News is going around today that actress Liane Balaban has been cast as Sam’s new love interest for season 8 of Supernatural. I don’t suspect she’ll be ridding around in the back of the Impala, but I do suspect she’ll be another Lisa-type character….a recurring female that we see every once in a while who may/may not get involved with Sam because of a case and he decides to keep going back to her.
That leads me to think: is there any place for romance on Supernatural? (‘shippers take note in this case: I’m talking about heterosexual relationships between one of the Winchesters and a woman because of the casting here). We all know this show doesn’t have a good track record with keeping women alive (Jody notwithstanding). And, more specifically, we all know this show has a terrible track record keeping women-who-sleep-with-Sam alive (see: Jessica, Madison and Ruby). I don’t dislike the idea of Sam and/or Dean having a girlfriend, but I have to wonder whether it’s really practical. What are the possible scenarios involving girlfriends on this show?
The Girlfriend as a Booty Call. Let’s face it, the Winchesters spend most of their life on the road. They seem to like it. We, as fans, seem to like it. Really, the only way to make a relationship with a Winchester work (assuming the girlfriend doesn’t die or get her memory wiped by an angel) is to basically have the most long-distance and inconsistent relationship in the history of relationships. This is essentially what Lisa proposed to Dean at the start of season 6: she knew that hunting was the life he wanted to live and so she sent him on his way, telling him to come back when he could. But that’s not really a relationship, and it’s sort of the only one that a Winchester can have. As long as Sam’s new girlfriend is okay with it, I guess this might be the best case scenario.
The Girlfriend as a Third Wheel. Like I said, no one wants to see the girlfriend become a permanent fixture in the backseat of the Impala (at least, no one that I’ve ever talked to), so I don’t think something like this will ever happen. I could see the girlfriend as a helper every once in a while, but not as a permanent fixture in the hunting life in general. Unless, of course, she was a hunter herself. But the new girlfriend is a doctor who, admittedly, may have a dark past, but isn’t necessarily a hunter. Could she become one after interacting with the brothers? Anything is possible, but this scenario seems less likely.
The Girlfriend as the End Game. I don’t think most fans want to see either of the boys give up a life of hunting and head off to the suburbs, at least not according to the reaction of Dean in suburbia at the beginning of season 6. Perhaps if that’s the ultimate ending to the show, that might be fine, but I don’t see it as something that happens before the end of the series.
Of course, with any of these scenarios comes the danger factor. Any woman involved in Sam and/or Dean’s life is a target. Dean knew it, and that’s why he had to cut himself off from Lisa (although we won’t debate the actual merits of his action). Will history repeat itself with Sam and his new girl or will we (and they) find a completely different outcome?
Sure, fans don’t have any problem seeing the Winchesters hook up every now and then (because it usually leads to shirtless scenes), but I’m very curious as to how fans might react to a semi-permanent fixture in Sam’s life next season. Do you think romance has a place? Share your thoughts in our poll and comments section below.
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The guys aren’t eunuchs. They need some feminine interaction sometimes. I’m one of the few fans, apparently, who wouldn’t mind seeing the guys with women in their lives, especially Sam. I want to see an end to the “peen of death” idea. I agree that having a woman as third wheel may not be the way to go, but I’m certainly open to seeing a woman in their lives WHO DOESN’T DIE!
I love Supernatural. Love it. But I reeeeally do. But I really don’t want to watch Supernatural: A Very Special Love Story. This is not a shipping thing but I think what people love about SPN is the epic love story of Sam and Dean. Two brothers who would die for each other. Two brothers against the world. Not two brothers who are torn between “should I fight on, stick around and see this through with my brother, my best friend, my hunting partner, my only family, the most important person in my life or should I go hang out with this chick?” It just doesn’t work on this show. Romance is good. In a romantic comedy or a romantic sitcom or a drama or whatever. I watch this show for the epic battle of good vs evil. I watch this show for the Winchester family and their epic saga. I don’t watch it to see the boys fall in love with someone and get picket fences and dogs. It’s out of character for them to do that. They know better by now. This can only end in disaster. That being said, I will watch until Sam and Dean are driving the Impala in Heaven, wind in their hair, smiles on their faces, ACDC blasting out of the speakers, down their two-lane asphalt for eternity.