a response to responses to criticisms of Dean throughout S9
In numerous meta communities, I've seen conversations of S9 which strike me as incomplete about some very important dimensions to the season, and I'd like to respond.
( cut for abuse triggers; discusses through the most recent episode )
( cut for abuse triggers; discusses through the most recent episode )
(That, or a chipper "well fuck it, I like being alive and having an angel owe me!" WILL NEVER HAPPEN BUT HAHAHAHA.)
As a resolution of Sam's abuse it would be great. On a fandom meta level (and on a Dean POV level) it would lead to Dean wasn't wrong because he violated Sam's will, Dean was wrong because Sam has once again let power go to his head. Sam loves being able to smite people just like with the demon blood and poor, sad martyr Dean must stop his angel powered brother who does bad things and once he is stopped Dean must never let Sam make another decision again. In this scenario, Kevin's death becomes the worst thing ever because Sam is accepting power at the expense of Kevin and saving Cas and Charlie will be totally forgotten, or put on the goodness of Gad while Sam the awful is just a guy willing to kill a friend for power. If Sam embraces his inner angel or accepts that Gad owes him a debt, eventually Dean will get Gad out of him or be "forced" to see that Sam is misusing Gad's debt for "bad" purposes (buying organic apples, letting a dog into the car, real sins here). It's too, too easy for Dean to turn Sam interacting with the supernatural on HIS OWN VOLITION into something bad. Dean must always be the intermediary because Dean is always right, Sam is always wrong and "look how you've screwed up this time Sam. First you trust Ruby, now you trust Gad. Honestly Sam you "must never go down to the end of town if you don't go down with me"".
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Yeah, I would totally like for her to be alive and to get her say, for sure. I just don't want her to be the only voice against the whole thing.
The chorus of "but Gad saved Cas and Charlie so doesn't that balance Kevin out?" just bugs
This does kind of make Cas an even more attractive candidate for Jiminy Cricket. "Yeah I'm alive BUT THIS WAS STILL A BAD IDEA." Though I feel a little bad wishing the burden of *being Dean's conscience* on anyone, even a character I'm significantly less attached to than my bby Cas.
I don't know. I want Dean to get read the riot act from someone about this, less for his benefit and more to make it as clear as possible to as much of the audience as possible what exactly has been going on here, but also, I think *Sam* really needs to hear some outside perspective from a person he trusts in order to break out of the head trip he's been getting for the past few years and especially for the past couple of months.
On a fandom meta level (and on a Dean POV level) it would lead to Dean wasn't wrong because he violated Sam's will, Dean was wrong because Sam has once again let power go to his head. Sam loves being able to smite people just like with the demon blood and poor, sad martyr Dean must stop his angel powered brother who does bad things and once he is stopped Dean must never let Sam make another decision again.
Yeah, that's true, though I kind of feel like people will spin it that way no matter what.
buying organic apples, letting a dog into the car, real sins here
LOL. Out loud.
It's too, too easy for Dean to turn Sam interacting with the supernatural on HIS OWN VOLITION into something bad. Dean must always be the intermediary because Dean is always right, Sam is always wrong and "look how you've screwed up this time Sam. First you trust Ruby, now you trust Gad. Honestly Sam you "must never go down to the end of town if you don't go down with me"".
That's one of the few things I don't have much doubt about, that he'll try to play it that way. But I think he's really overplayed his hand this time? Because now Sam can say (what I am hoping he will eventually learn to say) "well if I can't help myself WHOSE FAULT IS THAT, and if I can help myself, HOW IS IT YOUR BUSINESS, either way I don't trust your judgment more than my own any more." And seriously, Dean losing that hold over Sam is the best possible outcome in terms of Sam's well-being *and* sweet justice in terms of the blow to Dean's self-image.
And just like....as a narrative parallel thing, how amazing does that become if Sam picks up some angel power in the way he got powers from the demon blood? Because then the conversation becomes DEAN IS THE YED. I mean, the parallels started in Girl Next Door when he killed Amy in front of her son, but this is a whole new level.
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This would satisfy me on so many levels. I'm hoping this is the way they go with it. I really need Dean to accept responsibility for what he did to Sam rather than trying to blame Sam again.
Do you think Sam would tell Gad to just go ahead and take over because he's so obviously wrong about everything he does and can't stand this life anymore? I've read that Sam is suicidal in some future episodes.
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....it could happen! I'm not holding my breath, but it could happen. What I really want is for Sam not to blame Sam again, and not let Dean talk him into blaming himself.
Do you think Sam would tell Gad to just go ahead and take over because he's so obviously wrong about everything he does and can't stand this life anymore? I've read that Sam is suicidal in some future episodes.
I mean, he's still kind of between a rock and a hard place with this. If he evicts Gadreel, that's a potentially self-destructive action, since he's still "duct tape and safety pins inside," Dean's nonchalance notwithstanding. And if he doesn't, as you say, he's running the risk that Gadreel can take him over and destroy his identity. I'm not sure there's anything Sam can do at this point which can't be construed as suicidal behavior. Whether or not he is entirely committed to survival on these compromised terms is...I don't know, I really don't.
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