9x14 Captives
Don't get me wrong. I am loving this season. Week to week I am waiting with baited breath to see What. Happens. Next. I'm intrigued with all aspects of the story so far.
There is no weeping and wailing or feeling the need for Sam and Dean to get over it already because they've got over it already too many times in the past without any real forward momentum. I've said it before and I'll say it again that it's one step forward two steps back with the boys and, folks, that is REAL LIFE. We all do this dance in those relationships that mean the most, especially with people most at odds with our own personalities. Sometimes we grow and move forward. Sometimes we back peddle and fall into conditioned responses. I LIKE the exploration, here, and have no desire for events to just be forgotten or swept under the rug. I think this is why I love this show so much. You do see fallout and there is no reset button week to week.
But, for the love of Chuck can we please have both POVs!?! It would have been SO EASY in this episode. We started with the Dean POV in his room. How hard would it have been to end with a Sam POV in his room??? And, yeah, part of this is because, while I can suss out the Sam POV (and not understand why it's so damn hard for other people to do so), I still want to SEE it. And, yeah, part of it is because I want others to see it, too, because, frankly, the backlash is pissing me off.
Seriously!
Now, I'll be the first to say that I understood why Dean did what he did in the series opener. And I am totally cutting and pasting my response in another journal here but, all perceptions of Dean as a character and his motivations aside, as well as the separate, confounding issue regarding supernatural possession, I can understand why he did what he did, initially. This wasn't Cold Oak or even the half season leading to Swan Song where he had time to come to terms with Sam's plan. He only had moments to make the decision. Sam was not physically present to discuss the situation and even if Dean knew that Sam had accepted death, well, that is not the same as wanting to die (despite fandom's apparent confusion in this matter.) He thought (or wanted to believe) that Ezekiel was a good angel. He had Cass's word that Ezekiel was a good angel. For me, Dean's real wrong came when he allowed Ezekiel's blackmail and subterfuge to continue. He chose to ignore all of the red flags that Zeke was not on the up and up. Once Sam was physically aware he should have been allowed to oust or to not oust Ezekiel as he saw fit. Heck, after Lucifer, we know he has it in him to take over.
Although we now know that Gadreel would have probably shut Dean down, Dean didn't really make the effort AT ALL until too little, too later.
However, (and this is a big however) empathy and understanding of an action do not change the inherent rightness or wrongness of an action.
At the moment, what actually transpired has been overtaken by empathy toward Dean's woobie face and feelings to the point where Sam doesn't even have the right to feel wronged or even call Dean out on his shit!
And I feel bad for Dean. I really do. But I've been doing a bit of a re-watch and Dean has said some pretty hurtful things and called Sam out in the past. But that's okay because, apparently, Dean can say or do anything and be forgiven anything but, for Sam, "what's right is wrong and what's wrong is wrong."
And that really bothers me. I am a bit frustrated because, the more extreme fandom viewpoints aside, all it would take is a more even point of view! I don't want to rely on my perception and ability to suss it out. I WANT to SEE it. I am getting tired of NOT SEEING IT.
It's not without precedent *cough* I know what you did last summer *cough* but I'm beginning to feel that "First Born" is the only time we are gonna see the Sam POV regarding the events that have transpired. I know folks were clamoring for a Dean mytharc and I am all for that but I had hoped that with Dean driving the story arc for a change we could have Sam driving the emotional arc for a change. I am feeling pessimistic and have a suspicion that Sam is no longer in the vehicle at all.
There is no weeping and wailing or feeling the need for Sam and Dean to get over it already because they've got over it already too many times in the past without any real forward momentum. I've said it before and I'll say it again that it's one step forward two steps back with the boys and, folks, that is REAL LIFE. We all do this dance in those relationships that mean the most, especially with people most at odds with our own personalities. Sometimes we grow and move forward. Sometimes we back peddle and fall into conditioned responses. I LIKE the exploration, here, and have no desire for events to just be forgotten or swept under the rug. I think this is why I love this show so much. You do see fallout and there is no reset button week to week.
But, for the love of Chuck can we please have both POVs!?! It would have been SO EASY in this episode. We started with the Dean POV in his room. How hard would it have been to end with a Sam POV in his room??? And, yeah, part of this is because, while I can suss out the Sam POV (and not understand why it's so damn hard for other people to do so), I still want to SEE it. And, yeah, part of it is because I want others to see it, too, because, frankly, the backlash is pissing me off.
Seriously!
Now, I'll be the first to say that I understood why Dean did what he did in the series opener. And I am totally cutting and pasting my response in another journal here but, all perceptions of Dean as a character and his motivations aside, as well as the separate, confounding issue regarding supernatural possession, I can understand why he did what he did, initially. This wasn't Cold Oak or even the half season leading to Swan Song where he had time to come to terms with Sam's plan. He only had moments to make the decision. Sam was not physically present to discuss the situation and even if Dean knew that Sam had accepted death, well, that is not the same as wanting to die (despite fandom's apparent confusion in this matter.) He thought (or wanted to believe) that Ezekiel was a good angel. He had Cass's word that Ezekiel was a good angel. For me, Dean's real wrong came when he allowed Ezekiel's blackmail and subterfuge to continue. He chose to ignore all of the red flags that Zeke was not on the up and up. Once Sam was physically aware he should have been allowed to oust or to not oust Ezekiel as he saw fit. Heck, after Lucifer, we know he has it in him to take over.
Although we now know that Gadreel would have probably shut Dean down, Dean didn't really make the effort AT ALL until too little, too later.
However, (and this is a big however) empathy and understanding of an action do not change the inherent rightness or wrongness of an action.
At the moment, what actually transpired has been overtaken by empathy toward Dean's woobie face and feelings to the point where Sam doesn't even have the right to feel wronged or even call Dean out on his shit!
And I feel bad for Dean. I really do. But I've been doing a bit of a re-watch and Dean has said some pretty hurtful things and called Sam out in the past. But that's okay because, apparently, Dean can say or do anything and be forgiven anything but, for Sam, "what's right is wrong and what's wrong is wrong."
And that really bothers me. I am a bit frustrated because, the more extreme fandom viewpoints aside, all it would take is a more even point of view! I don't want to rely on my perception and ability to suss it out. I WANT to SEE it. I am getting tired of NOT SEEING IT.
It's not without precedent *cough* I know what you did last summer *cough* but I'm beginning to feel that "First Born" is the only time we are gonna see the Sam POV regarding the events that have transpired. I know folks were clamoring for a Dean mytharc and I am all for that but I had hoped that with Dean driving the story arc for a change we could have Sam driving the emotional arc for a change. I am feeling pessimistic and have a suspicion that Sam is no longer in the vehicle at all.