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[ginzai]

I need a new sketchbook. Somewhat to my bemusement, I discovered I'd used the last page on my current one yesterday, which was wicked annoying because La Bohème came on the classic movie channel and I really wanted to draw some of the people there. They're all just ridiculously pretty in that 1920's sort of way. Something about how stylized

Comments

Re: It's long because I ramble :)

[muffaletta]

Excellent meta, Phinnie. I also don't see Dean's admission in the final scene as being especially "freeing" for Dean: he basically said that in keeping a short leash on Sam, he missed seeing how things were negatively impacting Sam. The implication, imo, is that Dean needs to maintain a different perspective so he can better take care of Sam's needs. There was nothing from either Dean or Sam about how this new arrangement would benefit both brothers, or about what Sam will do in a mutual effort to fix their old dynamic. Dean seems to be once again bearing the onus of bearing the responsibility of the relationship on his shoulders while Sam needs to....stop drinking blood? screwing demons? As part of becoming a grown up, I'd hope Sam would look inward to see what he can change in his attitude towards Dean-perhaps a little more respect? less eye rolling and fewer bitch faces? less condescending correction of Dean's mistakes? It was actually the non resolution of Dean's annoyed reaction to Sam correcting his Spanish that gives me hope: perhaps we haven't yet seen the end of the relationship issue.

Re: It's long because I ramble :)

[ginzai]

Thanks. I see Dean in that last conversation almost taking up a burden again. We saw him in 5x03 as the freest he's been at any point in the series (which could be an interesting meta in its own right, the fact that him accepting separation from his family brought him more peace than his mostly "getting over" Hell did), but the end of the episode felt more to me like he was girding his loins again. He wasn't relaxed like he was in 5x03. He seemed tense to me.

And very much agreed. My issue is much more about the fact that this was unequal than it is that Sam has a bit of a skewed idea of what makes a normal partnership. I don't mind Sam making snide comments or the bitchfaces or the rolled eyes (outside of confessions of Hell, that is) - to me, that's a pretty normal part of being brothers. I do mind that Sam really thinks he's been so put upon and that all he needs to do to fix things is just to tell Dean he needs to stop bossing him around.

Re: It's long because I ramble :)

[muffaletta]

I understand what you're saying about Sam's attitude and within a different context, I too would agree that it simply reflects being a younger brother. After S4 blew open Sam's psyche and exposed his feelings of pride and superiority over Dean (which I don't believe were simply a result of the addiction, considering the dynamics of the previous seasons), though, to me Sam's attitude reflect a deeper issue in his relationship with Dean. As you mentioned, I'm not sure Sam is simply looking for an equal partnership so much as to be the one in control as he wrongly thought he'd found with Ruby. Now Sam's back to chafing at the fact that, despite his own inclination to be the one in charge, Dean is and will always be the oldest. The snideness and reaffirmations of his intellectual prowess seem more like angry, passive aggressive jabs (which Dean, being equally passive aggressive, allows by not saying anything)beyond just brotherly annoyance. And I wonder if these aren't outward manifestions of Sam's inner feeling that he's in the right, that the core basis of the rift was pretty much needy/emotionally weaker/not overly bright Dean's fault, and Dean is the one who needs to fix things.

Just my opinion, of course.

Re: It's long because I ramble :)

[ginzai]

Oh, I definitely think Sam has long had a superiority complex about Dean. Superiority complex and deeply hidden inferiority complex as well, but pretty much every highly conceited individual I've ever met was that way to cover up deep rooted fears about their own worthiness.

IMHO, Sam really did want an equal partnership until Dean fell apart after John's death. Sam seemed to find Dean to be almost untouchable before that; look at how shocked he was to discover that Dean was in fact mortal in Faith. I don't think Sam does very well with emotional injuries and when Dean couldn't just deal and get over it, when he spiraled out of control, Sam's opinion of Dean really started to sink. It's not that Sam really knew Dean before that (or Dean Sam, to a large extent), but it wasn't nearly so malicious a disregard as it became later on.

Sam definitely grew darker after his death. Azazel indicated that it might not be 100% pure Sam, but I think it was, just one who had been incredibly disillusioned about the innate goodness of humanity. Sam had prided himself on helping people (despite the fact that Sam would readily sacrifice people in danger if it got him closer to a larger goal - Sam's never really seemed to think that one through before) and on seeing the good within even supposedly damned and evil creatures. I don't think it's coincidence that we started S2 with Sam saving the good vampires and ended it with Sam being killed by the psykid who he trusted.

At any rate, Sam definitely spiraled in S3 and S4 and it doesn't seem like he's done any sort of reflecting on how he was able to do what he did. I agree, Sam is chaffing because Dean will always have more experience than Sam and so much of Dean's S4 advice and words of wisdom turned out to be the (literal) gospel truth. Dean told him not to trust Ruby. Check! Dean told him not to use his powers. Check! Dean told him to watch out for slippery slopes. Check!

What I'd been hoping for was a Sam who was humbler, who recognized that in having his pure autonomy like he's been asking for, he did terrible things and that was all him. It seemed like we were on track to get those, but now you're right - it really does seem like Sam is blaming Dean for how bad things got.

Well. It's only been one really bad episode in this regard. Sam wasn't at his greatest between 5x01 and 5x02, but he wasn't anywhere near as bad as this. I'll give it a bit longer before I draw any real conclusions, but in general, if this is how they're going to be playing things, it seems a pretty unfortunate way to end a series. :(