Reap what you sow. SPN 6.13 Unforgiven overview: Prat 2
Got carried away beyond reason. Part One of this overview here.
Dean.
Like I've pointed out before, Dean's journey through this episode, the way I see it, is twofold:
a) the path of recognition;
b) the path of horror/care/worry/responsibility/more horror/yet more worry.
Moreover, those iteneraries are intertwined in the way that is remarkably poignant, methinks.
Dean, indeed recognizes a lot of the brother he is used to through the episode (as opposed to RoboSam's frigid demeanor): there's intensity, passion, drive. All trademark Sam. But like I've pointed out, so is single-minded obsession, self-centerdness, dismissal of Dean's ministrations, disregard of Dean's apprehentions (let alone Dean's individual feelings). That's not exactly the brother that leapt into the Cage, but it's the one that went a lifetime before that, however it's not exactly the brother Dean anticipated back upon resoulment.
The heart matter of Dean denial-related heartbreak, in this respect, is the inherent cognitive dissonanse between reality and illusion. Though for five years of the show run Dean effectively shed most of illusions, tempering his perception of Sam, through the year of grief, Dean was bound to gloss over many a less amiable aspect of Sam's personality, polishing the concept of 'Sammy' in his mind's eye to the dreamlike ideal (similar, in a way to the Heavenly memory of his little brother - a Sammy that is sweet and joyous, and loving Dean back without reservation). Without any input of information (like in case with John's post-mortem reevaluation), that idealized memory of Dean's was left to flourish. When RoboSam stepped into the picture, his uninhibitied ruthlessness and lack of care (for Dean, foremost) came into dramatic clash with the image in Dean's mind, bringing Dean to effectively overlook the resemblance RoboSam still managed to bear to real!Sam (though not subconsciously, for Dean was *hurt* by RoboSamness in ways that only Sam-induced hurt could matter). The quest for a Holy Grail of Sam's soul left Dean clinging to the hope (for lack of anything else to cling to) that resoulment would evoke back the brother matching the profile of that idealized image. Dean died and played Death to make that happen. Whereas in reality, real!soulful!Sam diverges from it the same way RoboSam did. Dean clearly sees the solid proof of that through the span of the episode in Sam's demeanor (especially around Dean proper) - cue his rue and a speck of frustration, to replace the euphoria. However, the one cognitive step Dean's conscious mind still refuses to make is to regard the reality of both soulful!Sam and RoboSam for what it's worth - similarity and all. For in dowing so Dean would have to discard the aforementioned ideal and face the hurt full-force. While separating soulful!Sam from RoboSam helps reconcile soul!Sam with the ideation more, especially via picking up on the descrepances of both with RoobSam, which are there if you look hard enough. And boy, doesn't Dean look hard! After all, Dean succeeded in doing just (matching Sam to the idea of 'Sammy') that for over 25 years in the making. That was when real!Sam started exposing features, spotlighted by RoboSam, that the illusion began to shatter in the first place, all those years ago. If Dean now matches the Robo and Soul installations of his brother, to whatever end, the illusion would be gone for good. And Dean is never the one to let go of illusions concerning his loved ones easily nor painlessly. Besides, in between the Apocalypse, RoboSam and Sam's Wall, Dean's suffered too much. And real!soulful!Sam, somehow, is not alleviating that ache yet, but adding up to it even before the memories of the Cage hit full-force. So to let go of 'Sammy' now, again (!!!!), letting RoboSam and soulful!Sam meet in the middle of Dean's perception might prove too much. The proverbial last straw. In a way, Dean's mind is excercising self-preservation in a way, via alienation and denial. But like I'll keep insisting - it can get Dean only so far, until reality and repressed hurt comes to bite him in the butt with a vengeance. The farther Dean alienates Robo!Sam and soul!Sam, the more painful it'll be when they eventually clash. The shared experience of Heaven proved as much, back in the day.
One other reason for Dean's on going compartmentalization may be life-long ingrained military-type training: deal with problems one at a time and prioratize. As far as Dean's concerned, the necessity for Sam's safety and security is a top-notch priority over Dean's own issues with RoboSam (which is ancient history, probably, according to Dean, given their current circumstances and level of danger to Sam's well-being). For anything and their brother (quite literally so) is a priority over Dean's own issues, as far as Dean is concerned. And subconsciously, Dean might've got it into his head, that should he start navel-fazing and sorting out his own RoboSam induced grievances now - that would prove a distraction from the imperative he operates by 'save/protect/take care of Sam'.
Incidentally, THAT's where one more factor of Dean's denial comes into play, to my mind, that eventually helped me partially reconcile with Dean's alienating stance as of the end of this episode. Namely - Route B of Dean's episode-long journey: horrific, abject fright for what the crack in the Wall can do to Sam.
Through the episode Dean progresses from ever increasing worry to downright panic that if Sam digs deep enough into RoboSamness and gets upset and appalled enough (for how could he not - he's got a soul now, right?), that would bring the Wall down. The way I see it, Dean directly relates emotional stress to the Wall integrity. Might be, he's deducing from experience - Hell is an emotional place anyway, and Dean's own recollections were brought forth to the utmost once he was infected with fear in Yellow Fever. Since he *knows* how much it could hurt, he'd do or say anything to spare Sam that. Thus - Dean's major task is to shelter and isolate Sam from the potential source of stress (flashbacks). When that fails and it becomes apparent that Sam has no inclination to care for his safety and Dean's subsequent sanity (I've elaborated at length already how and why Dean deems resoulment repercussions his own responsibility) - Dean is resigned to stay by Sam's side. It's Stull Cemetery of sorts, just on an individual scale. The kind of love that would be there should Sam crumble on the self-appointed cause he deems right, if it makes Dean's little brother feel better.
However, once the hunt is over and the full impact of the flashback, seemingly, hasn't damaged the Wall - Dean resorts to the destraction tactics: keep Sam away from the potential sourse of stress (RoboSamness), keep him humored. Hence, the voiced out denial ('you need to understand ... it wasn't you'), sandwich-wrapped among Dean's other takes at helping Sam feel better ('you killed the spiderman' [i.e. 'you did good, don't worry'] , 'can I get you anything?', 'everything's gonna be okay' [i.e. 'I'm here with you Sammy, I'm right here']) actually acquires the slant of being less about Dean's own conviction and compulsive alienation and more about a means to Dean's ever important end - keep Sam safe. And Dean does have history of lying about his own opinion to do just that ('Tell the truth, you can't tell me this doesn't freak you out. - This doesn't freak me out').
Dean is not even grasping onto denial as firmly as he did last episode - the argument is dropped as soon as Sam disagrees ('It was me') and Dean moves on to the next distraction tool: try and refocuse Sam from his own self to the fact that Dean is there to help Sam deal. For deep down Dean's aware the mantra 'it wasn't Sam' is wearing thinner by the day in the credibility department.
Apparently, we didn't see much of Dean this episode, but there was a glimpse of him reacting to the testament of RoboSam's sexual exploits: Dean's immediate response was indignation and rue, while for Sam he put up a nonchalant act later. Like I've said before - Dean can only get so far balancing his true feelings about RoboSam and how profoundly those revelations affect Dean and what he lets out for Sam's benefit.
However, I do belive, just as in case with Dean's and Sam's brotherhood patterns, Dean's possible progression along the lines of dealing with and moving on from RoboSam is in a tragic deadlock now (tragic and potentially damaging for Dean, that is). Specifically given the fact how the episode ended - on Sam's Cage-induced seizure. To unload Dean's own grievances onto Sam now would be kicking his brother while he's already down and would potentially aggravate the chances of the Wall coming down completely. Something I honestly doubt Dean would do willingly, staying true to himself. Moreso, I wouldn't put it past Dean to issue a veto henceforth on any mention of RoboSam's antics around Sam. That doesn't mean Sam would stop scratching or snooping about (which I also believe is *necessary* for this character arc to be complete) but this also doesn't mean Dean won't try and stop him. Just like he did all this episode long.
Like I believed I've mentioned, among other things (fierce protectiveness, spectacular professionalism) Dean is a study in fear this episode. The bulk of it born of imminent damage to Sam, which is Dean's one ultimate favorite nightmare. However, those deeply rooted outbursts of panic on Dean's part, whenever Hell was brought up, manage to showcase how affected Dean still is by his own Hell. How much it still hurts and bleeds inside him. And yeah - I'd *really* appreciate someone bringing up that *Dean* managed to rein in the worst of memories without any walls in his mind, still faring this side of sane and human, though facing off with unbearable pain and guilt. It nearly drove him to the ground, but he did pull up eventually (and no, he didn't have the benefit of a doting supportive brother, sucking up his own issues in favor of those Dean suffered from). That alone should spell some obvious implication as to the steadfastness of Dean's innate humanity. Maybe, if he embraces the truth his own experience examplifies - the Hell within *can* be dealt with to a satisfying outcome, it would be easier for Dean to let go of overprotectiveness and the pattern of brotherhood would swing back into a healthier cadence. Which, by extention, would allow Dean's mind to accomodate the reality of RoboSam. *Dean* needs it and deserves it to move on, as much as Sam does. It'll help, of course, if Sam actually bothers to *see* his brother and work his side of the bond to reconnection. This episode, however, didn't leave me too hopeful.
Dean vs. John vs. Sam
Just a quick note I'd like to make wrt John's legacy being brought up through the boys' interaction, as a mirror of sorts both to their individual differences and the ongoing difference in their perception of Dad.
Foremost, the mention of Dad at this point in the narrative poses a neat symbolic callback, to my mind, to the conceptual pattern of 'parenthood', that defines, among other things, the story progress. And also the tinkerbell of the fact that the Big Bad of the year is a Mother this time around, not a Dad.
Besides, this season does indulge into an undercurrent of various brands of fatherhood exploration (we've got the Alphas, we've got Samuel, obsessed with a pipe-dream of getting Mary back, we've got Dean himself, so scared to turn into John it profoundly undermined his own chance at a family).
This time around, Dean alludes to a tactical aspect of their Dad's training (as opposed to John's misgivings as a parent or a person). Something sound, professional, practical and functionally *right* Dad taught them about when in the field.
Originally, I wondered why Dean would bring Dad up as an argument now, but upon consideration, it occured to me, that Dean (given the pre-history of RoboSam) is just not sure anything he himself says would count for an opinion of significant authority with Sam (which it, sadly enough, didn't indeed).
Sam, however, counters with a mention of another imperative of John's - tilting more on the personal moral code side ('finish what you started'). Which in an of itself is not bad a motivation. But this very determination not to let go - is what drove John into single-minded obsession, all but ruining their family and effectively shattering Dean's psyche in the process. Same inabily to let go is something Dean witnessed in Sam one time to many by now, alongside the devastating effects it brought on. So yet again, Dean is far more disturbed and upset by this glimpse of recognition, than excited or appeased. Then again, it's been awhile since Sam's blatant taking after Dad and Dad's ways managed to induce Dean with any morsel of joy.
On to Part 3