Yes, I got the impression that the book was where he recorded his experience after he'd exorcised or salted and burnt or otherwise defeated ghouls, ghosts, what have you. As well as research notes before he went up against something new to him. I think the only time the brothers actually have it in hand during the climax of a hunt is for reading an exorcism litany, once they get past Wendigo.

You know, Whedon was much subtler about his father issues than Kripke tends to be. Shame, really, that he can't adapt that tenet of his original concept to how the show has evolved, the way he has done with other facets.

I agree with Beverly and Plei, yet you would think he would have a safer place to stash it than a place where wee!Sam could get his hands on it.

I still don't buy it, unless Sam did steal the journal. Even if/though John did not need it during the actual nitty gritty of the hunt, he would have had it with him for reference and to record things accurately immediately afterwards.

Bad plot point, no cookie!

I don't think Whedon was ANY subtler about his Daddy issues.

In fact, I think his Daddy issues had way, way less nuance. Which is scary.

I think if he'd needed the hunters version of an open book test after almost a decade of doing it, he wouldn't have survived until 52.

Word. I agree with Bev, that it was probably largely an after-the-fact kind of thing. Stopping in the middle of a hunt to take notes seems like a good way to get dead.

I agree with Beverly and Plei, yet you would think he would have a safer place to stash it than a place where wee!Sam could get his hands on it.

Sam's a watcher. He's probably been trying to figure his Dad out. His theory was fully formed before he confronted Dean about it. And John's got a biiiig blind spot when it comes to Sam, probably especially at that age. He was counting on Dean to take care of Sam, so he wasn't paying attention to Sam watching him.

(I'd really love to see the confrontation between Sam and John.)

Stopping in the middle of a hunt to take notes seems like a good way to get dead.

But, like, what do we see in canon? Characters arrive, sometimes with a good idea of what's going on but often without one, consult the book, sometimes the book has the necessary information and sometimes it doesn't.

If you've driven 400 miles just to investigate something, and discover that your primary research resource has been filched out from under your nose, at the very least I think you'd be phenomenally irritated.

And this IS John Winchester we're talking about, the most secretive, control-freaky weirdo this side of the Unabomber. In a lot of ways, the book is his diary, and a self-righteous thirteen year old girl is as nothing to the anger of a private man seeing his private thoughts read without permission.

They consult the book (sometimes--we haven't seen it as much as time has gone on and they've hunted sans John for a longer period) during research mode, but often don't have it with them when they're actually hunting.

Sam and Dean, however, aren't the ones who wrote the book. It is possible, at least at first, for the book to contain new-to-them information. Which isn't the case for John.

That said, I believe wicked pissed would be an understatement for John's reaction afterwards.

That said, I believe wicked pissed would be an understatement for John's reaction afterwards.

Yeah, cause Dean really needs something else for John to irrationally blame on him.

But when they got the journal, Dean said it was Dad's prized possession, and his bible, and other things like that. I just don't see him knowingly going anywhere without it back then.

Which makes this:

That said, I believe wicked pissed would be an understatement for John's reaction afterwards.

Very true.

I don't think Whedon was ANY subtler about his Daddy issues.

In fact, I think his Daddy issues had way, way less nuance. Which is scary.

Yeah, from watching Mutant Enemy shows one would conclude that Roger Burkle was the only father in human history who was both present and caring.