#spnwin 1x08

[cloverhighfive]

[becauseofthebowties]

RICHARD SPEIGHT JR. as LOKI / GABRIEL in THE WINCHESTERS | 1.08 Hang on to Your Life

[disasterbijedi]

i’m gonna bring Dean back to life as a birthday present to me. i mean Dean. 

- Jensen Ackles, probably

[jesterofalltrades]

Spnwin 1x08 had everything:

Richard speight Jr as Loki

John Winchester giving advice he really needs to take in the future

Carlos saving the day

Carlos’ beautiful singing voice

Blurry Dean Winchester picture

Thank you Jensen Ackles for this wonderful gift

[happilyfeatherafter]

Dean’s VOs in The Winchesters (season one!)

(LISTEN ALONG WITH AUDIO HERE)

Dean episode 1: 

( Ten Years After's "I'd Love to Change the World" ) ♪ ♪ 

March 23, 1972. The day Dad came home from the war, and the day he met Mom. Now I know this story might sound familiar, but I'm gonna put the pieces together in a way that just might surprise you. And in order to do that, I have to start all the way at the beginning. 

[END OF EPISODE]

What they didn't know is that the Akrida weren't just a threat to Earth, but to all of existence. Now, like I told you, there's gonna be some surprises. Hell, I'm still trying to find all the puzzle pieces myself. But I'll explain everything. And until then, I'll keep picking the music. 

♪ ♪ Spread them wide ♪ ♪ Rich or poor ♪ ♪ Them and us ♪ ♪ Stop the war ♪ 

Dean episode 2: 

( punchy, percussive music ) ♪ ♪  The ties that bind a family together can be complicated. Parents raise you, teach you what's right and wrong, and in some instances, how to kill monsters. But no matter who you are, there comes a time when you have to break from them and make your own way. And if you're not careful, things can get pretty ugly. 

Dean episode 3: 

( dramatic music ) ♪ ♪ ( screams ) ( sizzling ) ( growling )  There's no map to being a hunter. No playbook. You gotta follow your gut. But that can only take you so far. Truth is, you can't do it all on your own. You need other people to help guide the way... Your friends, your family. Otherwise you just end up lost. 

Dean episode 4: 

( eerie music ) ♪ ♪  Fighting the battle between good and evil isn't easy, especially when the first monster you have to face is the one inside yourself. ( soft dramatic music ) 

Dean episode 5: 

( dramatic music ) ♪ ♪ Spending a lifetime of hunting monsters takes its toll. There comes the time when you gotta let out that pain inside you. If you don't, it'll eat you alive. 

Dean episode 6: 

(Lata) I am centered. I am at peace. I create my own path, and I walk in it fearlessly. (end Lata)

Hunting has a way of changing a person. After a while, right, wrong, good, evil, they all start to look the same. And then it makes you start to wonder, "Who's really the monster here--them or me?" 

[END OF EPISODE]

Hunting's not for everyone. You have to be strong, stay sharp, make tough decisions, and it's not easy, But then again, the righteous things never are. 

Dean episode 7: 

( birds chirping ) Comes a time in every hunt when the fightin' starts. And the difference between winning and losing isn't whether you have the holy water, the wooden stake, or the silver bullet. It's whether you've got the grit to get the job done. (Mary on radio)

Dean episode 8:

(John Moran’s “Rebel”) ♪ ♪ Being a hunter, it means living a life of sacrifice-- not a lot of room for dreams. But you open your heart and get a little lucky, you'll find you gain more than you lose. ♪ ♪

Dean episode 9:

( mellow bluesy music ) ♪ ♪ This isn't how I saw things going when I pushed over that first domino. Thing is, I've had more than a few dances with free will and fate, but as my dad used to say, "Fate is what you make it."

Dean episode 10:

Hunting and happy endings don't usually mix, so when you get your chance, you got to ask yourself, "How far will I go to get it?"

Dean episode 11:

Being a Hunter means always being on the move, No matter how hard you plan, no matter how hard you work, at a certain point, we all run out of road. It's what we do with those crossroads that defines us.

Dean episode 12:

♪ ♪ ( carnival music resumes ) ♪ ♪ ( giggling manically ) ♪ ♪ ( shrill giggling ) ( whispering voices ) ( strange sounds ) 🤡🤡🤡

Hunting's a dishonest business. You gotta lie all the time about who you are and what you do. But the hardest lies aren't the ones you tell other people. They're the ones you tell yourself.

(Mary to John) Another day looking for this mystery man and still nothing. It's like this guy's a ghost. (End Mary to John).

Dean episode 13:

*RECORD SCRATCH* HE’S HERE!!!!! We’re going in universe baby.

(Opening scene, dramatic music ) ♪ ♪ 

Dean: John Winchester. 

John: Sir, can I help you? 

Dean: This is for you. 

John: Where did you get this? Who are--  [...] One ticket for Lawrence, Kansas. 

Ticket lady: Okay.

BOBBY, IT’S FREAKIN’ BOBBY!!!: We're not supposed to meddle with things, ya idjit!

Dean: You always said if I was gonna be stupid, I might as well be smart about it. 

Bobby: Yeah, that does sound about like me. We're not even supposed to be here. 

Dean: Come on, the letter was meant for him. I just, uh, you know, gave it a nudge. 

Bobby: You keep an eye on things here. I'm gonna get the damn cavalry. 

Dean: How you gonna do that? 

Bobby: I got no freaking idea. One last hunt, huh? 

Dean: One last hunt. ♪ ♪

[Insert finale including lots of chat about the ‘ruggedly handsome' mystery man here. For Akrida!Queen exposition science: You're here to talk about the man with no name...he was digging around in things that should have stayed buried. ... The Akrida. You see, our mysterious friend isn't from around here. There's only so much he could do. His hands were tied. Credit where it's due... he did manage to stay ahead of me for a while, but... I can assure you that he's not going to be a problem anymore. ... Well, there's this portal. You see--I'm sure you've heard of it. It's not quite up to code yet, but I managed to pry it open just enough to toss a certain someone and his car into it. No human can survive that gateway, so his body will be torn to shreds for centuries. Anyway, this, um... this old journal... it's all that's left of him.]

Back to the end of the show:

( electricity crackling ) ( engine revving ) ( engine revving ) ( dramatic music )  ♪ ♪ 

John: Mary! ... How did you guys survive? 

Dean (gestures at Baby): She kept Mary safe... me too. Of course, there's not a lot that can tear me apart. I'm already dead. I was stuck in the world between worlds, so I stayed close to that portal, and as soon as I saw baby come through, I hopped in and grabbed the wheel. 

Samuel: So who are you? 

Dean: I'm a Hunter, just like you. But I'm not from this Earth. 

Ada: And how did you get here? 

Dean: When I died, I made it to heaven. And she was waiting for me. So I went for a drive, and then I took a little detour. 

Latika: Through the multiverse. (Dean points ‘bingo’.)

Carlos: S-so what were you looking for? 

Dean: That's a good question, Carlos. I was looking for my family. See, I come from a long line of Hunters. I guess I was hoping that somewhere out there was an Earth that had a version where my family had a shot at a happy ending. When I was driving, I caught wind of the Akrida. Turns out that they were one of Chuck's last creations. 

Millie: Who's Chuck? 

Dean: God. It's a long story, but, uh... basically, he's a real dick. He left the Akrida behind to wipe out all of existence in case he failed. Well... he failed. Eventually the Akrida were going to make their way to my world, and I got family there, so I couldn't let that happen. 

John: T-the letter, why did you-- 

Dean: I took my little detour. The rules were simple. Don't mess with anything. Well... I gave it a little nudge. Thought it might need a little help. Looks like it worked out pretty well. So now that the Akrida are gone, you all can choose your own destiny. You can write your own story. 

Jack: And you can get back to yours. 

Dean: It's all right. It's all right. They're--they're with me. This is Bobby. That's Jack. They're family. Excuse me. You okay? 

Bobby: I told you I'd figure it out. Didn't say I wouldn't get us in more trouble. Look at 'em. Man, this is all kinds of weird... seeing Samuel with a full head of hair. 

Dean: Right? ( chuckles )

Jack (~~or is he?~~): Dean. 

Dean: Yeah. No, I know. I know, Jack. 

Jack: When I restored things, I wanted mankind to make their own fate. That meant no interference from on high, anywhere... no exceptions. 

Dean: I couldn't let our world get destroyed. Sam's still down there, okay? He deserves a good, long life. Hell, they all do. ( indistinct chatter ) So, if you want to cast me out of heaven... so be it. 

Bobby: If we're taking a vote, I'd say you give the guy another chance. 

Jack: There's always another case with you Hunters... even in death. Well... if you're going to meddle in things, finish what you started. After this... it's time to get around to the... "there'll be peace when you are done"... part of the song.

Dean to John: Listen, um... b-before I go... I want to give you two something. My dad... he, uh... Kept a Hunter's journal, looked just like this. I lived my whole life by that damn thing. Well, this is my Hunter's journal. So if you're gonna stay in this game... This will help guide you through it. 

John: Thank you. 

Dean to Mary: I know you're thinking about quitting Hunting. Believe me, I understand. But you need to do me one favor. Keep an eye out for a yellow-eyed demon. And if you even catch a hint of that son of a bitch... I need you to use this. 

Mary: Your family... did you ever find a version where they had a shot of a happy ending? 

Dean: I think I did. 

John: You never told us your name. 

Dean: Hetfield... James Hetfield. (Hetfield is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder, and a primary songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica.)

( Nick Drake's "One of These Things First" ) ♪ ♪ (Dean, Bobby and Jack vanish with baby). 

Transcripts from: https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewforum.php?f=1550

[starkskypines]

The Winchesters is actually coming for my throat because Samuel recognized that Mary wasn’t Mary and was actually Loki because Loki stabbed with the wrong hand and how that’s such a funky little parallel to Dean recognizing that his dad was not his dad and was actually the yellow eyed demon because he was too nice and how in spnwin s1e08 Samuel says “I forced you to follow in my footsteps just like my dad forced me. It was wrong” about putting a knife in a child’s hand and setting her on the hunting path and how Dean says to his mom in spn s12e22 “I had to be more than just a brother. I had to be a father and I had to be a mother, to keep him safe. And that wasn’t fair” and how Samuel disappeared on Mary because he was looking for something that would “I heard tall tales about an Oppenheimer. Someone found a way to nuke all these damn monsters, so that you could be free of all of this—forever” and how Mary comes to the future in s12 and joins up with the British Men of Letters because they promise to end all monsters and that means no more hunting for her boys and how Mary became Samuel in the end and Dean became Mary and Samuel said “I don’t want you to hate me like I hated him” and how Dean says to Mary in s12e22 “I hate you. But I love you” and—

[acupofbritishearlgrey]

[spnwin1967]

John Winchester and Mary Campbell

The Winchesters 1x08

[carryoncastiel]

I got so overwhelmed by the whole Dean being back bit that I kinda missed how blatant the parallels between Carlos in 1x08 and Dean in 15x07 are

Being on stage with bi lighting (also singing ofc)

An old friend/lover who has made a deal with a supernatural being to live the dream they both had

Giving up their dreams for hunting but they opened their heart and got lucky, so they finally gained more than they lost aka a family

Just *chef’s kiss*

[shirtlesssammy]

The Winchesters 1x08: Hang on to Your Life

Kansas City, Missouri

Outside a bar called the Knave of Hearts. (The marquee indicates that Jericho is headlining with Brock Billings. Is Jericho a nice nod to Robbie and Rich’s old show? Love it.) Brock pops out of one of the doors and wanders into a back alley. He scares a poor street cat and promptly burns up for it. 

Oh, wait, there’s got to be something more going on here. A whistling, dapper-dressed man approaches and warms his hands by the glowing charred remains of Brock. 

Mary, Millie, and John are back at Mary’s tending to an unconscious Samuel’s wounds. Ada has prescribed a magical tea to help with the nasty Akrida gash on Samuel’s shoulder. Operation Heavy Flirting has entered its next stage for Mary and John, and Millie knows when to give these two Alone Time. 

Samuel wakes and mumbles that he found a way to find the queen. 

Mary and John tell Carlos and Lata about the Akrida queen. There’s been radio silence from the Akrida since they found Samuel. Carlos did hear about a man burning up outside the Knave of Hearts though. The Knave of Hearts is THE place in the midwest to make it in music. Mary opts to stay behind to help her father mend. John opts to stay behind to simp after Mary. Carlos approves. 

“Being a hunter means living a life of sacrifice – not a lot of room for dreams. But you open your heart and get a little lucky, you’ll find you gain more than you lose.” 

(Boris puts on clown nose)

(Natasha against her better judgment, reluctantly also puts on clown nose)

Once at the bar, the duo sets out to investigate the case. Carlos interrogates the bartender with no luck. Lata finds sigils in Brock’s dressing room. They discuss the meaning of them when Carlos runs into an old music buddy, Jericho. It seems they were a duo once upon a time named Rivers Gemini and The Jericho Kid.  

Operation Flirtfest actually gets to the meat of the situation and John and Mary talk about the kiss. Neither regrets the kiss but Mary doesn’t know what the future holds.

Lata is having the Time of Her Life reminiscing with Rivers Gemini and The Jericho Kid. 

As Carlos and Lata head out, Carlos knocks a hat off the table of another customer. He picks it up and hands it back to the man. 

GABRIEL!!!!! OR LOKI!!!! OR THE TRICKSTER!!!!! THEY”RE ALL THE SAME!!!! AGGGHHHH

Lata’s van research reveals that Brock’s sigils were trying to protect him from dark magic. Lata asks if Carlos wants to go to the show that night. He declines and makes it clear that it was always a choice of careers. “It’s a matter of time before you come across a monster and then something has to die – the dream or the monster.” 

They interview the roadie. He tells them about the hat man following Brock out of the bar the night he died. 

Meanwhile, Millie and Samuel get to know each other. It’s chilly.

He doesn’t want the tea until Millie mentions that Ada prescribed it. Samuel is able to get in quite a few zingers about John. And he learns that Henry was a Men of Letters. (Or as he so Dean-ly says “Mole Men”, and then proceeds to explain the joke and it’s hilarious and not hilarious but at least we know where the Dean Dad humor comes from.) Millie makes it clear that without her “mole man” of a husband, Samuel’s daughter would be dead right now. 

Jericho’s set has begun. Lata spots Gabriel Loki jamming out in the back of the room and alerts Carlos. Jericho starts to smoke and Carlos grabs him and drags him off stage. Lata goes to confront Gabriel Loki but it’s no longer him. Meanwhile, the bartender burns.

Lata and Carlos head backstage later to find Jericho hurriedly packing up. He’s somewhat reluctant to talk, but quickly falls sway to their puppy eyed earnestness. He explains that his solo career fizzled until a few weeks ago. He met Loki and, while drunk, agreed to some kind of deal. He woke up with a flaming tattoo on his forearm. 

After that, his songs light the audience up inside…but in the bad, SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION way. Each night, one member of his audience dies a terrible, fiery death. If he doesn’t sing to someone (and sentence to burn), then the curse will burn him up instead. When Brock tried to get cut into the mad profits of Jericho’s rising career, Jericho killed him off. Tonight, he tried singing to the guy in the suit who bound him in the deal - some guy named Loki. 

At Casa de Campbell, Samuel stumbles his way into the den, apparently with the intention of grilling John about his dad. Instead, Mary cuts him off. She wants to know more about what Samuel was mumbling in his sleep. How can they find the Akrida queen? Samuel explains that he picked up on some signs and decided to check them out. He’s got three rolls of film (THOSE WERE THE DAYS AMIRITE?) for them to develop and figure out clues. Mary stalks off to play photo lab. John confronts Samuel and tells him to treat Mary like a daughter “and less like a soldier.” Oof. 

Back at the hunt, Lata, Carlos, and Jericho head for the van. Inside the van they find Loki lounging. “You were right about this one,” he says to Jericho, gesturing to Carlos. “He’s got pluck.” 

Jericho’s largely unsurprised to see him, and we quickly find out why. Loki made a deal with Jericho - if he can pass on his curse to another then he can be free from it. Jericho led Loki to Carlos. Before their eyes, Loki transforms, proving his powers, and tells them that Carlos taking on the Mark - I mean, the tattoo - is the only way he can save his friend. Former friend? 

Loki reads us Carlos’ resume, which is very enjoyable for me AND for him! It includes:

Love of modern dance

Gifted typist

Musician, hunter, hair model

He also sees Carlos’s nature, and knows that Carlos won’t walk away and let his friend remain cursed, or die. Against Lata’s protests, Carlos agrees to take on the curse.

Loki zaps Jericho away. Where did he go? “Oh, please, nobody cares. At least I don’t. He’s like a security deposit. Move on from that.” He hands Carlos a.k.a. Rivers Gemini a concert flyer for…his own comeback show. Carlos needs to play that night or face the consequences. 

They bring the news back to the Campbell house. John suggests just removing the tattoo. Please. The only way you can do that is by magically de-aging Carlos for the duration of the episode via an ancient witch’s curse and who has one of THOSE just lying around? The team sets to their research tasks with gusto. 

Samuel watches them spring into action. Carlos and Lata have come very far in just a few months, according to him. John earnestly tells him that it’s all down to Mary’s leadership. The gang settles in for a good old fashioned research and strategy session. Millie hands Carlos a pile of research, and heads off to prepare the “family special” dish for the somber occasion of Carlos’s maybe impending death. Millie’s special dish turns out to be a regular slice right out of my childhood. It appears to be something like…beef stroganoff over toast, with boiled green beans!

As they eat, they continue to research. Lata discovers a clue. Loki’s power is tied to a hand mirror he keeps with him. And sticking with the shiny objects theme, Samuel finds some guidance that says Loki can be killed with a shiny knife imbued with the hunter’s own blood. The gang prepare to slice their palms to seal the magic into their knives. (“Not the palms, my god you need to fight!” I hiss at them, but it’s like I’m watching them on a screen or something and they ignore my sage advice.) 

There’s a brief hiatus where Mary pulls Samuel aside and tries to order him to stay home. It turns into a confrontation about him leaving on his secretive, solo hunt. He tells her that he tries to stay under her radar. He didn’t want her to die like Maggie did. He got her into hunting, just like his dad did…and he hates it. OH THE REGRETSSSS. “When I put that knife in your hands, I chose this life for you. I forced you to follow in my footsteps, just like my dad forced me. It was wrong.” I can barely hear him over the deafening sound of Cat’s in the Cradle and glass crunching between my teeth. But! Mary’s a glass case of emotions as Samuel tells her that he wanted to get rid of all monsters so that Mary could live a life free of hunting. Instead, he stumbled into the looming threat of the Akrida. 

Back inside, the team imbues their knives with blood mojo and then they all head to the bar to finish their hunt. Loki shows up, sassy and saucy and shaking up a cocktail. He sizes up their bloody blades and intentions, and suggests evening the odds. We get a lovely fight scene of Loki, Loki, Loki, Loki, and Loki versus the gang. 

They scuffle to the tune of Saturday Night’s Alright, until Samuel gets pinned down. Mary knifes Loki and smiles triumphantly at her kill, only for Samuel to tell her he won’t fall for any more of her tricks. Samuel knifes her in the gut and then twists it. Mary morphs back into Loki, who topples to the floor, apparently dead. Samuel tells everyone that Loki/Mary attacked with his left hand, so it couldn’t have been Mary. 

Everyone regroups for a moment, until Loki hauls himself up again. ‘Twas but a flesh wound! He gleefully watches as they realize that Carlos still has the tattoo. He snaps his fingers, and the scene gets set. Carlos gets a wardrobe change and appears on stage, decked out in finery with a guitar. Mary, John, Lata, and Samuel immediately find themselves bound to chairs. Just behind Carlos, Jericho sits bound and gagged. Loki suggests Jericho as the ideal target. After all, why should Carlos suffer for Jericho’s misdeed? 

Carlos lifts up the guitar as though to play and then —

Smashes it! Carlos gives us a wild window into his soul, and it’s beautiful. He sacrificed music to hunt, but he gained more than he ever thought he would. Carlos starts to burn when all of a sudden…the smoke rising from his arms turns to GLITTER. NOW it’s a PARTY!

The tattoo zaps away from Carlo’s arm. Loki screams at Carlos and tells him that humanity should always choose the selfish way out. “I am not gonna lose to you!” he exclaims. Just then, a hand mirror crackles from the table. Loki gets sucked into the mirror and a moment later, everyone’s free. Lata delightedly taps at Loki’s trapped visage. 

Carlos tells everyone that they’re his family. HEARTS!

The next day, Millie heads out with the box. She tells a skeptical Samuel that she’s going to try to repair it. She IS a mechanic after all. Samuel tells Millie that she has a “good kid.” You did it, bbys. 

Mary brings out the newly developed photos from Samuel’s reconnaissance. The photos are barely legible - mostly washed out and useless for intel. Samuel tells Mary to take John to reassess the locations. While they do that, he’s headed to Ada to work on figuring out some magical means to defeat the queen. Samuel hands Mary a little recipe for a magical ant-Akrida tattoo. Handy! 

At the venue, Jericho contemplates his guitar. He plans to turn himself into the police, but Carlos tells him that’ll only get him in an institution. Carlos suggests an alternative: move on and put some good in the world. Jericho convinces Carlos to play one last concert. ONE. MORE. TIME!

Cut to the concert, where Lata shrieks at Carlos to play some Sabbath (she’s more of a metal girl). Readers, I love her. 

Carlos plays the theme song of the episode: Hard Times Come Around No More. We flash back to Mary handing her dad his hat and giving him a farewell hug. Elsewhere, Millie opens up the box. In the clubhouse, Lata locks away Loki’s mirror in a trunk. 

Carlos’s song is lovely and all, and I’m experiencing emotions, but also. ALSO. CHUCK IS THERE. IN THE BAND. PLAYING KEYBOARD. Guys. We get some good, clear close-ups of Chuck to really drive it home. Amazing. Love it. 

Later, John and Mary look at the photos and make out. Mary’s ready to take the leap with John. They’re about to kiss again, when John looks down at one of the barely developed photos. He recognizes the man in the photo as being the same person who gave him his dad’s letter. It’s…..

……

……………….

DEAN BEAN WINCHESTER!

For I’ve Got Him, He’s Right Here Science:

Natasha: Okay, Dean in the past is VERY IMPORTANT TO ME but did anyone else get some serious Book of Job / God placing bets for and against humanity. Who was Loki/Gabriel playing against that got him trapped in the mirror? It was someone who thought humanity would pull through and be selfless…

__

Oh Quote Times Come Again No More:

Lata, let’s boogie

I don’t know why everyone that comes in here thinks I’m a shrink. If you wanna cry on something, cry into your glass

It’s a matter of time before you come across a monster and then something has to die – the dream or the monster.

Doctor who?

The least you could do is treat her more like a daughter and less like a soldier

Hey guys, monsters that kill to feed and survive are one thing. Ones that kill for kicks - we’re in for a fight

Weird sensation but contemplating my mortality has surprisingly made me hungry. 

For the brains of this operation, you are not the smartest cookies. Cookies aren’t smart to begin with. Think on that.

__

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[werepires]

So I’ve rewatched this scene 3 times and Rob is the only band member to get 2 separate focused shots while all the others remain in the background while Jojo is singing and I

[supernatural-rewatch-3]

[becauseofthebowties]

THE WINCHESTERS | 1.08 Hang on to Your Life

[disasterbijedi]

“being a hunter means living a life of sacrifice. not a lot of room for dreams. but if you open your heart and you get lucky, you finally gain more than you lose.” 

so so much unspoken here. Who did Dean want to open his heart to? What was Dean’s dream? Not to mention that Cas did open his heart in a final act of sacrifice. JENSEN, WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME? 

[jesterofalltrades]

Everyone say thank you to number one Dean Winchester stan, Jensen Ackles

[found--family]

look. was it the greatest thing on television in recent years when jackles brought dean winchester back to life on his birthday bc he hated that spn ending as much as we do? undoubtedly. but i do believe such ecstatic joy will pale in comparison to the appearance of a certain gay angel in the prequel.