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8x01 | Short Reaction
I just watched the S8 premiere, and usually I don’t do episode reactions, but after the summer I had, I really felt the need to get one thing off my chest right away. The in-depth review will follow later, as usual.
I guess most people will know that the spoilers about Sam's arc in S8 had me in tied up in knots all summer long, so I have to say that I am very, very relieved to find that the S8 premiere gave me enough reason to believe that not all is as it seems with Sam's storyline to at least alleviate some of my worries. After paying close attention to Sam's reactions and actions in the episode, I am under the distinct impression that there is something going on with Sam we don't know yet. The first thing that seems conspicuous is the shadowed figure watching Sam drive away from Amelia. It suggests to me that someone is keeping an eye on Sam’s activities, and that brings me back to my theory that Sam made a deal (possibly with the alpha vampire) to give up hunting for Dean's rescue - and then came to actually appreciate the life he was forced into. Moreover, Sam's subdued reaction to Dean's questions is very telling. I mean, Sam evades Dean’s questions, twice. First, when Dean asks him if he looked for him, and then again when he inquires what made Sam drop out of hunting. Sam simply doesn't answer and just allows Dean to draw his own conclusions instead - and that tells me that Sam is hiding something.
I still think that the secrecy between the brothers feels forced; it feels like a means to create conflict, and I am thoroughly tired of that. Not to mention that I am tired of the writers casting Sam in the role of the 'bad brother' just for the sake of mystery, but at the moment I am just profoundly relieved that there is at least a chance that Sam’s characterisation is a deliberate misdirection and that once we know the full story, it will all make sense. Also, the fact that, despite their secrecy, the brothers at least sit down and have series of actual conversations during the episode makes me hope that this will become a trend. Of course, I could be wrong and we have to take Sam's explanations at face value, but at the moment, I take what I can get.
I guess most people will know that the spoilers about Sam's arc in S8 had me in tied up in knots all summer long, so I have to say that I am very, very relieved to find that the S8 premiere gave me enough reason to believe that not all is as it seems with Sam's storyline to at least alleviate some of my worries. After paying close attention to Sam's reactions and actions in the episode, I am under the distinct impression that there is something going on with Sam we don't know yet. The first thing that seems conspicuous is the shadowed figure watching Sam drive away from Amelia. It suggests to me that someone is keeping an eye on Sam’s activities, and that brings me back to my theory that Sam made a deal (possibly with the alpha vampire) to give up hunting for Dean's rescue - and then came to actually appreciate the life he was forced into. Moreover, Sam's subdued reaction to Dean's questions is very telling. I mean, Sam evades Dean’s questions, twice. First, when Dean asks him if he looked for him, and then again when he inquires what made Sam drop out of hunting. Sam simply doesn't answer and just allows Dean to draw his own conclusions instead - and that tells me that Sam is hiding something.
I still think that the secrecy between the brothers feels forced; it feels like a means to create conflict, and I am thoroughly tired of that. Not to mention that I am tired of the writers casting Sam in the role of the 'bad brother' just for the sake of mystery, but at the moment I am just profoundly relieved that there is at least a chance that Sam’s characterisation is a deliberate misdirection and that once we know the full story, it will all make sense. Also, the fact that, despite their secrecy, the brothers at least sit down and have series of actual conversations during the episode makes me hope that this will become a trend. Of course, I could be wrong and we have to take Sam's explanations at face value, but at the moment, I take what I can get.
no subject
I like the idea that Sam may be reluctant to tell Dean about a deal he had to make with someone unsavvory, and that is his secret he's holding back. Maybe with the alphavamp (who could presumably get a psychic connection message through to Benny in Purgatory on how to escape).
no subject
Well, I think that after everything the went through together, there really shouldn't be any need for secrets between them anymore. It feels contrived that they would hide things from each other, considering that they both acknowledged several times that lying to each other only leads to bad things. It feels like they need to learn the same lesson over and over again, and I find that frustrating. While I prefer Sam having a secret over Sam just abandoning the search for Dean, I still feel that the writers used this trope way too often in the past.