The Winchesters find peace in Supernatural’s emotional series finale, “Carry On”

Watching the Supernatural series finale helped us answer a question: How many tears can the human body cry before drying out?

No need to carry on, my wayward sons, there’s peace. You are done.

How do you know an episode has achieved its desired impact? Simple: the tears continue to flow after the final credits roll, the emotions still surge long after the screen fades to black and you finally understand how it feels to have your heart ripped out of your chest. I am grief-stricken and destroyed, I am elated, I am grateful — this is how I want to experience a series finale!

I know Supernatural’s run has to come to an end, I just didn’t want to ever say goodbye! But what a moving sendoff it was for the Winchesters. “Carry On” is an emotional heavyweight that doesn’t hold back with the knock-out punches. Sure, I had some burning questions (what’s up with Sam’s wig? Is that blur in the background Eileen? Where is everybody?), but nothing detracted from my overall feelings towards the episode.

Supernatural — “Carry On” — Image Number: SN1520D_BTS_0540r.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Behind the scenes with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles — Photo: Robert Falconer/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Dean’s tragic death and Sam’s devastating loss of his brother were compounded by Jensen and Jared’s very raw, powerful performances. This was not acting, their sorrow was genuine. In light of who each brother inherently is, their fates were fitting.

The biggest drawback of the finale was the exclusion of characters who played such an integral role in the show over the years. Character names were dropped, but they didn’t actually appear. I attribute this to production restrictions in the wake of COVID-19. We may never know the true extent of the pandemic’s effect on the storyline and how severely it had been altered by the time shooting resumed.

Additionally, while I’ve made my feelings clear about Destiel — it was baseless fan service — I’m side-eyeing the development altogether now because it was introduced and then never addressed again.

The episode doesn’t begin with the customary “Carry on My Wayward Son,” which has traditionally kicked off every season finale. I gathered they must be saving it for the opportune moment.

The episode starts off lighthearted enough, probably to lull us into a false sense of security. In the aftermath of defeating Chuck and Jack setting things right, we see Sam and Dean going about morning routines that get taken for granted, and actually enjoying them: waking up to Miracle jumping on the bed followed by doggy cuddles, jogging, making breakfast and taking relaxing showers. Even watching their bed-making routines — Sam’s careful precision versus Dean’s haphazard approach — reminded me of why I love these boys so darn much. Opposites in almost every way, yet two sides of the same coin.

Dean is reading something intently on his laptop when Sam enters and starts scanning for cases. Finding nothing, he notices Dean’s expression. “Dean, you got anything?” asks Sam. “I got something,” he replies in earnest.

They roll up to what’s isn’t exactly a case, but a pie festival. Dean navigates the crowd carefully — precious cargo, y’all — and returns with six pies, only to find “Sad Sam” looking blue. Sam explains he’s just thinking about Castiel and Jack, wishing they could be there. Dean feels the same way but reminds his brother that the pain won’t go away and they need to keep living, otherwise the sacrifice would be for nought. He excitedly turns his attention back to the pies and encourages Sam to do the same. Conceding, Sam playfully smashes a pie in Dean’s face, which he still eats morsels of.

We then shift to an actual case. Two men in skeleton masks kill a father in his home, attack the mom and kidnap the kids. The next morning, Sam and Dean, disguised as FBI Agents Singer and Kripke, visit the crime scene. It was a clever way to acknowledge and thank Robert Singer, the show’s producer and the man for whom Bobby was named, and Eric Kripke, the show’s creator.

The boys already heard over the wire that one of the bodies was drained of blood. A police officer now informs them that the dad’s throat was ripped out. They also learn that the kids were taken and the mom was left behind, but her tongue was ripped out. Dean asks if they have any idea what the perpetrators look like. The officer shows them a sketch that the mom drew, and they both recognize the face.

Parked in a tranquil spot under a tree, Dean takes out their dad’s diary and refers to a case John was working in 1986: a string of kidnappings exactly like the one that just took place. Included is a sketch that a witness drew, which is practically identical to the sketch they’ve just seen. The boys haven’t used John’s diary in years and I fondly recalled the early days when they were fledgling hunters who relied on it as their hunting roadmap.

A body drained of blood, the throat ripped out. It can only mean one thing. “Mimes, evil mimes,” Dean exclaims, I had to chuckle. “Yeah, or vampires,” says Sam, cutting to the chase. “Vamp mimes,” counters Dean. The choice to use plain ol’ vampires felt like a coin-toss win, an “any monster will suffice” approach, which worked for me. They’ve defeated the villain of all villains, now it’s back to hunting regular monsters — first come, first kill.

Sam figures that if it’s the same nest of vampires John was hunting and if they stick to the pattern, the next target will be the city of Canton. John’s diary provides further info: the vampires target families who are isolated and living outside of town, with children between the ages of 5 and 10. Well, that narrows it down, at least if you’re a brilliant, seasoned hunter! Seconds after two masked vamps pull up outside another family home, Dean separates one from his head before he can even reach the door and Sam subdues the other, using a bullet soaked in dead man’s blood.

Essentially, the boys scare the kids’ location out of the vampire, offering a quick clean death as opposed to a slow torturous one. A short while later, the Winchesters arrive at a barn and Sam asks if it’s the correct location. “Dark, creepy, something out of Wes Craven’s erotic fantasy? Yeah, it’s a 100% the place,” quips Dean. They grab their weapons from the trunk, and after Sam dissuades Dean from taking ninja stars, they head inside.

Cautiously, they walk through the barn, searching for the kids, as masked vampires begin to pop up around them. They find the boys in a locked room, but before they can get them outside to safety, they’re confronted by several vampires with blades.

Sam urges the boys to run moments before a fight breaks out. It’s a fairly standard fight; punches are thrown and vampire heads fly. Sam gets knocked out and Dean is overpowered by two vampires — still pretty standard, as they’ve often found themselves in hopeless-looking situations before. In walks someone Dean recognizes (it’s okay, I barely remembered her either): Jenny (Christine Chatelain), a blast from the show’s season 1 past.

It’s an awkward catch-up as Dean reminisces about how they tried to kill each other back in the day. “It’s like running into somebody in high school, ya know, somebody you don’t wanna see,” he jokes, buying Sam time to reach for the blade on the floor.

Jenny says she’s not in charge; she’s just called dibs on him. But before she can make a meal of Dean, Sam slices off her head. The odds once again appear to be in the Winchesters’ favor as they fight the two remaining vampires.

However, as Dean is flung backwards, we see a reinforcing bar protruding from a post. Dean throws himself back into the action but the camera momentarily lingers on the bar. Why is the camera lingering on the bar?!

Sam decapitates the other vampire and Dean is forcefully pushed backwards by the one he’s fighting. And is impaled on the protrusion. Shockwaves rippled through my body because I instantly knew what this meant.

Sam kills the final vampire, oblivious to what’s happened to Dean, and says they need to find and get the kids out of there. “Sam, I don’t think I’m going anywhere,” says Dean, struggling through the pain. He tells Sam there’s something in his back that feels like it’s going right through him, but Sam still doesn’t gauge the full severity of the situation until he feels behind Dean’s back and his hand comes away covered in blood.

Sam springs to action and tries to pull Dean away from the post, but Dean says not to move him, since it feels like the post is the only thing holding him together. Sam is about to call for help but Dean begs Sam to stay with him — he knows he’s dying. He tells Sam to get the boys somewhere safe, but Sam is adamant they’re going to do it together.

“No. You knew it was always going to end like this for me. It was supposed to end like this, right? I mean, look at us, saving people hunting things, it’s what we do,” says Dean, but a tearful Sam won’t hear any of it. “It’s okay, it’s good, it’s good. We had one hell of a ride, man,” he adds, but Sam is desperate and says he’ll find another way. Dean firmly says no to bringing him back, reminding Sam that that always ends badly. “I’m fading pretty quick, so, there’s a few things I need you to hear. Come here, let me look at you,” he says as he places his hand on his brother’s shoulder. How does one watch the screen while gasping for air? You don’t, so I paused and sobbed for a good few minutes.

Dean looks up at his devastated little brother, and the speech that follows felt like a sledgehammer to the heart. “I’m so proud of you, Sam. Do you know that? I’ve always looked up to you. When we were kids you were so damn smart, you never took any of dad’s crap. I never knew how you did that. And you’re stronger than me. You always have been.”

Dean pushes through the pain and asks Sam if he remembers the night he came to Sam’s university to enlist his help to find John. Sam nods through tears, recalling the Woman in White case, and Dean continues, saying he must’ve stood outside Sam’s dorm for hours because he wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. “I didn’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t have you. Cos I was so scared, I was scared. Because when it all came down to it, it was always you and me. It’s always been you and me.”

“Then don’t leave me, don’t leave me, I can’t do this alone”, pleads a broken Sam, but Dean assures him he can. “Well, I don’t want to,” cries Sam. Dean promises he’s not leaving Sam, he’ll always be with him in his heart, every day, while Sam is out there living his life and fighting. He continues, “You always keep fighting, you hear me? I’ll be there every step. I love you so much, my baby brother.”

Dean’s pain worsens. He didn’t think this would be the day, but it is, and he’s at peace with it. He asks one last thing of Sam: to tell him that it’s okay for him to go. Through the heartache and tears, Sam places his hand on his brother’s hand. “Dean, it’s okay. You can go now,” he whispers. Dean covers Sam’s hand with his. “Bye Sam,” are his last words. A tear rolls down his cheek and he slips away, dying on his weeping brother’s shoulder.

Serious question, how many tears can the human body shed before it decimates and dies? If I couldn’t hold it together, I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it was for Jared and Jensen to film this scene.

Was this how I pictured Dean dying? Well no, of course not. I know some fans won’t be pleased with how he died (or that he died at all). It killed me too… it’s still killing me. But whether by a massive bar, a vampire bite, a cholesterol-induced heart attack or another world-destroying battle, the mechanics don’t matter. He died a hunter in events that were unscripted by Chuck. Dean died free.

I think it’s also important to remember that the Winchesters often survived by the skin of their teeth, and it was because of Chuck’s divine intervention. When they died and were resurrected, it’s because Chuck wanted it so. As skilled as they are and even with the powerful friends and allies they’ve amassed over the years, there’s no telling how early in the journey they would’ve died, had their stories not been manipulated.

Sam, with Miracle by his side, gives Dean a hunter’s funeral, signaling that he’ll honor his brother’s request not to bring him back. Watching Dean burn was a new kind of pain for me.

The following morning, Sam goes through the motions but grieves heavily. He wanders the empty bunker and goes into Dean’s room. It’s exactly as he left it, and all I could feel was a deep void. Sam sits on the bed, allowing the sadness to engulf him, the tears to flow and Miracle to comfort him when a phone starts vibrating: it’s Dean’s ‘other other’ phone. A man in Austin, Texas needs Agent Bon Jovi’s help, and because Dean told him to keep fighting, Sam musters his strength and heads out with Miracle. Taking one last look at the bunker, he turns the lights off and the room goes black.

We then jump back to Dean’s funeral — yes, because I really needed to see this again. As his body burns, the smoke rises upwards and we see Dean surrounded by trees and glorious mountains. Big brother Winchester has made it to Heaven! Although barely seven minutes had passed since his death, I felt as though I’d been mourning for years and was instantly thankful and relieved to see his face.

Dean’s startled to find Bobby sitting outside Harvelle’s Roadhouse — a nice nostalgic touch. I won’t mention how much greater it would’ve been if Ellen and Jo had been there to embrace Dean. Nope, I won’t bring up how heartwarming that would’ve been at all.

He puzzles over what memory he’s in. Bobby replies, “It ain’t, ya idjit.” Hearing that phrase again tugged at the heartstrings. Last Dean heard, Bobby was still in Heaven’s lock-up, However, Mr Singer explains that Jack made some changes and set things right. Thus, Heaven is no longer a place where you simply relive your good memories. “It’s what it always should’ve been. Everyone happy, everyone together,” he explains. We learn that not only does Rufus live close by with Aretha (Franklin, I’m guessing), but so do John and Mary. “It ain’t just Heaven, Dean, it’s the Heaven you deserve. And we’ve been waiting for ya,” he says, handing Dean a beer and serving up another round of emotions.

I half expected to see Dean bolt over yonder to reunite with his parents or for them to approach their son with open arms and tears streaming down their faces. The exclusion of Samantha Smith and, in particular, Jeffrey Dean Morgan really stung. But I could make do with the knowledge that Dean and eventually Sam would be with their family once more.

“So Jack did all that?” Dean asks. Bobby informs him he had help from Castiel. Resurrecting Castiel from The Empty simply to place him back in the fight on Earth would’ve devalued his sacrifice. However, Castiel, angel of angels, earned his place in Heaven a thousand times over. Pity we saw neither Jack nor Castiel one last time.

Dean sips the beer and is surprised, saying it tastes like the first drink he ever shared with his dad. “Quality stuff?” questions Bobby. “Nah, it’s crap. But it was fantastic.” This let me know that Heaven was going to treat Dean well.

Supernatural — “Carry On” — Image Number: SN1520D_BTS_0461r.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Behind the scenes with Jensen Ackles — Photo: Robert Falconer/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Everything is almost perfect, apart from one thing that’s missing: Sam. “He’ll be along. Time up here, it’s different,” explains Bobby, adding that Dean can have everything he could ever want, need or dream of. “So I guess the question is, what are you gonna do now, Dean?”

Think what you may, I love that Dean chooses to go for a drive in the Impala, the inanimate love of his life. What would Heaven be without her? “Hey Baby,” he says with a smile, and when he turns the ignition on, “Carry on My Wayward Son” starts to play and I lost my mind. Impeccable timing. “Ah, love this song,” he says as he drives away, content.

As Dean cruises the tree-lined roads over the song, we see flashes of Sam’s life on Earth. He’s married and has a son named Dean, whom he takes for walks and teaches baseball to while the blurry figure of his wife looks on in the background. Was this meant to be Eileen? When Jack brought everyone back, I assumed that included her. Does this mean they finally got together? Regardless of who she is, it’s a little bizarre that they chose to make Sam’s wife a non-entity who featured just once as a single out-of-focus figure. Maybe it was shot like this because Shoshannah Stern couldn’t return, whether because of COVID-19 or something else.

In his home, adorned with framed photos of himself, Dean and their parents, Sam helps his son with his homework. Perhaps his unknown wife was preparing dinner at the time?

Fast-forward to many years later and Sam is much older. The grey wig was terribly distracting, but I made a concerted effort to look past it. He enters his garage and pulls the cover off of Baby. Seated in his brother’s car, he looks around, no doubt remembering Dean. Removing his glasses, he slowly places his hands on the steering wheel and closes his eyes as the emotions flood him.

More years pass and Sam lies on his deathbed surrounded by the photographs of his loved ones. His son enters bearing the anti-possession tattoo on his forearm. Wifey couldn’t make it? He sits down next to his father and places his hand over Sam’s. “Dad, it’s okay,” he says. “You can go now.” A more emotional version of “Carry on My Wayward Son” plays. Sam covers his son’s hand with his, a tear rolls down his cheek and he passes away peacefully. Here come the tears again.

Sam’s final moments echo Dean’s, which was incredibly touching — two sides of the same coin. Sam was blessed with the safe apple-pie life he always longed for and died of natural causes. Whereas Dean was never built for domestication. He tried that avenue when he settled down with Lisa and Ben, but he couldn’t adjust. Dean was a hunter to his core and died as one. Had he lived, he would’ve likely never found the same peace that Heaven could afford him. Additionally, Sam would’ve stayed by his brother’s side, thus depriving him of the chance to live a normal life. It’s a hard pill to swallow but it’s true.

That Sam’s son bears the tattoo suggests that either he’s a hunter and will carry on the family business or was raised with the knowledge that would enable him to protect himself and others if/when necessary.

In Heaven, Dean stops on a bridge and gets out to admire the beauty around him. He senses something, and then a huge smile lights up his face. “Hey Sammy,” he says and turns around to see Sam as he remembered him, not as an old man. “Dean,” he says, and they embrace. The brothers stand united on the bridge, looking out at nature as the camera pans away. Peace at last.

How many different ways are there to say “I’m overcome by all these feelings and I’m crying my eyes out”? Missing reunion opportunities aside, this was a beautiful ending for the boys.

Supernatural — “Carry On” — Image Number: SN1520D_BTS_0544r.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Behind the scenes with Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and director Robert Singer — Photo: Robert Falconer/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

To the entire cast and crew, and especially to Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, my special ones, you have my sincerest, deepest gratitude and love. Thank you for the laughs, the tears and the memories. Being on this journey with you since day one has been a privilege. You poured your heart and soul into Sam and Dean, giving of yourselves for 15 remarkable years. I will miss you and the show more than I can say and I’m so proud of you. You may be stepping out of Sam and Dean’s shoes, but you’ll always be the Winchesters to me. And it comforts me to know that you’ll remain close. Brothers for life!

Goodbye, my boys. The sadness will subside, and I’ll revisit you soon and often. #SPNFamilyForever

Super highlights

The episode included a special message from Jared and Jensen right at the end. “Thank you, the fans. Through blood, sweat, laughter and tears, you’ve kept us on for 15 years,” begins Jensen. “There’s no way we would’ve ever been here without you and your support and your love, so thank you. We will remain forever grateful for the opportunity and the honor to play these characters for so long. And we felt you guys with us all the time so, thank you,” concludes Jared, as the camera pans out and they’re joined by the crew who all wave goodbye. “And, cut!” Oh, my broken heart!

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