If Sam were a real person, even one I didn't care about, I'd totally support his choices.

Instead it's a fictional character's choices I'm responding to, but one I'm disproportionately attached to. So while there's no real good chance he'd want to keep doing this, I want him to fictionally want to do it, and then I'd feel less like I was watching guilt tripping or non con. Or maybe it'll be the same Sam who said "Every time I left you it was wrong!" and Dean and the text just sat there and nodded and it wasn't! Sam made a perfectly legit higher learning decision, and I hate that the text is playing into Dean still giving him grief for that.

I mean, I've defended Sam's Heaven choices which were all away from his family, and I feel like I can't do that so much anymore. The times he gets headstrong, he's often leaving.

And I tuned in for the epic love story of Sam and Dean, not the epic emotional blackmail of Sam by Dean. Or Dean as the Littlest Hobo/David Banner, crisscrossing the country, never putting down roots, and teaching meaningful lessons wherever he helps someone.

Unrelatedly I also need notes so I can put down things like: DOESN'T WARN FOR MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. Come on, be nice. That was just shitty and I feel shitty and I am not finishing the story.

If Sam were a real person, even one I didn't care about, I'd totally support his choices.

Well sure. But I like their fairly emotionally unhealthy and crippled dynamic. That's what I tune in to watch.

Saving people, hunting things, the family business is not the long-term happiness road and the retirement benefits don't exist. It's usually not a road even leads to long-term breathing. But it's fascinating to watch.

I want my humans to make healthy, good choices. I want my fictional people to do the rest.

I forgot about vampirates! Love that.

That whole exchange was great. "It's the third thing you say!" "No, it's not."

I don't have a dog in the meatier discussion y'all are having, just wanted to chime in on the vampirates.

I hated the "third thing you say" because we will never know the first two. ::shakes fist at sky::

I thought the first thing was "vampires" and the second was "pirates"...

I was assuming you'd already been told vampires and pirates--well, at least vampires.

I thought the first thing was "vampires" and the second was "pirates"...

1. Pirates, 2. Pirates of Transylvania and 3. Vampirates.

My vote, at least.

I was assuming you'd already been told vampires and pirates--well, at least vampires.

Yeah, but after you've been told, you kind of repeat them back to yourself in a musing and thoughtful way to let the idea sink in.

Or maybe Blood-succaneers is in there somewhere, I don't know.

i'm just going to leave this here. [link]

I'm more where Cass is. Saying what you've been told doesn't merit consideration.

To show how far off base I am with IO9, they called this the most homoerotic episode ever, because Sam was cast as jealous boyfriend, with Benny being usurping new lover.

Which...do I need to be more Wincesty to get that? I didn't think Sam was jealous, so much as confused and increasingly worried by Dean's continued vagueness, and it was a rational response to the things he let through.

Benny did not remotely strike me as a Sam replacement, despite his repeated use of the word "brother" and the title of the episode--he is a Cas replacement to me, and then not even.

Amelia is not a Dean substitute, because Sam's not romantically involved with Dean--he may have to choose between "indulging" in a romantic or fraternal bond, but that's not the same thing. Benny is not a Sam substitute--Sam is no longer battling a monster inside, and he's Dean's brother and will continue to be his brother in perpetuity. He might not always be the guy who fights beside him--but if he's going to get jealous about that, he can fix it by not quitting hunting--I did not get that read off it at all. Sam was mad because Dean was cagey, in peril, and then in cahoots with a monster. Not because there was homoeroticism (I actually see little to absolutely none Dean/Benny) or brother replacement. This isn't like the siren, and if Sam doesn't think Cas would replace him, why would Benny?