What would life be like for Dean Winchester if he was not a hunter? If Mary had not died in the house fire? If Sammy had stayed in college? In "What Is and What Should Never Be", Dean sees just that. And begins to question whether the apple pie life is what he truly wants after all.
It all begins when Dean is attacked by a djinn, a malicious genie who grants Dean the wish he has always wanted. When he comes to, he finds himself living with a beautiful woman, his mother is alive and well, and Sam and Jessica have just announced their engagement. Dean is happy, or so it seems. Unfortunately, John has died of a stroke, Dean has treated Sam like crap, and (worst of all), the people that he and Sam had saved in the past year have died. After all, if the Winchesters are not hunting, they most certainly are not saving people. Thus Dean is faced with a dilemma - keep living in his fantasy world, or return to hunting.
Because that is what Dean's new life is - a fantasy, a hologram created by the djinn who had poisoned him earlier. He and a reluctant "college boy" Sam return to the warehouse where Dean had been initially attacked, where the eldest Winchester meets face to face with his "loved ones". As Dean listens to their pleas, he debates whether or not to stab himself - live what seems like years with his "family" but ultimately die in hours, or force himself to wake up and lose the life he so desperately wanted.
"What Is and What Should Never Be" is a beautiful episode which deals with Dean's emotional struggles as he lives his fantasy life. His happiness when he hears of Sam's engagement, his emotions when he reunites with his mother, and the horror when he learns that those he and Sam had saved had died: brilliant acting on the part of Jensen Ackles. This man is so underrated, would love to see him expand his horizons beyond Supernatural. He can make you laugh with his schtick and physical comedy, and make you cry with a facial expression or a monologue. And this episode, there is no exception. You feel for him when he realizes that he must give up the life he dreams of.
I absolutely loved this episode! I give it an 9 :)
It all begins when Dean is attacked by a djinn, a malicious genie who grants Dean the wish he has always wanted. When he comes to, he finds himself living with a beautiful woman, his mother is alive and well, and Sam and Jessica have just announced their engagement. Dean is happy, or so it seems. Unfortunately, John has died of a stroke, Dean has treated Sam like crap, and (worst of all), the people that he and Sam had saved in the past year have died. After all, if the Winchesters are not hunting, they most certainly are not saving people. Thus Dean is faced with a dilemma - keep living in his fantasy world, or return to hunting.
Because that is what Dean's new life is - a fantasy, a hologram created by the djinn who had poisoned him earlier. He and a reluctant "college boy" Sam return to the warehouse where Dean had been initially attacked, where the eldest Winchester meets face to face with his "loved ones". As Dean listens to their pleas, he debates whether or not to stab himself - live what seems like years with his "family" but ultimately die in hours, or force himself to wake up and lose the life he so desperately wanted.
"What Is and What Should Never Be" is a beautiful episode which deals with Dean's emotional struggles as he lives his fantasy life. His happiness when he hears of Sam's engagement, his emotions when he reunites with his mother, and the horror when he learns that those he and Sam had saved had died: brilliant acting on the part of Jensen Ackles. This man is so underrated, would love to see him expand his horizons beyond Supernatural. He can make you laugh with his schtick and physical comedy, and make you cry with a facial expression or a monologue. And this episode, there is no exception. You feel for him when he realizes that he must give up the life he dreams of.
I absolutely loved this episode! I give it an 9 :)