WFB Roundtable Interview With Jensen Ackles, San Diego Comic Con 2014
Our roundtable interview with Jensen at San Diego Comic Con was the longest one we had all day, clocking in at just under six minutes. He talked with us about his working relationship with Jared and this new Demon Dean arc plus the difficulty of switching gears to that new role while trying to direct the episode. His hair is longer too, which makes watching this footage rather pleasing. Below the video is the transcript if you can’t make out what he’s saying because you’re too entranced with the pretty.
Oh, and, SPOILER ALERT!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKxZD54e0Z4
Having to be so close with Jared in the show, how did you transition in that “business only” relationship with him, you separated as brothers for a bit. How did you pull that off?
The story kind of dictates a lot how we play certain things. We’ve been playing these characters for a long time. We’re very comfortable with adapting the character to the situation. This just happened to be a situation that we were dealt. The fact that Sam said some things that Dean was surprised he’d say, just gotta let him process that and figure out what that does to the relationship and then you obviously saw that because the writing pointed it out. But oddly enough, doing a scene where it’s strictly business and we’re not paling around like brothers as in a previous season as soon as they yell ‘cut’ we’re exactly the same than either one of those certain story lines. So the working environment doesn’t change, the working relationship doesn’t change, it’s just when they yell ‘action’ the way the characters related to each other, that’s your piece.
Back in season three, Dean was heading towards being a demon, possibly going to Hell. As an actor, were you thinking about how you might play that? Did you think it might happen and does it differ from what you’re doing now with the character?
I didn’t really give a lot of thought as to how I would play it back then because I knew that I wasn’t going to have to. You play it right up to the point that you need to and then you sit back and wait for the scripts to come in and be a fan myself. The fact that they didn’t take him down that road I never had to invest in how I was going to do that per se. That being said, this particular version of Dean that we start with in season ten is, and I said this at the panel, it’s not that Dean is possessed by a demon it is that his own soul is actually twisted enough to where it’s become demonic. I basically took what Dean was doing last season, which was really kind of tortured and brooding…it was a tough season for ole Dean last year. He was going through a lot. The fact that he betrayed his brother, the fact that he feels like he lost his brother as a brother, and that he didn’t have that motivating force of protecting Sammy like he always had and he was on a crash collision course.
I wanted to take all that away, all the weight of the world, all the heavy heart, the guilt, just all of that stuff, remove all that because Demon Dean does not care. So that’s where I went with this character is that he is Dean without a care in the world. It’s not comedic, it’s almost scary. I think that he cares so little for anybody and everybody and he loves it. I think that’s scary.
Is it weird to reinvent that like this after doing it for so long?
Very. Very weird. I don’t know if you saw the little sizzle reel they did in the panel but just Jeremy and I talked and he’s like, ‘Maybe you do your hair a little different’ and I’m like ‘alright.’ So they cut it quite short so it gives me somewhere to go like when I get back to regular Dean I can shed that portion of that facade. Yeah it was, to answer you question, it was really difficult. It was also difficult because I was introducing the character and also directing that episode. They shot my episode first so that I could prep without working blah, blah, blah, technical stuff.
So, I had to really, really prep. I mean, it kept me up nights for eight days. I got it to a point where I knew that I could set it to auto pilot once I got to the set so far as the directing because I’d homework it so much, and that way I could focus on bringing this new character to life which was nerve wracking. Am I making sure I’ve got the coverage I need for Jared’s side of the stuff, oh wait, I need to be focusing on the lines that I’m about to deliver because I’m not doing it like regular Dean which I could just snap into, I’ve got to think about this whole other mindset.
And dual role.
Absolutely. It was a tough challenge and I like to challenge myself and that’s where I get the gratification.
Oooh, it looks like Demon Dean will get to keep the hair. It’s shallow, I know, but he looks so fine with it longer. 😀
I am liking what I hear about Demon Dean. He’s going to be ruthless, viscous, uncaring, scary…. as he should be. He needs to be a real threat, otherwise Sam and Cas have nothing to fight for. This part of the story is shaping up nicely. Hopefully there will be something equally good for Sam. He’s gotten the short end of the stick for so long now that I am not sure they even know how to do anything with his character but have him drive the other characters, but we’ll see.
I’m eager to see how far they take things with Demon Dean; they’ve established that it is Dean’s soul that has done the demon twist, and not a demonic possession. Sounds like JA is psyched about the season. I like the fact that they’re mixing things up in S10 i.e. something wrong with Dean instead of something wrong with Sam.
I’m so looking forward to Season 10 and Demon Dean. (Not too taken with Jensen’s longer hair personally but I seem to be in the minority and I get why they’ve chosen to differentiate Demon Dean’s look from “normal” Dean!) The sizzle clip of episode 3 has me very excited for the new season – it looks like we may be in for lots of angst and emotional confrontations which is what I’ve always loved about Supernatural – am currently re-watching seasson 4 which had plenty of that! Thanks for posting this video – always nice to hear Jensen’s thoughts about Dean.
I am very exited about season 10. I have just let it out in a different environment.
We are still there keeping the flag up Alice! On my behalf I loved that you wrote the transcript of the video so I read it rather than watching it. I guess we got a lot of the fast phased interviews from the con and we got those a lot. I actually visit the site every day watching what articles are up. Haven’t commented that much for reasons that I won’t dwell here but trust us. There is a secret cult group on your site and we are talking a lot about the show, writers, characters, quotes, canon. Pasting videos, pictures, links. Talking about spoilers excitedly and everything we like and dislike so it won’t overwhelm us.
You are doing amazing work and I know it is hard. We really wait articles from you and the other writers and talk about them. Just wanting you to know we are there I suppose. I love all of Supernatural. I maybe like Dean little bit more than Sam but Sam I adore too.
PS: I read all you posted. Just wanted you to know that. The noise and such in the background makes it hard to understand so that is why I read the text that I wouldn’t miss anything. 🙂
– Lilah
I also want to say a great big THANK YOU to you Alice, for keeping this site going, posting articles, posting interviews, writing articles and reviews and all the thousand things that we don’t know about that you do to keep the site going. It must be difficult to keep this site going with RL to deal with and then to put up with us sometimes.
I want to thank the other reviewers for their contributions also, you all have a gift and I am glad you let us see a little of it here.
I am sorry that sometimes we don’t appreciate what you do and that we are negative sometimes, I think it is due to various reasons and way too many to put here, but please know that there are those of us who are very positive about SPN and S10 and are excited that we still have our show to look forward too.
Come on S10!
Hear..hear…I couldn’t agree more. Alice does an amazing job as do all the writers here. I can’t thank you enough Alice for keeping this website going. I know everything must end but my life is richer because of this site. I have made friends that I think I will have for life because of it. So thank you again I am so glad I found it and that you keep it going despite us sometimes.
Thanks everyone. It’s all been very frustrating from my perspective. I’ve given so much to building this site. Six years of me writing things during my lunches and breaks, taking my laptop everywhere like kids sporting events, staying up doing admin and other work until about 1 or 2 am every day. I did it because I loved it, I believed in it, and I wanted to share the joy. But there’s no more joy in this for me. This website is no longer a relevant voice in this fandom and that’s a problem. Numbers are declining, ad revenue (which pays for operating costs) is declining, and my heart isn’t in it anymore. Worst of all, this site has steered far away from my original vision, and not in a good way. It was a place where we would post thought provoking, analytical articles, and fans would come to discuss in a civil, constructive manner. We used to get a lot of fans joining in on the fun. Now general perception is we’re a site that can be visited because our comments and discussion atmosphere has been taken over by radical, unapologetic Sam fans (their words, not mine). Comments are just plain painful to read. Our name is poison now and any efforts to change perception are failing.
Now I can’t even get comments on a Jensen interview! You know that my Jensen interview from two years ago has over 100,000 hits on YouTube? The point is, we used to be the go to site for Comic Con and other information. Now we’re an afterthought. I heard a lot of yesterday, “What, you posted an interview?” Yes, I’ve been promoting the link for four days! My Arrow and The Originals coverage is getting way more attention, so that’s my focus.
I’m personally stepping away from the site for a while and putting my efforts into TV For The Rest of Us. I will write and publish my Deeper Look at Dean Winchester as promised and that’s all I’m writing. We won’t be going away though. We still have articles to post and Nightsky will be handling a lot of things. I’ll still play system administrator. I’m giving this site about a month and if things don’t turn around, it will be folded into TV For The Rest of Us. It’s not a done deal yet, but that’s what I’m leaning toward.
However, I do appreciate all of you that have stuck with us this long. It means the world and I’m grateful. I’m just afraid I’ve hit a breaking point.
Alice – Seems that Sam fans and Dean fans are the most vocal and tend to drown out the Winchester Brother fans. I would have to agree the Sam fans have been dominating the recent discussions on this site; I’ve checked out a few other sites, which, in my opinion, have a strong Dean bias. For instance, I saw one conversation that went on for pages and pages that basically put the blame for Dean becoming a demon at Sam’s feet, and a lot of this was from names I recognize from this site in the past who don’t appear to be active here any longer.
Having only been involved in SPN fandom for about two years, I’m not sure if this if fixable. Is this fracture something new, has it always existed, has it simply gotten worse over time, is it the result of a show having been on the air for going on 10 years, or is it the broader problem of people wanting to only associate with like minded people?
In any event, looking forward to your upcoming deeper look at Dean Winchester article. I’ve got a couple of interesting (to me anyway) theories and curious to see if any of those are included in your article.
Maybe it’s time for the comment section to go away for a while until everyone gets a chance to cool down. While the comments here can sometimes get out of hand it’s nothing compared to what goes on elsewhere. I also visit other sites but I wouldn’t dare comment because being a brother fan is generally not accepted. Maybe we can make this a challenge to ourselves to be better fans than anyone else. The show is going to continue on for at least 2 more years I would hate to lose this website for the duration. I don’t think Alice is asking too much from us after all that she has given.
And as an aside I have seen the WFB complaints (to put it as nicely as I can) on other sites and the outright lies about this site are beyond ridiculous. These opinions are usually from extreme fans that just want to pick fights.
People do get a little passionate, and sometimes go off on interesting tangents, but it’s nothing compared to the toxic and vitriolic crap seen on some other sites. I’m amongst the fans that were disappointed with many aspects of the second half of S9, but am optimistic about S10 and have been trying to be more optimistic and upbeat in my comments and opinions. Not always successful but hey, I’m still a work in progress 😉
I agree with njspnfan. The problem is not this site… it’s the larger issue of the fans basically being divided, and to some extent it has always been that way going back to the very first season when Sam fans complained that Dean smothered Sam and tried to crush his dreams and Dean fans complained that Sam betrayed Dean and the family business by wanting to go to school. Since the introduction of Cas, we now have a three way split to contend with and all of the complexities that comes with warring “shippers.” This divide is nothing new but with the introduction of Castiel as a character it probably has gotten a little more intense since season 4.
And njpsnfan is further correct that what happens here is positively tame and completely civil by comparison to what happens on dozens of other sites where the sentiment is mostly anti-Sam. I fear that if Alice grows despondent enough with the way she feels this site is functioning and decides to pull it, we Sam fans will have no place left to go; there simply is no other safe place for us to voice our concerns and discuss our favorite show where we can feel safe in showing our love for Sam and not be shamed and ridiculed for it. Can you imagine one of us Sam supporters trying to say something about Sam’s story over on TVWOP? We’d be eviscerated in 30 seconds flat, labeled a hater and told to go away, and you could simply forget about having any kind of meaningful discussion about story and characterizations even if you could get past the personal attacks. I am sorry if some think this site is excessively negative, but really by comparison to other sites, it isn’t. It’s critical and sometimes a bit passionate, but there’s no name calling here, no character bashing (or little of it in general and what little comes up is quickly moderated) or post after post making up false facts to support an absurd argument and calling the people who disagree “stupid,” a “hater” or claim that we are “ruining the fandom” or further claiming that some arguments have no merit because they are secretly “a shipper” of some sort and that negates everything they’ve said. This site is nothing like that and without being able to come here to discuss the show, I won’t be able to discuss it at all, because I am not brave enough to weather the toxic atmosphere of some of the other comment sites and subject myself the the name calling and degradation that happens there.
I am sorry Alice if you feel that this site has changed and that you don’t like those changes. Just like the show, the site probably can’t be what it was in the early days; everything evolves. The show has changed and so has this site (although, I don’t see evidence of what you were saying, to me WFB is the most recognizable and respected name in fan sites; even the actors know about it). I am sorry that you have lost your love for this wonderful site and hope that you find some way to renew your love for the show and for this site, as it continues to be (IMHO) the most respected, thorough, informative and civil place to discuss Supernatural.
Do you feel there could be a way that Sam fans could be more inclusive of brother and Dean fans? I think this is what Alice is talking about. I don’t think she wants this to be an exclusive Sam site. There must be a way that fans of the brothers and Dean can also participate in the discussion. This site may not be as bad as others but could it be better? I do remember when the discussion was mostly about the episodes and what the future for the brothers was going to hold. I hope the evolution of this site doesn’t mean that only Sam fans are welcome. Because right now that is the perception and yes the WFB is being unfairly criticized for it’s perception as a Sam only site. It is brutal “out there” but there won’t be an “in here” anymore unless we (as those who love this site) can find a way to encourage all fans to participate.
Can I hop in on this?
I’m a both brothers fan and generally feel welcome. I’ve never felt any of the articles were remotely biased. If I was to make one suggestion? Don’t keep “score”. If someone makes a positive or negative comment about one of the characters, don’t jump in with a “balancing” comment JUST for the sake of making sure that equal commentary is made. If it’s a natural comment consistent with the topic, fabulous. But if your instinct is to provide a defending our “counter”, think twice?
As for the volume of comments on each of the SPN Comic-Con topics (which might somewhat be involved in the topic)…Every year the comic-con coverage expands. So the videos for Winchester Bros are exact duplicates of two or three other website based solely on the nature of the round-table discussion. It used to be sites would write up the interviews but now everyone just posts the interview itself. WFB is the only site I’ve seen which actually has done a transcribing. Which is AWESOME BTW. I know that on my binge-viewing of Comic-Con coverage I came to WFB first because of Alice’s tweets. But with the data coming out fast and furious, getting the basic information (the video) is much easier than it used to be.
So what makes WFB different? The comments. Most of those other sites don’t have a consistent commenting group. So there’s a bunch of people you’ve never “chatted” with before commenting on something. That’s not as much fun as commenting with those you know.
Now I’m an infrequent visitor to WFB. I am from the dreaded TWOP (have been for years). I know I personally post pro-both-brother’s comments all the time. I’ve only been in the fandom for a year! so I take no responsibility what-so-ever for the tone in the past. I moved, like a refugee, to PTV as that was where people I’ve been posting with on a variety of shows drifted to. But that is not the only place I post.
What I want as an avid SPN fan? A civil conversation discussing in depth the nuances of the show. I tend to agree with the producers of the show’s opinion and some may feel I come across as an apologist. I guess I just appreciate at the end of the day they are a bunch of poor schmucks who love the show and do their best. I’m not big on conspiracy theories (like writer X hates character Y or some such business). So…that’s what I want. Decent conversation. I don’t mind criticism. Lord knows the show has EARNED it from time to time. But I don’t spend this many hours a week on a show I don’t love and respect. So… I want to hang with folks who love and respect the show (and provide critical feedback both positive and negative).
From what I’ve seen WFB does that. My limitations on commenting are usually tied to hours in the day….
As a Sam fan I post a comment .I have no control over who else posts or if they post whether they are Sam fans or Dean or Brother fans nobody is being stopped from posting it is entirely up to them. Sam fans would not be even thought of on other sites the same Dean fans that said ‘ radical unapologetic Sam fans’ are the same ones who are on other sites are not caring whether Sam fans feel welcome or post . How do you stop a perception ? outside of Sam fans stopping from posting and WFB becoming like other sites I honestly do not know.
It is a puzzle. Why is that so many Dean fans don’t feel welcome here? Even brother fans sometimes don’t feel welcome. I don’t know what the answer is either. I do know that other websites specifically mention the WFB as a Sam only site where Dean fans do not feel welcome. That to me is the perception that keeps many from even looking into the site. All I’m saying is that it seems that Alice is asking us to try to be more tolerant of different POV’s so that all feel welcome here. Otherwise the safe haven we have come to take for granted will be gone.
I agree on this.
At least for most I think people on this site still love this show. Not sure about all and I know people have their own opinions and are passionate. I am sure they are all people that I would like to talk face to face and they are awesome in the real world. So, next what I write is not an attack to anyone. I will just write from my point of view and why I am not that keen to comment. I do read the articles though. So don’t shoot me. Just want to clear it. 🙂
Anyway, I am Supernatural “fan”, a brothers “fan” if you call it. And there is a lot of talks that this is a Sam centered site and out there is different. So Sam fans know themselves how bad is it because they have experienced it too. By that regard we should together make it different on this site.
Mostly what has turned people off and me is this:
Article appears –>
– Comments appear that talk in negative/blaming light about: Canon, writers, show runners, show, actors, characters, story in [b]past/present and future[/b] always in very NEGATIVE light. This happens counted maybe in all that appear. And in season 10 spoilers, season that is not even out is already judged. This really doesn’t make it eager to people to comment. For me and some others it doesn’t.
– One point of view and all else is “wrong”. Being a Sam fan is not wrong but Supernatural has so much more to talk about than Sam. Even I can agree on that some stuff on the show could have been better with Sam POV but dwelling on it can’t be good for your mood and to others. If you feel bad maybe something positive can lift your spirits you know? Alice tried to put up happiness article and it worked. Even those that are mostly not liking things wrote positive stuff on it. I think that was really AWESOME. But same time I thought: is this the only article I can comment on here? Because I want to talk and comment in all. Interact with other people.
– Third, and this is what has happened: Defending Canon = You are wrong and silly fan girl defending Canon, writers, show runners, show, actors, characters, story in [b]past/present and future[/b] because you don’t have the same view as us. I wrote many times that maybe I am wrong and maybe you are. When people write a different opinion we have gotten those kinds of comments back. It is not direct one word but a tone of the whole comment.
I don’t write English as my native tongue and I know I am not sometimes that smooth and might write something wrongly. And maybe my understanding also is not that good. But if the feeling I got is the three points above can you blame me to try remain exited where I can be?
Anyway, I know Alice wants to be exited about the show and most also in this site so shall we try to make it better together? And I really still want to say that above is my view, how I feel so sorry if it upset some. Can’t change how I feel though but I am eager to work it. 🙂
– Lilah
[quote]It is a puzzle. Why is that so many Dean fans don’t feel welcome here?Even brother fans sometimes don’t feel welcome. [/quote]As a Sam fan I am not feeling particularly welcome now and some times earlier on also.I just stopped posting for some time like I did recently.I deal with these feelings as such.For me this is the only site where I do not have to deal with ‘ radical unapologetic Dean fans’ and the ‘ radical unapologetic Cas fans’
Yes and I think that Alice would agree with you. I doubt that she wants radical unapologetic fans of any sort here. What I think she wants is a civil discussion between fans from all sides about the articles written and the show at hand. My response to E below was I am not the person you should be talking to. Alice has issued an ultimatum this site will be gone forever if we can’t come up with a solution. Maybe you should be talking to her.
I cannot answer with Dean fans I do not know what they want what kind of sites they are seeking ? as some of these fans do not like anything Sam perceived I am not sure they are the best judges of what this site is. As I said I cannot control what others do I cannot put disclaimers in every comment and have never objected to someone,s pov .I may not agree but have never told anyone they cannot have that view.
Again Sharon I am not the one you need to talk to. Read Alice’s post she is the one who wants to see a change here. I don’t think she is looking for Sam and Dean wars on this site. There are many Dean and brother fans out there that are just as passionate and civil as many Sam fans. Wouldn’t it be nice to have their voice heard on this site as well? The perception is that this is a Sam site where only Sam fans need apply. That is something, along with the negativity that Alice would like to see change if I am understanding her post correctly. Ask Alice what you can do to help keep the site going. I don’t want to lose the only safe haven for civil conversation there is.
I am not seeking to talk to anybody . I was just replying to a post as I said I cannot control what others do nor the perceptions they have .I do not like guilt tripping either .
No one is asking you to feel guilty. No one can control how you feel. All I’m saying is to read Alice’s post and you can make whatever you want out of it. My take is that we have one month to change our attitudes or we won’t have this safe haven anymore.
I won’t comment anymore on this subject. I always try to respond to anyone who replies to me out of respect.
I have read Alice’s post and simply replied my opinion as for guilt tripping I was talking in general not specifically how I feel. I am not sure it is a safe haven but you are right it is a subject best moved on from .
I agree Sharon.[quote]Sam fans would not be even thought of on other sites the same Dean fans that said ‘ radical unapologetic Sam fans’ are the same ones who are on other sites are not caring whether Sam fans feel welcome or post [/quote]This was the best sentence I have read in this whole article.Also I agree with E on [quote]but to ask one group to change their tune for the perceived comfort of another group is a form of censorship IMO.[/quote]
Sorry Cheryl, but to ask just the “Sam fans” to be more “inclusive” is to imply that those fans are somehow doing something wrong, that their opinion is wrong, that the fact that some other fans feel excluded is a deliberate act on their part and that their aim all along is to “exclude.” I am sorry that on some articles the comment section makes some posters uncomfortable, but to ask one group to change their tune for the perceived comfort of another group is a form of censorship IMO. I have NEVER deliberately excluded anyone from posting here, and I don’t feel as though anyone else has either. You are talking about perceived environment, and posters have no control over that. Alice is already doing a great job of making sure posts stay relevant to the various articles and also making sure that they follow a set of basic rules that apply to everyone. Beyond that, the perception of “exclusivity” is in the mind of the poster and should not be turned onto a single group. How much intensity one poster or another is willing to tolerate when things heat up in the comment section is up to that individual poster and should not be put at the feet of a single group of commenters or even at the feet of this site, as it is an entirely personal response. Holding this entire site and every single post to a personal standard or barometer of “acceptability” is not the answer, as something that varied can never be held to a standard and can’t ever satisfy everyone.
[quote]fans are somehow doing something wrong, that their opinion is wrong, that the fact that some other fans feel excluded is a deliberate act on their part and that their aim all along is to “exclude.”
[/quote]
Cheryl didn’t say none of the above. She said a point of view that are with many others why they hesitate to comment and also as I wrote that working together we could make it a nicer atmosphere for everyone to chat and write. And I agree with Cheryl. 🙂
– Lilah
Lilah, I think you have misread or misunderstood my post; if you read it again you will see that I did not accuse Cheryl of anything; I am disagreeing with her suggestion and stating why I disagree with it, nothing more. She asked if it would be possible for Sam Fans to alter or temper their responses so that other fans won’t feel excluded, and I said that a poster, speaking from their heart about an issue that is important to them is not responsible for how another poster takes it. If a group is asked to alter their responses, to not speak from the heart simply because another person might take offense, that is a form of censorship; and for me, that is never the answer. I have never posted a comment here or anywhere else that deliberately excluded anyone from posting and if someone else has been offended or upset by my posts then I am genuinely and heartily sorry for that as that was never my intention. But as long as I am within the boundaries of the rules set up here at WFB I am going to continue to post from my heart as I’ve always done, as it is my right to do. I can’t spend all my time wondering if every single person who reads one of my posts might be offended by it or I will never post another thought. Comment sections on websites are, by their very nature, volatile places designed for discussion and sometimes even arguments. For some people that volatility will be too intense from time to time; each poster has a different barometer for what they are willing to tolerate and it is up to them to decide how much they are willing to take. But the burden of individual tolerances should never, IMO, be placed at the feet of another poster or another group of posters.
I think you are addressing the wrong person here. Alice is the one you need to be talking to not me. I was just trying to understand why Dean and brother fans feel unwelcome on this site and that maybe the Sam fans could try to be more inclusive. Since this site has been taken over by predominately Sam fans what can we (I am also a Sam fan) do to encourage others to join in. But again read Alice’s post and maybe respond to her.
I’m sorry you feel that way, Alice. To be honest, I think that this is the only Sam friendly site in the fandom which is why so many Sam fans come here. At least, I’ve not found one that doesn’t blame Sam for everything wrong on the show.
Another good interview. I especially liked the bit about how Dean viewed S9. That was such a tough time.
I’m really hoping that Sam saves Dean and that the two of them don’t just ignore what happened in S9. I feel like it’s still an open wound, despite the moment of coming together at Dean’s death. And for the record regard the conflict: it just IS. It’s a tough relationship with so much complexity. Last year I wanted to put them in a room in a single “get along” T-shirt with icecream, chocolate chip cookies, and 4 seasons of Game of Throne + all of Dr Who. I love them both so much.
We’ve strayed away from this article a bit (a lot), so here’s my attempt to get things back on track!
I was very interested in the sizzle clip where DemonDean indicated that he “knew what Sam had done” to find him and then asked him who the real monster was. I wonder if what Sam did will be a big secret for a while and if whatever he did will come back to haunt him later on in the season. I also wonder if regular Dean’s views on what Sam did will be different than DemonDean’s views. As much as I don’t want Sam to compromise his values, I find this plot point intriguing. What exactly did Sam do? How will Dean feel about it when he finds out? Will he see it as a sacrifice or as a betrayal? Maybe what ever it is will cause the brothers to FINALLY talk.
So, Sam and Dean meet up in episode three. That means Dean’s been running amuck for the two episodes prior. Will he get away from Sam in episode three and continue his DemonDean ways for a while longer or will he end up in the MoL dungeon with the Demon cuffs holding him? Will those Demon cuffs even work seeing as how Dean’s not a regular demon but a MoC demon? My best guess is that Sam will have to use the demon curing method on Dean at some point. That should be all kinds of awesome, so I really hope it happens. Imagine Dean, chained to a chair with Sam in the room and nothing for them to do for a whole episode but TALK to one another.
[quote]I was very interested in the sizzle clip where DemonDean indicated that he “knew what Sam had done” [/quote]I am worried about Sam’s no reply for that question.I know it was a very short part of a small click.Its just that in the earlier seasons Sam has been kept silent when Dean has asked such questions…
[quote]I wonder if what Sam did will be a big secret for a while and if whatever he did will come back to haunt him later on in the season.[/quote]
Personally I’m betting we see EXACTLY what Sam is doing in the premier. I expect it’ll be on the wrong side of uncomfortable (like Dean tricking Sam w/ Gadreel) but we’ll understand WHY he does it. Jeremy, in one of the interviews, suggests that it will continue to resonate. They’ve mentioned multiple times “who is the real monster” and I’m not all that happy with it. OTOH, there’s no way we remotely think of Sam as doing something wrong unless we see what he does wrong. Just innuendo, I think, will not be enough.
One of the keys for this to be pull off right, IMO, is that we get a true sense of time passage. That we see Sam has exhausted his normal resources. I hope they have some level of “show” on that. If Sam can’t come up with something in two months then that is pretty significant. There’s no one better prepared to figure out a solution than he is. So, I am hoping that the weight of the passage of time is evident to help us understand what it is that Sam does.
In comparison:
Dean made a really iffy-at-best call to aid Gadreel’s possession of Sam. But they showed us many mitigating factors:
– Dean thought Gadreel was a good guy. Cas had vouched for him. He certainly acted like he was on the level. Dean’s was also very emotional at this moment. Spotting him as false representation would not have been easy and was also unprecedented for Angels before.
– Time had run out. Sam had flat-lined. Gadreel was literally leaving the room to let Dean be alone with Sam while he died. Dean was now down to seconds, not even minutes.
– When seeing inside Sam’s head, he sees Sam is arranging with Death to be un-returnable. So any hope Dean had of performing some post-death resurrection (which by now they’ve pulled off enough times that it’s a real consideration) — any hope is gone. Because Death is a BadAss and if he says it’s permanent, Dean believes him.
– Dean makes a decision to get the “yes” from Sam in that moment. But it didn’t occur to him that he’d have to keep it a secret at that moment. That confrontation/decision was AFTER the crisis was passed.
– The lying after the “heat of the moment” decision is IMO at least as big of a problem as the actual possession. But again, there’s some sympathy there for Dean’s controversial decision. Because NO ONE wants Sam to actually be dead. Gadreel had a reasonable argument. But I know I personally came away with “this can only end in tears.”
So. I’m betting the show can pull off at least SOME logic that gets us to understand Sam doing something we are uncomfortable with but can understand. IMO it’s better to show it to the audience, have us angst about it at length and generate some buzz.
Absolutely agree with this. The biggest issue for me (still) is the not looking from season 8, because it was not framed, described or shown in any way that made sense. He just didn’t look with hardly a word as to why. Dean got a montage at the start of season 6 that showed him trying to live his life without Sam, being a father, working a job, in cuddling with Lisa etc… which all helped to frame his situation at the start of season 6. Sam desperately needed something like that at the start of season 8 but didn’t’ get it. Dean’s plight in season 9 was well drawn as well. Although I had trouble with the act itself and particularly with the all the lying that came later, I certainly could see and sympathize with what Dean did. Sam needs something like that at the start of season 10; a montage of him looking, not sleeping, taking pills, drinking, torturing demons and finding one dead end after another to frame out what he’s going to do to locate Dean. Maybe he gets reports back from certain Demons about what Dean’s been doing to help fuel his desperation. I really hope that they show at least some of this; and they can intersperse it with Demon Dean being wildly demonic and having all kinds of fun being bad.