Throughout the fifteen seasons of the show, Sam and Dean faced countless challenges. As the series went on, the constant loss of loved ones and their endless battle to protect the world began to take a toll on them. A brief, heartfelt moment from Dean in Season 13, Episode 5, “Advanced Thanatology,” beautifully captures how much they were suffering and hints at the difficult ending to come.
Dean tells Sam he desperately needs a win, revealing how much emotional pain he’s been carrying since childhood. This feeling mirrored what the audience was experiencing as the show progressed – every victory for Sam and Dean came with even bigger challenges. Dean, in particular, rarely got a chance to truly feel relieved.
Hunters Lead a Tough Life in Supernatural
The show consistently portrays the difficult and often tragic lives of those who hunt monsters alongside Sam and Dean. Over its fifteen seasons, we meet many hunters, but few survive to the end. It’s established early on that this lifestyle usually leads to a grim fate. Hunting is a perilous and unappreciated profession, and Sam and Dean were arguably the best at it.
Besides the episodes that moved the main storyline forward, Supernatural consistently delivered strong standalone episodes showing the everyday dangers Sam and Dean confronted. The episode “Advanced Thanatology” starts like a classic monster hunt, with the Winchesters investigating a haunted asylum and a vengeful doctor’s ghost. But this case arrives at a particularly bad moment for Dean.
Dean is still reeling from Castiel’s death in the Season 12 finale. While the Winchesters have lost Castiel before, this time feels different and more permanent. Over the years, Castiel had become like family to them, and for Dean, losing him was like losing a brother.
Following the deaths of Mary Winchester – and a brief return – and then Crowley, Dean was deeply affected. Though Crowley’s death didn’t hit quite as hard as Castiel’s or Mary’s, he’d become a strange, yet familiar figure to the Winchesters. These recent losses were all weighing on Dean’s mind when the episode “Advanced Thanatology” aired.
Dean’s Quote in This Supernatural Episode Foreshadowed His Death
It’s fitting that Dean’s death is hinted at and happens during a typical hunting mission, considering how deeply hunting is ingrained in his life. The episode “Advanced Thanatology” shows Dean struggling with exhaustion and provides clues about his eventual fate. His desperate need to succeed makes him take unnecessary risks.
In the episode “Advanced Thanatology,” Dean’s nearing death highlights how similar his situation is to past events. When he encounters Billie, who represents death, she senses a shift in his spirit. Dean confesses he’s exhausted by the constant struggle and feels he always fails to protect the people he loves. By this point in the series, Dean has lost the will to survive.
Billie emphasizes that Dean desperately needs a victory and sends him and Sam back in time to achieve it, effectively laying the groundwork for the last two seasons of Supernatural. Dean will endure further heartbreak as they confront Chuck, before finally earning the win he craves. The episode “Advanced Thanatology” foreshadows Dean’s future journey and highlights his readiness to embrace whatever comes next.
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2026-02-01 02:06