#spnwin 1x12

[becauseofthebowties]

RUTH CONNELL as ROWENA MACLEOD in THE WINCHESTERS | 1.12 The Tears of a Clown

[mattzerella-sticks]

Rare picture of me, out in the world, thinking Destiel thoughts.

[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

[jesterofalltrades]

The real question is, is this the Rowena from the time or did she time traveled with Dean to help him?

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

The thing is! We are Limbo’s troupe. We are the clowns trapped in a limbo. The limbo the last few years of not having Supernatural. We were grieving but we were brought to a carnival (an absolute clownshow of a finale with clown vampires and just clowning all around) and now we’re stuck.

But the key to escaping the limbo is our desire to see our older brother again... our Older Brother by definition, Dean. Our desire to see him again, Jensen’s desire to play him again, is what is going to snap everyone out of the limbo we’ve been stuck in since the finale. We’re going to meet him again.

The tricky part is that it’s not only Dean that is mirrored by the older brother, isn’t it? His name is literally Clarence, which is not a neutral name in the world of Supernatural. Are we going to meet our Clarence again? In fact, in the very last portion of the show, the Shadow (the proper name of the entity in the Empty, although some writers didn’t get the memo - and guess what was the thing Lata faced last episode...) took the shape of the very person that used to call Cas Clarence. It’s really not something long forgotten.

What now? We’ll see. But we’re going to snap out of the limbo we’ve been stuck in for the last few years. This episode has promised us.

[minalblood]

And finally , long awaited ep 12. Sorry guys !!!

- We start off with one of the characters not wanting to deal with whatever they're dealing with. That's not gonna be relevant throughout I'm sure...

- Have I mentioned that I hate clowns? Cuz hate clowns

- Ah yes! Dean discussing lying to yourself, also gonna be relevant. But I'm even more intrigued that he ties this need for dishonesty intrinsically to hunting.

- John is completely lying to himself and projecting hard on Mary. Not that Mary isn't also lying to herself. Interestingly, John and Mary are the most evenly split here between Sam or Dean coding.

- ok, as someone who has a veritable collection of tarot decks that I also use, I'm so fucking happy to see the Minor Arcana mentioned in fiction. Especially since most just add in Major Arcana cards with little to no relevance or meaning as to why those cards drawn are Majors. And yeah, the witches here aren't doing a reading, but I still love to see Swords and Pentacles mentioned! Might even be a cheeky hint as to how the main witch operates since swords are commonly related to the mental aspect and pentacles to the material/monetary (Known in some decks as coins even). And what is she doing if not playing a mind game in order to win the game and gain the reward for it.

-God, she's an asshole to Ada! No one is an asshole to Ada!

- Well, Limbo def is an apt name. He def acts like a type of inbetween state where you're not dead but you sure aren't living either. I also find it fascinating in the context of Purgatory. Because to Dean Purgatory was pure (or better put for our purposes here, was unfiltered truth) whereas Limbo here is pure avoidance. Essentially ,if Purgatory worked as a place where Dean could be as uncomplicated and true as he could (which yes, that's very much an oversimplification) then Limbo is pure pretending/fake.

- And Mary is once again trying to take command, only here John is refusing, is pushing back against it, where before he'd have gone along or even tried to get the others to fall in line acting as mediator.

- The misdirect of the brother is hilarious in hindsight, they gave him such menacing music as background.

- Love that we have clear signs that if at all possible witches will try to hide.

- ROWEEEEENNNNAAAAA!!!!!

-John & Lata, hell yeah! Love that she's checking in with him and that she makes sure to clarify that she's the one asking. And gives him the space he's clearly asking for, not pushing against his lie.

- Meanwhile, Mary& Carlos have a much more direct convo but no less empathetic though still focused on John interestingly enough.

- Adore that Carlos was so so shocked by her outburst and then again that she was faking.

- Love a soul trade that is basically a trap

- The way Carlos just forgot their cover. Hahahahaha OMG!!! I love them!

- And the echoes of Sam begin in earnest - parents dead, older brother trying to parent but not having the tools to do so, younger brother running away...

- It's interesting that Limbo was trying to remain in a perpetually happy state (and targetted those he saw as needing the same) but Clarence ended up essentially in a state of perpetual grief. He says he wishes he'd helped Roger through his grief but he himself just traded the grief of his parents death with that of Roger's being taken. An interesting contrast between Limbo & Clarence, and a clear echo of SPN!John there also - mild but present.

- Oh, Carlos,you absolute sweetheart! And no argument against the "you were just a kid too" statement, love to see it!

- OK, now comes me trying to argue that this Rowena is our Rowena. Exhibit A: she was so clearly lying about the Grimoire and not the fact that the MOL stole it - her facial expressions to me read very much like she just made up an excuse to be there and help Ada. We've seen how Romena acts when she's actually trying to get a powerful Grimoire, this was not it. at all. This felt more like her keeping appearences than actually working an angle.

- Neverming, forgot she literally spells it out for us. In other words though, I was right.

-I choose to believe that the demon trapped in the plant is somehow, someway related to her getting Crowley back. I love Crowley so I will not accept any other meaning here. I'd have loved to see what they wanted to do with Rowena later on. Ugh every day I mourn that we didn't get more of this show.

- I take back John projecting. I would actually like to formally apologize to John here cuz Mary is doing the tried and true "dealing with emotions" approach that Sam uses everytime aka she is trying to dictate how John should be reacting to kyle's murder just because he isn't reacting like how she thinks he should be. I do love seeing them fight here, It's a whole mess they've found themselves in and haven't dealt with it at all so far. Make sense it'll all come to a head in this away. John is actually our Dean-mirror here. This fight also echoes the fight between Sam & Dean at Mia Vallens place (word for word even, in some places).

- Also love that John pushes back. And especially that he puts to words what I think a lot of the fandom has said some variation of. That as long as there's one more hunt, a world to save, people in danger then considering an alternate future

becomes that much harder to go towards... And that's not to say this applies 1 to 1 to Sam and Dean, because they quite literally didn't have a choice, but it does speak to the fact that you can't really move forward until you let go of the past that's holding you back or more so even -  though we're moving away from what this ep has to say with this - that you can't really heal from trauma til you're out of the traumatizing situation.

- And continuing our Sam echoes here, it's in fact Mary who's 1st approached by Limbo, Mary who's pain calls out while all the eyes were on John (and once more I'm reminded of the

Werther Box and how it was Sam who nearly killed himself due to a Rowena hallucination via the Box that got so much worryingly closer than Dean who we saw from the start got hit by the spell)

"John: Mary wait for me

Mary: Nope! I do what I want (proceeds to get taken by monster) " oh how the turn tables...

- I gotta say, this wasn't John's fault here. Mary wasn't ok far before their fight and if it had just beenmthe fight then John would've been taken too then. I actually think Limbo might've been honing into people who were, yes in crisis, but refusing to deal with it just like he had been, people looking to bargain away the negativity in their life for even a false sense of happiness.

- I also gotta mention this is the...2nd monster who's source of power is a mirror (Loki/Gabe being the 1st) Are there others that I'm missing? Is this a pattern?? I don’t remember, pls lemme know.

- Carlos you absolute king! Once more being the one to offer the practical solution, Lata is our theoretical queen though, let it be known,

- FFS! Rowena literally says she's looking for info ABOUT CROWLEY! Is my memory so bad or is my subconscious so active?

-Oh Rowena, there was no need to hurt Ada. Why must two bad bitches fight eachother?!

- Ah John, there you are, stumbling straight into danger. Couldn't let Mary have this one, could you?

- Hate clowns!

- Don't mind Limbo that much right now.

- Wait!!!. John cheated his way here... like he cheated his way into the army, like he, technically, cheated his way to hunting (he's MOL legacy afterall)

- "We never have to fight again about my future or your anger" jesus christ, skinning me alive would hurt less than this line. After all, what causes the whole fight in SPN to occur if not Mary's lack of a future and John's resulting anger (spurned by grief) My god, this fucking line from Mary.

- John is truly our Dean mirror here "it wouldn't be real" echoes so much Dean's feelings about heaven

- Also the pain in John's eyes, even as he is forced to smile might haunt me almost as much as Dean faking a smile in season 7. And I legit cannot look at that scene with Dean.

- Nooo, not the clowns ...

- Carlos and that big heart of theirs saves the day. I love it.

- Lata is however absolutely hilarious here though.

- l love Rowena so much. And she's gorgeous as always!

- Of course we'll be dealing with souls being used up, tiny Jack and Lily Sunder echo, nice!

- Exhibit B for Rowena, she just vanishes into thin air, not her usual way of leaving prior to Queen of Hell status

- Ugh, the "it's been 30 years" since Clarence has seen his brother. The Mary resurection of it all. And John with the "better than never seeing them again" hits hard man!

- Oh Mary, sweetheart.

- I like their resolution a lot. And Millie just giving them all the good news

- Yes Lala you figured it out baby!

- And Ada, I know she ends up telling them, but god when this first aired the Winchester stupidity was fresh to mind so I was soooo concerned for her.

Just the finale left now, I am sad 😔 but excited!

See y'all then!

@noybusiness - thank you for the encouragements! Its finally here!

@shallowseeker - I love reading your thoughts on SPN and had a fantastic time beta reading for you so here's something for u to hoefully enjoy! Hope you feel better soon!

[disasterbijedi]

THE HARDEST LIES ARE THE ONES YOU TELL YOURSELF. 

Dean is on the VERGE of a reciprocal love confession, i can FEEL IT

[bensbennies]

[shirtlesssammy]

The Winchesters 1x12: The Tears of a Clown

Fort Wayne, Indiana

At Hugo’s Midway of Fun! Wally wanders the quiet carnival paths between tents. His friend wonders if this is the best way to spend his last night in Fort Wayne. (I mean, probably? That town can’t offer that much entertainment, right?) Wally just wants to have FUN! You know, A GOOD TIME! And, lo, a ticket for Limbo’s Hall of Happy! appears! (So many exclamation points to start this episode, guys!) 

He picks it up and starts to hear distant, tinny music. A tent appears. His friend does not hear or see the tent. 

Wally wanders closer to the tent, and a kindly clown pops his head out of the tent opening. 

The friend hears a security guard and runs one way, while Wally follows the 100% uncreepy, totally normal, very cool clown into the tent. 

(Boris: I had thoughts of grabbing screenshots of all the posters in the tent, but there are SO many, and my brain started to short-circuit after a while.’Alive! All Alive!’ ‘Freaks!’ (Lol, that’s for us clowns, I presume), ‘The Devil Child’. Hmm, not sure what ‘John: is he a she’ means, but we already have enough to unpack.)

Anyway, Wally finds an open door in the tent and, I presume, decides “In for a penny, in for a pound” and goes into that dark doorway too. He finds himself in a hall of mirrors, where Limbo the Clown’s laughter echoes menacingly. Wally turns and sees a flash of Limbo (NOT SCARY). Suddenly fun times aren’t so fun anymore. He looks in the mirror to find a clown staring back at him. 

“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.”

(Jeremy Renner chin hands gif) Tell us more, Dean. 

Mary and John are on the run looking for the mystery man. John managed to snag some sweet sandwiches while on the move (1. Like father, like mystery man son, B. That does not look like a very good sandwich, John). Mary worries about John’s headspace, and John– 

*Credits Alert*

SPECIAL GUEST STAR RUTH CONNELL!!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!!

Sorry, where were we? John is showing why he earned his John Winchester A+ Parenting tag, only he’s being an ass to his future wife. And kudos to this show, and this season, and Drake, for being able to make us genuinely like John, but have his anger and pent up aggression manifest naturally. 

He blows up at Mary just as Carlos and Lata enter the motel room. Awkward. 

They have a case! 

Mary thinks this missing person case is a good idea while they’re in town. John is still in full surly mode and questions her judgment. Too bad, dude, you’re working the case. 

Meanwhile, after a too long hiatus, Ada is back on our screens, and has found a witches’ gathering hoping to peddle her wares. She’s still a bit of a novice witch though and is clearly intimidated by the others, but she needs magic to stop the Akrida. 

Back at the carnival, the gang hunts a clown. 

Lata, in her best green and blue outfit, is having the time of her life. The rest? Not so much. Mary suggests talking to another carnival clown to start. They pose as journalists to learn more about Wally’s disappearance. He tells them that Wally is, “the latest victim of Limbo. Limbo the Clown.” 

He’s a carnival urban legend. No one knows if he’s a man or a monster. “He goes from carnival to carnival pitching his tent –Limbo’s Hall of Happy-- and luring folks inside. And once he does, no one ever sees you again.” Good times! 

The gang decides to split up to work the case further. Mary starts to suggest Lata and Carlos head back to the motel room, but John jumps in and decides to go back with Lata. Yeah, everything is fine, guys. That leaves a pissed off Mary and Carlos to work the carnival grounds (while a creepy dude tracks them). 

Ada, meanwhile, is playing the poker game of her life. She, sadly, can’t win the game, and she can’t prove that she’s strong enough to handle the magic they have to give her. 

As Ada leaves, a mysterious, hooded witch approaches her. WHO ARE WE KIDDING! It’s Rowena! We’d recognize that accent anywhere! 

At the motel, Lata checks in with John before they deep-dive into clown lore. He’s good. Totes fine. And a lying liar who lies. 

While wandering the midway, Mary confesses to Carlos what’s been happening with John. Carlos hopes that Ada can get the magic, and then Mary bursts into tears and flings herself into Carlos’ arms. Ngl, I was thrown by how bad this acting was, until it was revealed that Mary can’t act! Ha. She noticed the man that’s been following them and needed a way to alert Carlos. Carlos can’t act either because the dude makes him immediately. 

At the motel, Lata has a breakthrough! She finds that Limbo’s real name was Jerome Haskins. He worked with a carnival in the 1920s, but during the depression and dust bowl, the job disappeared. The lore says that he traded his soul for dark magic for a spell that would allow him to forget all his problems so he “could stay happy forever.” 

At the carnival, Mary full-body tackles the stalker. Go Mary! It seems the guy wants to know what they’ve learned about Limbo. He lost his kid brother, Roger, 30 years ago, and he’s never stopped looking for him. Clarence (!!!!) tells the two about how his parents died when he was 18. To cheer up his little brother after the funeral, he took him to the carnival. Only, Roger ran away. Clarence wishes he would have helped his brother through his grief instead of taking him to the carnival. (AND thank you every last Tumblrina for comparing this story to Sam and Dean going to the pie festival in the finale random episode that means nothing and is currently being erased BTTF style.)

The gang has a theory that Limbo is targeting people who are sad. He uses their grief to lure them into his tent. Clarence tells the others that they don’t have much time. The carnival leaves that night. He has research on Limbo that he can give them. The gang splits up again –this time John is stuck working with Mary. 

In the Clubhouse atrium, Ada hangs out with ROWENA. She’s after a grimoire, which Ada will trade back to her in exchange for powerful magic. Typical Rowena, amirite? Except NOPE! Rowena dumps the grimoire on the floor and announces that she was never after the book! “Those hags may have dismissed your green-thumbed magic,” Rowena says, “but not me. I’m here for the demon you trapped in a plant.” (Oh, how I adore the spotlight on this being a unique and possibly rare gift, since it makes the en-plantification extra special.) 

At the carnival, John’s bantering with Mary falls somewhere between passive-aggressive and aggressive-aggressive. Mary proposes that John has been using their new relationship as a happy distraction, so he doesn’t have to actually confront any of his issues. John accuses her of failing to follow up on her normal life plans. 

Dialogue for further GAAAAAAH Supernatural feelings analysis: 

Mary: “Well sorry I’m too busy trying to save the world!”

John: “There it is, Mary. The eternal excuse!”

A cough that suspiciously sounds like “Dean” leaves my lips. Mary dismisses John and strides away, only to find a ticket on the ground. It’s a ticket for…LIMBO THE CLOWN. Mary and John split up to find the clown’s tent. Mary literally walks past this booth called “Sitting Ducks.” SITTING. DUCKS.

For Circus Horror Puns Science:

Somebody please buy the design crew a very large cake. Just past the “Sitting Ducks” booth stands the dark entrance to Limbo’s tent. Mary radios John and then heads in without waiting for him. She disappears into the invisible doorway just as John arrives. 

At the motel, John fills in Lata and Carlos on Mary’s disappearance. Lata’s confused about why Mary got taken by the clown. After all, she wasn’t upset like the others! John makes a face and Lata and Carlos quickly catch on - and Carlos ain’t happy. AWKWARD. Lata pulls out some lore on the occultist who gave Limbo his magic mirror. Limbo can only stay happy if he infects others with his, uh, happiness. If just one person decides to return to the real world, Limbo’s fragile power network collapses and he dies. All they have to do now is find an invisible tent! John brings up the ticket Mary found, and they realize that they need to find a ticket in order to see Limbo’s tent. Carlos remembers one from Clarence’s Creepy Clown Memorabilia Collection™. He pulls out an original ticket from their stash, and they prepare to head out.

Meanwhile, Rowena is cooing over the demon plant. “So much evil in such a small package!” she marvels. And I laugh at what could also be a very apt description of Rowena at this point in her life. Ada’s concerned about Rowena’s sudden interest in demon-kind, but Rowena soothes her. She’s not interested in intervening in the Akrida war. Instead, she wants to interrogate Evil!Bonsai for information about HER SON! (Now, I know some people think this is future!Rowena trying to rescue Crowley which is sweet. But I prefer to see this as past Rowena and we just get…more! More history, more depth. I love it.)

Ada is heavily swayed by the lost child argument for, as you see, she ALSO has a son! But that’s still not enough to let Rowena just sashay out of the Atrium. Instead, as Rowena tries to do just that, Ada shouts at her to stop and vines grow up from the floor to encase Rowena. While Ada stares in shock at WHAT HER HANDS HATH WROUGHT, Rowena blasts her with a ball of purple power and knocks her out.

At the carnival, workers are packing up tents. It’s their last chance to break into Limbo(‘s tent) and save Mary! And also some other people! Carlos, Lata, and John all take hold of the old ticket and the tent shimmers into view. It’s time to monster hunt, babeez. 

For Oh No Don’t Go In There Science:

They head into the ante-tent. While Carlos and Lata examine the periphery, John walks ALONE into the interior doorway. The doors slam shut, trapping him in the giant maze of mirrors. Covering his eyes, John starts looking for Mary. The clown dashes into view, a crackly blur of malevolent grayscale ghoul. 

Limbo taunts John, chuckling, and tells him that he’ll join him soon enough. Limbo’s gleeful, as Mary appears. She smiles beatifically, her voice high and light. Mary tells John to stay in there with her. They can be happy together! “There’s a world out there we have to save,” John begs her. She tells John to give up and look in the mirror behind her. He’ll be caught in the spell. John wheels around away from the mirror only to discover that the enchanted mirror was actually on his other side! Tricksy Limbo!

They’re both immediately CLOWNIFIED. 

Meanwhile, Lata and Carlos are trying to break in to save John and Mary, when a clown car pulls up. “Oh, gross, no!” Carlos says as all of Limbo’s clowns start to decamp. They discover that the tent has sealed itself, trapping Carlos and Lata. Making matters worse, Limbo emerges from his mirrored interior maze with clowned-up John and Mary at his side. Y I K E S

Carlos and Lata beg their friends to return to reality but those feuding sad sacks are happier being clowns. Carlos and Lata flee to the clown car and lock themselves inside, as clowns descend. A small clown child pops up with a grin.

Carlos recognizes Roger, Clarence’s brother. He’s still a little kid! While Lata freaks out, Carlos talks to Carlos. He quickly connects to him, bringing up his own tragic past in losing his parents. “You are not alone. You have a family that loves you.” Carlos tells him that Clarence has been looking for him and never gave up, and Roger’s clown smile falls. He starts to listen to Carlos. Limbo realizes what’s up and shouts at him to “cheer up!” through the window. But it’s to no avail. Carlos breaks through, Limbo shatters, and the tent disappears suddenly. They find themselves in the bright sunshine of the next day. People of many eras mill around and hug each other. They’re gonna have…a LOT to unpack. 

Ada wakes up after getting knocked out, to find Rowena STILL there! She wisely turns down a cup of Rowena’s healing tea and they talk. Rowena announces that Ada passed her test, and invites her to join her coven!

Rowena doesn’t know too much about the Akrida, but she knows the queen is going to use the alignment of five planets to emerge. Ada demands the magic, and Rowena turns over a crystal. The crystal just needs a wee bit of power. It just needs…a piece of her SOUL. (Natasha: Noooooo don’t do it Ada!)

In the field, they mull over the stories of the survivors and their own ordeal. Lata asks if they remembered being clowns. UM YES. Mary thought it was kind of nice, which seems like a major plea for help. John and Mary discuss, and apologize to each other for getting angry. John wants to know if their relationship is solid, but we get NO ANSWER because Millie pulls up. She and Betty found a witness who saw Kyle enter the garage after making his 911 call saying he was already there! Now they just have to drive back to town and clear John’s name. Easy peasy. 

At the clubhouse, the brain trust reviews maps and star charts to try to figure out when the queen will emerge. Ada reveals that she has a major piece of mojo now, but FAILS to reveal the soul shattering secret that powers it. (Millie looks skeptical - I hope she protects Ada!) The gang celebrates until Lata drops a little science fact - the planetary alignment the queen needs to escape has just begun. 

Natasha: We LOVED the retro horror vibe of this episode! It felt like we’d stepped into a Ray Bradbury carnival story. I LOVE that Ada’s magic is explored further as a unique earth-based magic, and that the society of witches exist as a glowing, glitter-dusted dark magic speakeasy. This was all SO GOOD.

__

Your Quoteshadow Game Needs Some Work:

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.

“Did we interrupt something?” “I’d like to say the answer is yes, but thank you, Lata, for making things more awkward.”

Don’t let the warded door hit you on the way out

If we survive this, I promise I’m never gonna eat cotton candy again!

Oh my god, we’re going to die in here. In a clown car!

__

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[flyingfish1]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but -- I don’t think we ever saw Rowena with violet eyes until 13x12, when she undid the spell that had been placed on her to bind some of her magic.

13x12:

and again in 13x19:

etc. etc.

Before that, if I’m remembering rightly, her eyes never glow purple with her magic.

But we DO see her eyes glow purple in The Winchesters. 

So?????

Some options?

(a) I’m wrong (b) I’m right, but the show is wrong -- continuity error (c) in 1972, the Grand Coven hadn’t bound Rowena’s powers yet. (d) This is an AU in which the Grand Coven never put the binding spell on her, or in which she undid the binding spell decades earlier (e) Time travel for everyone! Time traveler convention!

[youchangedmedean]

John 🤝 Dean

Eating their feelings

[mattzerella-sticks]

Remember, once Roger admitted he missed and loved Clarence, the clowns were suddenly not clowns anymore.

[carryoncastiel]

SPNWIN 1x12 thoughts

Granted I have already seen most of the discussions but you’re gonna get my rambling anyway lol. The penultimate episode - let’s go!

Can you have fun at a carnival if it's closed? I’d expect to be pretty boring and well creepy.

Creepy clown alert!

Only the one dude can see and enter Limbo(s clown tent)

That dude is very easily excited apparently. It’s just an empty carnival man.

But suddenly ... CREEPY clown again

AND NOW HE IS THE CLOWN dun dun dun

Dean narrating: "[...].But the hardest lies are the ones we tell ourselves”. Well well well

John: "Can you please accept that I'm OK!!" Well, someone is defintely not ok. And getting agressive. No John, bad John.

Awkward tension between John and Mary. Trouble in paradise

Ada entering a secret hideout. A witch hideout?

And they all have to wear excentric eye makeup...Sure why not

What do you want there though Ada?

Carlos is me, I'm not the biggest carnival fan lol

Very dramatic "He's a latest victim of LIMBO THE CLOWN"

Man, clowns are just weird. Going around telling stories of clown urban legends to people. Weird.

Oh no John and Mary having a quarrel

All the witches are like "we dont wanna fight the Akrida cause we are lazy as heck and don’t care if they destroy the world" apparently.

THERE SHE IS. MY QUEEN

Lata checking on John <3 Also of course he doesn't tell her anything "I'm good"...sure John

lol Mary suddenly starting to cry and Carlos is as surprised as me..

...but it was just ‘cause that weird dude in blue is following them

Someone named Wally(?) was upset because his parents wanted to divorce and in his grief he wanted to freeze in time and stay happy forever - in LIMBO

The dude in blue is named CLARENCE!?

His little brother got snatched by Limbo 30 years ago. Poor dude. If only he had helped his brother through his grief instead of taking him to the carnival...

Ada just giving Rowena the MOL grimoire...GIRL NO

But Rowena just wants the demon in a plant

Mary: "What if our relationship is an issue"...oh oh

John and Mary HAVE ISSUES

Mary sees Limbo's ticket first. And of course she goes into the tent...that John can't see. Great.

Limbo can only have this happiness if he spreads it and keeps everyone in. Interesting

Clarence had a ticket for Limbo's tent the whole time?

Rowena wants the demon because it has info on Crowley...

I’m team time traveling Rowena...makes the most sense

And into the tent they all go

But John goes into the hall of mirrors. At least he knows he's not supposed to look into the one that’s cursed but is it gonna help him?

This all really would be a nightmare for Sam lol

This is the fakest Mary, come on John she's weird!!!

We can stay here and be happy forever John :)))))

HOLY SHIT A CLOWN CAR

Clown attack!!!

Get in the clown car. Get in the clown car now

Little kid Rodger is in the car. Carlos tries to get him out "Do you want to see your brother again?" :') and it works. Face your grief to see your loved ones again.

Rowena is still with Ada. Because she wanted to test her and she likes what she saw (wink wink)

"I wanted to see if you are powerful enough to join my (MEGA) Coven"

Not a crystal you need to power with your own soul to defeat the Akrida queen. Using your soul is a big no no we all know that!

Mary remembers all the clown stuff. "It was kinda nice". Yeah, but it wasn't real

John: "I've been ignoring things 'cause it's easier than facing the truth"

He also apologizes for being so angry. A good start

Mary: "You were right too. Thinking about the future is scary."

John asks Mary "So are we good?". No answer from her and then Millie arrives. Maybe they’re not really good yet.

John is cleared of Kyles murder and Ada gives the good news of having a way to kill the queen....But without mentioning the soul thing. Of course.

So next week is gonna be the big showdown. Defeat the Akrida and finally meet the mysterious, good looking man that everyone wants to find. Cannot wait!

Get in losers, we’re going clowning!

[jesterofalltrades]

What lies have you been telling yourself, Dean? Mmm? MMMMMMmmmm?

[chaoticwistfulness]

spnwin spoilers 1x12 The Tears of a Clown

Limbo the evil, kidnapper clown and his tent Hall of Happy

Seriously?!

Fake heaven reference? Dots connecting or naaahhh?

Are we getting closer to the chuck won theory turning out to be true or are we just clowning?? Just a nod to this theory? Too on the nose?

[bisexualhomophobejohnwinchester]

Mary, not...not like this. I WANT to be happy with you but not like this...