It is possible that on the whole we're looking too hard for pragmatic, sensible motivations and not giving enough credit to demons' demonstrated sadistic delight in fucking with people.

Yes, this. I mean, I have no trouble believing the demons in this verse would lack the kind of code that would prevent them from giving a contract to a fourteen-year-old, for one.

Because he won't do anything that could be useful to a demon in the years between 13 and 23?

I have no trouble believing the demons in this verse would lack the kind of code that would prevent them from giving a contract to a fourteen-year-old, for one.

No, no, no. This is not my point. My point is not "How cruel/unhelpful to let a teenager sign a contract of this nature!" my point is "If teenagers are signing contracts of this nature, then the universe should be considerably different and a billion times more melodramatic than it actually is."

(Bear in mind that we have canonical evidence from season 2 that not all those who make demon deals end up doing anything magically significant -- unless being an architect, a doctor, a husband, or a painter is magically significant.)

Where are the unicorns? Where the purple sparkly eyes, the flowing red locks? Why is George Clooney not married a thousand times over? Why do boarding schools still have parietal rules? Why do you need to show ID when buying wine coolers?

If demons are signing contracts with teenagers this world over, they must be signing contracts with the most boring, staid, pantywaist teenagers in the history of the universe. Given that demons are evil and want to fuck with people; and given that teenagers are dumb enough to be fucked with liberally; and given that demons seem to have very little bar to their ability to seek out candidates for fuckery... why does it seem that the only person who has made a deal with a demon is George Will?

(Or whoever it is who is delighting in the incredible boringness and length of the democratic nomination process. Surely that's got to be demonic influence.)

If demons are signing contracts with teenagers this world over, they must be signing contracts with the most boring, staid, pantywaist teenagers in the history of the universe.

This is a very good point.

Yeah, but not all (as in *most* if you ask me) teens would have no idea how to summon a demon, you know?

Keeping in mind that this is the same verse where 98 percent of the population has no idea ghosts are even real, I mean.

Yeah. I always too it for granted as a minor subtext in the Buffyverse, the Supernaturalverse and a lot of other magical verses that there is a really good reason for keeping magic secret. Evil magic is a lot easier to do than good magic or neutral magic. Making a deal with the wrong being is horribly easy - if you know that it is possible. (Hell, that's true in this verse too. Just that the horrible entity here is called "Citibank". )

But you know, some people have figured out magic in both verses. And teenagers tend to experiment with stupid shit even more than adults. Maybe they all wished to be pop stars or TV stars, and that is why we have so many reality shows now...

maybe that's how/why the New Kids on the Block are having a reunion concert.

A quick drive-by post, as I am still catching up on episodes and sleep (thanks, jet lag!).

A little way back with the discussion of whether this season would end with Dean going to Hell, Amy mentioned she thought the last episodes was 3.16. Working for a catholic u., my mind immediately went to the over quoted John 3:16, e.g., "for god so loved the world that he gave his only son."

Which I sincerely hope is just a coincidence.

Oh, interesting. They should have named the episode "John" and let people figure out that it was 3:16.

But then there would have been confusion over why it wasn't a John Winchester centric episode....so I guess my idea doesn't really work.

eta: still unspoiled for Thursday except what we saw in the previews. So it very well may be a John centric episode. (A girl can dream)

so.... I was supposed to buy that Sam thought that an immortality spell/stealing body part was going to appeal to Dean. I get that Sammy was desperate,but Dean is so ....balck/white - monsters are bad ... I don't want to go to hell because then I become a demon, something I have been fighting all my life. Sam may be going bad, but Stupid?

Deals w/teenagers. Since the drama of many teenagers lives is boring, I am going to assume that most of teenagers are uninteresting to demons. Actually, I am going to assume that in order to get to the point of summoning a demon someone is going to have to be very persistent , very imaginative,and some how can be brought to believe that an eternity in hell will be worth what ever they get.

I was supposed to buy that Sam thought that an immortality spell/stealing body part was going to appeal to Dean.

My (unspoiled) spec is that this was tossed in there in a last-minute attempt to make Sam's accepting Ruby's offer seem more plausible. I've got a bet riding with a co-worker that the season will end on a cliffhanger, that Sam will accept the whole king deal in order to save Dean, and that this will set up the main conflict for next season.