Did he mention that possibility in Heart? I got so used to the Oz caged monthly storyline on Buffy, I never know if I'm misremembering that it was obviously discussed in Heart. Completely impractical as it was.

Now I need to really think about what the perfect ep is. There has to be a right answer to this.

This is as far as they got with that:

DEAN: I mean, we could lock you up at night, but…when you bust out, and some night you will, someone else dies. I’m sorry. I am.

I think the difference is that Oz and Nina were stationary and had a big support network. Madison had two itinerants-- you stop moving to save her, and how many other people die for some other reason? How long will that be their impetus? That when they stop, people die? At least then, when they were young and crazy, it was strong.

Yeah, they're not bringing her with, and I doubt even Sam would have been willing to stay on the strength of one night of awesome sex.

I was thinking about the pre-slash discussion, and what strikes me the most about what Dean has learned about his relationship with Cas in *canon* is that he has a friend. And I think that's really important to him.

He's never really had a friend, that we've seen. Sam is not his friend, no matter how well they're getting along. He's SAM, for one, and that's tied up in love and obligation and guilt and all kinds of repressed Winchester crap. Even Bobby's not his friend, although Dean loves him -- he's a father figure and a resource, and Dean knows it. Jo and Ellen were never friends -- they were comrades, they were coworkers.

I think part of the reason Sam and Cas aren't as close (aside from "abomination") is because Sam has had friends before. He doesn't need to know that he can make a connection outside his family the same way Dean does.

In other words, as ever, DEEEEEEEAN.

Huh, I checked Season 3 DVDs out of the library for the special features this weekend and watched "Bad Day at Black Rock" out of boredom. I'm surprised by how attractive I find JP in early 3rd season, as I don't really recall that being the case back in 2007.

Sam has had friends before. He doesn't need to know that he can make a connection outside his family the same way Dean does.

Just idly musing, but... how long has it been since Sam has actually had a "friend"? The Stanford people were years ago, and they never really truly knew him (not to mention Brady was possessed by a demon). To paraphrase what you said about Dean: "(Dean) is not his friend, no matter how well they're getting along. He's (DEAN), for one, and that's tied up in love and obligation and guilt and all kinds of repressed Winchester crap. Even Bobby's not his friend, although (Sam) loves him -- he's a father figure and a resource, and (Sam) knows it. Jo and Ellen were never friends -- they were comrades, they were coworkers." (And I might add that Ellen and Jo were presented as favoring Dean -- in their last few episodes they barely even spoke to Sam. And Bobby... Bobby, I love Bobby, but I don't think I'll ever forgive him for telling Dean that he's Bobby's favorite.)

Anyway, what this totals up to for me is that Sam is totally isolated and has been for a long time now. I am relieved that he and Dean are close again because other than that he is so completely solitary. Yeah he went to college, and apparently had friends there. Years ago. That he hasn't spoken to for years. People who didn't really know him, who know nothing about him now -- not what any of us would call friends.

So he's every bit as alone as Dean. Maybe even more, if you can actually consider Castiel a friend of Dean's. (I'm waffling a little on that one, since Castiel is kind of hard to get in touch with and doesn't always show up when they'd like him to do so. He's "friendly," but maybe not really a "friend." And maybe I'm just playing with semantics.)

I'd say Castiel is an unfriendly friend. They're antagonistic, but they're not broken up. They've got each other backs.

Sam was able to share bits of himself with Rebecca, and even with Sara, in a way we didn't really see Dean share as he went along. Cas was the first comrade in arms that he described as a friend, the first anything he described as a friend, after having mocked Sam for similar. So Sam is operating from a position of loss, and Dean is operating in a position of dysfunction.

The difference for me is that even though Sam is isolated and probably feels it a lot of the time, he has always made outside connections. Even as a child, per After School Special. He probably wants someone now, too, but it's also not the best time to be making new acquaintances on the outside, you know? But for me, he *knows* he has that capability, whereas I don't think Dean did.

And with Dean and Cas, I was mostly going off the fact that Dean actually told Zachariah that Castiel was his friend. Even if they're not poker buddies at the moment, there was a time when Dean realized that Cas meant something to him no one had before. I just find it noteworthy for him, and ridiculously touching.

Well, Dean doesn't run around having more profound bonds with everyone. He's not an emotional slut.

Oh, I loved that scene so much. Every last word.

End to end, it was a thing of beauty.