I don't see any way she doesn't know, I think she has to be just playing dumb from the start. What's more interesting to me is how quickly and totally Sam picks up and plays along.

It is my considered opinion that the writers fucked up the whole Ruby thing in LR. Ruby's non-reaction to Dean and the way the character interacted with Sam and with Dean made NO sense at all. Also, Sam's interaction with Ruby in that scene also made no sense to me. I think it was a screw-up.

Brenda, it is plausible that Ruby did have some inside information, and she initially played dumb because she has an agenda, and if the rest of Ruby's part in that scene was the two of them covering their tracks, I do buy that. I just hope the writers can somehow explain that bit of inconsistency.

I agree, Consuela. I think it was poorly thought out. After watching this episode and the brothers' reunion again, Sam never once asked Dean how he got out. If Sam had been desperately trying to find a way to get Dean out of hell, and suddenly Dean is out and standing right in front of him, wouldn't one of his first questions be "How?" Bobby asked, but Sam didn't.

I also thought Sam's evasiveness in that scene was too contrived and out of place. I really think they missed the mark trying to build suspense around "Did Sam do it or didn't he?"

They're usually quite good with canonical detail, so this just struck me as very odd, writing-wise.

Pretty

eta: so very very pretty, sumi. Thanks for that.

LR: I don't see anything out of character in LR. Ruby is in communication enough that she gets inside tips all the time. Dean being gripped tightly and being broadcast on WANG, would have definitely made it to her. So I doubt she is surprised at all to see Dean show up at the door. I think Sam is genuinely unaware, however, as he sees Dean for the first time. However he throws Ruby such a knowing glance at the end and makes funny faces during the "Kristy/Kathy" sequence, so I am thinking he just wanted her to get out of there without Dean finding out. Perhaps Sam not asking Dean how he got out of hell, was a function of not entirely believing it was Dean yet. Or shock. Also maybe trying to hold himself together when faced with the one thing he wanted most in the world but was told he couldn't have, even by trading his soul. Maybe the whole time Sam is being all blase, Sam is really thinking, "Keep the thing that looks like Dean happy until I can go talk to Ruby and find out what is going on." By the time the shock starts wearing off and he does start asking questions, Dean doesn't want to talk about it. I think it is all there in the presentation, and although I think it is open enough for interpretation, I think the show knew exactly what they were doing. IMHO. YLRMV.

IKWYDLS does give some new perspective on Sam's automatic disbelief in Dean at first glance. But I still wonder if things wearing Dean's face appeared to taunt Sam while Dean was gone. And I wonder if Dean's torturers, or the souls he finally tortured, wore Sam's face in hell.

Given the givens, I think both are safe assumptions, at least until canonically proved wrong.

edit: I think I'm willing to go along with the way Ruby and Sam presented themselves in LR. Their actions are plausible, given the circs, at least to me.

Perhaps Sam not asking Dean how he got out of hell, was a function of not entirely believing it was Dean yet.

With a side of "don't want to admit it wasn't me" for flavoring?

A little prezzie for those who haven't seen it.

Our extracurricular angel, here.

Oh, holy shit. Goddamn, I love that show. Thank you, Bev!

OMG, I can't stop laughing. Oh, my.