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Wow, a Dabb & Loflin ep I didn't hate.
I loved how the soundtrack kept cutting off the song playing in the Impala before it got to the chorus. Yes, that was "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan.
So apparently everyone gets their own little slice of Heaven in the afterlife based on their happiest memories. I can go with that. However, except for their time in the Roadhouse with Ash, I don't think Sam and Dean's Heaven was under their control at all. I think that was all Zachariah picking and choosing their memories from the start. I don't believe for one second that all of Sam's happiest memories were of himself without Dean. That 13-year-old Sam shooting off fireworks in Dean's memory didn't look unhappy to be with his brother. Does Sam have happy memories that don't involve Dean? Of course. They weren't joined at the hip all the time. I'm sure Dean has some happy memories that don't involve Sam too. Zachariah chose those memories as a form of psychological warfare against the two working-class yahoos who ruined his career and turned him into a laughingstock.
The sad thing is that it worked. Dean is at such a low point right now that he believed Sam was happiest without him (and maybe always secretly believed that) and he doesn't see himself and Sam as a team anymore. Dean trashing his amulet wasn't just a statement that he'd given up his faith that God would step in and straighten out this mess, it was also a slap in the face to Sam. Dean had always valued that amulet not because it burned hot in the presence of God, which he didn't know until recently, but because Sam gave it to him. I hope Sam pulled it out of the trash after the fade to black and that Sam eventually giving the amulet back to Dean (and Dean accepting it) will symbolize the healing of the rift between them when it actually happens.
The biggest problem between them at the moment seems to be that they can't see things from each other's perspective. Sam never realized how much his leaving hurt Dean because in Sam's mind, he was leaving John and hunting, not Dean. He also never realized how much time Dean spent smoothing over conflict in his family because John and Sam were all Dean had after the fire. Sam has no memory of the family Dean had until he was four; he doesn't remember his mother and he only knew his father as a drill sergeant. Meanwhile Dean doesn't understand that in many ways, Sam grew up in a different family than he did, so family means something different to Sam. Sam doesn't feel the sense of loss that makes Dean hold on to family so tightly because Sam was too young to remember what he lost. That doesn't mean he loves Dean any less.
Now God is on Earth but won't intervene in the apocalypse. I can believe that God doesn't think the apocalypse is His problem. He gave us free will for a reason. But how does that jive with all the times He's apparently interfered by resurrecting the Winchesters or otherwise stepping in to save them, especially Sam? (I loved how Sam was really surprised to turn up in Heaven-- "I've done...stuff"). For a deity who seems to want to remain neutral and uninvolved, He certainly keeps sticking His nose in Winchester business.
The only thing that bothered me about this episode was that Kripke promised at the beginning of the season that this season would be about Sam and Dean reforging their relationship. Instead, we're 16 episodes in and the boys seem more at odds than ever. I'm still along for the ride, but I really don't want to have to wait until the season 6 finale before they reconcile.
P.S.--Now that Sam and Dean are alive again, I hope they track down Roy and Walt to give them an attitude adjustment.
I loved how the soundtrack kept cutting off the song playing in the Impala before it got to the chorus. Yes, that was "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan.
So apparently everyone gets their own little slice of Heaven in the afterlife based on their happiest memories. I can go with that. However, except for their time in the Roadhouse with Ash, I don't think Sam and Dean's Heaven was under their control at all. I think that was all Zachariah picking and choosing their memories from the start. I don't believe for one second that all of Sam's happiest memories were of himself without Dean. That 13-year-old Sam shooting off fireworks in Dean's memory didn't look unhappy to be with his brother. Does Sam have happy memories that don't involve Dean? Of course. They weren't joined at the hip all the time. I'm sure Dean has some happy memories that don't involve Sam too. Zachariah chose those memories as a form of psychological warfare against the two working-class yahoos who ruined his career and turned him into a laughingstock.
The sad thing is that it worked. Dean is at such a low point right now that he believed Sam was happiest without him (and maybe always secretly believed that) and he doesn't see himself and Sam as a team anymore. Dean trashing his amulet wasn't just a statement that he'd given up his faith that God would step in and straighten out this mess, it was also a slap in the face to Sam. Dean had always valued that amulet not because it burned hot in the presence of God, which he didn't know until recently, but because Sam gave it to him. I hope Sam pulled it out of the trash after the fade to black and that Sam eventually giving the amulet back to Dean (and Dean accepting it) will symbolize the healing of the rift between them when it actually happens.
The biggest problem between them at the moment seems to be that they can't see things from each other's perspective. Sam never realized how much his leaving hurt Dean because in Sam's mind, he was leaving John and hunting, not Dean. He also never realized how much time Dean spent smoothing over conflict in his family because John and Sam were all Dean had after the fire. Sam has no memory of the family Dean had until he was four; he doesn't remember his mother and he only knew his father as a drill sergeant. Meanwhile Dean doesn't understand that in many ways, Sam grew up in a different family than he did, so family means something different to Sam. Sam doesn't feel the sense of loss that makes Dean hold on to family so tightly because Sam was too young to remember what he lost. That doesn't mean he loves Dean any less.
Now God is on Earth but won't intervene in the apocalypse. I can believe that God doesn't think the apocalypse is His problem. He gave us free will for a reason. But how does that jive with all the times He's apparently interfered by resurrecting the Winchesters or otherwise stepping in to save them, especially Sam? (I loved how Sam was really surprised to turn up in Heaven-- "I've done...stuff"). For a deity who seems to want to remain neutral and uninvolved, He certainly keeps sticking His nose in Winchester business.
The only thing that bothered me about this episode was that Kripke promised at the beginning of the season that this season would be about Sam and Dean reforging their relationship. Instead, we're 16 episodes in and the boys seem more at odds than ever. I'm still along for the ride, but I really don't want to have to wait until the season 6 finale before they reconcile.
P.S.--Now that Sam and Dean are alive again, I hope they track down Roy and Walt to give them an attitude adjustment.
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Date: 2010-04-12 11:45 pm (UTC)From:Absolutely. That's one of many reasons I don't want God to step in and fix everything. Again, my concern is that with all the emphasis on finding God (and discovering he's on earth now), I can't believe He won't physically appear, and if He appears as a character, He's going to be doing something. He's not a wall hanging. There'd be no point in having Him as a character if he showed up and didn't do anything. And I don't want Him to do anything; I want Sam and Dean to be awesome and save the day.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-13 12:12 am (UTC)From:This with bells on!
Though these days it's looking like Team!freewill is basically Team!Sam. *whimper*
no subject
Date: 2010-04-13 02:03 am (UTC)From:It also doesn't help that Dean and Castiel don't really respect Sam right now because of the whole demon blood/apocalypse thing, so Sam is the one they're least likely to listen to on apocalypse-related matters.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-14 01:22 am (UTC)From: