I'm still processing the finale, and am in that weird state of being very much in love with certain parts, while still not sure what I think about others.

What I loved: Everything to do with the boys and with Bobby. Dean's horror when Bobby was killed was spot on, and a very different sort of horror than the also-perfect reaction when he realized Sam had lost to Lucifer. Bobby's despair after Sam was lost. Sam's asking Dean not to look as he drank the blood. Dean driving up into the cemetery. The backstory of the boys and their non-hunting trips.

In terms of what the ep brought regarding Sam and Dean, I am satisfied. Yes, there are some very open ends, but there is also a season six. I will be gnawing anxiously at some of those open ends (possibly committing fic to ease the anxiety), but am content to wait and see on others.

What I'm still dubious about: Much of the actual apocalyptic storyline. I'm glad the boys got more attention in the story, but there are some gaps in what happened that feel (to me) less like loose ends that will be wrapped up and more like "just move along folks, gotta keep the narrative going." The biggest issue I have is that I really didn't give a rat's ass about Michael. Even in his brief appearance, I thought Raphael had more depth of character than what they gave Michael. Lucifer and Gabriel were, of course, glorious and memorable. I didn't get a sense of who Michael was other than someone who took his filial duty to an assholish extreme. Zachariah was a much more interesting foil.

None of the codas are hitting the right button for me, but I think I need more time to let it all sink in. I usually need some time to figure out for myself where I think it will go, and where I want to go, first.

None of the codas are hitting the right button for me, but I think I need more time to let it all sink in.

I am very deliberately not reading any coda fic right now. I still need to process, and I think most 'fixit' fic would annoy me to no end.

I am very deliberately not reading any coda fic right now. I still need to process, and I think most 'fixit' fic would annoy me to no end.

I'm mostly reading "break it MORE!" fic.

Which is very little of what's out there. Sadly.

Yeah, that fic doesn't show anything that Dean did that was shitty. Just that he thought of himself that way. And that? Textbook Dean with an extra helping of mourning.

Right--I forgot about the saying goodbye to Bobby in the timeline. I don't remember how he's dressed for that, but I'd imagine it's a pretty compressed timeline. Like Amy said, alone is not good for him right now.

I'm mainly wondering how much time between Dean showing up at Lisa's and Sam appearing outside.

Yeah, it's hard to see, clotheswise. It could be the same outfit.

Lucifer messing with Sam during the mirror scene(s) [...] seems like a long way to go to remind us that Lucifer is a bad guy.

I think it was a long way to go (but not in a bad way) to show us the destiny involved in Sam embracing the Lucifer choice and I think it all paid off marvellously with the look on Sam's face after the demons were all killed. Plus I'm sure it will have ramifications about whoever/whatever he is now.

eta:

I need to avoid fixit fic that thinks the finale was broken. I liked the finale. Putting things back together after that pain, easily or hard, that is interesting.

Doesn't make him a shitty dad to YOU

I understand where you are all coming from and if it had said Dean thought he was a shitty dad that would be different from putting forth the declaritive statement that Dean was a shitty dad. "Dean is a dick, basically." For that to happen, Dean has to do something that causes that state to come into being. I have a hard time getting to that place for Dean. He probably thinks he is a shitty boyfriend, son, brother, father, everything, but doesn't mean he was.

And now I realize that I am arguing a point in a coda that I don't really care about. I can go along with Dean is a shitty dad. This is one of those moments though when I'm thinking I was watching a different show and a different Dean.

that would be different from putting forth the declaritive statement that Dean was a shitty dad

Eh. It's Dean POV.

and if it had said Dean thought he was a shitty dad that would be different from putting forth the declaritive statement

It was his POV. Like, in-head narration.

So, for me, it was Dean's thoughts about himself. Not an outside judgment.

eta: Oh. ita already said that. Whoops.

I didn't get a sense of who Michael was other than someone who took his filial duty to an assholish extreme.

I pretty much agree. And I've got to admit, I was a little narratively disappointed in the Stand-Off of Meaningful Dialog between Lucifer and Michael.

I didn't get a sense of who Michael was other than someone who took his filial duty to an assholish extreme.

I don't think we were meant to, though? He seemed to be a symbol to me, in a way Lucifer wasn't.

Lucifer was (possibly) what Sam could have been, taken to the extreme, embracing the darkside and its power.

Michael was, well, Dean. Until very recently. A Dean who never learned that he could choose something outside of what his father had trained him to do.