Musings on Being a Guilty Supernatural Cheerleader
Perhaps that’s why Jensen Ackles’ comment this summer that, moving forward in season 9, Dean was done playing “the guilty cheerleader” had such resonance.
Like many people I spent most of hellatus thinking about “Supernatural,” and reflecting on Season 8. One of the issues I struggled with was the dissatisfaction over Dean’s role, with respect to the trials. Many people had wished to see him attempt the trials, and were upset to see him take the supporting role.. again (or so it seemed.)
I never really saw Dean’s role as secondary. He was the keystone, the stone number one. Remove him from the equation and the arc collapses. Castiel needed his counsel and advice when dealing with Metatron, and the fallout of his previous decisions (although unfortunately he didn’t listen). Charlie needed his hard-won insights to help her realize it was time to let go of her Mom. And as the trials took their toll on Sam, both physically and emotionally, he needed Dean to be his rock. He drew strength from Dean’s strength, faith from Dean’s faith.
Dean was incredibly necessary, and very courageous. He kept pushing aside his own fears and concerns to buoy up those around him. So why did the nagging voice keep asking me, “Why can’t Dean be the hero? What can’t he be the one to save the world? “
The nagging voice is smart, and a good debater. I wanted to be able to convince her that Dean’s role was equally important. I offered an analogy. Think back to World War Two (or any war for that matter). The soldiers fighting on the front lines rely on each other AND on those who keep the home fires burning.
There would have been no bombs or bomber planes without Rosie the Riveter. There would have been fewer successful raids without the cipher staff. And soldiers survived, not only because of the medics on the field, or the doctors in the operating room but also because of the nurses who worked tirelessly in the wards.
It’s often been said men don’t fight for the politicians who declare war, or for the generals in command, but for the men in the foxhole beside them. That’s because those men are family – an extension of the family those soldiers left behind at home, an extension of the family they desperately want to return to.
“Hang on”, interrupted the nagging voice. “That’s my point. Dean isn’t fighting. He’s not doing anything important. He’s making soup and running ice baths!” (It’s probably worth noting that the nagging voice heartily endorses ice baths when the Winchester brothers are taking them, and then towelling off! Yowza!)
The nagging voice was really on a roll now. “Just answer me one question”, she demanded. “If Dean’s role is so important, why isn’t anyone cheering for him?”
I must admit the question stopped me cold. Maybe she even had a point. We were all cheering Sam – cheering him to be able to withstand what the trials were putting him through, cheering him to complete the trials (before we knew they might kill him), cheering him that he might see and understand who he was – a good, pure person.
I had to sit for awhile and think about what the nagging voice was really asking. If Dean’s role was so important, and so significant why weren’t we cheering him too?
Was it just because it’s hard to shout “Way to chop those vegetables” with a straight face? Hmmmm… Could something else be at play?
I started to wonder if I, if we (meaning the nagging voice and me) had the question wrong. Was it really a case of there being nothing cheer-worthy about Dean’s actions, or was it more about the way we valued those actions?
That’s when a line from the Season 7 episode “The Mentalist” started echoing in my head.
“Sometimes, one’s true gift is taking care of others.”
Funny how we rate “true gifts”. If they involve athletic prowess – like running, jumping, catching a ball – you’re often rewarded handsomely, and people cheer for you. But if your “true gifts” involve less tangible things – a listening heart, a nurturing nature, the ability to care for others with compassion and generosity – you’re usually called a woman.
I’m joking! … Mostly.
Let me be clear. I hate stereotypes. I’ve spent a good part of my life trying to prove them wrong. I know there are many men who are adept at expressing their feelings, and caring for others. (I’m married to one.) And there are many women who are the anti-thesis of compassionate or nurturing. (I’ve worked with a few.)
However, for the sake of argument, let’s assume that we, “the fairer sex”, are generally assigned the caregiver role. It’s not much of a stretch really. In fact, statistics suggest we still do the bulk of the heavy lifting in that area.
An idea was starting to form, and I called the nagging voice for a meeting. I said to her, “Let’s try this theory on for size…”
When Supernatural first hit the airwaves, the action and the horror were supposed to attract a young male demographic (18 to 29 roughly). But surprise, surprise, it became a show about relationships. A large chunk of the audience turned out to be women in their prime child-bearing or grandchild-tending years.
And of course, if you’re raising your own children, or perhaps tending to the needs of aging parents, you find yourself making a lot of soup and running a lot of baths. But somewhere in the midst of the cooking, cleaning and laundry you stumble upon the journey of the Winchester brothers. You meet them once a week for a little escape, and perhaps a little fantasy?
You like both brothers. You admire and respect them equally. But maybe, for whatever reason, you sometimes find yourself identifying a little more strongly with Dean. It could be because he’s the older sibling. It could be because you both have freckles. It could be because you’ve always had a thing for men with short hair and badass leather jackets (or who used to have a badass leather jacket!). Or maybe it’s that you recognize some of your own personality in him – the loyalty, the recklessness, the give ’em hell attitude. Whatever the reason, you like to cheer for Dean. He’s a hero after all – sold his soul, helped take down the Devil, tries to make the world a better place for everyone. In some strange way, he’s the YOU you’d like to be. Minus the guilt, the trip to Hell, the time in Purgatory, the dead family & friends etc…
Along come the trials. Dean wants to do them. He’d be successful right? But fate intervenes and Sam is tasked with closing the Gates of Hell. Dean is left in the supporting role (support in the truest sense of the word – everything from cough syrup & band aids to propping up a broken body & psyche).
But when Dean is playing that role, it’s harder to lose yourself in the escapism. You’re driving your kids to hockey tournaments, nursing them through a cold, and soothing their pain over the mean words of a classmate. Dean’s driving Sam to his next date with the destiny of the trials, nursing him through their physical effects and soothing Sam’s pain over the angst they’re causing him.
Suddenly his life looks a lot like your own. And you ask yourself – Where’s the fun and excitement in that? You’re both just sitting in the bleachers and cheering on the players on the field. How can the guy sitting next to you, sipping on a black coffee, be a hero?
Except maybe he is… just on a slightly smaller scale. Maybe last weekend he gave first aid to a scared, injured passenger at a car accident. Maybe he volunteers at a food bank or another charity. Or maybe he’s taking a little break before returning to the bedside of a dying relative.
True, it’s not averting the Apocalypse, or saving the world, or freeing it from all demonic influences. But those little actions are still making a huge difference in someone else’s life. Perhaps for them, those little actions are saving the world, or averting the Apocalypse (well… at least averting catastrophe). Maybe he could use, even deserves a pat on the back, or a hug, if not a full-blown “GoGet ‘Em Tigers” cheer.
“Way to wash those clothes?” smiled the nagging voice.
“Way to love your family and friends” I corrected, and laughed.
All those little things, like soup and baths and fretting? They’re all gestures of love. And after all, it’s the Power of Love that saves the world again, and again.
Maybe there’s something to cheer about after all.
Way to go, Dreamer! I think you’ve hit on something with the idea that people who are dissatisfied with Dean’s story arc may be selling it short because they undervalue the role they themselves play.
I must say, I have NEVER seen Dean’s role as any less important or heroic than Sam’s. The brothers truly do need each other to be complete and to prevail against the forces of evil and destiny; that’s what I have always perceived. Dean has always been the nurturer, the Mary-substitute in the diminished Winchester family – and I never perceived that as lesser or secondary to the roles of John and Sam. I hope others can join me in that view. 🙂
I’ve struggled to have any understanding of the Dean is secondary, Dean has no story, Dean’s not a hero thought process. Actually, I haven’t struggle to understand it, I simply don’t.
I’ve never, ever questioned how important his role is or seen his contribution as any less signifcant than Sam’s.
Being a hero takes many forms and that does not have to always be the big heroic act. It can simply be making the tough choices, making the sacrifices for the ones you love or for the greater good. That’s heroic and that’s something Dean does all the time.
The brothers are a team and support each other. They are both heroes, taking different roles in order to accomplish their goals.
Dean’s story is as essential to the arc of Supernatural as Sam’s. I can’t and will never see it any other way.
Dean is a hero, every day, because he gets up and fights, even if he doesn’t want to.
Thanks for the thoughtful piece, Pragmatic Dreamer 🙂
I’ll take the opposite role and say I understand very well why many people were dissatisfied with Dean’s role in the second half of the season. There are two leads in Supernatural, not one and the supporting role.
I agree Dean has always been the nurturer in his family, and his ability to love is one of his strongest attributes and very necessary to the story. It was the strength of Dean’s love that allowed him to reach past Lucifer and help Sam to recover himself.
But Dean is also a hunter to his core, smart and intuitive and a natural leader. His journey in the early seasons was to define himself as a man, not a boy or a son, and he found he was the man people rallied to and relied on.
His two main characteristics don’t play well together and Dean’s attempts at balance generally are to try and suppress one side or the other, but always to his detriment. He was never going to live a suburban life with Lisa and he equally was never going to happy with Future Dean’s view of life. Dean’s journey is finding a way to balance both halves of his nature.
To me, Kripke had an excellent grip on how to show that journey for Dean and he didn’t sell either side short. Dean was as active as Sam throughout his years on the show. As Sam discovered his hidden darkness, Dean admitted his hidden anger at his dad. As Sam struggled to find his identity as a Winchester rather than a vessel, Dean struggled to find his identity as a Winchester and not John’s right hand man.
In season four, when Kripke knew he was kicking the myth arc into high gear, he gave Dean a role in it, a role that required him to act and make decisions which had an impact on the story. He made alliances and enemies among the angels. He forced Sam to detox. In season five, he and Sam equally took on the first three Horseman and Dean got Death’s ring by himself. I never saw any lack of agency for Dean in the Apocalypse story line. It was as critical for Dean to listen to Sam and reject Zachariah as it was for Sam to listen to Dean and fight Lucifer.
The final scene in Swan Song when Dean’s role was to emotionally reach Sam was the culmination of a five year build up to that moment in time, a story in which Dean had been very active in building. And it was incredibly satisfying, because Dean’s ability to love is important to the story.
But I don’t see any of that care in story telling in the second half of season eight. The myth arc kicks into high gear and Dean isn’t given a place in it. He doesn’t have any agency in it. Instead, his role is to cheer Sam on, which to me seems like the writers have taken his journey and completely unbalanced it. To me, the best comparison to Dean’s role in the last half of season eight is the girlfriend role in an active movie. No agency and whose purpose is to focus completely on the hero and build him up.
I value the side of Dean that loves and supports and I believe that he has taken on that role all his life. But he’s also a leader and a hunter and one of the leads of this show. I don’t think his character is best used sitting on the sidelines, being supportive. It flattens his character out.
I think the writers had a hard time getting the balance right last season. In the first half of the season, they made Sam far too opaque and gave us no access to his inner life, and in the second half of the season, Dean was so unnecessary to the plot, most synopses of the final episodes didn’t mention him. Neither character was well served.
I’m really hoping the writers took an honest look at what worked and what didn’t last season, so they tweak things this season.
Well said, Gerry. I couldn’t agree with you more and have nothing to add to this great post.
Sorry, that should have read, the girlfriend role in an *action* movie–typing too fast!
I also don’t understand and completely and utterly reject the idea that Dean is secondary in any way or less heroic. The huge uproar over the idea that he was somehow less heroic because he brought an ailing Sam some food and drink on a tray was beyond ridiculous to me. I think the show has many times had one brother be a caretaker when the other was in need. For me the essence of the show is how these brothers, heroes in every sense of the word, carry on despite being knocked down time and time again. They are both important and absolutely essential to the story. Heroes both of them!
Thank you Pragmatic Dreamer for the thought-provoking article! Maybe you should see someone about those voices. 😀
I’m going to side with Gerry here and say I know exactly why Dean’s role last season was not particularly satisfying to lots of fans. I feel like there’s been a lot of well-written post-mortem analysis of this season meant to convince readers that what they saw in the second half was really a fantastic and integral role for Dean, but none of these articles came out during the season, did they? No one was full of that admiration for Dean and his arc during the second half of the season–it was barely part of the conversation. It’s only the wake of the season and in the hiatus that people seem to be trying to explain to fans why they should have been thrilled with seeing Dean in a strictly reactive, supportive role (again). Honestly, should we really have to think about it this hard to see one of our two leads as heroic? Should it take until the hiatus to see articles praising the role of one of the two leads? I don’t think so, and the fact that it did pretty much speaks for itself to me.
Dean has always been the one more likely to be given the “introspective” arc rather than a proactive one, but in the past he was allowed to take action along with that arc. That really wasn’t the case here in the second half, and without the balance it became really obvious that all Dean had left was being the guilty cheerleader. Being a care-taker and suffering from guilt are personality traits for Dean–they shouldn’t be treated as story-arcs, anymore than being smart and sure of what he wants should somehow be considered storylines for Sam. So, as a fan reading that Dean’s personality is somehow an arc doesn’t track, and if that’s really what show intended me to think it wasn’t satisfying for me.
I think the author hit the nail on the head in saying that fans want to cheer their favorite, or at the very least both of the heroes of the show, and that’s not what happened. Show took the time to have more than one character tell us how important Sam’s role was and how strong and wonderful he was. And he was–that’s not really the point. The point is, show very clearly told us that one brother was heroic and did not give any support to Dean or his role in the story. There is no balance there. If show wants to sell that Dean’s supportive role was just as important, then it should be built up and praised to the same extent. It isn’t, though, is it, because in an action/sci-fi show the giver of the yellow crayon speech is rarely, if ever, treated as equally heroic. We can discuss semantics and hypotheticals about what fans are bringing to the table and what the show’s demographics are, but at the end of the day this is a sci-fi/supernatural adventure show with some pretty conventional ideas about what they praise/treat onscreen as being heroic. And show did not treat Dean as such–his role was not acknowledged, point blank.
To me, if the PTBs (and the writers of analyses) want to convince others that they’re wrong to dislike a storyline, they need to offer more than “Well, there’s just something wrong with your perspective/You don’t value the right things/You’re not grateful for what you’ve got” (not that this article says all of those things–there’s been a lot of articles/comments like this in the hiatus). I guess the other thing I always think is that if Jensen, who knows Dean and his story better than anyone, says this is all Dean was in the second half and is looking forward to leaving it behind, it’s a hard sell to some fans to say that what he was doing was really proactive and heroic and Jensen just isn’t aware of it. If Dean’s role in the second half worked for some people, I think that’s great, but I really don’t understand why those of us for whom it didn’t work seem to being psycho-analyzed as to why we didn’t like it, instead of our perspective being viewed as just as valid an interpretation of what was on-screen. Maybe that’s not what’s being intimated here, but like I said, this isn’t the first article I’ve seen on this subject, and if the article doesn’t reach this conclusion someone in the comments invariably does. Perspectives are going to vary, and I don’t think one is more right than the other. Just my opinion.
Maybe the real problem for some fans isn’t that being the supporter isn’t heroic–it’s that fans are simply tired of being handed the same storylines over and over again. We’ve seen many variations of the “Something’s wrong with Sam/Dean supports and takes care of him” theme at this point–seeing it again just isn’t that thrilling anymore. For me, it’s not so much about the trials as much as it is Dean being parked outside the action and given nothing to do but react and support others again. If show is balanced between the characters and the characters’ arcs are balanced between active and emotional storylines, I just don’t think that should be the case. As Gerry said, they used to be better at this, and I hope that they are better than this in S9.
Thank you for this spoilerfree article.Such good articles helps me spend this harrowing hellatus . 🙂 Personally I have stopped having any connection to Dean as a character.The imbalance of showing only Dean’s side immediately and keeping Sam’s side for the end of the season ( 5 min monologue) has made me not like the way they are telling the story.Sam has been my favourite but I had liked dean almost as much as Sam till season 5.I hope I regain that connection to Dean.
I am not sure how much cheering was going on for Sam with the trials? in fact I am not sure how much cheering Sam has ever got being the silent mystery non pov character he has been. I have always felt that we have got Dean’s story even when it was Sam’s sl .
I suppose balance is a nice idea but what balance depends on how the individual sees the story. The show is mired in the Dean perspective so maybe he was written abit flat towards the end of the season but he wasnt shown to abandon his brother in the way Sam’s actions were perceived at the begining of the season . If Dean had done the trials what would we have had with Sam ? I honestly dont know .
The way the brothers are written is not going to dramatically change next season and if Dean is given a major fleshed out story which I fully expect whatever is going on with Sam will still more than likely be seen through Dean with a small dose of Sam thoughts thrown in.
I agree with Sharon. Cause when Sam sacrificed himself for the apocalypse there was no imo “cheering” for Sam. Or when Sam suffered from “Dean putting back the soul with knowing of the deadly consequenses” it was ah well went wrong too bad…
Or with the trials in a childish manner Dean wanted to do these trials, and when Sam jumped in to help his brother, Dean was again frustrated with Sam cause he got the “lollypop” in the end.
But seeing his little brother suffering from the trials, brought him back to mind what family stands for.
And btw Garth & Charlie always reminded Dean how lucky he is to have a brother.
=>Perspectiv
Therefore I agree with Sharon, it is still going to be a Dean perspectiv show with a little spicy touch of Sam.
And in my pov thats ok, cause when you cook a lovely meal, without the spice in it, it would taste boring.
greetz from Berlin (and please excuse my english/german)
Sharon, I agree with you that the writers have sometimes gotten the balance wrong with each brother. The first half of the season, in my opinion, did not give us Sam’s emotional arc in his decision not to look for Dean, nor did it really tell us whether he left Amelia because he recognized his relationship with her was based more on fleeing from his grief than a real sense of belonging with her, or whether he knew he could not leave the quest once he had committed and sacrificed his life with the one he loves. Sam has always been a more internal character than Dean, but not giving us his perspective on huge story-changing decisions did not help that story line.
But this article was on Dean’s journey and how successful it was, so my comment was only focused on that. I don’t think there is any contradiction between feeling the writers last season sometimes gave too little of Sam’s emotional life and sometimes did not give Dean a role that gave him agency in the over all story line. Both can be true and to me, were true last season.
As I mentioned above, I have not felt this in past seasons. Sam IS a more internal character than Dean, and Dean is the emotional center of his family. I think that has been well established. But in past seasons, I still felt each brother’s journey was well-drawn. Last season, it seemed like the writers could concentrate on one brother at a time and the other one did not get much balance when it wasn’t his turn.
I really hope the writers did a post-mortem of the kind Eric Kripke did with Revolution, where he honestly assesed what worked and what didn’t. Kripke did the same on Supernatural and I think kept the writing and characterization sharp.
I have to say I’m with Gerry and just saying on this one. I love Dean’s sense of love, loyalty and family and his empathy for other characters. I don’t see these as weaknesses or abandonment issues on Dean’s part. These are traits I admire in my own life. That being said, I also thought Dean’s role in the second half of the season was greatly diminished to just “guilty cheerleader”, to both Sam and Cas. It also doesn’t help that Sam always seems so snarky and unappreciative of Dean’s support. That is a disservice to both characters IMO. It didn’t bother me that Dean brought Sam food on a tray, it bothered me that Sam jumped up and got all snarky about it. If Sam doesn’t value Dean’s support then TPTB are sending us the message that we shouldn’t either and I don’t like that message, personally. Oddly, secondary characters, such as Benny, Charlie and even Cas, do seem to be more appreciative of Dean’s efforts to help them. So, my problem is with the characterization of both Sam and Dean in this area. I don’t like it when TPTB make Sam seem like the spoiled, self absorbed little brother and Dean the weak, constantly appeasing older brother. It’s a disservice to both characters, IMO. I just hope that whatever Dean does to keep Sam alive in S9 doesn’t end up being another thing he has to feel guilty about because Sam gets pissed. I want the brothers to be united and supportive of each other and save their anger for the bad guys.
[quote]Sharon, I agree with you that the writers have sometimes gotten the balance wrong with each brother. The first half of the season, in my opinion, did not give us Sam’s emotional arc in his decision not to look for Dean, nor did it really tell us whether he left Amelia because he recognized his relationship with her was based more on fleeing from his grief than a real sense of belonging with her, or whether he knew he could not leave the quest once he had committed and sacrificed his life with the one he loves. Sam has always been a more internal character than Dean, but not giving us his perspective on huge story-changing decisions did not help that story line.
But this article was on Dean’s journey and how successful it was, so my comment was only focused on that. I don’t think there is any contradiction between feeling the writers last season sometimes gave too little of Sam’s emotional life and sometimes did not give Dean a role that gave him agency in the over all story line. Both can be true and to me, were true last season.
As I mentioned above, I have not felt this in past seasons. Sam IS a more internal character than Dean, and Dean is the emotional center of his family. I think that has been well established. But in past seasons, I still felt each brother’s journey was well-drawn. Last season, it seemed like the writers could concentrate on one brother at a time and the other one did not get much balance when it wasn’t his turn.
I really hope the writers did a post-mortem of the kind Eric Kripke did with Revolution, where he honestly assesed what worked and what didn’t. Kripke did the same on Supernatural and I think kept the writing and characterization sharp.[/quote]
I was aware of your previous post but my thoughts have not changed for a number of seasons going back to Eric Kripke. I will not get into why I feel Sam has not had the same clear storytelling that Dean has had. I feel Dean’s journey is one we have been more privy to and have been given more insight into.
I dont disagree with balance but do I think Jeremy and the writers took a long hard look at mistakes done last year ? I certainly would not bet on it .
There’s no secret that I have a few issues with season 8. (OK a lot of issues with season 8), but I have never seen Dean (or Sam) as less of a hero than Sam (or Dean). I don’t always agree with the way they are portrayed for doing what they do, but they are a team.
We’ve been shown over and over again that NEITHER is as strong/efficient/effective without the other. They support and complete each other, which imo, is what gives them their humanity! (Humans are truly pack animals afterall) Yes, Dean has been a “parent figure/care taker” for a large part of the story, but that’s in keeping with being the older sibling, and in no way lessens his actual role, imo.
Who says being a hero is a solo occupation? Just because the iconic superhero is a misunderstood loner, that doesn’t have to be a truth. Why does one have to be less important than the other? Why must one play the role of sidekick, and not both be seen as the hero?
Identifying more strongly with one does not lessen the importance of the other, imo, and neither does seeing one character being strong for the other when needed.
Maybe you’re right, PDreamer. Perhaps those who have trouble cheering Dean’s actions this season in reality have trouble valuing the role of the caretaker in our society. And that’s an incredibly sad state of affairs. Maybe we need a bunch more Deans to admire. (And isn’t that a lovely thought! 😉 )
Loved the article! I had a eureka moment about why I identify more with Dean when I admire Sam so much. I love Sam and my heart broke for him this season a couple of times. I see Sam as good to the core, making bad decisions with the best of intentions. He needs some flaws so he’s not too good. I see Dean as more obviously flawed and yet stronger somehow.
I feel Sam needed to do the trials for his own sake. Not because he didn’t look for Dean but because of how he feels about himself in general. I think Dean feels equal to his brother, protective of him but deep down I don’t think Dean feels superior to him. I’m not sure Sam feels equal to Dean. Dean tends to feel an onus to save the world but it’s not the same kind of need. Not that Dean doesn’t suffer from self-worth issues but I don’t see them applying to his relationship with Sam.
Sharon—I wasn’t referring to the audience cheering for Sam to complete the trials, though I certainly do believe Sam has supporters in fandom and that they were cheering for him. I was referring to the cheering within the show, which was depicted through Dean in his speech to the preacher in the church, through Charlie, who told us if anyone could do this it was Sam. And I don’t have a problem with these moments, because Sam deserved support and to have people believing in him. But, as Prix68 noted, there was no such appreciation of Dean’s role during that time—Sam clearly chafed at Dean’s attempts to take care of him and no one in universe seemed to acknowledge that Dean was playing an equally important role. That is what I mean when I speak of balance between the roles in the second half. I keep seeing poster refer to those who didn’t love Dean’s role in the second half as a societal problem or a perspective problem, but show set the standard for how we saw the roles in universe. If even Sam didn’t appreciate what Dean was doing, how can the viewers be expected to think that show valued his role equally? I do think that using this kind of storyline where Dean falls back into his satellite to family role while Sam actively fights against his help perpetuates a sense of imbalance in the brothers’ relationship for a lot of viewers, which does neither Sam nor Dean any favors.
As for balance in general, I agree that Sam being an internal character has given him the short end of the stick in terms of emotional storylines and POV at times, just as Dean being the emotional storyline character has given him the short end in terms of agency and active roles in the central story. I think last year was one of the biggest examples of that imbalance, and like you say, I’m not sure how much it’s going to change. I hope, but I don’t expect much—show does love its patterns. But since we’re focusing on Dean in this article, I think it would be great if show decided to (for once) flip roles and allow Sam to be the supportive, emotional storyline character, exploring his thoughts about his brother and himself, while allowing Dean to take the active role in the main story and find some value in himself outside of what he can do for others. Being a great care-taker is part of Dean’s personality and a great one, but it isn’t and shouldn’t be the whole of who he is.
Call me selfish but I want both brothers to share their feelings and perceptions with other people and I want them both to be active in the main story role. That is very doable (if that’s even a word lol) and has been done successfully in many stories. If we have to have conflict between them, let it be about something other then their feelings and worth to each. Let their fights be about strategy and moral issues about how to set things right with the world. In the early episodes the brothers fought but it was more quickly and cleanly resolved and they actually seemed to share their feelings more easily with each other. Now every talk they seem have and action they take individually is like a never ending mine field. A little brotherly angst goes a long way. Let’s have some united brothers and fans. Well, maybe fans is asking for too much! Lol
Prix68- Totally agree with you on this one! Yeah, don’t think the fans are ever going to be united! For the most part I just try and not get hit by the shrapnel 😛 .
Prix68—Oh, I agree, don’t get wrong! Ideally, both Sam and Dean could and should have emotional exploration, ties and conversations with others, and an active role in the main storyline. That absolutely should be the gold standard for show. It’s just that given what we saw last year, I thought asking for that was setting my sights a little too high. I’m still waiting to see if the PTB can handle multiple arcs for one character simultaneously, because last season that sure didn’t seem to be the case, so I was trying to set obtainable goals, I guess. I’d prefer it your way, but I was afraid to ask for too much!
I definitely agree that the internal strife between the brothers has grown very wearisome. I agree that the short, flare-up conflicts were fine, but lately the conflicts seem so drawn out and OMGDRAMAZ. When the conflicts seemed to center on moral issues or strategies, it was easy to get a sense of the bond remaining intact even as they disagreed. Now the conflict seems to center solely on each other’s wrong actions, and the truces always seem so fragile. They so rarely fully resolve their issues that even in times of peace they seem to be walking on egg shells around each other—your minefield analogy is apt. I’m ready for show to dig up those minefields and let them get back on solid ground, but this season proved to me that show is willing to go back and throw old bombs (or to weaponize new issues, like retconning Dean into blaming Sam for his soullessness) just to get the OMGDRAMAZ they want. And again, since show never really resolves these things satisfactorily or is willing to throw away the resolutions for big moments, I don’t feel like Sam and Dean have been on firm ground for a while. The new spoilers don’t help me think we’re getting there, either.
I’m definitely ready for more united brothers, but I’m afraid it probably is asking for too much. Like I said, the first spoilers aren’t instilling me with a lot of hope on that front, so I hope those are dispensed with fairly quickly and we can get real action and emotional storylines for both brothers. If show can’t manage to have balance, which to me they haven’t proven they can, at least not for a while now, I at least hope for something new, and a role reversal instead of staying in the same well-worn ruts would do the trick.
Beautiful piece, PD. It underlines a lot of why I love Dean as much as I do—despite that “Nagging voice” or the arguments that make his role or character less than. Dean IS important in more ways than I can count. He is the character I think we all want to be in many many ways. We want to be the strong one that people rely on and the one that can muster the strength when no one else around us can. Thanks for reminding us that Dean can and does that for almost everyone on the show at some point—and that the role he serves is blessedly important.
[quote]There’s no secret that I have a few issues with season 8. (OK a lot of issues with season 8), but I have never seen Dean (or Sam) as less of a hero than Sam (or Dean). I don’t always agree with the way they are portrayed for doing what they do, but they are a team.
We’ve been shown over and over again that NEITHER is as strong/efficient/effective without the other. They support and complete each other, which imo, is what gives them their humanity! (Humans are truly pack animals afterall) Yes, Dean has been a “parent figure/care taker” for a large part of the story, but that’s in keeping with being the older sibling, and in no way lessens his actual role, imo.
Who says being a hero is a solo occupation? Just because the iconic superhero is a misunderstood loner, that doesn’t have to be a truth. Why does one have to be less important than the other? Why must one play the role of sidekick, and not both be seen as the hero?
Identifying more strongly with one does not lessen the importance of the other, imo, and neither does seeing one character being strong for the other when needed.
Maybe you’re right, PDreamer. Perhaps those who have trouble cheering Dean’s actions this season in reality have trouble valuing the role of the caretaker in our society. And that’s an incredibly sad state of affairs. Maybe we need a bunch more Deans to admire. (And isn’t that a lovely thought! 😉 )[/quote]
I don’t have any trouble valuing caretaking at all and love that Dean is the caretaker in his family–though that also is a source of pain at times for him, which is realistic.
I won’t speak for others, but my issue with the last half of season 8 is an issue with the last half of season 8, not with Dean’s over all characterization as a caretaker. In past seasons, Dean was able to be both a caretaker and active in the story line; it wasn’t an either/or choice.
In the second half of season 8, his role was limited to support for Sam, rather than that being one aspect of his role. And that’s where I have the problem. A character who exists in the story to give support to the active lead character rather than have his/her own agency and journey is not only a sidekick, but not a terribly well drawn one. I can value support and caretaking and still think the girlfriend role in a stereotypical action movie is thinly drawn and not very interesting. I don’t think switching genders make that problem go away.
I would hate it if the writers dropped Dean’s ability to nurture from the story–it’s integral to him. But so is his ability to act. There’s no reason to drop that side of him, either, for half a season.
I also think that in terms of the writing, Sam being active does not by extension make Dean active, any more than Dean getting good emotional exploration with Castiel and Benny means by extension Sam did, too. Each character has to be serviced by the script.
Leah d and just saying – We’re always told what a powerful fandom we are and I think from comments I’ve read, that most fans want that balance and are tired of the OMGDRAMAZ. We just need to make TPTB know this. We need to band together and get JC and Bob Singer to believe it. Maybe a petition that says “no more contrived brother drama” or something.
Dean has been my hero ever since I first noticed the show during season 3. Seeing it from season 1 straight through I’ve never ever thought any the less of him or his role.
I love his devotion to Sam, his loyalty to his friends (few that they may be), his love for his mom and his dad, his defiance, his heart and courage, his bravery and his fighting spirit that never gives up or gives in! He is the hero, the linch-pin of this show and MY hero whether he is scrapping with the bad guys or fixing Sammy dinner. I love his kick-ass smartass horny persona. He is all of these things and I go along with Kripke when he said Dean was the hero of the show. He is the nurturing gladiator of the show and I love him for it!
The ones complaining he never has anything to do are watching a different show than I am.
Prix68- I am leery of anything that smacks of fans banding together and trying to sway TPTB to their way of thinking. I honestly think that they are well aware of our concerns. They are never going appeased all of us. I have read a few fan petitions lately that were frankly embarrassing and were even threatening. ‘We are a mighty fandom, beware our wrath’ sort of thing. I want balance and less contrived drama also. But the TPTB must do what they think is best. The LOUD clamor of all the different factions of the fandom are best ignored IMHO. 🙂
Leah d – I agree with you in principal but I actually think the contrived drama is a result of TPTB thinking that this IS what fans want because it causes so much commenting and controversy. Who knows, maybe it is.
Bevie- I also see Dean that way but not so much in the second half of S8. I agree with Jensen’s “guilty cheerleader” comment.
Prix68- Maybe, but what I think happened is the fans were generally unhappy with season 7 and the feeling of disconnect that we felt from the brothers due to everything that they had gone through. I think this was their way of fixing that. Take them to a really, really low point and then have them slowly come back to each other with a new and better understanding of one another. We all like angst but the way they did it was awkward and divisive. Neither brother was well served IMO. They did better later in the season but damage done.
Leah D—In theory, I think the PTB might have had the right idea in thinking that they needed to really break and fix the brothers’ relationship in S8, as fans really didn’t seem to feel that Sam and Dean were brothers as much as co-workers in S7. The problem, of course, is that what they ended up doing was having the conflict start from a place that a lot of fans didn’t find realistic (Sam not looking for Dean) and seemed to fly against what the brotherly bond had previously been depicted to be. They compounded that by bringing up the ghosts of the past that fans had believed had already been put to rest. But the absolute worst thing about both of these things was the fact that they didn’t fix the brothers any more than any other season—at mid-season, they slapped a band-aid on the boys’ issues and swept them under the rug until they needed OMGDRAMAZ for the finale. If you’re going to break it, you’ve got to fix it, but the PTB seemed to run away from actually dealing with the damage they’d caused like a scalded dog. The boys might have seemed more brotherly in the second half, but because they never really fixed the first half it either felt false or like the other shoe was about to drop at any moment, because nothing had really been resolved. Of course, in the finale they did drop that shoe in anvilicious fashion, which undercut its effectiveness for me. Plus
Spoilers
The sneak peeks from the premiere with Sam declaring he has nothing left to fight for and Dean still keeping secrets makes me think we still don’t have brothers fighting side by side. We have the same distrust, insecurities, isolation, and issues that the finale was (once again) supposed to fix. So there doesn’t seem to be much growth to be found yet. I hope both of these things are dealt with fast and then disappear.
End spoilers
So, bringing it back to the PTB, I don’t really think that they’re all that invested on pleasing the fans at this point, as much as they are pleasing themselves and hoping the fans are along for the ride. I forget who, but one of the PTB pretty much said exactly that in a spring interview. I do agree with Leah D that there are so many factions of fandom whose wishes are diametrically opposed to each others’ that it’s going to be impossible to listen to and please all of them. On the other hand, I don’t think advocating that each brother have an active storyline, brought to a satisfactory resolution rather than being summarily dropped, and an emotional storyline that does more than rehash the same issues is a bad thing. It’s certainly something that would come the closest to pleasing everyone, at least to me.
Just saying- I get the same feeling as you from the spoilers but I am hoping since JA brought up the “guilty cheerleader” thing that it was his way of saying that there was an awareness of it and it was going to be different this season. Also they have all been stressing in interviews that the brothers are united. So maybe they do get.
#26 Leah d- yes I agree
I am so stoked for the first episode and I know it will be the fastest hour on TV. Wish we could have a two hour season premier because it’s been such a long hellatus and I hour is going to be like putting out a house fire with a glass of water.
Prix68 🙂 In spite of being a little apprehensive, I am also very stoked for the premiere!!
just saying ” On the other hand, I don’t think advocating that each brother have an active storyline, brought to a satisfactory resolution rather than being summarily dropped, and an emotional storyline that does more than rehash the same issues is a bad thing. It’s certainly something that would come the closest to pleasing everyone, at least to me.” That certainly sounds reasonable to me. Many people seems to think their favored character is slighted and the other is treated much better so it will be a challenge for them indeed.