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Article by Sylvia Bond
Sylvia Bond is a ten-year technical writing veteran with too many degrees under her belt to count. She lives in Colorado, but does not ski, preferring instead to spend her money and time at the annual Great American Beer Festival, taking road trips across the United States, and reading historical fiction from the comfort of her fluffy green arm chair. She has been involved in fandom since 1993 and been writing fanfic since approximately 1993. What she finds most amazing about fandom (besides the open heartedness of fans and the sheer amount of creativity) is how visible fandom has become. "In my day," she says, "we had to hide behind P.O. boxes to get fanfic. But nowadays, people wear t-shirts that shout their affiliation and share their shiny toys on the internet." It's a wonderful world. 89 Comments
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Cmon, it's the Impala we are talking about. You may have a point, but I don't believe it. Dean would've never ever….
I agree with Robijean and whoever else is on the list for thinking that Dean couldn't care for the Impala, that he had to give all his energy to saving the world, but it sure is an indication as to how far he's fallen.
Oh man. I think I missed the music, I was totally distracted. Thanks for pointing it out….I'll try really hard to attend to it, because the music on this Show is amazing.
Well, you never really know what Kripke has up his sleeves… he could pull this concept into another episode down the line. Remember that we didn't find out what Sam did while Dean was in Hell until well into Season 4. Maybe the show will do something else with this eventually and we'll get to experience the process that brought Sam to this point. Kripke's pulled thing together unexpectedly often enough that I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Guess I'm an optimist. Or I'm deeply entrenched in denial.
Whether you're an optimist or in denial, I'm glad that you have hope.
I had hope, but last season killed it. As you mentioned, they waited until nearly the middle of season 4 to show any of what Sam went through while Dean was gone, and when they did, it was a handful of flashbacks and a totally gratuitous sex scene. And that was it. We never learned anything else. Never saw any more of Sam's pain at having lost Dean, how he even learned to put one foot in front of the other between the time he kicked blonde Ruby out and Cortese's Ruby showed up. Was that the same day? A week later? A month? We don't know. And I guess that's why I don't have any faith left that they'll change now. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't, or that you're wrong. It just means I'm disillusioned.
OMG! I am so in love with this show! This was my favorite show of season 5.
Here is my list of ‘what i loved most this week’.
1). Sam and Dean are back together again. I was worried though, in the beginning. That phone call broke my heart. But, I was cheering out loud in the end and doing a happy dance.
2). Misha Collins was spot-on this week. Oh how I adore him. He has been such a great addition to the cast.
3). I love that Dean gave Zachariah the ‘kiss off’ at the end.
4). Ben Edlund…you own my soul
5). Toilet paper is like gold (snort)
6). Sam creeped me out as Lucifer.
7). Dean cried!
8). 'We keep each other human'…amen to that!!!!!!!
9). 'I like past you'.
10). 'The voice on the other end says I am almost out of minutes'.
11). I have to repeat again… Sam and Dean are back together again!
All in all – what a cool episode.
Sylvia – awesome review as always. You never disappoint.
Take care, Joan
Joan!!! Your list, at last it is here!
#1 Sam driving a hunk of junk broke my heart!
#2. Was Misha in this ep? (Just kidding!)
#4. Ben Edlund doesn't own my soul! Sam owns my soul! (Not kidding but being very contrary…..)
#11 is very VERY true and very worth while repeating over and over and over. They are back together again!!! The question remains, what direction will their relationship take now???
Thanks, Joan, for the fun list!
Heh Sylvia!
You are so welcome! I love putting my lists together and I am so glad you enjoy reading them.
You know, seeing Sam drive up in that car broke my heart as well. And, yes, Sam owns my soul also but some days Dean owns mine as well. I just totally get into the episodes that Ben writes. Finally, I am glad you agreed with #11. I am beyond thrilled that our BOYS are back together again!! The planets are aligned nown and all is right with the world!!! As Dean said…'They are really all they have and they keep each other human". Sam and Dean are the soul of the show and their relationship is what drew me in initially. Tension is good but the 'making up part' is so much sweeter! I am anxious to see what direction their relationship will take, going forward as well. I know the road may be a little bumpy, because, after all, they are 'Winchester's' you know.
But, I truly believe their relationship will grow stronger and they will grow even closer. They each have to let the other one be their own person. I think Sam needed to stretch his wings and Dean needed to let him. Dean has always been the big brother and Sam's protector but Sam is a grown-up now. It is hard for people to let go of roles that have defined them for so long and I think that is especially true in families. But, at the same time, I know they understand, inherently, that they need each other and they will be able to fight harder if they are on the same page. 'Two halves of a whole' is such a true statement, Sylvia.
Take care, Joan
Hi Sylvia! I am so glad you enjoyed my lists! I love creating them.
I am also curious to see what direction their relationship will take as well. But, I am hopeful. I know it is a hard to change when something is deeply engrained inside yourself and it has defined who you are as a person, for your entire life. It is extremely difficult to move on and distance yourself from it. And, this is especially true with families. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Dean has always been Sam's protector and Sam's older brother. It is definitely time for him to let Sam grow up because he hasn't been allowed to do that. Sam is very naive but he is has definitely become more of his own person as time has gone on. He wants Redemption now…not just revenge.
I truly believe this year will be a turning point for the WInchester brothers. They have always been close but I think they can be even closer as they find a way to re-build their relationship and work together. 'They are two halves of whole, they keep each other human!' Brilliant statement Sylvia.
That's exactly it, Sylvia, they need to SHOW it. Because anything beyond what they show us is pure speculation and conjecture, and as fun as it is to read that much into things, we don't know for a fact that it's true. I hate to think that Dean could actually feel that cold toward Sam, but until Show chooses to show me otherwise, based on what they are showing me, that's the only conclusion I can reach that isn't based on speculation. It wouldn't make a lot of sense for Dean to feel that way, but until his actions prove otherwise, it will continue to look like he does. I have to say that some of the clips from this week's episode haven't disproven this theory either, though I need to wait until I see them in context to judge them completely.
You're right, this episode had lovely style. It was beautifully shot, and well acted, and polished. So was In the Beginning. Still doesn't make Show's obvious favoritism any easier to swallow, especially when they seem to get a kick out of announcing the disparity before the episode even airs. To me, and I know I'm not alone, that's just a great big Eff You to Samfans, and trust me, we already get it. We're worthless to them. It's very well understood.
Hee! Great minds think alike on the Chuck as Radar thing. You're exactly right, he's an honest addition to the show. Nothing about him feels forced or over done. He is a perfect example of how you add a character to an existing cast without overdoing it. I loved him from the moment we met him. Something about him is so endearing, kind of like Andy was. Maybe it's the actors who bring that to these roles. I've seen a couple of interviews with Rob Benedict and he seems to be quite entertaining and cute, much like Gabriel Tigerman is. I don't think anyone can be quite as adorable as Gabe though.
Onscreen at least, Dean's never revealed that bit of info to Sam. Personally I feel like it's a big plot point for two reasons. First of all, as we saw with Sam apologizing to Bobby, Sam feels horribly guilty about starting the apocalypse, in addition to the way things went down with Dean. To the best of our knowledge, Sam has no reason to think that anyone other than himself is responsible for that; it's his fault and his alone, in his mind. Secondly, Dean has put so much emphasis on his hurt over Sam hiding things from him, and lying to him. I guess technically Dean hasn't lied to Sam about this, but he's certainly hiding it. So the question, to me, is what will Sam do when he finds out that his brother is equally responsible for starting this apocalypse (though his brother has been content to let Sam shoulder the full brunt of that blame up until this revelation), and that his brother, the same brother who has been so hurt about Sam hiding things, has been hiding that fact from him for quite some time? I would hope Sam would be somewhat understanding, but I also hope he wouldn't be so cowed by Dean's displeasure with him that he just ignores it all together. It seems like it would warrant some reaction at the very least.
Hmmm, the contrast thing is certainly possible. I wish they'd made something else cream though, because Jared looks better in white, but he looked better in that whole scary outfit than he had any right to, so I won't complain.
That's exactly it, Sylvia, they need to SHOW it. Because anything beyond what they show us is pure speculation and conjecture, and as fun as it is to read that much into things, we don't know for a fact that it's true. I hate to think that Dean could actually feel that cold toward Sam, but until Show chooses to show me otherwise, based on what they are showing me, that's the only conclusion I can reach that isn't based on speculation. It wouldn't make a lot of sense for Dean to feel that way, but until his actions prove otherwise, it will continue to look like he does. I have to say that some of the clips from this week's episode haven't disproven this theory either, though I need to wait until I see them in context to judge them completely.
You're right, this episode had lovely style. It was beautifully shot, and well acted, and polished. So was In the Beginning. Still doesn't make Show's obvious favoritism any easier to swallow, especially when they seem to get a kick out of announcing the disparity before the episode even airs. To me, and I know I'm not alone, that's just a great big Eff You to Samfans, and trust me, we already get it. We're worthless to them. It's very well understood.
Hee! Great minds think alike on the Chuck as Radar thing. You're exactly right, he's an honest addition to the show. Nothing about him feels forced or over done. He is a perfect example of how you add a character to an existing cast without overdoing it. I loved him from the moment we met him. Something about him is so endearing, kind of like Andy was. Maybe it's the actors who bring that to these roles. I've seen a couple of interviews with Rob Benedict and he seems to be quite entertaining and cute, much like Gabriel Tigerman is. I don't think anyone can be quite as adorable as Gabe though.
Onscreen at least, Dean's never revealed that bit of info to Sam. Personally I feel like it's a big plot point for two reasons. First of all, as we saw with Sam apologizing to Bobby, Sam feels horribly guilty about starting the apocalypse, in addition to the way things went down with Dean. To the best of our knowledge, Sam has no reason to think that anyone other than himself is responsible for that; it's his fault and his alone, in his mind. Secondly, Dean has put so much emphasis on his hurt over Sam hiding things from him, and lying to him. I guess technically Dean hasn't lied to Sam about this, but he's certainly hiding it. So the question, to me, is what will Sam do when he finds out that his brother is equally responsible for starting this apocalypse (though his brother has been content to let Sam shoulder the full brunt of that blame up until this revelation), and that his brother, the same brother who has been so hurt about Sam hiding things, has been hiding that fact from him for quite some time? I would hope Sam would be somewhat understanding, but I also hope he wouldn't be so cowed by Dean's displeasure with him that he just ignores it all together. It seems like it would warrant some reaction at the very least.
Hmmm, the contrast thing is certainly possible. I wish they'd made something else cream though, because Jared looks better in white, but he looked better in that whole scary outfit than he had any right to, so I won't complain.
Edited because I forgot to ask: Sylvia, are you still in Vancouver? I'm so jealous! I love that city.
That's exactly it, Sylvia, they need to SHOW it. Because anything beyond what they show us is pure speculation and conjecture, and as fun as it is to read that much into things, we don't know for a fact that it's true. I hate to think that Dean could actually feel that cold toward Sam, but until Show chooses to show me otherwise, based on what they are showing me, that's the only conclusion I can reach that isn't based on speculation. It wouldn't make a lot of sense for Dean to feel that way, but until his actions prove otherwise, it will continue to look like he does. I have to say that some of the clips from this week's episode haven't disproven this theory either, though I need to wait until I see them in context to judge them completely.
You're right, this episode had lovely style. It was beautifully shot, and well acted, and polished. So was In the Beginning. Still doesn't make Show's obvious favoritism any easier to swallow, especially when they seem to get a kick out of announcing the disparity before the episode even airs. To me, and I know I'm not alone, that's just a great big Eff You to Samfans, and trust me, we already get it. We're not important to them. It's very well understood.
Hee! Great minds think alike on the Chuck as Radar thing. You're exactly right, he's an honest addition to the show. Nothing about him feels forced or over done. He is a perfect example of how you add a character to an existing cast without overdoing it. I loved him from the moment we met him. Something about him is so endearing, kind of like Andy was. Maybe it's the actors who bring that to these roles. I've seen a couple of interviews with Rob Benedict and he seems to be quite entertaining and cute, much like Gabriel Tigerman is. I don't think anyone can be quite as adorable as Gabe though.
Onscreen at least, Dean's never revealed that bit of info to Sam. Personally I feel like it's a big plot point for two reasons. First of all, as we saw with Sam apologizing to Bobby, Sam feels horribly guilty about starting the apocalypse, in addition to the way things went down with Dean. To the best of our knowledge, Sam has no reason to think that anyone other than himself is responsible for that; it's his fault and his alone, in his mind. Secondly, Dean has put so much emphasis on his hurt over Sam hiding things from him, and lying to him. I guess technically Dean hasn't lied to Sam about this, but he's certainly hiding it. So the question, to me, is what will Sam do when he finds out that his brother is equally responsible for starting this apocalypse (though his brother has been content to let Sam shoulder the full brunt of that blame up until this revelation), and that his brother, the same brother who has been so hurt about Sam hiding things, has been hiding that fact from him for quite some time? I would hope Sam would be somewhat understanding, but I also hope he wouldn't be so cowed by Dean's displeasure with him that he just ignores it all together. It seems like it would warrant some reaction at the very least.
Hmmm, the contrast thing is certainly possible. I wish they'd made something else cream though, because Jared looks better in white, but he looked better in that whole scary outfit than he had any right to, so I won't complain.
Edited because I forgot to ask: Sylvia, are you still in Vancouver? I'm so jealous! I love that city.
"Onscreen at least, Dean's never revealed that bit of info to Sam."
I would have liked the reveal to be shown onscreen as well, but I really don't think that Dean's words to Sam in SFTD: "WE made this mess and WE need to clean it up" makes any sense if Dean did NOT tell Sam about breaking the first seal. Why would Sam think that Dean is also responsible for "this mess" i.e. Lucifer?
I'm valiantly resisting the urge to bash my head against the desk here.
Using the word "we" twice in one sentence does NOT constitute a revelation on this issue. If Sam knew that Dean had broken the first seal, I doubt he would have been so fervently trying to apologize to Dean for breaking the last one. If it wasn't said onscreen, or if they didn't choose to write an explainer line that made it clear that Sam had been informed, then we have to go with it not having been revealed. The we and mess in this case could just as easily, from Sam's point of view, have referred to the fact that Dean didn't stop Sam. Sam knows Dean was charged with that responsibility, and it would not be unreasonable of him to take it that way.
Whiskey, I love your posts. You always make really, really valid points. Please never stop posting.
I thought Jared was BRILLIANT as Lucifer and he was given all of 5 minutes to nail it, so what he did was really beyond BRILLIANT and my God, was he beautiful. Imagine what he could do if he was given a whole show and 2 of him to shine. Yeah, like that will ever happen. *sigh*
I feel the same way about this episode that I did for In The Beginning. I loved them and hated them at the same time. I loved them because they were good episodes and I hated them for the lack of Sam, the UNNECESSARY lack of Sam. And all that "but it was really all about Sam" is just plain BS to me. No one will ever convince me that the scene between Dean and his Mom when she reveals she hated the hunting life and was ready to run away with John should have been amazingly more powerful if it had been between Sam and her. And no one will convince me either that why Sam said Yes to Lucifer should have been shown in The End. Hey they managed to find a storyline for Cas when they could have had him gone like the rest of the angels but they couldn't manage to include Sam.
The Show has neglected Sam since last season and you can tell Kripke has no interest in him. The only writer caring about Sam is Sera Gamble and sometimes Jeremy Carver. Sam has just become a plot device for the creator's favorite boy.
The show has failed me in these major ways:
1. Sending Dean to hell and not having Sam save him forever has thrown off the balance between them. All Samgirls can relate when I say that whatever discussion we have defending Sam, the last word always is "but Dean went to hell for him." IMHO Dean went to hell because of selfishness and pride and lastly about love. He couldn't accept that he had failed to protect Sam and he couldn't live without him. In his speech over a lifeless Sam, there is not one word is about Sam himself but it is all about how it affected Dean. The final word … there is nothing Sam can ever do that will equal Dean going to hell for him (not my personal opinion).
2. Lillith was Sam's great nemesis and yet I think the number of times they interacted was 3 and very minimally at that. Compare that with the way they have had Zach and Dean interact and maybe you can understand what I mean. It just made for an ending that fell flat when Sam finally killed her because we never had a chance to get invested in this battle. We should have been cheering at her death and then been devasted and horrified to learn that it set Lucifer free. Instead Sam just looked like a fool played by Ruby.
3. They set Sam up to be in the background so that we would always have doubts about him. What was he doing with Ruby, was he going evil … just so they could use him for the reveal … oh my God! he's drinking demon blood, oh my God! he's using his powers. So he was merely there as a plot device for Dean. We never saw what he really went though after Dean's death. We got 1 episode after hallway through the season and even then it was more about hoe Ruby got her meatsuit. I would have like to have seen Sam burying Dean. I would have like to have seen Sam desperately trying to get Dean out of hell. I would have liked to have seen how he started drinking. Then maybe his self-mutilation sex with Ruby would have meant something.
4. I hate the way they constantly isolate Sam. Why have Ellen only hug Dean? Why have Cas only interact with Dean? There is so much potential for Sam and Cas to interact … an angel and the boy who prayed every day but was fed demon blood as a vulnerable baby. Why not show Sam's reaction when Dean gave the amulet to Cas? Why not show Sam's reaction to Dean's refusal to accept him back? Dean was a cold and heartless dick there and we only get his face for a final reaction? Thank God they have had Bobby be kind to him because Sam really has no one. I just loved Bobby uttering those words "I love that boy like my son" last season and this season telling Sam that his door will always be open to him. Bobby was right when he said pushing Sam away makes a coward.
part 2 to follow …
And before anyone accuses me of hating Dean, let me say you are dead wrong. I love and adore Dean. That is why Sylvia is my favorite reviewer. Even as a Samgirl, she loves both boys and I can totally relate. I just don't love what show has done to Sam. All I can say to the Deangirls is how would you feel if Dean had been treated this way and be honest.
So I have to say this is the episode that broke the camel's back for me. I have sadly removed my Pollyanna hat, Sylvia, and will not be watching the show anymore. I do no care for the Dean and Cas show and even less for the Dean and Dean show. It is interesting to note that in the 15 minute breakdown of the viewer ratings for The End, the highest number of viewers were in the first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes (when Sam was on screen) and the ratings in general have not been good this season so far. It seems I am not alone. I will continue to tape the show and I will continue to read your reviews and if there is any sign that the show will begin to care about Sam, I will be the first to watch it again. If not, I hope Jared can move on to better projects that can appreciate his immense talent as it would not surprise me in the least if they killed off Sam. In a lot of ways, I think they already have. It just hurts me too much now to watch anymore.
Love and peace.
"I thought Jared was BRILLIANT as Lucifer and he was given all of 5 minutes to nail it, so what he did was really beyond BRILLIANT and my God, was he beautiful. Imagine what he could do if he was given a whole show and 2 of him to shine. Yeah, like that will ever happen." Tonia, I'm a diehard Samfan – though I love Dean too. For the sake of balance, we samgirls well deserve an episode with two Sams. It just crossed my mind how interesting it would be to have Sam go into the future and meet himself as the Devil. Can you imagine? Puppy dog-eyed Sammy face-to-face with deliciously malevolent Lucifer/Sam? I'd give anything to see how Jared would manage that!
From one diehard Samgirl who loves Dean too, I hear you, Andrea.
YES how amazing would that have been to have 2009Sam meet 2014 Sam/Lucifer!!! It certainly would have been more interesting than taking the time to show Cas as a stoned hippie. But it will never happen because Kripke and co. do not care about Sam except for using him as plot device. My heart just aches for Jared.
They have used double Dean twice now (DALDOF was the other ep) and have had 2 episodes totally Dean and little Sam. So as Whiskey said, we get it … Samgirls don't matter to them (but we do for the ratings so far anyway). The show is just a showcase for Jensen. Sam was an amazing character and they ruined him to please a few very vocal fans (I really doubt they are that numerous), but sadly in the process they also ruined Dean as well.
Oh wow, thank you Tonia. I tend to get a bit overzealous about things I'm interested in, but I'm very glad you enjoy my posts. : ) I find that you and I agree on a lot of things too.
"I thought Jared was BRILLIANT as Lucifer and he was given all of 5 minutes to nail it, so what he did was really beyond BRILLIANT and my God, was he beautiful. Imagine what he could do if he was given a whole show and 2 of him to shine. Yeah, like that will ever happen. *sigh*"
You know, that's true. They've upped the ante. If they ever wanted to balance things out again (not holding my breath on that one) they now owe Samfans one episode with less than 30 seconds of Dean AND an episode with very limited Dean/Jensen as well as double the Sam. Like you said, it will never happen, but it's an interesting point.
I never cared about, or noticed screentime until In the Beginning. I began this show as a Deangirl (season 1 and part of 2), migrated straight through Bibro territory and on into Samgirl land. But not once, for either character, did I feel that the story, or screen time, was lopsided, until In the Beginning. They could not have made it any clearer which character, and which group of fans, matters most to them than they did with that episode, and now this one.
I totally agree with you on Sylvia. I love the balance of her reviews. And I dearly, dearly love this comment section, for the insightful, intelligent conversation that takes place here, and the fact that Sylvia joins our conversations.
I'm sorry you've given up. I know how you feel. I'm getting closer to that point with each episode, and I agree that the ratings are telling. People can argue timeslot all they want. We've had the same stiff competition since the beginning, and still managed to pull off some impressive ratings, when they're examined in context. That may not be the case for much longer. Though I'm curious to see if there's a jump in ratings for the next couple of episodes, now that the brothers are together again. I know that was a lot of people's complaint about the show this season.
I am too a bit overzealous in my defense of Sam, but then again I have always loved defending the underdog.
I find it interesting that you started out as a Deangirl. I have been a Samgirl since ELAC which was the first show I watched. His speech at the end where he says he's not all right and feels guilty as hell just did it for me. The way Jared was holding it in but just on the verge of full out sobbing was so amazing. Sylvia wrote the most awesome review of that scene and episode.
And yes we do love Sylvia. I just love the way she appreciates BOTH boys and gives then their due when deserved. Jared is too often overlooked IMO.
Just on the side … I wanted to mention another major point the show has failed me which I realized I left out in my earlier post. And that is I wanted to be SHOWN how he started drinking the demon blood. I mean Sam was horrified and terrified when he first learned that the YED had fed him demon blood and then next thing you know he is drinking it. Big fail, show!
I'm sorry too that I can no longer am able to watch the show. I tried to hang in there but I can't any longer. The good news is that I will be reading Sylvia's reviews and reading your posts.
Take care.
Whoops, I forgot to post my actual comment on your review, Sylvia.
"Chuck the Prophet is exactly the same as he was five years ago, concerned more with the visible reality of what’s in his proximity than he is with the end of the world thing going on just beyond his doorstep. In fact, he’s the only character who doesn’t change, and who stays exactly the same. I thought this was an interesting reflection on the nature of writers, whose minds are always in flux, creating new worlds and new stories, but who, really, just like things around them to be constant. (Of course, that could be me, as a writer, reading too much into it!)"
I never thought about that, but that's a great point! I love Chuck!
"I wondered again if Zach wasn’t just tricking Dean the whole time. I mean, he can bend space and alter reality, so why not make a fake future where Dean sees the error of his ways so he’ll do what Zach wants?"
Time travel episodes always made my head hurt! I still can't decide whether this future was just a Zach construct or if it was really the future. I can't help but think that if it was merely Zach's doing then why would Castiel be so different and so… supportive of present Dean? Zach knows that Dean trusts Cas, so why not use that to his advantage and have Cas be angry at Dean for not allowing Michael in? He should use future Cas to manipulate Dean, but he doesn't. I don't know.
I also loved the Dean/Lucifer scene so much. Both Jensen and Jared were terrific. And I love that the boys are back together again. :-)
Thanks for the review, Sylvia.
"Is that the problem? I mean, was Dean obligated to provide a cure-all at that very moment? "
I never said he was. But from your comment, it seemed that you were of the opinion that Dean had gone above and beyond and therefore his part in fixing their relationship was played, and brilliantly so. I disagree. He made some right moves at the end, but this is far from over. And as a bookend to your point, neither was Sam obligated to provide, or attempt to provide, a cure-all at that very moment.
"If Dean believed that Sam is the only one who needs to work on repairing their relationship, then he would not have apologized or admitted he was wrong. Again, he could have just said that he changed his mind, so let's get back together, period. But he did admit that HE made mistakes, HE was wrong and sorry about it, and HE was trying to now correct those mistakes."
Dean admitted he made A mistake. In cutting Sam off the way he did at the beginning of the episode. Nothing more. And it was good that he admitted that; the right thing to do, for sure. But that's not the only mistake Dean has made, and he should, and I think does in some corner of his mind, know it.
"But I agree that Dean needs to realize that Sam values him and that he is worthy of being missed. Dean needs to realize that perhaps Sam isn't the stronger one, as he always believed. I think Dean has made some great strides in his low self-worth issues, and I think it's these issues that have prevented him from acknowledging how his absence affected Sam. That's definitely a flaw of Dean's that he needs to keep working on."
I love how it all comes back to how it is all about Dean for you. For whatever reasons, Dean needs to stop acting the way he has for over a season now about Sam and what he went through while Dean was gone. I don't think Dean's self-worth is as half as guttered as you do, but I suppose it's possible. But no matter what the underlying issue is, it needs to becleared up.
"And Dean is the one who made the first move in repairing it. He told Sam that they are stronger together, as a team. They do keep each other human — it's their relationship and bond that grounds both of them. I think Sam appreciated everything Dean said with his "thank you" response. Sam's response and gratitude for Dean's apology and effort at repairing their relationship seemed genuine, to me"
I would quibble that. Sam made the call. Sam asked to come back. I don't think you can honestly say Dean made the first step. He met his brother halfway. You're right, Sam's response did seem genuine. But taking Sam's point of view into account, and how he feels about himself at the moment, as you did for Dean above, how much do you think Sam thinks he's worth right now? I'd hazard a guess of somewhere between nothing and minus 100 on the scales of human worth. He hates himself. He doesn't think he's worthy of anything, much less Dean taking him back after that speech Dean made. It's not a surprise that he's grateful, nor is it wrong that he's grateful.