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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.
"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.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-08 01:05 am (UTC)From: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!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-08 09:22 am (UTC)From: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. ;)