"That's my good Girl'

Just recently got around to watching Supernatural's 'Abandon All Hope' episode and it left quite the impression on me.

* SPOILERS*

In the episode, Jo and Ellen Harvelle, a mother-daughter Hunter team show up and make their last stand and their finale is so heart wrenching and so tough and so amazing and perfect. They went out as heroes and as a family at the same time.

Jo, the daughter, is one of my favorite characters, I just love her independence and her sass. Even though she has the hots for Dean, and really, who doesn't? She still has enough self awareness and self esteem to not demean herself for his attention or sell herself short to be with him. I can respect a woman who would rather be a heroine than the lover, ya know?

Ellen, the mother, is just all kinds of ass kickery. She's a fierce mama bear not only to Jo but to Dean and Sam, and looks out for them all, while at the same time she doesn't cower in the corner and whimper about her babies being hurt.

In 'Abandon All Hope', Jo's mauled by a Hellhound while defending Dean and the others from these invisible monsters. She then accepts that she's going to die, tells the others to give her a way to hold the Hellhounds back, and when they try to argue with her, she shuts them down.

She's right, they need the Hellhounds to be disabled in order to reach Lucifer, and she's dying, so she might as well be the disabler.

However, Ellen is her mother, and she can't just leave her girl to do it alone. So they say their good-byes to the Winchesters and settle down to face the Hellhounds.

The following quotes that Ellen says to Jo is one of the best examples from Supernatural, if not from other media, of the love family can have and how family should be willing to sacrifice to help each other.

"Somebody's gotta let 'em in. Like you said, you're not movin'. You got me, Jo. And you're right. This is important. But I will not leave you here alone."

The men leave and Ellen's alone with her bleeding daughter. She goes on to tell her she loves her,always will.

But Jo's dead. Here we see Ellen break down. In previous appearances, she was firm, no nonsense. She would hit the men to get their attention, she didn't waste time crying or wishing things were different. She accepted it and dealt with it. To see her break down like this, seeing her realize she's outlived her only daughter, I felt so much for her. She shouldn't have lived longer than her daughter. She tells her daughter it will be ok, and sets the bombs.

She went out in a blaze, and took the Hellhounds with her.

That is how the Harvelles say good bye.

I hate that they had to die, I wish they could have made it to the end, to see all their work pay off, but if they had to go, I'm glad they went out like this. They gave the Winchesters a second chance, they gave Bobby more time. I only hope it was enough.