SPN Ep: Wishful Thinking

[the_other_sandy]

It looks like this episode ran short too, but all we got was more commercials.

"Wishful Thinking" reminded me a lot of a Saturday Night Live sketch in that it had a cute premise that was stretched out way too long and then beaten into the ground. Long story short: be careful what you wish for. It just seemed like an awful long way to go just so Ben Edlund could get a giant teddy bear into an episode. I didn't really hate it (there are worse episodes), but I don't see this as being one I'll watch over and over again.

The wishes were fairly revealing of the wishers' personalities. What else would a little girl want but a live teddy bear to have tea parties with her? Or a bullied little boy but the ability to get back at the kids who hurt him? At least Wes eventually recognized that it wasn't cool to force some poor girl who didn't even know he existed to love him more than anything and took his wish back. It was especially revealing that Dean kept thinking of happy, fun things to wish for, while all Sam could come up with was Lilith's head on a platter (I think poor Sam needs a vacation).

Here's the part where I'm probably inviting wank down on myself.

We all know that Dean is the best big brother ever. He's always there for Sam and doesn't let Sam bottle things up until he explodes. Meanwhile, Sam has the reputation in fandom of being selfish and self-centered. Yet, every time Sam tries to be there for Dean like Dean is there for him, Dean shuts him down cold.

I get it. Really. Dean is the big brother and he sees letting Sam look after him as an enormous failure on his own part because he's supposed to take care of Sam, not the other way around. I also totally understand that Dean is right--there are probably no words in any language that can adequately describe what he went through in hell. What he saw there can never be unseen, and what he experienced there can never be understood by anyone who hasn't been there...which is basically nobody except for demons. There's nothing Sam can say or do to make it better, but just once I'd like for Dean to let him try, because the stoic big brother thing inadvertently makes Sam feel like the worst and most useless brother ever. He tries so freakin' hard, and yet he never really gets to give back in his relationship with Dean.

But on the other hand, "Kneel before Todd!" = best line ever.

Comments

[rei17.livejournal.com]

I don´t think that´s entirely fair.
I mean Sam wasn´t all sharing and caring after Jess died, wasn´t he?
And Dean did confess to him in 2x04 what eats him up and even though Sam couldn´t really help him then, it was a very bittersweet and intimate moment between the two.

But I get what you´re saying in general. And hey - I totally wish they would have more heart to hearts and would acutally talk about their feelings. Dean sucks at this like nobodys business but Sam isn´t so much better.
But I think this is kind of the Winchester-way ... ;) And yay for fanfics where the guys actually do talk.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

My best-friend-in-law, who is an official, card-carrying guy, loves that Sam and Dean communicate like guys and act like real brothers. Me? I could use another chick flick moment or two. ;-)

Dean sucks at this like nobodys business but Sam isn´t so much better.

Dean is usually able to bottle things up and remain functional, but Sam really isn't. When he was keeping his Jess guilt to himself, it resulted in chronic nightmares. When he was worried about turning evil and about saving Dean, he got drunk. So, Dean pushes Sam to talk, and eventually he does.

I think it helps a lot that Sam now knows that Dean remembers every second of hell, but I think it would also help if he knew what was likely to trigger a flashback for Dean as something to watch out for, both on a hunt and just every day. It's not always about fixing things or making the problem go away. Sometimes just knowing the exact nature of the problem is enough.

And yay for fanfics where the guys actually do talk.

Amen to that!

[rei17.livejournal.com]

but I think it would also help if he knew what was likely to trigger a flashback for Dean as something to watch out for, both on a hunt and just every day.
Oh, I didn´t think about that! You´re right. But I could imagine Dean being kind of reasonable when Sam points out the dangers of PTSD in hunting situations ... oO
That would make a lovely fanfic. They hunt, Dean has a traumatic flashbacks, Sam almost gets hurt (or really gets hurt), angsty!guilty!Dean ensues and they finally, finally have a talk. ;)
Somebody should write that.

My best-friend-in-law, who is an official, card-carrying guy, loves that Sam and Dean communicate like guys and act like real brothers.
I know. Most of the times I love it, too. It just makes them so ... real. But hey - we´ve got three hugs already and a few "you´re my brother and I´d do anything for you"-speeches, so I´m not complaining. There is so much love between them and even if they don´t always talk about it, you can see it´s always there.
And hey - if they had a chick-flick-moment every other week it wouldn´t be special anymore.

Anyway - yay for schmoopy-brotherlove-fics. ;)

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

As for Dean always shutting Sam down? I think it's just Dean's personality.

Agreed. Dean sees his job as taking care of Sam, so if Sam has to take care of him, then he must've failed in his big brotherly duties in some way. I just think it would be cool if Sam and Dean could come to a place in their relationship where Dean didn't feel like he had to keep his game face on for Sam all the time.

Besides, it's what fic is for.

Long live fic! In fact, I just put Mobipocket on my PDA so I can carry fic around with me all the time. \0/

[datenshiblue.livejournal.com]

Sam has the reputation in fandom of being selfish and self-centered.

Operative words in fandom. The downside of fandom it that stereotyping of characters happens early and often. Not just SPN fandom, any fandom, in my experience.

But your observation is right on. Sam definitely tries, and isn't selfish and self centered, any more than Mary was for wanting a life other than hunting.

For what it's worth, I think Dean will open up more as time goes on. It's a progression - he lies, then he acknowledges but won't talk about it, I think eventually more will come out.

But I could be totally wrong about that. ;)

What I found (perversely) amusing about the reveal that Dean lied about remembering his time in hell is how the fandom has been all over Sam for lying about Ruby and using his powers at the begining of the season. ;P Think anybody will be calling Dean a "lying LIAR" now?

I didn't think so. ;D

*loves them both*

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I think Dean will open up more as time goes on. It's a progression - he lies, then he acknowledges but won't talk about it, I think eventually more will come out.

I hope you're right, but if Dean's track record holds true, he'll confide in Bobby, not Sam. Dean feels like he has to keep his game face on for Sam, so when he feels the need, he tends to say personal things to other people (Kathleen in "The Benders," Gordon in "Bloodlust," Jamie in "Monster Movie," and Bobby, well, whenever). I just wish they could come to a point where Dean felt like he could relax in front of Sam instead of maintain the front.

Think anybody will be calling Dean a "lying LIAR" now?

The double-standard that a certain segment of fandom applies to the boys both disappoints and frustrates me. I find I'm much happier sitting here in my quiet little corner of LJ.

[samazon13.livejournal.com]

No wank here. I agree with you pretty much down the line on this one. :)

-Samazon

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

P.S.--When does your play open?

[samazon13.livejournal.com]

The one I'm in now opens on 11/15 (previews start 11/12) and runs through 12/21. It's called The Autumn Garden and info is here:
http://www.eclipsetheatre.com/
It's a Lillian Hellman piece, and such a pleasure to work on!
-Samazon

[un-conscience.livejournal.com]

You won't get any wanking from me! Dean's speech was very similar to Sam's in "Metamorphosis." But somehow I doubt we'll get the backlash.

And while I was disappointed they didn't go any further with the reveal, you know it will be addressed in upcoming episodes.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

And while I was disappointed they didn't go any further with the reveal, you know it will be addressed in upcoming episodes.

What? You expect me to sit and wait patiently for the reveal? What kind of fangirl are you? ;-)

[jade-kadir.livejournal.com]

I had to love all the stuff with the teddy bear though. It was comic genius.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

The teddy bear stuff didn't do anything for me, but I loved little Audrey.

"Why am I here?"

"For tea parties!"

Well, duh. ;-)

I think my favorite scene was probably Sam giving the shower voyeur kid a stern talking to. And, "Kneel before Todd!"

[ambersaigh.livejournal.com]

Randomly over here from lurking on supernatural_tv and hoping you don't mind, but your reaction post is one of the saner ones addressing this point that I've seen, so I'm reaching out. Sorry if it's intrusive.

We're pretty much agreed on all points; while I love my men stoic and tough but brittle, I'd like to see just a tiny bit more evolution in Dean where he's able to admit things to Sam. The one line I kept waiting (with bated breath) for Dean to say was "I don't WANT you to understand" - not because Dean doesn't need to be understood, which Sam does with alacrity and an admirable degree of patience, but because the things you see in Hell are not something you want someone you love seeing with you. Not only can Sam not do anything to actively remove or really even soften the effect of the memories (which, for the record - really? 40 years of torturous memories and Dean still snaps back to basically how he was when he went into the ground? C'mon, Kripke, that's more years than he's even been alive) but Dean doesn't want him to know what Hell is like. Ever.

But I, too, think it's a process. Dean tends to skip around the normal processes until he's pounded out his own - first he denies, then realizes he's slipping up too much to refuse being affected at all. Then he tries to say that yes, he's hurting, but he'll handle it. Eventually he'll hit that wall where trying and failing to handle it on his own will endanger Sam or them both or someone else when he freezes up under the pressure, and he'll be forced to either drop it, let Sam help, or just sit down and give up.

Here's to Dean Winchester (and Sam Winchester) never sitting down and giving up.

...That got a bit long. Apologies, and feel free to delete if I'm an annoyance.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

I'm reaching out. Sorry if it's intrusive.

Not at all. The more, the merrier. ;-)

I'd like to see just a tiny bit more evolution in Dean where he's able to admit things to Sam.

Seriously, my dream is that by the end of the series, Dean will be comfortable enough that he won't feel like he has to keep a game face on for Sam all the time.

The one line I kept waiting (with bated breath) for Dean to say was "I don't WANT you to understand"

I could totally go with that. That would be very Dean. It would also be easier for Sam to accept.

Here's to Dean Winchester (and Sam Winchester) never sitting down and giving up.

::taps drink glasses with you::

Apologies, and feel free to delete if I'm an annoyance.

Not at all. Believe it or not, I don't know anyone in real life who watches the show (despite my best efforts at recruiting), so I'm more than happy to talk about the show with anybody and everybody. I even let people disagree with me. ;-)

[ambersaigh.livejournal.com]

The one line I kept waiting (with bated breath) for Dean to say was "I don't WANT you to understand"

I could totally go with that. That would be very Dean. It would also be easier for Sam to accept.

...So I suppose it goes without saying that I can't believe he didn't say it.

I would also like to point out that I really don't think Sam would have wished for Lillith's head on a plate, bloody or otherwise. I think he wanted Dean to shut up, be serious, and stop trying to oversimplify matters. Also, it was the easy answer that Dean wouldn't think to argue over.

I also can't believe that I've been reading reviews and lurking all over summary posts about this episode all night and, while most of them have mentioned Sam saying the title of his book is Supernatural, no one has thought it might be a nod to the original premise of the show way back before Kripke ever thought of the Winchesters. You know, the one where he thought it might be a lone reporter, going around the U.S. writing stories about urban legends? Or am I delusional?

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

I would also like to point out that I really don't think Sam would have wished for Lillith's head on a plate, bloody or otherwise.

If Sam had said that last year, I wouldn't have believed him. But we saw what Sam turned into after Dean's death in "Mystery Spot," and after everything that Lilith has done, I can totally believe that Sam's greatest wish right now is Lilith's death.

while most of them have mentioned Sam saying the title of his book is Supernatural, no one has thought it might be a nod to the original premise of the show way back before Kripke ever thought of the Winchesters

I did see someone mention that on Yahoo!Groups. I'm afraid it went right past me, probably because he said he was writing a book and I thought the original premise was for the protagonist to be a tabloid reporter. Or maybe I'm just dense sometimes. ;-)