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I don't really do episode reaction posts, but 10.14 was awesome and terrifying in equal measure, and I have loads of questions. So, spoilery spoilers under the cut.

So, this shot right up to somewhere in my top ten episodes pretty damn quickly. It might have been about the time the camera panned out on Cas sitting among all those graves. I mean, Bad Things Happen to Dean is always a good thing in my book, and On the Head of a Pin is my all-time favourite, so no surprises there. But also, the whole thing felt big and dark and epic in a way that recent seasons -- much as I still love them -- haven't so much. I think bringing in the idea of Cain's descendants contributed to that -- there was this real sense of the weight of Cain's curse, and Dean as this one damaged individual with the whole weight of history bearing down on him. The conflict this season may be more about the personal than about fighting a Big Bad, but it's a personal apocalypse.

And there was "I'm scared, Sam," and that little fake-smile on the way up the steps, and that hug. And Sam's face at the end, where he finally seemed to succumb to Dean's despair after having spent the season so far trying to give him hope. So I'm metaphorically uglycrying over Dean and Sam, and I'm assuming everybody else is, too. Right?

Then there was Cain having set himself up as a kind of vigilante, rationalising his kills with an appeal to the greater good, and the return to free will (or its absence) as a central theme. That, more than anything else, is what gives me hope for the boys. This episode may have provided Dean's personal nadir, but the central conflict in it still revolved around trying to save Cain's targets -- people he would've killed on the assumption that they were already damned by fate. Maybe that's complicated by the fact that taking on the MoC in the first place was a choice that Dean made -- but choice is not that simple. It's not always a single big step: it's a process. I hope the show's going to acknowledge that alongside the big, dramatic confrontations.

So, questions!

- As everyone else in the entire fandom has already pointed out, we didn't see Cain's body. Is he really dead? I'm inclined to think so, but that doesn't mean there was nothing significant between *stabbity stabbity* and Dean rejoining the others. I'm wondering if Cain said something significant with his last breath that we will find out about later.

- Where do you think Crowley's headed now, after that rejection from Dean? And what do you think is going on with him and Rowena? I was glad that they actually came out and had her openly admit to manipulating him, and pretty much expecting him to see through her. I've always liked her, but didn't find her ability to play Crowley particularly convincing. If this is a double bluff (and I think it is), my respect for her villainy has gone up 100%. ;) I suspect that, by sending him back into the arms of someone who has no love for the Winchesters and wants to encourage Crowley to be a much more ruthless King of Hell, Dean's just set up the first step in Cain's prophecy.

- Speaking of. Do you think Cas overheard it? The way he was so careful taking the Blade from Dean, and how he hung back until Dean had left in that last scene, make me think so. I also don't think that will have any effect whatsoever on his behaviour. He's already dying, right? Why not do so while trying to save a friend?

- And, well, there's the biggie. That three-part prophecy. Narrative structure dictates that the first two have to happen, at least in some form, to build up suspense for the final confrontation. So, how do you think it's going to go down?
I hope Crowley isn't doomed, but I'm afraid he might be. :( I can't honestly see Cas being permanently killed off with another season in the works. (And if he is, that's one of the few things that might make me stop watching. Not in a 'making a statement about the writers doing something I don't like' way, in a 'my heart just could not go on' way.) I suspect it's likely to involve help from Claire and/or Cas becoming human -- and Dean doing something that leads to his becoming mortal could probably be counted as killing him.
Sam... well, what do you think? Dean kills Sam? Sam kills Dean? (Which would be my vote, except that Dean died last season and Sam hasn't died for ages. Still, with all the role-reversal that's been going on this season, I feel like Sam being the one who has to kill his brother to save him might be a natural place for the story to go.) Something completely different? I want speculation! ;)

- One other, not-really-but-kind-of-related thought: Metatron said, 'The river will end at the source'. But Cain -- candidate #1 for 'the source' -- is gone. Does this mean we're going to meet Abel sometime soon?

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I was wondering how much of the exchange between Dean and Cain the three outside could hear...There was only a set of steps and a rickety door between them after all. It's hard to believe they'd have stood in the same place while all that crashing and banging was going on, though it did look like it when Dean came back down.

Yes! And I'm sure at some point in one of the earlier seasons Cas mentions being able to hear through walls? If he did overhear, I could understand him not wanting to tell Sam what was going on in front of Crowley, but I can't imagine he'd leave Sam in the dark for long...

You've written up everything I loved about the ep, thank you so much for this!

Bad Things Happen to Dean is always a good thing in my book, and On the Head of a Pin is my all-time favourite, so no surprises there.
You've got your priorities straight! I know why we get along so well. :)

So I'm metaphorically uglycrying over Dean and Sam, and I'm assuming everybody else is, too. Right?
Oh yes.

As for your questions: I think Cain is dead. My thought is that the significant thing that happened between Dean stabbing him and coming down the stairs wasn't some sort of conspiracy between Cain and Dean, but Dean leaving the devil's trap and realising that it hurts him to cross it... Probably that's just wishful thinking on my part. :)

I think Crowley won't react to favorably to Dean's rejection, he'll make life difficult for the Winchesters. Probably by working together with Rowena. The way I see it I think that they both believe they're double-crossing the other, and so far I don't think we've seen either Rowena's or Crowley's ultimate goal. Though I'm not sure if maybe Crowley isn't mistaken about his mother's ulterior motive - of course he pretends that he knows exactly what she's up to, but I'm not sure if that's true. Especially since he's emotionally compromised and ... distracted.

I hope Crowley isn't doomed, but I'm afraid he might be. :(
Everyone keeps on saying that - why??? I don't want to hear this! *covers ears and goes into Dean Winchester denial mode*

I also doubt they'd kill of Cas, but I do think that there's going to be some brother on brother violence to break all our hearts in the finale, so something has to happen to Cas too, I guess?

Not sure how we're supposed to survive this.

Not sure how we're supposed to survive this.

Me neither. :(

I do think that there's going to be some brother on brother violence to break all our hearts in the finale, so something has to happen to Cas too, I guess?

This is my feeling, too. Something has to happen to make it look like the prophecy is coming true (and to leave Sam facing Dean on his own for the sake of tension & symmetry, I think). I just don't know what exactly...

Everyone keeps on saying that - why??? I don't want to hear this! *covers ears and goes into Dean Winchester denial mode*

Sorry! Er, what I meant to say was, of course Crowley will be fine! In fact the lying/confessing about lying thing was just a double bluff, and he's probably sexting Dean right now. Or discussing names for their adopted hellhounds. :)

Yeah, I really want to know what Rowena's endgame is! I feel like the scene a few episodes back with her sitting on Crowley's throne suggests she wants more than just to be the power behind it. And he is compromised. Hmm...

My thought is that the significant thing that happened between Dean stabbing him and coming down the stairs wasn't some sort of conspiracy between Cain and Dean, but Dean leaving the devil's trap and realising that it hurts him to cross it...

Ooh, that's an interesting theory! I like it.

Er, what I meant to say was, of course Crowley will be fine! In fact the lying/confessing about lying thing was just a double bluff, and he's probably sexting Dean right now. Or discussing names for their adopted hellhounds. :)
Now that sounds a lot better. :)
Can you imagine Crowley + Dean + puppies? The cuteness?
*dreamy smile*

Hee!

"Honestly, Squirrel, calm down, she doesn't bite!"

[5 minutes later]

"Well, she's never done that before! You must've startled her!"

(I imagine Dean would take a while to warm up to them, but eventually one would imprint on him and he'd pretend to be all grumpy about it following him around all the time, but when he thinks nobody's looking, it's all games and cuddles. ;))

*squeals*
This is perfect and I love you.

Perma-killing Cas would pretty much end me too, not sure I'd carry on watching after that.

I thought (though I could be wrong) that Misha said something about dealing with Cas' fading grace in season 11?

He did? Oh, that's good. :) I don't really think they'll write him out with his own unfinished storyline still hanging, anyway.

I do think that the source is more likely Abel than Cain. It would be neat to see something from that angle, but I don't know.

I really don'T know about Cain. I think they should have shown him get killed if they wanted us to believe he was dead. But maybe they want some suspense...? They want us to be wondering if he is actually alive? We will see!

I do not think Cas overheard it. I don't think they'd go that route without a hint.

The ep was epic :D

I do think that the source is more likely Abel than Cain. It would be neat to see something from that angle, but I don't know.

It would be! It would be interesting to see how his version of events lines up with Cain's.

I think they should have shown him get killed if they wanted us to believe he was dead.

Yeah -- I mean, SPN has a pretty genre-savvy fanbase. We know you never assume the bad guy's dead without a body. ;) I do feel like there's something we weren't shown there...

I'm with you, I think most likely Dean won't KILL Cas but will attempt to while under the control of the Mark, and will end up only rendering him mortal, permanently.

I really hope Crowley doesn't end up dead. :( But I'm afraid it's starting to look that way. :(

Only thing is, there's nobody to step into his place as like, the epic, awesome antagonist. Rowena certainly doesn't have the appeal that he has, and definitely not Metatron. So maybe they'll let him live a while longer.

But narratively speaking, it only makes sense that Dean will "kill" both Cas and Crowley in some form before the end of the season. :-S

Only thing is, there's nobody to step into his place as like, the epic, awesome antagonist. Rowena certainly doesn't have the appeal that he has, and definitely not Metatron. So maybe they'll let him live a while longer.

That's a good point! Much as I loved the last episode, I almost wish they'd kept Cain around a bit longer for this reason -- I think he'd make a more credible Big Bad than either of them.

But narratively speaking, it only makes sense that Dean will "kill" both Cas and Crowley in some form before the end of the season. :-S

Yeah. :(

*whimper*

I think this might become one of my most-watched episodes this year (after 10x02 because damn). It was really heartbreaking in a way that the show hasn't been for a long time--dark, too, as you say. I'm really loving this season.

My thoughts:

- I'm thinking Rowena might be this season's Big Bad. I don't think we've seen even a smidgen of what shit she can pull. I'm... kind of hoping she isn't, though? Because if she is, her chances of survival have dropped significantly and we could really do with more lady characters not dying. My second guess for the season's Big Bad is actually Dean himself. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets turned into a demon again, but I'm not holding my breath.

- That said, I also don't think Dean is going to kill Sam or Cas. I'm not sure about Crowley (and I'm also biased there because I admittedly have lost all interest in Crowley.) Dean's reoccurring thing is being told he's going to do one thing, and then not doing it. I think they could make it look like they're going to go that route but then change it up at the last minute.

- I was wondering if Cain was actually dead and if Dean really could kill him. I feel it could go either way, but if he is still alive, I also think Dean himself doesn't realize it, and if Cain comes back, it'll be a shock for everyone. But I also can't really see a point for keeping him alive anymore since I feel like his ~point~ is done: there's no cure (that he knew of), and even he wasn't able to resist temptation any longer. Dean has to be stronger-willed than Cain if he's going to survive.

I'm... kind of hoping she isn't, though? Because if she is, her chances of survival have dropped significantly and we could really do with more lady characters not dying.

I see what you mean! I definitely think she wants to be more than the power behind the throne, but you're right. :( It could end up being Dean (in fact that might be the most likely scenario) but it would also feel a bit weird to have that plot-point repeated. IDK.

Dean's reoccurring thing is being told he's going to do one thing, and then not doing it. I think they could make it look like they're going to go that route but then change it up at the last minute.

Indeed! I mean, I think that's the way it will go eventually. I'm just worried about how eventually. DX

I think if they intend to bring Cain back, they might've signposted it too obviously by not showing us a body. I feel like it's more likely concealing something else, and having us all wonder about whether or not he's dead is a smokescreen. (At least, that's what I'd do. ;))

I think if they intend to bring Cain back, they might've signposted it too obviously by not showing us a body.

That's a good point, I actually didn't even really think of that! What do you think it could be concealing? I read above that someone's idea was that Dean had trouble getting out of the Devil's Trap, I think that sounds like a really neat (and possible!) theory.

I'm really hoping Dean turns into a demon again because I'm a Horrible Person but I feel like they've kind of been foreshadowing it the same way they did in S9, filming it so Dean's eyes are dark/black/in shadow, etc.

I feel like they've kind of been foreshadowing it the same way they did in S9, filming it so Dean's eyes are dark/black/in shadow, etc.

Yes, and he's started staring angstily into mirrors again -- can't be a good sign. ;)

Though I do wonder, what with Cain's whole vigilante act/how he was rationalizing his kills via an appeal to the greater good, if maybe that's foreshadowing something a bit different. Maybe it's not being transformed that will ultimately lead Dean to the dark side, just the job and the 'good' fight.

I think it was

frozen_delight who had the devil's trap idea, and it's really intriguing. More interesting than mine, which was just Cain saying something potentially important as he died. ;)

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