No, I don't think he was being cruel. Sad, if anything.

I think was thinking that Dean is also famous for his blindspots and I would think he would be a bit more understanding that someone might take the wrong path for the right reasons. He didn't sound cruel as much as condescending which, you know, see above.

But overall, I loved it. I think Sam looks great. Dean's longer hair makes him look older and a bit more tired, but good.

I think what bugged me about the "child" comment this round was that Cas might've been dead. Goners. And Dean's comment: remarking on Cas' naivete that got him caught up in this whole mess. Except that I don't think it was naivete that was the problem! It was bad situation, bad selection of choices, and absolute practicality heading the game. And I wouldn't describe that as childish. Soulless. Practical. Cutthroat.

Combine that with the actually voiced "if only you'd listened to ME". And, okay, I get that as a pathos of DEAN. That Dean's word is law, Dean is God, Dean's Law is absolute and even gods must bow before it. Except that seems a bit much. I can stomach that when Dean is whammed with craxy shit and he's reacting. But, to actually still be holding onto "I was right", when Dean was saying shit like "Follow my orders BECAUSE, I'm not going to logic you (i.e. do as I say just cuz it's what I say). Dean had NO IDEA that Cas taking on the souls would be bad for him. No indication, no clue, no fact. (this kinda goes back to my internal rant about Dean being anti-Sam-exorcising-demons). There's no proof that it's bad for the person, the other person is painted in a bad light on no facts. circumstances are sketchy, yes. And it turns out that Dean is right. But Dean never had the evidence to support his position, and the "guilty parties" are made to be all "oh, you were right all along, why didn't I see?!" Because, there was nothing to say that Sam exorcising demons and leaving the hosts ALIVE was evil. Cas doing this thing to SAVE THE WORLD with no idea the effect the souls would have on him was A BAD IDEA.

And, I kinda dig that Dean has that bit of John in him. But I wish there was more wiggle room for unreliable narrator. /rantycakes

Of course, I also think Dean was so hard on Cas because he loves him. SO much.

Absolutely, Steph! Again, it's Sam that is fighting to reach out to Cas, and Dean who is so absolutely devastated that Cas chose this and he can't bear to reach out to him, completely blinded by betrayal that it colours everything. Sam doesn't have that well of emotion or connection that's been betrayed, so it's easier for him to seek rectitude. Sam doesn't have that thin line.

But Cas isn't his brother, Julie. And yeah, he thought Cas was dead, but he's lost everything, always. He expects it on some level. And he still needed to find Sam.

I think he was justifiably angry in a lot of ways -- when it comes to humanity, he does know more than Cas, and he's also been fighting the kind of dirty ground war Cas was involved in for a lot longer than Cas had been. He's not the type to drop to his knees and weep.

What you want the characters to do is not always going to be in what they will do, because the writers *do* try to keep them in character. Dean was raised on "I know best" and held onto it for dear life, because it was job to keep Sam safe. It was as much a front as anything, but it's what he knows to do. He has to believe he's right, too, because no one else is going to. He has no one looking out for him.

eta: agreeing with Amy

He has to act like he knows he's right, even when he doesn't know if he's right. See: brave front for Sam before the phone call in HOME.

"You're wrong. I am utterly indifferent to sexual orientation."

Yes, I'm already rewatching. So much to take in. Wow. Love.

who else went to a Farscape place when Leviathans were mentioned?

Not until this moment. Whoa.

eta: That means Ben Browder and Claudia Black have an obligation to guest star, right?