SPN Meta: The Road So Far...

[errant_jane]

I have recently been doing a SPN rewatch, as you do this time of year. Consequentially, I have been spewing SPN meta all over laulan via email (and after all that, she offered to beta this for me <333), so I figured I might as well do an actual post about it, seeing as how Rex Manning day is nigh upon us. Let's pretend for the moment that I haven't

Comments

[de_nugis]

I totally agree that Dean is Right and Sam is Wrong is both an interpretation it's easy to fall into on a casual viewing and one that is a long way from what the show is trying to say. And I think your point about Dean's inability to believe that Sam acts out of love for him is getting at something essential. Sam and Dean both have a capacity for being oblivious -- Sam can be ruthless in pursuit of his goals, he can shut down human considerations, both for preserving his own humanity and for seeing his actions as they emotionally affect Dean or as they steamroll others in his path. And in s4 he was deflecting emotionally all over the place: anger at himself for not saving Dean, anger at Dean for having made the deal, anger and fear at Dean's vulnerability turning into defensive aggression. One of the most awesome signs of his totally awesome s5 growth was that he could see Dean spiraling into despair, lashing out at Sam because of it, and could react with compassion and trust and hope instead of anger and rebellion

[errant_jane]

You make good points! I read somewhere that I can't remember now about how Dean is actually the more emotional of the two (in that he makes more emotional decisions than Sam does), where as Sam can be empathetic when he needs something or it will get him something, but he has way more of a capacity for ruthlessness, especially if he thinks it's necessary. I do think Sam is very good at lying to himself to justify his more ruthless behavior as well. OMG, I LOVE that point in S5! Sam's faith in Dean = one of the best most awesome things every. ;_