“Why, when the chips are down, when the world is—is failing, why does it always have to be on us?!”
After a season of archangels, a Nephilim, and more philosophical questions on the nature of souls, Season 14 of Supernatural comes to an end but not before creating even more questions than answers and leaving us in the familiar WTF-cliffhanger uncertainty that the series has so expertly accomplished throughout its incredible run.
Picking up where last week left off, Jack’s plenty pissed at the Winchesters for lying in order to maneuver him into the Ma’lak box. His incense at the lies become offers the most light-hearted moment of the episode where, during the first act, Jack’s simple command to “stop lying” sets the world into a chaotic spin that threatens to overwhelm society. An ironic turn in that is, when he visits Grandma Kline, she castigates him for those same lies that he abhors. In a way, that becomes the turning point for Jack as he realizes the true depth of what having no soul means to him and those around him.
While Jack searches for a connection, Castiel’s prayers from last week to God—sorry, Chuck—are answered when the Creator arrives, the most literal portrayal of a deus ex machina in the history of television. Not only does it wipe the world of the ‘No More Lies’ paradigm—with a single snap of his fingers, I might add—but he also gives the boys the Equalizer (or Hammurabi, take your pick), a weapon in gun form that will destroy Jack.
However, in the interest of keeping things balanced (perfectly), it also delivers the same injury on the shooter as it does the intended target. Thus it becomes a weapon of sacrifice, one Dean is bent on wielding to rid the world of his former friend/family member, Jack. But when the chance arrives and Jack prostrates himself before Dean, accepting his fate, Dean refuses to pull the trigger. Despite the seeming inflexibility of wanting Jack dead, when push comes to shove, Dean recognizes the young Nephilim for what he is: family.
But with his choice also comes one of the more disappointing aspects of “Moriah”. Ever since Chuck was revealed to be God, he’s been portrayed with a cosmically entertaining whimsy that belies the nature of his Being. The questions he’s been asked by the Winchesters—Dean in particular—regarding his clause of ‘non-interference’ are those same questions people ask him in our real world. However, the petty turn “Moriah” uses—Chuck wanting Dean to kill Jack (and by extension, himself) for nothing more than an entertaining end to His favorite story, does a bit of a disservice to the character while reducing him to some of humanity’s baser decisions. Granted, there’s no truly satisfying way to portray a being of infinite power if not by humanizing His motivations in some way, shape, or form but it’s the one glaring issue for the finale.
And finale it is as, after Sam uses the Equalizer to wound Chuck, He decides that, if they want to be petulant, He will grant it to them when, with the single snap of a finger, Chuck kills Jack and ushers about “the End”.
Just. Like. That.
The Good, The Bad, the Supernatural
- Delving more into Chuck’s character, when He offers to resurrect Mary in exchange for Dean killing Jack, it comes off more as something Lucifer would do. Of course, that could be the point; showing that there isn’t much difference between the Creator and the Morningstar. The God/Lucifer dichotomy has always been a powerful one and the parallel between their relationship and Chuck’s insistence that Dean “the father” kill Jack “the son” is not lost on me; also making for a strong narrative throughline.
- One of the more irritating aspects of Dean’s character is his stubbornness when he sets his mind to a solution. It’s his greatest weakness…but also one of his greater strengths. When faced with the choice to kill Jack though, Dean balks on that decision, despite two plus episodes of emphasizing that it had to be done. If anything, it shows that despite his hesitations about Jack early on, the Nephilim has become family to Dean and family isn’t something the Winchesters really know how to let go. Even when it’s the right thing to do.
- Then there’s the end. Or is it End? In a fit of anger/annoyance/pettiness, Chuck snaps his fingers again and brings forth all the souls from Hell. Not only do these souls make their way through the world, but a cemetery of dead things arise and surround Cas and the Winchester. With seemingly no hope of survival, they are overwhelmed while, in the Empty, Jack awakens to find Billie waiting for him. Her “we should talk” suggests that the two of them will be integral in coming to the aid of our Supernatural protagonists…and maybe even halting the End. But even with Death’s seemingly endless reach, is she truly an opponent that can combat the Creator of All?
- You can’t talk about a Supernatural finale without mentioning the musical choices. The most obvious is “Carry On My Wayward Son” to recap the season thus far but I don’t know if there’s ever been a more apropos musical choice as Motorhead’s “God was Never on Your Side”. It captures the emotions of abandonment and betrayal the Winchesters (and Cas) must feel after being smacked with God’s wrath.
