SPN 6.07 insta-reaction
On September 25th, I wrote of Sam in SPN 6.01:
I think he's so locked down against the horrors still writhing under his skin, inside his brain, that he's struggling to function as a human being. I further believe Sam is entirely cognizant of his wrong-ness. But something in him has been so utterly scalded, scorched, burned away that he has only the memory of what it felt like to be, truly, Sam. Of what it felt like to be truly human.
Thus, I think his clumsy, ham-handed dealings with Dean were his way of reaching out, of echoing a conversation from another life: "I need you to keep me human."
I was only partly right. He's not locked down, he's locked out.
In the episodes since, I came to the conclusion that whatever raised Sam from Hell didn't take a lot of care with his reassembling. They/he/it cobbled together enough of Sam to make one helluva hunter ... but they left out the important bits that made him intrinsically Sam.
I was right about that. But I didn't guess that it was his entire soul. And while I suspected Crowley might be of use in solving the mystery of Sam, it never once crossed my mind that he was the freaking cause of it!!! Dude! That one slapped me out of left field.
This episode felt so darned satisfying to me, like I finally got some meat with my potatoes. :) Not only did we get answers - and a helluva lot more questions - but Sam and Dean now have their mission.
See, I also wrote of Sam:
Sam may not have much in the way of emotions. But somewhere under the cold, molten slag that's left of his soul, I believe Sam's heart still beats. I think his journey will be to regain that humanity.
On that I believe I am spot-on. Sam and Dean's mission is not only to regain Sam's humanity, but to restore his soul. Maybe Sam can't feel ordinary fear, but something flashed in his eyes while Crowley was gloating about sending Sam back to Hell, if the boys didn't play ball. Sam has said he remembers Hell. Remembers every exquisitely horrific moment. Maybe he can't feel human fear, but he damn sure knows he doesn't want to go back.
And Dean damn sure knows he doesn't want to let Crowley, of all people, win. Sam's thinking in terms of cold strategy, here, but he's trying to work with Dean. He wants to work with Dean. And he knows Dean is his only hope of regaining all he's lost. Plus, I think Dean's going to start getting into the swing of being Sam's moral compass.
Come to think of it, I love that turnaround. Sam was always trying to nudge/cajole/shame Dean into acting like a civilized, semi-respectable person. I often got the sense the old Sam, especially back in Season 1, thought of Dean as barely house-broken. Now it's Dean's turn. "No, Sam, we don't shoot nosy neighbor just because he's annoying, okay? Now get in the car and let's go interview our next witness." *g*
So, we've lots of answers, a lot more questions, and a mission for Sam and Dean. Grampa Samuel is still holding out some big secrets, and Crowley has leverage over Samuel that neither of them are 'fessing up. Juicy, juicy, juicy.
As for next week's promo, eh. I'm not worried. I have a pretty good hunch who/what Dean is talking to. I think we'll see him and Sam start to regain some form of sync, soonly. Though not without more angsty bumps in the road. :)
In conclusion: Supernatural rocks my socks! Bring it on, boys! :)
P.S.
I think the Alpha-vamp is delicious! He just brings chills and I'm so glad we haven't seen the last of him. :) (Plus he's played by Rick Worthy, one of my old favorites from "Magnificent Seven" days - yeehaw!)