He killed the tooth fairy and became a hunter before he met Dean. I don't know if it's nicer to think of him imprinting on Dean, but--was he a blank slate until he met Dean, or did he replace someone with Dean's persona?

I feel pretty comfortable thinking we saw many of the important parts of Bobby's life, but I've been assuming that people like Garth or the foxhole hottie have whole non-Winchester existences.

That Big Bang reference is awesome. I hadn't seen that.

I didn't get a creepy vibe off Garth at all. A lot of people model themselves on others, especially people they respect or admire. It's not necessarily the most mature behavior, but I think it was well-intentioned. He's trying to provide something familiar to people who are grieving, and I think he knows that Dean and Sam are probably the hardest hit.

I don't believe there's a dark or corruptible bone in Garth's (very slender) body. But wearing the clothes and aping the speech patterns of the deceased isn't healthy, uh, self-actualised behaviour. If Sam or Dean did that, we'd think it way strange, no? Dean holding onto the flask was bad enough. But providing something familiar by using (weirdly) the same swear words a year after someone's death? I might try and loosen their grasp on "other" a bit. It's been a year. And either he didn't hang out with Bobby enough to know how he used it, or he's that blind to subtleties, both of which would make me itch especially if it was my father they were badly reproducing.

If it were real life, it would be creepy. But for the short-handing purposes of one episode of TV? I got the idea and that was about it.

I'm trying to work out my response to Misha repeatedly saying that S8 is when we find out Dean's a bottom.

This is a surprise? :)

But for the short-handing purposes of one episode of TV? I got the idea and that was about it.

Well, I guess that's the risk. I didn't get the idea that Dean was the one with an attachment disorder--Garth looked like the OTT one to me there. I do think there was a middle ground of doing Bobby's job (totally fair) instead of acting like a crazy person.

But I get the impression people like Garth more than I do. I find him kinda exhausting. It's great you don't have to be fit or agile or book smart or people smart to be a hunter, but way to deflate the gig, guys.

But wearing the clothes and aping the speech patterns of the deceased isn't healthy, uh, self-actualised behaviour. If Sam or Dean did that, we'd think it way strange, no?

Isn't that what Dean does? Wear the clothes, drive the car, and listen to the music his Dad did?

I know that point was made by Sam (under the influence of a ghost or somesuch) at some point, but I think that after a few years, once that's fully adopted, it becomes irrelevant. At this point in time, if that was ever true, Dean has fully assimilated whatever John-attributes he was assimilating. And from over a lot longer period of time. Probably from the age of 4.

And don't kids do that? Learn from their parents?

My older brother and dad fight like cats and dogs, and they're the most the same, even down to their engineering-type OCD. I think my older brother fought hard to be not like dad, and yet he is, except with drugs.

I'd say if it's your parent whose shoes you're trying to fill, a bit of mimicry is more understandable.

Isn't that what Dean does? Wear the clothes, drive the car, and listen to the music his Dad did?

You mean reflect a lot of the traits, values, and habits that were displayed during the formative years of his upbringing, especially an upbringing with few other constant influences? Yes.

Do you think that's what Garth is doing? Is his bond to Bobby comparable to Dean's with John? By length of time? Intensity of exposure? Do you think the narrative would support a non-Winchester (or Milligan) telling Dean to snap out of it and stop feeling like he had any more claim to his father's memory than anyone else?