Dean is actually more likely to open up about his emotional state than Sam is.
I find it amusing that the writers clearly think that this is vintage Dean characterisation, when by the third episode of season one he was baring his soul to a small child while Sam looked on. Which is to say that, yes, I agree: nuance would be nice. If this were really 'vintage' characterisation, the snark in the opening scene would almost certainly have led to a deeper and more honest conversation by the end of the episode.
That was how those stories worked: the issue is raised and vehemently dismissed; the episode explores the issue thematically; Sam and Dean find a way to talk about the issue.
Moreover, I feel suspicious of the writers’ motives for repeatedly bringing the topic up again.
I shudder every time they talk about Sam's normal life. Partly because I still don't understand what the hell was 'normal' about the Amelia situation. Partly because I think it is stomping on years of characterisation. But mostly it is because I don't really believe we are done with Amelia.
It looks far too much to me like Carver is reusing the bare bones of the Lisa storyline. Early in the season Dean/Sam hits the road, despite still being tied to the woman he's leaving behind; about a quarter of the way through the season we see why this really isn't going to work through danger to Ben/the return of Don; around the halfway point in the season Dean/Sam makes a final clean break, resolving to never look back.
That means we should be due for at least one highly dramatic Amelia-centric episode at the end of the season. As distressing as I found Lisa's ending, I suspect I'm going to like it much more than whatever they do with Amelia.
I think his basic approach to parenting as a hunter, namely providing children with a stable home, an education and a family life, while at the same time preparing them for the supernatural dangers that exist in their world, does have its merits.
The thing is, I could understand that the kids might need to know how to protect themselves to be able to live a normal life. If I were to learn tomorrow that all the monsters in Supernatural were real, I'd invest in enough salt to kill an ocean and start carrying silver knives everywhere. I don't mind that they often let the survivors of MotW attacks be basically okay, because there's only so much you can pack into an episode. But it would be nice to explore this 'halfway' concept a bit more.
Anyway, I also think Victor’s assessment of the current generation of hunters as incapable and weak is faulty and mostly likely rooted in his inability to cope with the loss of his family
Agreed, although I am pretty sure his choice of hunters was an immediate clue that Victor didn't know what he was talking about. Martin, okay, but going after the mentally ill is a cheap shot. Garth has been successfully protecting a prophet wanted by the king of hell for months, not to mention re-establishing and even improving Bobby's network, and while Bobby's alcoholism may not have been good for his health, I'd pay to see Victor make a good case that it affected his work. :)
The moment just really serves as a harsh reminder of the fact that the writers made no effort whatsoever to explore the trauma Dean sustained in purgatory and his recovery thereof.
Yeah. I really liked Dean's attitude and advice in this episode, but I would very much like to know what happened to the man who could barely restrain himself from grabbing people by the throat and struggled to sit still for more than a minute. It feels like that should have been a slow, difficult recovery.
I admit, I was a tad puzzled when Dean told Sam that maybe Krissy and her group could stop hunting and have a normal life once the gates of hell are closed.
I found that odd too. And it was a particularly odd thing for Dean to say, given that he has always been adamant that it will never be over. What happened to 'The problem with the snake is that it has a thousand heads. Evil bitches just keep piling out of the Volkswagen'? Not that he need be that bitter all the time, but nothing has happened that would make him stray from that basic philosophy.
no subject
I find it amusing that the writers clearly think that this is vintage Dean characterisation, when by the third episode of season one he was baring his soul to a small child while Sam looked on. Which is to say that, yes, I agree: nuance would be nice. If this were really 'vintage' characterisation, the snark in the opening scene would almost certainly have led to a deeper and more honest conversation by the end of the episode.
That was how those stories worked: the issue is raised and vehemently dismissed; the episode explores the issue thematically; Sam and Dean find a way to talk about the issue.
Moreover, I feel suspicious of the writers’ motives for repeatedly bringing the topic up again.
I shudder every time they talk about Sam's normal life. Partly because I still don't understand what the hell was 'normal' about the Amelia situation. Partly because I think it is stomping on years of characterisation. But mostly it is because I don't really believe we are done with Amelia.
It looks far too much to me like Carver is reusing the bare bones of the Lisa storyline. Early in the season Dean/Sam hits the road, despite still being tied to the woman he's leaving behind; about a quarter of the way through the season we see why this really isn't going to work through danger to Ben/the return of Don; around the halfway point in the season Dean/Sam makes a final clean break, resolving to never look back.
That means we should be due for at least one highly dramatic Amelia-centric episode at the end of the season. As distressing as I found Lisa's ending, I suspect I'm going to like it much more than whatever they do with Amelia.
I think his basic approach to parenting as a hunter, namely providing children with a stable home, an education and a family life, while at the same time preparing them for the supernatural dangers that exist in their world, does have its merits.
The thing is, I could understand that the kids might need to know how to protect themselves to be able to live a normal life. If I were to learn tomorrow that all the monsters in Supernatural were real, I'd invest in enough salt to kill an ocean and start carrying silver knives everywhere. I don't mind that they often let the survivors of MotW attacks be basically okay, because there's only so much you can pack into an episode. But it would be nice to explore this 'halfway' concept a bit more.
Anyway, I also think Victor’s assessment of the current generation of hunters as incapable and weak is faulty and mostly likely rooted in his inability to cope with the loss of his family
Agreed, although I am pretty sure his choice of hunters was an immediate clue that Victor didn't know what he was talking about. Martin, okay, but going after the mentally ill is a cheap shot. Garth has been successfully protecting a prophet wanted by the king of hell for months, not to mention re-establishing and even improving Bobby's network, and while Bobby's alcoholism may not have been good for his health, I'd pay to see Victor make a good case that it affected his work. :)
The moment just really serves as a harsh reminder of the fact that the writers made no effort whatsoever to explore the trauma Dean sustained in purgatory and his recovery thereof.
Yeah. I really liked Dean's attitude and advice in this episode, but I would very much like to know what happened to the man who could barely restrain himself from grabbing people by the throat and struggled to sit still for more than a minute. It feels like that should have been a slow, difficult recovery.
I admit, I was a tad puzzled when Dean told Sam that maybe Krissy and her group could stop hunting and have a normal life once the gates of hell are closed.
I found that odd too. And it was a particularly odd thing for Dean to say, given that he has always been adamant that it will never be over. What happened to 'The problem with the snake is that it has a thousand heads. Evil bitches just keep piling out of the Volkswagen'? Not that he need be that bitter all the time, but nothing has happened that would make him stray from that basic philosophy.