The Unbreakable Bond
What I particularly enjoyed was that, despite the brotherly tension some fans are lamenting, Dean declared the following: “You and me? It’s all good. I don’t know about you, but this last year has given me a new perspective. I know where I’m at my best. And that is right here, driving down crazy street next to you.” Hunting next to Sam is – and always will be – Dean’s place in life. Sure, Dean may have been disappointed and upset with Sam since he returned from Purgatory, but even he admits that he’s better for having his brother around. When Sam suggests that maybe Dean would fare even better hunting alone and not having to explain himself to anyone, Dean dismissed that idea completely. Dean is not the soulless version of Sam. He may be hardened by Purgatory, but he still wants to do what he does and he wants to do it with his brother. Maybe part of it is because Dean has never been good on his own, but I think the bigger part of it is because Dean has a renewed interest in hunting after Purgatory (as opposed to his apathetic feelings towards it last season). And for Dean, hunting has always equaled the family business. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that that very quote was heard at the beginning of the premiere episode this season.
I don’t think there are any real problems for the Winchesters to overcome at this point. No matter what Sam says about wanting a normal life, he’s in this mission until it’s finished. And while he was reluctant to take on a normal case, once he was involved he gave it his all.
As for the fact that Sam never looked for Dean, I think we still don’t know the whole story yet. We’ve only barely begun to scratch the surfaces of both of the Winchesters’ past years. We still don’t really understand Dean’s connection with Benny and we certainly don’t understand Sam’s relationship with Amelia beyond the fact that he wants a normal life. How did she go from the annoying vet to the loving girlfriend? There’s so much story to be told here and, yes, it’s entirely possible there’s a very good and/or specific reason Sam never looked for Dean, but we just don’t know why that is yet. I’m so glad that Carver and the writers chose to show us flashbacks so that we could better understand the Winchesters’ motivations this season. Jumping ahead in time is a tactic Supernatural has utilized on several occasions, but we’ve only rarely had an opportunity to look back. And depriving us of that gives us a “tell, not show” aspect that doesn’t properly do service to the characters. That’s why I much prefer this format of storytelling, even if we’ve only gotten bits and pieces so far. Their lives are like a puzzle and I’m eager to see the next pieces.
At the end of the day, something needs to happen with Sam to bring him back into hunting permanently. If Supernatural does get 10 seasons as many people have predicted, we can’t have the next three seasons be all about Sam rebelling against the hunting life. Even young Sam didn’t hold on to that idea for that long in the past. I think he may have to give up the idea of Amelia and a home because his life is simply too dangerous for relationships. Dean understood that with Lisa and Ben. Sam might come to realize the same soon enough.
I think there’s a fundamental truth to the fact that Sam and Dean were labelled as soulmates in Heaven: there simply isn’t room in their lives for anyone else. At least not for romantic relationships (because there’s clearly room for friends/pseudo-family members like Castiel and Bobby). Maybe they’re a victim of circumstance, but they’ll never really find anyone else who loves them the way they love each other (and I’m clearly not referring to anything romantic here). They’re the only ones who really understand each other and the journey they’ve taken – together and separately – even when they’re fighting or they want different things.
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Very good review. I agree with everything you said. I really liked the episode and Sam never having a birthday cake made me cry like a baby!
Thanks for the review, Clarissa. I’m not having as easy a time with Sam’s attitude, though. I can’t help but feel that Dean coming back from Purgatory really put a crimp in Sam’s shiny new life. If Carver’s plan is to have Sam grow into his own person this season, I hope he allows the same for Dean. It seems demeaning for Dean to keep trying so desperately to convince Sam to stay when all Sam wants to do is leave. Dean should let Sam go off to live a life that “counts”, and find someone who actually wants to be his hunting partner. While maybe they were soul mates at some point, I just don’t see that anymore.
I don’t think Dean’s return put a crimp in Sam’s new life, I think that Dean’s newest quest isn’t necessarily something Sam wants to do. You have to separate hunting from Dean, which is, unfortunately, something that is difficult because Dean himself is so wrapped up in it that it defines him.
Is Sam a bit angry that he’s back in tthe hunting life? Yes. But was he happy his brother is alive? Absolutely. That doesn’t mean they have to spend all their time together. Sam has always wanted different things than Dean, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his brother. But the point will be rendered moot anyways because this too will pass eventually.
“I think that Dean’s newest quest isn’t necessarily something Sam wants to do.”
But why is finding Kevin only “Dean’s” quest?
So apparently Jess never baked Sam a birthday cake in all the 4 years they were together. Dean never gave Sam a birthday cake, even though he went out of his way to give Sam fireworks on the 4th and Christmas presents when John wasn’t around. Wow, poor, poor Sam.
I don’t think you have it right Clarissa. Dean’s purpose in life is to be by Sam’s side. Far from it. I think Dean needs to grow out of his need and had done a great job in the first 2 episodes, then these two clueless writers put him right back just so Sam can whine about wanting normal.
Dean should really just tell Sam “fine, don’t want to hunt? Ok. Let me drop you off and if you change your mind, call me” and then take off. Dean doesn’t need Sam and I hate it that this show is only making Dean the one who wants to be with his brother while making Sam wanting to be as far away from Dean as possible. How is that even considered a brotherly bond? It isn’t. There isn’t any brotherly bond and if the show moves away from that idea and allows Dean to hunt with Benny, or Cas, and let Sam live his happy, happy life with his dog and girlfriend, then it will work much better. Sam can do research if Dean needs him to. Otherwise, I’d rather watch Dean, Cas and Benny work together than watch Dean constantly be dismissed by his brother because Sam sees no value in Dean nor in hunting.
Of course Dean went out of his way to make Sam’s childhood special. I specifically referenced the Christmas he gave them when they were kids and that fireworks scene was wonderful as well. Dean did the absolute best that he could for his brother given the circumstances. But that doesn’t mean Sam doesn’t crave a different kind of life that doesn’t involve doing the best you can given the crappy circumstances. And Dean is never going to tell Sam “let me drop you off”. He doesn’t want Sam to leave him because he loves him. And even if Sam doesn’t love hunting, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love DEAN.
If Dean were to say tomorrow “I’ll give up this life and let’s go live in surburbia” I think Sam would take him back and they’d live a happy (if slightly less co-dependent) life. But that would never happen. The problem is that hunting is so much a part of Dean that some people will say Sam’s rejection of hunting is essentially a rejection of Dean, but that’s not really true. Sam sees them as separate things.
And, again, just because Sam doesn’t want to hunt NOW doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind in the future. You can’t have a show with only one brother hunting or Sam out of the life forever. Dean doesn’t necessarily understand Sam’s desire for a normal life (nor does Sam always understand Dean’s desire to do this forever), but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a bond.
I disagree. Dean does need Sam. He needs him a great deal. The Winchester brothers have always needed each other to balance out. When either of them is left alone, they go to the extremes of their personalities. That’s how you get Dean making a deal to bring Sam back in AHBL: Pt.2 and Sam hooking up with Ruby in S4. Yes, there was some individual choice involved in both of those decisions. But at it’s root, Dean didn’t know what to do without Sam and Sam didn’t know what to do without Dean. And Dean needs Sam even more than he realizes now because Dean’s time in Purgatory has left him with major PTSD. Dean needs Sam to keep him balanced. I shudder to think what post-Purgatory Dean would be like on a hunt without Sam to hold him back from time to time.
And Sam’s desire to leave is not about him not loving Dean. Nor is it about him not wanting to be with Dean. This about Sam finally realizing that he has options and hunting doesn’t have to be his life. For most of his life, Sam just resigned himself to the fact that the only option he had in life was hunting. It was never something he chose and nothing that he wanted for himself. He just decided that if he had to do it, at least he had his brother and he was going to make that be enough for him. However, after Dean disappeared and Sam didn’t have anyone anymore, he allowed himself to truly walk away from hunting and seek out other options. He allowed himself to truly be happy. Now Sam knows there are other options available to him, and hunting just to be with his brother isn’t enough anymore. Does that mean he loves Dean any less? Of course not. It’s just that Sam has spent so long living his life for other people, now he wants to live his life for himself. And I think he’s earned that.
“but we know that it’s likely Sam has never had a birthday like the one he spent with her”
Meh. I think Dean did the best he could raising Sam and I don’t believe for a second he didn’t celebrate Sam’s birthday, especially when Sam was a young kid. I could see Dean not getting a birthday celebration, but Sam was allowed to be in the school play, and got to play soccer, and was a mathelete, so I will never believe he didn’t also get a cake for his birthday, even if it wasn’t fancy or homemade.
And what about when Sam was doing the NORMAL thing by going to college? Jess baked him cookies, so again, I’m sure she also baked him a cake for his birthday.
“Dean has always found happiness and purpose in hunting, despite the loss it brings.”
I don’t agree that Dean has ALWAYS found happiness/purpose in hunting. Dean has questioned why he hunts and he’s struggled with his choice to continue to hunt. I think the difference is that Dean felt there was NEVER a choice for him. He wasn’t allowed to leave the family business. He didn’t dare to dream of any other kind of life. And when he was given the opportunity to live a “normal” life, he failed miserably. But I do agree that his experience in Purgatory has allowed him to find a purpose in hunting again. I’m very happy about this.
“Dean will never understand what it feels like to have a normal life, but he’s OK with that.”
I don’t agree that Dean’s okay with it. I think it’s more that he’s resigned to the fact that hunters can’t have normal. He tried and he failed and it cost people their lives. I would imagine Dean thinks this is what will happen to Sam as well. Dean does understand Sam’s desire for a normal life, but Dean wants to spare Sam the pain he (and Lisa & Ben) went through because he thought he could have a normal life. Crowley could easily find Amelia, right? He could have a demon posses her or just kill her, just as he did Kevin’s girlfriend.
And I would be more sympathetic to Sam’s point of view if he didn’t act like Dean had just returned from a year long vacation… and now Dean’s just back to cramp Sam’s style. Can’t Sam just pretend that he’s having some fun hunting with Dean again? Just for a little while? Guess not.
I’ve thought a lot about the Jessica factor since last night’s episode and while I agree Sam had a normal life with her, I think that what’s different now with Amelia is the fact that he’s more grown up. It’s the different way that someone appreciates something when they’re 19 years old versus when they’re 30. Yes, he did live a normal life with Jessica, but while I don’t doubt that he loved her, I also believe his first trip to college was a result of his desire to rebel against his father and want something different for his life. This time – without any real family left – he came to accept a different kind of normal life.
As for Dean, yes, he has occasionally questioned the need to hunt. Season 7 focused on that a lot. But, at the end of the day, hunting is Dean’s life. It’s what he’s good at and what he wants to do, he even said it himself last night. Maybe if the boys had been raised another way he wouldn’t have chosen this life, but they weren’t so we’ll never truly know. As for Dean truly wanting a normal life, I think he likes the *idea* of it more than the reality of it. He’s never really done well with normal. Even with Lisa and Ben he struggled with the concept of normality. Now, you could argue that it’s because he spent that year mourning his brother and that might be true, but the truth is that he’s far more into hunting than he is a normal life.
As for Sam, I believe he’ll be fully back in the game soon enough.
I’ve said this before, but one of the reasons I believe Dean/Lisa/Ben didn’t work out is because that’s not where Dean wanted to be at the time. He went there because he promised Sam he would. Basically, he was there out of obligation not desire. If he had been able to go to them in S2 or even S3, I think he wanted that kind of life at that time. But by the time he got to them at the end of S5, he’d been through too much and had changed too much. He just didn’t want that anymore. Sam wanted that for him. Also, even when Dean was with Lisa and Ben he still had one foot in hunting. He was never really out. He never really gave himself a chance to be happy. He was mourning his brother but he was also living a lie. Part of the way Dean defines himself is through hunting. So to give that up, to deny that, is to deny who he is. That’s the conclusion Dean reached about the “normal” life, and right now he assumes that Sam should reach the same conclusion. But the truth of the matter is, Sam is not like Dean. He’s never been like Dean. And yes, Dean would like to spare Sam the pain of failing at “normal,” but unlike Dean, Sam actually jumped into normal with both feet. He gave himself a chance to be happy; and he was.
Sam isn’t acting like Dean is cramping his style. Sam is simply being totally honest with Dean about what he wants. He wants out. He wants to live his own life. And unlike S1 when Sam left because he was rebelling against his father, Sam wants out now because it’s what HE wants. Of course he loves Dean, but he just doesn’t want to hunt anymore. And I don’t blame him.
Jessica, I always enjoy reading your comments, even when you disagree with me (which I think you did earlier this season).
I find your point about Dean not wanting a normal life at that time (beginning of season 6) interesting, because it makes me consider whether he WOULD accept a normal life at another time if it was a time of his own choosing. To be honest, I don’t think it would make a difference because, as we’ve both pointed out, being a hunter is such a fundamental part of Dean’s personality that it completes him.
But you’re right, as much as the brothers clearly love one another, they are very different people and always have been. I too think Sam is simply being honest right now, but I also believe that (sadly) his relationship with Amelia and a normal life simply can’t last. When that day comes I hope Dean won’t say “I told you so”. I don’t think he will, though, because I think he knows the pain of giving up something like that, even if it wasn’t exactly what he wanted.
Thanks for the compliment, Clarissa. I always love your reviews/comments as well. Even if I don’t always agree. :)
As it relates to Dean, I don’t know that he would’ve been any more successful at normal back in, say, S2 or S3 than he was in S6. But I do think it would’ve been more likely. Even if he was kind of in love with the *idea* of normal, I think he would’ve been more willing to try. Now, though, I don’t think there’s any hope of him ever choosing to give up hunting. Hunting is who he is. It’s the only way he can be happy now.
As it relates to Sam, I think you’re right. Whatever normalcy Sam tries to establish won’t last. But here’s a major difference between Sam and Dean. Sam still hopes. Even if in the back of his mind he knows that life won’t last, he’s still willing to give it a shot. And he’s willing to accept whatever pain may come from that for a few moments of real happiness and peace.
Regarding Dean and Sam…well, it’s all just so difficult to understand or wrap your head around because it’s such a reversal of the last several years.
I think we need an in-depth Sam POV ep to better understand where he’s coming from. I can certainly understand him loving having a normal life and wanting more of it. But what drove him there to begin with? It’s the point at which we’re jumping into the journey that is making the fandom uncomfortable with it, I believe.
And Dean…I get that he’s got PTS. I do. But he’s clearly cognizant of the “real world” and Sam and life, etc… How could he be so 110% against Sam quitting? For so many years, we had Dean saying, “I just want you to have a normal life.” Doesn’t he want Sam to be safe & happy anymore? Or is it that Dean is actually so miserable deep-down inside, that it’s his own fear of being without Sam? That he needs to go back to what is comfortable & safe (aka: hunting, the only life he knows how to do well)? I can’t help but think of when Buffy came back to life after she had died. She didn’t know how to relate, how to deal so she didn’t deal with it. She fought, she slayed, she had an unhealthy sexual relationship. I feel like Dean is going through the same thing. Hunting is simple, far more black & white than many other aspects in life. And Dean is blocking pain out. And after awhile you quit being sad and crying over that and get angry. Dean is angry.
You state, “Dean will never understand what it feels like to have a normal life, but he’s OK with that. Dean doesn’t really want a normal life. And while he sometimes hung on to the idea of it long after Sam gave up on the possibility, he knows that it will never truly make him happy or give him purpose.”
I have to disagree. All his life, Dean wanted a normal life. That’s what his character’s entire foundation was built on! It’s what made all of us fall in love with him – that he was this broken, wounded mess of a man that pined for something he could never have and hid it behind a gruff exterior. He had a normal life with Lisa & Ben. AND HE WANTED IT – he just never felt 100% comfortable with it and also wanted to be where he felt needed and good at what he does.
*quote*from 6.03:
LISA:I need you to go. You’re a hunter. And now you know your brother’s out there. Things are different. You don’t want to be here, Dean.
DEAN (emphatically): Yes, I do. */quote*
I think part of the problem for Dean was that he never got to just willingly choose to go live a normal life. If it had happened gradually and he and Sam had agreed, “Okay, this is what is best and we’re going to try it.”, it might’ve worked better – Dean could have been at peace with it. But as it was, he was filled with grief and guilt. Guilt being a HUGE factor. Also, the fact that Lisa & Ben kept being put in harm’s way was a huge deterrent for Dean. (He called her “honey”! that still kills me.)
I do agree with you on one point though:
“For a very long time, I think Sam repressed his desire for a normal life simply because he couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel any longer.”
I too, think that Sam’s anti-normal life for so long was based on not seeing any other options. And also his anger. Sam carried his anger with him for a long time though he was far more controlled with it. As I mentioned, I hope we get some real in-depth Sam POV soon because I think it’s really important to understand his mind-set this season.
I feel like there are certain things that really need to be said by Sam. 1. “You used to want a normal life for me. You don’t want me to be happy anymore?” and 2. “You had a normal life with Lisa & Ben.”
Honestly though, I find it odd that Purgatory was worse than Hell for both boys. This is the sort of treatment I’ve always wished we had seen of the Hell storyline.
I mentioned this in response to a comment above, but I really do believe Dean liked the idea of a normal life more than the reality of it. Of course, that’s perfectly understandable. He grew up in an abnormal way and for a little while (until he was 4 years old) he had the kind of normalcy that the rest of us take for granted.
And that’s an interesting quote that you pulled from Lisa. I honestly believe Dean was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince her. I think, for Dean, the reality of a normal life will always be more difficult than hunting. Sam seems to adjust to it far easier than Dean does. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, I just think there’s a difference in what they feel defines them.
I do like your last point about Purgatory vs. Hell, though. I don’t know if Purgatory is really being portrayed as “worse” than Hell, per se. For sure, Dean is more hardened and less angsty than Hell, but I don’t know if it’s worse. What may be worse is the fact that he went to Purgatory with a good friend (Castiel) and something happened down there with him. Dean is often very stoic about absorbing his own pain, but seeing other people hurt – especially people he cares about – tends to affect him even more. I’m very curious to see what comes out of his time down there. But yes, seeing more of actual Hell would definitely have been cool at the time :)
Outstanding review! And, please stop reading my mind. You have articulated my “analysis” of GR8 perfectly, and thank you very much for this. Have become your devoted fan, and, therefore, I’m apologizing in advance!
I think that that Sam is dealing with a lot of questions right now. Why does this have to be his problem? Why does he have to give up everything yet again? If Dean is so gung ho about this why does that mean I have to tag along? Why to all of this in general, you know?
It’s like it was over for him, he cashed in all his chips and he was done. Then Dean is back and it’s like this double edged sword. Dean’s return is the return of this huge presence in his life that represents not only good but quite a bit of bad in the form of baggage from the last 7 years. He had built a little bubble of “safety” for himself that helped him heal.
If you take Sam’s reactions to be a form of PTSD avoidance and numbing then his anger and wish to remove himself from the life makes perfect sense. And when you contrast that with Dean’s ptsd (hyper vigilance and aggression) it makes Sam appear apathetic when really he seems to be in a state of self care and self protection. That hard shift didn’t come from nowhere.
So, Amelia and the hope for normalcy isn’t something that should be shocking at all really. I think that it was for the best as before Sam tried to rebuild his reality with Dean as the first stone and this time I think he is trying to use what he needs/wants as the first step towards healing. So, it’s gonna be simple things like birthday cakes, school, a dog, and a place all his own with someone he wants to be safe with. The sheer absence of killing people, danger, death, lack of stability, pain, demons, angels, and grand wide reaching agendas that erase his agency. The absence of all the things that make up the hunting life.
I think that the reason the brothers are butting heads so hard has less to do with any hate or bad blood but more to do with the fact that these are two very damaged characters who are dealing with that damage in vastly different ways. Sam feels as if Dean isn’t hearing him so he becomes more apathetic which makes Dean become more aggressive in his attempts to get Sam back into hunting.
If they can find a way to talk in the middle ground then I think they can find a new balance in their relationship. But they are both going to have to open up and get real with each other and I don’t see that happening so soon into the season. So, I’m good for now to see how this plays out. I’m not so anxious to have them be buddy buddy again that I’m bemoaning this stage of development. Now if this stuff is still going on after the mid season hiatus then we gots some problems.
King B, I was having a Twitter discussion today with someone else who also put forward the notion that Sam’s behavior might also be a form of PTSD. I’ll admit, I hadn’t previously considered it, but when she brought it up I entertained the possibility. And you bringing it up as well makes sense. I think you’re absolutely right, I don’t think they hate one another and I don’t think Sam resents Dean’s return, but I think they are both very damaged in different ways and they want different things as a way to deal with that damage. Dean throws himself back into hunting because it’s safe and familiar, while Sam once again searches for something else (like a normal life) that won’t cause him pain.
For Sam, Dean doesn’t really want to consider the possibility of his brother leaving. And that’s not a new thing – he wasn’t happy about it the first time either. For Dean, he can’t really believe that Sam would just throw in the towel again after everything they’ve done together. They’re both coming at it from different viewpoints. Does that mean there’s bad blood? No. It just means you have two very stubborn and strong people who can’t quite find a common ground right now.
Like you, I think there’s a balance to be found. It’s been found before and it can be found again. Their shared history and love for each other will always bring them back together. The only question, like you said, is how long it lasts.
King B, thanks for your comment. It sums up perfectly what I think Sam is going through. I’ve been reading such negative comments about Sam on various websites & I think people are really over-reacting way too soon… let’s see what is happening after the mid-season hiatus (as you said). I personally think that both Sam’s and Dean’s year apart will turn out to be very interesting… and I think there is more to Sam’s story than meets the eye… for example, who was the person watching the house when he left Amelia? Anyhow, for now, I have complete faith in Jeremy Carver & the other writers & I think it’s been a very strong opening to season 8.
I enjoyed your review. A lot of people seem to have a problem with the idea that this was Sam’s first birthday cake, but it was never stated that it was his first birthday cake.
Sam looked surprised when Amelia said ‘Happy Birthday’ and she asked him if it was his first birthday cake. We didn’t hear Sam’s reply. So my interpretation of this scene is that it’s been a long time since he celebrated his birthday – probably when he was with Jess – and that’s why it was such a nice surprise for him. Some people also seem to be taking this as an insult to Dean… and I don’t think it’s got anything to do with Dean. If it was Sam saying that he’d never had a birthday cake it would be different, but that’s not what happened.
I’m really enjoying the start to season eight and the slow reveal of what happened for both Dean and Sam in their year apart.
The point for me is that Dean’s #1 choice is always with Sam, hunting on the road. Sam’s choice, given all possibilities, is clearly not with Dean, hunting on the road. So until the show shows me Sam chooses Dean above all other things and willingly, I am not happy. At all. So I guess Carver is saying this is Sam. ugh
My grasp on Sam’s motivations is slightly different, as in I think he really stopped wanting a normal life a long time ago, and even found meaning in hunting. He was the one telling Dean that hunting was worth something and spurring him on more than the other way around most of the time. In S7 Sam often told his brother not to die on him, and Dean said at the beginning of the season that if Bobby was dead he would have drove of a cliff, or something like that. I think that’s what happened to Sam when Dean went MIA last season, and they throw in some nice reminders of that in this week episode. Brick drove off a bridge when he realized his wife/mother was at the end of her days, and “he couldn’t bear the thought of a life without her”. And we’re talking about a guy who was described as married to a life who didn’t gave him the chance for anything other than sports and ONE person to love. He was closed in this codependent little bubble, and when that bubble bursted he found no other way out than drive off a bridge (he was so tired of it all). The resemblances are uncanny, and I guess what Sam tried to do the past year, and is trying to do all over again right now, it’s simply get his heart involved in something other than hunting, other than DEAN, in order to have something to cling onto when his brother would be gone, because let’s face it, one day he will be gone for real. It’s some sort of survival instinct. What’s disconcerting though, is that he seems almost brainwashed and disinterested in his brother, and I don’t get why. Plus, there must be something else that prevented him from looking for Dean the whole year he was missing, because that would be somewhat of an unforgivable thing to throw at us, and I trust Carver not to ruin the bros realtionship just like that.
Oh, and of course Sam came to enjoy the normal life he had with Amelia, but I don’t think he wanted that since he last gave up on the idea in season 2.
I don’t think Sam ever stopped wanting a normal life… I think he stopped believing that he could ever have one! And during this last year, when he thought he had lost everyone, he stumbled upon a ‘normal life’ and realised that he could leave hunting behind. With Dean back he is most likely feeling torn between loyalty & love of his brother and his desire to continue leading this ‘normal’ existence that he found. I’m sure more will be revealed as the season progresses (and I’m looking forward to this).
Also, in reference to his time with Jess, I wonder if Sam really does look back at this time as ‘normal’ anymore? He found out that his best friend at college was a demon (who introduced him to Jess). He was surrounded by demons, who were manipulating him, even back then. There is no doubt he loved Jess and he loved his life at college, but his memories of that time have to be tainted. So, from our (the viewers) perspective it was ‘normal’ but I don’t think from Sam’s perspective it would be.
I really like this debate you two are having (and that it’s being done so politely! :) Honestly, I went back and forth in my own head about this. I think there’s a lot of truth to what FB said about Sam really giving into hunting for quite some time, as I mentioned in my review. In fact, for a while there, he seemed far more into it than Dean. On the other hand, I agree with Karen as well, that maybe Sam really just repressed it a lot and still wanted it despite everything. But maybe he just felt trapped in hunting and with no one waiting back at home (ie. Jessica at the time), and all this destiny around them, he really just accepted it.
FB – I love your comment about the similarities between Brick and Sam and will admit I didn’t dig deeply into that. But I do think you’re right about something maybe being strange with Sam. He does seem a bit off. Not Soulless Sam territory or anything, but a bit off. There’s certainly more to his story than meets the eye.
Karen – I also love your points about Sam not seeing his time with Jessica as truly normal. Not only for the reasons I mentioned above, but also because of the Brady thing and associating her death with Azazel and having dreams about it before she died. Plus, he had the whole destiny thing hanging over his head at the time, even if he didn’t know it until a bit later. I think the situation with Amelia is different – not only because of his maturity and age NOW, but also because he was truly alone and had no destiny attached to him when he met her.
Yes, I agree. I think for a while there Sam truly believed that once you were in the ‘hunters’ life you really couldn’t have a ‘normal’ life and he repressed his feelings about it. I can’t remember the circumstance, but I recall him saying it was too late for them, but not for someone else to have a normal life.
Also, do you remember how Sam behaved when they first met Adam? Dean was really disturbed because Sam was talking to Adam in the same manner that John Winchester used to talk to them about not having connections and once you are in the life there’s no turning back.
But after almost dying himself (from the Lucifer hallucinations) and losing both Bobby and Dean, I can see why he would turn his back on hunting, at least for a while, to clear his head. And finding Amelia has obviously given him a new perspective. I’m curious to find out how this happened and also what baggage Amelia has, as they’ve hinted at this in some of the spoilers. I’m really loving season 8 so far.