On further review: Thinky thoughts about 10.14 (and some recs)

[caranfindel]

Just some thoughts I had after rewatching, and reading other peoples' posts...

1. Turns out my belief that Cain had no children was quite wrong. However, it does seem that all of his descendants were killed in the Flood, so he shouldn't have had any of them around today. But whether he was killing those in his own line, or those related to his "issue" as the Father of Murder, one important thing that didn't come up is that if Dean is on his list, so is Sam.

2. When I wrote my review, I said I wasn't sure why Dean confessed that he'd lied to Crowley, and that I thought he was going to kill him when he hesitated to give up the Blade. But while writing my drabble for this episode, when I was thinking about how Dean cut Crowley with words instead of with the Blade, it came to me (as I know it came to others already, but have pity on me, I'm slow). He can't kill Crowley. In Cain's prediction, Crowley is the first domino. It's Crowley and then Cas and then Sam. So Dean couldn't kill him even if he wanted to, but he had to get rid of him. Had to eliminate the temptation.

3. We didn't actually see Cain die. On first watch, I assumed they were just sparing the expense of the cheesy Abaddon death SFX (and I was grateful). But cassiopeia7 has some commenters who believe he's not actually dead (her post is f-locked, but basically, some people think that because we didn't see the death or a body, and because Dean healed instantly when he cut himself with the Blade, it wouldn't have killed Cain). And this is something I'd like very much to believe, because damn. Cain. More of that, please and thank you. But on rewatch, I'm pretty sure he's dead. We didn't see it, but we certainly heard the Blade enter his body. And if Dean is aware of #1, there's no way he would leave Cain alive.

4. I've been kind of hung up on Dean's immortality lately. But what if he's not? Why do we think he's immortal in the first place? Did Show explicitly say that, or did we just make that assumption based on Cain's immortality? Because Cain is a demon, not a human, so he's not going to die of natural causes. And the canon (Biblical, that is) Mark of Cain, from what I've been able to find, didn't make Cain immortal. It just prevented anyone from killing him. So maybe Dean's simply immune to being murdered, but not immortal.

5. Dean's little smile, when he heads up the stairs to face Cain, reminds me of his little smile when the clock strikes midnight in No Rest for the Wicked. That brave little I'm gonna die, but you keep up the good fight, Sam face. And I already pointed out how the pre-fight discussion reminds me of Swan Song.

6. This might be one of those episodes that inspires some truly fantastic fics. Off the top of my head, I'm going to suggest you read amberdreams's gorgeous "double drabble," Bipolar,, and frozen_delight's heartwrenching and beautiful and amazing coda, Swimming.

No spoilers in the comments, please! :-)

Comments

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the rec - and I'd second frozen_delight's Swimming - it's beautiful.
I admit on the first watch I was left wondering if Cain was really dead but agree with you on a second watch today - those crunching squelchy noises as the blade went in and was pulled out again were pretty graphic. I think on the first watch I was desperate for more Cain - I thought the whole idea of him culling the world was awesome, and could easily have run for a couple more episodes to give us the most menacing villain we've had for a very long time...but it wasn't to be.

And #5 - yep I thought that too - they seem to be going for season 3 parallels a bit this season too, don't they...

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Although if they decide to bring him back because we loved him, I certainly wouldn't complain!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Me neither! I'm sure they could find a convincing reason for his return...

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

I wonder about Dean's immortality too, and I have a notoriously shitty memory. Dang.

Is it because with the Mark, if he dies he'll just return as a demon anyway? Or is it because Cain lived (peaceably) with his bees and the Mark, until the Winchesters and Crowley stumbled into his bucolic life, so we're assuming the Mark grants immortality against mundane disease and aging?

I don't knooooow. *whines*

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Or Cain was only immortal because he became a demon, so Dean isn't?

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

That makes sense to me.

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

But on rewatch, I'm pretty sure he's dead. We didn't see it, but we certainly heard the Blade enter his body. And if Dean is aware of #1, there's no way he would leave Cain alive.

I think you're right, but I also feel like that cut away had to be concealing something. Working theory until bulldozed by Show: Cain said something significant with his last breath that we will find out about later.

(I could always stand to see more of him, but also I'd almost be disappointed if that wasn't his ending. Something about the way he bowed his head at the end there, how you could see the core of resignation underneath the violence -- just perfect.)

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Yes, I can go with that, Cain revealing some deep dark secret.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Yes that last moment when he just waited for the blow to fall was pretty perfect.

[frozen_delight]

Thank you so much for your kind rec, you're the sweetest! ♥

When I wrote my review, I said I wasn't sure why Dean confessed that he'd lied to Crowley, and that I thought he was going to kill him when he hesitated to give up the Blade. But while writing my drabble for this episode, when I was thinking about how Dean cut Crowley with words instead of with the Blade, it came to me (as I know it came to others already, but have pity on me, I'm slow). He can't kill Crowley. In Cain's prediction, Crowley is the first domino. It's Crowley and then Cas and then Sam. So Dean couldn't kill him even if he wanted to, but he had to get rid of him. Had to eliminate the temptation.
As you already know, that was what I thought all along. Then again my passionate shipper's heart won't allow me to read Dean's words in any other way. :)

A lot of people are saying now (this is pure speculation, mind!) that Crowley is going to die this season. I don't want this to happen. But I don't want Dean to be mean to Crowley either. Or to stay away from him for too long... Ah, there's no pleasing me, is there? *bites nails*

I don't think that Cain's alive. What I would have liked to see though is if Dean managed to get out of the devil's trap without any problems.

The way I see it, Dean is currently immortal, unless he manages to stab himself with the Blade somehow. But Show will undoubtedly prove me wrong. :)

[(Anonymous)]

The writer tweeted about having some lines that made it explicit that Sam & Dean were Cain's descendants, but the dialogue was then cut.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Well, that's interesting.

[safiyabat.livejournal.com]

It's been mentioned before - by Michael in The Song Remains The Same, stated explicitly. Also they left in an oblique reference to Sam also being on Cain's list. Do you follow Robert Berens on twitter?

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

While I love the idea that Cain's not dead (I want to see him again), after re-watching the episode I'm with you, there's definitely 'squelchy' blade-on-flesh noises. But never say never I guess? Especially with our show where coming back from the dead happens all the time!!!

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, "dead" is kind of meaningless on this show.