One of the things I love about our show is its use of language. Very deliberate choices are made with certain words and phrases. ( Let's give this a closer look, shall we? )
This is great! The repeated and shared language is really interesting--it reinforces the idea that the Winchesters have their own private, intimate world, that's been remarkably consistent across the seasons. I love your point that Dean more often uses those repeated phrases, while Sam tries to find his own, original words. And that Dean has been "pushed to a place where he longer has words of his own." How heartbreakingly true!
You reminded me of the weird moment at the beginning of SaV when Sam calls Dean "kiddo"--I found it kind of jarring, but it does go along with all the other reversals you note.
There was one interesting verbal/phrasing echo in 4.21 I couldn't get out of my head. When Sam is hallucinating Dean, and not!Dean is about to call him a monster, Sam says "no, no, don't you say it" (instead of just "don't say it"), which reminded me Dean's use of that unusual locution twice at the end of "Devil's Trap" (to possessed!John "no, no, don't you let it kill me" and to Sam, pleading with him not to kill John, "no, Sam, don't you do it"). (I go on about that one at greater length here)
And no, I don't know how they're going to come back from this one either!
Yes! I knew there was a moment when Sam called Dean "kiddo" but I couldn't bring it to mind. The fact that it happened in a Season 4 episode makes total sense - Sam had lived without Dean for months and fully stepped into his role as hunter. When Dean is returned, Sam percieves him as weaker and in a "younger" role - Dean is the one Sam needs to protect. Sam knows he's stepped out of the role of "youngest" and "juvenile" to the point where he can now use the phrase in relation to someone else, but Dean doesn't see this.
That use of "you" is very interesting - I didn't catch that. I'll have to go read your entry on it!
You reminded me of the weird moment at the beginning of SaV when Sam calls Dean "kiddo"--I found it kind of jarring, but it does go along with all the other reversals you note.
There was one interesting verbal/phrasing echo in 4.21 I couldn't get out of my head. When Sam is hallucinating Dean, and not!Dean is about to call him a monster, Sam says "no, no, don't you say it" (instead of just "don't say it"), which reminded me Dean's use of that unusual locution twice at the end of "Devil's Trap" (to possessed!John "no, no, don't you let it kill me" and to Sam, pleading with him not to kill John, "no, Sam, don't you do it"). (I go on about that one at greater length here)
And no, I don't know how they're going to come back from this one either!
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That use of "you" is very interesting - I didn't catch that. I'll have to go read your entry on it!
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