There’s just something about a Supernatural finale that knows how to reel it all back in and gear up excitement for the following season.

Where the fantastic Supernatural Season 8 Episode 23 initiated the visually stunning fall from Heaven, Supernatural Season 9 had the task of dealing with that fallout and the angels on Earth. Oh yeah, and with Metatron trying to become the new God.

While I liked certain aspects of the angel storyline (definitely actor Tahmoh Penikett as Gadreel or Castiel learning to be human), as the season progressed, I grew a bit tired of all the factions and the less than memorable angels.

And where Metatron had been such a cool new villain, it was as if the show couldn’t quite make him menacing enough. Yes, he gave the go ahead to kill Kevin, but it was almost as if the series turned him into a smarmy angel obsessed with getting everyone to follow him.

He was always just OK, but never the same as a Lucifer or Azazel.

Supernatural Season 9 Finale Photos

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So when a good portion of Supernatural Season 9 Episode 23 featured Metatron as Marv, performing miracles and getting the homeless people to (easily) kill for him, I was disappointed. Not only was it surprising that he only just started to try his hand as this Messiah, it felt a bit rushed as well.

That’s no fault of Curtis Armstrong, who I liked in the role and who provided some nasty villainy when he could (some of those intense stares and glares were spot on), but there was just something about Metatron that wouldn’t allow him to escape his scribe status. And maybe that was the point.

But I really enjoyed seeing him take on Dean, stop monologuing about writing the story and show just how powerful he had become. Dean may have had the First Blade, but Metatron had the Word of God.

That meant Dean got the crap beat out of him right before a shocking moment when Metatron sunk his angel blade into Dean’s chest.

I had a feeling something like that would happen, but not to worry. On Supernatural, death isn’t death.

Really, Dean’s quest and struggle with the Mark of Cain was intriguing. It was great to see him with some powers and fighting for his brother to take out the big bad.

It was good to see him easily escape his “cell” and team up with Crowley... but it was even better to see him ditch Crowley for his brother.

Sure, all the rage and intensity of the Mark of Cain added to Dean’s character, yet it was the brotherly moments that really shined through.

From Sam and Dean preparing to go into battle together as a team (even if they ultimately didn’t) to the truly emotional moments of Sam telling Dean he lied about not wanting to save him or even Dean telling Sam he was proud of "us," it was like a dramatic ripcord had been pulled between the two in a short lived reconciliation for the brothers.

And it made me love it even more, no matter how tragic the moment watching Dean die (again), to see Sam do the predictable and prepare to dive right into some messy and unfortunate deal to save his brother.

I guess you could argue that some of their reunion as brothers was rushed in the sense that the season dragged out their argument, but at the heart of Sam and Dean was that brotherly bond and willingness to do anything for each other, no matter the “fight” they might wind up in.

Was I surprised that Castiel didn’t rush down to try and save Dean? A little, but I guess he was so far on his own quest to stop Metatron (although kind of a lame win in the whole “I caught you saying something and everyone heard but you didn’t know” trick). And maybe he knew it was too late to save him?

At least that Metatron storyline was wrapped up, Gadreel made the ultimate (but obvious) sacrifice and Heaven can be restored with its winged beings.

So to see Crowley start his own final monologue talking about the Winchester predictability (he seems to have such a soft spot for them, doesn’t he?) as he stared at Dean’s lifeless body had me curious as to how it would close.

We all knew there would be a Supernatural Season 10, but would it really just be Sam saving Dean again?

Instead, (and while I could feel this moment coming) Crowley told more of Cain’s story and reveled that Cain too tried to die rather than carry the burden. And in a brilliant and memorable shot, as Crowley placed the First Blade back into Dean's hands, Dean’s eyes flicked open with a pure black.

Yup, Demon Dean has arrived.

In the end, even with its own flaws (and sure, Supernatural Season 9 had some throughout), everything was pulled back together and the major story lines felt like that had come to a nice close. But it was those Sam and Dean moments, the characters that truly make this show, and the wild possibility and fresh take with Dean as a demon that’s hooked me once again.

And maybe that’s its own predictability, but I can’t help but want to see the Winchesters to the very end. And now I'm excited to see where the next leg of the journey takes them.

Are you excited to see Dean as a demon?

Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.