that is all. 

Even if I wasn't completely in love with the Dean/Cas love story I would see that he was emotionally worse off than 12x11 and distracting himself from something and look for what was shown as emotionally upsetting him earlier in the episode and throughout the last run of episodes....

Oh, also I totally see her resemblance to Mary as an intentional call back to Dean’s emotional state being due to both Cas and Mary at this point, not a weird incest-y vibe but intentionally to subtextually squeeze her in here too as Mary is so very relevant to Dean’s angst this season.

The foreshadowing.

The Misdirection:

- Darren being labelled but not guilty. 

- The misdirection around Black bill / Moloch  

- which is the monster. 

- They think Moloch is in the basement but he's at the plant. 

- They think the Sheriff is the bad guy but it’s his brother.

- Ketch “just as I though they can't see a damn thing”  Ohhohohoho I think you'll find Dean Winchester sees it all, pal. MORE misdirection. 

So, aside from this, Darren is, well, a mirror for so much, the poor kid.

He firstly is labelled for something that he is not guilty of (and I use the word labelled as I think this is particularly important what with Dean’s Agent Martell pseudonym amidst all the bi!Dean / Dean’s facade narrative this season and Dean’s loss of patience with it all).

Then Darren gets locked up by his boss and he tries to communicate / shout out to Sam and Dean but can’t and is eventually killed by the real, big bad monster? While in our story Cas is off with the Angels and I’m expecting a separation at the end of the season? That’s not worrisome foreshadowing at all?!

So.... why do I think this is all one big foreshadowing episode?

Well, my personal wishlist / headcanon for the season finale is that:

1. Lucifer attempts to kill Dean because Lucifer HATES Humanity and Dean represents Humanity.

2. Cas sacrifices himself to save Dean because Cas LOVES Humanity and Dean (also probably some relatively unambiguous love declaration here). Enter hellatus. 

This also fits my Cas = Jesus theory and all the season 6 parallels where he ‘died’ (I’m also headcanoning a ‘break up’ in 12x19 as a 6x20 call back, the eye-conversation and shouting, in a “I’m you, but stronger” way of course ;). There’s so much narrative foreshadowing this season for Cas dying (which I know some have taken as the rule of 3 in that he won't die in the end, which also works and is also relevant too as I do not think for one second it is permanent, but will at least lend itself to a season 7 style separation for a while), there’s cast leaks/trolling.... According to Mark P we will really hate Lucifer and Jason Fischer’s tweet yesterday (thank you @godshipsit):

“Holy #%*€¥!! I'm in Mexico when eps 23 airs but I'm watching social media for the freak out. You thought other hellatus where bad....” 

makes a lot of sense. 

Oh and Sam’s “It’s Cas, he’ll be fine” is what cements it for me. I mean, you CANT have a character say stuff like that after the other times one of them has said that and he’s NOT been OK, with Dean now worriedly looking like he remembers all these times and thats exactly why he is worried, and NOT make me immediately think “oh, yeah, ok, he’s so going to die”.

I mean, we know if Sam/Dean die it won't stick but people will worry/freak out if it’s Cas (I WONT THOUGH, HE IS NOT GONNA GET KILLED OFF, it’s just the ‘break up’/separation part of the story). I mean, this season needs drama. It’s been building and building. 

Also I say die, but it might be a ‘death’ or it might just be very painful, but the point being the same and the separation being key.

The season also needs some kind of resolution of the Dean/Cas story which has also been building and building throughout the season to the point that they can't be in the same room or it feels awkward and like there’s the biggest, most rainbows coloured elephant in the room. 

As @floralmotif says the payoff has to be big so I’m thinking DRAMA. (I’m not saying floralmotif agrees with this theory of course, but they've taught me a lot about the general gist of the way stories work structurally). 

3. Sam kills Lucifer because well Lucifer is Sam’s arc and he needs closure. Also Lucifer has to go. PLEASE.

I also see how misdirection and distraction is going to be central to the season finale, and with all our meta about Dean knowing when Sam and Mary were lying? Most probably knowing that the bunker is compromised? The way Sam laid the phone on the table right over the bug rather than holding it? 

The way so many people have been screaming OOC while some of us sit back and kind of just expect a subversion/flip the script of sorts....

So, in this episode full of misdirection and distraction, while the BMOL seem to think they're on top but we see in the subtext that they are NOT. Where nothing is quite as it seems but is also quite simple, where Dean’s emotional state is clearly compromised, where Darren is locked away by his boss and unable to communicate with Sam and Dean, Dean ends up in mortal danger from the big bad and Sam ends up killing it, twice. 

Meanwhile Cas is absent, Dean is worrying his socks off and his distraction high lasts all of what, 15 seconds? Sam saves the day... 

Also interesting (though I’m not sure its entirely relevant but I’m thinking potentially it might be seeing as how I think all the rest is) how the dead mother in this episode is central to the whole story STARTING and to the brother’s emotional states and where they are at, leading to the choices they make, but is not central per se to how the story actually ENDS...

So can you see how I just see 12x18 as real foreshadowing? Given that it’s written by Dabb’s understudy as well?