Supernatural 14.13 'Lebanon' Commentary

                                            
Loved this one especially this season, the paradox worlds and how Dean (Jensen Ackles) wanted Dad (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) back in his heart more than getting Michael out of his head.  I said that was a little one dimensional in his wish seeing as what would they do after getting him out of his head.  It was a little like the three wishes a genie grants and they kinda cancel each other out, no matter how on the ball in your thinking you attempt to be, or how good your intentions are.  Same here.  What I loved most was how they added subtle flashes to their past and past eps.  Going into new territory but also old and Supernatural at its most exceptional in the early seasons.

Sam (Jared Padalecki) putting it simply of how he just saw Dad there on the hospital floor and not being able to say goodbye which is all he wanted.  Too close to home and brought it all back again, cos I wanted the same thing too with my dad!  To be able to say goodbye in person.  Lots of Winchester man (and woman) tears in this ep again.  Played straight from the heart (and not just Dean's - ha!)

The fact they got all those artefacts/supernatural objects and just came across a windfall, Sam just wanting to pull the cord on that teddy.  Hey remember the other teddy Wishful Thinking.  Yeah somebody should've done it.  Then going back to lore, baddie of the week, as well as Dean having to mention John Wayne Gacy's cigar box.  Heck clowns, Sam that could only spell trouble.  As well as Dean just parking Baby in the midst of all that trouble.  How easy was she to steal!  Then Dean's line of Sam hating clowns but having a penchant for serial killers.  Wasn't it good to burn his ghost.  But again with the faulty, slow lighter again.  Another harkback to the good ol' days.  I'll allude to those since some of the best eps were when Supernatural was just into 'monster of the week' territory.

Time changing, going backwards or whatever and everything being altered was as reminiscent of My Heart Will Go On with Balthazar (Sebastian Roche) and the Titanic not sinking.  Loved the part where Sam was a nerdy, self-help guru type and heck what happened to Sammy being a lawyer for good.  Dean being wanted again and those Blue Steel poses.  Yet Dean beign the voic eof reason here, when he said he's happy with who he is and knows who he is, whereas Sam not osm much.  Especially after Sam says that's what they could find themselves becoming.  Bottom line: Dean wa salways confortable in hsi own skin and doing what he does.  (Dean: wanted for so many beheadings, tell em baout it!)  But that he a step ahead in Goolging himself!

So an ep wouldn't be complete without angels and Zachariah (Kurt Fuller) who was still attempting one up on humans with his sidekick (which got typed as sidelick ha) in tow, in the form of evil Cas (Misha Collins).  Well maybe not so much evil, as smite-ful Castiel.  Even menacing with a display of his wings in the diner.  Cos yeah dude it was a flash to the first time he appeared to Dean after gripping him tight and rescuing him from purgatory.  Was waiting for Dean to say that, whilst still appealing to his better nature when they were fighting.  But that didn't happen.  Sam had to resort to sigels?? As Cas had to be saved but not Zachariah as he was already out of the picture.  Let's not forget Zachariah's reference to Constantine by calling Cas this.  Yeah Cas!  Who replies he's not familiar with that reference, Zachariah, 'you wouldn't be'.

As said before Eric Kripke made reference to Constantine when he wrote the character of Cas and I explained that in my Supernatural book, as well as my Matt Ryan/Constantine book.  I didn't notice at the time but did Cas have his old trenchcoat, will have to look.  Anyway, a year later and Legends of Tomorrow came up with a Supernatural crossover, only using Baby and other references not actually with Sam and Dean (Jensen/Jared) themselves.  Their act of revenge, ha.  Actually never did get that Supernatural/Constantine crossover I dreamed about and wanted so desperately.

In all the time they were out fixing stuff, Mom (Samantha Smith) and Dad must've had a good chinwag to catch up and it was immensely satisfying and heartbreaking the way Mary accepted John back and how he couldn't believe she was here and alive.  Then having to lose it.  Dad accepting he had to go back.  Back to another world, dimension, whereas we thought he was going, ya know elsewhere.  Okay I did.  But seems he was dreaming about his encounter whilst still hunting with Dean, at least.  Not sure about Sam.  Everyone able to have their moment with him cos all Dean wanted was a day even with just the family.  Sam agreeing he was right after all.  Some emotional scenes for many I can tell ya!  Cas walking in missing everything and wondering what happened...

References to Hand of Glory again mentioned in Red Sky At Morning.


Extract from the Matt Ryan Book P133-134

Inevitably when  Constantine aired, there were the inenviable references and comparisons to Supernatural and Castiel.  Cas all sexy angel with his trenchcoat and tie - loosely tied with the obligatory white shirt.  But everyone should wear - scratch that - all handsome men need to wear a white shirt and that goes back to my friend and I saying that to someone in college.  Well amongst ourselves cos it would've gone right to his head!  However in my Twitter poll that never was, I already got down with that and would've asked (well they didn't do polls back then) Who wore it better - Constantine, Cas or Columbo?  Hey, way before the comics were conceived, Columbo was making his own waves with his crumpled trenchcoat fashion statement.  Crumpled or otherwise! The white shirt and tie too.  So whoever wrote that in their article should've got their facts straight about that trenchcoat; tie and white shirt!  Cos when Supernatural first aired with Cas - I made those Columbo references and even to Misha Collins who plays Cas.  As well as in my Supernatural book and you know no one single person has a monopoly over their costumes or wardrobe!  If it looks the part, suits the character - where's the harm in that anyway.  Oh and let me also add all those film noir going back years had the hero in trenchcoat too, Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca say!

However, let me add that Columbo's wardrobe was no coincidence and it was actually Peter Falk who wore his own wardrobe and to his audition too.  The shoes were his and so was that shabby raincoat.  As were the mannerisms which were all ad libbed by Peter himself.  So let's hear no more about the trench/rain coat and who did it first!!

Eric Kripke, creator of  Supernatural  admitted he was into those  Hellblazer  comics and  Cas was a direct derivative of John Constantine.  (See later and also in my  Dudes and Demons Supernatural book!)

Referring to Supernatural as I wrote that was inexorable.  Even if I did that when I was watching Constantine.  There were many similarities between the methods used to fight demons (since they are commonplace anyway) investigate etc; so it could be said.  Besides Supernatural also did the same and I had to jump on that bandwagon too.  Heck people even criticized Constantine having an accent.

https://www.amazon.com/Dudes-Demons-Unauthorized-Unofficial-Supernatural/dp/1326608266/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mila+hasan&qid=1595197869&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Ryan-Behind-Becoming-Constantine/dp/0244677557/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&keywords=mila+hasan&qid=1595197973&s=books&sr=1-18

Ghost Adventures Quarantine "Dybbuk Box: The Opening"

                                             
Zak talks of how he didn't feel well especially after sitting on the Devil's Rocking Chair from ep 3.  How he had scratch marks on his back.  He said it was a message to him but he doesn't know what that means.  He continued with opening the Dybbuk Box.  Also commenting on there being a full moon.  I said that too, that with all that fear and energy is way out of proportion that he chose this time to open the box.  Explaining the Dybbuk - the mysterious figure from Jewish mythology.  He also feels that things prevented him from opening it in the past.  See 2018 Hallowe'en Special.  He also talks of a black, cloaked figure in the hallways.  Which he has seen personally.  Making you feel uneasy and withdrawn.  His tour guide, Virginia explains how she saw a figure by the Witchcraft Room. 

He speaks with Kevin Mannis, the original owner of the Dybbuk Box and he tells of the experience he had with Post Malone.  Recall how he suffered some mishaps after that, if you want to call them mishaps.  Zak felt a jolt through his body and he felt like something was going through him, like a conduit.  He felt terrified.  As we know, Kevin gave the box to his mother for her birthday and she had a stroke due to touching the box.  She felt "pure evil."  Kevin says the previous owner and others summoned an entity.  Thus the box leading to WWII, the Khymer Rouge, Korean War, the Bohpal Indian disaster.  The woman wanted to trap the evil and made the ten different boxes.  He has two, there are still eight.  The boxes "align with the tree of life from Jewish Kabala mysticism."  The lowest foundation is the tree of life.  There are two more, Kevin has six.  The boxes will reunite and unleash evil.

Aaron takes readings of EMF energy and Zak leaves a time lapse night vision infra red camera.  They remove the glass case and feel like they hurt their back.  Zak shoves Billy out of the room and says it manipulates you and Aaron leaves the room.  Zak wants to open the box since he's an investigator and has prepared for this.  All this time leading up to opening during a pandemic.  Perhaps the box was leading to the pandemic; wanting to be unleashed at this time.  Zak collapses and has to sit down.  Gary Galka also hasn't experienced anything like this before.  Zak had a nightmare about Gracie and about the virus.  Strangely it was actually Billy's dog that died!

Zak shows then what he captured on the camera, however the puff of smoke goes towards the right, what comes under the box towards the left.  It appears to be the same strange face that Zak shows in the puff of smoke.  No one mentioned it though. 

The blue on the bottom left looks like a creepy sort of a face.  The blue by the door on the right also resembles a face, which is a different frame to the shot that Zak showed.
Zak says the eyes resembles the eyes of a beast from nineteenth century literature and feels they caught the eyes of the Dybbuk entity.

Whilst heading towards the Box, Zak feels he is being stopped somehow.  He just want to see what the entity looks like and not go into any battle with it.  Setting up equipment to show the opening.  Don't you think the outside of the box looks like a smirking face anyway.  He tells the box about what happened with Post.  Opening the Root of all Evil box.  Zak tells Aaron to stop saying what he did, when he hasn't said anything.  The static detector doesn't detect any energy around the outside of the box.  Zak sees a black shadow by the wall behind the box and they hear a sound.

Zak has to sit down and he hears the Direct Link device say "Kevin."  I hear "Peggy."  Maybe it's me but I have a certain experience due to her relating to tweets.  Also the child's voice they hear, could it have been hers?  What does she sound like anyway, not having been to the Museum.  Also they do show a camera aimed in her room??!! Is it a coincidence that they had a camera there on her room.  The child's voice sounds like "help us."  Got chills when I heard that on my right wrist and an itchy feeling and again when typing this!  Am wondering if it had any significance to the Holocaust and WWII as the owner was a survivor. "Evil" comes through on the spirit box.  Billy says the temperature of the box raises 6 degrees.  Zak uses the SLS and gets a figure inside as soon as he commands it to "appear." 
Static now appears all around the box left by the paranormal figures. 

When he picks up the Roots of Evil box they hear a sound.  They investigate the Museum as Zak carries the box through it.  Had to laugh when Billy asks if he wants to say anything when he put the recorder on the skeleton's chest.  'Speak through your chest dude', ha.  Billy is adamant he respects it but doesn't need to touch it.  He touches the box and he respects it and protects himself.  He won't let it hurt him.  Zak doesn't see Aaron black out as he falls to the ground.  Jay didn't say anything either to the others.  Billy hears "I'll f**ing kill you."  Er, Aaron didn't say it!! 

Zak acts weird, going into long sing-y phrases.  A light anomaly is seen when Zak tells it to show itself on camera.  Billy reminds them they mess around and when they get home in two nights something will happen.  Zak tells him he just marked his destiny.  Billy disagrees and repeats he respects it.  Zak starts rapping the box table.  He doesn't understand why he did that.  He just knows he's being manipulated by the entity.  "The lifelong investigations on our bodies begins."  Three days after the investigation, Billy's family dog died.  What happened with Peggy after the box was opened is what I wanna know!!  Zak commands the entity to return to the box.
As for destiny, well you make your own and your fate is already written.