Kirkenovak tumblr: SPN 9x22 - why am I even disappointed?
This episode was really upsetting to me but in
the end of the day, it simply proved I knew since episode 1 of this
season - the writers are incapable (unwilling!) to legitimately analyse
Dean’s character, let him grow or highlight and let him fix his mistakes
and they have 0 interest in ending the codependency.
Dean is not going to grow because Dean makes no mistakes. He was right when he shoved the angel in Sam and lied to him about it. He was right because he’s always right and if he’s wrong it’s because other fail or betray him.
But Kirke! - you exclaim in shock - you know he was wrong, you know what he did was awful, you know he should have never have done it, we know that you know it because you yourself said it a million times!
Did I? Probably. Because up until today I believed it.
Not anymore.
I love Sam because he’s empathic and forgiving but there’s an entire world of difference between being forgiving and being apathetic— and “apathetic” is the word I’d like to use a lot, because it perfectly sums up Sam’s character this season. I don’t know if it’s an acting choice, script that delegated Sam to the background or just Jared being fed up but Sam had been lacking his spark this season, he’s my favourite character and yet I am thoroughly BORED with him.
I loved, nay, I CHEERED when Sam didn’t just forgive Dean for violating him, that he put his foot down, demanded respect, not because I wanted to see him angry, but because he was assertive - he clearly stated what upset him, what he wanted and what he expected from Dean. (I’m going to ignore the fact that Dean didn’t listen, that’s not what it is about). That was the one and only moment this season that I felt they might be going somewhere with his character. However, since then, Sam’s been written more and more apathetic - pathetic, even - but I waited. I waited, with bated breath, for the show to show me why it’s happening. Depression? Suicidal thoughts (again)? Just an overall resignation brought by years upon years of systematic abuse? We all know Sam’s history - the very long history of possession, violence against his autonomy, people and creatures wanting to control him and his actions - and I was waiting for a pay off to this storyline, I was waiting to see the damage done and how Sam is dealing with it. But time after time I was denied it. Gadreel killing Kevin was about Dean being betrayed by him. Cas and Kevin forgave Dean without needing a second to think about it. The spa episode didn’t bring the expected revelation about ones self-worth. The confrontation between Sam and Gadreel never materialised, as it was cut short and once again steered in the direction of Dean feeling betrayed, without highlighting the fact that Dean had a hand in violating Sam.
Then, in the last episode, Sam, said that Gadreel felt misunderstood and that was exactly the moment I realised that the pay off isn’t coming, that this story is and always was that of Dean being betrayed, not that of Sam being violated. And it definitely, not for a second, was about “addressing the codependency”. This episode only confirmed it. When I realised that Sam was willing to forgive Gadreel on spot I didn’t feel gratitude that Sam is a forgiver, I felt betrayal.
Because Sam isn’t upset over Gadreel being there, he’s not scared, he’s not annoyed, he accepts his apology on the spot. Which means he really isn’t all that traumatised. Which means that this whole conflict is pointless, because Dean never “crossed the line”, he just did a stupid/shitty thing in the very long line of stupid/shitty things The Winchesters do. And that he refused to apologise? Well, welcome to Assholeville, population: Dean Winchester. He’s always been the mayor of the city, no big deal. Instead of being “assertive” and “putting his foot down” Sam should have just told him to suck it, sulk for a week, then stuff should be resolved and back to normal. I mean, Sam is not Dean, he’s not the one to hold grudges for a year.
As for Dean, he doesn’t need to grow, he has nothing to grow into, he’s the protagonist, he’s got a bigger fanbase, his mistakes are either inconsequential in the scheme of things or forgotten. The emotional pay off for what happened to Sam is not coming and I don’t think it was ever suppose to come, Sam was nothing more than a tool to get the season started and nothing more. The conflict might be resolved in Dean admitting he made a mistake and apologising but it will be equally flat and hollow as Dean’s non-apology for killing Amy (remember how that was resolved? I do. It sucked).
Dean is not going to grow because Dean makes no mistakes. He was right when he shoved the angel in Sam and lied to him about it. He was right because he’s always right and if he’s wrong it’s because other fail or betray him.
But Kirke! - you exclaim in shock - you know he was wrong, you know what he did was awful, you know he should have never have done it, we know that you know it because you yourself said it a million times!
Did I? Probably. Because up until today I believed it.
Not anymore.
I love Sam because he’s empathic and forgiving but there’s an entire world of difference between being forgiving and being apathetic— and “apathetic” is the word I’d like to use a lot, because it perfectly sums up Sam’s character this season. I don’t know if it’s an acting choice, script that delegated Sam to the background or just Jared being fed up but Sam had been lacking his spark this season, he’s my favourite character and yet I am thoroughly BORED with him.
I loved, nay, I CHEERED when Sam didn’t just forgive Dean for violating him, that he put his foot down, demanded respect, not because I wanted to see him angry, but because he was assertive - he clearly stated what upset him, what he wanted and what he expected from Dean. (I’m going to ignore the fact that Dean didn’t listen, that’s not what it is about). That was the one and only moment this season that I felt they might be going somewhere with his character. However, since then, Sam’s been written more and more apathetic - pathetic, even - but I waited. I waited, with bated breath, for the show to show me why it’s happening. Depression? Suicidal thoughts (again)? Just an overall resignation brought by years upon years of systematic abuse? We all know Sam’s history - the very long history of possession, violence against his autonomy, people and creatures wanting to control him and his actions - and I was waiting for a pay off to this storyline, I was waiting to see the damage done and how Sam is dealing with it. But time after time I was denied it. Gadreel killing Kevin was about Dean being betrayed by him. Cas and Kevin forgave Dean without needing a second to think about it. The spa episode didn’t bring the expected revelation about ones self-worth. The confrontation between Sam and Gadreel never materialised, as it was cut short and once again steered in the direction of Dean feeling betrayed, without highlighting the fact that Dean had a hand in violating Sam.
Then, in the last episode, Sam, said that Gadreel felt misunderstood and that was exactly the moment I realised that the pay off isn’t coming, that this story is and always was that of Dean being betrayed, not that of Sam being violated. And it definitely, not for a second, was about “addressing the codependency”. This episode only confirmed it. When I realised that Sam was willing to forgive Gadreel on spot I didn’t feel gratitude that Sam is a forgiver, I felt betrayal.
Because Sam isn’t upset over Gadreel being there, he’s not scared, he’s not annoyed, he accepts his apology on the spot. Which means he really isn’t all that traumatised. Which means that this whole conflict is pointless, because Dean never “crossed the line”, he just did a stupid/shitty thing in the very long line of stupid/shitty things The Winchesters do. And that he refused to apologise? Well, welcome to Assholeville, population: Dean Winchester. He’s always been the mayor of the city, no big deal. Instead of being “assertive” and “putting his foot down” Sam should have just told him to suck it, sulk for a week, then stuff should be resolved and back to normal. I mean, Sam is not Dean, he’s not the one to hold grudges for a year.
As for Dean, he doesn’t need to grow, he has nothing to grow into, he’s the protagonist, he’s got a bigger fanbase, his mistakes are either inconsequential in the scheme of things or forgotten. The emotional pay off for what happened to Sam is not coming and I don’t think it was ever suppose to come, Sam was nothing more than a tool to get the season started and nothing more. The conflict might be resolved in Dean admitting he made a mistake and apologising but it will be equally flat and hollow as Dean’s non-apology for killing Amy (remember how that was resolved? I do. It sucked).
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