That big hairy spoiler that emerged at Fangoria
Okay, so the big hairy spoiler: IF we get the rest of the season, as basically planned, Sam's powers would increase quite dramatically. Instead of being gone, they've -- well, I don't know that part, except they'd/they'll be back, bigger, better, faster than before.
Which -- before I go any further -- is awesome, because that is turning out to be the only way to break Dean's deal: Sam doing it himself, like, with powers and stuff. Not (yet) seeing any other way around this suggested in canon. I don't know if Sam is/will be the Antichrist-whatever, nothing about that. Only that the powers get amped up.
Now it makes me kinda tired to even say this, but before I go on I'll say it anyway -- I'm not trying to harsh someone's squee about this news.
Just -- turn away now if this is ALL GOOD and you don't want to discuss it except in terms of OMGYAYZ. Okay? SERIOUSLY. Because just as tired as I am of having folks think I'm doing this just because I want to ruin someone's perfectly lovely afternoon, or because OMG I hate SAMOMG, you will probably be tired of the arguments I will shortly bring up objecting to this (potential) turn of (potential) events. Just -- ignore this, okay? Don't LET it make you unhappy. I don't know how else to approach it.
There.
So Sam's powerz go supercharged. Like I said above, I think this might just be the only solution, at least, to the Dean Problem -- may well have been planned long in advance. And I'll add that with the exception of the Big Reveal about What Dad Said To Dean, which fell sorta flat, I have generally been satisfied with a lot of the choices in this show.
This news, though. (And here we go with the "do not read this if you are completely Woman On Fire about the plot development." Just in case.) I felt like reading it sent me careening backward in time, back to when I was going, Bzuh? Dean's the firstborn. And even FURTHER back, to when I was catching up on first-season eps and posting my reactions, and saying that Sam having powers fundamentally changes the show.
Except I was premature about that, because Sam's powers were also lame ducks -- they worked...sometimes. They were right...most of the time. He had telekinesis...once. Never to be seen again. And he had...zero control over them. So in a sense they were equal parts blessing and curse. Maybe leaning towards the curse side of the equation.
So Sam's powers were not necessarily a huge threat to any Big Bads, at least not as presented. They were not really such a great asset -- in fact, almost liability at times. We saw it in DT, where Sam could not use his teke at all -- and in the 2 finale, when he was a good manager of people but clearly did not have the scope or control that his fellow specials did.
This news, though. Now -- before anyone says I'm jumping the gun, all right already. That may well be. I'll accept that potential onus. But this? Puts Sam MAJORLY on the demonic playing field, and I'm not sure I like that. In some ways, great -- that degree of power, used by the Sammy we know, would be a phenomenal asset.
But which Sammy will it be? Our Sam, the basically good guy, nifty person? Or will it be some other Sam we haven't yet met? What's the tradeoff for Sam? We haven't seen many free lunches on SPN. In fact I kinda don't think we've seen ANY. What will Sam pay for the coming Assumption?
And honestly? Letting it all hang out here? I'm not excited about it, because -- ::deep sigh:: There's no difference here. We have (POTENTIALLY, RUMOR HAS IT) a Sam who has completely come into his powers, whatever they are, however terrific they are -- and a Dean who (THUS FAR) is passive, who is fatalistic about his date with Hell. So basically (THUS FAR), we have what I always disliked the most about the prospect/reality of Sam as a special kid instead of a regular Winchester brother, and that is the way this plot eventually forces Dean into one of a very limited number of roles -- basically victim or sidekick.
I'm tempted to screen the hell out of comments, just because I can already hear the groans and see the rolling eyes.
I'm sorry. I'm back at that early place where I went -- look, it just doesn't make sense that Dean was so entirely passed over for this. I don't necessarily say Dean should have powers -- to me that should be self-evident in the context of my argument. That Sam DOES have powers changes things. And now? To have Phenomenal Cosmic Powaa? I mean, why? Why Sam? This is a question the show will never answer, because it doesn't see the problem. The burp in continuity.
I realize this is probably how Dean either gets out of his deal, or is taken by his deal and is the catalyst for Sam's assuming the full mantle of his power -- maybe to save Dean, I could certainly see that working in that fashion. But see, I think that's great, save Dean, alla that -- except what was Dean's role in this chain of events, ultimately? Was it to make his own choice? Or was this all just a setup to catalyze Sam's ascension?
I tell you honestly: I'd rather Dean died. I HOPE that's how it works. Dean dies, goes to Hell, and Sam amps up and goes after his soul. I could live with that. But if this happens BEFORE Dean dies, before the gig is up, before the sky falls -- I'm gonna be pissed off, because plot-wise it doesn't serve Dean at all.
Oh, I KNOW if people went ahead and read this after all my goddamn disclaimers, they'll be pissed as hell at me. I just. In some ways I think it will be an inevitable move, amping up Sam's strengths -- after all, we've had anvilicious suggestions of more to come, Antichrist references, etc., etc.
But where the hell does anyone want Dean's character to go? To the place that says, Neener neener neener, my little brother is the Antichrist, can't touch me? Wow. That's...a bad, bad, passive, USELESS place for Dean to go. And Sam saving him at the eleventh hour through his suddenly ramped-up powers would DO THAT. I'm not saying he doesn't feel the same as he always has about Dean, I know Sam adores him, blah blah. I'm saying that character-wise -- where do they go from there?
It would be far stronger to have Sam come into his powers, and Dean say, I'd rather go to Hell for all eternity than see you become what we've always hunted. And motherfucking DIE. Because that shows a little valor.
The special-powers thing just really never did have a place for Dean in it. And it's rankling me all over again now, because it isn't over, it's coming back bigger than ever, and if Dean ALREADY gave up his life for Sam once, well, what the hell is he gonna do now? I just -- never liked how unequal it made the brothers, I never liked how no one ever answered the question of why Dean was passed over for the dubious honor, I don't know what the hell is going on with Mary, and. Yeah. So there it is.
You can commence the hating. I'm SORRY. This is my weakest spot with this show, always has been, and this news fills me with dismay. If it were ONLY Sam -- then I would be excited. But there is another brother, and -- I've never understood that choice. However it works out, I hope they don't cut Dean's balls entirely off. With nothing special of his own, his balls are pretty much all he's got going for him. Let him go out with MEANING. Don't let Sam do a last-minute save. Because if you do, Dean is reduced to -- far, far less than he deserves.
Which -- before I go any further -- is awesome, because that is turning out to be the only way to break Dean's deal: Sam doing it himself, like, with powers and stuff. Not (yet) seeing any other way around this suggested in canon. I don't know if Sam is/will be the Antichrist-whatever, nothing about that. Only that the powers get amped up.
Now it makes me kinda tired to even say this, but before I go on I'll say it anyway -- I'm not trying to harsh someone's squee about this news.
Just -- turn away now if this is ALL GOOD and you don't want to discuss it except in terms of OMGYAYZ. Okay? SERIOUSLY. Because just as tired as I am of having folks think I'm doing this just because I want to ruin someone's perfectly lovely afternoon, or because OMG I hate SAMOMG, you will probably be tired of the arguments I will shortly bring up objecting to this (potential) turn of (potential) events. Just -- ignore this, okay? Don't LET it make you unhappy. I don't know how else to approach it.
There.
So Sam's powerz go supercharged. Like I said above, I think this might just be the only solution, at least, to the Dean Problem -- may well have been planned long in advance. And I'll add that with the exception of the Big Reveal about What Dad Said To Dean, which fell sorta flat, I have generally been satisfied with a lot of the choices in this show.
This news, though. (And here we go with the "do not read this if you are completely Woman On Fire about the plot development." Just in case.) I felt like reading it sent me careening backward in time, back to when I was going, Bzuh? Dean's the firstborn. And even FURTHER back, to when I was catching up on first-season eps and posting my reactions, and saying that Sam having powers fundamentally changes the show.
Except I was premature about that, because Sam's powers were also lame ducks -- they worked...sometimes. They were right...most of the time. He had telekinesis...once. Never to be seen again. And he had...zero control over them. So in a sense they were equal parts blessing and curse. Maybe leaning towards the curse side of the equation.
So Sam's powers were not necessarily a huge threat to any Big Bads, at least not as presented. They were not really such a great asset -- in fact, almost liability at times. We saw it in DT, where Sam could not use his teke at all -- and in the 2 finale, when he was a good manager of people but clearly did not have the scope or control that his fellow specials did.
This news, though. Now -- before anyone says I'm jumping the gun, all right already. That may well be. I'll accept that potential onus. But this? Puts Sam MAJORLY on the demonic playing field, and I'm not sure I like that. In some ways, great -- that degree of power, used by the Sammy we know, would be a phenomenal asset.
But which Sammy will it be? Our Sam, the basically good guy, nifty person? Or will it be some other Sam we haven't yet met? What's the tradeoff for Sam? We haven't seen many free lunches on SPN. In fact I kinda don't think we've seen ANY. What will Sam pay for the coming Assumption?
And honestly? Letting it all hang out here? I'm not excited about it, because -- ::deep sigh:: There's no difference here. We have (POTENTIALLY, RUMOR HAS IT) a Sam who has completely come into his powers, whatever they are, however terrific they are -- and a Dean who (THUS FAR) is passive, who is fatalistic about his date with Hell. So basically (THUS FAR), we have what I always disliked the most about the prospect/reality of Sam as a special kid instead of a regular Winchester brother, and that is the way this plot eventually forces Dean into one of a very limited number of roles -- basically victim or sidekick.
I'm tempted to screen the hell out of comments, just because I can already hear the groans and see the rolling eyes.
I'm sorry. I'm back at that early place where I went -- look, it just doesn't make sense that Dean was so entirely passed over for this. I don't necessarily say Dean should have powers -- to me that should be self-evident in the context of my argument. That Sam DOES have powers changes things. And now? To have Phenomenal Cosmic Powaa? I mean, why? Why Sam? This is a question the show will never answer, because it doesn't see the problem. The burp in continuity.
I realize this is probably how Dean either gets out of his deal, or is taken by his deal and is the catalyst for Sam's assuming the full mantle of his power -- maybe to save Dean, I could certainly see that working in that fashion. But see, I think that's great, save Dean, alla that -- except what was Dean's role in this chain of events, ultimately? Was it to make his own choice? Or was this all just a setup to catalyze Sam's ascension?
I tell you honestly: I'd rather Dean died. I HOPE that's how it works. Dean dies, goes to Hell, and Sam amps up and goes after his soul. I could live with that. But if this happens BEFORE Dean dies, before the gig is up, before the sky falls -- I'm gonna be pissed off, because plot-wise it doesn't serve Dean at all.
Oh, I KNOW if people went ahead and read this after all my goddamn disclaimers, they'll be pissed as hell at me. I just. In some ways I think it will be an inevitable move, amping up Sam's strengths -- after all, we've had anvilicious suggestions of more to come, Antichrist references, etc., etc.
But where the hell does anyone want Dean's character to go? To the place that says, Neener neener neener, my little brother is the Antichrist, can't touch me? Wow. That's...a bad, bad, passive, USELESS place for Dean to go. And Sam saving him at the eleventh hour through his suddenly ramped-up powers would DO THAT. I'm not saying he doesn't feel the same as he always has about Dean, I know Sam adores him, blah blah. I'm saying that character-wise -- where do they go from there?
It would be far stronger to have Sam come into his powers, and Dean say, I'd rather go to Hell for all eternity than see you become what we've always hunted. And motherfucking DIE. Because that shows a little valor.
The special-powers thing just really never did have a place for Dean in it. And it's rankling me all over again now, because it isn't over, it's coming back bigger than ever, and if Dean ALREADY gave up his life for Sam once, well, what the hell is he gonna do now? I just -- never liked how unequal it made the brothers, I never liked how no one ever answered the question of why Dean was passed over for the dubious honor, I don't know what the hell is going on with Mary, and. Yeah. So there it is.
You can commence the hating. I'm SORRY. This is my weakest spot with this show, always has been, and this news fills me with dismay. If it were ONLY Sam -- then I would be excited. But there is another brother, and -- I've never understood that choice. However it works out, I hope they don't cut Dean's balls entirely off. With nothing special of his own, his balls are pretty much all he's got going for him. Let him go out with MEANING. Don't let Sam do a last-minute save. Because if you do, Dean is reduced to -- far, far less than he deserves.