I have a hard time believing that Dean isn't doing this deliberately. I know you don't think so but I'm not so sure.
I actually think that's a fair reading? And closer to my opinion than not. I mean, I don't buy the fandom party line that these are all isolated incidents that he didn't meeeeaaaaaaan. I just think he has a thick layer of cognitive dissonance lying over his resentment of his brother, and ofc it's not like he knows what healthy relationships look like. I think he's consciously convinced himself he's not doing it, and he keeps doubling down in order to convince himself of it. If he were consciously trying to demoralize and manipulate his brother he could hardly do better. I think being a big mean bully is his default setting by now, AND that his self-image as the Good Brother who loves Sam so muh-huch is so central to his identity and his excuses for his meanness to Sam, that I have a hard time seeing him consciously acknowledging what he's doing.
I also have a hard time with people saying Dean sold his soul for Sam. BS as far as I'm concerned. He sold his soul because he didn't want to be alone.
I think it's tough to argue otherwise after seeing all of S3. If he sold his soul because he wanted Sam to live, why in the world did he drag Sam onto some hopeless suicide mission that if not for the evil demon blood would've guaranteed that he wouldn't have to go out alone. But SAM buys the "I did this for YOUUUUUU [now make it up to me which you can't!]" in a way that turns their relationship onto this nasty course.
I do disagree that this is a writers problem. (Except in S5; S5 dropped the ball so hard.) I think the show was particularly clear this season that THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON and THIS IS NOT OKAY. There's a subset of fans who are willfully gross about it, but you're going to get that in any fandom.
I actually think that's a fair reading? And closer to my opinion than not. I mean, I don't buy the fandom party line that these are all isolated incidents that he didn't meeeeaaaaaaan. I just think he has a thick layer of cognitive dissonance lying over his resentment of his brother, and ofc it's not like he knows what healthy relationships look like. I think he's consciously convinced himself he's not doing it, and he keeps doubling down in order to convince himself of it. If he were consciously trying to demoralize and manipulate his brother he could hardly do better. I think being a big mean bully is his default setting by now, AND that his self-image as the Good Brother who loves Sam so muh-huch is so central to his identity and his excuses for his meanness to Sam, that I have a hard time seeing him consciously acknowledging what he's doing.
I also have a hard time with people saying Dean sold his soul for Sam. BS as far as I'm concerned. He sold his soul because he didn't want to be alone.
I think it's tough to argue otherwise after seeing all of S3. If he sold his soul because he wanted Sam to live, why in the world did he drag Sam onto some hopeless suicide mission that if not for the evil demon blood would've guaranteed that he wouldn't have to go out alone. But SAM buys the "I did this for YOUUUUUU [now make it up to me which you can't!]" in a way that turns their relationship onto this nasty course.
I do disagree that this is a writers problem. (Except in S5; S5 dropped the ball so hard.) I think the show was particularly clear this season that THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON and THIS IS NOT OKAY. There's a subset of fans who are willfully gross about it, but you're going to get that in any fandom.
SAM IS THE BEST. <3
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