Am I the only one who really really does not want a season six?

Nope. You're not. I would prefer they stick with the original arc as designed by Kripke. Unfortunately, if the network wants another season after five, the boys are contracted through season six and could go ahead without Kripke. Perhaps he can be talked into a sixth season, but from what I've read, he is done after five.

I think a season 6 would be a very bad idea.

I love the thought of them going into season 5 knowing it's the end, so the narrative arc is designed around that. I really don't think 6 will happen, but I hope we know for sure soon.

I'm drawing a blank trying to remember any time that Sam fights back. Dean pushes Sam, Sam probably pushes back, although I'm not remembering him doing so. Dean punches Sam, Sam just absorbs it and doesn't hit back. This implies an inequality to me; it's not two equally matched men (which they would be) fighting one another, it's one hurting the other one without any retaliation.

But in each case, we see Sam deciding not to fight back. There was never any doubt in my mind that if Sam so chose, he could easily take Dean. That in fact, it would be Dean pulling punches because he wouldn't ever really damage Sam. Whereas if Sam was provoked past his point of refusal to fight physically--which I've always considered a combination of feeling himself superior to Dean by fighting with his brain instead of his fists, emotional blackmail because he's aware Dean still feels protective of his "kid" brother (thus would have guilt about getting physical once the argument was past), and feeling some residual reluctance to hurt a quasi-parental figure and Sam's chiefest champion since childhood--he could and likely would take Dean apart. So it's been a decision on Sam's part not to fight back.

Plus, as Fay said earlier, Dean is a physical person, he experiences the world through his senses. Sam is cerebral, he experiences the world through his thought processes. It's normal and natural for Sam to fight with his intellect, as normal and natural as it is for Dean to fight with his body. I have no doubt Sam's as well-trained and efficient taking down an opponent physically, but when it's family--when it's Dean, he's going to use his best attack--and that's mental and emotional.

Frankly, I think they're evenly matched, if in different skills.

And I shudder at the prospect of a sixth season without both Kripke and Manners. Singer can't keep Sera and Ben and the other writers on an even keel by himself.

Ahaha. I'm picturing now the notion of a S6 run by Gamble and Edlund, and it would basically be cheestastic gay porn with a side of misanthropy and dead weird guys.

The fact that they were both attending the same high school is interesting. They are more than four years apart in age, and one would assume Sam would be in the 8th grade (middle school) if Dean was in the 12th grade (a senior). But because they are both attending high school, this leads me to believe Sam might have skipped a grade and was high school freshman at age 13. He certainly had the smarts, so it's in the realm of possibility. Then in May, Sam would turn 14, while Dean would have turned 18 the January prior

With the timing of Mary's death relative to the normal beginning of Dean's scholastic career, it seems more likely to me that he didn't start school until he was 6 than Sam starting high school at 13, given how much they moved around and John's probably lack of interest in advancing Sam's academic path.

Ahaha. I'm picturing now the notion of a S6 run by Gamble and Edlund, and it would basically be cheestastic gay porn with a side of misanthropy and dead weird guys.

...this actually sounds like something I would happily watch. Um. Although generally speaking I concur about the whole 'do not want Season 6 at the expense of Season 5' notion. Um.

With the timing of Mary's death relative to the normal beginning of Dean's scholastic career, it seems more likely to me that he didn't start school until he was 6 than Sam starting high school at 13, given how much they moved around and John's probably lack of interest in advancing Sam's academic path.

This. Also, given Dean's approach to schoolwork (not to approach it at all, most likely), I would not be surprised if there was a repeated year in there somewhere.

Ahaha. I'm picturing now the notion of a S6 run by Gamble and Edlund, and it would basically be cheestastic gay porn with a side of misanthropy and dead weird guys.

Not to mention hilariously blatant meta.

Plei is me in this. While I think ending with five as planned is the best-case scenario, it's not as if Marty Noxon is waiting in the wings to take over as showrunner for Season Six. I tend to like both Gamble's and Edlund's work, and am sure I'd still enjoy watching if either or both were in charge.

Has Kripke said that he won't sign on to do a sixth season? Or is it in negotiations? Or is the show saying that they won't sign Kripke up for a season 6?

Kripke's original storyline was supposed to take five seasons, start to finish. The threat of cancellation in S3 caused him to jettison some progression in order to fit the arc into S4...until S5 was magically granted, and then he had to throw the brakes on to save as much of the S5 arc till S5 as possible.

He has a development deal with the network, and has planned to be finished with SPN by the end of S5 before devoting full time to new projects. He has said, and I can't find the quote right now, that he would not be directly involved if the show went past S5, that he might contribute some ideas as to storylines or monsters to be fought, but that his story would be finished as of S5.