Review for 5x16 'Dark Side Of The Moon'
Apr. 5th, 2010 12:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galatheaDark Side Of The Moon has been the first episode this season that I watched completely unspoiled, so I wasn’t prepared in the slightest for this kind of emotional roller coaster. Admittedly, it is a bittersweet episode with a devastating conclusion, but nevertheless it’s the most powerful and touching episode of the current season for me. It managed to emotionally engage me in a way the show hasn’t in a long time, possibly since S3, in fact. It’s not that we gained a lot of brand-new insights into Sam and Dean, but the way the episode brought the history of these characters back into sharp focus and used it to drive the story forward, reminded me of why I fell in love with this show in the first place. ♥ Kudos to Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin for their excellent script.
Okay, so I have to retract my statement from last week’s review that the episode switch between My Bloody Valentine and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid has been mostly inconsequential, as Dark Side Of The Moon clearly would have followed more smoothly from My Bloody Valentine. Dean’s statement that prayer is the last hope of a desperate man obviously connects to his distraught plea to God in Bobby’s junkyard, so it would have been better if these episodes had aired directly after another. Additionally, there is an excellent sense of escalation from Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, where Lucifer attacks Sam and Dean’s support structure, to My Bloody Valentine, where Sam relapses and Dean is pushed to the brink of despair, to Dark Side Of The Moon, where Dean’s faith in himself, Sam and God is finally destroyed. I really wished they would stop to mess with the order of the episodes – or at least restore the original order on the DVDs – as it undermines a consistent story-telling.
Anyway, the teaser sequence, where Sam and Dean are cruelly killed by revenge seeking hunters, is brutal and left me utterly stunned. It’s probably one of the most shocking opening sequences of the show. I have to say, moments like these are really much more effective if you go into them unspoiled, and I am really happy that I had no idea what was about to happen in this episode. I have actually been waiting for some hunters to catch up with the brothers ever since Free To Be You And Me, so I am thrilled that it finally happened here, in such an exciting manner even. One thing that stands out to me in this scene is the slow opening pan over plenty of empty beer cans and liquor bottles, which gives us a good impression of how the brothers 'dealt' with the aftermath of their confrontation with Death and Famine. The fact that Sam and Dean were probably drunk when they fell asleep would also explain how the two hunters actually managed to get a drop on them. The transition from Dean getting shot to the title card was spectacular, by the way. Fabulous opening scene all around!
Zachariah: "You’re on my turf now, boys. And by the time I’m through with you, you’re going to be begging to say yes."
Before all else, I want to point out that it is important to keep in mind that it is difficult to discern how much of Sam and Dean’s after-life experience in Dark Side Of The Moon has been manipulated by Zachariah in an attempt to undermine Dean’s faith and resistance. I mean, while I have no reason to doubt that Sam and Dean are indeed in heaven and that their memories are genuine, it is absolutely possible that this particular selection of memories does not actually represent their 'happiest' moments. It most certainly does not represent all of their happy moments. In fact, Sam and Dean simply assume that these particular memories were chosen because they represent highlights of their lives, an impression based on Dean's 4th of July memory and Sam's Thanksgiving memory. I think there is some compelling evidence that at least suggests that Zachariah might have had a controlling hand in this particular version of Sam and Dean’s heaven:
- Zachariah repeatedly states that the brothers are on his home turf now, and the fact that he is easily able to manipulate Dean’s memory of Mary into a nightmare, shows that his statement that he can do anything he likes in this realm is no exaggeration. I think it’s entirely possible that he actually spots Sam and Dean early on and simply plays a cat-and-mouse game with them, all the while controlling their memories in an attempt to create maximum damage. In this context, it's especially interesting that in Zachariah's nightmarish travesty of Dean's memory of his mother, he twists Mary into telling Dean that everyone leaves him, which coincidentally matches the fact that all of Sam's memories are about Sam leaving Dean. Not to mention that Dean's own childhood memory depicts a moment where John left him as well. So, the majority of the memories the brothers relive in heaven seem to be specifially designed to draw Dean's abandonment issues to the surface, which begs the question if that's really a coincidence.
- It’s inconclusive if the brothers’ encounter with Ash and Pamela is, in fact, 'real', or simply a clever manipulation by Zachariah, who tries to use familiar faces to lure Sam and Dean into a sense of security. Pamela sounds suspiciously like a walking advertisement for Zachariah’s agenda. Her statement that the loss of millions of lives in the course of the apocalypse is acceptable because their souls go to heaven, pretty much reiterates Zachariah’s 'motivational' speech to Dean in Lucifer Rising. It doesn’t feel like something the real Pamela would say. Also, it's awfully suspicious that Ash's supposed door to the heavenly garden delivers Sam and Dean right into Zachariah's hands.
- When the brothers are in Sam's memory of the night he left for Stanford, Sam emphasises that he has no control over the memories they are shown, which implies that if he had a conscious choice, he would have picked different memories as a representation of his happiest moments. It’s not unreasonable to think that Sam would rather picture a moment with, let’s say, Jessica in it. Furthermore, when Dean asks Sam if that night really is a happy memory for him, Sam replies that he doesn't know. He seems unsure and fumbles for the reasons why this particular memory shows up in his personal heaven.
- With the exception of Dean's first memory of Sam and him celebrating the 4th of July, not a single one of the 'happy' moments Sam and Dean experience in heaven actually represents a simple moment of joy. For example, Dean's fond memory of his mother also represents a moment of sadness and hurt, caused by the fight between Mary and John. Sam seems awkward and uncomfortable at the Thanksgiving dinner with his girlfriend's family. And no matter how glad Sam was to escape John's drill regime when he went to Stanford, we know from previous conversations between the brothers that the fight that preceded Sam's leave was brutal, so anger and hurt clearly accompany that memory as well. So, Sam's initial assumption that they are shown the happy highlights of their lives isn't really accurate.
- On their journey through heaven, there is only one place where Zachariah cannot follow/manipulate the brothers and that is heaven's garden. Joshua states that heaven's garden is something different for everyone; people see what they want to see, some see God's throne room, others Eden. Sam and Dean, however, both see Cleveland Botanical Gardens, a place where they have been on a field trip together, and I think it is telling that, in this one influence-free instance, the brothers default to the same shared experience. With that in mind, it seems awfully suspicious that the other memories Sam and Dean are shown in heaven - and that means all memories, except for the 4th of July one - are about experiences that do not include their brother.
Dean: "It’s supposed to be you and me against the world, right?"
Sam: "Dean, it is!"
Dean: "Is it?"
On first glance Sam and Dean’s memories do not exactly tell us anything new about the characters. They pretty much play on themes that have been revisited in different variations ever since S1. We already know that Dean has abandonment issues. We also know that Dean defines himself through his family, rather than through his own needs and goals. It’s no news either that Sam’s more sheltered life as the younger sibling allowed him to develop a more self-centred attitude, which ultimately motivated him to look for self-actualisation outside the small unit of his family. The brothers’ inability to fully understand each other’s perspective, precisely because they had such an unequal upbringing and are so different in temperament, has been frequently addressed throughout the show as well. For example in Bugs, where both Sam and Dean were convinced that John favoured their respective brother, or in Houses Of The Holy, where the brothers had difficulties to understand each others’ access to faith. Not to mention S4, which basically was one long story of the brothers not being able to see eye to eye.
So, it’s no real surprise that in Dark Side Of The Moon both brothers are unable to relate to one another’s perspective as well, at least at first. When Dean relives an old childhood memory between himself and Mary, he is so caught up in the warm glow of his mother’s love, that he is completely oblivious to Sam’s obvious hurt and discomfort at witnessing the intimate scene between them. Sam never got to have this experience of Mary’s love himself, and his attempt to attract Mary’s attention, only to realise that she can’t see him because it’s not his memory but Dean’s, is heartbreaking. Similarly, when Sam revisits his Flagstaff memory, he is so caught up in the joy of reuniting with his old dog Bones, that he is completely oblivious to Dean’s hurt at seeing Sam so happy. Dean himself associates the memory of Sam running away from his family with nothing but pain and the realisation of how much Sam treasures that time, visibly upsets him.
However, it is noteworthy how differently both brothers react to the insights they gain during their shared journey. Unsurprisingly, Dean is deeply hurt by the realisation that none of Sam’s memories actually include him, and that not once Sam had even considered how his actions affected Dean. All of Sam’s memories inevitably draw Dean’s abandonment issues to the surface, which ultimately prevents him from seeing that Sam’s rejection was directed at John and their lifestyle and not him. In the end Dean is unable to look past his hurt, and so he comes to the wrong, if understandable conclusion that Sam never really loved him. Sam’s perception, on the other hand, changes over the course of the episode, mainly in answer to his observations about Dean. When he realises that Dean used to clean up John’s messes even before Mary died, his own earlier hurt at watching Dean’s memory of their mother is replaced by compassion for his brother. Similarly, when Dean confronts Sam with the harsh consequences Sam running away had for him, Sam realises for the first time how short-sighted and self-centred his past actions have been and how much his brother suffered from them. Sam’s subsequent attempt to pull Dean away and spare his brother the hurt of reliving the night Sam left for Stanford shows that although it is his memory, he now sees it from Dean’s perspective and hence has no desire to relive it either. In the end Sam learns to look past his own point of view. He develops a new appreciation for Dean’s strength and gains new insight into his brother's feelings.
Furthermore, I think Dark Side Of The Moon also makes an interesting statement about the after-effects of Sam’s betrayal in S4, especially if we compare the brothers’ reactions in this episode to their reactions to similar issues in S1. Remember, back in Scarecrow Dean showed that he is absolutely able to look past his own feelings and consider the validity of Sam’s perspective. He was not only willing to accept Sam’s strive for independence and let him go, but also expressed his genuine pride at Sam’s perseverance in pursuit of his dreams - even if that included leaving him. In return, Dean was 'rewarded' with a strong demonstration of Sam’s love for him, as Sam instantly dismissed his need to go his own way, when he thought that Dean was in danger. However, now, four years later, Dean takes a step back from his sympathetic position, and I think that’s a result of his unresolved trust issues. His ability to trust Sam’s love for him has been damaged by his brother’s actions in S4 and seeing Sam’s 'happy' memories only serves to forcefully remind him of his betrayal. As for Sam, he already acknowledged back in Something Wicked that he wasn’t aware of the pressure John put on Dean from a very young age on. He instantly revised his own hard stance on Dean’s obedience towards John and genuinely apologised to Dean for his lack of understanding. Now, Sam rediscovers the lesson he learned about Dean in S1. Seeing Dean’s memories, as well as his reaction to Sam’s own memories, is a harsh reminder of the burdens his brother carried ever since he was a child, and since Sam is the one who needs to make amends for his actions in S4, he takes a step forward, towards Dean.
Dean: "Wait, if I’m in heaven, then where is Sam?"
Unsurprisingly, all of Dean’s happiest memories revolve around his family in one way or another, although I think it is noteworthy that not one of them involves John in a positive capacity. I think it is also very telling that there isn’t a single happy memory of Dean having his whole family together, like for example Mary, John, baby Sam and Dean as we see them in the opening sequence of the Pilot. Instead Dean’s memories all centre around fulfilling the needs of the people he loves and receiving affection in return. In his first memory about spending the 4h of July with Sammy, Dean fulfils his brother’s secret wish for fireworks, apparently behind their father’s back, and in his memory about Mary, he comforts his distressed mother, who had a fight with John. Both Sam and Mary reward Dean’s efforts by meeting his emotional needs in return. Now, all this isn’t terribly new, but I liked that the episode showed that Dean has been a natural caretaker all his life, even before the fire, a character trait that John later built upon. I suspect the reason why John doesn’t make an appearance in one of Dean’s happiest memories stems from the fact that while John recognised Dean’s nurturing qualities and encouraged them by placing Sam in his care, he failed to maintain the 'reward' part of the equation.
Anyway, it’s no secret that Sam and Dean have fundamentally different concepts of family, which rarely allows them to see eye to eye on the subject. Dean’s concept of family is based on his experience of a (relatively) happy and normal family in the first four years of his life. For Dean family is not only synonymous with love and loyalty, but also provides an environment that allows him self-fulfilment, and as a result Dean will always try to recreate that environment on some level. I think that's the reason why Dean is an exceptionally social person, who is able to integrate himself into any social structure in next to no time or why helping people is one of the main motivators in his life. Sam’s concept of family, on the other hand, is based on his experience of the dysfunctional family structure John created. He mostly equals family with oppression and self-denial - a perspective that especially applies to Sam's younger self - and as a result he can only find true self-actualisation outside of family, well, John’s kind of family in any case. I don’t think Sam and Dean will ever be able to truly understand one another’s perspective on family, they can only strive to accept it and find a middle ground that satisfies both their needs. However, the fact that Sam doesn’t think of family in the same way Dean does, doesn’t mean that he loves Dean any less than Dean loves him. It simply means that his love isn’t automatically bound to the concept of family.
Finally, I have to point out the extremely powerful emotional juxtaposition of Dean’s happy memory of Sam and him celebrating the 4th of July and Dean’s unambiguous gesture of throwing the amulet that Sam gave him as a Christmas present in the trash can. I doubt anybody will argue with the fact that the fireworks scene between Dean and Sammy has been one of the most beautiful and touching brother scenes in the show. If there was ever a moment in these last two seasons that managed to forcefully remind me of my deep and abiding love for these characters, this was it. ♥ Anyway, that memory clearly represents a pure moment of mutual joy between the brothers. It’s a moment where both their needs in regard to their relationship are met in equal measure, as Sam gets to spend time with Dean, his big brother – as opposed to Dean, his semi-parent or John’s obedient soldier – and Dean has Sam’s unreserved love and gratitude. Dean’s amulet has always been a symbol for that exact pure bond between the brothers, which is why he never took it off and only reluctantly gave it away to Castiel. So the finality of Dean’s gesture at the end of the episode is absolutely heartbreaking, as it states in no uncertain terms that Dean lost any faith in his bond to Sam. However, there is no doubt in my mind that after Dean left the motel room, Sam retrieved the amulet from the trash can to keep it safe for his brother, until he is ready to accept it from Sam’s hand again. I just hope the writers will not let us wait until the end of S6 for that moment.
Sam: "Dean, look, I’m sorry. I never thought about it like that."
If we look at Sam’s happy memories as presented in the episode, I think it is striking that all of them fall into the short timframe where teenage Sam rebelled against his father and all of them revolve around John’s absence. Yes, Dean is not in them either, but it’s important to note that Dean’s absence is not what makes these memories happy for Sam. It’s obvious that he not once considered his actions as an attempt to get away from his brother. He explicitly points out that the Thanksgiving memory has been a notable moment for him because he didn’t need to suffer through yet another holiday with John passed out on the couch, and Stanford marks the moment where Sam escaped John’s drill sergeant regime and he had true autonomy over his life. As for Flagstaff, we don't exactly know what happened there, but even though Sam ran away on Dean's watch, I would assume that a prior fight with John was the trigger. Sam's surprise at Dean's angry reaction to his memory suggests to me that his reason for running away was unrelated to Dean himself. Now, obviously the fact that in this particular - and, most importantly, extremely limited - selection of Sam's memories Dean is absent, doesn’t mean that there haven’t been plenty of happy moments in Sam’s life that include Dean. In fact, Dean’s own 4th of July memory is ample proof of how much Sam looked up to Dean and appreciated his presence in his life - and, by the way, even in that memory Sam is delighted because he and Dean share a moment of rebellion against John by setting off fireworks. So, overall Sam's few memories simply tell us that the comfort and love Dean provided for him have not been enough to outweigh Sam’s fierce rejection of the lifestyle John forced onto them.
Obviously that doesn’t change the fact that Sam’s decisions to leave his family were deeply offending to Dean, not least because his little brother never thought about how his actions affected him. I already pointed out earlier that Sam and Dean have different concepts of family, but I think there are other reasons, too, why Dean’s feelings didn't factor into Sam’s decisions to leave his family. Firstly, S1 clearly showed that, despite their close upbringing, Sam didn't really know his brother all that well, which implies that Dean didn't confide much in his little brother, at least not where his own feelings and insecurities were concerned. I don't think Sam had much insight into Dean's inner conflicts when they were younger. Dean's habit to hide fear and hurt behind his 'game face' in order to make Sam feel safe and protected is a well-known character trait, after all. Secondly, back in Salvation Sam told Dean that even if he couldn’t count on anyone, he knew he could always count on Dean. I think that Sam never thought of Dean as 'not there' or not available, even when they were separated or fighting. He has always been secure in leaving because Dean has been a constant in his life, like a child that even as he leaves home to discover the world knows that his parents will always be there for him. It’s a testament of how well Dean raised Sam. In the end it was never Sam’s decision to cut his family out of his life when he went to Stanford, it was John who forced that estrangement, and Dean was the collateral damage in Sam and John’s conflict. In the here and now though, Sam not only looks at his own past actions from the perspective of an adult, but also through the eyes of his brother, and it visibly changes his perception of the past and present.
I think Sam’s journey through heaven not only opens his awareness to his more self-centred decisions and how they affected Dean, but also restores his faith, at least to some extent. We know that Sam has always been the more religious of the brothers and that his faith was crushed last year when he met the angels and realised that they are not the righteous and benign creatures he believed them to be. The fact that they condemned Sam, the boy with the demon blood, destroyed Sam’s faith in his own salvation and added to his conviction that he had nothing to lose. Sam’s surprise at finding himself in heaven – and Dean’s lack thereof – is a really sweet moment between the brothers in the episode. I love that both Sam and Dean never doubted that the other earned his place in heaven, no matter how strained things are between them. Anyway, it breaks my heart that Sam anticipated himself in hell, given that he knows what hell did to Dean, he must have been terrified at the prospect to go there himself. But now Sam has been granted salvation by God. He has been given a forgiveness that he hasn’t even been able to grant himself, and I think that unexpected gift is one of the reasons why Sam is the only member of 'Team Free Will' who seems to have any hope and determination left at the end of the episode.
Consequentially, it is Sam who tries to lift the team spirit in the end by emphasising that together they will find a different way to defeat Lucifer. Sam’s tentative, if unsuccessful, attempt to appeal to Dean’s sense of 'us against the world' gives me hope that at least Sam made a turn to the better here. Last season Sam was too preoccupied with his quest for revenge and power to support Dean, when he collapsed under the burdens of his hell-trauma. He dismissed Dean as weak, convinced that he himself was stronger and in control of the situation, while effectively surrendering that control to Ruby. Maybe this time Sam will truly step up and be the stronghold for them both, not because he thinks Dean is weak, but because he feels compassion for his brother’s burdens and because his strength comes from the right place now, namely love. Maybe Sam needed to see Dean’s faith in them crumble so completely to finally do what he has always wanted to do, namely step out of his role as the little brother and for once be the one who holds Dean together and gets them back on the right track. This is Sam’s chance to be the hero and demonstrate his love for Dean in no uncertain terms, and I hope that the writers are willing to grant him that chance. It would not only make for a beautiful reverse parallel to Sam’s arc in S4, but also restore at least some of my faith in these writers and partly salvage S5 for me.
Finally, a word of critique: As I already mentioned in my last review, I am really bothered by the fact that for quite a long while now the show neglects to put a more distinct focus on Sam’s point of view in the story, and Dark Side Of The Moon is exemplary in that regard. I feel that by constantly over-emphasising Dean’s point of view, the writers (deliberately or not) insinuate that Sam is wrong for wanting the things he wants – freedom, independence and control over his life – because they always come at the expense of Dean’s feelings. While the show paints Dean’s hurt in a deeply sympathetic light, it does not allow Sam to make a good case for himself by properly explaining his motivations to his brother in return, thus indirectly validating Dean’s interpretation of Sam’s actions as a lack of love and loyalty to him. I think that’s a massive disservice to Sam’s character and unfairly casts a bad light on him. The fact that a considerable part of fandom seems unable to connect to Sam and deems him unworthy of Dean’s unconditional love is a result of the writers' negligence to make Sam’s feelings more transparent in my opinion. I really hope they intend to rectify that failure in the future.
Joshua: "God saved you already. He put you on that plane. He brought back Castiel. He granted you salvation in heaven. It’s more than he’s intervened in a long time. He’s finished."
I have to say that for once I have no real bone to pick with the mytharc elements in the episode. The depiction of heaven as a place where everyone gets to live their individual version of happiness is actually a pretty common modern concept of heaven, even if Supernatural has put its own darker spin on it. In fact, Dark Side Of The Moon reminds me of my favourite short-story by Julian Barnes, The Dream, where everyone lives in their own personal version of heaven, based on their individual expectations about the after-life. However, the story emphasises that in the end the prospect of eternity is unbearable - even if you get to live your greatest dreams - so, at some point every soul starts to long for a final death and eventually decides to cease to exist. Anyway, even if Supernatural’s concept of the after-life is pretty depressing, as most souls live an isolated existence, I think it fits well with the dark universe the show created. Although, as mentioned earlier, it is possible that Sam and Dean’s experience is influenced by Zachariah’s (or God's) interference and hence not an entirely true representation of heaven. Still, I take comfort from the fact that when Sam and Dean die one day – at a very old age, hopefully – they get to spend their after-life together. ♥ And really, it’s pretty ironic that the one episode where the brothers’ relationship hits rock bottom, is also the one episode that acknowledges them as soulmates.
I actually really liked the angel Joshua a lot, and until I am proven wrong, I’m going to assume that his gentle and compassionate demeanour is a genuine expression of his benign nature. As for God, I think in a universe where God is the equivalent of a distant father figure, it makes sense that he will not swoop in to save the day, and I have to admit that I am very relieved that the probability of a literal deus-ex-machina in the finale is pretty slim now. I think that humanity has to win this war on its own for it to have true meaning. A divine intervention would be a cheap cop-out out of the complicated story the writers created here. In any case, I think that by focussing on the fact that God will not personally intervene with the apocalypse, 'Team Free Will' misses the point of God’s message to them. God did intervene by saving Sam, Dean and Castiel. He intervened by allowing Sam and Dean to keep their memories of heaven. He did that for a reason, and I think that reason is God’s faith in their strength and perseverance. God is all-knowing, after all.
What else was noteworthy:
(1) Castiel’s statement that Zachariah needs to return Sam and Dean to their bodies, so they can say yes to Lucifer and Michael, directly contradicts Swap Meat, where the whole point of the body switch storyline was that any soul would do. It’s not Sam and Dean’s consent specifically that is needed, just the consent of the souls inhabiting their bodies at a given time. So, theoretically this would have been the perfect opportunity for either Zachariah or Lucifer to simply 'force' a more agreeable soul into the brothers' empty bodies and have them say yes that way. I mean, given that Lucifer has Death and the reapers at his command and that Zachariah has access to the souls in heaven, it really shouldn’t pose any problem for them to find a soul that would bow to their respective will.
(2) I love all the little details that give so much depth to the various memories of the boys. There is little Dean's 'I wuv hugs' t-shirt, which reflects on Dean's affectionate nature as a child – Dean hugs both Mary and Sam in his memories – and I mourn the fact that at some point he stopped to be comfortable with expressing his affections so openly. I love that it was Mary who introduced little Dean to the concept of pie as comfort food. I adore Sam’s wall of postcards in his room in Flagstaff, all of which depict different places/states in the US. Sam might have fled John’s harsh regime, but travelling obviously still represented freedom for him. I also love the fact that teenage Sam lived like a slob when he was alone. It’s a mirror of Dean’s living habits rather than John’s, and I can’t help but wonder when Sam developed his neat freak tendencies we see later in the show. All these little details tell stories of their own and that adds a lot of layers to the episode. Fabulous! ♥
(3) I know that there is a lot more to say about this episode, about the parallels between Castiel and Dean, who both lose their faith here; about Dean’s complete disillusion nowadays where John is concerned; about Zachariah’s excellent efficiency as a villain and his incredibly creepy manipulation of Dean’s memory of Mary; about Jensen’s fantastic depiction of both Dean’s hurt and his joy and Jared’s equally wonderful depiction of Sam’s slow realisation process or about the welcomed return of Colin Ford (young Sam), Samantha Smith (Mary), Traci Dinwiddie (Pamela) and Chad Lindberg (Ash) to the show. I could go on and on – the episode is a goldmine for meta – but this review is long enough as it is. Although I have to admit that this was the most fun I had with a review in a very long time.
One last word: During the hiatus between S4 and S5 Kripke repeatedly stated that S5 will be about the slow reconciliation process between the brothers, and if we look at the brother arc in the first couple of episodes this season, that statement seems to hold true. Around midseason though it became abundantly clear that the brother arc started to head into the exact opposite direction, as the lack of any real resolution to the problems that lead to Sam and Dean’s estrangement in S4 in the first place, made a true healing process between them impossible. I find myself speculating if at some point in the late first half of S5 Kripke simply changed plans – maybe influenced by an early prospect of a renewal – and decided to shift the reconciliation arc into S6 instead, in order to have some valid material to work through in the final season. Granted, S6 would make the perfect 'close circle' season, if it would be all about two estranged brothers who need to learn how to be a family again, just like in S1, but if that is the case, I can’t help but wonder if this has been bought at the expense of a consistent story-telling in S5. Only time will tell, I guess.
In conclusion: Dark Side Of The Moon was a gripping, emotionally engaging episode that gifted us with some beautiful brother scenes and a lot of unexpected back story moments that pretty much seamlessly fit into canon. Despite its incredibly bleak ending, the episode gave me hope that this season will end on a moment of grace between the brothers, as I cannot imagine that Sam and Dean will win this war, if they don’t have faith in each other.
