Here is the Metallica “Nothing Else Matters” intro section to 13×01 Lost and Found (and the season’s opener) thanks to Wayward Winchester on YouTube.
These season openers often narrate the thematic arc and its threads to come, and this one does so beautifully.
Firstly, there is an extended sense of family here. So when Metallica croons “Nothing else matters,” that is, thanks to the image juxtapositions, clearly a reference to family, but that family includes Bobby, Jodie, Eileen, Cas, Jack (ambivalently of course) and even (for Dean) Crowley, as well as Mary, Sam and Dean.
Family don’t end in blood = a key season theme. And one that also nicely sets up Wayward Sisters, as we get both Jodie and Claire shots.
We see first of all what has been lost and found (the episode is, after all, called “Lost and Found”).
Firstly, Dean finding Mary thanks to Amara’s resurrection, at the start of the previous season:
Then Castiel, also from 12×01 Keep Calm and Carry On, crashing to earth through the mystery spot sign after an angelic banishing.
These are the key figures who have been previously found (both resurrected after death, Castiel several times, Mary once) and are now presumed dead again, but will, of course, eventually be found by Sam and Dean once more as S13 progresses.
Losing and finding Cas and Mary = emotionally central to the season.
“So close, no matter how far” croons Metallica, as Dean and Mary embrace.
Yes, we know about Dean’s special connection to his mother and all the changes that connection has been through following her return from the dead, as Dean has had to confront her as a living person, not an idealised memory, but how he loves her still no matter what, and now longs for her once again.
This theme about growing emotionally through revisiting family trauma as an adult, a key theme last season, will continue to be key this season.
“Forever trusting who we are,” sings Metallica as we get first a Sam/ Eileen hug and then a Dean/ Cas hug immediately following.
Subtext alert – this direct parallel positions the two relationships as equivalent and therefore equally coded as romantic. Although, hello heteronormativity, this relies on the previous textual signalling of a Sam/ Eileen romantic interest, which took all of 5 seconds for the general audience to get and it’s 9 seasons and counting for Dean/ Cas subtext. However, the parallel is edited in here deliberately. Carefully juxtaposed with the words, “Trusting who we are,” which have a special meaning for LGBTQ+ people, because… that’s always a journey.
This Metallica song is, by the way, a love song, written by James Hetfield whilst on the phone to his girlfriend (see the Wiki page).
Dean/ Cas continues as a subtextual thread this season (no surprises there, and no promises it will do anything except remain subtextual, but hey, I’d rather have you, cursed or not).
“And nothing else matters,” Metallica continue as we get Winchester family photos, Sam, Dean and Mary hugging at the bunker, and both Sam and Dean helping Cas to his feet after he almost died following the stabbing with the Michael lance.
Family is what matters and Castiel is included in the Winchester family.
Metallica continues, “I’ve never opened myself this way,” as we look straight into Dean’s face.
Uh huh. This both references Dean’s “profound bond” with Cas, and his bond with his mother. The textual covers the sub-textual, as the next shot we get is of Mary.
Sam’s grief at losing Eileen, is once again paralleled with Dean’s grief at losing Cas, as the song continues, crooning, “Never cared for what they say,” as we see Dean yelling “Nooooooo” at losing Cas to Jack’s power and then Eileen dead with Sam leaning over her sorrowfully.
We also see Cas’ death at the hands of Lucifer and Dean yelling “Nooooooo” again…
Key takeaway – the subtext is strong with this season… (although isn’t it sad that the trope of grief for a dead “buddy” as a permissible way to show masculine love persists, whilst a simple, living, reciprocated declaration remains so hard).
The final shot of Jack, immediately follows Dean kneeling by Cas’ body, making it clear that, as far as Dean is concerned he lost the love of his life his best friend and all he got was a shitty Nephilim in exchange:
This places Dean, of course, in John Winchester’s shoes, who lost the love of his life, Mary (however much their relationship was full of fault lines) and had to become a sole parent to two traumatized boys. Dean is filled with resentment towards Jack, just as John clearly was about his situation, which, as we know, led to some bad parenting.
So, the Sam and Dean parenting dichotomy – another key theme of S13 – is clearly set up here too and carries on as the episode progresses, with Dean wanting to kill Jack and Sam wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. Because being parents themselves is bound to bring up A LOT OF OLD STUFF, such as Dean having had to be Sam’s parent and Sam feeling “tainted” with demon blood, hence his empathy for Jack as Lucifer’s son.
Overall, this is going to be an emotion focused season…
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