I wanted it to be the real Mary, but it was what the Djinn was projecting into Dean's mind. She may have been memories that were realistic, but unfortunately not Mary.
I like to think she was like that all the times that we couldn't see her on camera though.
In the times that SS has been on the show, has she played actual Mary any time other than the pilot and then when she consumed the evil spirit in Home? Other than that has it always been a trick?
Wow, I just checked and Samantha Smith has popped up on 7 episodes now. I hadn't realized it had been so many:
s1.01 - Pilot
s1.09 - Home
s2.20 - What Is and What Should Never Be
s2.21 - All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1
s4.21 - When the Levee Breaks
s5.16 - Dark Side of the Moon
s6.19 - Mommy Dearest
As Theresa says, in WIAWSNB the Mary that we see is what the Djinn was projecting (as evidenced by her encouraging Dean to stay there in fantasy land, and therefore die). The Mary that Azazel shows Sam in the flashback during AHBL part I might be an accurate reflection, we don't know; what we do know is that Azazel would be showing Sam images that would be the most likely to incite Sam's anger.
The Mary in WtLB (oh just break my heart, why don't you?) is the product of Sam's grief and hallucinations. The Mary of DSofM (go ahead and stomp that sucker flat) is the manipulation of Zachariah. And then what we see in MD is projected by Eve.
So yeah, I think it's safe to say we haven't seen SS as the real Mary since Home. Of course we've seen Young Mary since then.
Speaking of Cas being forgiven--if his reluctance to restore Sam's soul has anything to do with the game he's been playing--I think that's the biggest obstacle to Dean getting over it.
Speaking of Cas being forgiven--if his reluctance to restore Sam's soul has anything to do with the game he's been playing--I think that's the biggest obstacle to Dean getting over it.
I agree, although I can't make myself go there quite yet.
I feel like I need to rewatch the whole season to track Cas's actions and reactions now.
All good questions.
But this one confuses me:
If Sam picked [the amulet] up as has been hinted a few times, then what happened to it when he was in Hell?
When did they hint at that?
Edited to clarify what was hinted at.
I'm not sure. I thought it was wishful thinking on the part of the fans.
My assumption is that it's either in a city dump or the jewelry box of whatever maid cleaned that motel room the next day.
It was absolutely not hinted at. Fanon != canon, and people need to get a hold on that. It was never mentioned again, in the show, and in meta, the writers said they were moving on from that part of the boys' relationship. Which they can absolutely undo, but it just makes it less likely that they've been dropping hints of its return this whole time.
That's what I thought! Thank you for the reassurance that I'm not crazy (on this point).