Bev, yes. Family roles definitely affect the way they interact with the world. You phrased all that very, very well.

Conclusion: Dean connects on a deeper, more emotional level, while Sam's connection is intellectual and social.

Sam definitely does the social chameoleon thing much better than Dean does, but I would characterize his connections as self-reflective more than intellectual, which may be a distinction that matters only to me. Or maybe only makes sense to me. I'm struggling with the words today. And the staying awake.

I think a large charm of the show is that neither of them are what first impressions would have you believe.

Indeed. Layers! Pretty, pretty layers. Or, what shrift said.

Jared is quite happy to be back on set.

I will be laughing at this mental image for DAYS. Big bouncy puppy PADDYWHACK FTW.

AfterElton.com's Hot 100 Included are Paddywhack and JA. And a multitude of other hottness.

Jared is quite happy to be back on set

Am dead from the cute. OMG, overgrown puppy.

ETA: puppydog X-post.

I would characterize his connections as self-reflective more than intellectual,

After that coffee? Elucidate, plz. I think I get you, and probably agree. But I need to hear it spelled out a bit.

Loving the cute--especially in contrast to the JA as Eeyore.

...And sparkly balloons. Yes.

SPARKLY BALLOONS!

JA as Eeyore just cracks me right the hell up.

And a multitude of other hottness.

Man, that is a lot of pretty.

Conclusion: Dean connects on a deeper, more emotional level, while Sam's connection is intellectual and social.

Now, bear in mind that I've only seen about three episodes of S2, so my impressions of the characters are a bit different than the rest of yours. With that said, I do agree with the above statement, with one caveat: To my eyes, Sam doesn't get people. He puts up one hell of a well-socialized front, because he wants to fit in; he thinks he wants what Normal People want. But on some level, he doesn't quite understand Normal People, and works really, really hard to get them to accept him.

True, and it's so very much learned machismo, lifted in large part from movies instead of reality. I mean, he's not macho in the way that John is, really. (Hands wave) Drat. Need more coffee to articulate.

Word. I mean. t makes hands

Dean's macho is a performance, it serves a purpose, whether it's to grab attention or serve as a distraction. John's macho is just as blatant but far less flashy, grounded in these very masculine roles of father and soldier and blue collar working class and hunter.

John wears his macho like his skin, it's just there and something he can't take off, whereas Dean wears his macho like a cloaking device. Um. A cloaking device with bling?

I think I need more caffeine.

Sam doesn't get people. He puts up one hell of a well-socialized front, because he wants to fit in; he thinks he wants what Normal People want. But on some level, he doesn't quite understand Normal People, and works really, really hard to get them to accept him.

Yes! This! It comes off with an undertone of desperate that's...just a bit off-putting. It also makes me waver between thinking Sam is sociopathic material, and Little Match Girl sad, looking into all the lit windows at the happy warm families, while standing barefoot in the snow.

Little Match Girl sad, looking into all the lit windows at the happy warm families, while standing barefoot in the snow.

I think this is what drove him to Stanford. He wanted so desperately to be "mainstream" and not living on the fringes that he abandoned all thought of family. (Only learning later that sometimes all you have is family.)

comes off with an undertone of desperate that's...just a bit off-putting. It also makes me waver between thinking Sam is sociopathic material, and Little Match Girl sad

Bingo. Which is why, if I stop to think about it, I am more fond of Dean. Dean knows exactly who he is. (Macho crunchy coating, with a fluffy marshmallow center that watches Oprah.) Sam doesn't know what he really wants, which means that he hasn't figured out who he is.