I can’t recall the last time I felt so anxious about the ending of a Supernatural episode. Because this show sometimes has a tendency to blindside me with endings that I wasn’t expecting, or choices made by characters that I wasn’t thrilled about. This week’s episode was all about “revenge” for wrongdoings, but in the Winchesters’ hands it became a sort of catharsis for airing grievances and it worked for a little while, actually. Right up until that end moment that might have been a setback the show didn’t really need.
The Benny Issue
The Winchesters were feeling very tense after Sam finally met with Benny in last week’s episode and it’s clear that it’s a touchy subject. Dean seemed determined to ignore the tension in the usual Winchester male style while proposing a new case, but Sam wanted to confront it, so Dean agreed. According to him, Benny is a good vampire and Sam needs to understand that. Sam is not convinced, bringing up Amy as an past example. Dean’s explanation is that “people change” and that Sam doesn’t know what Purgatory was like and how it brother him and Benny together. Frankly, that’s not a good enough reason. One of the problems the Winchesters have (besides a total lack of communication) is this belief that neither really understands what the other one is going through. That’s completely false. In fact, I’d wager that there’s no one else in the world who really gets what the other one is going through better than the brothers. When Sam said he understood that Dean needed to befriend Benny in order to survive Purgatory but why didn’t he kill him when they got out, Dean sniped back that Sam couldn’t possibly understand what Purgatory wasn’t like. What’s the reason for the forced distance you have to put between you and your brother, Dean? Dean reacted this way after returning from Hell as well, refusing to share his experiences not only out of shame, but also a belief that Sam couldn’t possibly understand it. Then Sam went to Hell and they didn’t really talk about his experiences either.
What’s wrong with admitting that they’ve both suffered torment and loss and believing that they can understand each other? Why must they isolate themselves by claiming the other one can’t possibly understand their pain? And even if they haven’t experienced Hell or Purgatory or losing a girlfriend or whatever else they’ve suffered, what’s wrong with believing that someone can comprehend and sympathize with your plight even if they haven’t experienced it themselves? It’s call human empathy, boys. It’s a thing.
New Bobby
After this mini-confrontation, the boys headed to Missouri to investigate a strange death. While there, they found a familiar fase at one of the crime scenes: Garth! The brothers – and viewers – quickly realized that Garth had changed a little bit. Now he’s answering multiple cell phones and dishing out advice to other hunters, leading Sam to conclude that Garth is the new Bobby. Dean was appalled, but Garth confirmed it, saying that the brothers had disappeared and someone needed to take over the role. This is why I lament the fact that while Supernatural is a show about hunting, we have no real idea of the scope or behavior of the hunting community at large. Sure, we’ve met individual hunters (many of whom have been amazing guest stars), but we don’t really understand the size of the hunting community or its behavior. We know that some hunters took issue with Sam (and Dean, by extension), so would it have made a difference if the two of them hadn’t disappeared for a year? Would they have taken up Bobby’s mantle? It’s unlikely for the aforementioned “issue with Sam” reason, as well as the fact that neither Winchester seems like the type to take on Bobby’s “patriarch” role.
Still, Garth has taken the job seriously and he’s rather good at it. I’m liking this more mature Garth who still retains a lot of his goofiness but seems to be more settled and serious (even if he does have MC Hammer as a ringtone).
Off the trio went to investigate what became a rash of deaths, all of which seemed to revolve around a need for revenge, even for petty slights in the past. The boys quickly realized that a spectre (or avenging ghost) was the culrpit here, possessing one person after another and having them wreak vengenace on someone who had wronged them.
The boys believed that the body of an unknown Confederate solider might be linked to the deaths, since a group of kids had vandalized the grave and the first murderer had recently visited it, but burning the soldiers’ bones didn’t seem to help. Then they concluded that an object linked to the solider must have been responsible and that turned out to be true: a penny the solider had worn around its neck was passed from person to person, causing the ghost to possess them and turn them into killers.
Winchester Fight #1,048,926
The biggest problem began when Dean was handed the penny. Sam and Garth returned to the motel room to find Dean sitting there, ignoring his ringing phone. When Sam asked what he was doing, Dean raised his gun to his brother and prepared to unleash a whole lot of repressed emotions.
Ruby was mentioned. So was drinking demon blood. In fact, Sam’s past sins were listed one by one as Dean accused him of betraying him over the years. Then it got even harsher, with Dean claiming that Benny had been more of a brother to him this past year than Sam had ever been. After all, Sam and even Castiel had betrayed Dean at one point or another, while Benny had not.
These were harsh, harsh words from Dean. But you know what? They needed to be said. Some of them, at least, but most definitely not the part about Benny being a better brother than Sam. That was out of line and blatantly untrue. I won’t be an apologist for Sam. He’s made some bad choices in the past. Has he paid for them? Tenfold. Has he sought and achieved redemption for them? Absolutely. Should he be forgiven? Yes. And Dean has made some bad choices as well. Have they always resulted in actually betraying Sam and their bond? Not necessarily, but he’s not blameless. And yet, Dean holds on to his anger and the betrayal like a shroud because the brothers are terrible at communicating their issues with one another and even though he’s confronted Sam about these past sins, it’s clear that the pain has resurfaced in the wake of Sam’s decision not to look for him. In fact, Dean screamed that Sam chose to let him rot in Purgatory solely for a girl.
That’s when Sam punched him, attempting to defuse the situation and prevent Dean from hurting him. The brothers tussled until Garth stepped in. Fortunately, he was able to punch Dean and get him to drop the penny, thus ending the possession.
Dean’s Familial Bonds
Outside of the motel room, Garth and Dean parted ways, with Dean finally accepting that Garth can act as the new “Bobby”. It’s not a surprise that Dean was so prickly about the situation early in the episode. Dean is very possessive about the people he loves, wanting to keep them close because of how much self-value he derives from them. These relationships are both a blessing and a crutch. Considering Dean has spent the last year fighting for his life and not being able to properly grieve Bobby’s second loss while in between hunting monsters from Purgatory, it’s acceptable that he might still be working through that grief. In some respects Garth was right. Bobby belonged to the hunting community as a whole. On the other hand, I can understand what would have been Dean’s likely argument: that Bobby held a special place in the Winchesters’ lives and them in his because of their close familial bond. They both had solid points, but the truth is that Bobby is gone (just bring him back, PLEASE!) and someone needed to step up. Garth seems to be flourishing in the job, so it’s only right that he continue.
Before leaving Garth reminded Dean that without Bobby, Sam is the only person that he has left. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this from an outside observer. Remember the season 5 episode “The Real Ghostbusters” when the LARPers told Dean that no matter what he still had a brother who would die for him? Their life of close quarters and regrettable choices must grate on them, but the truth is that there really is no one more important to them than each other.
A Better Understanding
Before we get to that final Supernatural scene that I took issue with, let’s go back to Sam’s flashbacks. All this time we’ve been trying to understand why Sam chose not to look for Dean and this episode, more than any other this season, seemed to explain it. At least, if you look between the lines. It also presented Amelia in a more positive light than she’s been portrayed up until now. A few flashbacks revealed that the two of them slept together at some point after they met up again in the motel and Amelia finally told us her story: her husband had enlisted in the army a little while ago and then died while on duty in Afghanistan. His choice to join the army in the first place came as a shock and his death resulted in – in her opinion – too much sadness and pity. She picked up and left, seeking a new life elsewhere.
She also gently but firmly kicked Sam out, telling him that she doesn’t want pity from him and that this can’t really go anywhere. But Sam isn’t one to be deterred and he soon returned to tell her that he doesn’t pity her, he understands her. As he put it, he had lost his brother recently and “my world imploded”. “I ran, just like you,” he told Amelia.
That line more than any other made me realize the headspace Sam was in. Maybe this was one time too many for loses. I don’t see it as Sam not looking for Dean, per se, I see it as Sam running from everything out of grief. Was it a bit of a cowardly move? Not necessarily, because we can’t possibly understand the amount of staggering loss and grief that Sam has suffered over the course of his life that would lead him to run when it simply became too much.
Was it the right choice to make? The truth is that Dean likely wouldn’t have reacted like that. But does that mean that Dean loves Sam MORE than Sam loves Dean? No. Because the reason Dean would have looked for Sam is the same reason that Dean got prickly over Garth stepping into Bobby’s shoes: Dean needs his family. He keeps them tethered to him (and not in a bad way, so don’t start harping on my choice of words here), because he loves them and he needs them. Sam, on the other hand, is a bit of a runner (or more independent, if you will). It’s not a personality flaw to want to run from your problems. A lot of people do it. And considering how much Sam has had to sacrifice for the cause, it’s not surprising that he would finally say enough is enough. Sam is more independent than Dean, but he suffered terribly after the loss of his brother and nothing displayed that more than his quiet confession to Amelia, as well as his acceptance of her offer to talk about it. Sam was trying to work through his grief in some of the only ways he knows how.
Now, you can argue all you want about Sam acting out of character or that he should be demonized for not looking for Dean. Frankly, unlike some of his other questionable choices, I don’t think he should take the blame for this. Dean was angry about Sam’s choice and he might be the only person in the world who has the right to be. His feelings about the situation were clearly heightened because of the ghost, but he needed to get that all out. And yet, to me, Sam’s reaction was understandable. He doesn’t so much as make a conscious choice not to search for Dean as he made an unconscious choice to run from his grief.
Unresolved
Which brings us to that ending. Sam decided to finally come clean about Amelia, which was the right thing to do. And for a moment there I actually thought that there could be peace between them. Yes, Dean’s barbs against Sam while he was possessed were cruel, but there was a kernel of truth to them. Sam shouldn’t be punished forever, but Dean’s frustration was understandable. And I thought Sam’s admission about Amelia was a step in the right direction.
But then Sam had to bring up Benny again and restart the whole war between them. Look, however you might feel about Amy or Lenore or the other “monsters” the boys have let go, Benny is not the worst sin committed by either brother. Dean tends to lie by omission most of the time (see: season 2 and John’s dying words to him), but Benny is hardly the biggest problem the Winchesters have. He’s a single vampire out there in the world who may/may not actually turn out to be a good guy. Dean was justified in expressing his anger to Sam about the whole “not looking for me” thing, but Sam was right about the fact that he had been 100% honest about that from day 1. And peace might have been achieved if Sam didn’t drag Benny back into the situation.
I didn’t like those final moments. I’ve said this many times (despite the fact that some people have attempted to declare differently as if trying to prove some conspiracy), but I like both of the brothers. And I’ve always believed that both of them are deeply flawed individuals who are nonetheless heroes. Yes, they make mistakes, but they try to atone for them or set them right. They are not monsters. So why must we have this conflict over Benny? It’s unnecessary. And it’s not even the characters’ fault here, it’s the writers. Benny is hardly the worse thing to ever happen to the Winchester brotherly bond, so why must we prolong it as if he’s some sort of outside factor that could possibly divide them forever?
I think that Dean would be willing to let Benny die by another hunters’ hand if he started snacking on humans again. Dean may be loyal, but the only person he is never willing to sacrifice is Sam. He will do whatever it takes to save someone like Bobby or Castiel, but Sam is the only one who can never really be lost or sacrificed, even if Dean disagrees with his actions or has lingering feelings. Sam should have simply said “ok, if Benny screws up, I’ll kill him” in a way that seemed like acceptance and a compromise instead of presenting it as a threat in retaliation for Dean’s secrecy. More than ever we need the brothers to work together. They’re trying to accomplish a huge task here (the search for the tablets and closing the Hell gates). The last thing they need is to be fighting over a silly vampire.
Despite those final moments, I very much enjoyed this episode (and the string of episodes that preceded it). Garth continues to be an enjoyable guest star, the confrontation between the brothers was long overdue and I’m really excited to see Castiel return next week. Now….if only Sam and Dean could stop with the squabbling.
Let me know your thoughts below but, since this is clearly a contentious issue, play nice in the comments, readers. I know you can do it, because I’ve had many spirited and polite debates with some people who have disagreed with me in the past.
A new episode of Supernatural will air on November 14. Watch a preview and read our interview with Misha Collins about Castiel’s return here.
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I definitely don’t want to see Sam demonized for not looking for Dean. After all, how many times has Sam had to watch Dean die? He has had to grieve for his brother more times than what is natural, so it is understandable that he ran, and wanted to get out.
Other than this, I’m really enjoying this season so far, and I hope to see more of Garth!
The point you bring up about Sam and Dean acting like the other one couldn’t possibly understand what they’re going through is one of my biggest and hardest to get over gripes about this season. Now matter how many times they drop names and things that happened to them in the past seasons, the brothers for the most part aren’t really acting like people who’ve LIVED through those experiences, who’ve experienced any sort of growth or learned any sort of lesson from them or feel any twinge of empathy for the other because of them. For instance, why does Dean never learn that putting people on a pedestal never ends well? He did it with John, with Sam, with Cas, with Bobby, and now he’s hinging on Benny to be some pillar of perfection? And what’s Sam’s beef with Benny? Sam knows more than anyone that monsters can be good, and he’s always gone to bat for them. What has Benny done?
I just- augh, their discussions and accusations come across more like the writers lampshading issues they know the audience will bring up than organic discourse. And this lack of connection to their history makes Sam and Dean seem really unfamiliar to me, and it’s really affecting the emotional tie I’ve built up with them. :/
I know how much the writers love their Sam’n’Dean conflict, but the conflict needs to feel a lot less forced than this in order to be effective. Sam and Dean’s [well, mostly Sam’s] characterization feels like square pegs stuck into round holes this year, and the retread of fighting over stuff that hardly makes sense makes it that much worse.
Marie – you took the point I started with to its next logical conclusion and I agree a great deal with portions of what you said. You mention the idea of putting Benny on a pedestal, which is a good point. I think the problem with Dean is that he honestly doesn’t make that many friends, so when he finds someone that he can connect with, he tends to over-invest in that relationship. Like I mentioned about some of his other behavior, it’s not a flaw necessarily, but it’s something he does.
I disagree a bit about some of your points being confined to this season. I think the Winchesters’ lack of acknowledging their own history is something that has happened in previous seasons as well. And yes, I’ll agree that the writers can occasionally create conflict that feels forced. I don’t necessarily find it more forced now than in previous seasons, but like I said, the ending felt slightly unnecessary.
Ha, I just said pretty much the exact same things in my comments down below. So, obviously, I agree 100%!
Thank you Clarissa! I actually liked the episode more than I have any so far this season. I have had this unsettling feeling all along, honestly until Dean unleashed his (ok, my) anger at Sam. Yes, he did take it too far with the Benny being a better brother ever but, but it had been building and needed to be said. I even felt a lot better after hearing what Sam said to Amelia about how he felt when he lost his brother. I am ok with that being the reason that Sam didn’t look for Dean. I get it for all the reasons you list. I have some remaining problems that were not resolved in this episode. First I don’t like that the flashback scene with Amelia was all exposition. I would much rather see and actually feel Sam’s devastation, second I feel no chemistry between the characters of Sam and Amelia, none. I find her completely redundant to the story. She does not feel like a true catalyst for Sam’s catharsis or him making peace with the loss of his brother. In fact I would have found it more powerful if he had come to this sense of acceptance or whatever it is on his own, truly alone not relying on anyone for the first time. And then I completely agree with you about the ending. Why did they have to write Sam being so mad again? It’s like the story took one big step forward and then two huge steps back. I may be a little partial to Dean, but I love both brothers equally in their importance in the story and I do not understand why that last scene was written that way. There was all the illogical Benny stuff you mentioned but more glaringly the fact that after Dean just spilled his abandonment issues all over Sam, Sam reacts by threatening to leave! What made me feel the most unsettled is the way Dean reacted.
You have just touched on my one issue with this episode – Sam threatening to leave. I get it, he’s upset, not that he really has any reason to be, as it has been pointed out there are other monsters they’ve let live. Anyways, last week we saw his complete and total fear of losing his brother – Dean was being a bit reckless going into the vamp nest alone so it was understandable – and for most of us that would cling us to our loved ones more, but instead it seems like Sam has taken all of this as some kind of personal insult and he needed to have the last word. It came off as childish, everything he said in that scene was him throwing a fit. That cold stare by Dean, it serious gave me the chills and that is not a feeling I like ever getting from Dean. If he gives that to a big bad, yay I cheer, but to give that look to Sam, it’s truly frightening.
Benny’s not just a single vampire — right now he’s the embodiment of a whole freight train of Winchester baggage. In his diatribe, Dean ‘chose’ Benny over Sam. (And Cas, but that’s another story)There’s no way that Benny doesn’t get brought up again.
Speaking of Dean’s rant, I don’t think its fair to characterize Souless Sam’s actions as ‘choices’ by Sam. Chosing Ruby over Dean? Drinking Demon Blood? Sure. But not Souless.
Its really a bit hypocritical of Dean to hide behind ‘people change’ instead of admitting he may have been wrong to kill Amy. Not because of any moral judgement about her actions, but simply because his brother asked him not to. And in that scenario Amy’s on the baggage train too, representing Dean’s lies and lack of trust in Sam.
I disagree, Dean isn’t being hypocritical. Amy was killing people, she needed to die. Dean has accepted that if Benny does the same thing that he should as well. His reaction at the end to Sam’s comment about killing Benny had more to do with Sam’s issues with Benny than with anything else.
Melody – you might be right about Benny being given more “importance” in the grand sceheme of their argument than he really deserves, which is unfortunate because it seems a bit unnecessary. There are SO MANY issues between the boys that they can certainly pick one to argue about rather than Benny ;)
And you were right about Dean’s rant – it was wrong of him to say Sam didn’t tell him he was soulless. By definition, Soulless Sam isn’t REALLY normal Sam and he sort of didn’t have the same obligations to Dean that normal Sam would have. But I did agree that the rest of the rant was justified, if a bit harsh (aside from the better brother comment though – that was just mean).
Reading your comment, it makes me think the conflict was contrived rather than growing organically out of the story, like it did with the whole demon blood/Ruby issue. It feels like they’re looking for a reason for them to fight, and picked Benny. Which is a shame also that if Benny is cast as a wedge between the brothers like Ruby was, a lot of fans will dislike him for that reason alone. Ty Olssen has been very careful in interviews to say he is not there to come between the brothers, so I think he knows this. Doesn’t look like the writers got that memo though.
Yeah, it’s unfortunate that the two new characters were brought in as a way to create a divide because I’ve also really enjoyed Ty Olsson as Benny. I don’t trust him, but I’m liking him so far :) And until he does something really bad, I think he should stick around.
A few thoughts about tonight’s episode. 1. It was nice to see Chilton Crane again, but having her play a murderess twice seemed like a bit of overkill. She was fantastic as Beverly in “Croatoan” and did another amazing job tonight, I just think it would have been nice to see her play something other than a wife and mother who is infected by something and turned into a psycho. Am I the only one who felt deja vu? 2. I really don’t get Sam’s issue with Benny. First off, Sam knows that Benny helped Dean clear out a vampire’s nest – YAY! Secondly, Dean told Sam that if it wasn’t for Benny that Dean wouldn’t have gotten out of purgatory – Quadruple YAY and a loud cheer!! Buy the man a drink or two or fifty. He helped bring your brother back! Talk about ungrateful (said sarcastically with a wink and smile).
Agree with your comments about the last scene 100%. Sam went too far, was too harsh with the ‘move on or I will’ and Benny jabs. His cold anger over the rest I think was justified. I can’t help but feel part of what Sam said came from some feelings of hurt/jealousy over Dean’s ‘better brother’ jibe though. After all, Sam grew up and has lived his entire life knowing Dean’s universe revolved around him and him only. To hear differently, even if the cause was a possessed object, and even knowing Dean didn’t remember saying it, would have to cut very deeply. Apart from that, absolutely amazing episode. Very well balanced, apart from a bit too much exposition and not enough showing. The penny flashback for example…we get it ok? No need to lead us like cattle. Lastly, Garth is not Bobby. BRING BACK BOBBY, I DON’T CARE HOW.
YES! BRING BOBBY BACK! My husband, who is a SPN newbie, says he misses Bobby and wishes they had him back. :-)
I have a theory, one that just hit me. We learned that Benny and Andrea were together for sometime, at least enough to really change him. They moved to Louisiana. In the first episode of the season we see Benny at a funeral – what if that was his and Andrea’s child? He’s been in purgatory at least 50 years. They could have been together long enough before he was decapitated by The Old Man to have a child. It would explain why he was at the funeral and why he decided to after The Old Man alone. I just don’t know if vampire’s can have kids in the Supernatural universe. At the very least, I think that the funeral was someone he knew from his past that brought to the forefront his history with The Old Man.
Speaking of prenancies – I am predicting that the reason Sam left Amelia is because she was pregnant and Sam could never see himself as a father. Just speculating!
So Sam would be deserting his child and pregnant girlfriend on top of deserting Dean? What fresh hell is this?
Nah, I may be pissed at Sam for not looking for Dean, but I would never ever believe that he would shirk his responsibilities to his child. Now, if she is pregnant, something else could have made him leave, after all we saw with Lisa and Ben just how dangerous it is to be involved with a Winchester. Who knows, that mysterious figure lurking outside of their house in the premiere could be the reason. Honestly, I just think that Sam left because he finally got one of Dean’s messages because he wasn’t nearly as surprised to see Dean as I thought he would be.
” What’s the reason for the forced distance you have to put between you and your brother, Dean? Dean reacted this way after returning from Hell as well, refusing to share his experiences not only out of shame, but also a belief that Sam couldn’t possibly understand it.”
I actually completely disagree about this. Dean opened himself up about hell completely at the end of 4.10 and 4.11. What more could he share about what he went through and how he felt about it? Dean held nothing back, up to and including that he liked being the one to start the torture. Sam’s reaction to that was to run back to Ruby, and spend the rest of the season calling Dean weak and sneaking out behind his back. I can think of numerous times where Dean has opened up to Sam. A few big ones, in Shadow when Dean said that wanted to hunt and Sam told him he was going back to school to be a person again. Aren’t hunters people? Or in Something Wicked about how he almost got Sam killed and how their dad looked at him differently because of it. In 2.4 where the conversation on the side of the road about how he felt after John was killed. His confession to Sam in Hunted. How he admitted to Sam in devils trap about how it scared him about how far he could go for family in. What more does Dean have to do to prove he can and does open up to Sam?
It seems your putting the blame on Dean here for creating the distance. Maybe Dean fully planned to tell Sam about Benny right from the start but finding out Sam didn’t lift a finger to help him and seems like he can’t get away from Dean fast enough so his time can count (way to once again stomp on whats important to your brother Sam, because I guess dedicating your life to saving others doesn’t count) tell me why Dean should make himself emotionally vulnerable to Sam in that situation and given what happened the last time he did that.
Also how many times have we seen Dean start to open up and talk about how he feels only to find himself on the reciving end of a boo hoo princess speech. Why should Dean tell some one how he feels if they are just going to tell him to suck it back up. Isn’t it better to just bury it since no one seems to really want to help Dean deal with issues or acts like they’re a burden. If Sam and/or Bobby can’t handle it when Dean shows a weakness its not Dean who needs the boo hoo speech. Like Emmanuel said, he’s human, not a machine.
People do grow. Dean’s never seen as killing Amy as wrong but they let Lenore go on nothing more than I promise I’m being good. They knew nothing about her, same thing with Kate. Plus, Dean even gave Ruby a chance. He thanked her twice and saved her life and backed a plan of Sam’s in which Ruby was a big part of. Why is Sam so against giving Benny a chance here? I would think with their deep abiding love he might be a bit grateful to Benny for saving Dean. Its coming across as petty jealousy and Sam simply wanting to hurt his brother. I’m hoping that the only reason Dean didn’t tell Sam to hit the road was because he doesn’t trust him not to go actively hunt Benny just to satisfy his need for revenge.
In light of Sam’s reaction, I’d say Dean’s instincts about not telling Sam about Benny were right on. As for what Dean said about Benny, yeah its hurts but sometimes the truth does. Sam left Dean to fend for himself the first night back from hell because he was too busy with Ruby, and has a long history of walking away from Dean, starting when he was 11 and chose to leave either alone or with a passed out John and a bucket of extra crispy. Don’t get me wrong I love Cas and Dean’s relationship with him but in the end he left Dean to fend for himself in purgatory (he couldn’t take five minutes to tell Dean why he needed to leave?) So far Benny is the only who hasn’t betrayed him yet. This is why more than even I need Benny to be genuine and not betray or do something that destroys Dean’s trust.
Also it was Sam in Bloody Mary who said “You’re my brother..Look…you’re my brother and I’d die for you, but there are some things I need to keep to myself.” So I guess its okay Mr. Double standard to get after Dean for keeping secrets but its okay for him to keep them himself.
The show is going to have to work much harder if they want me to feel sympathy for Sam over the fact that Dean didn’t tell him about Benny, because at this stage, why would he?
Actually, Dean clearly held out on telling Sam about Hell until mid-way through season 4 so my statement wasn’t invalid. He obviously DID tell Sam about it during those episodes and I absolutely don’t dispute that.
And at no point did I put all the blame on Dean for creating distance. Sam has a tendency to withhold explanations too, as he did when he came back from Hell as well.
In my opinion, both brothers have made mistakes and neither of them is more “right” than the other. As for Dean getting a “boo-whoo princess” speech, there is a “right” way to express a problem and a wrong way. I do not agree that Dean always gets shot down when he tries to express his feelings. When he expressed his feelings about what he did in Hell in those very episodes you mentioned Sam didn’t tell him to simply suck it up. That time towards the end of season 4 when Bobby expressed anger towards Dean and called him a princess was because Dean was acting sullen and instead of actually confronting the problem with Sam in a way that was mature, he decided to express himself in the wrong manner. Was Dean right to be mad at Sam for what he did? Yeah, of course he was. But did he communicate that properly? No. And Sam, of course, reacted to Dean’s anger in the only way that he really knew how, because that’s how he reacts when confronted about stuff like that.
BOTH brothers are terrible at communication and I wonder how many of their problems could have been avoided and overcome if they could just sit down like adults and talk out their problems without being possessed by a ghost.
He still opened up, that was my point. He didn’t refuse. It still doesn’t change that Sam used the confession against him.
I disagree about Bobby. He was acting like Dean didn’t have a right to be angry. Dean’s brother just strangled him and chose a demon over him. If Dean had been wallowing for days or weeks, I could understand, but it literally just happened. You can use tough love without name calling.
Are you talking about Sam using the confession against him in “Sex and Violence”? Because that’s true, but that was also the siren talking. I dislike that Dean said Benny was a better brother to him than Sam (although much of the other things Dean said were accurate), but I want to chalk that up to the ghost amplifying his feelings, the same way that I would consider the siren amplifying Sam’s feelings when he said what he said to Dean in “Sex and Violence”. Besides that particular confrontation, I don’t recall Sam making fun of Dean for what happened in Hell. And if had, I would have found that reprehensible.
As for Bobby – the circumstances were very, very dire at the time. He didn’t want to hear about Dean’s self-pity and the world couldn’t afford it at that time. And, if you’ll recall, Dean actually left a voicemail for Sam once he had calmed down that was a better attempt at reconciliation than stubbornly digging in his heels. I really liked the voicemail that Dean left and I really wish that Sam had actually heard it because I wonder if a lot of the conflict between them could have been resolved if he had.
Sam boo hoo’d his brothers pain, and called him weak. Just like I believe Dean meant what he said in this episode, I also believe Sam meant every word he said under the siren’s influences. It didn’t tell him want to say, it said to get everything off his chest, plus I think there is more than enough evidence to suggest Sam meant what he said. He told Ruby that Dean wasn’t strong enough to get the job done in OTHOAP, he accused Dean of wanting to hide rather than fight in TMATEOTB, and in levee his own subconscious talked about how Dean was weak.
As for what happened with Bobby, given that its still clearly an issue with Dean, it obviously didn’t really didn’t work.
So while Sam may have atoned for earlier mistakes, for me he’s never really taken responsibility for how he treats Dean. This episode was just more of the same with Sam passing the blame. Thats my take on things anyway.
No The sirens thoughts were their real thoughts.
I couldn’t respond to your comment below, so I’ll just do it here. Saying that Dean was “weak” isn’t the same thing as actually ridiculing him for what hapened in Hell. Because the truth is that Dean was legitimately traumatized from Hell and he himself didn’t know if he had the strength to do what needed to be done that season. When he discovered that he had broken the first seal he cried to Castiel that all of this responsibility was far too staggering. But, in the end, he pulled through because that’s what they do.
As for Sam, he was also under the influence of demon blood. Does that excuse his choices? No. Does it explain them a little bit more? For me it does. Like I said in my review, I’m not apologizing for Sam’s choices. Dean was right to air his grievances for the legitimate choices that Sam made (drinking demon blood, the whole Ruby situation).
I think it’s high time both of them sat down and explained how their past actions have hurt each other and come to terms with it. They’ve both done things that the other hasn’t liked and neither of them is free from blame. While Dean absolutely said what needed to be said, there’s nothing to be gained from carting around these feelings for all these years.
Great answer silver and agree with everything you said. Ok disagree with both looking like asshats I think something is going to have to happen to bring them together. I mean they need to grow to be closer and granted if I were Dean I know first eps he did talk about Purgatory. I mean Sam did catch on the fact Dean wasn’t sleeping and how on edge he was; but its like they really haven’t talked about monster heaven. I mean does Sam know what happend to Cas? All he knows from Dean is he let go. From next weeks preview we see Dean has every memory from his time in purgatory but Cas has nothing. And sure you want to tell Sam about Purgatory. Last time Dean did that he had Sam calling him weak granted was the demon blood talking. But its like really can he share that with Sam without having it all come back to him looking weak or what he did there. I get Sam thought Dean was gone but he gave Crowley exactly what he wanted when he took off and not searched for Kevin and guessing if you had a choice you would rather Dean be in Purgatory then Sam. Because Sam didn’t look for anyone he left after impala was fixed. So Crowley could have done so much stuff that Sam didn’t care about. So I think Deans issue with looking for him even if Sam opened a book saw there was no way to open purgatory at least did that he could have said i tried but there was nothing I could do. But if he would have done something I think that at least would have satisfied Dean but doing nothing. And Amelia knows about Dean do we think the two will ever meet up and how does Sam explain that one. I would think Dean would be curious. Since Sam met Benny think Dean should meet Amelia? Give him understanding of why Sam didn’t look for him or Kevin. And I enjoyed the fight sorry I have to be only person enjoying the conflict. I don’t mind the fighting I find two brothers who care so much about each other find hurting each other with words intresting and wondering since hug in first eps was alright WE NEED THE REAL HUG when they finally get everything out and finally resolve everything and then it happens. Sorry and really liked this eps also loved Garth as Bobby. And enjoyed the review. I like reading fans and reviewers opinions on eps. Now and then feel like jumping in :)
the perfect example of sam only being a runner when he is mad and never when people need saving is Scarecrow. he took off b/c he was mad at their father and at dean for always obeying their father, but as soon as he thought dean might be in trouble, he cam running back. he didn’t even know for sure dean was in danger, he only had a couple missed calls, yet he dropped meg and everything and went running back to save him. and in this case, sam knew for sure dean was in trouble at the end of Survival of the fittest. he would never have run away from dean in trouble like that.
Mickey – The “runner” mention was more about emotional confrontations and a way to deal with family and that’s why I brought up how Dean reacts to family versus the way that Sam does. I agree that Sam wouldn’t run from someone who was in danger and needed help.
Sam has run from people in danger. What about Kevin? Sam left him at the mercy of the King of Hell, not to mention leaving Dean to an unknown fate.
In Wendigo, Sam wanted to leave Haley, Ben and Tommy to their fate after he realized John wasn’t there. Plus in Scarecrow, they were on their way to a hunt. Sam had no problem leaving that couple to certain death. Also Lucas and Andrea would be dead because Sam didn’t even want to take that hunt, he wanted to go search for John.
Yeah, then there was the time he could have run away from the apocalypse and he chose to actually sacrifice himself and go to Hell so…..does that count for anything? I’ve got no interest in nitpicking individual actions of either brother because that doesn’t benefit the stories or the characters, that just – to me – creates more conflict when conflict already exists between the characters. Neither of them is infallible. When the chips are down, they both do what needs to be done, often at great sacrifice to themslves.
Yes, he did desert Dean, Cas and Kevin, and that’s precisely what so many people are saying is egregiously out of character. As for the rest, it’s just nitpicking. Sam complained about John not being there, but he never actually made any move to desert the others in Wendigo. In fact, he put himself in front of them to protect them from the Wendigo, acting like a human shield. As for the two other hunts, had they decided to go look for John instead, they could’ve found other hunters to take care of them. John is Sam’s father, it’s natural he would be concerned about his own father. There must be plenty of hunts the Winchesters didn’t take care of because they were doing something else. Are they responsible for the deaths of every person who died because they didn’t do that particular hunt?
Ah, I see. This brings us back to what you were saying about the Winchesters and their atrocious communication skills. I’ve always said Dean talks with his fists and Sam talks with his feet. Dean’ll just whop Sam in the face when he’s angry or upset, Sam takes off in a huff.
Well, that’s your opinion. My opinion is that he has paid for his mistakes (just like Dean has paid for the mistakes he’s made), but I do believe that Dean has held on to the resentment he felt about those mistakes instead of actually addressing them with Sam in a way that they could deal with and move on.
Sam is not the most selfish and callous brother. I agree that his reaction at the very end was unnecessary, but I thought the way he handled Dean’s accusations in the motel room was spot-on. The problem is that neither one of them can properly communicate these feelings in a way that they can confront each other and heal. That’s not a season 8 problem, that’s a problem from day 1.
It feels to me as if their relationship is NOT more loving at it’s core any longer. It’s actually seems more hate-filled to me than loving, and having Dean say “Fair enough.” to Sam’s threat of moving on(yet again) solved absolutely nothing, IMO. We are now at the same point and place that we have been at with the brothers since mid S5, IMO-except possibly, Benny might make some kind of a difference/change, if this isn’t all that they plan on doing with the relationship. And I so hope that this was not the final resolution of what’s happened between them, YodaGarth’s supposed parting words of “wisdom” *eye rolls* to Dean, notwithstanding. Yeesh. Really, Show? Suck it up, Dean-yet again and some more?! Why did they bother allowing Dean to voice his feelings-and yes, I think they were true underlying feelings of his, just as I think Sam’s were true underlying feelings of his in Asylum and Sex and Violence-if they were only going to invalidate them(again and some more) in the next scene? Pathetic writing, IMO.
I haven’t liked the writing for Sam since S5. I like it even less now-not because it seems OOC to me, though-on the contrary, it’s because they never allow him to grow and mature in a genuine way. Dean gets all the lessons and even when he grows from them Sam berates him some more. Hopefully the Benny situation will provide that kind of growth for Sam because otherwise-this show is going to be dead to me after S8. I simply can no longer tolerate such toxicity in a relationship that the writers keep trying to tell us and push as “loving” at it’s core, but they continually show to us as being more hateful, again IMO.
As for Garth-Wow. What an ultra annoying character he is. The brothers IQs take a steep nose-dive when he’s around and his Single White Female take on Bobby WAS insulting and wrong and I wish they would have allowed Dean to stick to his guns on at least that. His not being affected by the penny because he’s so “zen”/innocent was laughable, IMO-as it was for the teenager who first picked it, too-and just completed the Marty Stu characterization that this one saddled the Garth character with evne more than they did in his previous eps., along with the obvious writers’ mouthpiece role-so maybe he IS the “new” Bobby in that regard, but with the Bobbyisms coming out of his mouth only making it that much worse. I will probably not watch any more Garth episodes live so that I can FF through his scenes. That’s how much this character grates on my last nerve, and pretty much always has.
This episode was a huge setback for the season, IMO. Just awful.
Your review made me very sad. You sounded like you were retconning Dean’s love for anyone in his life, and calling it conditional, because he’s so needy, and therefore selfish. I wish Dean knew how to be selfish – he would be healthier.
Meanwhile, it’s like you are working hard to avoid seeing anything negative in Sam, to counter the anger against the character out there. He attacked Dean out of anger at his mention of Amelia, not to just “defuse” Dean. Jared clearly played it as real anger, which made it much more interesting. And that end speach “Move on, or I will.” was understandable, but also cruel, being aimed at someone he knows well fears abandonment. I was appaled Adam Glass wrote Sam threatening to leave Dean yet again.
In other words, both brothers said and did things wrong, on equal footing. But this pretty much enumerated Dean’s flaws, but in a very extreme, worst-case interpretation of them. You usually give better balanced reviews. This one adds to the controversy, not clarifying it.
Reconning Dean’s love for anyone? I didn’t do that. I absolutely believe that Dean loves his family – both the blood and made up versions. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that he does NEED them sometimes more than they need him (in the sense of independence). This is a theme that has come up time and again since season 1 and something that many characters (both good and evil) have brought up. That doesn’t mean Dean doesn’t love them, it just means that he’s not very good on his own without them. He WANTS his family around him because he derives love and strength and purpose from that, which is also part of the reason he hunts. His love for Sam drove him to sell his soul to save his brother. In some respects it was an impulsive and selfish choice (selfish in the sense that he couldn’t see a way to go on without his brother), but it was also done out of so much love that I can’t fault him for it.
As for Sam, I said many negative things about him. I wasn’t trying to counter anything out there, I was just giving my opinion. I achknowledged that Sam has made terrible choices and that Dean said what needed to be said (except for the Soulless Sam part, which makes little sense because Sam didn’t actually choose to be soulless and wasn’t himself). But I also feel that Sam has atoned for his sins, as has Dean and Castiel for the poor choices they both made. The search for redemption is a theme that has come up time and again. Why should I lay all the blame on Sam’s feet or Dean’s feet only?
Yes, both brothers did something wrong. And both of them have flaws. None of them are worse than the other’s and sometimes they’re different. I addressed both of their mistakes in this case, so I’m afraid I have no idea how I added to the controversy.
As for your siren comment above – yes, I understand that it was their “real” thoughts, just like in Asylum and in this case. But that doesn’t mean the possession didn’t amplify their feelings and make them express it in a deliberately cruel and hurtful way. You can deliver those kinds of feelings in a way that isn’t necessarily meant to wound your brother.
I agree with you here, Clarissa. And just to add, Dean derives much of his self-worth from his ability to protect the ones he loves. Part of the reason I think he spun so out of control during the last couple of seasons was that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to save the ones he loved. He needs them to depend on him because without that, he’s lost.
I agree with a lot of what you’ve said in the review, and after reading comments, I want to add that Sam and Dean are not perfect people, and they are siblings, and siblings fight, and these two have a lot of baggage, one thing I noted last night, watching them fight (verbally) was almost as painful as watching family members squabble, because I’ve become very invested in them. So I think perhaps, this is not a bad thing, it’s more real than other conflicts the brothers have had (and were glossed over quickly) as long as the pay-off, their reconciliation is good, I can get through these rocky patches, but not too much more please!
I agree with your points on Sam here,(and I don’t think you are taking sides, just bending backwards because there is so much unjust Sam-hate out there.) In fact, it was the pointlessness of the Soulless accusation that proved Dean was being milked by the Specter for his memories, and that it really wasn’t Dean – some things he would stand by, but much of it wasn’t Dean’s real feelings.
I can agree with the way you explain your opinion on Dean’s love, in this comment, more than what I read in the review. The logic thread of the review, dismisses Dean’s love as being stifling and self-serving because he doesn’t want to be alone. Particularly these quotes:
“Dean … wanting to keep them close because of how much self-value he derives from them.”
“the reason Dean would have looked for Sam is … Dean needs his family. He keeps them tethered to him… because he loves them and he needs them.”
No matter how you toss it, that is very dismissive of Dean’s love for the people in his life. I know you didn’t intend that, but it sure reads that way. Some day later, when the words have faded, reread it and you might see what I mean.
Oops sorry! that was meant as a reply to your reply to me, Clarissa.
I still don’t really see it as dismissive of Dean’s love for them. I actually see those words as maybe overly expressing Dean’s need for his family, but not belittling the importance of those relationships in any way, on Dean’s part or anyone else’s. Regardless, I appreciate your reply and I’m glad we found common ground! :)
I find the hate against one brother or the other so exhaustive. The truth is that the show is and always will be about BOTH of them. What can be accomplished by hating on Sam or Dean? It’s not like one side will win and get the character they hate kicked off the show. So maybe I tend to see explanations or justifications where some other people don’t, but that’s because I just can’t summon hatred for either character. I really do like them both (and Cas and Bobby, of course!). I think neither of them is perfect, but I don’t think they’re bad people at their core.
I understand what you’re saying about Sam, but my problem with that is that he had no idea Dean was in danger. For all he knew, Dean was dead and in heaven. The other instances you mentioned of Sam going after Dean are completely different from this situation because he knew exactly where Dean was the other times. This time, he had no clue. In addition to not having any clue, he didn’t have anyone he could call. No one. No matter how much Sam has claimed over the years that he’s his own man, he needs Dean. Dean is the rock he leans on. With all the loss that the Winchesters have suffered over the years, Dean was always there to hold Sam up and vise versa. After Dean disappeared, the earth shifted out from under Sam’s feet. The one constant in his life was gone to parts unknown. I can totally see Sam running. Going to back to when he was a kid, that’s how he’s always handled it when things got too much for him. If Sam had known where Dean was, or even where/how to start looking for him, I don’t think he would’ve been driving aimlessly down the road and hit that dog.
As far as Amelia goes, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I’m trying to like her. I really am. But the writers aren’t giving me much to work with. I think your characterization of her is spot on, and I really hate that she’s such an unsympathetic character. Maybe they’ll soften her up a bit in the next few episodes, but they need to do it quickly because I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to hold off not liking her.
Silver, I see your point but I think Sam has tried to make it up to Dean. It’s just that Sam has this way of backhanded apologies that end up not really seeming like apologies. Case in point, S5 “Fallen Idols” when Sam acknowledged that starting the apocalypse was his fault, but he also blamed Dean for pushing him toward Ruby etc. Basically, what Sam said is ‘I did it, but it was kinda your fault that I did it.’ Instead of Dean standing up in that episode and saying, ‘No. All of this is a result of the choices you made;’ Dean simply accepted the blame Sam threw at him and buried it. If Dean had spoken up for himself back then, maybe he would’ve been able to let go of some of the anger/resentment that incident caused. Clarissa is absolutely right that their primary problem is a total lack of communication. But I wouldn’t say that Sam has never apologized/paid for the wrongs he’s done against Dean. Sam has, in his own way, tried to atone for his sins against Dean. In the S5 premiere Sam asked Dean what he could do to make it right, and Dean responded that there was nothing Sam could do. Which is true. Dean’s feelings of betrayal and disappointment were feelings that he had to work through on his own. The problem is that, in true Dean fashion, he didn’t really confront them so much as he pushed them to the side so he could keep going. Like I said, lack of communication. These guys need to be locked in a room so they can actually, truly talk TO each other, not talk AT each other. Which is what they do most of the time.