#spn the song remains the same

[shallowseeker]

a fave quality of cas

*hears dean use glenn close in a sentence*

*one minute later is referencing it*

[spn20rewatch]

Season 5, Episode 13: The Song Remains the Same (January 24th)

Anna goes back to 1978 to kill John and Mary Winchester, in order to stop Sam from ever being born. -Super-wiki

Originally aired on: February 4th, 2010

Written by Sera Gamble & Nancy Weiner. Directed by Steve Boyum.

Have fun watching the episode and check out #spn20rewatch!

[spnwin-reader]

Prime Dean gives Alt John the tools to unlock the truth and decide for himself if he will hunt

Original run context: John's feelings of betrayal

In the original #SPNprime, John was not allowed to fight for or defend himself until it was already too late. This made the wound of Mary's death much, much deeper than it would have otherwise been.

Unlike with Sam keeping the truth from Jess out of shame, Mary's keeping the truth from John may stem from incredible fear, watching Azazel kill him in The Beginning.

(It's perhaps more akin to Dean symbolically blinding Lisa and Ben to the truth to keep them safe than how Sam was with Jess.)

But the in The Song Remains the Same, John (temporarily) learns the truth, and he is (rightfully) frustrated by having been kept in the dark. He feels intense betrayal. He feels like a child.

JOHN: Monsters. Monsters? MARY: Yes. JOHN: Monsters are real. MARY: I'm sorry, I didn't know how— JOHN: And you fight them? All of you? SAM: Yeah. JOHN: How long? MARY: All my life. John, just try to understand— DEAN: She didn't exactly have a choice— JOHN: Shut up, all of you! Look, not another word, or so help me, I will turn this car around! Silence falls.

/// LATER ///

JOHN: What? Y'all might have treated me like a fool, but I am not useless. I can draw a damn— (JOHN picks up the paper from next to a large knife.)—whatever it is—a sigil.

///

Original run context: Mary continued to hunt near/during the beginning of her marriage?

In Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox, we learn that it could've been Mary who created much of the tension in their marriage by potentially stepping out on John to hunt, calling into question if the fight shown between them in Dark Side of the Moon.

MARY: "No, John. We're not having this conversation again. Time to think? About what? You have two boys at home." DEAN: "I remember this. Mom and dad were fighting, and then he moved out for a couple of days." MARY: "Fine. Then don't. There's nothing more to talk about."

Now we wonder: Was this fight even John's fault to begin with? The stereotype of "angry husband" might lull you into thinking so, but it's equally possible that it was Mary that originated the fight--Mary who had a long, canon-supported history of lying. She's even the one shutting down the conversation here!

Mary would probably rather John think she's unfaithful than risk John being dragged into hunting, and she'd probably pivot to supporting their kids as an excuse to smooth things over. (Just as Cas would rather Dean assume anything so long as he's not dragged into the dangerous world of angelic Civil War).

Alternatively, the fight may have even been part of the normal ebb-and-flow of a marriage. It may have been that the fight looked a LOT bigger through the eyes of a sensitive four-year-old.

(A couple of days ain't even that long, but boy it sure does feel big when you're a kid. But just because their marriage wasn't "perfect" doesn't mean it wasn't good, and the Dean-Sam conversation completely misses on that front.)

//

One of the things post-season 12 in #SPNprime does so beautifully is calls into question everything we know about Mary, including the cartoonish idea of John as the root of all evil.

Mary's lies are given rich complexity, as is Dean's memory of her.

Everything in Dark Side of the Moon, from the idea of "Heaven" as the "perfect place you grow up" to being simplistically at peace with your siblings/"littermates" in the ideal childhood home forever is given more complexity by the narrative unfridging of Mary.

(It's why the gate to Heaven is always associated with a playground. "There's no place like home," is literal in SPN. Heaven can even be seen as the idealization of childhood, as sharing the same history.)

///

Dean helps John because Dean was also "locked out" during critical periods in his life, prevented from Danger "for his own good"

Dean feels this pain acutely in season 6, when Samuel Campbell, his brother Sam, and Bobby Singer keep him out of the larger hunting plot in order to "keep him at peace."

Despite their good intentions, this denied him the right to choose for himself if he'd meet The Fight head on.

Cas, too, does this with the angelic Civil War, with Kelly Kline, general "angel business," and The Empty deal, and Dean feels that as unintended rejection.

He feels, like John, coddled. Like a child. Not getting the chance to be an equal comrade or partner in the fight.

///

Here, prime Dean is giving John the key to discover the truth about monsters and Henry's Men of Letters heritage.

Certainly John has a lot of emotional baggage and childhood abandonment trauma to work through, but at least this time he'll have more agency ahead of time, and he'll get to choose which path to prepare for rather than having the world of monsters thrust upon him in the midst of a grief-spiral.

Dean has handed that power of Choice back to John.

Perhaps prime Dean too is wounded from being kept in the dark. Perhaps he longs for a world were he's known about Cas's The Empty deal instead of, like John, being blindsided and struck dumb by grief.

[shallowstories]

It was very easy to convince Anna to kill Sam Winchester. All we had to do was threaten to cast her human "parents" into Hell.

[perfect-angelic-love]

"Think of the million random choices that you make, and yet how each and every one of them brings you closer to your destiny. Free will is an illusion, Dean." - Michael using John Winchester as a vessel

S05E13 - The Song remains the same

[ananke-xiii]

Mary's "angels are watching over you" is a great line that makes full use of dramatic irony. We, the audience, know that having angels "watching over" you is NOT a good thing. So from our perspective "watching over" takes the meaning of "keeping under survellaince" and it's not pretty: it reminds us that angels are soldiers, they have a plan and a war to win. However, Mary doesn't know that when she says it, for her "watching over" means "protecting, taking care" and it's associated with the image of angels as guardians and protectors. What's even better is the fact tha later in the series, the show will strongly associate the "watching over" part with Castiel. And honestly? It works SO well 'cause the dramatic irony still works. Cas still doesn't incarnate the preconcevied notion of "guardian angel" and, at the same time, he stil sees himself as a solider. He shapes his own way of caring and protecting in a military fashion rather than a family-oriented one. It's not a "I'm here for you", more like "I'll go to battle so you won't have to". And this basically sums up the BIG issue he has in his relationship with Dean but that's for another story. Anyway, I'm just so fascinated with some lines in this show, I'll take the good ones when I can, lol!

[a-vibing-potato]

This is just the little English Literature analysis loving nerd in me, but I ADORE the parallel? if that's what you'd call it of Mary being pregnant with Dean and saying, "It's all okay. Angels are watching over you." like the sweet, gentle, comforting vibes and the fact that in OUR time, Dean is literally drinking a shot while standing (watching?) over Cas, who is passed out on the motel bed.

The anti-roles <333 The fact that it could be interpreted as Dean being the angel watching over stuff. The fact that the angel (Cas) isn't even watching over Dean right then, he's unconscious on the bed. The fact that Mary is comforting Dean telling him everything's gonna be okay when in our time Dean is having a drink because everything's so shitty/he has to comfort himself with alcohol since no one is there to comfort him (I mean, Sam is there, but this is my parallel analysis so I get to leave out which parts I choose lol).

[caranfindel]

Thinking about The Song Remains the Same, when Sam and Dean are trying to convince Past!Mary to leave John so they won’t be born, and she says it’s too late because she’s already pregnant with Dean, and Dean’s just, okay, she’s right, nothing we can do, like it doesn’t even occur to him that she could still prevent Sam from being born, it’s just, if I’m here, Sam has to be here, there’s no other option. Yep, I’m thinking about that.

[shirtlesssammy]

Dean and Cas every day not often enough -- 17/?

Supernatural 5x13//The Song Remains the Same

[rosebudstv]

rip sam winchester for the second time damn

[astrylx]

Supernatural Liveblog - S.5 Ep. 13 - The Song Remains The Same

Yea yea, we’re back, whatever.

I have a feeling I won’t let this episode because as I’ve stated in previous liveblogs, I don’t like time travel. I find it paradoxically interesting, sure, but that is never efficiently covered in media which makes me hate it (with some exceptions).

Also, the angels resorting to killing Sam before he can be conceived is quite interesting. Is he not the true vessel of Lucifer? Don’t they want the apocalypse to play out? Or is it because if he doesn’t exist, Tully would still live, and he would be the vessel? Not sure.

Not quite sure why the episode is opening like this. Don’t like it.

Hi, Anna. I guess Anna is going to be the one to try to kill Sam, which would make sense…

I absolutely do not trust Anna.

CASTIEL! Way to make an entrance! Castiel being smart, I love that. He’s blaming Heaven for letting Anna out, trying to make her do their work. Also Castiel seems to have fully turned his back on Heaven now.

Yep. I said Anna wanted to kill Sam. I was right.

Cas doesn’t want to kill Sam…

BECAUSE SAM IS MY FRIEND AHHHH I feel giddy I feel happy

There’s so much I could say about that too

I could go on a whole ramble right now but I want to finish the episode

Genuine question, at this point is Anna able to take a vessel?

Sam willing to die if it means stopping Satan ONCE AGAIN SO MUCH I CAN SAY. There is so much symbolism in his character.

“I don’t understand that reference�� me when my friends quote tiktoks.

Poor Cas… he keeps hurting himself emotionally and physically for the Winchesters but they don’t seem to realize or acknowledge how deep his sacrifices are.

This will be Sam truly meeting his mother for the first time (that he will be able to remember), right? That’s a lot on his shoulders.

Sam’s face, he seems to be near the verge of tears. HE IS. For both John and Mary. He can’t look away from Mary. From the mother he never got to meet.

It’s so weird seeing John before his trauma.

Anna is going to lure him out and kill him.

Is Anna weak too or? I can’t tell.

Go Mary, go!

And here John learns the truth.

Holy oil is supposed to be rare, how do they ALWAYS have it.

John wanting to be useful… as much as I hate time travel, this episodes do really make me appreciate John more. I find him such an interesting character.

This conversation with John and Sam SHIT FUCK IDK WHAT TO SAY I COULD SAY SO MUCH IF ONLY I HAD THE WORDS

And Sam defending John, FUCK

Sam getting all the words off his chest he never got to tell his dad…

New Uriel vessel woah. I hate him though.

Wasn’t expecting Dean to come clean, but…

Sam and Dean seem to be almost changing their positions on their fathers.

Dean trying to warn Mary, keep her alive…

SAM AND DEAN WILLING TO NOT EXIST TO PROTECT THEIR PARENTS AND THE WORLD-

I miss psychic Sam and Sam with powers…

Sam death… he can’t die permanently, I know the series, but can Lucifer revive him here,

MICHAEL! MICHAEL IN JOHN! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, OUR FIRST MICHAEL SIGHTING!

I’m hoping this means Michael Adam is possible, please I want it so much.

Michael able to kill Anna like she’s a demon, INSANE ACTUALLY

How strong a vessel is John that nothing seems to be happening.

Op- the Dean and and Michael convo…

Interesting, a blood line from Cain and Abel, THE brother story. So therefore the men in the bloodline are vessels of Michael and likely Lucifer. Which is why Sam was so ideal for Azazel. I know we will get more of Cain and Abel soon.

“Lucifer defied our father and he betrayed me but still…” Sam defied John and betrayed Dean by leaving the family. “I don’t want this anymore than you want to have to kill Sam.” They both still love their brothers. “You know, my brother, I practically raised him” the parallels right here…

Dean looking from Michael to Sam dead on the floor, shit.

Once again, ideas of free will. I would love to analyze that in this show and in a religious context. Ideas of destiny… a divine plan.

Dean still wants to save Mary, even if he knows he can’t stop it…

Wait they can’t leave Castiel-

They’re just going to leave Castiel? What the fuck!?

CAS!

Cas wasn’t expecting to make it? We got over that much to soon let’s not just pause on that, Cas wasn’t expecting to get back.

Team Free Will, I get why yall say that now.

Dean asking the hard hitting questions… would Sam say yes to save Dean? I think he would.

This episode was interesting. I could say a lot about it. But my hatred of time travel makes it hard to truly enjoy it. I want more Michael. More. More! MORE! Michael please bring back Adam pleasepleaseplease:

[littlebluejaydraws]

All these centuries and you're underestimating me now? 5x13: The Song Remains the Same

ID: Two images of the same digital drawing showing Cas and Anna from episode 5x13 of Supernatural. They are shown in profile, standing back to back in a large, dark room. They are positioned to the right of the image, with the shapes of a door, pipes, and shelves are visible in the background. Cas is facing into the room with his head tilted up, light from above illuminating his face. Anna is standing behind him with her head turned down and her hair falling forward to hide her face. Each of them holds an angel blade by their sides and a halo behind their heads. There is a quote from the episode written over the image, reading: "You've changed." "Maybe too late, but I have.". End ID.

[hexedwinchester]

Supernatural S05E13 The Song Remains The Same

i love that 9/10 times Sam's first instinct is tell people the truth. I always wondered where this came from. Probably from the fact that growing up people around him hid things or lied to him. He might feel he would have made different choices if he knew the truth

Sam looking at Mary in this lost puppy kinda way, it breaks my heart. Then I go on and realise this is the first time Sam is seeing his mother in flesh.. can I just say Jared nailed the look even when his face was a blur blended into the background

When Sam is talking to Young John, telling him about how understood why his dad raised him a hunter, that moment is so bittersweet

it's so weird to see Sam and Dean in the backseat of the impala 😂

Michael torching Anna was satisfying (i don't like her)

unpopular opinion: Matt Cohen has a nice voice, he should read audiobooks or do voiceovers

Mary's "Angels are watching over you", i always thought it implied how she doesn't know that angels are dicks but what if it meant angels are watching over you for real. Like they are watching Sam and Dean's every move, every choice they make

[idjits-areus]

Dean: "Well...this is it."

Sam: "This is what?"

Dean: "Team Free Will. One ex-blood junkie, one dropout with six bucks to his name, and Mr. Comatose over there. It's awesome."

Sam: "It's not funny."

Dean: "I'm not laughing."

5x13 | The Song Remains the Same

[supernaturalkickparty]

I took care of him in a way most people could never understand?!

yesssss it's from The Song Remains the Same, season 5 episode 13

the trasncript from spn wiki for you.

MICHAEL I just want you to understand what you and I have to do.

DEAN Oh, I get it. You got beef with your brother. Well, get some therapy, pal. Don't take it out on my planet!

MICHAEL You're wrong. Lucifer defied our father, and he betrayed me. But still...I don't want this any more than you would want to kill Sam.

MICHAEL turns away.

MICHAEL You know, my brother, I practically raised him. I took care of him in a way most people could never understand, and I still love him.

MICHAEL turns back.

MICHAEL But I am going to kill him because it is right and I have to.

DEAN Oh, because God says so?

MICHAEL Yes. From the beginning, he knew this was how it was going to end.

DEAN And you're just gonna do whatever God says.

MICHAEL Yes, because I am a good son.

the whole scene gives me brain worms

[waihtie]

Season 5 Episode 13 - The Song Remains the Same

○ Dean dreaming about strippers (devil and angel themed)

Anna showing up in the dream because she can't find them in real life

She was in heaven prison because Cas turned her in

How does one Escape Heaven prison?

That's exactly why Cas didn't let Dean come. He knows how Heaven works.

I bet he had to knock him out in order to keep him from going

"Sam Winchester must die"

She wants to stop the devil

"The answer is 'no', because Sam is my friend" 🩷

Threatening to kill her if he gets close to him

○ Sam wants to know if it would work. If it would stop Lucifer

Cas using Dean's reference/metaphor 🩷

○ Cas found Anna in 1978. She kills their parents = Sam is never born.

He might not be able to send them back, bc he's still cut off from heaven's powers.

Man's so fine

He did it. Sent them back. Not easily tho. He's sick. Needs to get better before they can go back

○ Dean calling Cas "nerdy". Dude, you've seen what he can do.

○ The fact that Dean knows his parents from before he was born is kinda amusing. He says they don't know he's their son, tho

○ Their young parents are FINE

○ Sam getting emotional over meeting them 🥺 soo many emotions

○ Anna going after John

○ Them having to teach John about the supernatural

○ John calling himself out like this unknowingly. Shit this is deep.

Sam's actually defending it??

And saying he forgives his Dad to John 🥺

○ 1978 Uriel is there. She called him. Angels aren't supposed to be on earth, or in a vessel.

"These people are going to kill you. I'm giving you the chance to kill them, first"

○ These boys telling their mom to not let them be born 😭😭

But she's already pregnant with Dean

○ Sam and John nearly die. Cas gonna save them?

Nope. Michael. He needs his vessel. Can't let them die. Killed Anna. Wouldn't he want Lucifer's vessel dead, tho?

Michael!John is reallllly hot

Vessels are bloodlines. Why he's in John.

He doesn't necessarily want to kill his brother, just has to

He's also relating them to Sam and Dean

Dean believing in himself again 🩷

John and Mary weren't random. It's a plan

"Free will's an illusion, Dean. That's why you're gonna say 'yes'"

Michael is gonna wipe the parents' memories of all this. So destiny can play out.

He healed everyone and sent them home

○ The boys being worried about Cas 🩷

○ Team Free Will