I think the fact that Dean had Mom and normal ripped away from him at an age where he could remember it and miss it is actually what shaped his obedience. If he was good, if he followed orders, if he took care of Sammy, if he did everything right, he wouldn't lose anything else.

Sam never knew what he'd lost--or at least he never felt the loss. He just envied what he saw other people had. And Sam's every need for reassurance, for contact, for protection, for explanation and affirmation of his self-worth was provided by Dean, merely trying to give his baby brother what he remembered having. So Sam was far more secure as a person than Dean, and because of that early-childhood sense of security and sense of self-worth, Sam was able to, as normal adolescents do, rebel against his authoritarian parent.

Dean transferred his approval-seeking from Dad to Sam by Salvation, but he continued to try and be perfect, as if his not making mistakes was the magic spell that would hold what was left of his family together.

Only John had already told him that Sam was the thing that Dean might have to kill, and then he left him to follow that order.

He may be pretty, he may win at poker and pool, and he may get all the girls, but damn, it sucks to be Dean.

If he was good, if he followed orders, if he took care of Sammy, if he did everything right, he wouldn't lose anything else.

I'll... just... be over there. Overidentifying.

He may be pretty, he may win at poker and pool, and he may get all the girls, but damn, it sucks to be Dean.

Poor noodle.

if someone just got their dvds today and only has time to watch one episode with commentary, which episode should that be?

If you're looking for technically rewarding commentary, I'd choose AHBL1. If you want the actor action, go for IMToD. I watched AHBL1 first.

thanks, Ailleann. i changed my mind, i think. gonna get to bed early for a change tonight. i did watch the gag reel and laugh my butt off. those boys are so silly.

They are silly.

I think that if the JJs do commentary - they need to do it w/o the inhibiting factor of one of the producers present.

And, you know, not when they're in the middle of filming. I remember the Phantom Traveler commentary as sparse and tired-sounding.

You all are generous. I think they're just bad at it.

I have yet to watch a commentary track other than the V1 Family Guy ones that didn't make me want to roll my eyes. Thus, I avoid them.

(And really, the Family Guy ones only charmed me because they kept going off topic and just BSing with each other about snack food, and half of that was Seth Green.)

You might like the Big Trouble in Little China commentary, with David Carpenter and Kurt Russell, then. They spend fully half the movie talking about peewee hockey leagues. Not in a metaphorical way; they hadn't seen each other in a while and were catching up on their kids' sports careers, and appeared to forget there was a movie going on.