But I do think he's not always gonna do the normal amount of work to ensure he lives either. He's a good planner and a general, but if he's pretty sure he can do it but he dies, it's a lower price for him than for most people, even most hunters. I don't think that gap is closing soon. Not without being underscored explicitly somehow.

That's putting a finer point on it than it needs, I think, and it doesn't take into account existing responsibilities. Such as, in purgatory, he had to fight for his own life because he had to find Cas, and he had to make it back to see what happened to Sam.

Right now, I think he might do a little more to make sure a creature doesn't off him *until* Sam completes the trials. Also, now he needs to find Cas. After that, all bets are off.

Does he need to find Cas? Why does he need to find Cas? And I'm not asking you. I'm asking the writers. Cas is theoretically okay. He's not being controlled any more. He has his memory, sanity, and powers.

Does he need Cas to protect Sam? Does he even have time to find Cas (well, he doesn't know they have 23 episodes either--I've got company there) considering the march to find and execute the end of the demon tablet?

I can see why Dean wants the angel tablet, but is there a really good reason for it? Naomi is an evil shithead, but she was acting out of self-preservation. It's understandable they don't want anyone getting their hands on it. Does Dean just want it for leverage? Protection against the next Raphael?

Why does he have to need to find Cas? I'm just assuming he wants to, because Cas is his friend.

As for the angel tablet, Dean seems to take responsibility for anything that can cause worldwide results, good or bad, and since he doesn't know much about this one, I assume he wants to research it before deciding it's just a hunk of rock.

Why does he have to need to find Cas? I'm just assuming he wants to, because Cas is his friend.

Because characters have motivations. And a lack of a motivation is a motivation too. He's tried to save Cas, and to get Cas to help him--this would be a first for "Oh, just because I like it better when you're here" and I would actually like to see that too.

Dean seems to take responsibility for anything that can cause worldwide results

But do you think the guy who spent the morning artefact sniffing should really get his hands on anything powerful?

Wanting something is a perfectly acceptable motivation in any plot. Dorothy wanted to go somewhere her dog would be safe. Scarlet wanted to be Ashley Wilkes' wife. There doesn't need to be an end goal other than that.

But do you think the guy who spent the morning artefact sniffing should really get his hands on anything powerful?

Wait, what?

Wanting something is a perfectly acceptable motivation in any plot

I'm not saying it's unacceptable. In fact, I said I liked it. But most of I'm saying is that it's different, and that it should be acknowledged. It's not trivial for Cas "I'm not a hammer" angel of the Lord.

Wait, what?

The nice, extended, Batcave scene where Dean touches and even smells all sorts of artefacts he expresses his ignorance on. I was there for Bad Day At Black Rock--I could have sworn he was too.

The D/C I like to watch was en fuego last night. I'm cool.

Amen to that. Dean openly declaring in a very emotional way that he needs someone not named Sam is momentous; he doesn't have to be unzipping his fly while saying it to make me happy.

The nice, extended, Batcave scene where Dean touches and even smells all sorts of artefacts he expresses his ignorance on. I was there for Bad Day At Black Rock--I could have sworn he was too.

I didn't say he was right to want to take responsibility for it, I just said he wanted it. Dean thinks he's Batman, also.

Because characters have motivations. And a lack of a motivation is a motivation too.

This is what you said earlier that confused me, which is why I said wanting something was a motivation.

I was calling out the artefact shenanigans mostly because it was a stupid thing for Dean to do--but moreso it was a stupid thing for them to write. The payoff is not proportional to the erosion of badass. Unless there was something funny that I missed? He could have given a just fine running commentary without sticking his tongue in the outlet.

What I'm not saying, I guess, is that if Dean goes looking for Cas with no stated reason, they should call "no stated reason" out, because Cas has a history of considering himself in the role of a tool wielded by others and as a victim that Dean wants to rescue, and Dean has a history of calling out to him with those justifications.

So if he does neither of what he seems to have done all the other times, it stands out as not having those motivations, and that alternate "lack of" motivation is not insignificant.