Tension, Conflict, Motivation, and Plot: Why the Story is About Dean and We Do Know Sam
I wrote a meta thingy! :)
There’s been avid discussion about Sam and Dean and which of them, if either, seems to be favored by Kripke as well as debate about “who is the story really about”. I’ve noticed there’s been a propensity for some self-proclaimed “Dean girls” and “Sam girls” to run circles around each other, trying to prove their points. ( Read more... )
There’s been avid discussion about Sam and Dean and which of them, if either, seems to be favored by Kripke as well as debate about “who is the story really about”. I’ve noticed there’s been a propensity for some self-proclaimed “Dean girls” and “Sam girls” to run circles around each other, trying to prove their points. ( Read more... )
Now, knowing I come from left field here, the character emphasis makes sense to me season to season. (And makes me wonder how deliberate this was on the writers' part or if they just lucked into it.) On day one, Sam was a college student, on the verge of law school (right?), lost his girlfriend, and gave up his future for a brother who made a less than desirable first impression (exactly what happened to the reference about Dean's drinking Sam made in the pilot?). I think it was totally the writers' intentions for the viewer to empathize with Sam because he seemed normal compared to his demon hunting brother. However, three years later, Sam is now just as sucked into the demon hunting world as his brother and that chasam of big man on campus versus dropout leather wearing bro with a trunkful of weaponry is non-existant. This closure, though, I'd argue isn't so much because Sam's been riding in the car next to Dean for three years, but more that Sam has come to accept Dean and that that has allowed Dean to develop as a character. When Sam stopped fighting Dean, Dean got to drop his guard and show more of who he is and that makes for an interesting persona.
I like your argument that Dean's motivation is family oriented. Of course it is. And because it is, having Dean stand a little off center from the story lines of the first two seasons makes the third season better. We've watched Dean keep Sam tied to the family for two years and now we're on the verge of Sam losing that tie. We hurt for Dean because we know he does what he does because family is family. We hurt for Sam because he's still learning that lesson and because it's hard to imagine Sam as Sam without a big brother keeping an eye out for him. Some people, no matter their destiny, just simply need that to be whole.
I look forward to the seasons to come. While I don't belive the writers' ever intended this show to hightlight one brother over another (it's just not filmed that way), I think they've finally found a balance or at least the depth of both characters. Seeing Sam and Dean continue to grow will be fun to watch.
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It's pretty much the whole battle for me and my limited-space brain.
makes me wonder how deliberate this was on the writers' part or if they just lucked into it
I'd love to say that it's entirely pre-plotted and deliberate, but we all know how predicting what the characters to do in storytelling is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. In reality, it's probably a combination of a pre-plotted mytharc and emotional/characterization sign posts along the way with a huge amount of wiggle room in between for Sam and Dean to develop somewhat organically. And unlike with fiction for novels, there's also the not-so-inconsequential matter of actor interpretation and chemistry. Or, heh, you could just default to the easy answer: they're professionals and they know what they're doing all the time.
exactly what happened to the reference about Dean's drinking Sam made in the pilot?
I don't recall a drinking comment about Dean (which doesn't mean it's not there). I know he did say something about John's drinking, something about him being out with Jim, Jack, Jose on a Miller Time shift and eventually stumbling home. But there's been changes through S1 as the characters were being flushed out ... Dean used to have a tattoo on his arm that's mysteriously disappeared and I remember something about ghosts or demons being able to walk through walls.
This closure, though, I'd argue isn't so much because Sam's been riding in the car next to Dean for three years, but more that Sam has come to accept Dean and that that has allowed Dean to develop as a character
Good point. *nods* Humanizing Dean, for me, was really important. When I first met Dean, I didn't like him. He was too everything ... too cocky, too snarky, too (OMG, am I actually going to write this?) good looking, too tough, too swaggery hero-like. I had trouble identifying with him and seeing beyond what I thought was a cookie cut-out persona. But Sam, I got. Bitchy, complaining, scared, lieing Sam who was silently freaking out but kept plodding ahead was my kind of flawed character. Now that we're seeing a role reversal of sorts, I'm finding that I'm naturally drawn to Dean now! LOL.
I agree with you, thanks for pointing that out.
having Dean stand a little off center from the story lines of the first two seasons makes the third season better.
Yes. Character development is all about contrast! The starting point being noticeably different than the end and making the journey between them believable and interesting without losing who the heart of the character is.
it's hard to imagine Sam as Sam without a big brother keeping an eye out for him. Some people, no matter their destiny, just simply need that to be whole.
I'm not writing a meta about the implicit promise and upping the stakes. *whistles innocently*
Seeing Sam and Dean continue to grow will be fun to watch.
Hopefully. :) *crosses fingers*
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