Friday, May 6, 2016

Supernatural, Season 11, Episode 20: Don't Call Me Shurley



“I wish the writers would bring Chuck back” is not a phrase uttered by any sensible person, ever.

Except… wow.

Not Chuck as god. We kind of knew already that that was coming – but this exposition? This emotion? Metatron and god hashing it out with an awesome performance (from Metatron particularly?). It has been a long time since Supernatural has produced anything this awesome

Chuck the deity has called in Metatron, his old scribe to help him edit his autobiography – one that is surprisingly… boring. God is many things, writer is not one of them, especially since his new autobiography focuses far too much on his mundane life as Chuck the human – which no-one cares about – rather than big godly revelations. Metatron continually pushes him for more information, more revelations, more emotions – and we get a lot.

He has issues with his sister and it’s clearly a very touchy subject that goes deeper than he what he reveals (there’s a level of resentment and even jealousy there) but hinges on them being such utterly different people. He is Being. She is Nothing. He describes the act of creation as both a way to stop being lonely but also a way to desperately show her that there is something in creation, that creation is good. Basically, the act of creation is his way to try and reach his sister across a huge gulf of misunderstanding. And each time she destroyed his creation. Yes this is not the first apocalypse – right until god and the archangels locked her up to stop her breaking his toys.

Of course, part of the implication of this is that Dean may actually be the creation that finally gets through to Amarra since she seems to value him.

Other touchy subjects include his Very Complicated feelings about Lucifer (refusing to see him as the enemy) and above all what he considers perfect: Nature


Not humanity. Humanity is Disappointment. Despite him loving playing human and loving music, humans have failed him. That’s why he’s stepped away, as far as he is concerned Amarra can clear the world, it’s time to let it all burn, he’s done with it all. He’s bitter and tired and just so thoroughly sick of it all.

And through all this Metatron is amazing. Alternating between utter awe and devotion for the amazingness of god, and utter rage and contempt for god’s willingness to give up on him turning his back on humanity and everything. Yes, Metatron of all characters sings the praises of humanity. He rails at god for his apathy, for his cowardice and for not accepting responsibility for his creation. The creation that “disappointed” him and “failed” him is as much his failure – and is also far far far greater than its creator. Metatron’s speech on humanity’s greatest creation after Chuck says that devastating “you disappointed me”…

Honestly, words cannot describe how amazing this whole exchange is. (Even with Chuck’s reference to “revolution” means that Kripke has not only Gary Stu’d self-inserted himself, but done it as GOD. And I have to be almost impressed by that level of chutzpah)

I’m actually kind of amazed this isn’t the season finale.

While they’re having this epic scene, Sam and Dean are being overwhelmed in an Amarra attack on a small town – an attack of fog that consumes people into raging rampaging shadow infected beings we saw in the beginning of the series. People are shot, people die, people riot – leaving Dean desperately holding onto Sam as he succumbs (because Amarra still has her connection with Dean, he is spared. She even has one of her victims say Dean will live hence my point about Dean maybe being the creation that impresses her). It’s all very desperate and bleak with Dean declaring his very well established eternal devotion to Sam while yelling at Amarra while a horde of people bang and cry and scream…

And then silence which ominously implies a lot of death.

Except Metatron has inspired god to write a new ending to his book… and he starts singing (ominously a goodbye song)… The Amulet (the god sensing amulet Sam has had for a while – which Chuck turned off because if god doesn’t want to be found he is not found, damn it) glows with a bright light. The fog is gone… and everyone who died is alive. Including people Sam and Dean saw shot, not jus

And all of that pales compared to the look on Metatron’s face.

I don’t even know what to call that expression but I’m impressed.
 Chuck goes to Sam and Dean and says they need to talk.