five (of the many, many) ways people get S9 wrong
Here are five frequent criticisms of the Ezekiel storyline that, as of episode 9x5 (I reserve the right to change this opinion when we get the whole picture, though I don’t think I’ll have to), are at best bullshit and are, in many cases, extremely disturbing.
Just to be clear, I'm not talking about people who just don't like part or all of S9. I ( Read more... )
Just to be clear, I'm not talking about people who just don't like part or all of S9. I ( Read more... )
Morally, though: I’m really not here for “this can’t be happening, he would never do that, HE’S SUCH A GOOD GUY.” That one, I’m not going to dignify with an explanation."
You're right, I don't like Dean at all. He's been a d-bag since Season 1 episode 1. He's been consistent in his put-downs of Sam since then. They're there in every episode in one form or another. For me, his biggest problem is that he's never matured past the me, me, me stage that most people grow out of.
This is the first season that they've shown him as he truly is without whitwashing it and boy are the EDG's pissed. I'm loving it. It boggles my mind that people can't see him for who he is. I got him right away. I've met some needy people in real life which may be why I saw him for who he is.
But I'm also scared for Sam. He deserves so much better than the brother he's been saddled with. I'm not one of those people who think blood is thicker than water. I think trust needs to be earned.
I'm the oldest of 5 kids and would NEVER treat my younger siblings the way Dean treats Sam. And yes, he is ABUSIVE! I could never identify with him for that reason. I've always understood Sam but not Dean.
I sure hope the show doesn't whitewash what he's doing to Sam and allows Sam to express his feelings when he finds out.
Thanks for the post and letting me vent.
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You are a lot more astute than I am! I liked Dean a lot at first because I'm the oldest too, and he made me really think about "if I had been in his situation, his sub-culture, had his particular formative traumas, would I behave the way he does?" And I didn't know, but I had enough of a way into the character that I was sympathetic and found him a very interesting thought exercise. And I tried to hang in there throughout S4 because, you know, hell-trauma, but it was harder and harder to deal with his desire to dehumanize Sam that got worse and worse throughout the season. ("I feel terrible about turning on strangers in hell and hurting them in order to vent my own pain, but it's TOTALLY okay to bully and abuse MY BROTHER because of that pain!") I didn't really admit to seeing him for what he is until "at least he dies human" which is quite possibly the most disgusted I have ever been with a lead character in any of my shows.
So...yeah. This isn't about being the oldest. This is about he is an abuser and his younger brother is the closest target.
For me, his biggest problem is that he's never matured past the me, me, me stage that most people grow out of.
YES AND ALSO I THINK THIS IS SO INTERESTING? Apparently it takes until about the age of four for kids to get their heads around the theory of mind - like, they don't understand that not all knowledge is universal, they assume you know what they know and they know what you know and that's all they understand. (Apologies if I'm telling you stuff you already know, I've been reading a lot of psychology books lately.) And so Azazel striking when Dean was just at that age, presumably before he could really solidify the concept of there are boundaries between him and other people, explains...basically everything about Dean. And I really am sympathetic to it in earlier seasons, because he's younger and because his father still being around and then the immediate grief over losing John were kind of artificially regressing him. But he's had almost a decade to grow up since then, he has a support network, his life isn't easy but neither is Sam's or Cas' or Kevin's, and they're at least trying. But no, he still takes it as a personal affront that other people have a sense of self outside of him. And I think - I hope - I think! - we're going to see him get a wake-up call about this.
I sure hope the show doesn't whitewash what he's doing to Sam and allows Sam to express his feelings when he finds out.
Agreed! I mean, I doubt we'd get this hammered home to the extent that we are if it wasn't the point of this storyline. But still, I'll believe it when I see it.
ANYWAY YES, THANKS FOR READING AND VENTING.
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