Warning! Spoilers for Season 14 and the entire series thus far!

If you’ve been following our antics on Twitter, you’ll know that we’ve been live-tweeting every episode, and sharing our reactions with you all as they happen in real time. However, in case you missed our tweets, Belle & I (PCU’s biggest Supernatural fans) thought that we would sit down & hash out a “He said / She said” sort of recap of this recent cuckoo-bananas penultimate season. Between Jack losing his soul, and other characters dying left & right, there’s a lot to unpack here. So without further ado, let’s chat, shall we?

**Warning:**
No. Seriously. This is your last chance. What follows will contain spoilers for the series thus far.

Belle
As many of you know I’m, what could mildly be called, a fan of Supernatural. I’ve been with the Winchester family since the first episode when the infamous ‘We have work to do‘ line was uttered. That being the case watching this season has been a wild ride. The evolution of the Winchesters, who they are and what being a Winchester means, has never been more clear than this season. This family, that started as three struggling men, has become so much more.

Doug
Ok, so I’m going to preface my comments with some full disclosure. I actually didn’t really get in to Supernatural until my current roommate moved in one year ago. When I did, however, I was immediately hooked. So, I took it upon myself to binge-watch the ENTIRE series up to that point (that’s THIRTEEN SEASONS, for those keeping track). I’ve seen and been invested in every moment, and I. Love. This. Show! With as much emotion as I’ve invested into this show, I can definitely say that season 14 has been no disappointment. I mean, Holy Hell (pun intended)! What a season this has been!

Belle
One of the things that stood out to me was how much Dean, Cas and Sam fell into the roles that John, Mary and Bobby held in dealing with Jack. Jack Kline Winchester, the youngest Winchester, the physical child of Lucifer and Kelly Kline but, in all the ways that matter, the actual child of Dean and Castiel, has been a bomb waiting to go off since day one. This sweet, sweet boy, who inherited all of the best qualities of Kelly, Dean and Cas, slowly starts to lose himself throughout the season as he keeps going against his parents’ wishes in an effort to prove himself worthy of the Winchester name. It ends in tears as Dean is faced with the same problem that John had with Sam: does he have what it takes to destroy his own child if it means saving the world?

Doug
Ever since Jack’s birth, his story has held my rapt attention. I mean granted, we all knew that a nephilim born of Lucifer most likely couldn’t possibly have the idyllic life that Castiel, Dean, and Sam wanted for him — no matter how much we wanted him to. This kid had such promise following in the footsteps of the Winchester clan, and I really held high hopes that he would end up being the proverbial ace in the hole that they needed. Alas, this was just not to be. From the moment that Jack began to go against what the Winchesters told him to do (even if he was trying to do good), it foretold a dark path ahead for the young man. I mean, here you have a being with phenomenal power…but who essentially has the life skills of a toddler. It’s almost akin to putting a flamethrower in the hands of a 5 year-old, and we saw the results of his temper tantrums. That being said, if Jack could have been saved, what kind of role would he have taken on in the grand scheme of things?

Belle
That goes back to how much the dynamics of this show have been changed by Jack’s very existence. While Dean has always been a parent, something that was dealt with in the most heartbreaking way possible with Mary’s return, Cas and Sam have never really had to deal with that role. Watching Dean and Cas very much fall into the patterns that John and Mary established: inability to fully express the depth of their love for Jack and putting training above parenting vs keeping secrets that should not be kept while burying their head in the sand regarding the very real problems that need to be faced, respectively, was painful but also real. They say you eventually turn into your parents and in a lot ways Dean and Cas did, falling into the worst traits of John & Mary for Dean and Chuck for Cas. Meanwhile, poor Sam, is just trying to keep everyone on track, falling into Bobby’s old role of leader, mentor and best uncle ever and almost ending just as tragically as Bobby does.

Doug
I have to agree on the role acceptance. However, I feel like Dean has been sliding even faster into the role that John once inhabited: He’s increasingly distant and doing things without telling anyone else (can we say Ma’lak box, boys & girls?).  Regardless of anything heartwarming, he just seems to be all about business (except where it comes to Mary and Sam). Sam, on the other hand, has always had that caretaker streak. Ever since season 6, when we watched him sacrifice himself for the greater good.

Belle
I think the biggest difference in how John handled Sam, and Dean dealt with Jack, is Sam himself. One of the true delights of this season was watching Sam really come into his own as the leader of the hunters and a true Man of Letters. Jared Padalecki did some of his best and most subtle work to date as Sam dealt with several issues at once: Dean being body-napped by Michael; Jack’s increasing powers; Earth 2’s hunters’ integration into Earth 1; and so much more. While he didn’t handle them all perfectly, he stepped up to become the kind of leader I always knew he could be and it’s been wonderful watching the natural progression from the spoiled child of season one to this brilliant, compassionate, young man.

Doug
For me, Sam had one of his most impactful seasons to date. Specifically, he seemed to become more of a hardened cynic than he had ever previously been. For example, he spent so much time trying to give Jack a chance — but that almost seemed to shut off completely when Mary was killed, and Sam became the vengeful one. Additionally, he barely batted an eye at the deaths of all of the Earth 2 hunters. Still, when it comes to his brother, Sam retains that glimmer of hope that the team can find a different way of doing things. For Sam, if it has to do with his blood, there is no giving up. Otherwise, this is a man who has lost so much throughout this 14-season story, that he doesn’t care to deal with more. We’re now definitely seeing a different Sam altogether; one who is a bit darker, more guarded, and more walled-off, and much less, “I lost my shoe“.

Belle
Last, but certainly not least we have to speak about the worst father in the galaxy, a title previously held via tie by Anakin Skywalker and Odin Borson, Chuck. I knew when the finale episode’s name came out and it was Moriah that we were going to get a Chuck sighting but whooooboy, I did not see the next level effboi shite he was going to pull. However, looking at the way he’s jerked the boys around since the jump, embedding himself in their lives as a friend, letting literal hell break loose around them multiple times when he could’ve helped, or at least put them on the right path, I should have. It’ll be interesting to see what the fallout of his actions are, and if Billie will get a chance to finally reap him. More importantly, if she does? Who takes his place?

Doug
Of course, I can’t leave enough alone, and have to talk about the ultimate father figure: Chuck. Oh, Chuck… At first, I was glad to see him come back for the season 14 finale, then it kind of felt like the writers were going to go the “Chuck Ex Machina” routine, at which I was a bit disappointed. Thankfully, that was turned around & saved. Still, as the song said, “God was never on your side“, Winchesters. This has now turned back into the father spanking the son(s) for bad behavior…in an EPIC fashion.

That wraps up season 14 (and the second-to-last season ever) of Supernatural, friends. I can say, without a doubt, that neither Belle or I are ready for the final season of this awesome tale of family. Let us know your thoughts on season 14 in the comments down below, and be sure to check in with us on Twitter and Facebook!