I think they must be going somewhere with it, though.

I concur. Also with the "sometimes people just get tired and run out of will to do shit." I don't think that's what happened with Sam, though, and I think we'll find out more.

Dean convincing him to take responsibility for Kevin was an echo of the vet guilting him into taking responsibility for the dog, so I sense A Theme.

Good point.

Also, did I imagine it, or was there someone watching the house when Sam first left to meet Dean?

Yeah, there was! I do want to know who that was, too.

I can't draw parallels between Kevin and a dog that ran into the street, though.

There are lots of understandable actions that people on and offscreen can take. The set of actions that I enjoy watching is smaller than that, though. I don't find it a sympathetic position, with the information I've been given, and I will just assume they're piecemealing out this thing, and all will be made clear.

How is "I hit a dog" the way you explain this to Dean? Unless the dog has you under a spell, you must have a better angle than that.

Mostly I'm irritated at the writing. I don't feel they did a season opener justice. I don't feel like Supernatural is back after a hellatus. Making both leads act strange leaves me with too much unfamiliarity, and that's not what I want from episode one. I don't feel tension and suspense as a result, I feel irritated and deprived.

I'm sorry it didn't work for you.

And that phone call with toothy dude was sketchy as hell. It felt like a clandestine relationship. I can't help but feel like it was intentional. Dean lost his brother but gained a brother in arms. I don't know.

I meant to comment on this last night -- it totally felt that way! Sneaking off to talk to his dirty little secret. And losing a brother and gaining a brother-in-arms... cool insight. I think right now I am most interested in finding out about their relationship (Dean and Benny), the person watching Sam's house, and what happened with Cas (because it doesn't sound good, poor dude).

I'm hoping the vet is Amelia and dead, and that is what pushed Sam over the edge into abandoning Kevin.

I'm hoping the vet is Amelia and dead

Usually it's the female fans who root for the female love interests to be dead. This is quite a turn of events.

So who do you think was in bed with Sam? Another woman? Or a corpse?

NOrmally I dont root for that. But I'm trying to find some explanation for his abanding Kevin.

Well, he clearly abandoned Kevin right away, so I don't think that works. The story seems to be that he never looked, and ditched his phones so never got the messages.

I will say, in his place, I'm not sure where I would have looked, either, when he thought Crowley had taken the kid.

Well, he clearly abandoned Kevin right away

That's not clear to me. It could be the case, but the messages Kevin left started six months ago, Sam could have ditched the phones right before then. I am assuming he was at least trying to figure out a way to look for Kevin before he walked away from hunting, whenever that was.