Robin’s Rambles – “The French Mistake”
Behind them, two men are practice-fighting in front of the Impala, which sits before a green screen. “Maybe we can’t get out of earth number two right now,” says Dean, “but at least we can get the hell out of the Canadian part of it. If I hear one more conversation about hockey, I’m gonna puke.” They each have different ideas about which way to go, and Dean’s leads him straight into Virgil. “NO!” shouts Sam, as Virgil drops his hand to Dean’s head. When nothing happens, Dean grins and says, “Sorry, dude, mojo-free zone.” He punches him down a tunnel. Sam joins him, saying, “No magic in the house.” “Which makes you nothin’ but a dick,” says Dean, The three begin getting into it, with Virgil punching back.
A balding man in a Hawaiian shirt is bragging to a pretty young girl how he oversees all the stunts and coordinates all the fights. “That’s exciting,” she says, and asks if that’s one of his. When he sees the two “stars” viciously beating on an extra, he calls on the two fellows practice fighting for help. Not only do they pull Sam and Dean off Virgil, but the latter lifts the key out of Sam’s pocket, too. “I’LL BREAK YOUR FREAKIN’ NECK!” Dean shouts after the fleeing Virgil as the other men subdue him and Sam.
The director reports this latest woe to Sera. Jim assures her the boys didn’t beat the guy ALL the way to death, only partway, that’s a plus–he could definitely still run. The director thinks the boys are on an extended psychedelic acid trip. Sera offers to fly up and talk to them, but Jim isn’t sure the boys know who she is, strictly speaking, she’s, you know, you. “Right,” she says. The director advises Kripke, he created this show, they’ll listen to him. “How would that make me look?” Sera protests–“I’m supposed to be running this thing–besides, Eric’s off in some cabin somewhere, writing his pilot.” “He sold DR. COBRA?” asks the director–“they’ll buy anything.”
“Virgil broke through, maybe he’s got a way to get back,” says Dean. “Or he’s got no juice here and he’s stuck, like us,” says Sam. “Either way, I wanna finish kickin’ his ass,” says Dean.
Misha is greeted good night as he leaves his trailer. “Good night, little fella,” he says, getting into his car. He Twitters: “Ever get that feeling someone’s in the back seat?” 🙁 Virgil pops up and puts a knife to his throat. “Drive,” he orders, as Misha whimpers like a little girl.
Dean and Sam pass by the director’s desk. He turns on his light. “Got a minute?” he asks. They’re looking for. . . “That extra you tried to kill?” asks the director. He wants to know if what’s happening will go away if he can scare up a raise for them. “More money?” asks Dean–“you already pay us two jokers enough as it is.” “Yeah,” agrees Jared. He’d like to think that over the years, they’ve grown closer–that they don’t think of him as Director Bob, or Executive Director Bob Singer, but as Uncle Bob.” “You’re kidding,” says Sam, “so the character in the show, Bobby Singer. . .” “What kind of a douchebag names a character after himself?” asks Dean. “Oh, that’s not right,” says Sam. Bob wants to start over, but the brothers turn their backs on him. Dean feels Virgil wouldn’t have shagged out of there without getting his mitts on that key. Sam agrees. Hands on their shoulders, Bob says, “Guys, you can’t come to work on poppers, and smuggle kidneys in from Mexico. And make up your own lines as you go. You CANNOT make up your own lines!” (The most important thing!) Good God, what about your careers!” “You know what?” says Sam–“screw our careers!” “You heard my brother,” says Dean, “that’s right, I said brother–’cause you know what, Bob?–we’re not actors, we’re hunters. We’re the Winchesters, always have been, and always will be–and where we’re from, people don’t know who we are, but you know what? We matter to that world, in fact, we even save a son of a bitch once or twice, and yeah, here, maybe there’s even some FANS who give a crap about this nonsense.” “I wouldn’t call it nonsense,” says Bob. “But, Bob Singer, if that even is your name,” says Dean, “tell me this–what does it all mean?” “Okay, this is good!” says Bob–“I mean, we’ve all had our psychotic breaks, right? I can work with this!” Sam comes back and reports, “I think Virgil has the key.” “We quit,” says Dean, leaving Bob open-mouthed.
Virgil, complaining about the lack of magic and power in this world, pulls Misha from his car and shoves the sobbing actor against a building, holding the knife to his throat. “I’m sorry!” wails Misha. Calling him a bag of strings and pulleys, Virgil says, “You should thank me for what I’m about to do.” “Why, what are you about to do?” sniffles Misha. “I’m about to make an important call,” says Virgil, “I pray to God that it even goes through.” He slashes Misha’s throat, and we hear the actor choking to death on his own blood. “This is what I’ve been reduced to,” complains Virgil, calling, “Raphael!” Misha sinks to the ground, dead.
Unknown to Virgil, someone has witnessed what he has done.
Editor’s comments: To Sam and Dean’s delight, Virgil is brought down to their level in this world, and fisticuffs rule the day. They are pulled out of the fight by do-gooders on the SUPERNATURAL set, who drag who they think are Jensen and Jared off a hapless extra. Lou Bollo got to play himself in this scene. I wonder–does he brag to sweet young things for real?
LOL at: The idea of Jensen and Jared not knowing who Sera is. That the boys didn’t beat the extra to death; he could still run. Bob thinks the boys are on an extended acid trip. DR. COBRA? Misha crying like a little girl when kidnapped. Bob offering Jensen and Jared more money and being turned down by Dean and Sam, who feel they get paid enough already. Sam and Dean’s disgust over BOBBY SINGER/Bob Singer. “You can’t come to work on poppers, and smuggle kidneys in from Mexico. And make up your own lines as you go. You CANNOT make up your own lines!” “I mean, we’ve all had our psychotic breaks, right? I can work with this!”
“We quit,” says Dean.
Misha’s death shocked me, I must admit. Even though I couldn’t help laughing at how unmanly they made him after Virgil took him, watching him made into a human telephone was still terrible. The slit throat, choking, and death bothered me. It wasn’t OUR Misha, but he was a lot like him in his Tweets and playing tricks on the J’s.
I love Dean’s speech to Bob Singer about how they are Winchesters, hunters, and always will be, and that they have saved people, and what they do is important. That Bob interprets it all as a psychotic break may blunt Dean’s brave words, it doesn’t take away from how true they are, or how shallow the SUPERNATURAL set world seems by comparison.
Notice the digs against Kripke, too, including his new pilot.
Back at Jared’s house, the brothers discuss putting an APB out on Virgil, if they can find the police dispatch system. Gen comes running to them, crying–“Misha’s been stabbed to death!” “Where?” they ask in unison. “WHERE?” she asks in confusion.
They go to the scene, where Misha’s bleeding body is covered up, and overhear a witness telling a cop about a man who was calling someone named Raphael, like the Ninja Turtle. The witness says, “The scary man killed the attractive crying man and then he started to pray, and the strange part, after a while, I thought I heard this voice answer him.” “What’d it say?” asks Sam. “It didn’t make any sense,” the witness reports. “Try us,” urges Dean. “The voice said for Virgil to return to the place where he crossed over at the time of the crossing and Raphael would reach through the window and take him and the key home,” the witness says. Dean hands over some funny-looking cash to the guy and thanks him. “If Virgil gets back with that key,” says Sam, “Cas is dead and our world is toast!” “Then we stop him,” says Dean, “and how bad can an angel with no ink be?”
Virgil may not have “ink,” but he’s getting himself plenty of good, old-fashioned fire-power. In a gun store, he looks at a handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun, and when the storekeeper admires his knowledge, Virgil says, “I am the weapons-keeper of heaven.” “Excuse me?” says the storekeeper and gets hit with the butt of the shotgun. “It’s my job,” says Virgil, loading the rifle. When some poor soul enters the store, Virgil shoots him/her.
“If we drop Virgil, get the key, we might be stuck here,” Dean warns Sam. Sam assures him they’ll figure out a way back. “Bet you wouldn’t be that broken up if we did, though,” says Dean. “What?–don’t be stupid,” says Sam. “I’m just sayin’–no hell below us, above us only sky,” (a beautiful line from John Lennon’s song Imagine) says Dean. “Our friends are back there,” Sam reminds him. “Yeah, but, here you have a pretty good life,” says Dean, “back home, the hits have been comin’ since you were six months old. You gotta admit, bein’ a bazillionaire married to Ruby–the whole package, it’s no contest.” “You know, you were right,” says Sam, “we just don’t mean the same thing here–we’re not even brothers here, man.” “All right, then,” says Dean, “let’s get our crazy show back home.”
Eric Kripke meets with Bob Singer. “What the hell,” says Krip breathlessly. Bob thanks him for coming–“It means a lot that we can still call you.” “Misha,” says Krip. They both agree how totally awful his death is. “It got us the front page of VARIETY, though, did you see that?” asks Krip, smiling. “Front page, really?” says Bob–“but tragic.” “Yeah, tragic,” agrees Krip, “that’s what I was gonna say.” Bob asks how Dr. Cobra is going, and Krip says he’s had a breakthrough and will tell him about it over lunch. Krip says he’s going to bust in the trailer, guns blazing, and take care of this whole mess. Virgil is heading toward them, so Krip is “going to nip this bud right out of the gate. Hey, extra, over here!” A PA who has been standing throughout this scene says, “He’s got a gun.” “NO!” cries Bob in slow-mo as shotgun bullets rip through Krip, who doesn’t drop until the third direct hit. He just keeps on heading toward the extra until he finally falls, spread-eagle, his white shirt stained with blood. Proud western music plays to underscore his death. Bob Singer is felled by only one bullet from the handgun.
Someone on-set notes that they don’t have gunfire slated for today. That’s when Virgil starts shooting everyone he sees–boom, boom, boom! Sam yells “HEY” to draw away the gunman’s attention and avoids getting shot. Dean attacks him, quickly joined by Sam. Inside the same set where Virgil first appeared, the brothers give heaven’s weapons-keeper a good pounding, then take the keys away from him. When the sigil on the window begins to glow red, the Winchesters launch themselves, backward, against it.
Back in their world, Sam and Dean lie in a litter of real glass in a motel parking lot. A black woman glides toward them. “You two,” she says, “time the strangest luck.” “Raphael?” says Dean–“nice meat-suit–dude looks like a lady.” She raises her hand, putting them both in massive pain. “The key,” she orders, and finds it on the ground. “And that will open a locker at the Albany bus station,” says Balthazar, joining them. “Really?” she says in disbelief. “You see, I needed a modest decoy to make it more convincing,” says Balthazar. “Give me the weapons,” she commands. “Sorry, darling,” he says, “they’re gone–you see, they were so well hidden, that I needed time to find them, so I volunteered these two for a game of fetch with Virgil. You two were such an adequate stick, thank you, boys.” “You’ve made your last mistake,” warns Raphael. “I’ve got a few more up my sleeve, honey,” promises Balthazar. She advances, intending the angel harm. Cas appears, ordering, “Step away from him, Raphael, I have the weapons now, their power is with me.” He stands proudly, his wings showing huge and black in the lightning, much as they did the first time Dean met him. “Castiel,” whispers Raphael. “If you don’t want to die tonight, back off,” threatens Castiel. She flies away. Smiling, Balthazar says, “Well, Cas, now that you have your sword, try not to die by it.” He, too, exits.
Cas rushes over to the brothers, returning them to Bobby’s. “Cas, what the hell?” says Sam. “Wait, you were in on this?” demands Sam, “using us, as a diversion?” “It was Balthazar’s plan,” says Cas, “I would have done the same thing.” “That’s not comforting, Cas!” says Dean, furious. “When will I be able to make you understand?” asks Cas–“if I lose against Raphael, we ALL lose–everything.” “Yeah, Cas,” says Dean, “we know the stakes, that’s about all you’ve told us!” Dean glares at him. “I’m sorry about all this,” says Cas, “I’ll explain when I can.” He flies away. “Friggin’ angels,” complains Dean. Sam hits the wall in Bobby’s house, declaring, “Solid. It’s real. Nice.” “Yeah,” says Dean, “real, moldy, termite-eaten home sweet home. Chock fulla crap that wanna skin ya. Oh, and, we’re broke again.” “Yeah,” says Sam, “but hey, at least we’re talkin’.”
Editor’s notes: LOL: The scary man killed the attractive crying man.
When Dean points out that Sam would have a pretty good life even if stranded here, Sam isn’t interested. He’d miss his friends, and besides, THEY AREN’T EVEN BROTHERS HERE. Can anyone give me an awwww?
I found the meeting between Krip and Bob hilarious. Bob is grateful they can still call him! Misha is dead, which they both agree is tragic, but Krip is thrilled it got them the front page of VARIETY! (Vicious, hungry Hollywood!) Krip’s gonna straighten out those actors and that extry, too! But the extry’s got guns, and he shoots Krip three times in slow mo as mournful western music plays. Bob is dispatched with one bullet from the hand gun. I laughed till I nearly peed. For good measure, Virgil shoots up the SUPERNATURAL set, too.
The Winchesters use this mindless violence as their springboard home. Raphael is now in a woman’s meat suit, causing Dean to remark, “Dude looks like a lady.” They learn they were sent by Castiel and Balthazar into that world with a useless key as decoys for “a game of fetch” with Virgil so the weapons and their power could be transferred to Cas. Needless to say, the Winchesters are angry with their angel friend, who promises to explain when he can–and flies off.
The brothers ruefully realize they are broke and back in a solid but moldy house with things that want to kill them. “But at least we’re talkin'” quips Sam, ending the ep.
I loved this! I was breathless from laughing! I don’t have any clue what was true and what was false in here, but I would sure LOVE to know. I want to interview SOMEONE who can honestly answer all my questions.
Speaking of questions, here are a bunch for YOU!
1. What was your favorite part of this episode? Least favorite?
2. Did you find the episode confusing in any way? Explain.
3. How much of what you saw in this episode do you think was true? How much do you believe was satire or parody?
4. How did you like JUST the Sam and Dean portion of the show and the way they worked their way home?
5. What did you think of the alternate universe Misha Collins?
6. What do you think happened to the REAL Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki from this universe?
7. What do you think happened between Gen and Sam up in that bedroom?
8. What was the significance of the whole “But at least we’re talkin” business?
9. Your overall opinion of “The French Mistake?” yea, nay or abstain?
10. How did you react to Dean”s speech to Bob Singer about the Winchesters and how they’ve done important things in the world?
Loved, loved, loved the show. All the unsubtle references and shout-outs. The overblown trailers and mansions, the images of the characters on you tube, trailer monitors and mnasion walls, the suggestions of rivalry between the fakejared & fakejensen,and especially the slow motion Morricone themed death of Kripke that was worthy of a Leone film. (I wonder who chose that)
There are so many layers of in-jokes here that it will probably be analysed for a long time to come.
Just a correction when the boys are returned to their reality they are dragged back by Raphael not “the Winchesters launch themselves, backward, against it”.
I liked the episode the first time I saw it. After a re-watch last night, I have to now say that I thought it was a brilliant piece of work. Still not my all-time favorite episode, but brilliant nonetheless (hello Ben Edlund).
Favorite scene: the acting one, but I also liked the street shoot mass killing one. The music alone had me laughing out loud.
Lots of inside jokes, and whether any of it is true or not, I don’t really care. I understood what was being poked at and that was enough.
Re: the ‘at least we’re talking’ and Dean’s speech: You know, I’ve given up on the where the brothers are at questions and pay little attention to them now. I don’t know where Dean is at and Sam, obviously, is with Dean and has his back. Whether that stays, falls apart, or continues to be built upon is just not something I’m not paying attention to it any longer. For the last 2.5 years, I feel the viewers have been so jerked around on the brothers’ bond issue and that the drama the show is built upon is how that bond is going, I’m just kind of immune to it.
There again, with Dean’s speech. Last week Dean having to leave Lisa/Ben put him more depressed than I’ve ever seen him (even more so than in PONR, I thought). This week he’s giving s speech on the value and worth of their jobs. Then he offers Sam the option of staying, and I thought that was Dean being okay with quitting if Sam wanted to stay, so I don’t know what show is doing with Dean.
I’m not much into the Cas character and I’m not a Mishamigo, but Misha was funny in the episode.
My least favorite part was the end with Cas, Virgil and Raphael. As soon as these powerful beings show up, the boys are in the background because humans are simply too weak to handle the powerful beings. The scene did set up going into Heaven’s civil war and finally meeting the big bad, so it was a useful scene.
I haven’t answered all the questions, but just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, though it was brilliant, and I’m very happy to be able to say positive things about an episode this season.
I don’t think that spending the night with Gen was out of character for Sam. Actually, I think it was quite revealing. Despite all his sense of freakness and his apparent inability of forming emotional connections other than Dean, Sam is obviously hungry for a little love. His keeping it from Dean and his refusal to satay in this alternate universe where he has a “better life” – other than the fact that here they are not brothers – could only mean that he thinks he doesn’t deserve to be happy.
Also, a reviewer mentioned that maybe Sam was once in love with Ruby. So this normal and non-demon Ruby who also happens to be his (Jared’s)wife is a secret wish fulfilment.
I’m left with a tiny hope that, by acknowledging Sam’s needs, the writters might be planning sopmething good for him in the future. If Dean has his Lisa after all, why not Sam? I like to think that somewhere, Sarah Blake is still waiting for him.
[b]1.What was your favorite part of this episode? [/b]
Honestly can’t pick a favourite. The entire fake acting scene was A1, the ridiculously over the top mansion, the Terminangel, Castiel’s wings, Dean Grimly (my 2nd alternative username!) but some of the smaller parts were awesome as well, the guy limboing out of the way of the bullet before nonchalantly walking away was hilarious.
Also: ‘Should we be killing anybody?’ and ‘I should figure out her name’ are two of the best lines ever!
[b]Least favourite?[/b] I wasn’t too gone on the idea that the boys are back to being kept at an arm’s length and to being used by angels. I mean, they saved the fecking world, it’s not like they can’t be trusted. Surely Castiel has learned at this stage the damage that can be done by keeping secrets. It’s a pity he can’t put this knowledge into practise.
[b]2. Did you find the episode confusing in any way? Explain.[/b]
Not really. I didn’t get the alpaca joke (though the picture of it on the mantle was mad!) but apart from that I was pretty good. I’m not going to put too much thought into the whole ‘Jared as Sam as Jared as Sam etc’ bit because trying to write it is a pain in the arse.
However, the very last bit left me a little confused (and concerned). I liked Sam knocking on Bobby’s wall and declaring it solid while Dean commented that it’s chock full of things that want to skin you (or something). I took this as a metaphor for their relationship, it’s now solid (or growing more so) but there are still ‘termites’ out there that may try to weaken it. The bit I’m concerned with is Dean (seemingly) indifferent reaction to Sam’s optimistic grin and his ‘At least we’re talking’. He couldn’t even muster a smile at it. I don’t know what I was expecting there but it just seems a little off to me.
[b]3. How much of what you saw in this episode do you think was true? How much do you believe was satire or parody?[/b]
Not very much (true) to be honest, apart from the names, setting, relationships, some pictures, previous jobs, directors, new showrunners and so on and so forth….
I imagine (and hope) the part about the hugely ostentatious house and trailer are pure satire. Also, I doubt that JP has gigantic pictures of himself all over the place cos while he’s good looking and all, that’s a bit much.
[b]4. How did you like JUST the Sam and Dean portion of the show and the way they worked their way home?[/b]
Actually this question is confusing as wasn’t it all Sam and Dean…… sorry!
I liked it. I liked the contrast between their fake lives and their real lives and that they choose to go back to their crappy lives because back there, they were brothers. In TVland, they weren’t even talking and they were that way for too long. I felt these scenes really reinforced the boy’s relationship, especially with Sam’s rejection of a mansion, wife, career etc in order to be Dean’s brother.
[b]5. What did you think of the alternate universe Misha Collins?[/b]
Soooo dorky! I don’t get this whole tweeting, facebooking, beboing thing going on at the moment so anything to do with that is strange to me. Plus, he has a really squeaky voice! (He looks knackered tired in this episode though.)
I’m assuming it’s a much more exaggerated version of his true self (tweeting, yoga etc). It feels like it focused on Misha Collins the character rather than Misha Collins the person.
[b]6. What do you think happened to the REAL Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki from this universe?[/b]
They’re at my place, obviously. Where else would they be??
Only messing (John wouldn’t allow it…) If it’s an alternative reality then I assume it was set up by the angels specifically for them. Therefore there is no real Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki (if I didn’t have a headache before, I do now!)
[b]7. What do you think happened between Gen and Sam up in that bedroom?[/b]
Not much to be honest. Research, as he said. I don’t think he slept with her. (I wonder what cheating on yourself with your own wife would be like??) I’d say there are too many bad memories and negative connotations associated with Ruby for Sam to be able to sleep with her.
[b]8. What was the significance of the whole “But at least we’re talkin’†business?[/b]
Perhaps it’s alluding to the many times Sam and Dean kept things from each other in the past? Might also be a gentle reminder to Dean that as bad as things are, it could be worse (they didn’t do much talking when Sam was RoboSam). It’s nice that Sam is the one looking for silver linings these days.
[b]9. Your overall opinion of “The French Mistake?†Yea, nay or abstain?[/b]
Most definitely ‘Yea’. There were too many priceless bits in it for me to be negative about it. From the looks of things we’re in for a heavy few weeks (and we’re after a heavy few weeks) so this was a great breath of new air. Plus, it gave the writers and actors a chance to just let loose (and vent!).
[b]10. How did you react to Dean’s speech to Bob Singer about the Winchesters and how they’ve done important things in the world?[/b]
Ithought it was a serious step forward in Dean acknowledging his worth. He does mean a hell of a lot to people back in reality land, he has saved the world and he does mean something huge to his brother. It should give him a bit of an ego boost, especially as he was in the doldrums last week (and for most of season 6, really)
Thanks, Robin. You always ask such interesting questions.
Huh, Dean’s lukewarm reaction to Sam’s ‘at least we’re talking’ sounded really weird to me at first. But on second thoughts, the poor guy is always worried about Sam, especially now with the wall. He was probably not totally convinced that coming back was the best option for Sam. ‘Things that want to skin you’ reminded me of what Castiel said back in Like a Virgin about Sam’s soul feeling like it had been skinned alive. I guess that’s what was in Dean’s mind.
Hi, Yume
I don’t think he was in love with Ruby either, not romantically anyway. But I still think that he projected his deeply buried desire for love on her. And like you said, she was his only relatinship after Jessica.
As for his night with Gen, I have a different POV. Actually it’s complicated and I’m sure not everyone will agree, but if he’s Jared in this universe, so technically speaking she’s his wife. If he spent Jared’s money as his own, he might have thought that he was using his legitimate conjugal rights too.
I’m sure that his sense of responsibility and, ultimately, setting things right, comes first, much like John. But I can’t forget the ‘I’m the least of you all’ either. I still believe that the notion of being undeserving is there somewhere.
But I think we both agree that he does deserve something good. 🙂
I liked the episode. I thought it was histerical. Cliff(the bodyguard) tweeted some answers to some questions about the episode.
1. jand j’s houses are much more low key they don’t want that kind of place.
Jared has said in one of the cons, either the SF one or the L.A. one that he lives on a condo while in Vancouver.
2. he has huge pics of me on his wall lol
3. no J and G don’t have any exotic animals, but they have me …lol
I was surprised they made no mention of Sadie and Harley.
4. and no fish tanks in trailers either and no helicopter.
Cliff confirmed that Jared and Jensen are the best of friends. You can see that in the recent con vids.
fantastic episode, laugh much.
[quote]My favorite part was the shootout at the end with the music from Tarentino’s Kill Bill Vol 2 blasting [/quote]
Much of Kill Bill’s music was either referenced from or direct from Ennio Morricone – he originally was approached to work on the Soundtrack but for whatever reason backed out. Both Tarantino and Rodriguez are Morricone/Leone fans. I’m really hoping that the forthcoming Supernatural Western episode will continue these references. (Spaghetti Western Tragic)
I could only watch till Gen pulls Sam up the stairs then it flashed unable to download.So I really hope Sam did not sleep with Gen because that is not like Sam…I will comment further after some how hopefully i can download the full ep and watch it..
The best parts for me were:
**The “acting” scene. Hilariously funny.
**Virgil gunning down the entire crew (except for the one crew member who seemed to be able to dodge bullets!).
**The return–finally!–of smart, observant and totally badass Dean.
For the sake of Sam’s character, I really hope the answer is “nothing,” It would be, imo, non-consensual sex because she thinks she’s sleeping with her husband. Sam would be intentionally leading her to commit adultery.
So again, I hope not.
I think there has been a lot weighing on Dean (let’s not forget that Dean’s PTSD has never been dealt with, and Dean remembers Hell in detail; no wall for him) and the events of this season, and having to leave in the lurch a family who gave him validation and a sense of worth, combined to leave him very depressed.
That said, I think that the events of this ep was an eye-opener for him, and brought him at least part of the way back to believing that he is, in fact, a protector of people, that there is value to what he does even if it doesn’t always seem that way.
I disagree that Dean was saying he would quit if Sam wanted to stay. I think that Dean–based on his speech to Bob Singer–had already made his decision to return to the “real” Earth, no matter what. What he was doing, imo, was offering Sam the chance to stay if Sam wanted to. He was letting Sam go if that was what Sam chose to do.
My apologies: I clearly did something wrong and my post is missing the quotes I was responding to. I have no idea why and I don’t seem to be able to edit it.
Technology strikes back!