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?

i'm just going to leave this here.

Nice point, tiggy.

ita, I think this episode was completely homoerotic, at least in terms of purgatory. She doesn't mean it literally with regard to Sam and Dean, but I think she's talking about how Dean tends to replace Sam with another man. Even Gordon, for a hot second way back when, you know? And then Cas and the siren.

I didn't see Sam as jealous, either, just concerned and confused. It's the secret-keeping that makes it so suspicious, just as Dean was suspicious when Sam was keeping secrets. I think it's just a partner thing, but it's cooler to label it honoeroticism.

The scene with Dean, Cas, and Benny was full of hoyay, though, if you ask me.

I think this episode was completely homoerotic, at least in terms of purgatory

Okay, I wrote and deleted a lot. Let's see if this stays.

What is the difference between just fighting at someone's side and fighting homoerotically at someone's side? Is there a difference? I believe there is.

What's the difference between fighting at someone's side when Sam's not there, and replacing Sam? Is there a difference? I believe there is.

I believe there is a homoerotic charge to how Dean interacts (but not how he fights alongside) with Cas. NSM Benny. I believe that Nick and very specific Cas moments (early S5 only) were Sam-replacement. Benny's not, Gordon wasn't. I mean, was Garth??? And was there hoyay there too?

I don't know when I became picky about hoyay, but the moment when Benny saved Cas was the moment Benny really became Dean's comrade and not just a guy who was helping him with a shared motive (because he accepts his priority, although he doesn't understand it) but I don't see a hoyay charge there.