This week on LOVECRAFT COUNTRY is what we’ve been waiting for since that first moment. We saw a world with aliens and monsters fighting on a battlefield for the fate of the world. It was just in Tic’s (Jonathan Majors) imagination, but the results from that first glimpse into what could be has resulted in a ride, unlike anything we’ve taken. There are twists, turns and things left intentionally opened. There are questions that we have on how our crew functions daily. Though the layers are plenty, the one thing we can take away from this entire season of LOVECRAFT COUNTRY is that without family there is nothing.

They have the book of names and a future they’re both hopeful for and dreading because of what it means for everyone involved. The duty they feel for one another trying to overcome things that they deem possible is set from the moment that first image appears on the screen. Every person is trying to fulfill their part in ensuring safety for their family. With Christina (Abbey Lee) close to her ultimate goal of immortality, and the word of Tic that he will come to participate in the ceremony willingly, meaning he’ll possibly have to sacrifice his life, every other member of the family is on Episode ten.

It’s eternally easy to talk about how you’d handle a dire situation but, courage under fire is something you don’t know you have until it’s your time to show it. Vampires, monsters, warlocks, and sundown towns, all get in their way for simply trying to live. What was a search party that got resolved quickly ended up turning into a targeted attack against their happiness. What have they done to deserve such attacks? They’re not a band of thieves. They’re not a band of outlaws traveling from city to city terrorizing people. The family is good. Traditionally, they provide a service so that other people of color could travel and feel safe. That is enough to still experience hell in this world and LOVECRAFT COUNTRY makes us sit on this fact each week.

I’m going to skip the big reveal, of which there were plenty in this episode. The anxious feeling of not knowing whether or not they’ll make it out of this situation is present throughout this finale. Amends are made and, quite a few times, we see the bond recertifying between family. Through anything, the one thing I believe they’ve learned, outside of how to do magic and their unbelievable family history, is that they’ve got each other’s backs. That counts more than any book of names or any invulnerability spell. With that shared belief and goal of support, they can do anything and I feel like that message directly speaks to us. Love, respect, honor, encouragement, faith, and hope in the people you claim to care about counts for more than any gift you could give someone. The thoughtfulness of actually being thoughtful often versus a grand gesture to make up for the times you forgot is paramount to the sturdiness of family.

So, while I’ll miss the parallel universes and blue-haired wonder-women reaching back across time blowing my mind up, I’ll miss the grit and determination to find yourself more. I’ll think about how to repair bonds of people that for no fault of our own might not be as strong as they could be because I saw two sisters with a lifelong of trauma caused by their parents come together, put it behind them, and realize that family is everything.

LOVECRAFT COUNTRY is a show about a place with infinite worlds and possibilities. You should be afraid of everything and nothing at the same time. Cops who know magic can curse you. You can use an elevator in your house as a portal into a far off land. Your house may be haunted by ghosts of people wronged solely because they were black. You may have to save your father’s life when he was young by going back into one of the biggest acts of domestic terrorism in the history of the United States.  What you will also do is learn to forgive, to truly love, and feel a higher calling to protect the ones you love no matter what. The finale is crazy and, in the end, you’re going to think about it for a while. It will affect you and make you feel but, after those initial feelings are gone and we begin to marvel at the sheer brilliance of this season, don’t forget to forgive, love, and protect each other.

Until next season, I got you, kid! For more on the series, check out our discussion with showrunner Misha Green or check out our review here.