#praise mother mary amirite

[machneherald]

#monsignor pruitt? more like daddy pruitt (4/?)  

[shirtlesssammy]

Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes: The Wine Recap

Then:

Witch twins!

Now:

The eponymous Tasha Banes arrives at a quaint B&B.

One guest is less than welcoming. Tasha admires a ring the woman is wearing. (Hint: we should pay attention!) Tasha passive-aggressively offers to cleanse the old woman’s aura, but the woman just snickers. Tasha gets all checked in, and later that night it’s revealed why she’s at the charming B&B –witch hunting.

She casts a “reveal” spell, and follows her charm to an underground shed, so foul smelling we can smell it in our homes, and once inside, she’s met with the pointy end of a pointy thing. RIP Mama Banes.

Destiel is Real Alert

It’s only been one night since Cas was possessed/overwhelmed/hoodwinked by the nephilim and Dean is still reeling from those events. He’s convinced it wasn’t Cas. Sam is unusually silent. Natasha believes it’s because Sam thinks Cas was in complete control.

Dean doesn’t know what to do, so Sam distracts him with the melted carcass of the Colt. Sam hopes he can fix it.

Just then a phone rings. It’s one of techno-phobe Mary’s many burner phones! And Alicia Banes is on the other end! She was hoping for Mary’s help tracking her and her brother’s mother. Max is sceptical that there’s anything to be worried about. Sam tells them that they’ll help –much to Dean’s displeasure. Sam assures Dean that Jody put an APB out on Cas and Kelly and they can’t do anything more about it. And they should help the witch twins since “their mom’s on a hunting trip, and hasn’t been home in a week.” RIMSHOT.

Agreeing to help, Dean then calls Mary.

Mary’s a little too busy to take any calls, as she and Ketch are busy interrogating a shape shifter.  Dean asks if she can help with the witch twin case, and then requests “Even if you can’t swing by, can you call me back? Just some stuff going down. It’s kinda got me spun out. It’d be good to talk to you.” DEAN BEAN. To add pain to this pain, I’ll just say that he could really use a Charlie to talk to right now. (Natasha: ouch. I hurt more.)

Ketch is having too much fun hurting the shape shifter, and Mary’s getting a tad uncomfortable. Ketch don’t give a shit, and punches the shifter, who instantly changes into him.

The brothers meet up with Max and Alicia. Alicia informs them that their mother was on the hunt for a borrower witch– a witch that gets their power from a demon deal. They know where she was staying, and Max got the bartender’s phone number! Wins all around. Dean then shows Max his super rad car, complete with Chekhov’s gun grenade launcher. Alicia and Sam bond over sibling/parent rivalry. Alicia admits that Max and their mom share more of a bond. Sam says that Dean and their dad were the same. Alicia asks about Mary. AWKWARD.

They all arrive at the B&B and find Strange Man Mcstrangerson coming out of the underground shed.

And they find the Bane twins’ mom is inside the B&B. Alicia is beyond happy to find her mom okay. Tasha tells everyone that she has wine! Time to celebrate. Sam and Dean got to watch two siblings interact with their mother like normal children, and I’m pretty sure I saw both of them crying rivers of pain internally, but they wouldn’t be Winchesters otherwise, amirite? Unfortunately, everything isn’t right in Mom-ville if her whacked out finger means anything.

Sam offers to go pick up food, while the others enjoy the wine.

Meanwhile, at the BMoL bunker, Ketch and Mary are done with the shifter and Ketch suggests they “find some privacy and tire ourselves out.” Mary shuts him down cold. Lol. She’s one cold BAMF. Mary’s pissed that the torture session on the shifter didn’t get them anywhere. “Anyone that tells you that torture is never the answer, they haven’t been under the knife.” Send me all the meta on Dean Winchester and torture, please and thank you. Ketch insists that the BMoL believe the ends justify the means. He then taunts Mary by saying she can call Mick to write him up –and that she should return Dean’s call.  “Wouldn’t want him to think that mummy doesn’t love him.”

Don’t worry Ketch, Dean’s felt like she hasn’t loved him for almost a whole season now. He’s good at that self-hatred without your help. When he isn’t staring forlornly at his phone with no messages, he praises Tasha for the great job she did with her children. “Parents always seem smart and strong and perfect, but it’s only when you grow up that you realize that they’re just people.” Dean’s learning all about that this season.

Mary’s listening to Dean’s messages, but overhears Ketch on the phone and eavesdrops. Her cover is blown when Dean tries calling her again, so she asks Ketch to use Mick’s computer to check email. (Mary’s on the Biggerson’s email list too!) Also, Mick is still dead still in London.

Sam’s back with the food, and motions to talk with Dean alone in the hallway. It seems that Strange Man McStrangerson has been missing for a month. They head out to explore on their own, while the mean lady from the cold open builds something from a tulpa’s nightmare.

Sam and Dean pick the lock of the cellar and open it up. They both reel back from the stench of death and then descend into the cellar.

Max heads out for a night of fun with the hot bartender from the vegan restaurant. (Wow, the vegan restaurant has a bar? Where is this town again? I’m in my car, ready to go.) Alicia and Tasha are left alone for girl time.

Inside the cellar Dean and Sam locate the bodies of Strange Man McStrangerson, the B&B clerk, and Tasha Barnes. “Son of a bitch,” Dean says for us all. Their hearts have been ripped out (much like the audience’s at the confirmation of Tasha’s demise). Max interrupts them in the cellar. He saw the light on - what’s up, guys? Sam tries desperately to head him off and keep him from glimpsing his mother’s body but it’s too late. Dean and Sam stand awkwardly in the background as Max weeps over his mother.

At Moonbase, Mary enters the storage locker and locates the shipping container Ketch referenced in his phone call. She opens it, sighs exhaustedly at the sight of Mick’s body, and strides through the hallways with purpose. She’s going to…fuck some shit up? Escape? Regardless, Ketch is also prowling the hallways so Mary slips into a handprint-locked door as another BMoL leaves so she can avoid Ketch. She turns in the small room and sees monitors up with biographical and tracking information. The BMoL are tracking herself, her sons, Claire, Garth, and Eileen. While I’m so happy that Claire and Garth and Eileen are keeping in touch with the Winchesters…I’m currently preparing to stand between them and the BMoL with Charlie’s samurai sword. Do NOT kill them - for the love of Chuck, don’t kill them.

Mary gets ready to fuck some shit up. She calls Dean and, in the Winchester family tradition, fails to inform him of any actual details. She simply says, “We’ve got a problem,” and hangs up. Dun dun DUN.

Ketch waits for her outside the door and backs her into the room, door slamming behind them. Mary asks him about Mick’s demise and Ketch neither confirms nor denies that he had any part in Ketch’s death. “You’re a psychopath,” Mary spits out and Ketch all but admits he killed Mick (which is probably the LEAST of his crimes). Finally, FINALLY, Mary socks him in the face. Ketch sends her flying and then tries to pin her to the wall. Mary shoves him away, kicks him in the balls, wrenches his arm, and pounds into his face. “Don’t talk about my boys,” she growls.

(Me: Yes YES I have been waiting for sooooo many episodes for Mary to beat down Ketch! Mary! Mary! MARY!)

“I’ve been cleaning up after them for months,” Ketch says, getting into his evil villain speech. He’s killed Federal agents, Magda, etc. “They’re damn sloppy.”

“I think you mean decent,” Mary says. Ketch tells her that it’s the end of the American hunters, but Ketch’ll keep Mary safe if she plays nice. (Ew.) The look Mary gives him reads: “Nope, it’s the end of you.” She head butts him like a badass then slips on Enochian brass knuckles. He laughs at her. Foolish Mary, those brass knuckles only work on angels! Mary demonstrates the general utility of metal slipped around knuckles, regardless of magic. Alas, Mary still has compassion at her core and she leaves Ketch alive as she tries to leave the room. Ketch zaps her in the back with a taser and she goes down before she can escape.

I got so wrapped up in Mary’s storyline that the switch back to the B&B is jarring. Max bursts into Tasha’s room and demands an explanation of his mother’s death from the thing wearing Tasha’s face. He leans in close, his eyes glow purple, and then he magically orders her to “Reveal.” She seizes under his hands and drops the following clue: “room, end of the hall, top of the stairs.”

In the room at the end of the hall at the top of the stairs, Old Lady Witch’s ears burn and she scowls, then snaps her fingers. The clerk, Tasha, and Strange Man McStrangerson snap to attention like good little soldiers. Max magic-blasts Strange Man McStrangerson out the window where it twitches on the pavement below. Dean and Max burst into Old Lady Witch’s bedroom. She tries to fight them with old lady sourness, but when that fails to work she magically pins Dean to a chair. (Well, at least he’s comfortable.) She compliments Max’s abilities and offers him a deal he should definitely refuse.

The witch mind-whammies Dean and Max to give a nice multi-media dimension to her evil villain speech. They can see and feel her attack on Tasha. The witch sold her soul for magical powers and she’s nearing the end of her very long magical life. She’s really not interested in going to Hell so she’s looking for someone to take on her magical legacy. (Apparently she negotiated a magic-shifting clause into her demon deal? I admire the negotiating chops, even if she’s kind of a dick. But wouldn’t all that murder send you to Hell anyway?) When Tasha found her, Old Lady Witch offered to teach her all her super magic. Tasha turned down her offer and the witch “made her into one of her creatures,” which is a roundabout way of saying she cut out Tasha’s still-beating heart and placed it inside of a wicker man. 

The doll has all of her mother’s memories. “It’s her, mostly.” Max attacks with magic.

Max can’t put a dent in her, though. She offers him her power instead and slips off her giant ring. If Max takes on her burden, Tasha will “live.”

In Tasha’s room, Sam fights the twiggy B&B clerk as Alicia worries over her mother’s own twitching form. Sam’s not doing so well with the fight so Alicia joins the fray. Alicia is also a badass, and she knocks the B&B clerk across the room where he crackles against the wall. Alicia turns to find her mother standing and the Tasha doll smoothly, without fanfare, slides a knife into Alicia’s gut.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Somebody call goddamn 911 or something? Augh. Anyway, back in the witch’s room Max slowly reaches out to accept the witch’s ring when Dean pulls out of her control just enough to aim his gun and shoot her. The twig dolls - including Tasha - crumble into ash. Dean reminds Max that touching that magic equates signing his soul away. Down the hallway, Sam yells for Dean, anguish in his voice.

Alicia dies just before Max arrives. Max wails over her body. Ugh, I’m so sad.

Later, Dean and Sam approach Max outside. “You’re probably in shock right now,” Sam tells him, wearing his Captain Obvious cape. Dean and Sam, who have seen each other die and resurrect more times than anybody but @supernaturalwiki can count, warn him that it’s going to hurt like hell. Max agonizes over his choices. He could have saved his whole family – his mom, his sister – but instead he laughed at Alicia’s concerns. And while that’s not true about his mom, at least, we are all familiar with the logically unsound Winchester-style guilt spiral. Dean and Sam offer to get cremation supplies but Max begs them to leave. The Winchesters, because they’re idiots when the plot calls for it, head out.

Cut to Baby out on the open road. It’s time for a BM scene!

Dean expresses his regrets over Max. He had everything Dean wished for - a happy family - and in an instant it was ripped away. The next bit of Winchester dialogue is overlaid with scenes of Max back at the B&B.

Sam: You couldn’t let Max make a deal for his soul.

Dean: We do terrible things all the time to save each other. Who am I to stop him?

Points to Dean for the parallel. Pretty sure Dean suspected Max was going to cut some kind of deal, but left anyway. Should I high five him for that? I’m so torn.

(Boris: I took this moment as a deconstruction of season 2. Max and Alicia are a direct parallel to Dean making his demon deal for Sam’s life. What will a sibling do for the other? Is this another step towards the breaking down of Sam and Dean’s dependency on each other? Or just creating complicated characters for the Wayward Daughters spin-off? :D)

Max picks up the witch’s ring, lays his sister’s body on the bed, and stands over her with the knife. Purple light flashes and the scene cuts to Alicia waking up as Max ties her last shoelace. She’s groggy but otherwise seems like herself.

He tells her it’s time to go and she readily agrees, walking out of the room with her body left behind on the bed. Max, heartbroken, takes the witch’s book of magic and immolates his sister’s body before leaving the B&B.

In the car, Sam’s tuckered out and snoozing so Dean takes the time to listen to his mom’s voicemails. When the second voicemail hits, Dean shouts at Sam to wake him.

The scene cuts to Mary waking as Ketch douses her with water. Mary’s trussed to the interrogation chair. “A taser?” Mary spits. “Not really a fair fight.” Mary knows where to hit him where it hurts (the balls amirite?). But the BMoL aren’t going to kill her (just yet). Ooooh no. Because Toni “Creeper” Bevel has arrived in her trim pantsuit to interrogate her first.

Natasha: Whew. This episode hurt. We see Sam and Dean die and do horrible stuff for each other all the time and roll with it. But part of how we roll with it is that we get to see their salvation arcs. It hurts to see such delightful characters die. Sure, Max and Alicia’s close sibling relationship was a tempting parallel to Sam and Dean (except they had way less angst). But we’ve already learned this lesson, right? And Alicia’s resurrection barely feels halfway there at this point since she’s under Max’s control. (Yuck face.) Hopefully we’ll get to see a redemption story in a later episode that DOESN’T result in Alicia or Max’s death. On the plus side, this kind of dark fairy tale horror vibe is MY JAM so I’m also really happy? Anyway, if you think I’m not going to write some fanfiction bringing Alicia back to life (her soul must surely be tied to the doll) and saving Max’s soul from Hell, you don’t know me at all.

Boris: I think we (and Sam and Dean) have learned lessons –ones that Max hasn’t yet (Dean did tell him not to take the deal, with personal experience to back his wish.) I have a lot more questions than answers after this episode, but the whole sibling parallel/sell your soul for your sibling bit was meant to highlight that it wasn’t a good choice that Dean made all those years ago. In a seemingly unrelated part of this episode Ketch talks about torture –something we all know that Dean will struggle with remembering for the rest of his life. And where to begin with Mary? She kicks ass. I really like her. And yet, Dean is still yearning for something more. He has her back, but what he really wants back was a life with her in it. (And in hopes that it will help Dean reconcile the fact he’s never getting his past back, I really liked his conversation with Tasha.)

Magical Quotes of Doom:

What the hell, man? What about Cas?

She doesn’t seem like much of a hugger.

I’m sad to say that you won’t become the Jiminy Cricket of the British Men of Letters.

“A slight werewolf mishap.” “A werewolf shot him in the head?”

I don’t play nice.

[cupidsbower]

Making the most of teachable moments

Supernatural 12x12, “Stuck in the Middle (With You).”

Anon, a few days ago, you asked me, “Why drop the 'I love you' bomb right now? What do you think?” and lo, I have remembered, and actually have an answer for you! It’s all about the teachable moments, you see.

This isn’t the first time the show has used the phrase “teachable moment.” Way back in season 9, I believe, Dick Roman had a gross teachable moment that involved auto-cannibalism -- I didn’t watch that season (for which I’m newly grateful, because ewwwww), so I’m relying on transcripts and whatnot (I think elizabethrobertajones mentioned it in her meta too, which I haven’t finished reading yet). But anyway, as Dean tells us, teachable moments are important.

I mean, obviously he was being a little shit at the time, but what Dean says is nearly always Significant, and so it is here.

So, how do we recognise a teachable moment?

Recognize that your children often learn moral lessons unconsciously, in casual moments.

Be aware of situations that represent moral choices.

Talk with your children about the ethical challenges represented in everyday situations, the media and popular culture.

Praise your children for their ethical choices.

Point out ethical behavior in others.

Let your children see your own thought processes regarding ethical decisions. (x)

We have several different teachable moments in the episode, although I think it’s debatable that anyone learned anything from them (apart from Castiel).

All of these moments, Anon, are about love.

The episode opens with Mary and Mr Ketch, although we don’t know it’s Mary he’s talking to at first. Just that he asks for a story, a deliberate incongruous way of asking for a report, invoking bedtime stories which often have a moral to them.

In the background, we have a cliched be-bop song about true love, as “sweet as an angel.”

Lover Boy, by Toodlum Barker & Emil Lomax 

Put it all together, and we have the past raising its head. John is being evoked. Mary is still missing him, missing being a wife and partner, and loved by someone that doesn’t expect her to mother them. With hindsight, it’s obvious this is invoking John because by the end we know the McGuffin of the episode is the Colt. It has all that horrible history associated with it that Mary likely doesn’t know, but which is all about John and his obsession and loss after Mary’s death. In these opening moments of the episode, there’s something bittersweet and nostalgic about this song playing, and “Tell me a story.” John and Mary weren’t always a tragedy, even though it sometimes seems that way. Despite everything, there was love there too.

The next story we get is about cattle mutilations and missing virgins over breakfast, and it is a more of a story than Sam, Dean and Cas realise. We don’t know it yet, but Wally is lying at Mary’s behest. He doesn’t live long enough for a teachable moment.

Sure they all get an awesome power walk - most ironic ever, amirite? But poor Wally doesn’t live long enough to really appreciate the joke.

We learn about Wally’s lie in the flashback between he and Mary. We discover Mary has some kind of secret agenda, although not what it is. But the thing that interested me most was the song playing during this scene -- it’s a call-back to John again, and heartbreaking again.

Not For Me, by Bobby Darin

Mary tells us that technically she’s in her 60s in this conversation. Yeah, she is not okay. When she says to Sam, “Since when is life about getting what you want?” we should be reading it as a big fat red alert for just how not okay things are for Mary.

Do you know what the number one rule of storytelling is? It’s asking every main character, “What do you want?” And then showing us what they’ll do to try to get it.

So if Mary doesn’t think she’ll get what she wants -- and the subtext is telling us she wants love/John -- then what is motivating her? This is a woman who made a demon deal to get John back once before, remember. Do we even know what her limits are? If you’re not creeped out right now, you should be.

Skipping forward, we reach the climax of the episode, and at the tipping point of the season. Here is were we get our most important teachable moment.

Castiel’s love bomb

It is not a coincidence that Castiel looks towards Mary as well as Sam and Dean during this scene. The scene is obviously about many things, and a lot of meta has already been written about it, much of it excellent. It is about him loving Dean/Humanity and finally saying so. It is about the rule against angels loving humans that we learned about in 12x10. It is about taking the last chance to speak while he has it. It’s is about claiming family. It’s all of those things and more. But it’s also a reminder to Mary that families change and grow, that new people come into our lives, that love comes in other shapes than the ones in her memory, that love can change you for the better, that her sons are grown and have their own lives and can be more than a one-way emotional drain -- they can love back and be a support to her too, and so can the people they love.

And it’s also about the (unintended) consequences of Mary’s actions. The angel she always believed was watching over her boys has been mortally wounded as a direct result of her machinations. The family her boys made when she wasn’t there is going to be broken.

This is interesting. Heartbreaking, but super interesting.

It tells us a lot about whatever it is that Mary wants. She may have said to Sam that she doesn’t expect to get what she wants, but whatever this is, she must want it an awful lot to keep playing her hand after this.

Does she take the lesson of Castiel’s confession, though? Does the teachable moment work? I suspect not, or not yet. Later she tells Ketch that Castiel is one of her boys, the implication being that she accepted this love declaration, believed it, and valued it. But... she doesn’t come clean to Sam, Dean and Castiel either. Rather than honesty and sharing her plan, her response is to threaten death and destruction to the BMoL, an eye for an eye, and hello again Lily Sunder. We know how that ends already.

Is Mary doomed to repeat the same mistakes that Castiel, Dean, Sam and John have all made before her? Or will she figure it out and change the script?

Time for another teachable moment, perhaps. Because this is Crowley’s theme for the episode, and if anyone is an example of changing the script, it’s Crowley.

Crop Won’t Ever Come, by Robin Loxley & Jay Hawke 

Another fantastically chosen, but super depressing song. Crowley is still holding that torch for Dean, and it’s never going to end in anything good... well, not in terms of love. But it might in terms of Crowley’s soul. You never know.

What I enjoy about Crowley is that he’s actually all squishy inside, full of feelings, but he also has this genuine cunning streak that is nearly always underestimated. For all his personal investment in the Winchesters, there’s also a practical aspect to it -- the Winchesters win and win and win, so who wants them as an enemy? No-one smart, that’s who.

He’s at the point where he literally tells people the Winchesters always win, no matter what, and not to fuck with them, although he pitches it a bit differently depending on the audience -- calling them weapons to the weapons collector he’s trying to make a deal with, as a case in point. But no-one ever believes him. And then, for example, they get stuck in the middle by Sam wielding the Michael Lance and turn into dust. I do love a spot of black humour, and I’m sure Crowley does too. :)

I think the most delicious part of it is the way other demons roll their eyes and imply Crowley’s just saying that about the Winchesters because he’s their pet.

He really is Cas’ dark mirror in all things.

Anyway, he breaks the Lance, saves Cas, earns brownie points with the Winchesters, and thinks he has the Colt up his sleeve as insurance now that Ramiel is out of the picture. Poor Crowley. It’s so hard being the accidentally promoted King of Hell.

To return to the main theme of the episode: Love and Mary’s lesson, and being stuck. We have one final song to consider:

Stuck In The Middle With You, by Stealers Wheel

It’s surprisingly upbeat, right? And I think it’s because of that “you.” Being stuck is no fun, but with “you” has a different implication altogether, especially in light of Castiel’s love bomb.

The title of this episode is a pun, of course, as we do get two characters literally stuck in the middle. But it is also a metaphor.  It’s the middle of the season, half way between the set up of the themes (love through the lens of nature vs nurture) and their culmination. It’s the Sunrise Special, the moment that bridges day and night, darkness and light. It’s Humanity, stuck between Heaven and Hell. Crowley and Castiel, not quite Human, not quite Other. Mary, stuck half way between the past and the now, between her memories of her sons and the real men they are. It’s about love that’s stuck too, in a place between “chick flick moments” and the fear of never getting what you want -- ”Not for Me” and “Crop Won’t Ever Come.”

We just took a big step forward, though, on that last one. Because Castiel finally spoke, and Dean recognised the teachable moment and rewarded him for it too. He couldn’t say it back (yet), but he said, “Let’s go home,” and this time Castiel actually heard it.

Final things:

The British Men of Letters have terrible information. Where are they getting it? Do they even properly know what the gadgets and weapons they’ve got can do? I’m starting to think their gross incompetence is going to be their downfall.

Richard Speight Jr.’s direction was really slick. Very Tarantino, obviously, but I do love clever non-chron storytelling, and this was used to very good effect.

How does Lucifer fit into the season’s love theme? I’m fascinated - and want to find out.

Previously:

The Ministry of Information vs Wayward Sons Carrying On (12x01)

My, my, how can I resist you? (12x02) and follow-up about Bohemian Raphsody

So what am I so afraid of? (I think I love you) (12x03)

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy Down in my heart (Where?) (12x04) and a follow-up about the codependency and about Dean’s self-flagellation and issues with space

There can be only one! (12x05), and a follow-up conversation with elizabethrobertajones on Freud vs Schwartz.

They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes (12x06)  

Presenting the Immaculate Heart Reunion Tour (12x07)    

I’m still living the life where you get home and open the fridge and there’s half a pot of yogurt and a half a can of flat Coca-Cola. ~Alan Rickman (12x08, 12x09)

When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men (12x10)    

in re (12x11)