Well, raising him and seasons 4 and 5 where he was pretty much imprinting on him and learning how to be a person.

Cas and Dean have a history, not just an event. It started from a rescue of a soul and rebuilding of his body, but it played out over a number of episodes

I can see what you're saying, and I even agree that Castiel and Dean have a deeper friendship. I'm not trying to deny that. It just struck me that Sam's earlier history was being disregarded ("Cas and Dean have a history, not just an event") because by the time Castiel raised Sam from hell he'd known Sam for two years. They'd built up a friendship and a working relationship and Team Free Will. It's not as though they were strangers.

That's all. Not denying the Castiel/Dean profound bond.

I'd only really count S5 as Sam Cas time. S4, they were at loggerheads and united by nothing other than a care for Dean. Otherwise, they were essentially enemies. Some point early-mid S5 would have been the opportunity for them to start bonding. And even at that point, Cas was looking to Dean for the lead. In The Song Remains The Same when he called Sam a friend, a lot of fandom went "Whuh?" Some then went "Cool" and others went "Hussy! Tramp!" but there you go. Crazies. They hadn't shared much screen time or lines up until midway through that season, whereas we got to see Dean and Cas interact almost every week for a season and a half beforehand.

I don't think anyone was treating Sam like he didn't count, but he plain wasn't in the room for a lot of the Cas screentime for the preceding two seasons. It took a while before the team was formed.

I actually wish we'd had at least a little of Sam and Cas working together as a duo this year; it's the one element missing from the otherwise great team dynamic they've been showing the last couple of episodes.

We've barely had any time of Cas working with anyone, though. I mean, since the soul came back. He's done, like, one thing with Dean and one with Bobby, and that's about it.

True. And at least I do have the diner scene to placate me.

Pinkraygun hated the ep, no surprise. But she also gets so much wrong!

• Sam's actions in ending the apocalypse last season are not invalidated by Cas claiming to have done it himself! He's trying to make that sacrifice stick
• Cas did not leave part of Sam's soul in Hell on purpose. It was the whole soul, and he says he didn't realise it at the time. It wasn't to build a better hunting machine for Crowley.
• Dean is blithe while Sam is in Hell, as opposed to Sam's drinking when Dean was in Hell. Uh, Dean was drinking heavily too.
• The Superman ref was about Crowley. No, it was clearly about Castiel. Hello?

She says she hopes to never have to watch the episode again, but, honey isn't this your job? To watch it as many times as you have to in order to get your facts straight for the article? She hates Castiel, and she hates the Dean/Castiel bond, so it must have been torture, but we should be so lucky as to love every bit of our jobs.

She's been fairly bibro-ish in her posts. I mean, she obviously likes Sam a lot better, but she likes Dean, and doesn't badmouth him. Her "Dean was too happy with Sam gone" is standard Extreme Sam Girl talk, and pretty damned silly. Their pain isn't made to be weighed against each other. Dean was obviously in pain, and it's not like we're to imagine Sam sobbed continuously for four months. Plus, Dean deliberately had a better support structure.

I hate that kind of character-almost-bashing.

I don't know much about that site, so I don't know if there are any higher-ups paying attention, but I certainly wouldn't be happy about paying a recapper/reviewer who can't get the episode or series details correct. Although if they're not watching the show, I guess they wouldn't know?

Do commenters correct her or complain? Why would people keep reading her when she can't bother to get it right?

Her "Dean was too happy with Sam gone" is standard Extreme Sam Girl talk

I hate this kind of thing. Dean grieved like a grieving thing. But he also made a promise to his brother, whom he assumed was never coming back (for once). He drank daily, enough for it to be an issue between him and Lisa, and he was apparently obsessed with finding a way to save Sam and bring him back even when he said he wouldn't.

At some point, you have to move on and live your life. Just because he made Ben some scrambled eggs and taught the kid about engines doesn't mean he didn't miss Sam, *or* that he was necessarily happy.

Question based on yet another rewatch last night: How did Crowley know there was trouble with Raphael in Heaven if he made his pitch to Cas before the latter had discussed it with the Winchesters or anyone else?

Some people do argue with her, but mostly her comments section is a haven for people to bash Dean and Cas. She doesn't shut that sort of shit down.

I posted about those points, but I really don't know why I bother going there anywhere. Just...I knew she was going to be wrong again.

How did Crowley know there was trouble with Raphael in Heaven if he made his pitch to Cas before the latter had discussed it with the Winchesters or anyone else?

Because he knows things? I mean, Raphael wanting there to be an apocalypse probably wasn't a secret. Neither is Cas wanting there not to be one.

Alternatively, Cas should check his pockets.

Also, Mark Sheppard's vocal register rising like Mariah Carey singing the national anthem throughout that "Am I the only game piece on the board who doesn't underestimate those denim-wrapped nightmares?!?" line never stops being hilarious.

Pity there wasn't a hellhound in the room to start yowling in harmony with him.