Which is not to say that I think he was always kind to the boys, and I do want to slap him in "Home" and "Faith" for not (apparently) doing something. But he's desperate at that point--he knows it's a demon by then, and demons are something they don't really know how to deal with, and he also knows something about the special children, so he knows Sam is at risk.

Yeah, this. And the same goes for In My Time of Dying, and his request of Dean.

Which was horrible, awful, and he knew it.

But weighing his options, I can see where he felt he had no other choice.

socially backwards

Yeah, but he can hold a conversation. He's not good at emotional connections with people outside his family, but he's got empathy for the victims (particularly children). He understands how people think, and he does (occasionally) reach out.

I have to admit that I honestly want a love story for Dean at some point. I want to see that happen. What would it take?

Yeah, but he can hold a conversation. He's not good at emotional connections with people outside his family, but he's got empathy for the victims (particularly children). He understands how people think, and he does (occasionally) reach out.

He's not good with social chit-chat, or dealing with "normal" adults on "normal" adult terms. It's not that he lacks empathy, just that he's lacking in people/social skills.

I had the epiphany during the Flail Weekend that Dean is not unlike Jeff from Coupling, just not played for laughs.

I have to admit that I honestly want a love story for Dean at some point. I want to see that happen. What would it take?

A third season? I hope?

One can hope.

You know that poll they're running on E Online (I think?)--the one that's being pimped so severely? I feel vaguely guilty, because I voted for FNL over SPN. I just feel like it's more of a crime to not get a second season of FNL than to not get a third season of SPN.

t hands in my "Oh, Dean," badge

Consuela hit the John that I see in my head.

I suspect John could, and sometimes did, drink to excess, but not often, and not while working.

Going through that crap every day, I could see hitting the bottle every once in a while.

socially backwards

I just think that Dean doesn't have a good grasp of what "normal" is. As in, the standard of average which Dean's life is not. Dean is the dutiful son, the mini!John, being the surrogate father (or mother?) to Sam, but Sam was the one who was a bit of an outsider. He barely remembers his mother, and always felt removed from the Family Business. He left for Stanford and spent 4 or so years studying people (and he's a smart one, that Sam) and learning how to play normal. Hell, maybe he even became a little normal, until the YED killed Jess. Dean's got his suave, his sarcasm, his natural charm, but he can't play normal like Sam can.

You know, if they'd just put more normal conversation into movies and on tv, Dean could totally replicate it (to whatever degree it's supported in canon, my Dean totally watched/s a LOT of hotel-room cable). He's been demonstrated to be able to play whatever professional part fairly well, hasn't he? (I've not seen all of S1, I think)

He's been good at cops and others on the right side of the law, not so much on the softer gigs (priest? art dealer? grief counselor? riiiiight).

Which is not to say that I think he was always kind to the boys, and I do want to slap him in "Home" and "Faith" for not (apparently) doing something. But he's desperate at that point--he knows it's a demon by then, and demons are something they don't really know how to deal with, and he also knows something about the special children, so he knows Sam is at risk. He cannot risk drawing its attention to them.

Consuela, I'm assuming you're referring to John not actually physically getting involved in their situations at that point. Which I could almost accept, if he weren't sitting in Missouri's living room in Lawrence during "Home." That's close enough to the boys for the demons, I would think. And it still doesn't explain why he can make all those officious phone calls and send text messages sending them to haunted apple orchards and asylums to rescue strangers, but can't spare 60 seconds to ask how his own sons are doing. If phone calls and text messages are safe (i.e., won't leave a trail leading the YED to Sam/Dean) then dammit, Pick Up the Phone and call them!.

In "Salvation" when John pulls his truck off the road and shows how upset he is that Pastor Jim has been killed, and then later shows how upset he is that Caleb has been killed, I was thinking, yeah, but where was all this emotion when your own son was dying? Yes, I have John issues. I hurt on behalf of the boys.

Ok, so.... someone needs to take Simon Says away from me. Because I've watched Dean sing Speedwagon about ten times in the last ten minutes, and my poor fangirl brain canna take it.

I don't disagree on any of that, really, Morgana. I do think he may have fucked up, because we don't know his reasoning in any detail, for why it was okay to call the boys in "Scarecrow" but not in "Faith".

I know he did some unforgiveable things in the name of protecting them. I'm quite sure he felt he didn't have a choice.

And if it meant protecting them so they would be alive instead of dead, I think he would be okay with that. Even if they never did forgive him.

That's my take on John.