Daily Burst -Greatest Hits (8.06 Southern Comfort)

[ash48]

This is my broments entry for theheartofspn. I needed to say a lot more about this one so I have created a separate post - which became meta. I suppose everyone will have their own take on that scene. Here's mine.

Comments

[borgmama1of5]

The other things that supports your analysis is the 'blanket forgiveness' Dean gave at Rufus' burial. I believe he was sincere when he said 'all is forgiven'--the spectre pulled those feelings Dean had overcome back into play. Like you point out, the wife in the first murder had been married for 37 years! So I do think the spectre pulled out grievances that Dean had resolved

[maenad]

The part that made me want to scream at my TV was Sam equating Dean keeping Benny a secret with Sam not looking for Dean. The two things aren't the same magnitude--but what I think is happening is that Sam is projecting his guilt over not looking for Dean AND his guilt for feeling guilty because he felt his was doing the right thing at the time. And we all know that Sam turns his guilt into anger, whereas Dean turns his guilt into depression. So Sam is lashing out.

I don't know - I think they are equivalent in the way Sam and Dean themselves are framing the debate. Dean says 'You left me to die for a girl'. Sam says 'You had your reasons for Benny

[borgmama1of5]

"Sam hasn't been explaining those reasons, so to Dean it kind of sounds as though he just shrugged his shoulders and found a singles bar."

You are completely right, this is why Dean (and some fans) aren't understanding Sam right now. Though we are starting to get glimpses of how traumatized Sam was, like, as you point out, Sam's panic while driving to rescue Dean from the vamps.

"...they generally discuss it and go save the day together."

Framed like that, I can see how Sam takes Benny as a betrayal. Good point!

[chemm80]

"Sam hasn't been explaining those reasons, so to Dean it kind of sounds as though he just shrugged his shoulders and found a singles bar."

I said this over at saberivojo's post the other day. I think it's partly just the writers drawing out the mystery and making us wait for it, but if you think about it, Sam has never been particularly good at explaining himself to Dean

[ash48]

So I do think the spectre pulled out grievances that Dean had resolved.

Yeah. I think it's really interesting. Dean may have felt all this stuff at one point but he has been seen dealing with it in the past.

The parallels to Sam in 'Asylum' are very striking, even to the point of Sam holding a gun on Dean--and he fired!

Yes. And I loved how much of this episode brought back past stories. It felt like a direct parallel to Sam in Asylum. If Garth hadn't have been then Dean would have pulled that trigger. (*guh* can you imagine the guilt he'd be feeling then?!)

but good luck convincing Sam (and a lot of Sam!girls )Heh. I haven't actually read many responses to this scene because I am really not interested in hearing either of the characters being "bashed" because of it. There's faults on both sides and both have been extremely hurt by the actions of the other. They are totally equal in this. (and this Sam!girl believes Dean doesn't remember. And I hadn't even considered that Sam wouldn't believe Dean. It makes more

[juppschmitz]

...considering he thought Dean was dead...

Hmmm. Did he really though? Lost, yes, disappeared, yes, but dead? I mean, there was no body, was there? So why, with all their experiences of people being displaced (angel express for instance...) would Sam have thought Dean was dead?

Just because Crowley said Sam was alone? Not the most reliable source imo...

Maybe I'm missing something here. Ideas?

[fannishliss]

I don't think Sam had any ammunition to look for Dean. He had no bargaining chips left for searching in Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. If Dean had been misplaced on Earth, Dean would have called Sam. If Dean was in the afterlife (which it turned out he was) the logical assumption to make would be that Dean was dead. Each of them has sacrificed so much for the other, and many key characters including Death, Gabriel and Bobby, have warned them that they need to stop thwarting the natural order (that eventually, as mortals, they will die

[juppschmitz]

I think you have a point with the guilt thing.

I hadn't thought of it like that so far. When Sam's in a corner, his default reaction is rage. So his lashing out at Dean at the end of this episode is more likely to be interpreted as a sign of his "feeling like dirt for not looking for Dean" rather than being incredibly mean and insensitive. And Dean called him out on it - even if Dean himself isn't be aware of it, not remembering (first hand anyway, we don't know if Garth or Sam told him).

Hmm, I think things are getting clearer for me now.

*loves this discussion*

[chemm80]

If Dean was in the afterlife (which it turned out he was) the logical assumption to make would be that Dean was dead.Exactly. Even if Sam had the resources to search for him-which he didn't, because Bobby is dead, his library is apparently scattered hither and yon, and most of the other hunters who might still be out there still think Sam is sketchy, at best and probably want to kill him at worst-there's really no reason for Sam to think Dean was in Purgatory, as it appears that humans aren't supposed to be able to go there. (All the talk about how Purgatory tried it's best to spit Dean out because he was human, and that's how he was actually able to escape

[ash48]

I think fannishliss answered this better than I can. To me I wonder if Sam concluded that Dean must be dead. Or rather that's how he saw it. There's a comment somewhere here comparing Amelia's husband as missing and therefore assumed dead with the way Dean was "missing" (or maybe that's how I've interpreted it). I think there's good, strong reasons why Sam didn't go looking and maybe "missing assumed dead" is one way he "coped."

But to be honest, I don;t know. I feel like there's still more to be revealed about Sam's gap year- the same way we have more to come for Dean's.

[juppschmitz]

I know, right? I keep thinking the writers still have an ace up their sleeves. Or several... :)

[debbiel66]

I think this episode saved this season for me in showing how all these odd choices that both boys have been making are pointing to the massive, epic, world-dooming-and-saving love they have for each other.

Indifference....apathy....cannot handle that between Sam and Dean. But angst and anger and obsessively, pathologically co-dependent rage....? Tis all good. I don't want to watch these boys learning to be healthy, when it comes to each other!

[ash48]

Indifference....apathy....cannot handle that between Sam and Dean.

Ditto! Whilst they are arguing and pointing guns at each other at least there is passion. A passion driven by their crazy, messy love for each other.

xx