SPN: Brotherly Manlove by Winchesters (12)
Chapter "Faith" in the Catalogue of Touches between the Brothers Winchester. And in case you missed the previous installments:
Pilot. Wendigo. Dead In The Water. Phantom Traveler.
Bloody Mary. Skin. Hook Man. Bugs. Home. Asylum.
Scarecrow.
Just a little warning: This is a pretty long post. Lots of pics and a few rambles.
12.0
Type of Contact: Worst Aid #1
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: ...Nah, not really. Not yet.
Note: I apologize in advance for the quality of these caps. They're damn hard to lighten up in any sort of pretty fashion. And I guess he had few other options, but Sam's doing this all wrong. Both brothers could probably use a refresher course in basic CPR. (Not that I'm anyone to talk...)
One thing of interest to me is that, while Sam has no thought but for Dean's well being here, he's still a good few inches apart, reaching out with his hands but not holding Dean up against him as Dean has done in the past (but not always) with Sam. This is his MO, shown to us all the way through to that next-to-last scene of Devil's Trap. I'm not suggesting his love is any less than Dean's, not at all. It's just another show of how comfortable Dean is with expressing himself physically, especially around Sam, and how uncomfortable Sam is in the same regard. History also tells us it's more likely true than not that Sam was often on the receiving end of physical affection and protection, rather than vice versa, and how JP plays Sam adds weight to that image. That's not necessarily a bad thing, although it might make him appear cold. He's not; as I've mentioned before, there's just a different comfort zone at work here. He's learning to be on the reaching-out end of this physical intimacy stuff. Dean is having an influence on him. Just as Dean is learning to be on the 'fessing-up end of this verbal intimacy stuff. Sam is having an influence on him. But it's still not a leap either of them can make instinctively.
OT: Something that struck me after re-watching this episode: Sam has been in this particular situation before. I'd bet at least $2 on it. He's seen Dean in the emergency room, seen him dying or almost dead, and heard him talk about accepting death. It just struck me that JP plays it as if this is an image he remembers, and perhaps something he'd fought over with John, hence the tone of his phone call and the fact that it came (presumably) at least three days after Dean was hurt. When I watch that scene with astiraa's excellent fic Some Things Worth Fighting For in my head, I can't shake that feeling. This isn't simple denial from Sam; this is an old battle. And perhaps they lucked out before, or perhaps Dean healed naturally, but this time, he's damn sure not going to lose. Sam is quite rational and cool about most things, pragmatic to the point of cold towards randoms in Wendigo, Scarecrow, etc., and about John in Devil's Trap. But not about Dean, and if that feeling was strong before, it's sharply clear and undeniable now, in the wake of Asylum and Scarecrow.
Anyhow, moving on...
12.1
Type of Contact: Pamper
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: I will refrain from commenting on this sequence, except to say that I have been reading way too much slash, because my mind took a definite turn a few pics down here. Poor Dean. Oh, and also, on a more serious level: notice that Dean does not fight this contact. He's not enchanted by it, but it's not the touchy-feely stuff that annoys him. It's the weakness. That'll come up again later.
12.2
Type of Contact: Hoist
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Another indication that Sam is not used to being the one on the active end of protective man-on-man touching. He's coming on far too strong, thus emphasizing Dean's weakness far too much, for Dean to take it with a smile. The level of his pampering outweighs the level of Dean's need for help, and that is one thing that Dean is almost instinctively aware of in his own Sam-handling. He knows how to fine-tune it to fit Sam's angst and/or weakness level, and he knows when to snap it fast and hard. Sam's caught searching for another gear; he's stuck between idle and overdrive. It's very sweet of him, and I think he recognizes Dean's physical signals (warning and otherwise) in his own mental language, but he just doesn't know how to translate that into this Dean language of touch and feel. He's trying hard, but he's fumbling.
12.3
Type of Contact: Herding (Covert Ops)
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Sam does a little maneuver here what worked quite well for Dean in Hook Man. And notice, again, that Dean doesn't get bothered by it. This is a simple herding technique, not in any way intrusive. Just a hand against Dean's back to lightly guide and support him. That's textbook Dean, and when Sam does it to him, he takes his own medicine without an issue.
12.4
Type of Contact: Herding Attempt -> Redirection By Force
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: Kinda sorta
Note: Here is a very long sequence (yay! :)). I remember when I first watched this, my instinctive reaction had been a simple dismissal of Dean's behavior as macho tough guy. That seemed to be the general consensus on message boards and whatnot, too. Sam's clearly loving and doing all the right moves, and Dean's just got a corncob up his ass about manlove. ...Hee. :) Under a microscope, things look quite different now. Observe:
Sam tries what just worked for him outside. A gentle dose of covert ops.
(Click the two images below for a mini-dork attack: highlight of Sam's hand.)
Unfortunately, the covert attempt fails. Sam didn't position himself well here. Dean can feel the slight tug as Sam pulls away, and Rule #1 of Covert Herding is that the herdee must already be headed in the direction you are. This was not the case. Perhaps if Sam had positioned himself in between Dean and the available seat, he might have been able to steer him gently clear with a little body nudge. Even a finger might have done the trick. (See: Bloody Mary)
Since the herding has failed, he tries to reason with Dean. This allows for Dean to say "WTF?" and stops the forward movement. He should realize that what he is asking of Dean here is like convincing a cat to take a bath. It just ain't gonna take.
Now, Sam is frustrated. (Notice his grimace-face.) He just doesn't have his brother's knack for herding, and thus he fumbled at the covert ops. And now he has hit a brick wall with the logic. So all he is left with is physical force. That is the ever-present ace up his sleeve.
Being Sam the Incredible Hunk Man, he is able to reposition Dean by force in a way that Dean is not able to do with Sam. This negates the need for adopting Dean's herding approach, and in future episodes, we'll see him abandon that futile pretense altogether, and go straight for the Hoist & Relocate. (More on that in the Salvation chapter.) Reason is still his main weapon, but knowing he is heavier and stronger than Dean gives him a certain liberty to be straight-forward. Dean has to use skill and technique to maneuver Sam.
However, now Dean is in defensive mode again. And with each step as Sam manhandles Dean forward with a not-entirely-subtle show of superior strength, Dean's irk level rises. He's tired, he's sick, he's dying, he was expecting a doctor, and now he's in this godawful tent with a bunch of old fogies and a smarmy faith healer. His weakness is being highlighted far too openly, and on top of all that: Sam is doing this herding thing all wrong. Some days just suck out loud, y'know?
(OT: I feel compelled to wave at that old man staring at the camera. Hee. *waves*)
Notice how far Dean has grudgingly allowed Sam to handle him. Quite a few steps. But Dean's had enough. He's already moving in that direction, and is thoroughly miffed at Sam's bungled MO of herding by force. (Dean is a very ill-tempered herdee, but then, Border Collies weren't meant to be herded by their flock. And Sam ain't Babe.) So he finally shrugs off Sam's touch here.
Sam backs off, but with an expression that reads "Keep in mind that I am ever ready to overpower you, Mr. Sucks-At-Smarm." He leaves his hand on Dean's back for a few more steps, which Dean doesn't shrug off. Again: so long as Sam stays within the boundaries of classic herding, he's fine. And Sam gives off the vibe that he is more comfortable with it, too. Only he is also feeling the enormous need to do something tangible for Dean, in part as a response to what had gone on before in Asylum and Scarecrow. Fanwanking out the wazoo, but I believe he was aware of the tentative nature of Dean's last touch in Scarecrow, and to him, it must feel like when you wake up in bed and your lover is gone. There's just an empty space there, which had been warm and cozy before. He's feeling naked without that ready touch and is overcompensating a great deal both for Dean's sake and for the sake of their relationship. He's trying to earn it back, that touch. We're okay, he's saying. We're gonna get back there. I'm learning your love language.
......OR, y'know, he's thinking along the lines of Dean being an ungrateful little macho shit, and how he's gonna leave him ASAP. But I like my fanwank better. :O)
12.5
Type of Contact: Raggedy Andy
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: Sam thinks so
Sam is really pushing it here. Of course, he's just trying to be helpful, but I can understand how it feels for Dean. He's no puppet or doll that needs to have its limbs rearranged when it sits down, and at this point, he's really tired of being reminded of how weak he is. Poor Sam isn't very tactful but he's trying very hard, again. A little too hard, bless his heart. And the general irritation by Dean must remind him of their Asylum and Scarecrow antagonism, although I don't believe Dean intentionally means it that way. There is no doubt a lingering sense of hurt feelings there, but if he takes it as a personal brush-off, I would guess that Sam is misreading Dean's signals. He reacts with some pique to Dean's bad humor, but it's not as overt as it's been in the past, and not all of that is due to Dean's health, IMO. Sam is far more tentative here about his brother's feelings than he's been in the past. ...In fact, this tentative approach continues from here on up through Devil's Trap. dotfic put it well: that he's written at times like a bull in a china shop regarding Dean's feelings. That's true, but I think now he realizes that about himself. And he makes efforts to be careful of his surroundings, so to speak, and to lessen the damage. Faith is sometimes criticized as being too little about Sam's feelings for Dean, that the angst there was wrapped up too quickly, but you know, there's a lot in the subtext. A lot in the touching, and in the looks, and put together as a progression of what all has come before and continuing on to what we'll see later, I have a whole new appreciation for Faith as a landmark episode of the brothers' relationship.
12.6
Type of Contact: Worst Aid #2
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Sam really, really needs to learn how to handle people who have just suffered some form of physical trauma. I'm just sayin'. He grabs Dean by the collar and shakes him around vigorously on the floor. Dude...! You're supposed to be the brains of the partnership, yeah? I mean, I get the theory that Dean's a big boy and can handle the tough lovin', but this is a little ridiculous.
(At least after Dean opens his eyes, Sam slips his arm under his head. That's better.)
(Sam's arm stays there up to the commercial break. Aww, there you go, baby.)
(p.s. *loves those Bambi eyes*)
What I notice again, though, is that as much as Sam is all about the touchy-feely stuff here, he's still doing it from an awkward distance. Whether it's a guilty sort of emotional distance coupled with an eagerness to let bygones be bygones which comes across in how he overcompensates physically (12.1, 12.2, 12.4, 12.5) or a literal physical distance due to his unfamiliarity with the protective side of things (12.0, 12.6), he's still very conscious of himself. This could have easily been an embrace, like the initial comfort hug in Home, or even an unselfconscious in-your-face intimacy like Dean wiping the blood tears in Bloody Mary. It's not, though, and not because Sam doesn't care, but simply because he's unfamiliar with the extreme (*ahem* platonic extreme ;)) end of physical manlove. Perhaps it just doesn't cross his mind to pick up and hold tight; he didn't do it in Devil's Trap, either, and yet his deep and focused concern for Dean was practically dripping off the screen. This is why I take some issue with the theory that Sam is not as caring because he didn't hug Dean in DT, or that Dean is all about the macho because he shrugged off Sam's help here. Not that I didn't share those thoughts at one point. But there's more to it than just Sam's "coldness" or just Dean's "machismo", and I hope that's what this study is revealing.
Um, anyway...
12.7
Type of Contact: Pep Pat
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: I never noticed this pat before. Dean's back in form and back to touching Sam randomly. Meanwhile, Sam is suffering from a lingering sense of "but don't you need my help?" Aww.
12.8
Type of Contact: Diversion
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Another moment I hadn't noticed until now. Sam is having a difficult time of it, getting back into allowing Dean to go off on his own, and Dean, for his part, is a little too ready to show himself and Sam that he's back in tip-top shape. "I live to die another day," or something.
Well, that's it! :)
(There is this photo, but it's not really a touch like the hug-in-a-photo in Home, so it doesn't count as manlove. Still. I like images like this, of one brother holding a picture of the other.)
You know... I love the final scene of Faith, because it's well-acted and I like how it handled Dean. But re-watching it for the purpose of manlove caps, I couldn't help but wish Faith had ended on a brother scene. So, in lieu of physical manlove, I give you one of my favorite images of Sam. I truly heart that look in his eyes. This is what happens when they've been through the fire. Awareness and promise, on top of the love. On both ends in general, and on Sam's end, here. This is the stuff that makes Asylum worth the watching. It's not a perfect journey, and when other characters come into the mix, the writing sometimes stumbles, but at the heart of it, we have these two. And it matters, yo. They do follow it up. Kripke, JP & JA, the other writers. They remember. They realize. They honor. Because it really is all about the manlove. (Did I mention how I love this show?)
(You know, I am way too emotional about this show. Way too much. But I don't care! :))
Next up: Route 666...... (*weeps* I take it back; I do care. Don't wanna watch! Make it go away...!)
Pilot. Wendigo. Dead In The Water. Phantom Traveler.
Bloody Mary. Skin. Hook Man. Bugs. Home. Asylum.
Scarecrow.
Just a little warning: This is a pretty long post. Lots of pics and a few rambles.
12.0
Type of Contact: Worst Aid #1
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: ...Nah, not really. Not yet.
Note: I apologize in advance for the quality of these caps. They're damn hard to lighten up in any sort of pretty fashion. And I guess he had few other options, but Sam's doing this all wrong. Both brothers could probably use a refresher course in basic CPR. (Not that I'm anyone to talk...)
One thing of interest to me is that, while Sam has no thought but for Dean's well being here, he's still a good few inches apart, reaching out with his hands but not holding Dean up against him as Dean has done in the past (but not always) with Sam. This is his MO, shown to us all the way through to that next-to-last scene of Devil's Trap. I'm not suggesting his love is any less than Dean's, not at all. It's just another show of how comfortable Dean is with expressing himself physically, especially around Sam, and how uncomfortable Sam is in the same regard. History also tells us it's more likely true than not that Sam was often on the receiving end of physical affection and protection, rather than vice versa, and how JP plays Sam adds weight to that image. That's not necessarily a bad thing, although it might make him appear cold. He's not; as I've mentioned before, there's just a different comfort zone at work here. He's learning to be on the reaching-out end of this physical intimacy stuff. Dean is having an influence on him. Just as Dean is learning to be on the 'fessing-up end of this verbal intimacy stuff. Sam is having an influence on him. But it's still not a leap either of them can make instinctively.
OT: Something that struck me after re-watching this episode: Sam has been in this particular situation before. I'd bet at least $2 on it. He's seen Dean in the emergency room, seen him dying or almost dead, and heard him talk about accepting death. It just struck me that JP plays it as if this is an image he remembers, and perhaps something he'd fought over with John, hence the tone of his phone call and the fact that it came (presumably) at least three days after Dean was hurt. When I watch that scene with astiraa's excellent fic Some Things Worth Fighting For in my head, I can't shake that feeling. This isn't simple denial from Sam; this is an old battle. And perhaps they lucked out before, or perhaps Dean healed naturally, but this time, he's damn sure not going to lose. Sam is quite rational and cool about most things, pragmatic to the point of cold towards randoms in Wendigo, Scarecrow, etc., and about John in Devil's Trap. But not about Dean, and if that feeling was strong before, it's sharply clear and undeniable now, in the wake of Asylum and Scarecrow.
Anyhow, moving on...
12.1
Type of Contact: Pamper
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: I will refrain from commenting on this sequence, except to say that I have been reading way too much slash, because my mind took a definite turn a few pics down here. Poor Dean. Oh, and also, on a more serious level: notice that Dean does not fight this contact. He's not enchanted by it, but it's not the touchy-feely stuff that annoys him. It's the weakness. That'll come up again later.
12.2
Type of Contact: Hoist
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Another indication that Sam is not used to being the one on the active end of protective man-on-man touching. He's coming on far too strong, thus emphasizing Dean's weakness far too much, for Dean to take it with a smile. The level of his pampering outweighs the level of Dean's need for help, and that is one thing that Dean is almost instinctively aware of in his own Sam-handling. He knows how to fine-tune it to fit Sam's angst and/or weakness level, and he knows when to snap it fast and hard. Sam's caught searching for another gear; he's stuck between idle and overdrive. It's very sweet of him, and I think he recognizes Dean's physical signals (warning and otherwise) in his own mental language, but he just doesn't know how to translate that into this Dean language of touch and feel. He's trying hard, but he's fumbling.
12.3
Type of Contact: Herding (Covert Ops)
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Sam does a little maneuver here what worked quite well for Dean in Hook Man. And notice, again, that Dean doesn't get bothered by it. This is a simple herding technique, not in any way intrusive. Just a hand against Dean's back to lightly guide and support him. That's textbook Dean, and when Sam does it to him, he takes his own medicine without an issue.
12.4
Type of Contact: Herding Attempt -> Redirection By Force
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: Kinda sorta
Note: Here is a very long sequence (yay! :)). I remember when I first watched this, my instinctive reaction had been a simple dismissal of Dean's behavior as macho tough guy. That seemed to be the general consensus on message boards and whatnot, too. Sam's clearly loving and doing all the right moves, and Dean's just got a corncob up his ass about manlove. ...Hee. :) Under a microscope, things look quite different now. Observe:
Sam tries what just worked for him outside. A gentle dose of covert ops.
(Click the two images below for a mini-dork attack: highlight of Sam's hand.)
Unfortunately, the covert attempt fails. Sam didn't position himself well here. Dean can feel the slight tug as Sam pulls away, and Rule #1 of Covert Herding is that the herdee must already be headed in the direction you are. This was not the case. Perhaps if Sam had positioned himself in between Dean and the available seat, he might have been able to steer him gently clear with a little body nudge. Even a finger might have done the trick. (See: Bloody Mary)
Since the herding has failed, he tries to reason with Dean. This allows for Dean to say "WTF?" and stops the forward movement. He should realize that what he is asking of Dean here is like convincing a cat to take a bath. It just ain't gonna take.
Now, Sam is frustrated. (Notice his grimace-face.) He just doesn't have his brother's knack for herding, and thus he fumbled at the covert ops. And now he has hit a brick wall with the logic. So all he is left with is physical force. That is the ever-present ace up his sleeve.
Being Sam the Incredible Hunk Man, he is able to reposition Dean by force in a way that Dean is not able to do with Sam. This negates the need for adopting Dean's herding approach, and in future episodes, we'll see him abandon that futile pretense altogether, and go straight for the Hoist & Relocate. (More on that in the Salvation chapter.) Reason is still his main weapon, but knowing he is heavier and stronger than Dean gives him a certain liberty to be straight-forward. Dean has to use skill and technique to maneuver Sam.
However, now Dean is in defensive mode again. And with each step as Sam manhandles Dean forward with a not-entirely-subtle show of superior strength, Dean's irk level rises. He's tired, he's sick, he's dying, he was expecting a doctor, and now he's in this godawful tent with a bunch of old fogies and a smarmy faith healer. His weakness is being highlighted far too openly, and on top of all that: Sam is doing this herding thing all wrong. Some days just suck out loud, y'know?
(OT: I feel compelled to wave at that old man staring at the camera. Hee. *waves*)
Notice how far Dean has grudgingly allowed Sam to handle him. Quite a few steps. But Dean's had enough. He's already moving in that direction, and is thoroughly miffed at Sam's bungled MO of herding by force. (Dean is a very ill-tempered herdee, but then, Border Collies weren't meant to be herded by their flock. And Sam ain't Babe.) So he finally shrugs off Sam's touch here.
Sam backs off, but with an expression that reads "Keep in mind that I am ever ready to overpower you, Mr. Sucks-At-Smarm." He leaves his hand on Dean's back for a few more steps, which Dean doesn't shrug off. Again: so long as Sam stays within the boundaries of classic herding, he's fine. And Sam gives off the vibe that he is more comfortable with it, too. Only he is also feeling the enormous need to do something tangible for Dean, in part as a response to what had gone on before in Asylum and Scarecrow. Fanwanking out the wazoo, but I believe he was aware of the tentative nature of Dean's last touch in Scarecrow, and to him, it must feel like when you wake up in bed and your lover is gone. There's just an empty space there, which had been warm and cozy before. He's feeling naked without that ready touch and is overcompensating a great deal both for Dean's sake and for the sake of their relationship. He's trying to earn it back, that touch. We're okay, he's saying. We're gonna get back there. I'm learning your love language.
......OR, y'know, he's thinking along the lines of Dean being an ungrateful little macho shit, and how he's gonna leave him ASAP. But I like my fanwank better. :O)
12.5
Type of Contact: Raggedy Andy
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: Sam thinks so
Sam is really pushing it here. Of course, he's just trying to be helpful, but I can understand how it feels for Dean. He's no puppet or doll that needs to have its limbs rearranged when it sits down, and at this point, he's really tired of being reminded of how weak he is. Poor Sam isn't very tactful but he's trying very hard, again. A little too hard, bless his heart. And the general irritation by Dean must remind him of their Asylum and Scarecrow antagonism, although I don't believe Dean intentionally means it that way. There is no doubt a lingering sense of hurt feelings there, but if he takes it as a personal brush-off, I would guess that Sam is misreading Dean's signals. He reacts with some pique to Dean's bad humor, but it's not as overt as it's been in the past, and not all of that is due to Dean's health, IMO. Sam is far more tentative here about his brother's feelings than he's been in the past. ...In fact, this tentative approach continues from here on up through Devil's Trap. dotfic put it well: that he's written at times like a bull in a china shop regarding Dean's feelings. That's true, but I think now he realizes that about himself. And he makes efforts to be careful of his surroundings, so to speak, and to lessen the damage. Faith is sometimes criticized as being too little about Sam's feelings for Dean, that the angst there was wrapped up too quickly, but you know, there's a lot in the subtext. A lot in the touching, and in the looks, and put together as a progression of what all has come before and continuing on to what we'll see later, I have a whole new appreciation for Faith as a landmark episode of the brothers' relationship.
12.6
Type of Contact: Worst Aid #2
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Sam really, really needs to learn how to handle people who have just suffered some form of physical trauma. I'm just sayin'. He grabs Dean by the collar and shakes him around vigorously on the floor. Dude...! You're supposed to be the brains of the partnership, yeah? I mean, I get the theory that Dean's a big boy and can handle the tough lovin', but this is a little ridiculous.
(At least after Dean opens his eyes, Sam slips his arm under his head. That's better.)
(Sam's arm stays there up to the commercial break. Aww, there you go, baby.)
(p.s. *loves those Bambi eyes*)
What I notice again, though, is that as much as Sam is all about the touchy-feely stuff here, he's still doing it from an awkward distance. Whether it's a guilty sort of emotional distance coupled with an eagerness to let bygones be bygones which comes across in how he overcompensates physically (12.1, 12.2, 12.4, 12.5) or a literal physical distance due to his unfamiliarity with the protective side of things (12.0, 12.6), he's still very conscious of himself. This could have easily been an embrace, like the initial comfort hug in Home, or even an unselfconscious in-your-face intimacy like Dean wiping the blood tears in Bloody Mary. It's not, though, and not because Sam doesn't care, but simply because he's unfamiliar with the extreme (*ahem* platonic extreme ;)) end of physical manlove. Perhaps it just doesn't cross his mind to pick up and hold tight; he didn't do it in Devil's Trap, either, and yet his deep and focused concern for Dean was practically dripping off the screen. This is why I take some issue with the theory that Sam is not as caring because he didn't hug Dean in DT, or that Dean is all about the macho because he shrugged off Sam's help here. Not that I didn't share those thoughts at one point. But there's more to it than just Sam's "coldness" or just Dean's "machismo", and I hope that's what this study is revealing.
Um, anyway...
12.7
Type of Contact: Pep Pat
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: I never noticed this pat before. Dean's back in form and back to touching Sam randomly. Meanwhile, Sam is suffering from a lingering sense of "but don't you need my help?" Aww.
12.8
Type of Contact: Diversion
Deliberate?: Yes
Chick Flick?: No
Note: Another moment I hadn't noticed until now. Sam is having a difficult time of it, getting back into allowing Dean to go off on his own, and Dean, for his part, is a little too ready to show himself and Sam that he's back in tip-top shape. "I live to die another day," or something.
Well, that's it! :)
(There is this photo, but it's not really a touch like the hug-in-a-photo in Home, so it doesn't count as manlove. Still. I like images like this, of one brother holding a picture of the other.)
You know... I love the final scene of Faith, because it's well-acted and I like how it handled Dean. But re-watching it for the purpose of manlove caps, I couldn't help but wish Faith had ended on a brother scene. So, in lieu of physical manlove, I give you one of my favorite images of Sam. I truly heart that look in his eyes. This is what happens when they've been through the fire. Awareness and promise, on top of the love. On both ends in general, and on Sam's end, here. This is the stuff that makes Asylum worth the watching. It's not a perfect journey, and when other characters come into the mix, the writing sometimes stumbles, but at the heart of it, we have these two. And it matters, yo. They do follow it up. Kripke, JP & JA, the other writers. They remember. They realize. They honor. Because it really is all about the manlove. (Did I mention how I love this show?)
(You know, I am way too emotional about this show. Way too much. But I don't care! :))
Next up: Route 666...... (*weeps* I take it back; I do care. Don't wanna watch! Make it go away...!)