In the seventeenth episode of the sixth season of Supernatural, no, it won’t. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of misogyny and death/grief.
I think this is a bold episode, one that gives us a lot of much-needed information about Castiel’s war in Heaven. It’s entertaining, well-acted, and a goddamn trip to watch. AND IT STILL MADE ME FURIOUS. Like… why are you being so cruel to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? I have watched you loyally, Supernatural, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS AGAIN.
I do have a legitimate criticism about a few things the writers do here, but I’ll get to that later. I want to start off by saying that this episode so fully pulled me into its sleight of hand that I didn’t even realize the full scope of this timeline until Castiel basically spelled it out to me. BRAVO, SUPERNATURAL. And really, that’s the absolute best part of “My Heart Will Go On.” The introduction to this alternate timeline is subtle at first, so much so that unless you know the endgame, it’s pretty much impossible to spot. I say this solely to assuage my own embarrassment that I didn’t even really comment on the fact that they weren’t driving the Impala. Honestly, here was my thought process during that scene:
- Hey, that car is different.
- Did it crash at the end of “…And Then There Were None” and I just didn’t remember?
- Maybe Bobby is fixing it.
- Wow, it’s been over a week since I last saw an episode, so it must be my poor memory.
- I’m totally fine.
- I am a mess.
This is science, y’all.
Of course, this episode wastes no time getting straight to the most fucked up thing imaginable at this point: Ellen is alive. And married to Bobby. And she’s on the screen and Jo is alive and no one is telling me how this is possible and WHY THE HELL IS THIS HAPPENING?!?!? Why would you have Bobby lose Rufus and then give him Ellen back, only to tease him with losing Ellen again? BECAUSE THIS SHOW IS EVIL, NOW AND FOREVER. The way in which Ellen is so seamlessly integrated into this season’s mythology is painful to watch because it feels so right. While I spent most of this episode shouting at the screen out of rage, I couldn’t deny how perfect this felt. Ellen belonged here. I didn’t question the idea of Bobby and Ellen being married. I didn’t question the way she comforted Bobby, and I didn’t question the way all three of these men relied on her. It felt completely natural, which is precisely why this was so unbearable to watch. I did not expect Ellen to survive this episode, and I knew it was inevitable that I’d have to deal with her loss again.
Goddamn this show.
We’re also introduced to yet another bit of mythology that’s new to this world: the existence of the three Fates. I was impressed how well these characters fit into Supernatural. Given how the Winchesters interacted with Death, it made sense that the Fates would be furious with them for constantly rewriting the timeline of the world. It’s clear now that this season (or even a good portion of the rest of this show) will have to address the concept of free will because it’s integral to Castiel’s war. While I fully anticipated that this episode would “erase” this alternate timeline and no one would remember it, I was shocked that Castiel specifically allowed the memory of this existence to remain in the Winchester’s minds. Not only does it upend the trope in a relentlessly heartbreaking way, but it allows the Winchesters to understand what it is that Castiel’s fighting for. His rebellion from Heaven earlier in this show was influenced by Sam and Dean’s desire for freedom, and now he’s made it part of his own philosophy. It’s nice to get such a concrete confirmation of Castiel’s intentions.
I’ve commented before that I wish the show had been exploring the war in Heaven more than it has this season, but I understand why there’s so much going on. It helps convey the sense of chaos that pervades season six, and it’s why Atropos is so upset. Could you imagine having the sort of order and rigor that she did, only to have it all cast aside in an instant? And because Heaven is a mess, she’s been left to her own devices, which are… well, nothing at all. Without any God to direct her and without any way to do her job, she’s lost any sense of purpose. In that sense, I found her to be a rather sympathetic “villain,” if you could even call her a villain, you know? Her job was to ensure that God’s destiny was made true, and she has no place in this world anymore.
So will she come back? Will we meet her sisters at some point? Are they going to play into this war as well? What’s Raphael up to? Does Castiel control Balthazar now? Can Balthazar be in every episode? Y’all, he’s just so entertaining.
Anyway, I did find this to be a compelling story and a necessary update to this season’s canon, but I’m angry. I’m angry that Ellen was brought back to this show and is treated in precisely the same way she was when she died the first time. Like, the writers make it explicit this time that her appearance in “My Heart Will Go On” is for the character development of Sam and Dean. That’s why Castiel makes them remember this timeline! It’s so they understand him better, and it’s frustrating. I understand that cruelty is part of the narrative of this episode, and I realize that’s why this is so heartbreaking. But it’s also a demonstration of how women are treated in this narrative: they further men. And let’s also acknowledge that the Kate Winslet line is just about one of the grossest things the writers have ever intentionally put into an episode. Like, I think the entire world gets that Dean Winchester is a masculine man who does manly things like a man, and this need to paint him as if his behavior is excusable is so ridiculous to me.
No, don’t do that, Supernatural. Please. Also, don’t go breaking my heart either. (I bet I just got that song stuck in your head. VICTORY.)
The video for “My Heart Will Go On” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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