This started as an everyday normal episode of Supernatural that might have felt good in the middle of a struggling season 7, provided that Death was around to offer more second chances.
After a jarring, condensed 'true' finale that tripped over its own run time, seeing Sam and Dean resort to normal everyday life was a joy.. for the 3 minutes it lasted.
Then, they resume hunting, as if they had forgotten the concept of truly walking away, which was really the goal of this season. The callback to an old character fell flat of impact(because it has been 15 years), and the incident with Dean happened quite meaninglessly. If he had lost his life in a triumphant battle with Chuck, that would have been one thing, since the story was building to that. Instead, we are left with a depressing unfulfilled resolution, devoid of the celebratory atmosphere of episodes 200 and 300 or pulse pounding edge of your seat season-enders. I would have even taken a fun gimmick built around the idea of the passage of time to close it out, as the show has proven to be capable of in the past.
The fact is that Sam and Dean have earned a good life together. It is the proper resolution, and it is disheartening to see an emphases on emotion over good storytelling. Reuniting in heaven doesn't really do much for the plot when the episode didn't hang around long enough for much of a payoff. Maybe this has always been a soap opera, albeit a good one.
Overall, the episode was well acted and directed, but the leadership and storytelling of this season has been needlessly fumbled. Still, getting the chance to go along for the ride is something I don't regret, and I would take a season 16 in all it's needlessly convoluted glory.
After a jarring, condensed 'true' finale that tripped over its own run time, seeing Sam and Dean resort to normal everyday life was a joy.. for the 3 minutes it lasted.
Then, they resume hunting, as if they had forgotten the concept of truly walking away, which was really the goal of this season. The callback to an old character fell flat of impact(because it has been 15 years), and the incident with Dean happened quite meaninglessly. If he had lost his life in a triumphant battle with Chuck, that would have been one thing, since the story was building to that. Instead, we are left with a depressing unfulfilled resolution, devoid of the celebratory atmosphere of episodes 200 and 300 or pulse pounding edge of your seat season-enders. I would have even taken a fun gimmick built around the idea of the passage of time to close it out, as the show has proven to be capable of in the past.
The fact is that Sam and Dean have earned a good life together. It is the proper resolution, and it is disheartening to see an emphases on emotion over good storytelling. Reuniting in heaven doesn't really do much for the plot when the episode didn't hang around long enough for much of a payoff. Maybe this has always been a soap opera, albeit a good one.
Overall, the episode was well acted and directed, but the leadership and storytelling of this season has been needlessly fumbled. Still, getting the chance to go along for the ride is something I don't regret, and I would take a season 16 in all it's needlessly convoluted glory.