I really shouldn't post before I have a chance to think things through...
So, after sleeping on it for a few days, and watching parts of Thursday's episode several times, and reading various other posts on the subject, I no longer feel as down on this episode, or as angry with Sam as I was yesterday. More importantly, I no longer feel that his sudden drunken binge came out of nowhere, or was out of character, which was how I felt yesterday.
(It has been explained to me many times by many different people that something that a character does in canon cannot possibly be "out of character", since it is the canon that defines the character. And that's true, of course. But still, that's hard to remember, when it feels like canon characters are doing something that feels completely contrary to what you expect from them.)
I still feel that the drunken binge wasn't set up very well (if Sam had failed to save Tyler, *then* I can see him breaking down and getting drunk like that, but as it was, it seemed to come a bit out of the blue...), but I can see why he did it, why he felt it was necessary, and what a horrible place he must have be in right now, to *ever* feel the need to ask that of Dean.
ETA: Mind you, I also still feel that Sam has dug himself into a corner with his current thinking, and that he needs to *snap out of it*, or the Yellow-Eyed Demon won't even need to *do* anything -- Sam will implode on his own, and probably take Dean with him. But I no longer really blame Sam for reacting this way...
*cuddles Sam* Oh, Sammy.
Oh, *Dean*.
Still, I'm leaving the last post up, as proof that while Sammy is still my boy, I do sometimes see points of view other than Sam's first. *g*
(*smacks Sam over the head anyway, out of general principle*)
I wonder if Dean realizes that now that he's made that promise, Sam can't ever leave him, either. He *needs* to be around Dean now, since Dean is the only one he trusts to serve as a check for him. I wonder if Dean would think that the promise might be worth it, if it keeps Sam from leaving again...
I'm going to try to post my actual thoughts about Sam's character arc this season sometime before next episode airs, really. I just haven't quite been able to write them up this weekend.