Season Four Meta: In Defense of Sam Winchester
Edited: August 26, 2009
INTRO
After events in season four of Supernatural, Dean has become more and more alienated from his brother, resulting in a reciprocal chain-reaction in which Dean pushes Sam away and Sam pulls back in reply, creating the distance between them that characterizes their relationship for the majority of the season.
Dean is not the only one who feels alienated; many fans are turning away from Sam as he grows increasingly morally ambiguous. Their feelings are legitimate and valid, because Sam is not the law-school bound college boy, nor the sullen brat of a brother that we knew and loved.
Dean: I'm not sure if he's my brother any more. If he ever was.
Bobby: You stupid stupid son of a bitch! Well boo hoo. I am so sorry your feelings are hurt... princess! Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good? Make you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's why they're family.
-Lucifer Rising
HELL
When Dean went to hell in season three, Sam was in his own personal hell. When Sam died in AHBL2, Dean sold his soul because he believed that living with his brother dead would be a worse fate than eternity in hell, literally. And as we saw in "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and by Sam's own confession in "Lazarus Rising", Sam tried to sell his soul because he believed the same, but no demon would deal. So according to the Winchester Code, Sam had it worse, because they'd rather be in an enormous amount of physical and mental pain than suffer the loss of each other. Nobody wants to be the last one standing, because then they're all alone. The four months Sam went without Dean, and even the months Sam went through because of the Trickster in Mystery Spot, changed Sam just as irreparably as Dean's forty years did in hell.
Hell is a place of hopelessness and suffering. Both Winchester brothers went through hell, even though Sam didn't in the literal sense.
THE SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY
But let's start earlier. I have a theory that oftentimes, people become what you expect them to be. Although it's not really my theory, it's a psychological concept called the self-fulfilling prophecy. It is a self-explanatory concept; a theory that fulfills itself. Often, as in the case of the ancient Greek myth of Oedipus, the actions taken to prevent a prophecy end up being the actions that accidentally make the events predicted come to pass. Perhaps because Sam was told of his destiny by Dean was back in Season 2, in trying to prevent it, he made it come true. It's kind of like fate's way of saying "fuck you".
Dean: You don't know what you're doing, Sam.
Sam: Yes, I do!
Dean: Then that's worse!
Sam: Why?
Dean: Because it's not something that you're doing, it's what you are! It means...
Sam: What? Say it!
Dean: It means you're a monster.
-When the Levee Breaks
So Sam feels like he's destined to go darkside and that everybody thinks he's a monster-- hell, everybody does think that. They locked him up in a cell and left him there to detox, which obviously didn't work so well. Part of the way that we develop our self concepts is by what others think of us; in other words, we tend to allow others to define our roles. The angels, who are heavenly figures that Sam has prayed to and believed in, don't see him in a neutral light at all, just as the "boy with the demon blood". His rejection by the angels, probably as much as rejection by Dean, makes Sam think of himself as a monster. So if people tell Sam he's a monster often enough, eventually he's going to believe it. And then his self concept changes radically, affecting his outlook on everything and influencing his actions. Essentially: because people told Sam that he was a monster, he became one. Nobody believed in Sam; that makes it even harder for Sam to believe in himself.
Sam: You think I’ll do it, don’t you? You think I’ll go darkside.
Dean: Yes, okay? Yes!
-Monster at the End of This Book
Sam believes in destiny, and the self-fulfilling prophecy is usually enacted accidentally by the people who believe in predestination, because their beliefs give prophecies and fate sway over them.
What the prophet has written can’t be unwritten. As he has seen it, so shall it come to pass.
-Castiel, Monster at the End of This Book
GIVING UP
Though he tries to run from his destiny, deep down he feels helpless to stop what he feels is inevitable. He grows to believes he's destined to go "dark-side", and that there's no escaping it, which crumbles his resolve to stop what he sees as unstoppable. To him, the fight is lost before it even begins, because resistance against destiny is futile in his view.
Sam: I'm sorry. I am. But life doesn't turn out the way you thought it would when you were 14 years old. We were never going to be normal. We were never going to get away. Grow up.
wee!Sam: Maybe you're right. Maybe there's no escape. After all, how can you run from what's inside you?
-When the Levee Breaks
"It's more than that, isn't it? It's because your whole life you've felt different. Am I a little close to home? And you're not different because you're some lonely kid, or because of your weirdo family. It's because you're a monster."
-not!Dean Winchester, When the Levee Breaks
"Don't you get it? Forever. The demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So, you either get as far away from them as possible. Or you put a bullet in your head, And that's how you keep your family safe. But there's no getting out and there's no going home."
-Sam Winchester, The Rapture
Between those quotes, we gather an important point: Sam has never felt normal, and realizes that he never will be. He's felt different ever since he was a child, and feels that he's always been the monster he sees himself as now. He fears that he can't run from who he's always been. Running from oneself is tricky business; wherever you run, wherever you hide, there you are. For Sam, there is no getting out. There is no going home. And there is no hiding from who (he thinks) he is. So he gives up.
That last quote from The Rapture quote is an example of projection, a defense mechanism that denies one's own feelings or thoughts by putting them on someone/something else; in this case, Sam is projecting his helplessness and notions of surrendering oneself to a duty onto Jimmy. Sam might as well be talking about himself rather than Jimmy. The demons will never stop going after him. Also, part of the reason why Sam has been distant from Dean this season was to protect him; he says himself to "get as far away from them as possible" to "keep your family safe". The other part was to protect himself, by distancing himself from Dean and Dean's harsh disapproval.
PLAYING WITH FIRE
Dean flipped out when he learned that Sam was using his powers, and flipped out again when he learned about the demon blood. But Sam’s actions are not that simple. He wants to become stronger, but he believes it is necessary to save the world, which one must admit is a pretty effective motivation. There are two sayings that describe season four!Sam the most: “the ends justify the means” and “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Viewers must remember that for three seasons, Sam wholly resisted and denied his demon powers. He doesn’t want them, didn’t ask for them, but life has a habit of giving Sam a hand of cards that he’d rather fold. Instead of discarding the cards he’s been dealt, he tries to make the best of them. Every coin has two sides; fire can provide warmth and light in the cold darkness, but it can also burn cities to the ground. And yet we still light candles in our homes and make campfires outside, even knowing that fire is an uncontrollable force that could burn down our house or the entire forest.
"...but you- you have the power to turn it into a gift. You can use it against them."
-not!Mary Winchester, When the Levee Breaks
Sam is also playing with fire. He’s taking something that is by nature destructive and dangerous, and tries to tame it and use it for good. How is his fire different from ours?
IN FOR A PENNY...
He has gone so far off track that he feels he can't turn back now, because then he will have compromised his morals and ethics for nothing. In Lucifer Rising, how could he possibly back out, after all he's done to get there? It's like running a marathon and then stopping right before the finish line. He did horrible things with the justification that it was to kill Lillith, so he's determined to finish the job, if only to justify his actions and prove to himself that it was the right thing to do (which it wasn't, but.)
"You turned yourself into a freak. A monster. And now you're not gonna bite? I'm sorry, but that is honestly adorable."
-Lillith, Lucifer Rising
RATIONALIZATION
Sam: What choice have I got? If it helps me kill Lilith and stop the Apocalypse-
Chuck: I thought that was Dean’s job. That’s what the angels say, right?
Sam: Dean’s not…he’s not Dean lately. Ever since he got out of Hell, he…he needs help.
Chuck: So you gotta carry the weight?
Sam: Well, he’s looked out for me my whole life. I can’t return the favor.
Chuck : Sure you can. I mean, if that’s what this is.
Sam: What else would it be?
Chuck: I don’t know. Maybe the demon blood makes you feel stronger? More in control?
Sam: No. That’s not true.
-The Monster at the End of the Book
ETA: RATIONALIZATION
demonalove pointed out that Sam is what we call a "serial justification-ist", referring to the defense mechanism of rationalization where people explain their unacceptable with excuses to justify their actions to themselves. That is exactly the term for what Sam is doing; he rationalizes his behavior so that he feels that he is justified. Does that make him right? No. But in Sam's head, he's convinced himself that it is the right thing to do, which mildly eases his guilt for a while. But the thing about rationalization is that it is difficult to maintain, because reality can only be avoided and denied for so long. When Sam tells Chuck that it's not true, that he's not doing this because of how it makes him feel, he's really saying it to try to convince himself more than Chuck. On some level, he knows, but he can't handle the magnitude of what he's done.
/ETA
TRUST
Another aspect of Sam’s character in season four that is met with disapproval is his secrecy and his distrust of almost everybody, including Dean. But you have to remember that they are in the midst of a war. Loyalties and allegiances are unclear, among both angels and demons, and it’s difficult to know who is trustworthy and who is dirty no-good rotten liar. He certainly can’t go to the angels, because to them he is the “boy with demon blood". And besides, even the angels have mutinous sects within their ranks, such as Uriel, making them less trustworthy than ever. Dean's inherent association with angels, which increases throughout the season, does not make him more approachable to Sam. Rather, they alienate Sam like Sam's association with Ruby alienated Dean.
"C'mon, Bobby. I've never trusted 'em less. I mean, they come on like shady politicians from the planet Vulcan."
-Dean Winchester, When the Levee Breaks
Trust is extremely fragile, and from some of the confrontations seen in season four, it's not hard to see how that would be shattering and stomping on the fragments of trust, and then salting and burning them. Dean feels betrayed and Sam feels that Dean doesn't accept him, and they're both right.
Sam: Look, my whole life you take the wheel, you call the shots, and I trust you because you’re my brother. Now I’m asking you, for once, trust me.”
Dean: No.
-When the Levee Breaks
On the other hand, Ruby doesn’t look down on Sam for his tainted blood like the angels and even Dean do. And that is more of a measure of acceptance than Sam has gotten from anybody else, so is it any wonder that he would turn to her? Especially when she struck while he was vulnerable after Dean’s death and Sam was not in a position to resist the lure of even the smallest degree of companionship and comfort that he so sorely lacked. It was a slow seduction- it took a season and a half, tragedy, and a ton of manipulation to complete Sam's trust in Ruby. And then when Dean came back, he wasn’t the same; neither was Sam. They couldn’t fit back into their old patterned rhythms, because they had both changed too much to go back. That severely stressed and fractured their relationship, made worse by secrets on both sides and the meddling of heaven and hell.
ADDICTION
The point where many lost faith in Sam was after discovering he was drinking demon blood to enhance his powers. Is it the fact that he was drinking blood that disgusts them? Would it have been better if he took it in a pill, or injected it or some other less crude?
How was Sam supposed to resist? Human willpower is only so strong, as Dean proved when he gave in and got off the rack to torture other souls and enjoyed it. I do not fault him for this. His physical and mental pain was enormous. Pain comes in many forms, and they are all valid, even if they don't leave visible marks.As a result of succumbing to emotional pain, Sam got high on blood and enjoyed it, and I don't blame him for that either. It isn't that Sam's not strong- it's just that the addiction was stronger.
“What if Dean's right?... What if it’s stronger than me?"
-Sam Winchester, When the Levee Breaks.
Sam gave in to his powers, and grew to enjoy using them, even addicted to them. He enjoyed it, and was terrified to admit it even to himself (or Chuck), but power is a potent drug. We must treat Sam’s blood addiction as we would treat any other drug addiction, because Sam is, for all intents and purposes, a drug addict. It is worth noting that most junkies don’t snort heroin to try to prevent the apocalypse, but the fact remains that Sam is addicted to a drug. And to make his addiction worse, enablers such as Ruby surround him. Even Castiel, who is struggling with his compassion and his sense of duty, helps sabotage the effort to detoxify Sam of the demon blood, and thus acts as an enabler.
"Where the hell are you Ruby? This isn’t funny anymore. I’m all out. Stop whatever you’re doing, call me…I need more."
-Sam Winchester, The Rapture
ETA2: COMA GIRL/NECROPHILIA
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Ruby this season, especially the coma girl/necrophilia debate. I will (attempt to) defend this situation as I think Sam would, regardless of my own personal opinion. First thing first: Coma girl. "Jane Doe" was in a coma, and was flatlining when Ruby possessed her body. For all intents and purposes, "Jane Doe" died that day, because her body only functions because Ruby controlled it. Sam does not think that the girl woke up while Ruby was in her body, because there was a split second where "Jane" left the body and Ruby slipped in. He believes that Jane is at peace in the afterlife of her choosing. It's still not a respectful or proper way to treat someone's body, but I don't think she endured it. Plus if she was alive the whole time, then that means that Dean killed her in the season finale, and nobody called that murder.
So basically, Ruby hijaked an uninhabited body, which isn't right, but that's probably how Sam justified it to himself. Think of it as an apartment; Jane moved out, Ruby moved in, but it's still an apartment. Perhaps we have become desensitized to the killing, but not the sex.
Okay, which brings me to necrophilia. SAM IS NOT A NECROPHILIAC. "Necro" is greek for "dead" and "philia" is greek for love-- it is essentially, the love of dead bodies, in which someone is attracted to a dead body. It's like a fetish for corpses whereas Ruby is alive in that she can be killed (with the knife or Colt), and her body is warm and breathing, making her feel quite alive.
I know this is all a very fine line, but Sam regularly walks on the fine lines between wrong and right. He made Ruby go back and get a more "proper" body that wasn't completely alive and conscious, because if the person wasn't "there", he could justify it to himself, and Sam's big on rationalization. So Sam fucking her isn't right, but I don't quite see it as rape or necrophilia. Not right, but not as blatantly wrong as some people seem to think.
/ETA2
REHABILITATION OR SOLITARY CONFINEMENT?
Back to Sam's addiction. Dean, Sam’s one hope to help him be rid of the addiction, quarantines his brother instead. I’ve never been to a drug rehabilitation program, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t constitute being locked in a room with minimal contact until withdrawal symptoms of hallucinations and seizures knock the patient unconscious. That proves how powerful Sam's addiction is- we're not talking getting the shakes after quitting cigarettes, we're talking body-wracking convulsions.
Sam: So, uh, what’s the big demon problem?
Bobby: You are. This is for your own good.
-The Rapture
Dean was trying to stop him, but he went about it in entirely the wrong way. Quitting a powerful addiction cold turkey is rarely successful because the body (and mind) finds quick, impactful changes difficult to adjust to. It would have been more likely to succeed if Dean could have weaned him off the blood gradually, but I understand the urgency of the situation.
“Why did you let out Sam Winchester? ...He’s drinking demon blood! It’s so much worse than we thought. Dean was trying to stop him.”
-Anna, When the Levee Breaks
In Dean’s defense, he’s not a doctor and even if he was, there’s no vaccine for demon blood, so it’s understandable that he’s at a loss for what to do. But his whole Doctor-Phil-meets-Judge-Judy brand of tough love isn’t effective for Sam, and Dean consistently makes that mistake. In contrast, Ruby showed affection and sympathy that wasn’t even genuine when Sam was at his lowest, and easily gained Sam’s trust. It’s not Dean’s fault that he didn’t know how to deal with his junkie brother while Ruby did; it is simply an unfortunate circumstance that the brothers were pushed apart at a time they needed to come together.
“I know you’re mad Dean. I understand, you’ve got a right to be, but I’m just saying, be good to him anyway. You’ve gotta get through to him.”
-Bobby Singer, When the Levee Breaks
THE CREDIT BELONGS TO THE ONE WHO IS ACTUALLY IN THE ARENA
It is easy to sit on our couches and criticize Sam for his choices and his actions, because we are not in his gigantic shoes. There is a concept in psychology called the actor-observer bias (relevant to the fundamental attribution error, which is also crucial in highlighting the importance of Sam's circumstances), which basically states that it is easy to underestimate the effects a circumstance has on a person’s actions when one is watching from the outside. But it's not the critic who counts.
What could Sam have done differently, really? In hindsight, it’s so simple-- do this, don’t do that-but that’s like taking a test with the answer key next to you. Life can only be lived forwards, not backwards. Sam had to withstand the meddling of both heaven and hell, resist the temptation of the demon blood, find a way to kill Lilith, mend his relationship with his brother, and stop the apocalypse. He only succeeds on one of those counts, but knowing what Sam knew, feeling how Sam felt, would anybody else have acted any differently?
Chuck: I didn’t even write it into the books. I was afraid it would make you look
unsympathetic.
Sam: Unsympathetic?
Chuck: Yeah, come on, Sam. I mean, suckin’ blood? You gotta know that’s wrong.
Sam: It scares the hell out of me. I mean, I feel it inside of me, I-I wish to God I could stop.
-Monster at the End of This Book
Sam isn't perfect by any means. He's not the same, there's no mistake about it. But he doesn't deserve to be blamed for everything that culminated out of his control. He is only one man, one man who has already endured and suffered more than his fair share. How could somebody go through what the Winchesters have and not change?
There is a concern that Sam’s actions have made him somehow less human, have made him into a monster. But his struggle-a struggle against himself, against temptation-is a very human struggle, though Sam’s struggle was futile in the end. But sometimes, it's the means that justify the ends.
Discussion and questions welcome. NO SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5, please. I've seen US-aired eps, but nothing past that.