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Supernatural Review: 4.22, Lucifer Rising: Cheeseburgers in Paradise.
- By Tracy Morris
- Published 05/18/2009
- Supernatural
-
Rating:
Tracy Morris
Tracy S. Morris is the author of the award-winning Tranquility series of Southern paranormal humor mysteries.
http://www.yarddogpress.com/allen&.htm
Morris's story Fish Story will appear in the Baen anthology Strip Mauled
Her new novel Bride of Tranquility Is available now from Yard Dog Press.
Her website is http://www.tracysmorris.com/
Let me start off by saying that I went into the show thinking that Kripke, Sera and the rest of the creators had been violating the rules of their own universe. By the end of the episode, I’ve been convinced that not only have they stuck to their own rules, but they managed to throw a few curves this season thanks to some brilliant misdirection. Well played, Kripke.
As has been par for the four seasons of Supernatural, this season finale begins with a montage set to Kansas’s Carry on My Wayward Son. This has been a Supernatural tradition that the fans look forward to almost more than anything else on the show. I think if Kripke ever did away with this, the fans might be out for blood.
And speaking of blood, immediately following the flashbacks we get another flashback. This one to a convent circa 1972 somewhere in Maryland, where a demon possesses a priest. The next morning, we’re treated to a kind of a fun little sermon where the demon calls the convent a nun factory and mentions the fact that his dad is sealed under the ground that the convent is built on. Then the priest’s eyes flash yellow.
It’s Azazel – which kind of explains why the sermon of evil was so entertaining.
Azazel slaughters the eight nuns and manages to get his daddy on the line.
Turns out that Azazel is the son of Lucifer, and in order to get free, Lucifer needs Lillith to break the 66 seals. But first, to get Lilith free, Azazel needs to find a special child.
Pay attention to that wording. It’s going to be important later.
In some abandoned house somewhere Sam angsts over his fight with Dean to Ruby. Ruby tries to console him with the idea that the brothers can reconcile after Sam ends Lilith and the threat she posed. But Sam doesn’t think he’ll survive the end.
Back at Bobby’s house, Dean is going through similar manly pain. Bobby suggests that Dean give Sam a call, but Dean refuses. After all, didn’t he say the exact things to Sam that his dad did? Which prompts Bobby to unleash his awesome powers of smackdown. He tells Dean that he’s a better man John, and that he can make things right with Sam when John wouldn’t.
Sam and Ruby track down one of Lilith’s minions – a baby sealing demon that Ruby says is ‘Lilith’s personal chef.’
Ew.
They take her back to their abandoned shack and torture Lilith’s location out of her. Ruby tells Sam that they need to keep the demon alive so that Sam can feed on her blood. Which prompts the demon to let the human host back into the driver’s seat and force Sam to confront what he’s about to do: take the life of an innocent human.
As has been par for the four seasons of Supernatural, this season finale begins with a montage set to Kansas’s Carry on My Wayward Son. This has been a Supernatural tradition that the fans look forward to almost more than anything else on the show. I think if Kripke ever did away with this, the fans might be out for blood.
And speaking of blood, immediately following the flashbacks we get another flashback. This one to a convent circa 1972 somewhere in Maryland, where a demon possesses a priest. The next morning, we’re treated to a kind of a fun little sermon where the demon calls the convent a nun factory and mentions the fact that his dad is sealed under the ground that the convent is built on. Then the priest’s eyes flash yellow.
It’s Azazel – which kind of explains why the sermon of evil was so entertaining.
Azazel slaughters the eight nuns and manages to get his daddy on the line.
Pay attention to that wording. It’s going to be important later.
In some abandoned house somewhere Sam angsts over his fight with Dean to Ruby. Ruby tries to console him with the idea that the brothers can reconcile after Sam ends Lilith and the threat she posed. But Sam doesn’t think he’ll survive the end.
Back at Bobby’s house, Dean is going through similar manly pain. Bobby suggests that Dean give Sam a call, but Dean refuses. After all, didn’t he say the exact things to Sam that his dad did? Which prompts Bobby to unleash his awesome powers of smackdown. He tells Dean that he’s a better man John, and that he can make things right with Sam when John wouldn’t.
Sam and Ruby track down one of Lilith’s minions – a baby sealing demon that Ruby says is ‘Lilith’s personal chef.’
Ew.
They take her back to their abandoned shack and torture Lilith’s location out of her. Ruby tells Sam that they need to keep the demon alive so that Sam can feed on her blood. Which prompts the demon to let the human host back into the driver’s seat and force Sam to confront what he’s about to do: take the life of an innocent human.
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Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by Cathy)
Rating:
Great article. I just have one little thing to say ...
... it was stated somewhere (can't for the life of me remember which episode right now) that John was supposed to break the first seal, but he didn't break. So Dean was actually the second choice and he was fairly easy, considering that he would give everything for Sam, but John wouldn't. John may have held out in Hell because he knew what would happen if he broke. He did say to Azazel before handing over his soul for Dean's life that he knew what was going on. And Azazel was very intent on killing Dean in the season 2 finale, where he still thought John was in Hell. But John crawled out and intervened, stopping old Yellow-Eyes -- yet again -- from killing Dean. Azazel, as far as I understand, was only involved with 'hiring' Sam. Lilith was the one who had the contract on Dean, which probably means that she's the one who decided to use him as a substitue for his father.
That's the way I see it, anyway.
Comment #2 (Posted by Emmy)
Rating:
That thing about John was stated by Alistair and I don't believe him for a moment. In Crossroad Blues the demons were quite willing to trade John's soul, right then there for rights to Dean's soul in ten years time. John had only been in Hell a few months far too soon for them to even begin to decide he'd never break for the next 1200 years hell time(the amount of time that would pass in Hell before Dean's soul was due down there).
They wanted Dean's soul, which says to me that Alastair was lying and that John was never the righteous man. Not to mention the fact that John should have been on the rack if they were torturing him and yet he was free to run out of Hell at the Devil's gate in All Hell Breaks Loose.
Comment #3 (Posted by Fates3)
Rating:
Awesome review! And I totally agree with you regarding Sam. He really has been one who has taken the easy way out all of his life. And waffled on so much of it. It's amazing how many different reasons we have gotten for him going after Lilith but in the end, it comes down to it being his way out. But he never listens, that it will never be over. It's time for his heroic journey from the abyss: owning up to what he has done, making amends for it, and maturing enough to realize his failings, and taking responsibility for it. He needs to stop looking outward for the blame to what is happening to him (John, the life, Dean, Ruby, Azazael) and start taking responsibility for it!
As to Dean and the First Seal that Cathy mentioned: I have a hard time believing anything a demon says, esp. when they are trying to bring down someone. After all, it was a demon who told Sam that Jessica was burning in Hell, and I highly doubt that was true. It was Azazael who told Dean that John loved Sam more then he loved Dean, and while I think there is some inequity in how John treated the boys, I don't believe he loved one more then the other. And I definitely don't believe anything Alistair said when he was trying to emotionally break Dean. And if John was the first seal, then why was the Crossroads Demon willing to sell him back to Dean if Dean sold his soul to her a mere couple of months after John had died? Azazael was still alive, John had only been in Hell for a few months so he could still break the seal. And yet they were so ready and willing to try and exchange John for Dean.
I think it was like Castiel told Dean and Ruby even told Sam: it was destined to be them, it was always destined to be them. John didn't break the Seal because he was never the one. Even though it should have been Jake since he was the last one standing, it ended up being Sam because it was meant to be Sam. Things happened the way they were meant to. Dean was destined to go to Hell for his brother and break the First Seal. Sam was destined to let pride overcome him and break the Last Seal.
All in all, great review, thank you! I look forward to next season, and seeing Dean discover more about his destiny in defeating Lucifer, seeing what happens with Castiel now that he has defied the ArchAngels (I don't believe he has defied God), and seeing Sam come back from dark path he is on and growing as a person!
Comment #4 (Posted by hermit)
Rating:
Great review and I have to agree with all of it. I've always thought that Sam seemed to always take the easy way out. He was never one for making hard choices and mostly, he was never one to make choices that didn't fit him best.
I hope that S5 has Sam growing and realizing how much he lost Dean during his stint with Ruby.
As was mentioned, for Sam to grow up, the first step is to take responsibility for his own actions and stop blaming everyone else, including the YED, because if the other Psychic Kids showed anything, it was that the free will of choosing to use the powers would be their downfall. Sam chose to use the powers, his choice, not Dean's, not Ruby's. all Sam. Let's hope he learns.
But I also want him to realize that Dean means more than just somebody that Sam can step on, or be close to only when Sam needs him, else Dean's just tolerated. I want Sam to earn Dean's trust, something he destroyed all year.
I agree that both boys were destined to whatever the powers had in mind for them and I think Sam was meant to break the final because of Dean, and Dean was meant to break the first because of Sam. Their destinies are that much intertwined.
Comment #5 (Posted by Anne)
Rating:
*waves arms around* and the moral of the story is: Listen to Dean, kids. Dean is always right. I've got to say, though, watching Supernatural RIGHT after Smallville always makes it seem that much more satisfying (especially after that... not so fab season 8 finale) but I'd honestly have to say that this episode was pretty epic. Kripke managed to (yet AGAIN) prove how insanely awesome he is, by doing two things: a) the imense planning that has gone so far into this entire season... It's very JKRowling, I'd have to say... How everything ties in with everything else, yet seems so effortless. It truly makes the writing come to life. And, b) Kripke, once again, tied up the major problems from the previous 2 seasons (as seasons 1 and 2 were tied up at the end of season 2) while still leaving us with huge plot points to work with. He reallly evolves not only the characters, but the entire plot of the show. The wait for season 5 (hopefully not the last season... because, all you can really do is hope...) will be difficult, yet still satisfying with how season 4 wrapped up.
Comment #6 (Posted by simhedges)
Rating:
I don't agree that "Pre-season, he would rather go to college, be normal and not hunt because it is easier." It would be far far easier for Sam to join the family business, given that it's what his dad and brother want for him. Breaking away and going to college is a difficult think to do. He may believe that it will *lead* to an easier life in the longer term, but it's not easier to do in the short term.
Comment #7 (Posted by Rod)
Rating:
A great review, however on Sam being a full black eyed demon. I don't think that will last long into next season. Plus, when you said he killed the innocent women when he could of exorcising him, if you are talking about Ruby, she says, and it shows, that she is in a empty vessel. I certaintly don't want only demons to fight in season 5, or any more 'why me' whinging from Dean. They still need to incorporate the humour and monster of the week stuff thats at the core of the show, even something as simple as following a 'evil wound/scar' like left in their old house, left by Lucifer would satisfy.
Comment #8 (Posted by imaluvjerry)
Rating:
Depressing ending, if you ask me.