#spn 13.20

[nobodymitskigabriel]

[ardentpoop]

[lower-the-volume]

13.20 Unfinished Business

[mittensmorgul]

okay, i think at least one of my thoughts on this episode is beginning to congeal into something... Gabriel

and I’m gonna call him Gabriel for the sake of expediency, because I do think that’s who it is. let me explain.

first off, they name checked Tall Tales in a bit of throwaway dialogue. but I heard it. (i’ll rewatch tomorrow when it’s on the cw app and get the exact quote, but it was just weird enough as dialogue that it felt deliberately inserted there)

then there’s what we DO know about Gabriel’s timeline, mostly from things he himself said in canon. in 5.08:

You don't know anything about my family. I love my father, my brothers. Love them. But watching them turn on each other? Tear at each other's throats? I couldn't bear it! Okay? So I left. And now it's happening all over again.

I always believed he was referencing the ORIGINAL fight between Michael and Lucifer here, when Luci ended up crammed in the cage. That’s what he ran from. At the beginning of Humanity on Earth. And he’d been playing Loki for... look let’s call it at least thousands of years. And Loki? in 13.20:

GABRIEL: Oh, well… We were. A few thousand epochs ago, I was out for a hike in the fjords. Came across Loki bound in a cave, snake dripping venom into his eye. Ugh. Apparently, he had some spat with his pops. Anyhoo, I freed him. Saved his life. Then my real brothers started going at it. I wanted out. Loki owed me one, so… he helped me ditch Gabriel and become him. DEAN: So then you took on his whole… trickster vibe. SAM: What did Loki do while you were impersonating him? GABRIEL: Oh. Well, he had his own family drama to worry about. It was in his best interest to go off the grid for a while. DEAN: But you saw him in Monte Carlo. GABRIEL: Well, I needed someplace to hide. He'd already helped me the once.

So both of them were out and about. even if they were both staying off grid as it were. And I always assumed that Loki only came back out after he heard of Gabriel’s “outing” and “death”-- and Odin’s actual death-- in 5.19.

But circling back around to the Tall Tales reference... it took me a while to see how it could be Gabriel. He had two modes: hoist the deserving upon their own petard, and teach people he actually finds interesting lessons they need to learn. And weirdly... this turned out to be the latter. And it feels even more like an Important Lesson that needed to be learned with Chuck literally sitting in the backup band. Even if that was just supposed to be some random musical group, you know? In a meta way, that’s still Chuck.

(and the role even fit’s Chuck’s known history, thanks Robbie... playing all sorts of music clubs, just having relationships, etc., but that’s all really beside the point to this)

Gabriel... was playing pretty much the same game he did on Sam and Dean way back in 2.15. Like... exactly the game he’s always played on them right up until they finally caught him in 5.08.

Why do you think I've always taken such an interest in you? Because from the moment Dad flipped on the lights around here, we knew it was all gonna end with you. Always.

And that feels like the EXACT reason he would’ve taken an interest in Sam and Dean’s parents, too.

But also in all the episodes of spn that dealt with Trickster lore, and actual Loki lore, there was never a mention of a mirror. Or of being able to kill any of them with a shiny blade covered in blood and whatever spell they did. It was always a special stake. And Gabriel actually did eventually kill Loki... with a special wooden sword. Not a shiny blade.

So, why the deviation in lore? I know we’ve been asking this throughout The Winchesters, but this feels really important here, as well as having a potential explanation immediately to hand: that Gabriel set up all of it. He just wanted to play up close and personal with the Winchesters, maybe pass off a little lesson if he could. But also, regardless, it’s another nod to an angel in the series, and those are really beginning to pile up without actually showing us a real angel. And I’m entirely bemused by that on its own.

[castiellesbian]

Meredith Glynn:

12.05 The One You've Been Waiting For

12.11 Regarding Dean

12.16 Ladies Drink Free

12.19 The Future (with Robert Berens)

13.04 The Big Empty

13.08 The Scorpion and the Frog

13.14 Good Intentions

13.20 Unfinished Business

14.05 Nightmare Logic

14.08 Byzantium

14.13 Lebanon (with Andrew Dabb)

15.06 Golden Time

15.11 The Gamblers (with Davy Perez)

15.17 Unity

Jeremy Carver

3.04 Sin City

3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas

3.11 Mystery Spot

3.14 Long-Distance Call

4.03 In the Beginning

4.11 Family Remains

4.15 Death Takes a Holiday

4.20 The Rapture

5.03 Free to Be You and Me

5.08 Changing Channels

5.15 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

5.18 Point of No Return

8.01 We Need to Talk About Kevin

8.23 Sacrifice

9.01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

9.23 Do You Believe in Miracles?

10.01 Black

10.23 Brother's Keeper

11.01 Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire

[godsofhumanity]

SUPERNATURAL 13.20 "Unfinished Business" | REVIEW

OVERVIEW: The Archangel Gabriel convinces Sam and Dean Winchester to help him on a mission of vengeance against the Norse deities who sold him out to the demon Asmodeus- Loki and his sons Fenrir, Sleipnir, and Narfi.

RATING: 4/10. honestly, it was pretty bad haha! but i like Gabriel hee hee so it's not a total loss.

AVAILABLE: prime i guess.

previous episode // all episode // next episode

THINGS I LIKED:

"Fenrir Odinsbane" - nice nod to Fenrir as the guy who ultimately kills Odin at Ragnarok.

the whole concept of Loki being the one to help Gabriel hide on Earth away from Heaven, etc. Loki is a renegade and does whatever he likes all the time, and he's also a shapeshifter. i think he's probably the most suitable guy to help Gabriel.

Sleipnir was kinda dressed up fancy compared to Fenrir, say… i'd like to think this was a nod to Sleipnir spending most of his life as Odin's prized horse.. so life is a little more luxurious for him I guess. he doesn't get the same treatment as Loki's other monster kids. so the suit represented that, to me.

Gabriel freeing Loki… i think that was interesting. it suits Gabriel's wildcard attitude, and it also explain why Loki wasn't bound. BUT, Loki's binding occurs after the death of Narfi (and Vali), so that didn't make sense.

Loki selling Gabriel out-- love it or hate it, i think this was 100% in character.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:

Loki's kids looking like humans. i get it, the episode would be expensive if they had to CGI animals and beasts fighting the Winchesters, but still… idk. Fenrir looked like Fenrir, but some of the other guys.. well, they were just guys. they weren't Narfi, and Sleipnir. Sleipnir looked like a prick lmfao sorry Sleipnir.

i'm glad they chose to include Narfi, but at the same time, Narfi's dead bro… i wonder why they didn't choose to include Hel. because that would've made sense- Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel together-- they could have been a kick-ass trio. and Hel especially, she could've gotten some really cool make-up… also, frankly, there aren't enough cool women on SPN. they could've benefitted from Hel.

Loki and Gabriel looking exactly the same… i think Richard Speight Jr makes a GREAT Loki, and i'm used to seeing him as Gabriel, but idk. they should've given Loki to another actor i think.

LORE ERROR! Gabriel says that Loki "got into a fight with his Pops or something".. implying that Odin is Loki's father.. but this isn't true in any way.. Odin is more of Loki's brother, if anything.

[foxthefanboi]

I'm not gonna apologize for protecting you.

13x20 - Unfinished Business

[peach-coke]

➤ Supernatural Hiatus Creations Week Two || Favorite Quotes || Part Three [Part I] - [Part II] - [Part III]

[nerdygeekyscience]

Don't let anyone tell you you're just a pretty face

Gabriel to Sam

Dean’s face afterwards though I swear if Sabriel becomes canon before Destiel I will both be overjoyed and very upset

[lillysilverus]

So let me see if I understand this:

In the next episode {13.21) Castiel somehow thinks that THEY ALL let Lucifer out of his cage, not that he decided to say yes all by himself. Now after this, Lucifer was in the Bunker, in Sam's room right there taking up Sam's space and not being killed by any of them and Dean didn't utter a peep about Sam being anywhere near him. Coincidentally, this was the same season that Sam killed three werewolves by himself while injured and was constantly rescuing Dean who was having issues with his pull to Amara and recovering from the MOC.

Skip to season 13. Sam has been strangled, hit on the head and tied up, left out of fights and generally been sidelined, his own words, for much of the action and now Dean is suddenly in hyper big brother mode, not wanting Sam to be anywhere near Lucifer or in the fight at all. And by the look on his face after Sam's speech about doing things together and by the spoilers for the end of the season, we know Dean is about to do something really stupid and sacrificial. 

Help me Jeebus.  I can't keep up with the ever fluctuating character non-development of this show.

[nobodymitskigabriel]

trust me this is canon

[canonicallysoulmates]

*watching the promo for 13.20*

Jack! 😍

Mary 😑

Let’s concentrate on the positive, Sam and Dean are gonna have fun on a vibrating bed! 

[mittensmorgul]

Death won’t give you what you want

13.19, Funeralia. Sam and Rowena. The episode that cosmically underlined the fact that they are equals.

Sam: Rowena! Hey Rowena! {he chases her down the corridor} Dean, also giving chase, runs into Bernard’s forearm and a furious fight ensues between the two of them. Dean: You know she’s controlling your brain. Bernard: She’s powerful, she’s gorgeous, and she’s paying me a small fortune. That woman didn’t have to cast a spell on me. {Dean launches himself at Bernard}

Rowena didn’t have to cast a spell on him. She did have to pay him... which is the difference between Bernard the lackey and Sam her equal. Which is incredible considering how their relationship began as antagonists (she literally tried to kill him, and he literally tried to kill her), and then progressed to a quid pro quo of favors, to reluctant allies, to friends, to this. Cosmically balanced, and choosing to help each other change their fate. (spoiler alert: Sam failed, in every way, because they had no other choice... tell me again how this isn’t deeply romantically coded?)

Okay back to the quotes and notes:

[Rowena runs in to the alley, followed by Sam.] Sam: Rowena, STOP! {points the gun at her} Stay right there. Listen to me. I get what you’re trying to do for Crowley, but you’re messing with the machinery of the Universe. Death won’t give you what you want. You have to stop! Rowena: I can’t stop, Samuel… You’ll have to shoot me. {she turns to face him and Sam, conflicted, eventually shoots. Rowena stops the bullet in mid-air with her hand, eyes glowing purple and the bullet falls to the ground} Sam: H…how? Rowena: You really would have shot me? Insomniac! {Sam falls to the ground in a coma}

Messing with the machinery of the universe, or defying fate? And possibly the most important line in this whole episode: DEATH WON’T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT.

this isn’t differential calculus here, folks...

[castiellesbian]

Meredith Glynn:

12.05 The One You've Been Waiting For

12.11 Regarding Dean

12.16 Ladies Drink Free

12.19 The Future (with Robert Berens)

13.04 The Big Empty

13.08 The Scorpion and the Frog

13.14 Good Intentions

13.20 Unfinished Business

14.05 Nightmare Logic

14.08 Byzantium

14.13 Lebanon (with Andrew Dabb)

15.06 Golden Time

15.11 The Gamblers (with Davy Perez)

15.17 Unity

Daniel Loflin (all with * were co-written with Andrew Dabb)

Writer of

4.06 Yellow Fever*

4.13 After School Special *

4.19 Jump the Shark*

5.06 I Believe the Children Are Our Future*

5.11 Sam, Interrupted*

5.16 Dark Side of the Moon*

5.19 Hammer of the Gods*

6.04 Weekend at Bobby's*

6.07 Family Matters*

6.13 Unforgiven*

6.18 Frontierland*

7.03 The Girl Next Door*

7.08 Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!*

7.14 Plucky Pennywhistle's Magic Menagerie*

7.22 There Will Be Blood*

8.02 What's Up, Tiger Mommy?*

8.09 Citizen Fang

8.16 Remember the Titans

[teamfreewill2pointo]

I was making gifs when I noticed something interesting. Lamps/lights appear on one side of Sam’s head/shoulders more often that Dean’s, even within the same scene.

More images below the cut.

In 13.18, Dean started out with more lamps around him.

But those lights disappeared when he got really angry.

Dean is now without lamps while Sam still has one.

There’s way too many to gif all of Sam’s shoulder lights, but it happens fairly frequently. What’s also interesting is when they are not seen.

Like this scene, where Sam’s afraid of Lucifer (and without lights) while Dean and Castiel have them:

Or where where Sam has two lights (but the fan is associated with hell).

Or here where Lucifer offers Sam light while Sam makes his own, making the light on Sam’s shoulder even more pronounced:

I’ve noticed that Castiel often has lights over his head, obviously symbolizing his halo, but these shoulder lights are interesting to me. It’s not in every episode. I didn’t see any shoulder lights in Funeralia. In Only the Best Intentions, all 3 of TFW have shoulder lamps when they discussing what to do with Donatello. Castiel loses his when he decides to torture, while Sam keeps his while he argues against it.

Sometimes lighting is just lighting, but it happens a lot for it to all be coincidental, especially in the same scene where Sam has the light and Dean doesn't.

[midnightsilver]

😉