More things spn 6.20 does
Really, I need to be doing a post about Fringe and how mind-blowing that is, while I try to explain what I think is going on there but all this stuff about SPN 6.20 keeps hitting me at odd moments. A delayed reaction and things I hand't yet put completely together in my other two posts.
So in addition to revealing wtf is going on in S6, and showing how yes it did make sense and had a plan, and finally shaking out how Dean feels about Castiel and how deeply Castiel is entangled with the Winchesters:
*the theme of are all Supernatural things evil, automatically the enemy. This didn't hit me until today, but ponder for a second that thread which has been running on the show since early S2, and Dean's comments in "Wendigo"--killing those evil sons of bitches as therapy, and now Dean Winchester saying to a supernatural being "you're like a brother to me." That a supernatural being earned that affection through his actions. This is huge. It's not as radical as it seems given that it's Castiel human qualities that did it, but Dean, rather than distrusting or being repulsed by Castiel's supernatural aspects, depends on them, gets annoyed when they're on the fritz, and does think of Cas as Superman in a lot of ways, a good angel. Dean's sort of wanting it both ways--the human aspect makes him trust Cas, but he also likes and accepts the Otherness that goes with it. "Don't ever change."
*Robo!Sam as something horrific and the impact on Sam. In case there was any question left whether Robo!Sam had redeeming qualities or was intended as anything other than a horrific distortion of Sam. Robo!Sam turning and walking away from Dean so coolly, and Castiel's voice-over that he should've known something was wrong are pretty strong pointers. (All my early s6 meta on Robo!Sam, ignore it). Most of all, Sam's reactions when he realized Castiel raised him from the cage and did "a piss-poor job of it" was a hard glimpse of the effect of Robo!Sam on Sam and my heart shattered there for Sam. That someone he cared about was the cause of that happening, for what he became. Oh, Sam.
*making Robo!Sam easier. Having said that, as I maybe did mention in my episode reaction post, while that's shattering, that also makes Robo!Sam a shade less horrifying to me because it was an accident that happened because someone cared about Sam and was trying to save him. Sam may not feel better, but I do.
which brings me to
*abandonment issues. The only time the canon has kicked me in the teeth on Dean and Castiel was 5x22 with Sam having jumped into a scary hellmouth, Sam lost to Dean, and we have not only grieving and angry Dean but know Sam is likely being tortured as we speak, Castiel shows up and says "this is what you wanted." I discussed this in my LJ already at the time, and I get he wanted to offer comfort and he was right, because freedom has a high cost. But Castiel is Dean's friend--the only drinking buddy who hasn't died on him--and when Dean was at his lowest, Castiel goes off to heaven to be sheriff and I think Dean needed a friend to be there. And as far as we knew until 6.20, didn't see Dean for that whole year (my fanon did allow for him checking in to make sure he was ok but that's not canon). Now we know what happened. Despite his philosophizing at Dean, he felt the cost was too high. He went to the cage to get Sam out, he hand-delivered Sam to Dean's doorstep.
Even if Castiel made the wrong choice and went off with Crowley, Castiel was there, at least at first. I may cry again.
which reminds me...
*affirmed different relationships. The split between Sam and Dean was long, slow, painful, violent. Dean punched Sam and threw lamps and by season's end was ready to give up and it took a whole season for them to break and more than a season to get fixed. Don't get me wrong, this ep was rolling in how deeply Castiel can hurt Dean, and it hurts Dean because of how much Dean loves him. That it was Dean and Cas affirming is an understatement, and Castiel has gotten to Dean bone deep. But Dean is able to reach out to Castiel and stay calmer than he ever could be with Sam; Sam scared him a lot more. Maybe after what happened with Sam, Dean's not eager to have another split like that with someone he cares about. It's not a question of quantity or quality of love, but the relationships work differently. Dean's spent decades of his life looking after Sammy, and I think canon intends us to believe the soul mates thing. But this ep affirmed a lot of meta for me, including the ways Sam and Dean's brother relationship has different dynamics than Dean and Castiel's surrogate brotherhood.
It also makes me immensely happy that the show isn't privileging relationships on the basis of blood--S6 has shown how blood isn't enough, and the brothers-by-choice aspect exists in both Dean and Sam's bond and Dean and Castiel's.
Then there was Sam and Cas, and Castiel's stricken face when Sam asks if he raised him wrong on purpose, Sam's hurt at what Castiel did. I think Castiel saved Sam for his own sake, as well as for Dean's
Castiel didn't want Dean to suffer more than he already had, and knew that giving him back Sam would be giving him back the world. So sad, that protectiveness and not wanting to ask Dean to have to give anything more, is what led to Castiel going with Crowley rather than turning to Dean.
I think maybe this ep can do my taxes and my laundry too.
Now I need to go listen to "Running Up That Hill" on repeat for a little while.
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