General Sam meta and thoughts on S4

[ginzai]

So I think I need to rewatch S4. As in, all of it. From Lazarus to Lucifer and yes, that unfortunately includes Yellow Fever and ASS and CAIADB. There are just so many interesting themes and nuances that keep getting brought up and even each of the MOTW throwaway episodes does something to refer to the overall mytharc in some way or another,

Comments

[muffaletta]

First of all, let's get the important stuff out of the way: you've decided to write that sequel to "Wisdom?" AWESOME! *twirls you*

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program ...Insightful, thought provoking meta-you brought up a lot of good points worth considering. And it's always interesting to read a fellow Dean girl's perspective on Sam (who I still haven't entirely forgiven for his ill treatment of post Hell Dean *stares pointedly at Sam*)

I do agree that, with the exception of some cringeworthy sidesteps, the writing on the show was much more sophisticated this season. In many ways, I felt Sam's arc was covered even more thoroughly than Dean's because there were so many allusions outside of the main character,as you noted. Dean's PTSD consisted of a few nightmares, flashbacks, and a little drinking: he got off pretty easy, considering Kripke's description of Hell as the "worst POW camp imaginable." Dean's guilt had a little more attention but again, was wrapped up in a pretty bow by "Life." His interactions with the angels were fascinatingly complex but Dean's mission hasn't been explored much beyond "stop it." Not that I'm disappointed-I really enjoyed Dean's arc. But in many ways, it felt reactive to circumstances set in motion by what already happened in Hell or to what Sam was doing. Sam's decisions, on the other hand, was the active propellant for the majority of events this season. And yet the irony is that, had Sam not broken the last seal, Dean would not be needed to stop Lucifer-an act that the angels, judging from Zach's promised martyr reward, don't expect him to survive. If Sam's feeling guilty now, I wonder how he'll react when that little tidbit sinks in.

Again, lots of food for thought. I'll definitely keep this meta in mind when I do my own rewatch of S4.

[ginzai]

*g* I'll be writing the sequel if my muse will get back in gear.

Oh, Sammy was a bad, bad boy, wasn't he? It'll take a while before I'm comfortable with the Winchester dynamic again.

I think you've really hit the nail on the head when it comes to effort put into Sam and Dean's respective emotional arcs this season. In retrospect, it very much seems to me that the majority of effort was in Sam's part, no matter how loud the complaints were when the season was actually airing. With Dean, it was far more blatant - almost overly so, to the point where his tears inspired more snickering or groans than sympathy from the generic fan. Which you know I've got my own issues with there; 40 freaking years in Hell, dude. If you want to cry after 40 freaking years in Hell, I'm pretty sure you've earned the right!

And yeah, I am disappointed with the handwave response to Dean's PTSD and various issues. I don't like that TPTB did everything possible to crush him this season, including attacking all of his emotional trigger points, and that when in 4x16 we actually saw him at the logical place this would lead to, they wrote it all off the very next episode. It just feels lazy. But if you look at the extremely overt display of emotion from Dean as a foil to the extremely hidden side from Sam, then it makes more sense. It still rankles, but I can understand it as a technical issue.

And yet the irony is that, had Sam not broken the last seal, Dean would not be needed to stop Lucifer-an act that the angels, judging from Zach's promised martyr reward, don't expect him to survive. If Sam's feeling guilty now, I wonder how he'll react when that little tidbit sinks in.

Oh, this I like. You know, I hadn't taken the 72 virgins promise to its logical conclusion, but you're absolutely right. It very much does imply that Dean, and Dean in particular, isn't expected to survive this and the implications of that in turn are just... Wow. What does Zachariah want from Dean? What is it that he's supposed to do? These are the big questions from S4 that weren't answered and they're also the ones that are driving me most crazy.

...Seriously, if we don't get Sam and Dean (and hopefully Castiel) on the run in S5 from demons and angels alike, I'mma be SO VERY DISAPPOINTED.