#(dean still turns gets the mark of cain and turns into a demon btw. because i think it's sexy)

[gayangelcrimes]

In the better s9 that lives in my head Cas recognizes Gadreel and goes "Dean that's the fucker who fucked up at the gates of Eden you can't trust him" and Gadreel does his "I was tricked" speech and Cas is mad for 5 seconds but then he stops to think and goes wait why am I pissed at him I was tricked too. I am to angels what Gadreel is to humans. Which makes Metatron a shittier Lucifer. We should focus on kicking his ass instead. So yeah he and Gadreel are fine with each other now so Dean doesn't have to kick Cas out of the bunker while he's still learning to be human and Gadreel doesn't get manipulated by Metatron so Kevin stays alive and Cas and Gadreel teach him jokes in enochian and he teaches them jokes in english. And maybe Gadreel pretends to be on Metatron's side to find what's left of Cas's grace and anyways Cas has an angel bestie now.

[vikingsong]

Thoughts on SPN 14x17

In the midst of what appears to be a general fandom freak-out about the promo for 14x18, Id like to offer a few thoughts on 14x17 from both fan- and writing- perspectives:

1) I liked a lot of things about this episode. Will it make the highlight reel of best episodes in the entire series? No, but it is a pretty solid one and much better writing than a lot of episodes have been, especially in the past 5+ years. I appreciated that the main trio each had individual quests/arcs in this episode during which they each display moments of character development. It felt relatively balanced, structurally speaking.

2) Castiel’s convo with Anael: Cas has wrestled with his faith in his father, since, oh, /Season 4/. He has struggled again and again to reconcile his general sense of abandonment by his father against the handful of instances where his father has decided to intervene to either resurrect Cas or otherwise save the day. It’s not a once-and-done issue for Cas; he’s gone the full spectrum from blind faith, to trying to replace Chuck as a new-and-improved, more involved (read: more smiting) version of his father, to cynicism and depression. So—whether one agrees with his theology/worldview or not—it’s a big deal for Cas to say to Anael that they are not alone, even if Chuck doesn’t respond. He’s still willing to reach out to Chuck, but this time it doesn’t utterly crush him when Chuck doesn’t immediately answer (though I think Chuck could still show up eventually, but that’s just a vague theory). And in a sense, Cas is summarizing a major theme of the entire series: community and teamwork vs isolation and conflict. This theme is represented in the Winchester view of family, which “don’t end with blood,” and it’s represented in all of the plot arcs where each member of the ensemble characters has, on at least one occasion, rejected another ensemble character out of lack of trust (usually following some kind of betrayal). So it seems fitting to me that Cas is sharing that view of community with Anael, even in the midst of yet another solo side-quest to try to fix everything...again. Humans are contradictory creatures a lot of the time, and Cas is too, now, by extension of his interactions with the Winchesters. He’s sharing the things he’s learned from his human family with a member of his angel family. I’d love to see more of that dynamic in the future.

3) Anael’s character gets some development, too. It still feels a bit slap-dash and contradictory to me as it stands now, but I think it has a lot of potential if it’s handled well in future episodes. It investigates the question of what happens when someone cares too much and punished for that? What exactly does that do to them and, more importantly, how do they respond (another major them in the show)? It’s an interesting contrast to the way that Lucifer was originally presented. He was said to have loved Chuck more than humanity, so he disobeyed the direct order to be more devoted to humanity. Now it appears that Anael loved humanity too much, so she rejected Chuck because he refused to “meddle.” Both Anael and Lucifer were punished for their actions. Lucifer responded by creating demons and embarking on a world-domination spree for millennia, but Anael chose to go around healing people while also indulging her taste for luxuries. So how exactly did she get from point A to point B? It brings to mind Rowena’s story arc as well. How might Anael grow as a result of interacting with Cas and his human family? I’d personally like to see that character arc. And I also think she and Rowena might get along splendidly.

4) Head injuries!: I know I’m not the first person to make this observation, but head injuries are a big deal and—demon-blood, Mark of Cain, and archangel vessels aside—the Winchester brothers are still human. And the reality of life as hunters is that a routine job could kill you, not just the jobs that involve saving the world. So it seems this season someone finally pointed out that something like that is enough to break any human, even a Winchester. Yeah, I know they have a habit of getting resurrected so it lacks true dramatic tension, but it injects a healthy reminder back into the show that one day—say, end of next season?—the time will come when the Winchesters won’t actually survive dying. (Only in SPN does that sentence make sense...)

5) I like the Jack-teetering-on-the-brinck arc and I personally think he’s been heading toward being the S14 big bad all season. Michael was a diversion. Lucifer was a diversion. Both have been beaten before (see Season 5). And both have served to set up just how much of a threat the fandom’s favorite smol nougat-loving son actually is. The moment Jack destroyed Michael—at the cost of most of his soul—I just knew that was where this was headed. It’s Buffy Season 6 all over again...the obvious threat for the first half of the season—which is actually a valid threat on its own—is the one the protagonists focus on so much that they can’t see one of their own going off the rails until it’s almost too late. When that happens, it comes down to connection and relationship to save the world, not just winning by wasting the bad guys. I’m eager to see if SPN has a similar “yellow crayon” scene.

6) Dean’s convo with Mary. I particularly liked that Dean recognized that he and Mary are alike—it was a brief line, but it shows a lot. He’s gotten to know Mary as a person, not just his idealized memory of her. We know he has already forgiven her, which is huge. (Btw, that scene where he tells her he loves her and hates her, but most importantly, he forgives her is one of the most powerful scenes in the entire series, IMHO. Seriously. The writing was great and Jensen Ackles’ delivery was flawless. JA also made some really great observations in an interview or something about why he felt that scene made so much sense in Dean’s character arc.) So to have Dean be able to recognize that his mom is a complex person, too, and that not all of his problematic traits are from his dad or because of the bad things Dean’s been through—well, that feels like personal and relational growth to me.

7) Sam’s convo with Mary: He’s still dealing with survivor’s guilt, so it naturally hits him extra hard when he learns yet another person is dead because of the domino effect of his choices. It takes his mom—whose approval he still craves, in a way, since he grew up without it—telling him that he’s a good man (after so many people have told him over the years that he was tainted, an abomination) and that he made the choices he made for the right reasons, even though they didn’t turn out the way that he’d had wanted. (I personally think he should have shot Nick promptly in the fight scene in 14x17, both because self-defense and because the Winchesters have killed threats, even human ones, for a lot less than what Nick is trying to do, so it feels a bit strange character-wise to me that he didn’t. But I digress.)

8) Last but not least, Jack’s arc: It’s so much more interesting that he’s trying to figure out how to be good while still effectively going to the dark side than if he suddenly went 100% soulless and evil without remorse. Because this still feels like Jack, and that’s the source of tension for the ensemble of characters who know and love Jack. They fear for him and well as fear the threat of what he could become. There’s much more depth there to explore as well as the potential for a very Winchester-style redemption arc.

So yeah, 14x18 looks like it has plenty of tension and angst and such, but l just wanted to pause and recognizes the plot and character developments of a solid episode this week. </rant>

[found--family]

Dean is in love with Cas, didn’t you know?..

Ok. So, we all know it's hard enough admitting to yourself and to others that you’re not straight. But when you’re in love with your best friend, moreover a supernatural being, moreover someone who can be so very clueless about the subtleties of expressed (human) love, it makes the struggle of self-acceptance that much harder, and the journey towards a certain and open relationship with that person that much longer.

With Cas returning (and the upcoming Cowboy ep sending Destiel shippers into a frenzy of feels and anticipation), I've been seeing a lot of *Dean is Bi* posts, pointing out all the evidence of his Bi-status over the years. And I'm reminded of the mixtape scene, and how later seasons have seen Dean emotionally mature, and how his relationship with Cas has veered away from ambiguity and become clear: It's strong, it's vital, it's worthwhile, it's real. 

In 12.19 The Future, Dean was mad at Cas for ignoring him and Sam. But he pushed through it, because Cas was back - and that's ultimately what he wanted. He wanted them to be together, for Cas to be safe and home, and for them to be fighting on the same side. So Dean forgave as best he could.

But when he realised Cas had used him, the pain of that betrayal intensified because of how he did it (which Dean sort of refers to with Sam, saying, “He came into my room and he played me.”): Cas came into his room, Dean thought, to make ammends. But it turned out he was just scouting for the colt, so everything that went down - the mixtape handback, their conversation - Dean suddenly drums up to a ruse. 

Now, normally someone using him like that would rightly piss Dean off. And when it’s someone he cares about (like Sam) there's hurt mixed with anger. But this time he was betrayed not only by someone he cares about (and who supposedly possibly maybe hopefully obviously cares for him too) but someone with whom Dean shares a profound bond, someone who represents how much he’s grown emotionally speaking, how he’s begun to open his friggin’ heart and allow himself to accept (true) love. His relationship with Cas represents positive change in Dean. 

What Cas did basically perverted those feelings. He made Dean think their love wasn’t real, or that Cas didn’t respect it, or at the very least that Cas was blind to how deeply his actions would affect Dean - make him question his self worth once again, that maybe he was a fool in allowing himself to truly love someone, moreover in thinking someone could love him in return. Did Cas even care, or did he just not see it? And which is worse?..

Just when it seems like our boys are taking a step forward together, shit happens or one of them fucks up and suddenly Dean staggers - or is pushed - back several steps on his road to self-acceptance and welcoming love into his life.

The further down that road Dean gets, the more likely he is to admit his feelings - not just significant because they're for a 'man', but because of what those feelings actually are: truly deep fucking love. That’s big for anyone. And for him it’s brand fucking new. He's never had that before - not with Cassie, or Jo, or Amara, or even Lisa. 

The Mixtape = I Love You (too).

Cas has been wingless and driving around since season 9, his car being the place he would likely listen to Dean's mixtape. But keeping in mind that he's returning it, I figure that means it was a recent thing, because why suddenly return something from so long ago - which, btw, would have raised a red flag in Dean. 

I like to think Dean made the tape for Cas after 12.12, wherein Cas told him/them in no uncertain terms that he loved him/them - he said the actual fucking words - and that's big - first time BIG. But also because their relationship seems always to skirt that profound and obvious truth, all the while still conveying how much they mean to each other in a thousand acts of care and selflessness and sacrifice, and in words of fondness and forgiveness and need. 

So.. Dean hears the big confession and feels the urge to reciprocate, to let Cas know he feels the same, that those feelings are not one-sided. Because to do nothing after such a brave and meaningful act would be bad, to put it plain. It may translate as Dean ignoring Cas’ feelings, or him not caring. It would risk Dean losing Cas, him thinking Dean didn’t feel the same, so he would take a step back, distancing himself from Dean both physically and emotionally - and Dean didn’t want that, not again. No friggin’ way. 

But.. Dean is Dean. And he's not ready to say those BIG three little words just yet - and truthfully, maybe he never will be. So, if he can’t muster the words he’ll let his actions speak for him, and let music say what he can’t.

[ cue a lovely parallel to the tale of how Dean’s parents got together from 12.01 ]

When Cas played him, it happened in a moment that featured Dean’s mixtape-love-confession, so that deepened the hurt something awful. Damn right he's gonna shove Cas up against a wall - and were it anyone else who betrayed him he might’ve hit them. (And that wall-shove parallels 5.18, when Cas shoved Dean against a wall to express his anger and disappointment over Dean’s betrayal.) 

But even if he wanted to, Dean couldn’t hit Cas, because his love persisted - despite the hurt - and stopped him from harming his angel. His heart stopped him, and beneath all the pain there was relief in that moment, because he was reminded how much he’s overcome - his darker self, his darker times (The Mark of Cain, being a Demon, and all the way back to torturing souls in Hell). He didn’t let his anger win. Instead, he let reality sink in and part the way for a little bit of comfort: because even though Cas was reckless and inconsiderate, there was consolation that at least he was safe. 

Whatever doubts had been triggered about Cas’ feelings for Dean in this whole mess, at least Dean now had the chance to get to the truth. And if it turned out to be yet another misguided attempt by Cas to “help” or “save” his friends, at least they had the chance to work through it, to get past it, because at least Cas was still alive. 

There remained a little spark of hope in Dean that refused to die, refused to give up on them, refused to believe that Cas didn’t care, because as long as Cas was alive, there was hope. 

* This has been a Destiel/Dean appreciation post

[mittensmorgul]

A very random question but in your opinion, what's the difference between plot-drive and character-driven stories?

I’ve been staring at this message in my inbox for days now, and on top of being a long-debated question regarding writing in general, I think it’s also incredibly relevant to the structure of Supernatural specifically. And because of that I’ve been half excited about and yet half dreading trying to answer this.

Not dreading in a bad way, but dreading because I know this is gonna turn into some kind of patented Mittens Uses Too Many Words To Say The Thing sort of post. Because I have FEELINGS about this. :P

Let’s start with the basics, and I’ll explain why this is a much debated thing. Seriously, just google “plot vs character driven writing” and each link you click will offer a different assessment of what this means. I mean, just speaking about Romance novels as a specific, some people would characterize them as “plot driven” and others as “character driven,” depending on your understanding of what is meant by those terms. It’s… confusing.

Because a character driven story is one which obviously HAS a plot which advances throughout the story, but it’s the character’s emotions and choices and personal growth that DRIVE the plot forward.

A plot driven story is one in which the character may also experience emotional growth and make choices and everything, but in reaction to an external plot that draws the character along in its wake.

All stories incorporate both character and plot development (hopefully! or otherwise why would we bother reading them. This reminds me of my favorite English teacher who taught a class called Literature of Changing Times. I think I’ve mentioned her before *waves hi at Mrs. Proenza if you’re out there reading this. You are awesome, btw*. First day of class when we were going over the reading list, she said, “Ha! Jokes on the admins for approving this class, because ALL literature is about changing times, and this just gives me an excuse to teach y’all my favorite books!”

That was an awesome class, because it was obvious how much she loved every book we studied, and it definitely carried through in OUR enthusiasm for the subject. She basically was the one who taught me how to be passionate about stories.)

So yes, all writing will have elements of a plot moving forward, and characters who are hopefully relatable and whose motivations we understand and/or sympathize with, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if a story is more driven by the external plot or the internal character motivations because both seem important.

Now, specifically relating to Supernatural. Taken as a whole, the series has used both character driven AND plot driven stories, sometimes simultaneously. I’ve heard one description in an old meta ages and ages ago that SPN was actually telling us two different stories based on whether you were looking at it through Sam’s perspective or Dean’s.

Short tangent to explain: Sam’s story has largely been plot driven, and that meta I mentioned above compared it to the traditional story structure of the Horror genre. An external force acts on a character, the character is forced to react, make choices based on those outside influences, and thus growth and change happens for the character. Dean’s story (aside from during the MoC arc, when Dean was literally acted on by an outside force) has largely been character driven, similar to a character in a traditional Fantasy genre story where the character is the one who goes chasing after the plot, and his emotions and choices drive that plot forward.

But it’s more complicated than that, because of course it is. :P

Obviously that’s reducing things to their absolute simplest form, but Sam’s narrative began when an outside force literally acted on him, with Azazel dripping demon blood in his mouth. That obviously drove the plot forward, setting up everything that’s happened in the entire series in the opening scenes of the pilot episode.

But Dean’s story really begins (again, in the pilot episode) because he has an emotional need for Sam to help him find their father. That ALSO drives the action of the story forward, because without Dean’s internal motivation, the rest of the plot wouldn’t have happened, either.

Using the Carver Era (s8-11), you can really see the difference between a character driven narrative and a plot driven one. See by my personal bias in the following description if you can tell which style of storytelling I personally prefer:

Early s8 began with a HUGE dose of character driven plots. Dean comes back from Purgatory without Cas and is basically pining or in mourning. Sam’s been on an extended vacation playing house with Amelia. Dean’s internal drive to “fix the plot,” i.e. find and save Kevin, drives the early part of the season while Sam feels a little resentful of being dragged away from his “normal” life.

Then Cas miraculously turns up, they find Kevin, and suddenly they’re learning about other tablets that exist in the world. In a plot-driven world, they would’ve sought out the tablets and probably destroyed them. They wouldn’t start making these huge universe-altering decisions based on the information they learn from Kevin Tran, Prophet of Chuck.

The whole Trials storyline begins as a character-driven story. It’s their united motivations (Sam and Dean), their internal desire to accomplish this thing, that gets the ball rolling. And Dean intends to be the one to carry this burden of the trials, until fate hands that burden to Sam. Once again, outside forces have turned the course of the story. So Sam is the one who again must react TO the plot. Dean spends most of the rest of s8 reacting to Sam’s reactions, supporting him through the trials, but also emotionally attaching himself to Castiel’s story.

Cas spent most of s8 in a similar narrative position to Sam, except he didn’t even realize it. He believed he was acting on his own emotional choices much of the time (turning off Angel Radio, deciding to be a hunter, and then deciding to reconnect in order to answer prayers– we see him healing a baby and generally trying to do good in the world). Yet all along, he’s being acted on by outside forces and is literally being mind-controlled. So he believed he was driving his own plot, when behind the scenes his plot was being driven for him.

At the beginning of s9, Sam is again put into a situation much like Cas’s during s8 where he BELIEVES he’s in charge of his story, while unbeknownst to him he’s actually got an angel in the driver’s seat. Sam’s being dragged along by that plot again. But it was Dean’s internal motivation that directly put him in that situation.

Finally it’s Dean’s turn to make a choice that leads to a self-sacrifice he believes is the only way to regain control of the plot (Abaddon! Must! Die!), and takes on the Mark of Cain without reading the fine print. Thus begins what we BELIEVE is an internally motivated story for Dean, because for A FREAKING YEAR the show was telling us through parallels and the narrative itself that the Mark was a curse and what we were seeing was a change INTERNAL TO DEAN. Heck, it literally turned him into a demon. He wasn’t POSSESSED by the demon, it wasn’t an outside force acting on him, it was his very own most internal soul that had been transformed.

And then round about 10.15 the narrative pulled a 180, yanked the rug out from under a year’s worth of narrative buildup of an intensely INTERNALIZED (i.e. CHARACTER DRIVEN) story for Dean and said WHOOPSIE NOPE IT’S ACTUALLY AN OUTSIDE FORCE CONTROLLING DEAN! You thought he was actually growing as a character but nope we’re taking this one step below Fuckhands McMike territory and blaming EVERYTHING that’s happened on this big scary Dark external force! The plot basically pantsed us all.

Suddenly, after two and a half years of mostly character-driven storytelling, everything shifts and everyone’s chasing after the plot again. Dean loses ALL control over the thing inside him as he’s hopelessly dragged off by the Darkness.

And then in 10.23, Dean wrests control back over his own story by literally killing Death, while Sam and Cas have set events in motion that free Dean from the Mark of Cain and release it into the world at large instead.

Now obviously a huge portion of s11 is plot driven– their reactions to having released the Darkness and their scramble to fix what they broke as it spreads across the land. But even from the start of the season, the narrative gradually shifts into a nice balance between plot and character driven stories, where the two really begin to merge together (even on a subtextual meta level).

Another interesting aspect of Supernatural is the two types of episodes– the Mytharc (which are largely plot-driven) and the MotW (which are usually one-off monster hunts with an internal plot driven structure– MUST SOLVE THE CASE AND SAVE THE PEOPLE AND KILL THE THING!– but are generally propelled by a spurt of introspection and character growth. These are the episodes where they aren’t just acting and reacting to the Big Plot Things, but actually experience growth and change themselves).

And this is why I LOVE s12. It’s almost entirely character driven, even with the overarching plots. The main focus isn’t so much the motives of the Bad Guys and our Intrepid Heroes trying to save the world from them. It’s about the characters own personal emotional growth, how their choices affect the narrative (and yes, even Sam’s choice to work with the MoL is really a CHOICE and not something he was compelled by the plot to choose. His personal internal desires led him to that choice, and are now leading him AWAY from that choice, but it’s still been a real choice for him. Same with Cas and the choices he’s been making, and even CROWLEY, in choosing not to lock up Lucifer properly (or just kill him already ffs).

Dean is at the center of all of this, acting as that strange force of balance he’d achieved in 11.23. He’s not so much driving the story with his emotional choices, but sitting at a weird central axis while the story takes place all around him. He’s pulling a string here and there and waiting to see what budges.

I LOVE THIS. It’s glorious chaos, and I feel like Dean, sitting all zen-like in the middle of a huge unraveling sweater.

Okay, I confess. I don’t necessarily prefer one style of storytelling over the other (though I am a Dean girl, so I guess I probably do prefer a character driven story… and even Cas’s story has long been about his acquisition and proper application of Free Will, learning about humanity and making choices for himself, so while he’s experienced huge swaths of character development and growth it’s not entirely been character driven growth…). And I adore Supernatural’s complicated blend of the two.

I just really hated the bait and switch of late s10. You know that gif of Bart Simpson where he’s playing the video frame by frame and says something like, “you can pinpoint the exact second his heart rips in half?” Yeah. it’s like in 10.15 there’s a record scratch and suddenly we’re watching the freaking Stynes grab the plot by the short and curlies and yanking it in an entirely unforeseen direction. Like, out of left field. Like they picked up Baby off a coastal highway and plonked her down in a muddy field to spin her wheels, jarring. That’s what they did with the narrative.

After 10.23, once the plot had been suitably yanked around where they wanted it, the narrative structure AND the plot itself became about finding another way, a better way, a balanced and unified way. And since then it’s largely stayed on track.

How did I turn a simple question into this? It’s who I am as a person. I hope that’s okay. :P

[enemymine2000]

SPN: Thoughts about 12x14 and 12x15

A lot of “Ah, hell, really? Not again?”-feelings here at first. But then my brain started to dig deeper.

We – the casual viewer – are meant to take things at face value. We are meant to believe that Sam genuinely switched sides and is now working on Dean to do too. We are meant to believe Ketch's seductions of the latter and his mindless enjoyment of hunting with Lucille (of all things).

But we – the not quite so casual viewer – know better.

We know, that Dean is more than a mindless hunter drone, whose only interests are sexual conquests, booze and rides. We know that Dean is able to hack with the best of them (R.I.P. Charlie!), so we know he can easily disprove Sam's claim of a new “find hunts”-app just because of that.

Also we know that Dean is a lying liar who lies professionally and as such can easily spot another liar, especially when the other is Sam, who can't lie his way out of a wet paper bag even when his life depends on it. The only exception being when Sam was soulless, because no conscience to rat him out.

A big hint to that effect is Dean's very on point attitude to lying to their victim of the week about the supernatural. It is a surrogate war. “Don't lie to her, especially not that clumsy” basically means “Don't lie to me, you know I can tell”.

And never forget the much discussed shampoo-line. Dean basically tells it to Sam's face: “I know your secrets!” But also: “Wash this gore from me and I am more than you can see.”

Which is a continuation of the previous episode and Ketch's seduction, that never was.

Yes, psychopath Ketch believes it to be, but Dean – and thus we – know better. Dean might have been hungry for a hunt, but he was not hungry for killing just to kill things. Very sadistically in Ketch's case. Because Dean is more than meets the eye and makes it into BMOL files.

Dean is the guy tasked with keeping the balance on this planet by God himself and he is in a place in his life, where he can accept that. Shown in the last episode with placing him smack dab in the middle of his “love triangle”, so basically between heaven and hell.

He the human, who had been monster and demon, between the demonic ex and the angelic whatever-to-be and managing the balance.

The King of Hell, who basically fled from his domain, the somewhat fallen angel, who goes to Heaven to talk it out with his hateful brethren, and the human, who holds it all together. Who can forgive and forget no matter who, as long as it is sincere. Who will hunt you down if you don't mean it.

I mean, Crowley is basically just still alive, because Dean was able to look beyond and see his reasons.

Crowley remains a demon at his core – no matter his sudden affinity for human emotions – so by old hunter's codex he is nonredeemable and to be put down. But he always acted on a codex on his own, demonic though it was, to uphold balance. Crowley only took what hell earned rightfully and when he stepped beyond that - *cough* Purgatory *cough* - he only did so in accordance with Heaven.

When Dean was a practically unbeatable weapon in Crowley's arsenal, he never misused him. Which, summer of love or not, is something one would not expect from the actual ruler of all things evil.

Cas in turn – well, one could argue, that he only truly came alive through Dean. Yes, he technically “was” for bilions of years, but being and being alive are two very distinct different things.

Castiel, angel of the Lord, was a warrior and only that. His brethren were his only true contact throughout his whole existence and they used him to further their respective agendas. One of which was raising the Righteous Man from Hell.

Cas was born the day his grace touched Dean's soul and has been reborn (sometimes quite literally, which is more than even Lucifer can say) ever since, whenever faced with a choice of his own.

Also still alive because of Dean, because if it wasn't for that pretty insistent human being Cas' would have guilt-tripped himself into oblivion.

If it were for the BMOL all three would need to be disposed off. They are monsters without exception and Ketch would kill each of them without a second thought.

That is something Sam still needs to truly grasp. Also that he would be on that list of monsters too, if he was not so damn useful as a hunter now. That with him being one of Azazel's chosen.

BTW, whatever happened to that? We got that flashback this season, but only with Sam as an unreliable narrator.

Has he lost his psychic powers completely? Or are they just dormant?

One could argue Gadreel healing Sam after the trials would purge that last remants of impurity from his system, but then Gadreel never finished the job and Sam was left to heal naturally after expelling the angel from his body. Not to forget that of the brothers Sam still has the better affinity with witch craft and spell work. (Where exactly lies the distinction?)

So, yes, Sam cozied up with BMOL. But he did so, because he could see how utterly lacking they are and his mother's life was literally at stake.

Dean goes along with it, because he knows there are things Sam is not telling and before he does not get the whole story, he will trust his brother. At the same time he knows his future will not be with the BMOL, because what they already had done to him/his family is already nonredeemable in his eyes.

So while he waits for the second shoe to drop he is looking out for a way to get his mother and brother to safety from the subsequential fall-out.

So, what else? Crowley has Lucifer utterly trapped. I knew as much when he told Lucifer to his face that they had his vessel rebuild from scratch.

Yes, the chains were a nice rustic touch, but please, we are talking archangel here! Currently the most powerful being on this planet and I'm supposed to believe he is held only by some angel-binding chains? Classic subterfuge.

I can't believe Crowley truly wants the nephilim torn apart. Least to torture Lucifer. Yes, Lucifer has been mean to our resident King of Hell, but if Crowley truly would have wanted the nephilim, he would have had Kelly right there, when they expelled Lucifer from the president's body. He had the time to mess with the spell to send the archangel into his vessel, he would have had the time to snatch and grab his baby mama. Especially since he is not restricted by human means of transportation.

He might want the nephilim. But he will want it for the same reasons he wanted Amara. Power. A nephilim is so powerful that angels fear it and there is a decree not to create one (aka “The Sacred Oath”). Maybe this one even more so, since it was sired by the only (relatively sane) archangel left. One unaffected by the big fall – wings still intact and all (very nice for SPN to show us that much).

Yes, I don't doubt that Crowley wants to torture Lucifer, wants to humiliate him, wants to get even for what was done to him. But Crowley would not have become King of Hell, if he did not know better than to do something that probably will come back to bite him in the ass. Killing the actual devil's child is such a thing as long as Lucifer is still alive.

Since Crowley currently has no means – he destroyed the Lance of Michael and a lot of “Hands of God” were rendered useless last season and we know the Colt does not work – and plans – otherwise he would not have imprisoned Lucifer in his vessel – of disposing permanently of Hell's erstwhile ruler, he will not do such thing.

Remains Cas.

Last we have seen, he's back on his way to Heaven to talk to Joshua. That is if Kelvin had not lied in that regard. I for one don't trust the guy, because angels are dicks and they have some very big issues with Cas.

But then the argument of him having the most field experience is legit. No one of the Heavenly Host but Cas – apart from maybe Lucifer (and Gabriel, when he was still alive – I miss him!) - has ever wandered earth that much.

But his special kind of field experience is not really needed if it were only to find and dispose of Kelly, respectively her child. Angels have done similar things before and even taking into account that their numbers have dwindled and the top level bureaucrats are all but burnt wing marks on the ground now, they are still organized enough to manage a level 1 smiting. (Which probably is the most concentrated effort angels had to do ever since God left billions of years ago.)

We can not forget how truly deep the hatred of angel-kind runs towards Cas. Even Hanna had been turned against him. Because they all believe him not only to be responsible for so many deaths of their kind and the closing for Heaven's gates, but because of his love for… humanity.

Basically every angel we have ever met apart from Cas himself has acknowledged that special love for… humanity. (Well, Cas did too just a couple of episodes ago, but we're still waiting on the answer.)

Loving humanity however is not the problem. That is what God commanded of all of his angels. That is what ultimately triggered the Mark of Cain on Lucifer's arm and thus his fall. Angels are meant and programmed to love humanity.

They are however forbidden from laying with humankind and thus to love/make love to one human. The Sacred Oath. Cas has been accused of having broken it practically ever since the Apocalypse.

Cas, being the angel/human hybrid that he has become, he can now see beyond such orders, such oaths. His brethren can not.

As seen with Ishim – hypocrite that he was – they demand them to be followed no matter what. And as Cas himself has once done, they simply do. They don't know choice for themselves.

So whatever Joshua might have to say to Cas, it can't be good. Unless Joshua still talks with God, who we know to have taken a special interest in this particular angel, but then Chuck is on his sibling retreat and very hands-off and, well, Chuck. And Chuck is kind of a dick.

I saw some speculating that this will be the build-up for Cas' ultimate choice for humanity, turning human himself, giving up his grace, etc.

I still hold out hope for my hypothesis of Cas becoming nephilim per choice. Since the show is no longer about black and white, either or, but about balance.

Cas is the best of Heaven and earth combined, why take a part of him away and make him less than that?