Watched the Supernatural finale after lunch. Loved it. Went back to find the comments of my friends who also loved it, but came across complaints. I hate when that happens. It's not that I think everyone should love it like me, or that no one can criticize. I just hate that I see it and it brings me down.

But that's okay, because *I* thought it was incredible. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Impala story, which epitomized the role of Metallicar in both the show and the brothers' lives. I loved the flashbacks during the Impala story, which foreshadowed the flashbacks that gave Sam the strength to take over.

I wanted this episode to give Jared Padalecki his spotlight, and I thought he did a great job with his dual role, but I have to admit, Jensen still managed to overshadow him with just a few quick glimpses of his expression. The "oh shit" moment when Lucifer knew their plan. The tears in his eyes when his possessed brother left him. The voice when he said "I won't leave you, Sammy" even as he'd been beaten to a pulp.

Kudos to the makeup department for doing the impossible and making Jensen Ackles ugly. Kudos to Misha Collins for his attempt to lie to Sam, and the difference between his beaten, all-too-human defeat and his restored, better-than-ever serenity.

I liked Lucifer's attempt to avoid the fight and Michael's single-mindedness to make it play out. They were like what Sam and Dean COULD have been, if they hadn't broken patterns. Dean grew a mind of his own and stopped believing everything Dad did or said was right, while Sam abandoned the rebel-at-all-costs point of view, so that they could focus on their own partnership, doing things their own way.

I FINALLY get the "it always had to be you, Sam" line that has driven me nuts for, what, three seasons? It wasn't as much destiny as it was a long-term plan, tons of effort that had one acceptable outcome. (We'll ignore the little things, like Azazel accepting Jake as the winner when he'd planted all those demons through Sam's life.)

Misty was the one in our group who connected Chuck to God at the end, when he sizzled away, but it does leave us questioning if he was always God, or if he was just God at the end. Through the episode, Chuck was Chuck, with his mess and his ugly bathrobe and his geekiness. In the end, he was wearing an expensive shirt, his hair was combed, and he was drinking expensive Scotch. We could say he'd been putting it on until now, but for whom? He was alone in Chuck's living room. So that's a debate we might never actually get the answer to.

I thought it was a big twist when Sam pulled Michael into the cage with him. I definitely wasn't expecting that. Opens up tons of possibilities for the Big Bad next year.

I was thrilled that God brought Cas back, and that he in turn fixed Dean and brought back Bobby. I cover my ears and go "lalalalala" when anyone says that was too pat and easy. Come ON! After everything they all went through? After everything WE went through? I am SO not in favor of killing characters just for narrative. Entertainment is about entertaining, and I want my beloveds to live.

(Yeah, not happy with you, JK Rowling, re: Fred)

So that brings me to final shot. Sam, looking in at Dean at Lisa's with Ben. Is it Sam, somehow out of the cage by his or God's hand, infused with demonic power by virtue of the demon blood plus Lucifer's ride? Is it Lucifer, somehow escaped already? Or maybe Michael, who took over Sam's body to exact revenge on Dean for ruining the plan and being responsible for him going into the pit? I have a lot more to say on that, but I'll save it for my post next Wednesday at Supernatural Sisters.

So? What did you like about it?