Hm, I am not quite as aggrevated as you are, I guess mostly because I felt that throughout the episode it was clear how much Dean needs his Sam, how much he wants him back and how everything got instantly better the moment he thought he does have him back. So, I felt that the brotherly love was still there and will be recovered as soon as Sam is his old self.
Also, I think there is something very symbolic in the way Dean puts away the knife before he attacks Sam. He admitted before that he wanted to kill Sam because he isn't human anymore, but even though he got confirmation from Veritas, he didn't do it, and I think that shows that he believes Sam on some level, even if he can't be sure that Sam actually told the truth this time around.
I agree on three points though: a) The beating was way, way over the top and even if we count in Dean's pent-up frustration and fear and anger over the last 6 episodes, it was just too disturbing. b) I think we need way more Sam perspective in the show. Dean has been the primary PoV for 4.5 seasons and the writers do Sam no favour by making him the 'mystery'. c) Dean needs to own up to his own guilt in the decline of his relationship with Lisa. He should have known better than to visit her as a vampire.
Basically, I agree with everything you said here. I think there is some level of I'm-not-going-to-kill-you-in-your-sleep in Dean putting the knife away and there is some level of I-can't-deal-with-you(us)-right-now in that beating which is probably why it was so all over the top.
And, boy, do we need some Sam PoVness. Desperately. It cannot have been easy to have spent all this time not feeling stuff and not even caring enough to call for help until his very life was threatened, it cannot have been comfortable knowing you're a better hunter now that you feel less human or something, and do we know this? No, and we should because Sam is just as important as Dean in the narrative. And also, Dean needs to own up to his own crap as well, as you point out, and he's not really going to until Sam is made more sympathetic, prompting some insight from Dean.
Yeah, I can rationalise Dean beating Sam, even if I didn't like that scene very much.
Yes, Sam PoV is in order, urgently. I mean, he seemed genuine in his last plea to Dean, he knows something is wrong and he knows he needs help, but I am not sure that he really feels it. He knows it intellectually, but not emotionally. That's also why he always insists that he is fine when Dean asks him how he feels. But it is important that we as the audience understand how exactly Sam is affected by having no emotions. He obiously knows exactly how he is supposed to respond to certain emotional situations and he knows how to mimic that response, but without the emotions that are the motivation for that response in the first place, it's just empty acting. And I would really like to know how Sam copes with that. /sigh
Sorry for taking so long to reply. I'm glad you're able to see more of the brotherly relationship in these episodes than me. I do agree, once the real Sam returns, Sam and Dean's relationship will be on the mend. I really look forward to that happening, and all I can say is that I hope the payoff will do all this waiting and fan angst service.
I think that shows that he believes Sam on some level
Yes, true, Dean didn't want to kill Sam anymore, but just use him as his personal punching bag, which I can only surmise is supposed to be proof of his brotherly love and the depth of his compassion. *snort* Sorry for the sarcasm, it's not directed at you or your comment, that kind of violence is one of my triggers. But, seriously, I think Dean was taking a wait and see approach (wait to see what this version of Sam would do next ... more admissions?) and then didn't know what to do with all his pent-up emotion. Sadly, it's canon fact that Dean hits the things he loves the most (the Impala and Sam) when he's scared (and angry) and backed into a corner. It's just too bad that Sam didn't fight back because at least then it would just fall under "another Winchester brother tussle" and it would be so much less disturbing to me.
Let's hope this season improves on the brother-relationship front from here on out. I'm ready for this to have been the series low point.
Also, I think there is something very symbolic in the way Dean puts away the knife before he attacks Sam. He admitted before that he wanted to kill Sam because he isn't human anymore, but even though he got confirmation from Veritas, he didn't do it, and I think that shows that he believes Sam on some level, even if he can't be sure that Sam actually told the truth this time around.
I agree on three points though: a) The beating was way, way over the top and even if we count in Dean's pent-up frustration and fear and anger over the last 6 episodes, it was just too disturbing. b) I think we need way more Sam perspective in the show. Dean has been the primary PoV for 4.5 seasons and the writers do Sam no favour by making him the 'mystery'. c) Dean needs to own up to his own guilt in the decline of his relationship with Lisa. He should have known better than to visit her as a vampire.
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And, boy, do we need some Sam PoVness. Desperately. It cannot have been easy to have spent all this time not feeling stuff and not even caring enough to call for help until his very life was threatened, it cannot have been comfortable knowing you're a better hunter now that you feel less human or something, and do we know this? No, and we should because Sam is just as important as Dean in the narrative. And also, Dean needs to own up to his own crap as well, as you point out, and he's not really going to until Sam is made more sympathetic, prompting some insight from Dean.
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Yes, Sam PoV is in order, urgently. I mean, he seemed genuine in his last plea to Dean, he knows something is wrong and he knows he needs help, but I am not sure that he really feels it. He knows it intellectually, but not emotionally. That's also why he always insists that he is fine when Dean asks him how he feels. But it is important that we as the audience understand how exactly Sam is affected by having no emotions. He obiously knows exactly how he is supposed to respond to certain emotional situations and he knows how to mimic that response, but without the emotions that are the motivation for that response in the first place, it's just empty acting. And I would really like to know how Sam copes with that. /sigh
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I think that shows that he believes Sam on some level
Yes, true, Dean didn't want to kill Sam anymore, but just use him as his personal punching bag, which I can only surmise is supposed to be proof of his brotherly love and the depth of his compassion. *snort* Sorry for the sarcasm, it's not directed at you or your comment, that kind of violence is one of my triggers. But, seriously, I think Dean was taking a wait and see approach (wait to see what this version of Sam would do next ... more admissions?) and then didn't know what to do with all his pent-up emotion. Sadly, it's canon fact that Dean hits the things he loves the most (the Impala and Sam) when he's scared (and angry) and backed into a corner. It's just too bad that Sam didn't fight back because at least then it would just fall under "another Winchester brother tussle" and it would be so much less disturbing to me.
Let's hope this season improves on the brother-relationship front from here on out. I'm ready for this to have been the series low point.
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