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[chasingtides]

First of all, I identified way too much with Dean this episode. I try not to identify with fictional characters too much, but um, yes. I was the person who - well, I had a reputation for slutting it up in high school (including the awkward moments when the girls shrieked at me about hooking up with guys across the school). There was one point where I was happily seeing three guys at the same time (I made sure they all had the same name) and... okay. Yeah. You get the picture. I didn't really have friends, but I did have guys. (Also, Dean's reaction of, "I'm going to rip out his lungs!" is totally my reaction when people hurt people I care about.)

So, I'm kind of biased. I relate to Dean. I totally did that and it definitely covered my - real or imagined - social deficiencies. And pansexuality/queerness. But we won't talk about any of that.

I don't like young!Dean. He has a weird accent and looks about 10 or 12 years older than Colin Ford. My fellow viewers were vocal in objecting to the vast age difference in the actors.

Oh, Sam, this is why I had trouble liking you in season one. (I'm sorry. I have really Dean-identifying issues.) a) Dean makes sure you have everything you need for school, b) Dean clearly takes care of you, c) Dean tries to protect you in the only way he knows how - but only your English teacher takes an interest in you. WTF? I can see thinking that at 14 (everyone's an ass at 14), but he's 26 now - plenty of time for introspection.

I feel like... Sam doesn't quite understand what Dean does for him, that Dean's life is and always has been Sam. I thought that Sam had figured that out since, you know, Dean sold his soul for him. Apparently not. This makes me unhappy, mostly because it makes my Big Bang seriously, seriously AU.

Dirk = Dean. Yes. Dirk is totally Dean. I think it's symbolic that Sam destroyed Dirk's life. That's kind of what Sam did when he went to Stanford and wrecked the Dean-John-Sam trinity to all hell. (Then he came back and we have the show.) Is this saying something about Sam being careless or not thinking before he acts? I think so.

In other news, I don't think we needed the anvil about Dean's self esteem issues. Or that's Sam's the people person in this dynamic duo.

I'm also not sure who it is - writer, wardrobe, director - but someone really, really likes dressing Jensen up in some interesting costumes this season. I'm just saying.

I'm not sure. This felt a lot like a season one episode, both in the MotW style, but also in where the brothers are emotionally - haven't they matured in four years?

Comments

[rugbybaby.livejournal.com]

You know, I hadn't actually given that sort of thing a lot of consideration until you pointed it out. I should probably scroll down to make sure I'm not repeating everything.

Okay well larienelengasse wrote a bunch of it. I totally agree with you that they really don't understand one another. It seems like Sam really shifts a lot. He went from being very academically oriented to deciding he had to be more like Dean when Dean's clock was ticking, to... idek what is he now? Now he's talking about wanting a future, and that future will apparently not include hunting. In the face of the Apocalypse it just seems odd to me. Which is another surprising issue with me. Apocalypse is still going on, and we're doing little errands. Don't get me wrong: I loved this episode and I love errands. But to be doing that while the clock is ticking, and now suddenly Sam wants a future again that does not include hunting, but he was hunting while Dean was dead... and there goes my mind. On the wall, five pieces.

Anyway, I agree. I do think it's weird that present!Sam doesn't seem to have changed in his appreciation since he was a kid. AKA when he talks to his teacher. I suppose it shows that, though I do think he knows Dean has and will continue to make sacrifices for him, he has more recognition for people who support and foster the parts of his life that he ranks highly. Maybe it's just a really hard habit to break. He's spent a lot of the series pissed off at Dean for not getting him, but I agree with you when you say that Sam doesn't really get Dean either.