Review from SPN 9x23 "Do You Believe In Miracles"

"Do You Believe In Miracles"

http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/05/supernatural-923-do-you-believe-in.html

Kartarzyna Skop:

"I loved this episode, tbh. I loved that it was a rather quiet episode, 'expected' as Crowley puts it. I believe that it's all a set-up to break the cycle and the patterns. The whole episode seemed to me about doing what's expected and necessary: Dean with the blade and Crowley, Sam (still pissed and upset, we do see that in his emotions) claiming that Gadreel was one of their 'real friends' because they NEEDED Gadreel to help them defeat Metatron, and Sam needed Dean to stand down from his quest of killing Gadreel (a quest fueled by the influence of the MoC); Cas, staying in Heaven to make sure Metatron was properly disposed of, something that Dean would have wanted (I think it was implied that Cas wouldn't have enough power to bring Dean back to life - he didn't know Dean wasn't dead YET - and so he decided to go with the second-best thing he could do for Dean, make sure the douchebag was dealt with). It was all a beautiful clash between easily-expected familiarity and something new, unknown.
I also loved Metatron - I've loved him ever since he first appeared, an over-eager douchebag with a god complex, the Bad Writer figure (to Chuck's Good Writer), who thinks he can control his script and who thinks the universe is just one big story.
And Crowley, DAMN, I loved how Crowley managed to place himself as the helpful frenemy this season. And how beautifully lies with the truth. I'll eat my hat if he doesn't turn out to be a fallen angel, lots of things seem to point that way.
And then the ending. I've been quite vocal here about my deep desire to see Dean as the Big Bad next season, but I didn't believe that they'd actually DO IT. Demon!Dean is a fantastic concept that I can't wait to see them explore. I think the air of expected and familiar in this episode served as a contrast to how the situation truly changed, it was supposed to make the characters think that they can just recycle old tactics, that they can fall back onto a tried plan, that they can just try again. And they CAN'T, even though they might think they can, because something fundamental has changed. As for WHY Dean became a demon - Cain said that he saw Dean as a kindred spirit, and I took that to mean that there was always a possibility of darkness within them. And the Mark exploited that, the Mark corrupted a soul; so it didn't matter how Cain or Dean died, what mattered is that they died thinking they did it on their terms, and that the Mark brought them back corrupted.
So, I wanted Dean to be the next Big Bad and it seems I might have got my wish. I hope we'll see him work for Crowley in Season 10, or even with the leftovers of Abaddon's minions against Crowley. (Shh, I want demon!Dean to kill Crowley and become the new King of Hell.) I want to see a whole new side to being a demon. I even want some shenanigans in which Dean accidentally gets stuck in a devil's trap. And I want to see Sam and Castiel race to find a way to save Dean.
Damn, Season 10 might prove to be my favourite yet."


Aline:

"The scenes with Gadreel, especially the ones in the prison, were by far and away the best in the episode. His fear of being back in prison, his nobility at the end, and the desire that his name be thought of well when he passed away had far more emotional resonance than anything between Sam and Dean.
The ending was predictable. It was coming since we first heard about the MoC, especially then when they rewrote the bible to make it that Cain's actions were self-sacrifical and noble (!)
I'm not surprised Dean didn't explain himself. Dictator, remember? Dictators don't explain themselves to their subjects. This is why his 'I'm proud of us' was meaningless to me. It attempts to wipe out everything that we saw on screen before it, when it was anything but 'us'. It was essentially a repeat of the speech in Sacrifice, when the big speech at the end was to negate all the nastiness spat before that. It didn't work for me then and it doesn't work for me now.
I'm glad that Sam stood up for Gadreel, and also that he reminded Dean of the role that he played in that. Dean can't keep passing the buck onto others.However, I doubt it we'll see it because it will be lost in the newer, shinier storyline of Demon Dean.
In relation to the video going viral amongst the homeless community, everyone has some sort of smartphone these days! It's also possible the angel who recognised Marve was a plant.
I'm with you in that this is the first season where I'm like 'Meh' for next season. It has almost come as a relief because the season, as a whole, was one I found to be a bit of a letdown."


ViKi:

"Crowley didn't cast any spell on Dean. The mark bringed him back, as a demon because the mark itself was the work of Lucifer, who wanted Cain as a demon. And yes, he fought against becoming a demon before in hell and now fought against the mark. He lost, that's all. Sam will save him, because that's what they do... And I really don't get all this hate to the writers, as if there was a war between them and the fans..."