I think they gave Jensen the perky pills to help fill the Misha void, just like I suspect they convinced Jared to start tweeting.

No, I have no conspiracy leanings at all.

HOW DID IT WORK???

Stuff from the pilot I tend to interpret pretty liberally, since even Kripke admits he fucked up with Sam only being at college two years, etc.

I've read so much fanfic at this point, it's screwed with any idea of how their lives worked preseries, canonically. And I never finished reading John's journal or whatever.

I think Dean would have gone on short runs with John when Sam was old enough to stay alone, but John definitely left them alone together for months sometimes. I'd bet Dean would tackle something if he saw it, but if you're in one town for a while, how many different things are going to happen supernaturally?

I think Dean would have gone on short runs with John when Sam was old enough to stay alone

I like to imagine Sam sitting in the back seat of the Impala, reading with a flashlight, while John and Dean are out battling beasties. Because John is crazy, obsessive, and doesn't want Sam alone that far out of his protective reach.

how many different things are going to happen supernaturally?

Does a left-alone Dean try and pretend to grumpy Sam that everything's perfectly normal, or does he get bored or decide to train himself by exterminating every little squeak within bus ride radius?

I'm leaning with ita.

To the longevity of the show and the Js opinions of that, Jensen was seated next to Kripke on a con panel, and somebody asked about future seasons. Kripke said "I'd love to see it go on forever!" Jensen flinched this tiny little flinch, and Krip picked up on it. "Jensen's like--" mimicking a cut throat gesture and squinchy face.

I don't think the network has had a lot of money to offer them, and they don't appear to have a lot of luxurious perks the way series regulars were romanced to stay a decade or two previous to now. But Jared's "I'm done with this, I want to do movies!" tantrum got resolved somehow, and Jensen's coasting on confirmation of Michael Bay's interest in doing a project with him.

Also, just from what I've heard in interviews, Jensen seems to have an ironclad work ethic. I think that's why he made the effort to craft a public persona to perform at cons--they pay them far better money than they make as series regulars to show up and be charming for a half-hour. I have a strong suspicion both of them are salting away con fees for the day the show actually does fold and they get to coast and pick and choose projects they really want to do.

They don't whine about another season, they know which side of the bread is buttered. But I'm sure they're both ready to do other things.

Me, I'll watch till they stop making the show, even if it's re-treading plots and the guys are in walkers.

I think left-alone-with-Sam Dean would take his responsibility too seriously to go any farther than the town they're in, or maybe the county if John had the truck by then. But he'd grumble about it, and give Sam shit, and sleep with every available girl or boy in town, because that's what he does.

Once Sam was fifteen or sixteen, I think John would take Dean and leave Sam alone, though. I feel like there's something to back that up, but I'm too grumpy to look at the moment.

I don't see John caving to Sam enough to leave him behind. I don't see Sam winning the battle to stay behind. He's too well trained and too knowledgeable for me to think there was any gap much larger than university in his hunting activities.

But he'd grumble about it, and give Sam shit, and sleep with every available girl or boy in town, because that's what he does.

THAT'S my boy. Also, he's my sex symbol. It's not my heart that's throbbing, is all.

You're such a romantic. Loins aflutter and all.

I know Sam ran away NM on Dean's watch, but I still can't believe John never left him for a week or two after he was sixteen or so.

"Hybrid! Boom! Suck it!" has been randomly making me smile all day.

"Hybrid! Boom! Suck it!"

So proud of himself. "Dude, I outsmarted 'em!"

I still can't believe John never left him for a week or two after he was sixteen or so.

I guess once Dean didn't need to be in school and could travel, he might be travelling with John instead of staying with Sam. But I prefer to imagine Sam hauled to every hunt possible. Because I like the bitchface that much.