You know, no matter how many times I've seen or thought about Sam, Interrupted, I didn't realise what Dean meant here: [link] I thought he was saying those drinks were so he could sleep, not that he's only not drinking when he's asleep.

That's definitely the more obvious interpretation...I feel my addicted-to-Dean's-addiction membership is in danger of being revoked.

I always took it to mean he drank until he fell asleep. So it was sort of six of one... Sure, he only stopped drinking when sleeping but he probably wouldn't have fallen asleep at all without all of those drinks.

I guess the difference is...way, well moot. But is he just drinking all day to get by, and stopping that fairly even distribution to sleep, or is he popping 5 shots of Jack every evening so he can get to sleep. Fully dressed. Probably wearing shoes.

My guess based on absolutely nothing? Assume that his "in the 50s" is 56 because it makes the math really easy. Eight drinks a day average. A beer or two as the sun is low or going down. Maybe another with his burger. Heavy pour of whiskey researching or watching tv and then fill it up again to belt before going to bed.

And if he's mostly drinking whiskey, that's even easier. Beers are portioned. Those tumblers can hold a lot only being a third filled.

I guess I've never gotten the idea that he's drinking to stop withdrawal seizures. But he's also not drinking because he likes the taste or it's just a little bit social. He's self-medicating the things in his mind. Especially back when that ep aired.

But is he just drinking all day to get by, and stopping that fairly even distribution to sleep

I thought it was this.

To average in the mid 50s it'd have to be more like 8 shots a night, yes? If he's not also drinking during the day, anyway.

I assumed it meant when he was asleep, he couldn't be drinking, but otherwise it was a fairly steady thing throughout the day. Maybe not first thing in the morning, but by lunch.

Although like Cass, I don't think he's gotten to withdrawal seizures yet.

Well, you only find out you're at the point of withdrawal seizures if you stop drinking, usually.

Well, that's what I mean, though. He would have been having them in purgatory, if that was the case, since I assume there was no alcohol there.

But it also wouldn't have been real appealing to show, and it would probably have landed in Very Special Episode territory. So I mostly assume we're going to see Dean drinking pretty habitually as long as the show goes on, just more or less depending on his state of mind.

Like, right now I don't see him taking swigs from the flask on the sly, you know?

He was also being a bit of a smartass here though. So I don't k ow that the math adds up to more than "a lot. No, really, a lot." Which I don't find surprising, or especially concerning, all things considered.

He was being smartassed, but I didn't get the impression he told "her" anything that wasn't true. Since they've been really clear about him entering the motel rooms with a six pack, and sipping on a tumblr while researching, I don't see any narrative reason to think his drinking is more that Sam's, for instance--Sam doesn't not drink, Sam probably drinks more than anyone here, and not just because he's the size of a door, but because hunters do, but Sam think Dean is drinking like vitamins.

It's one of the things I like about the show that they didn't draw a flashing arrow to it for years, and then there was no moral learning moment, and he's still knocking them back.

I don't know if those fans who thought he'd been cured by finding a home because he drank coffee twice in an episode think that he's totally stopped drinking or that he's just tapering off, but since he was drinking while researching in that ep (Remember The Titans), I'm not seeing a message there.

right now I don't see him taking swigs from the flask on the sly, you know?

Was he sly before, though? He seemed to be fairly up front about it.

In terms of things they didn't bother think through in Purgatory--Dean kept his tidily short hair and mostly smooth face (I can wank the shaving, not the haircut), but Cas grew hair. When drawing him the other day I tried to think of what that sensation is for an angel--is he so divorced from his vessel and has bigger fish to fry so this is nothing, or is he grossed out by the shole process and maybe sees it as more penance for his sins.