Alpha and Omega (Supernatural)

Last updated
"Alpha and Omega"
Supernatural episode
Episode no.Season 11
Episode 23
Directed by Phil Sgriccia
Written by Andrew Dabb
Production code4X6273
Original air dateMay 25, 2016 (2016-05-25)
Running time41 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"We Happy Few"		Next →
"Keep Calm and Carry On"
Supernatural season 11
List of episodes

"Alpha and Omega" is the twenty-third episode and season finale of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural 's season 11, and the 241st overall. The episode was written by co-executive producer Andrew Dabb and directed by executive producer Phil Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on May 25, 2016, on The CW. In the episode, God is severely wounded while Amara is now going ahead with her plans to destroy the world while Sam and Dean have a last chance to stop her. The episode is the last episode in the tenure of showrunner Jeremy Carver as he departed the show at the conclusion of the season, being replaced by Andrew Dabb and Robert Singer in the role of showrunners. [1] The episode also introduces Elizabeth Blackmore as Lady Antonia "Toni" Bevell, who was announced to have a recurring role in the show's twelfth season. [2]

Contents

While the season finale received positive reviews, it received less acclaim than the previous season finales, mostly for the way Amara's arc was ended.

Plot

Dean (Jensen Ackles) checks on Lucifer (Misha Collins), discovering that Castiel is in possession of his body again. Sam (Jared Padalecki) then checks on God (Rob Benedict), who is severely wounded. Crowley (Mark A. Sheppard) and Rowena (Ruth Connell) appear where they take them outside to discover that the sky is turning red as the sun is dying.

God transports them back to the bunker, where Dean decides to spend the last moments drinking beer. In London, Lady Antonia "Toni" Bevell (Elizabeth Blackmore) is notified by someone about the recent events, where she is revealed to have been looking for Sam and Dean. Back in the bunker, Sam proposes that they kill Amara (Emily Swallow) as the only way to bring balance to the universe as God is dying. God reveals that a powerful supernova may be enough to kill her. As He's dying and the Book of the Damned can't cast a spell like that, Castiel proposes that the souls of humans may be enough to make it happen. They also use ghosts from the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, pulling them into a crystal to form a bomb.

As the group tries to find enough souls for their bomb, the reaper Billie arrives and offers her help. Billie is able to get them hundreds of thousands of souls by raiding the veil between life and death which Rowena then places into Dean. After visiting his mother's grave, Dean makes amends with everyone and the weakening God teleports him to an enclosed park where Amara is. Amara reveals she knows about Dean's bomb, but also expresses regret over her actions as angry or not, she still loves her brother. Rather than killing Amara, Dean convinces her that revenge isn't worth it and no matter how angry you get at them, you still love family. Amara brings God to the scene and admits she was jealous when he made Creation and she wasn't all there was to him anymore. Admitting that God has created something truly beautiful, Amara asks for her brother back. God and Amara forgive each other and Amara heals God's injuries, saving him and the universe while Sam and the others believe Dean killed Amara.

God and Amara then disappear, planning on spending time together. Before departing, Amara tells Dean he gave her what she wanted most, her brother back, so she'll do the same for him. Sam and Castiel go to the bunker where Toni is revealed to be inside and banishes Castiel. She holds Sam at gunpoint, stating that she's from the London chapter of the Men of Letters and they sent her to retrieve Sam and Dean for punishment for their previous altercations about the Leviathans, Lucifer and the Darkness. When Sam tries to talk her down, she shoots him and he collapses. Meanwhile, Dean tries to find his way back to civilization and discovers Amara's gift to him: a confused and resurrected Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith).

Reception

Viewers

The episode was watched by 1.84 million viewers with a 0.7/3 share among adults aged 18 to 49. [3] This was a 15% increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 1.59 million viewers. [4] The episode was also an increase in viewership from the previous season finale, which was watched by 1.73 million viewers, but it was a slight decrease from the season premiere, watched by 1.94 million viewers. [5] [6] This means that 0.7 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 3 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it. Supernatural ranked as the second most watched program on The CW in the day, behind Arrow .

Critical reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
IGN 6.4 [7]
TV Fanatic2.7 [8]
Den of Geek Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]

"Alpha and Omega" received generally mixed to positive reviews. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode an "okay" 6.4 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "'Alpha and Omega' stumbled hard because there honestly couldn't be any other outcome to the Amara storyline other than a total truce. The ground rules the show had set up meant that it was either reconciliation or - well - no show. So while the season sporadically sucked us in by dealing with the fate of the entire universe, things still fell apart here at the finish." [7]

Sean McKenna from TV Fanatic, gave a 2.7 star rating out of 5, stating: "I was definitely wondering where Supernatural could possibly go after tackling the Darkness, but maybe bringing the battle back to Earth, and not on such a massive scale, might be a good thing? 'Alpha and Omega' wasn't the fantastic conclusion I was hoping for. Sure, there was a lot to like about Supernatural Season 11 with some strong and entertaining outings throughout, but it's a bummer that all that buildup pretty much got wiped away with an anti-climactic finale." [8]

Bridget LaMonica from Den of Geek , gave a perfect 5 star rating out of 5, stating: "In expected cliffhanger fashion, we're left with a couple loose ends, but this season had a different flavor. In a previous season, they might have ended this with the boys looking up in the sky, someone remarking that the sun is dying, and a quick cut to the end credits. I'm happy for the resolution to the Amara storyline and eager to see what next season will bring with this Men of Letters (London chapter) craziness. I'm also eager to see Sam's fate and whether Dean has found himself in Heaven or if Mary is going to be hunting alongside her boys. We've got a while before we find out." [9]

Sara Netzley of EW wrote, "Well, that was a different feel for a Supernatural finale, no? After a hugely enjoyable 11th season that saw some fantastic episodes (Baby! The Vessel! Don’t Call Me Shurley!), the season-long battle of darkness versus light ended with hand holding, family therapy, and a pillar of yin and yang smoke. Still, we're left with two mysteries to ponder until the fall." [10]

MaryAnn Sleasman of TV.com wrote, "'Alpha and Omega' was one of those finales that changed the landscape of the Winchesters' world but didn't also try to replace one big bad with another. The world isn't on the verge of ruin—for once—and aside from Sam, even Team Free Will's personal lives are in okay shape. I'm sure the ramifications of Mary's return will be horrific, and, in the end, Dean is just going to be more of a traumatized little boy than he was before, but in the meantime, just let the man have his mom." [11]

Related Research Articles

Supernatural is an American television series created by Eric Kripke. It was first broadcast on September 13, 2005, on The WB, and subsequently became part of successor network The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the two brothers as they hunt demons, ghosts, monsters and other supernatural beings. Along with Kripke, the series' executive producers included McG, Robert Singer, Phil Sgriccia, Sera Gamble, Jeremy Carver, John Shiban, Ben Edlund and Adam Glass. Former executive producer and director Kim Manners died during production of the fourth season. The series was produced by Kripke Enterprises, Wonderland Sound and Vision, and Warner Bros. Television.

"Swan Song" is the fifth-season finale of The CW television series Supernatural. It is the 22nd episode of the fifth season, and is the show's 104th episode overall. Steve Boyum directed the episode with teleplay written by series creator Eric Kripke and story written by Eric Gewirtz. The episode aired on Thursday, May 13, 2010, and concluded the series' originally slated storyline. The narrative follows the series' protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester —brothers who travel the continental United States hunting supernatural creatures—as they attempt to stop the Apocalypse.

<i>Supernatural</i> season 8 Season of television series

The eighth season of Supernatural, an American dark fantasy television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered October 3, 2012, and concluded on May 15, 2013, airing 23 episodes. It is the first season headed by Jeremy Carver as executive producer and showrunner. It aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm (ET) on The CW. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on September 10, 2013, in region 2 on October 28, 2013, and in region 4 on September 25, 2014. The eighth season had an average viewership of 2.12 million U.S. viewers. In the season, Dean reunites with Sam after escaping from Purgatory. The duo team up with the prophet, Kevin, to complete a series of trials that will allow them to close the gates of Hell for good.

<i>Supernatural</i> season 11 Season of television series

The eleventh season of Supernatural, an American dark fantasy television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered on The CW on October 7, 2015 and concluded on May 25, 2016. The season consisted of 23 episodes and aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm (ET). This is the fourth and final season with Jeremy Carver as showrunner. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on September 6, 2016. The eleventh season had an average viewership of 1.78 million U.S. viewers. The season follows Sam and Dean who, after killing Death with his own scythe to get rid of the Mark of Cain, releases an all powerful creature called The Darkness, who threatens to destroy everything in existence.

"Hell's Angel" is the eighteenth episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 236th overall. The episode was written by co-executive producers Brian Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming and directed by executive producer Phil Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on April 6, 2016 on The CW. In the episode, Lucifer tries to reach Heaven in an attempt to ascend to power while Crowley states to Sam and Dean that there's a way to lock Amara away.

"Brother's Keeper" is the twenty-third episode and season finale of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 10, and the 218th overall. The episode was written by showrunner Jeremy Carver and directed by executive producer Phil Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on May 20, 2015, on The CW. In the episode, Dean kills a hunter and decides to summon Death to help him with the Mark of Cain as Sam tries to stop him. Meanwhile, Castiel and Crowley meet with Rowena in an attempt to destroy the Mark of Cain.

"Don't Call Me Shurley" is the twentieth episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 238th overall. The episode was written by co-executive producer Robbie Thompson and directed by executive consultant Robert Singer. It was first broadcast on May 4, 2016 on The CW. In the episode, after Amara unleashes another attack, Sam and Dean look through a way to stop her while the prophet Chuck Shurley returns to face her. The episode finally confirmed the theories among the series' fans that speculated that Chuck was God. The title is a reference to the phrase "Don't call me Shirley" from the 1980 film Airplane! in a dialogue between Robert Hays and Leslie Nielsen.

"All in the Family" is the twenty-first episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 239th overall. The episode was written by co-executive producers Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner and directed by Thomas J. Wright. It was first broadcast on May 11, 2016 on The CW. In the episode, Sam and Dean set to find Lucifer/Castiel as he continues being tortured by Amara while God has a new strategy as Metatron finds a new Prophet. The title is a reference to the hit TV show All in the Family.

"Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire" is the first episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 219th overall. The episode was written by showrunner Jeremy Carver and directed by executive producer Robert Singer. It was first broadcast on October 7, 2015 on The CW. In the episode, Sam and Dean have to deal with the consequence of having freed The Darkness into the world while Crowley recovers after Castiel's attack. With this episode, Supernatural became the longest-running science fiction TV show in North America, surpassing Smallville.

"We Happy Few" is the twenty-second episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 240th overall. The episode was written by co-executive producers Robert Berens and directed by John Badham. It was first broadcast on May 18, 2016 on The CW. In the episode, God assembles a team of angels, demons and witches in an attempt to lock Amara away using the Mark of Cain to be transferred to Sam.

"Form and Void" is the 2nd episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 220th overall. The episode was written by Andrew Dabb and directed by executive producer Phil Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on October 14, 2015 on The CW. In the episode, Dean takes Jenna to her grandmother's house with the baby Amara, unaware that she is the Darkness, whom Crowley is looking for so he can use her power. Meanwhile, Sam works on a cure for the virus while Castiel is tortured by angels for Metatron's whereabouts.

"The Bad Seed" is the 3rd episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 221st overall. The episode was written by Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming and directed by main cast member Jensen Ackles. It was first broadcast on October 21, 2015 on The CW. In the episode, Sam and Dean are looking for Rowena while Crowley begins to take care of Amara so he can use her for his purposes.

"Meet the New Boss" is the first episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 7, and the 127th overall. The episode was written by showrunner Sera Gamble and directed by Philip Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on September 23, 2011 on The CW. In the episode, Castiel decides to go fix the world's problems as their new "God". However, he is being taunted by new evil forces known as the Leviathans. Meanwhile, Sam is now having hallucinations about his time in Lucifer's Cage.

"Our Little World" is the 6th episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 224th overall. The episode was written by Robert Berens and directed by John Showalter. It was first broadcast on November 11, 2015, on The CW. In the episode, Sam, Dean and Castiel begin looking for Metatron as he may have the key to the answers of The Darkness while Crowley loses control of Amara.

"O Brother Where Art Thou?" is the 9th episode and midseason finale of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 227th overall. The episode was written by Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner and directed by Robert Singer. It was first broadcast on December 9, 2015, on The CW. In the episode, Sam decides to go with Crowley to Hell to face Lucifer in the Cage for answers about the Darkness while Dean meets with Amara, who is unleashing her power upon the world.

"The Devil in the Details" is the 10th episode and midseason premiere of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 228th overall. The episode was written by Andrew Dabb and directed by Thomas J. Wright. It was first broadcast on January 20, 2016 on The CW. In the episode, Lucifer shows Sam his memories in an attempt for him to say yes to be his vessel. The title is a reference to the phrase "The devil is in the detail", meaning a mystery or loop on a detail.

"Beyond the Mat" is the 15th episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 11, and the 233rd overall. The episode was written by John Bring and Andrew Dabb and directed by Jerry Wanek. It was first broadcast on February 24, 2016 on The CW. In the episode, Sam and Dean investigate the case of the death of one of their favorite wrestlers, which may involve another wrestler.

"Sacrifice" is the twenty-third and final episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 8, and the 172nd overall. The episode was written by Jeremy Carver and directed by Phil Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on May 15, 2013 on The CW. In the episode, Sam makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to complete the trials to lock the demons from Earth with the last trial being Crowley himself. Meanwhile, Dean allies with Castiel and Metatron ordered to finish the Heaven trials but they were ambushed by Naomi and her Angels, finally finding out what will happen when the spells are finished.

"Keep Calm and Carry On" is the first episode and season premiere of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 12, and the 242nd overall. The episode was written by new showrunner Andrew Dabb and directed by executive producer Phil Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on October 13, 2016, on The CW. In the episode, Dean finds that his mom was resurrected by Amara and along with Castiel, discover that Sam has been kidnapped and set off to find him. Meanwhile, Crowley goes with him to find Lucifer, who was exiled from Castiel's vessel and is looking to find a new one.

"Rock Never Dies" is the seventh episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 12, and the 248th overall. The episode was written by Robert Berens and directed by Eduardo Sanchez. It was first broadcast on December 1, 2016, on The CW. In the episode, Sam and Dean find that Lucifer is using Vince Vincente as a way to start his new career with worshipers. They along with Castiel and Crowley seek to stop him from killing the audience at one of his concerts.

References

  1. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (May 13, 2016). "Supernatural Names New Showrunners as Jeremy Carver Moves to Frequency". TVLine . Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  2. ↑ Gelman, Vlada (April 8, 2016). "Supernatural Taps TVD Actress for Mysterious Season 11 — and 12! — Role". TVLine . Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  3. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 26, 2016). "Wednesday final ratings: 'SVU' finale adjusts up, 'Supernatural' finale adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  4. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 19, 2016). "Wednesday final ratings: 'Empire,' 'Goldbergs,' 'SVU' adjust up; 'Arrow,' 'Supernatural' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ Baron, Steve (May 21, 2015). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'Survivor', 'Survivor: Reunion' & 'Modern Family' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  6. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 8, 2015). "Wednesday final ratings: 'Empire,' 'SVU' and others adjusted up, 'Arrow' holds, 'Nashville' adjusted down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Fowler, Matt (May 25, 2016). "Supernatural: "Alpha and Omega" Review". IGN . Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Supernatural Season 11 Episode 22 Review: Alpha and Omega". TV Fanatic. 26 May 2016.
  9. 1 2 LaMonica, Bridget (May 25, 2016). "Supernatural Season 11 Finale Review: Alpha and Omega". Den of Geek. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Supernatural finale recap: 'Alpha and Omega' - A little sibling bonding prevents the end of the world, and Dean gets a surprise reunion". EW .
  11. ↑ "Supernatural Season 11 Finale Review: The Family That Slays Together..." TV.com .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.