Flappy Gum Syndrome and Diarrhea of the Fingers
A meta by karenmiller got me thinking about Dean and Sam and the overturning of their belief systems since S2 ("HotH") and how that would affect their actions at the end of S4. I started typing my response only to find I wrote way too much to politely post as a comment (oops), so I'm posting my thoughts here because nobody cares if I pollute my own journal. :D
There are spoilers in karenmiller's post and what is discussed below is based on the 4x21/4x22 preview.
Nice post. It got me thinking about why Dean would subordinate himself to an angel, ultimately to God/Heaven when he has always been the one staunchly maintaining his stance in the "I don't believe" corner (because, to me, to lay yourself at the service of God implies that you probably are invested enough him Him/Her/It/Whatever that you likely believe or have Faith). I think perhaps this the byproduct of Dean's version of a failed belief system, a reverting to the default option because his previous belief in himself, his family, his ability to choose/dictate/make decisions/keep people he loves safe has failed. After "HotH" I always thought Dean worshiped at the alter of The Family Winchester, elevating John and Mary to near saint status. But over the course of 2 seasons the reality of who John was (human) and the slow erosion of Dean's effectualness (is that a word? *crosses eyes*) in the face of angels and their "destiny" talk, has slowly stripped Dean of his own brand of faith. Now what's he left with? What options does he have? I think the only one standing--Castiel and God. And without confidence in his ability to save Sam, something he's sworn to do since the pilot and a vow he renewed in S2, he's grasping desperately at any remaining straws even if that means ultimately sacrificing himself in the processes. Because, I think, for Dean it's STILL about "saving people" even if those people don't want to be saved in the way he wants to save them. And at his deepest core somewhere he still wants to believe in The Family Winchester and Sam because he needs hope.
On the other hand, I think Sam has undergone a similar overturning in his belief system only in the opposite direction. In "HotH" it was revealed that Sam was a believer, that he prayed every day. And just as Dean idealizing (even idolized) his family into what I think was the core Dean's "Faith" in that tangible and things that were within the realm of his experience, Sam found his Faith in God, something outside his family (no surprise there as he essentially rejected his family), the intangible, and things that were largely outside the human experience. I'm not certain if Sam ever prescribed to the idea of a divine destiny or a "God will lead the way" mentality, but regardless if he did or not, I think his experiences since S2 have collectively undermined his Faith in the goodness of God. This isn't to say he doesn't believe in God (because it seems with the presence of angels that God would seem to be more and more of a likelihood) but it's what he believes about God that has changed. God is no longer this benevolent force, granting the prayers and rewarding those that believe because, in Sam's mind, how could God do those things if He/She/It/Whatever let Dean, a good person who saves lives and who sacrificed himself, go to Hell? In Sam's mind, how could God let demons/Lilith overrun the world and his own angels run amok? In Sam's mind, how could God abandon him? Sam prayed to be saved and look where he is now. So, like Dean, I think Sam's Faith has undergone it's own metamorphosis. His Faith perhaps isn't with God, but has been replaced with a more pragmatic approach, one that doesn't rest with a higher power and waiting for something to happen or not happen but with what he can see and do and take action on now: "do whatever it takes to get it done because nobody else is gonna do it" (i.e. kill Lilith). I think Sam's lost his belief that he can be saved by a higher power, by anyone, by Dean. His Faith has been replaced with a last ditch desperate grab for something good to come out of "his curse" because I think he believes that he might be able to save himself if his actions save lives. And deep down I think Sam still hopes for salvation even if he no longer believes anyone can save him.
So, I think, ultimately both Sam and Dean have the same goal (save lives, save Sam, stop Lucifer from rising), but their approaches are at odds. Both have exhausted all other means, both are desperate, both just want to save each other. And we all know what happens when that Winchester self-sacrificing gene comes into play... O.O
There are spoilers in karenmiller's post and what is discussed below is based on the 4x21/4x22 preview.
Nice post. It got me thinking about why Dean would subordinate himself to an angel, ultimately to God/Heaven when he has always been the one staunchly maintaining his stance in the "I don't believe" corner (because, to me, to lay yourself at the service of God implies that you probably are invested enough him Him/Her/It/Whatever that you likely believe or have Faith). I think perhaps this the byproduct of Dean's version of a failed belief system, a reverting to the default option because his previous belief in himself, his family, his ability to choose/dictate/make decisions/keep people he loves safe has failed. After "HotH" I always thought Dean worshiped at the alter of The Family Winchester, elevating John and Mary to near saint status. But over the course of 2 seasons the reality of who John was (human) and the slow erosion of Dean's effectualness (is that a word? *crosses eyes*) in the face of angels and their "destiny" talk, has slowly stripped Dean of his own brand of faith. Now what's he left with? What options does he have? I think the only one standing--Castiel and God. And without confidence in his ability to save Sam, something he's sworn to do since the pilot and a vow he renewed in S2, he's grasping desperately at any remaining straws even if that means ultimately sacrificing himself in the processes. Because, I think, for Dean it's STILL about "saving people" even if those people don't want to be saved in the way he wants to save them. And at his deepest core somewhere he still wants to believe in The Family Winchester and Sam because he needs hope.
On the other hand, I think Sam has undergone a similar overturning in his belief system only in the opposite direction. In "HotH" it was revealed that Sam was a believer, that he prayed every day. And just as Dean idealizing (even idolized) his family into what I think was the core Dean's "Faith" in that tangible and things that were within the realm of his experience, Sam found his Faith in God, something outside his family (no surprise there as he essentially rejected his family), the intangible, and things that were largely outside the human experience. I'm not certain if Sam ever prescribed to the idea of a divine destiny or a "God will lead the way" mentality, but regardless if he did or not, I think his experiences since S2 have collectively undermined his Faith in the goodness of God. This isn't to say he doesn't believe in God (because it seems with the presence of angels that God would seem to be more and more of a likelihood) but it's what he believes about God that has changed. God is no longer this benevolent force, granting the prayers and rewarding those that believe because, in Sam's mind, how could God do those things if He/She/It/Whatever let Dean, a good person who saves lives and who sacrificed himself, go to Hell? In Sam's mind, how could God let demons/Lilith overrun the world and his own angels run amok? In Sam's mind, how could God abandon him? Sam prayed to be saved and look where he is now. So, like Dean, I think Sam's Faith has undergone it's own metamorphosis. His Faith perhaps isn't with God, but has been replaced with a more pragmatic approach, one that doesn't rest with a higher power and waiting for something to happen or not happen but with what he can see and do and take action on now: "do whatever it takes to get it done because nobody else is gonna do it" (i.e. kill Lilith). I think Sam's lost his belief that he can be saved by a higher power, by anyone, by Dean. His Faith has been replaced with a last ditch desperate grab for something good to come out of "his curse" because I think he believes that he might be able to save himself if his actions save lives. And deep down I think Sam still hopes for salvation even if he no longer believes anyone can save him.
So, I think, ultimately both Sam and Dean have the same goal (save lives, save Sam, stop Lucifer from rising), but their approaches are at odds. Both have exhausted all other means, both are desperate, both just want to save each other. And we all know what happens when that Winchester self-sacrificing gene comes into play... O.O