Review for 7x01 'Meet The New Boss'

[galathea]

Sera Gamble’s S7 opener Meet The New Boss is a fast paced, exposition heavy episode, and while it is more plot driven than I usually like, I felt entertained throughout. The episode picks up where the S6 finale left off and resolves some of the open plot strands from last season, while opening a whole new can of worms at the same time. As was to be expected, the episode mainly addresses Castiel’s situation, but it also sets up Sam and Dean’s storylines and introduces the new Big Bad (presumably) of the season. And to top it all off, there are a lot familiar faces in the episode that nicely add to the diversity of character interactions. Overall, Meet The New Boss may not be my favourite season opener ever – I doubt that anything will ever trump In My Time Of Dying for me – but I enjoyed the episode a lot. So far the new season is off to a good start!



You know, last year I went into the summer hiatus with a broken heart and anxious for the fate of Sam and Dean. Then ComicCon happened and flooded the internet with spoilers for S6, and I spent the rest of the summer miserable and angry with the writers, because everything I read/heard about the upcoming season left me with feelings of unease and frustration. Then the season aired and I loved it, but well, that’s a different story for a different time. Now, this year’s summer hiatus could not have been more different. I not only went into it with the knowledge that Sam and Dean are alive, together and not at odds with each other, but I was also thrilled with every new spoiler that came out during the summer, and I think I can honestly say that I have been looking forward to S7 more than to any other season in these past three years. Of course the logical conclusion to take from this comparison is that S7 will disappoint me severely and I will end up hating it, but Meet The New Boss at least maintains my positive feeling about the season, and I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds.

Lucifer: "I think this is my best torture yet. Make you believe that you’re free and then – yank the wool off of your eyes. You never left, Sam. You’re still in the cage. With me."

I guess it comes as no surprise that Sam’s post-cage storyline in Meet The New Boss is by far my favourite part of the episode. I think I haven’t been this exited for one of the brothers’ storylines since Dean made his deal back in S2. I love that the repercussions of Sam’s sacrifice in Swan Song still carry on in S7 and that, for once, the psychological trauma of one of the brothers is actually dealt with in some depth. As I already speculated in my review for The Man Who Knew Too Much, Sam may have been strong enough to pull himself out of his coma, but he is far from okay. Now that the wall in his mind is destroyed and Sam has re-integrated his memories of hell into his consciousness, he is haunted by severe hallucinations and nightmares. While Sam is remarkably together during his lucid phases and even manages to hold on to an optimistic mind-set when everyone around him seems to have given up hope, his sense of reality seems to be gradually slipping, and it’s easy to foresee that, in the long run, his unstable mental state will interfere with his ability to hunt. By the way, while Sam’s hallucinations in the episode are truly creepy, I have to admit that I am a tad disappointed that the writers chose to go with the traditional vision of hell – meat hooks, fire and brimstone – instead of running with Lucifer’s statement that he burns cold and opting for a more Dante-esque imagery of the cage, namely frost, ice and the complete absence of life. I think it would have made sense to visually separate Sam and Dean’s hell experiences, not only because the show emphasised that the cage is set apart from hell, but also because it would have made Sam and Dean’s respective hells a unique experience.

Anyway, over the course of the episode Sam’s hallucinations get progressively worse, until they finally culminate in an unsettling hallucination of Lucifer, who plays the ultimate mind-game on Sam and tries to convince him that he never actually left the cage. And given that this is Sam’s own projection of Lucifer, I think we can safely assume that this scenario is indeed Sam’s greatest fear. I think what makes this hallucination so sinister is the contrast between the gentle and intimate cadence of Lucifer’s voice – there is even an oblique hint at physical intimacy between Sam and Lucifer – and the cruelty of his words. It’s very consistent with the Lucifer we saw in S5, who preferred psychological torture to physical violence as a means to wear his victims down. Although the latter has sure been part of Sam’s torment in the cage as well, if the way Sam automatically flinches away when Lucifer makes a sudden gesture is anything to go by. I think Sam’s theory that his brain is leaking memories of the cage when he sees Lucifer is interesting. It seems to imply that Sam has more or less compartmentalised the parts of himself that he reclaimed after the wall came down in order to stay in control of his actions/emotions, much like I imagine Dean copes with his hell memories. I really hope that we learn more about Sam’s internal coping strategies over the course of the season. In any case, the fact that Sam does not return to Bobby and Dean after this particular hallucination suggests to me that he never really came out of it again and either wandered off or is still in that room, locked inside his mind. It’s impressive though that, despite everything, Sam still had the presence of mind to leave the jar of blood that Bobby and Dean need to open the door to purgatory where they could find it.

Dean: "How about you tell me that you’ve got crazy crap climbing those walls?"
Sam: "Why? You can’t help. You got a lot of pretty severe crap swinging your way lately. And I thought, why burst the one good bubble you had left?"

Now, let me say some words about Sam lying to Dean about his hallucinations. It’s no secret that I find it frustrating when the brothers lie to each other, even if it is with the intent to protect and not to deceive. Of course I always understand why Sam or Dean feel compelled to lie in a given situation, but that does not mean I condone it. However, occasionally I feel deeply sympathetic to the reason why one of the brothers opts for a lie instead of honesty, like, for example, in Like A Virgin, where Dean lies to Sam about the year he spent soulless in order to protect the integrity of the wall. And Sam hiding his hallucinations from Dean in order to lessen his brother’s burdens and preserve what little hope Dean has left falls into the same category. I think Sam’s motivation here resonates nicely with his motivation in The Man Who Knew Too Much. After all, Sam took his hell memories back and willingly endangered his sanity because Dean needed him and he could not leave his brother alone in the world. And now that Dean desperately needs Sam to be okay, Sam tries to give that to him as well. So, Sam’s heart is clearly in the right place. Moreover, Sam takes a page out of his big brother’s book of protection here. I mean, this is exactly what Dean did to Sam for most of their lives, namely to keep his 'game face' on and hide his own vulnerability, so Sam would not worry about him, and while I still think that this does not exactly justify a lie, it’s at least the most tolerable of all motivations to lie for me.

Still, I am relieved that secrets between the brothers never last long nowadays and that they are usually forced to face their problems sooner rather than later. When Dean confronts Sam with his lie about his hallucinations, he is clearly disappointed about his dishonesty, but I think that, ultimately, he sees Sam’s lie for what it is, a gesture of love. The fact that he offers Sam a drink just moments later and asks him to sit with him – he even closes his porn site in favour of sharing a moment with his brother – demonstrates to me that Dean is not really angry with Sam. Moreover, I think the fact that Sam does not react resentful or defensive to Dean’s accusations and instead just shows his honest concern for Dean’s well-being goes a long way to reconcile his brother with Sam’s actions. Besides, I think it is important to keep in mind that Dean isn’t entirely honest with Sam either. I mean, he openly admits to Bobby that he only pretends to believe Sam’s I am fine mantra and actually just waits for the other shoe to drop. And yet he doesn’t mention any of this to Sam. In effect, both brothers pretend that everything is okay, even though they know it is not. It’s typical denial, Winchester style. Overall, I am not under the impression that Sam’s lie causes any real damage to the brothers’ relationship, and I think that’s a result of the fact that Sam and Dean’s relationship is rock solid at the moment. After everything they went through these past six years, a little white lie is not going to shake the rebuilt foundation of their trust in each other, and I find that very satisfying.

Dean: "Look at our lives. How many more hits can we take?"

The set-up for Dean’s storyline in S7 might not be quite as obvious as Sam’s post-cage storyline, but I believe that the characterisation for Dean is very deliberate and foreshadows his main theme this season, namely Dean finally overcoming his perpetual state of depression and despair. The Dean we see in Meet The New Boss is the Dean from Everybody Loves A Clown, who shut down after John died and who compensated for the loss of control in his life by working on the one thing he still had any control over, i.e. his beloved car; it’s the Dean from Criss Angel Is A Douchebag, who had resigned himself to the fact that they can never win and that there is only more blood and pain in their future; it’s the Dean from Point Of No Return, who had given up on himself, his family, his friends. This time around he may not be suicidal, but his depression manifests as apathy and fatalism. Why fight, if every victory turns to ashes and only brings forth an even bigger evil? Why have hope, only to have it crushed time and again? Why be happy, if all that is good in Dean’s life is taken away from him again right away? I think it is perfectly in character for Dean to react to the events of the last couple of months – living with soulless Sam, losing Rufus, losing Lisa and Ben, losing Castiel and (almost) losing Sam – in this manner. Dean has been living with overwhelming pain and guilt for a very long time, and he just cannot go on like that forever. He needs to find a way to deal with his issues, or he will stagnate in his growth as a person.

In any case, the results of Dean’s depression can be felt throughout the episode: He refuses to believe that there is any hope of saving Castiel or that they even have a snowball’s chance in hell of stopping the angel’s smiting spree. He is also emotionally detached, even from Sam to some extent, convinced that the moment he allows himself to believe that his brother will be okay and that he can keep at least this one good thing in his life, punishment in form of yet another crisis will soon follow. And he is hitting the hard liquor even heavier than usual, to a point even where Sam calls him on it. That’s not to say that all is doom and gloom. For example, one of my favourite scenes of the episode is the scene where Sam and Dean fix the Impala together. ♥ I think it is interesting to note here that back in Everybody Loves A Clown, Dean used his reconstruction work on the Impala to keep his distance from Sam and he snidely rejected Sam’s offer to assist him. At present though, Dean asks his brother to help with the repairs without hesitation, and however emotionally distant he might feel at times, that is a typical Dean Winchester gesture of trust and unity. Now, while back in S2 Dean rebuilding the Impala worked well as a metaphor for Dean rebuilding himself, I would like to think that Sam and Dean rebuilding the Impala together works just as well as a metaphor for Sam and Dean helping each other through their respective crisis this season. The fact that we start the season with Dean at a low point – as opposed to Dean hitting rock bottom around the end of the season, which is the norm – makes me optimistic that this year his story will be about healing, rather than about tearing him down, and I am looking forward to that.

Castiel: "Our father left a long time ago. That was hard. I thought the answer was free will. But I understand now, you need a firm hand."

One of my biggest concerns going into S7 was that Castiel’s actions in S6 would have no consequences for him, personally, or worse, that the results of his actions may vindicate everything he has done. I mean, Castiel did stop Raphael’s apocalypse, after all. So I am very relieved to find that this is not the case. I am not one of those fans who believed that Castiel declaring himself God in the S6 finale was anything but a self-delusion, so the fact that Death exposes Castiel as a mutated angel with presumptuous ambitions comes as no real surprise. While I still think that the souls (and leviathans) Castiel took within himself affect his mental state to an extent, it’s clear that, for the most part, Castiel is himself when he sets out to correct what he perceives as his father’s failures, and there is no doubt that he absolutely believes in the righteousness of his actions. In his hubris, Castiel appoints himself as judge, jury and executioner, and no matter how much one might sympathise with his wrath on bigots, hypocrites, racists and homophobes, effectively Castiel becomes a mass murderer. Furthermore, Castiel’s moral lines become increasingly blurry, and he starts to target innocents as well, like a crowd at Madison Square Gardens or a group of motivational speakers. Castiel’s judgment is absolute, but since there are no absolutes in morals, his judgment is neither righteous nor just. I think it shows just how far gone Castiel is, that only when the leviathans take him over and he commits a massacre amongst innocents at a campaign bureau, he comes to his senses.

Now, while Castiel is on his smiting mission, Sam and Dean take opposing positions where their friend is concerned. Dean refuses to believe in Castiel’s salvation, because he just can’t open himself to the potential pain of yet another rejection or failure. Sam, however, has to believe that Castiel is not beyond saving, because he strongly identifies with the angel’s situation. He openly acknowledges that he has been where Castiel is now, and reminds Dean that he has never given up on him either. Sam knows from personal experience that having someone reach out and offer their faith can make all the difference to a person who faces their darkest hour. By the way, I have to wonder if Sam’s statement that Dean never gave up on him is meant to imply that the infamous fake phone call in Lucifer Rising – the one that pushed Sam over the edge when he questioned his plan to kill Lilith – has actually been addressed between them. I mean, how else could Sam claim with such confidence that Dean never abandoned him? And I am only talking about S4 here, because in S5 Dean told Sam to his face that he had given up on him (Point Of No Return). But back when Sam was at a crossroads in Lucifer Rising, Dean tried to reach out to his brother and Sam can’t know that, unless Dean told him the real message he left on that voicemail. I really wished we had clarity on this point, because it’s bugging me for the longest time. In any case, in the end, Sam’s faith is validated. His prayer reaches Castiel in the exact moment he needs it the most and it turns the situation around; Sam offers Castiel a lifeline, just like Dean did not that long ago, but this time the angel is ready to take it.

Once Castiel comes back from the brink of insanity, his remorse is instantaneous and clearly genuine, but he is unable to make amends for his actions or to obtain forgiveness for his sins, not from Dean and not from himself either. Dean is deeply hurt, unsurprisingly so, and it is unlikely that he will forgive Castiel’s betrayal any time soon. He still cares for Castiel, that much is clear, but the angel not only betrayed him, he also endangered Sam’s life and then went on a killing spree of massive proportions, and even if Dean may get past all that one day, their relationship might never be the same again. I love that both Dean and Castiel acknowledge that just saying I am sorry does not actually fix the damage Castiel has done to their friendship and to the trust between them. It’s consistent with Dean’s position in Sympathy For The Devil, where Sam’s apologies could not fix the situation between the brothers either. Sam had to actively work to redeem himself and to regain Dean’s trust and Castiel needs to do the same – and there is no doubt that he intends to. His vow that he will find a way to redeem himself to Dean, specifically, is clearly heartfelt, and even though Castiel’s possession may throw a wrench in that plan for a while, I am sure that he will keep that vow in the end.

Overall, I would not be surprised if the writers will go with Castiel’s storyline in S7, where they could not go with Sam’s storyline in S5. I mean, the parallels are obvious here: Sam opened a door that set Lucifer free from his cage, just like Castiel opened a door that set the leviathans free from their prison, and where Sam was destined to become Lucifer’s vessel, Castiel has now become the vessel of the leviathans. I think that Castiel as the leviathans’ vessel plays out the scenario of what would have happened to Sam, if he had said yes, back at the beginning of S5, thus becoming the monster Dean would have needed to hunt down to end the apocalypse. The logical conclusion to this storyline would be that either Sam and Dean are forced to kill Castiel in order to stop the leviathans or that Castiel sacrifices himself to once again trap the leviathans in purgatory, quite possibly dooming himself to eternal imprisonment in the process. I guess only time will tell.

Death: "I had a tingle I’d be reaping someone very, very soon."

I think not many fans would argue with the fact that casting Julian Richings as Death has been one of the most ingenious casting decisions the show has ever made. In only five scenes the actor managed to make Death into one of the most memorable characters of the show, and that’s very impressive, given the amount of fabulous guest stars we had over the years. Of course it helps that the character is very well written. I mean, overall Death’s characterisation has been consistent – which makes sense, because all of his episodes have been written by Sera Gamble – and his unique combination of gravitas and snark is absolutely delightful. So, I am always excited to see Death in an episode, and that’s the only reason why I am willing to overlook the fact that I find the thought of mere mortals binding someone as old and powerful as Death absolutely preposterous. And, quite frankly, I find it disrespectful that Sam, Dean and Bobby shackle Death with a spell after he already granted them his help willingly, twice. They could simply have asked for his assistance first, after all. There is also the little fact that Lucifer himself had to slaughter the whole town of Carthage in Abandon All Hope, just to summon Death to him, so why would Sam and Dean’s simple spell work achieve both the summoning as well as the binding here? So, overall the circumstances of Death’s involvement in the plot of Meet The New Boss are awfully far-fetched in my opinion.

Anyway, as usual, the interaction between Dean and Death is highly enjoyable, as is the face-off between Castiel and Death. The most interesting information I took from Death’s scene is that his little speech about souls, the natural order and consequences in Appointment in Samarra has indeed been about Crowley and Castiel’s attempt to open purgatory all along. Just as I suspected. In Dean’s defence, Death’s supposed warning has been awfully cryptic at the time, not to mention that it came wrapped up in a very personal lesson for Dean, so it’s hardly surprising that he didn’t recognise it for what it was, namely an attempt to point him in Castiel’s direction. Moreover, I think it is awfully unfair of Death to place the blame for the current situation on Dean’s shoulders; he cannot be held responsible for Castiel’s actions, after all, and it’s not as if he didn’t try to stop him in his path, once he realised the angel’s intentions. Undoubtedly, Dean does feel guilty for not being able to save Castiel in time – he has the tendency to take on guilt that is not his own – but that does not make Death’s accusation any less unjust. I think Sam is right though, however aloof Death may present himself here, he does care about what happens to them, well, maybe not them, personally, but to the souls, human and monster alike, or he would not have warned Dean in the first place.

What else is noteworthy:

(1) Every year I am almost as excited about getting a new title card as I am about getting a new episode, and this year is no different. The new S7 title card is in black and white for a change, and it shows a black substance – I am not actually sure what it is exactly, but I thought of ink or oil when I first saw it – exploding on a white canvas, thus revealing the Supernatural writing. Overall I find it very reminiscent of the S5 title card, which is my least favourite of the bunch, I have to say. I have to admit though, that this is the first time in six years that I am a bit at a loss at what the new title card represents. I guess it’s safe to assume that it is somehow connected to the leviathans, but those creatures are usually associated with the sea, so I may be off here. I trust though that the meaning of the titles will become clearer once we are further along in the season. Supernatural title cards are never random, after all, and I am very curious to find out what this one stands for.

In conclusion: Meet The New Boss is an excellent introduction to S7, and it definitely managed to peak my interest for the things that are to come. The character arcs that have been set up in the premiere look extremely promising to me, and I even look forward to seeing a crazy, leviathan possessed Castiel as the Big Bad. While I hope for a more character centric and, more importantly, brother centric approach to the rest of the season, I really appreciate that Meet The New Boss swiftly addressed the open questions from the S6 finale and validated my faith that the writers will find a way to deal with Sam’s trauma and Castiel’s 'transformation' in a manner I find satisfying. Here’s to a great S7!

* * *
Did you know? When Mark Pellegrino came on the set, Jared told him that a new scene had been inserted in the script, in which Sam and Lucifer were going to do some nude mud wrestling. He said it so seriously that Mark thought he might be telling the truth. (SPN magazine 31)

Comments

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

The fact that we start the season with Dean at a low point – as opposed to Dean hitting rock bottom around the end of the season, which is the norm – makes me optimistic that this year his story will be about healing, rather than about tearing him down, and I am looking forward to that.

Let us keep our fingers crossed. This isn't the first time we've seen great potential for healing early in a season, only for more pain and devastation to be in store instead. Come on, Show - be different this time, let your characters heal!

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, hope springs eternal and all that. *g* I mean, really I don't see where they can go with Dean at this point, other than up. Nobody expects Dean to miraculously leave all his issues behind, but at least some progress for him would be nice. *crosses fingers*

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

We shall keep all our fingers and toes crossed!

[shawn-anne.livejournal.com]

I just thought the oily stuff was ectoplasm xD

Alas, my dear, I enjoyed reading your review! ♥

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

ROFL it might well be! *g* I guess we'll find out at one point.

Thank you! I didn't even know that you still watch the show. Don't see you around often anymore. :(

[shawn-anne.livejournal.com]

*huggles*

Yep, still watching the show, along with Glee and The Vampire Diaries. I'm just taking a step back from active fangirling :)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Well, as long as you still enjoy the show, active fangirling is not required. *g*

*hugs*

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Great review! :) Although I sure hope that isn't what happens to Castiel...:/ That would hardly be a great send-off for him to just get killed while possessed, or be trapped eternally in purgatory....I'd rather he just die period, and be at rest than trapped there, and he needs to surface at least one more time to make his proper amends, etc. I'd prefer for him to have agency over his death and make it a redemptive sacrifice like Spike's in s7, perhaps healing Sam's soul for good somehow at the end of the season (giving you a chance to get your precious H/C! :p).

Oh and have you seen the promos for tomorrow night's epp? We see some dark oily substance in the water, so I assume it's how the Leviathans get around or influence or something, and that the title card is that...what do you think the s6 glass represented, the breaking of the wall? And I guess the s5 one was the vessel bloodlines....I wasn't a huge fan of this title card either (especially not making "The Road So Far" white, so weird!), though anything is better than the "menstrual blood" season 5 one! :p

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

However the writers resolve Castiel's situation, I am sure that he will find redemption at the end. :) While I used to want that Castiel heals Sam's soul as an act of redemption, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather see Sam find the strength within himself to overcome the damage (with Dean's help).

Oh and have you seen the promos for tomorrow night's epp?

No, I haven't, but good to know that I am not too far off with my speculation that the black substance is about the leviathans. See, water, now that makes sense!

What do you think the s6 glass represented, the breaking of the wall?

No, I don't think it represents the breaking of the wall. You know how in Supernatural mirrors, glass and other reflecting surfaces are used to show the true nature of monsters that hide behind a human appearance? I think the S6 titles represent soulless Sam, Castiel, Crowley, Eve, Samuel - all of which are not who they appear to be. The whole season is about things not being as they seem, hence the breaking glass.

ROFL you and your weird 'menstrual blood' association. But yeah, S5 is my least favourite as well. My ranking order for the titles would be: S6 > S3 > S2 > S1 > S4 > S7 > S5

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Hmm, well if Cas doesn't come back though...*frets at new interviews*

And hey, it's not weird or mine, it totally DOES look like it floating around in a toilet bowl, I didn't come up with it, but once you see it/ear if it, it's hard to unsee! :p

And interesting about the glass, you're probably right!

For me, I haven't thought about it much, but my fave is s2, I wasn't as much a fan of s3, and s4 disappointed me for some reason--I think I'd like it better without the pulsating red letters at the end perhaps! What weirds me out most about this title is the way the "then" part is white too, that was not the case in s5...

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I guess you read the new Sera Gamble interviews. I wouldn't put too much stock into these, because if they plan to bring Castiel back, they wouldn't give it away at this point in the season. So, it can mean everything and nothing. Wouldn't be the first time that the producers/writers mislead the audience. Remember, when Crowley 'died' last season, there was no indication that he would come back either.

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Normally I wouldn't be, but she said some surprising things that I don't know why she would say, like that the vessel had dissolved (though I thought the boss would be in it). Or about Misha perhaps coming back but not Cas....

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I guess it's just wait and see from here on out. :) For me it's not that bad, because I don't really care about the character and would be willing to accept his demise as the ultimate tragic exit. But I know it's important to you (and other Castiel fans), so I hope the writers won't disappoint you. *hugs*

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Aww, I appreciate hearing you say that! :) *hug*

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I am a tad disappointed that the writers chose to go with the traditional vision of hell – meat hooks, fire and brimstone – instead of running with Lucifer’s statement that he burns cold and opting for a more Dante-esque imagery of the cage, namely frost, ice and the complete absence of life. I think it would have made sense to visually separate Sam and Dean’s hell experiences, not only because the show emphasised that the cage is set apart from hell, but also because it would have made Sam and Dean’s respective hells a unique experience.

I agree that would have been a lot more interesting! To be honest I get a bit tired of them always showing the same brief clips of hell for both Sam and Dean. It just makes the shows lack of budget ever more obvious, and I would rather they could either afford to do it properly (Dean hanging off the meat hocks and totally alone was a very chilling image to end season 3 on!), or leave it to the audiences imagination if cost is a really big factor. I would rather they not attempt to show anything than these half-hearted and rather generic clips of Sam in flames/the burning image of Dean


The set-up for Dean’s storyline in S7 might not be quite as obvious as Sam’s post-cage storyline, but I believe that the characterisation for Dean is very deliberate and foreshadows his main theme this season, namely Dean finally overcoming his perpetual state of depression and despair.

And I'm really hoping. I had previously hoped that season 6 might see Dean regain some of his love for hunting, after we had the scene early on of him looking at the impala with such joy, but every season does seem to end on Dean being in more of an emotional mess than ever! I understand why writers love piling on the pain for their characters, but some joy would be very welcome to balance things out on occasion. Dean having fun in the Western episode is something I would very much like to see more of

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

or leave it to the audiences imagination if cost is a really big factor

Heh, our imagination will be way scarier than anything they will show onscreen. I actually really liked what they did with Dean at the beginning of S4 - just darkness, Dean's heavy breathing and screams in the background - that was really effective.

I understand why writers love piling on the pain for their characters, but some joy would be very welcome to balance things out on occasion.

Indeed. I love hurt!Dean like the next fangirl, but Dean in depression has been explored in different variations every season since S2. There is just nowhere the writers can go with this storyline anymore. They need to give Dean room to grow and that can't happen if he is smacked down over and over again. Nobody expects for Dean to return to his S1 persona, I wouldn't even want that because that would negate everything he went through, but he needs to let go of some of his burdens.