Those boys are wearing out that crossroad.

Do you suppose he could have been preventing her from reporting back to her boss that Sam was actively working to break the deal? And he was therefore protecting Dean? (work with me people, I'm trying to justify things here!)

It's a bit convenient that they can find them so easily. I mean, it's not that easy to find one completely dirt road, much less two.

Right, but after finding out that killing her didn't matter to the deal, he did it anyway.

Yes. I'm just confused as to why you all were surprised that he did it. I saw it coming a mile away. He hunts and kills demons. He used to do it in a way that would, hopefully, protect the human wrapper, but they have killed that wrapper before. And, he's getting pissed and desperate which is going to make him react out of anger and just kill the demon with no regard for the human.

I completely missed this last part because an important request to package and freeze the concord grape pie filling came up.

This is the first ep that I noticed the light was extremely harsh and washed out in some scenes.

The way the scene played to me -- and I think JP played it magnificently -- was completely cold-hearted and pissed off. The lack of dialogue means something, too -- usually they slather on the dialogue so we'll know what they're doing. Here, nothing. Just Sam, pissed off, thwarted, and upset.

Just Sam, pissed off, thwarted, and upset.

And really freakin' hot.

The way the scene played to me -- and I think JP played it magnificently -- was completely cold-hearted and pissed off.

I would agree with this as it is directed to the demon. But, for Sam, the demon wasn't the important factor. Not being able to save Dean was the important bit. The demon with it's chewy wrapper was the unfortunate recipient of his decidedly NOT cold-hearted frustration and anger and fear about Dean.

The demon with it's chewy wrapper was the unfortunate recipient of his decidedly NOT cold-hearted frustration and anger and fear about Dean.

I get that. But the Sam from S1 and even most of S2 would have waited, wouldn't have let himself act out. I think they're trying to show that Sam is changing a little bit, whether through influence or natural inclination or whatever, and this was an effective way to do it, for me, especially coming on the heels of last week's split-second shooting decisions.

I should add that an important aspect of this to me is that Sam used to think about what was good, what was right. About *saving people* not just hunting things.

This is all about *what he wants* for himself, and in my mind, this is far more about him needing Dean than about Dean suffering. This is him becoming Dean, in a way.

Last, I read the look he gave the doctor as he said goodbye to Callie all wrong, or JP played it wrong. Because at that point, I thought he was hearing that he might have to let go. His conversation with Dean, and of course the last scene, proved that that wasn't the case at all.

Sam's a lot faster and looser with the collateral damage.