I just think Sam's assessment of the situation was fairly cold blooded, just in case we needed more proof of how much he'd changed/fallen.

I think his first instinct, that they had to help, was pretty old school. His easy acceptance, more new school, but also probably influenced by Dean not yet being back in his body and needing Pamela to get him in there. (Which is fitting, because Sam's ends justifying the means started with Dean, back in Faith.)

Well, she could have easily had something to protect herself, a small area, that wouldn't have prevented the boys from getting back.

And wouldn't have protected them from the threat to the unoccupied bodies.

His easy acceptance, more new school, but also probably influenced by Dean not yet being back in his body and needing Pamela to get him in there. (Which is fitting, because Sam's ends justifying the means started with Dean, back in Faith.)

Since this was pretty much my original comment, I think we are seeing it the same way basically, just saying it in different ways.

I read Pam's wound as would-be-fatal when reapers were reactivated, too. Didn't occur to me it wouldn't be. And I am sorry to lose Pamela as a character.

I wondered a bit at the lack of protection, and never gave a thought to it preventing the brothers' spirits returning, but that does make sense.

I think you're seeing it as further along his changed spectrum than I am. (It didn't seem too far from some of his S1 and S2 actions, to me.)

But yeah, I agree that we're in basic agreement. *g*

I agree about the lack of protection being to allow the boys' spirits back in.

I think that the most amusing theory I've read so far is the one about the better Sam's hair looks - the more evil he is. It's kind of a corollary on the leatherpants Angel thing.

Interesting that the man who was shot outside the bar brushed off his buddy's concern when he "recovered", similar to what Pamela did to Sam after she was knifed.

I think the Sam of two years ago would have ignored her brush-off and called 9-11. But this Sam is more willing to accept (as P.M. said) "the end justifies the means" and went along with her wishes. He's come to accept his role as soldier, like his father and brother had.

As for Dean, this small measure of hope that miracles can happen is something of a new revelation for him. Of course, this is dashed handily by Tessa. In contrast, in CAIAD, Dean was rather convinced things would end bloody and sad for them. Even Castiel wondered at Dean's bleak outlook on things.

There's another similarity between Sam and Castiel: both seem to believe evil can be defeated, or at the very least, managed.

Still, angels lie. Demons lie. And Death says there are no miracles--perhaps because in the Reapers' realm, there are no such things.

The Winchester Boys both made it to round 2 of the Alpha Male contest.

Why does it always come down to a choice between Dean and Barney?

Re: mystical means of protection. What have we seen when it comes to protection with salt? Does the entire perimeter of the room need to be salted? Or is it just openings, e.g. windows and doors? If she only had to salt the doors and window, that would have pressumedly kept out something physical: body and/or demon smoke. Dean and Sam were on an astral plane: non-corpeal and ghost-like. Able to move through walls and other solid objects. They still would have been able to get to their bodies and yet, Pamela could have kept a person/demon out of the room.

(But, as with so many things on TV that seem silly, if they had done that then they wouldn't have a plot point.)

Yeah, I'm afraid logic fell victim to that no matter what we feel could have been done.

4.16 sneak peek

Canadian promo

Both are fairly spoilery and I actually think that the Canadian promo is more spoilery than the sneak peek.