How do you manage a tone that needs to marry witty sarcasm with end of the world cataclysm and still achieve a sense of the dramatic? It’s a good question and one that more prestigious shows than Supernatural have completely botched. This past season has been the best one yet, leading up to a smack-down between Lucifer and Michael, life and death, heaven and hell that promised to completely obliterate anything in its path; both dramatically and physically.

The Winchesters had a wild ride this season, and they did it with a great cast of side characters including Pelligrino’s Milton-esque Satan, the archangel-turned-trickster, Gabriel and the demon turncoat, Crowley. Castiel and Bobby continued to be strong support, and Sam and Dean were never more compelling than when trying to quell their own sibling rivalry while saving the world.

So, then, how can the ‘end of all things’ really be satisfying for a show that was often content to hang-back from big, chaotic action and deliver human moments? How could we watch Armageddon unravel and still feel like a sixth season wouldn’t be anti-climactic? Was it possible to reveal God and not turn everything into a mockery of itself?

Folks, not only did Kripke and team answer all those questions admirably, they did it with style and understatement. To be honest, this was not remotely what I was expecting–anticipating more bluster and noise–but this one episode wraps up the season, and the previous five seasons, so well that I approached the final moments afraid that the promise of season six was a smokescreen. And yet, things are poised for that too.

I’m going to talk briefly about the ep, but I’m avoiding plot synopsis this time because I truly believe that what works is in the execution, and the gang has done such great work that it shouldn’t be left to my words to reveal it. If you are reading this to find out what happens, I suggest watching the ep yourself, and if you haven’t seen any Supernatural, here’s a great time to go pick up Season 1 and get started.

For the rest of the Supernatural faithful, lets get to it.

First, it should be said that there is something impressive about a season finale that promises and delivers a struggle for the apocalypse and yet whose best moment involves a nostalgic backstory about the Impala. That’s right, eat your heart out Lost, the car got a flashback and it didn’t take an hour of our time. It was also far more thematically relevant to the show in which it took place than anything Lindelof and Cuse have offered up flashback-wise on that damned island this season.

Resolving the primary conflict regarding the Devil, Dean and Sam so early in the story, and having Lucifer being propelled into close proximity with Sam was a great choice. The confrontation in Detroit took place 15 minutes in, and the sense of hopelessness that the end of all things would bring about was achieved not by scenes of global destruction, but simply watching the characters lose the things they valued; their friends, family and free will. All of that gone, and the hour not even half over.

The setting choices for the episode were also unique and inspired, with the creators opting for abandoned buildings and empty, daytime cemetarys over the usual pomp and circumstance. There weren’t even many extras standing around to remind us that it was THE WORLD that Sam and Dean were fighting to save. In-fact, the last twenty minutes or so are almost predominately just three actors standing in a field talking. Yes, that’s right, the fall of man comes down to five siblings (three bodies) working out their own junk. Instead of it feeling slight and unsatisfying, it felt appropriate and right. This was neither a bang or a whimper, but more of a final desperate plea before the plunge.

Dean, Adam and Sam were the character we physically could see, and Michael and Lucifer the ones riding piggyback. But Jared Padalecki did the best acting of his career as he switched between a determined Sam and a strangely ambivalent Lucifer. There’s no gnashing of teeth as he ushers in the end, and the scene in the cemetery where he earnestly pleads with Michael to abandon their war and leave the stage together is legitimately compelling. This is good writing and good acting, because we can see Pelligrino’s Satan looking out through Padalecki’s eyes. I’m always impressed when that sort of stunt is pulled off.

There were some shocking moments, some perfectly poignant ones, and some great comedic riffs as well, and as per the usual, the writers didn’t overplay their hand. They were culminating a very personal character driven story and they didn’t betray it for the apocalypse. When tragedy struck, it felt operatic and pre-ordained. Even though we understand the ground is littered with bodies that can’t stay dead, they made us feel the loss.

Best of all, it was just purely entertaining. There was no feeling of being strung around or denied closure, and even when the issue of God was not resolved as I expected, the tease towards the end was enough for me. It showed a nice bit of misdirection, and it makes alot of sense in the context of the show.

So, where now? I get the suspicion that it’s going to start again with a new storyline, one not completely dependent upon what’s been brewing these last five years. In fact, there’s the opportunity to turn the basic thrust of the show on it’s head. In season 1, Dean found Sam living a well adjusted, happy life and pulled him out for the hunt. Kripke closed last night with the potential for the exact opposite to happen.

Regardless of where it goes from here, the show has had a stellar run, with no bad seasons and a couple of great ones. Few I can think of had it that good. Now, lets seem them top it if they can. Good luck guys. See you in September.

Kurt stole Sue’s “private property and posted it online”, Quinn made a “Glist” and posted it everywhere, Will was exposed for being a slut and making out with the kitchen sink. “That’s what you missed on Glee“

What was Sue’s “private property?” Just a video of Sue lip syncing to Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” which when viewed by over 170,00  led to “the white hot shame of public rebuke, that pain is indescribable.”

What’s a “Glist?” “It’s a Glee list, it’s a weekly ranking of your Glee club based on a hotness quotient of sexual promiscuity.”

Sue also likes making lists, such as her list “ranking ‘McKinley’s ten ugliest gingers’.”

Most parts of this episode felt like an “who dunnit?” which was fun because who doesn’t like the board game (and movie) Clue? Molly Shannon made a cameo appearance as “Brenda Castle” from Fort Wayne who “can’t teach in Indiana anymore” because of “some ‘drug problems’ that ended up involving” some of her “‘students’” if only this cameo were a regularly appearing guest spot because Shannon fits perfectly on the McKinley faculty.

Once again Sue, otherwise the most despicable character on FOX Tuesday nights between 8:00 and 9:00 CST, redeems herself by being a great sister to Jean. The scenes between Sue and Jean always get to me, guess that makes me a sucker (I did cry at the end of Armageddon).

What did y’all think of this week’s episode? What were your favorite musical numbers?

SUE QUOTES!

“As soon as I figure out the difference between slander and libel, I’m filing a lawsuit.”

“Will I may buy a small diaper for your chin cuz it looks like a baby’s ass.”

“Don’t start with me Castle, I will kick you square in the taco!”

  With only five episodes left in the season, Supernatural ramped up the end game last night and brought another peripheral character back to the apocalypse. In typical fashion, Kripke and company managed to balance a pervading sense of doom against the dramatic and emotional identity of the show. Sam, Dean, Cas and the gang are up against the wall now, and yet the show still finds time to inject some generous doses of humor.

Take for example the opening scene of ‘Point of No Return’ which finds the angel Zachariah (Kurt Fuller) hitting the bar at happy hour with other disgruntled office types. He’s commiserating with one clearly disgruntled cubicle jockey and they are throwing around terms like ‘upper management’ and Zach laments ‘I only needed one yes and still I couldn’t seal the deal.’ It’s one of the most amusing and human-oriented moments that the show has given any of the angels outside of Castiel. Then, to puncture the light atmosphere, the glory of Michael arrives and burns out the eyes of all the patrons.

That kind of discordant tension between the goofy and the darkly serious exists all through this episode, which marks a kind of turning in the storyline. Dean has been despondent and disenchanted, ready to give up his person to Michael so he can wage a war with Lucifer. Bobby has been teetering on the brink since he lost his legs, Castiel slowly becoming a bitter, atheistic mess despite being a former angel. Then there’s Sam, once the poster boy for twisted ambition, trying desperately to hold everyone together as a family. And, just as things are poised to snap, the writers bring back another Winchester, Adam.

That’s an interesting move, considering Adam had a single episode last season wherein he was not only revealed to be the long lost brother of Sam and Dean, but also really a ghoul, masquerading as the young man he recently killed. By the time the Winchesters found the real Adam, he had long been dead. Now, in an excellent sense of symmetry he returns from heaven, pulled out of retirement by Zachariah and touted as the newest candidate to serve as vessel for Michael. Dean, all ready to do some cosmic leasing of his skin, is taken aback by that;  he doesn’t want to sacrifice anyone else in his stead, and he doesn’t trust or believe that Sam will be capable of resisting Lucifer.

There were several strong confrontational scenes between Dean and nearly every member of the group last night. Particularly moving was a moment where Bobby places the bullet he’s been saving for suicide out of a desk drawer and relates “The only reason I haven’t done it is I made a promise to YOU! Also quite stirring (and entertaining) is the sequence where Castiel gives Dean a ferocious beating to prevent his heading off to commission the celestial host.

But, as usual, the most emotionally rich bits were held for the Winchester brothers. This time, not just Sam and Dean, who go a long way to sorting out their recent, growing estrangement, but Adam also who isn’t exactly keen on becoming one of the ol’ Winchester boys just because the apocalypse is heading up the coast. When Adam is taken by Zachariah as a trap for Dean, and Sam reveals that he’s bringing his older brother along because he knows he will do the right thing, the switch flips for the elder Winchester.

Dean doesn’t succumb, kills Zachariah, and Adam is seemingly snatched up by Michael, while Cas is no doubt also in trouble and presumably surrounded by angels. This leaves the boys down two compatriots, Lucifer is still on the loose, and while Zachariah is gone, his boss, Michael may have the vessel he needs to wage his war. Not exactly a victory, but now the brothers are at least once again on the same page.

The episode resolves with Sam and Dean pushing the past into the background, and planning a united stand against the forces opposing them. They commit to getting Adam and Cas back and bringing the fight to Lucifer instead of waiting around for a heavenly war that will level the world.

Again, the writers manage to have their existential suffering and biblical denouements and still get us back to where we, the audience, want to be; riding around in that Impala with Sam and Dean vs. the world. 

Now, more than ever, I’m looking forward to the final showdown with Jacob…err, I mean, Satan.

The opening to last night’s episode of Supernatural was a doozy. Sam and Dean, running from a horde of demons in the Impala, are saved by a no-nonsense group of demon fighters in a fire truck, who exorcise the fiends via a bullhorn. The entire thing has an almost post apocalyptic feel to it, like Armageddon has passed the boys right by. 

What they discover as they ride into town is that the entire population is hanging out in the church, packing salt rounds in the community center, and waiting for the pastor’s daughter to give the next revelation. Yet, as the biblical imagery builds on the show, the theme of faith feels like an ever growing point of contention for the writers.

Castiel has abandoned his faith in God completely, chalking it up to absentee parent syndrome and attempting to drink away his angelic troubles. Sam wants to believe, but it doesn’t seem like there is anyone left who wants to believe in him. Dean doesn’t seem to care or believe in anything; even his cock-sure, snarky asides and cheerful hedonism lack passion. The world is going to hell in a hand basket, and for characters that have already been there or at least tasted of its rot, there are no new surprises.

The end looks to play out as they always figured it would; an cataclysmic smack-down between the archangel Michael and the fallen one, Lucifer, with Sam and Dean playing avatars to the angel adversaries. In the face of so much darkness, what can be done? During their brief stint in heaven, the angel Joshua told them ‘that God doesn’t see the apocalypse as his problem’ and they should stop seeking him out. I expected darkness this late into the end of all things, but I wasn’t prepared for how far they have taken the concept of a fallen world, a corrupt spiritual dominion, and the idea of a silent and absent God. Although, Sam, Dean and Castiel have abandoned hope, I’m still rooting for the big Guy showing up and putting these recent events into perspective.

For instance, what exactly are we to make of last night’s episode? To be sure, it moved the story forward and possessed the usually strong construction of events and plotting, but at the same time it felt like an odd jigsaw of previous storylines, themes and confusing character motivation. There was also an extremely pointed finger at being religiously devout, and in light of recent events on the show, I’m having a hard time determining exactly what view the writers have here. Part of the problem may stem from the fact this seems to be set up as part of a larger story arc, but instead it played out like a short version of your typical ‘monster-of-the-week’ episode.

With the whore of Babylon, the boys had an interesting villain who was handled in a less than interesting way. Lying demons that deceive the multitudes in order to acquire souls is pretty much old hat on Supernatural, and it was clear from nearly the first appearance of the character that she was a force of evil and not good. By depicting the large majority of the ‘flock’ as willing to follow her insane ranting, there’s a diagnosis that most ‘true believers’ only do so because they need to so badly; the parents who eventually kill to ensure paradise, commit the act because they can’t deal with the idea of their son gone from them. The only contrast is the pastor of the congregation who recognizes moral decay and deception beneath the veneer of ‘truth and redemption’. In a nice turn, he doesn’t lose his faith, but rises to the occasion.

Or at least, that’s where the story seemed to be going. In a last minute bit of bait-and-switch, Dean kills the whore himself, ousting him as a ‘true servant of heaven.’ All of this, with ten minutes of the episode still left.  Sam calls him on it, but he eventually ditches his brother–after doing so symbolically at the end of last episode–and drives off. His destination? The home of his old fling (Cindy Sampson) whose face he envisions every time he imagines himself happy and away from the hunting gig. Dean shows up, tells her that he thinks of her often in the face of all he endures, and then promises her that arrangements will be made for she and her son when he cuts the deal he’s about to make.

Seems some people never learn, and Dean’s headed off to give up his meat suit to the archangel Michael for the impending apocalypse. Whether he’s forgotten that it’s Sam, wearing Lucifer’s skin, he’s supposed to fight or he just doesn’t care isn’t made clear. I suspect that based on the fact he didn’t even tell his brother goodbye, that it’s the latter.

I’m not sure I buy this plot development though. I get that Dean has grown weary of fighting, that he’s lost the one bit of hope he had–namely that God would show up and intervene–and now he’s doing the one thing that could possibly save everyone. But, his resolve seems to come after the whore informs him that the result of the apocalypse will be peace on Earth. Even after Castiel ousts her as a deceiver who never told the truth about anything, Dean still seems stuck in the same thought process. I suppose next week will help clear up the lingering questions of motivation, and we will see the actual outcomes of Dean’s deal with the angels.

With five episodes left, my guess is that it isn’t long before Sam himself falls to Lucifer’s desires. What of Bobby, who learned he might be the only thing standing between Sam and the devil? You’d think he wouldn’t be letting the boys out of his sight after that.

I suspect all will be made clear soon, and knowing Kripke and company have written God into the script, here’s hoping he has some good news when he shows. And if we are lucky, he will be played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

With Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opening this week, it seems time to take a look back at the critical punching bag career of Michael Bay. Outside of The Rock, Bad Boys and Transformers people have destroyed and tarnished his films. While Pearl Harbor is undoubtedly one of the worst things to happen to humanity, Bay takes too much blame for films that are otherwise purely and greatly entertaining. The guy knows what he’s making and outside of that film we shall not mention, he never parades them as “the most important film in the history of cinema making.” His flicks cater to the twelve year-old inside us all that wants to kill the villain in the worst possible way or go up and save the world on an asteroid (and really, when you’re twelve, do you care about the science of it all or blowing up the asteroid and being a hero?)

In all of his pictures, there’s something known as Bayhem. What is Bayhem you ask? Well I’ll tell ya. It’s the biggest whirlwind you’ll see on screen mixed with an explosion or bullets whizzing by you or both followed by some glorious slow-motion of the hero and or said action sequence. In short it’s mayhem that only Michael Bay can deliver, and what better way to celebrate the opening of Transformers 2 than with The Top 11 Bayhems.

11. THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR – PEARL HARBOR

My hatred of this film is pretty well-known, but I’m trying to include all of Bay’s film and this does qualify as Bayhem even if it does slap anyone involved in the attack in the face. Slow-motion shots of incoming Japanese planes? Check. Explosions up the wazoo? Check. Planes being shot down left and right and right and left? Check. Likely, it’s the least terrible scene in the movie but I can’t bring myself to call anything about this film good. The fact anything from this crap is on here is a compliment.

10. NAVY SEAL SHOOTOUT – THE ROCK

WHEW, now with that one out of me, we can move on to this brilliant scene from Bay’s second film The Rock. Now, if this had been “The Top 11 Best Directed Bay Scenes” this would be at the top as it perfectly captures the vulnerability and claustrophobia of being in such a tight location for a shootout. As it stands for Bayhem, it’s still great and ends very violently with the SEALs being wasted by Hummel’s mercenaries from above. It’s fairly gripping to see these men fall to their doom and you really wish they wouldn’t. The fallout of the scene leads to one of the best exchanges between Goodspeed and Mason as well as making the viewer feel, if for a minute, all hope is lost.

9. HANGAR ATTACK – BAD BOYS

Interesting fact: Bay took a pay cut on this movie so he could have the hangar explode at the end of this film. It’s debatable whether the scene needed it or not but who doesn’t get riled up watching Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett launch a small assault on Fouchet and his crew. “You forgot your boardin’ pass,” followed by a flaming body being shot out of a plane is badass, as is Trigger Mike’s leap after Fouchet as the villain tries to flee. It’s all gloriously capped off by a car chase and a really fun take down of the villain. As usual, we get the slow motion shots of our heroes against the sunset as well as Bay’s trademark helicopters. The best thing to me is Mark Mancina’s score as Mike plants one into Fouchet’s leg. Perfect hero music.

8. FREEWAY/BUILDING CHASE - THE ISLAND

A pretty underrated film in it’s own right, The Island did have a strong performance from Djimon Hounsou and was ultimately hurt by terrible marketing which gave away the twist and all of the film’s secrets (see Moon for how to market a film like this properly.) Part of what hurt as well was Bay trying to make this a summer blockbuster with a sci-fi story, as evidenced by the ending (which should have ended the moment a certain character died.) While to me, the freeway chase is a giant rip off of another flick on this list, the sequence that takes place in the building is enough to justify it being here. It culminates with a pretty unrealistic Looney Toones-esque drop that only feels right in a Bay film. Not to mention all the destruction the giant R causes as it races down the side of the structure. Ah, more lovely Bayhem.

7. SOCCENT BASE ATTACK – TRANSFORMERS

This was the perfect way to open Transformers as it begins with that wonderful noise that defined so many of our childhoods. What follows is a giant smackdown of the SOCCENT base in Qatar as Blackout pummels through tank after tank and soldier after soldier. It’s memorable to me because the moment that familiar noise was made, my theater rose and burst into applause and cheers. If Bay was trying to get everyone on his side, he did it within the first five minutes by giving that noise and one of those giant robots whipping all kinds of tail. This, coupled with the introduction of Sam, set us up for what kind of movie we were in for and it didn’t disappoint. Plus, who didn’t want a Blackout toy after that?

6. SAN FRANCISCO CAR CHASE – THE ROCK

The funny thing is Bay wrote this chase into the movie as it wasn’t apart of the original script. While that’s fairly obvious now, Bay still gave us a chase that aspired to be Bullitt on steroids. John Mason launches Womack over the hotel ledge, gets chased by Stanley Goodspeed and the Bayhem ensues once Mason takes a Humvee and Goodspeed “borrows” a Ferrari that’s not his. For my money, it’s one of the best car chases of the last fifteen years with glass being crashed, water tanks being destroyed and even a trolley and the Ferrari are claimed in a giant explosion to cap it all off. Connery’s exchange with the Humvee owner is short and priceless and Cage’s “hero shot” reaction is what the lot of us would feel after being in that. Probably the most badass part of the whole thing is when the Ferrari crashes though the glass from the parking lot. Yeah, I want to do that.

5. ROCKHOUND GOES CRAZY AND DESTRUCTION OF PARIS – ARMAGEDDON

Technically, this counts as one scene as these two follow each other. It all starts when Steve Buscemi gets hold of a gun on an asteroid (and if you’re still taking the flick seriously at this point, shame on you) and starts shooting and blasting everything on the asteroid. The asteroid gets pissed and causes an earthquake that claims an armadillo and one of the astronauts. What follows is one of the most over-dramatic scenes ever put to film with everyone running away and the man standing on the yellow taxi with a “The End is Here” sign. More Bayhem continues when an asteroid falls near Paris and in one fowl swoop the capital of France is leveled. Still, the highlight here is the montage of the world running in fear that has some sort of “we’re sure screwed now” type of mentality behind it. It’s likely the music, which is scored brilliantly by Trevor Rabin.

4. ASSAULT ON TAPIA’S MANSION – BAD BOYS II

Simon Pegg once stated “the film runs on for twenty minutes too long, but it’s the best twenty minutes in the film.” That’s not necessarily true, but the take down of Johnny Tapia is a wonderful action sequence that goes from Plan A, to Plan B, to even Plan C. Not content with the heroes fighting just drug dealers, Bay feels they have to fight the entire Cuban army as well. Bullets fly and magically hit only one of our heroes as they rescue Marcus’ sister and proceed to speed off in a Hummer as Tapia’s house comes tumbling to the ground and only to be finished off the only way Bayhem can be: explosions. The end of all this shooting and explosions does take heavily from Police Story 2 but Plan C ends with one of the best deaths of a villain. Even a lizard is claimed in all of this mess.

3. MISSION CITY BATTLE – TRANSFORMERS

“At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall fall.” Cue applause from anyone who’s a true Transformers fan and you’re witnessing the best thirty minutes in the movie. This scene displays all of the money that was put into making this flick and nary one time does it look fake. An entire city is destroyed as the robots pound on each other through seemingly downtown Los Angeles. Everyone gets their time to shine, even Optimus Prime who gets pounded on by Megatron and makes an exciting rescue of Sam. In addition, Ironhide’s Chow Yun-Fat like dive as he takes down Brawl (not Devastator, as the movie incorrectly states) is pure greatness. Starscream awesomely takes down a group of Raptor jets before tricking them into thinking he’s one of them and the scene makes Josh Duhamel cool by doing his motorcycle stint to take down Blackout. Enough Bayhem? I thought so.

2. FREEWAY CHASE – BAD BOYS II

It sucks this scene is so early in the movie as it’s my favorite scene and of the best crafted action pieces in a long while. The exchanges between Smith and Lawrence are hysterical and some of it feels natural. The real show stealer though is when the cars start being thrown at the pair by the Haitian drug dealers. Cars aimlessly destroy one another and no, Trigger Mike’s Ferrari doesn’t make it unscathed. Automobiles explode and then get launched from the top of the car carrier. They claim forty-two cars are taken out, but over the course of the scene it looks more like 100. Cars aren’t enough for Explodo (Bay), as he decides to end this with a boat taking out at least ten cars before another five police cars crash and explode into it. The sequence is one of the best car chases you’ll find and is filmed with perfect execution. My favorite exchange? “Know what would be real fuckin’ helpful Marcus? Just shut the fuck up and let me drive, let’s try that!”

1. THE ENDING OF ARMAGEDDON

Odd choice? Not in the slightest, as this scene is everything that IS Michael Bay. “We win Gracie,” kicks off one lighting quick edit of Harry Stamper’s life and daughter, moving onto slow motion destruction of the asteroid. Through all of this, Trevor Rabin’s score hits all of the easy dramatic notes that give the feeling of “WE DID IT!” Even more, there’s shots of people across the world celebrating and running into the streets with space shuttle toys.  It’s over-the-top, slow motion explosions complete with cheese for the resolution with it’s characters, and rapid fast dialog. But this is what defines Michael Bay as all of his tricks are at work in this entire sequence. Nothing is subtle or restrained here and yet it feels like the perfect way to cap off this flick. It’s pretty likely that those who hate this sequence are the ones who detest Bay and those who enjoy the ending for what it is are those who like him. In either case, no other scene of Bayhem depicts what he is or truly defines the man like this and that’s why it’s at the top.