I guess there was a moment for Sam where he completed his read, and instead of grabbings his tools and walking out of her life (let me say--the random coincidence of them being at the same motel, never having seen each other, and this a motel with a nice-enough sofa you sitdown for cuppa an and end up with dog in your lap--where is this, precisely? And I don't mean that in a location card sort of a way.

Anyway--he read her, saw someone who hasn't been as itinerant as he has his whole life, but she is alone. Even if she's not looking for someone, exactly, she's looking for someplace to belong. And I guess that's the beginning of the end for Sam--I knew that was important to him--I just thought he'd found that. With Dean, and in the Impala. And I don't want to be told that's no healthy way to live. I'm not stupid. I'm watching for the unhealthy.

I don't like "angry woman", as Sam called her to Dog, because she snaps at him for no reason, guilt trips him into keeping a dog at a motel, Fuck, it doesn't matter where he's keeping it, you don't just shove dogs at random strangers, even if they're stand up enough to take care of their accidents. At best you're taking advantage of a big heart, at worst, you're fucking up two lives. Jeez.

Yeah--her Army Surplus jibe doesn't really match his clothes. I mean, I guess he could have gotten his jackets there? And I guess the costumers know where those clothes are from? Just--if I were picking an Army for his fashion choices, I'd have gone with Salvation, but either way, you're being douchey about his clothes? What next? Does his mother dress him funny?

I get antagonistic meets. In fact, I LOVE THEM. This was a snippy on one side, guilty on the other side meet, and I guess were going to get to see how Sam's empathy and pulling her out of the shell she's building for herself because of her recent losses, and they both discover they're good for each other, the sex is marvellous, Dog likes them both equally, and they're liking each other and what they have more and more.

Whatever. I need 5 more minutes of Purgatory to feel up to date with their shenanigans, unless they want to give me more sex and eye-sex. Or prickly Cas (I may have to rewatch "I'm not your aunt.." again--he's back!). But I need an idea of how they came back, how hard they tried to bring Cas, ad how it failed. Boom, Dean's done. For Cas, since I'm assuming he does get out, we can cover his continued efforts later.

But Sam needs a whole lot of explanation, and taking me through the beats of a relationship that I don't get yet. Normally, by this point, I'd be all "Hey, I like you, character. I don't understand your choice in partners, but I want your fictional self to be happy." But that's only if it's not causing dissension and strife.

I just...when did they say they'd stop trying to save each other? Did I block that out to save my sanity? Sam said Dean wasn't to save him from the cage because he safety of the world depended on it, and Sam nows Dean didn't listen. Because that hurt, but Dean reacted like it had been said, and that he thought it was clear they were both lying at the time, because that is the WInchester way.

Suffice it to say--this was an odd numbered ep, which means it dealt more with them, and it broke the pattern and I liked it, and it seems clear that next week breaks the even number pattern of not so much being about the brotherly feels.

Man, I wish there were a non--offensive way to say "bros before hos". But that's the upshot, without singling out the woman in question as being of dubious repute--and I'm sure he'd have been as mad if it were a gay relationship--it's a blood is thicker than everything, if I haven't killed you or left you in hell without a second thought.

Damn this ep...the words..

i'm all kinds of bored with Amelia. i care not about how Sam won her over.

Right now, I am kind of hoping she's a demon.

I'm not sure the "we don't save each other" was explicitly said, but I think we can assume that it was sort of agreed on -- Dean was adamant that Sam was not save him from his deal in S3, and in S4 when he came back the first thing he wanted to make sure of was that Sam didn't make a deal to bring him back. Then Sam tells Dean not to retrieve him from the pit in S5, and in S6, they're not separated, so it's a moot point.

But I also still sympathize with Sam being completely out of spoons and without a clue what to do, especially since for the first time he was really and truly alone in the world. (I'd like to count Sheriff Mills, but I'm not sure Sam would really consider her inner circle yet.)

Edited because "on his alone" is not good with the English speaking.

And since I'm here, I guess I'm wondering if the "something more" to Amelia is something supernatural, or supernatural-adjacent.

Right now, I am kind of hoping she's a demon.

the only reason i don't want this is because we've been there and done that and i'm kind of tired of Show making us question Sam's judgement. i mean, he knew instantly what Benny was.

Good point, Tiggy.

I was thinking more along the lines of someone who had been affected by the supernatural, not a demon. Someone he could share that with, aside from Dean. But that also seems kind of unlikely.

The one thing I really don't want, and this is based entirely on him on the laptop saying, "Concern, not stalking," is for the picture perfect relationship with her to have been a fantasy. Because ... that would suck.

But that weirdly color-saturated scene, and whether or not he knew Dean was going to be at Rufus's cabin, are my only really sticking points right now. Because I still think if he was supposed to have known, 98% of their conversation after Dean tackles Sam is unbelievable.

Then Sam tells Dean not to retrieve him from the pit in S5

But Dean does try. And Sam knows this. So either Sam knows it's a rule that Dean will break for him, but he won't do the same, or they made the agreement afterwards.

I'm not as interested in how Sam and Amelia came to be humping uglies buddies (well, if there's a sex scene, I won't say no), but rather why he could walk out of the apartment seemingly without more than a sad backward glance (am I missing something?) and not seem to make any attempt to contact her in the interim. And...how did he know where and when to find Dean?

I guess that some of my day off will be spent doublecheking my confusion with 8x01.

I don't want her to be any sort of bad guy, even if they're on best behaviour. If they want to make her a benevolent something, that's fine (except if that's Gabriel's new vessel--I might literally puke in such a case) or maybe a human with an ulterior motive.

It is a bit of coincidence that they are at the same motel. She says she was there three months, but she never noticed the name of the people running the place? Maybe that's not coincidence after all, perhaps. Dunno.

I just...I really want Sam to be hunting because he wants to. Not because Dean yelled at him enough that he caved to his big brother (that is not what they mean when they said "use your words" Dean) or because it's just this one last job, and then he's out (in fact, that's a pretty good recipe for getting killed).

So either Sam knows it's a rule that Dean will break for him, but he won't do the same, or they made the agreement afterwards.

But does Sam ever say, "I know I was supposed to break the rule, but I didn't"? The way I interpret it is Dean is right to point out that they may have agreed not to look for each other in the past, but they never stuck to that. As far as I remember, Sam's not saying, "Hey, I was keeping our bargain!" but more ... "I was out of spoons. I had no idea where to start looking."

I remember, Sam's not saying, "Hey, I was keeping our bargain!" but more ... "I was out of spoons. I had no idea where to start looking."

See, I remember it the first way, and I don't have time to answer all my premiere questions, but I can sure look that up.

Okay, Sam walks out, and Amelia's eyes are open and there is someone standing outside her house. I swear it.

"After you looked for me...did you look for me, Sam?"
Sam looks away, slightly guiltily]
"Good. That's good. We always told each other not to look for each other. That's smart. Good for you. Of course, we always ignored that, because of our deep, abiding love for each other. But not this time, eh, Sammy?"
"Look, I'm the same guy, Dean."
"Well bully for you. I'm not."
[Dean leaves]
"Welcome back."
[Sam shrugs to an empty room.]

That's the initial conversation, at least. I can check the wiki when I'm back-I just wanted to get the body language and the precise leaving-Amelia details by rewatching.