I don't think John is in any way perfect, but I had enough issues with the John Pink wrote in Dazzleland that I'm really questioning whether I want to read the new one. Even though I maintain that Pink is the best writer in the fandom.

But the characterization of John, for whatever reason, really throws me out of the story, and no, I don't think it's entirely justified by canon. It's an interpretation that I don't agree with. Which is her prerogative, but again with the kicking me out of the story--it puts my back up.

I don't think it's justified fanon at all. I've read it before and not been put off, but it's not like John's some abusive alcoholic father, you know? He's a guy who made a tough choice and actually managed to survive the life he laid out for himself, and raise two generally functional sons in the midst of that. I think that's more positive characterization than shitty dad characterization. At least, no more shitty than any other father.

Her new fic is also set JUST after Sam left. And given what happened in Dazzleland, I'm willing to give it time to see what happens.

But I could be saying that because she owns my soul. Good lord, can that woman write.

She really, really can.

non-canonical heavy drinking

I haven't read any of Pink's fic, or indeed seen the latter half of Season 3, but in the pilot Sam certainly implies that John goes on drink binges. My impression was that this was perfectly sincere, and not just put on for Jessica's benefit.

Sam certainly implies that John goes on drink binges. My impression was that this was perfectly sincere, and not just put on for Jessica's benefit.

True, but Sam at that point had reason to interpret any and all of John's actions in the worst possible light.

Also, "my dad drinks too much" is a much simpler explanation than "my family hunts evil, but I don't want to."

When was the first chapter of Red posted? (I am too lazy to look it up, but suspect a lot of the construction of this particular verse occured when John was still more of a cipher. Oh, the perils of writing in an active fandom.)

Grey canon (journals, specifically) has occasional drinking binges, but the grey canon ends before Sam would know which end was up.

Who was it who said that from fic she'd always had the impression that John was an abusive alcoholic, and that her first time watching Salvation and DMT her imagination put bottles and glasses in the scenes. That when she rewatched, suddenly there wasn't any alcohol around, anywhere, and nobody seemed to be missing it?

I think a lot of writers brought their own parental issues to their vision of John, before he was more than, as Plei says, a cipher. And Sam's "Jack, Jim and Jose" crack in the pilot has, I think, generally been put down to pissiness, and a desire to distance himself and Jessica from his family and their hard-to-explain, and to accept, paranormal activities.

I think a lot of writers brought their own parental issues to their vision of John

Ohhh, no kidding. There's also the longstanding tendency to heroize one person by demonizing another. In order that Dean may be the Amazing Parental Brother of Saintly Martyrdom, John must needs be a complete loss as a parent. Emotional extremism of that sort just isn't likely to be good writing, aside from not making all that much sense in this instance. (Dude was four years old! He couldn't even read that we know of. Whatever care he did provide, he certainly wasn't the one reading the labels of the baby food jars.)

Sam's "Jack, Jim and Jose" crack in the pilot

The problem I always had with that joke, aside from not getting it the first five times I heard it (I seriously thought they were fictional people), is that all the serious drinkers I know are Jack, Jack and Jack drinkers, and do not brook a whole hell of a lot of variety.