“I don’t know if what I’m doing is right...”
Sam can’t avoid the evil inside of him. It’s who he is. He had a chance to save Dean with his abilities and couldn’t, so now the guilt is tearing him up so much that he’s rationalized he must use his powers to save others. It’s his redemption, turning something evil into something good. He doesn’t know whether to trust Ruby, but he’s listening to her anyway. He probably senses he’s taking a dangerous risk, but he still believes he can control the situation. He also doesn’t realize that once he unleashes the monster, he might not be able to stop it.
Sam’s been forced to rely on himself, and Dean coming back isn’t going to change that. He’s confused and believes he shouldn’t count on big brother anymore because Dean can’t always be there. “All Hell Breaks Loose Part I” is a perfect example of that, as is last season’s finale. Dean has never understood what’s inside him, so he’s not going to understand what Sam’s doing with demons. Sam believes he’s doing good right now and it’s the most right he’s felt in a long time. This is his fight and not Dean’s.
We know Sam must be misguided though, for whatever he’s doing is bad enough where Castiel must intervene. All these brotherly secrets forced an angel to step in and reveal the truth. When divine intervention is required, Sam’s in some serious crap.
No wonder Lilith took Dean’s deal and wouldn’t bargain with Sam. Dean is the one that can get in the way of Sam’s destiny, which likely affects Azazel’s end game, or maybe it’s Lilith’s end game now. It’s also possible Lilith’s fear of Sam is a ploy, as is Ruby’s intervention, because it’s all part of the bigger picture, which starts by drawing Sam’s abilities out. Maybe Dean is the one they really fear. I’m curious to see if, when Lilith finally does resurface, she’ll be intimidated by Dean’s angelic backing.
Alright, I’m going there. Is Sam Winchester the Antichrist? Gordon said it, Ruby said it, even Dean said it (albeit jokingly). It’s always something I’ve dismissed, probably because I don’t want to believe it, but is it possible? Sure, anything’s possible on this show. What made Gordon make the leap from “monster” in “Hunted” to “the Antichrist” in “Bad Day at Back Rock?” Did he know something legit or was he just nuts? Ruby hinted the same thing in “The Kids Are Alright.” One has to admit, being the sole survivor of a half-breed evil race seems very suspicious.
Article comments
1 - cassi
Hi, Alice!
Are you a mind reader because after these 3 episodes, I really needed something like this! thanks! After reading your article I feel so much better now!
SPN season 4 has been a hell of a ride. Of course, it has been an enjoyable experience and Kripke even managed to make me a fan of his angel idea due to Misha Collin's great performance. If you had asked me during the summer break what was the worst thing I could imagine for the show, I would have said without any hesitation "angels". I'm still not the happiest camper about the whole end of the world, Anti-christ and angel thing but so far it's better than I imagined. Like you I was ignoring the hints in Faith or House of the Holy, simply because I didn't want or at least hoped that the show wouldn't go into this direction.
The whole "no demon deal for Dean's soul" still makes no sense to me because if Lilith really feared Sam why would they have given Dean a chance to save his brother. I don't get it. That's why "In the beginning" was not the big revelation episode for me. I want to know what's going on with Sam, Lilith and Ruby, so far Sam has shown no sign why Lilith would or should be scared of him. NRFTW was scary for Lilith but not really dangerous. And Ruby could be good but I still have my doubts about her. So when Kripke answers these qestions (I think I wil have to wait until the season finale), this will be the true revelations for me.
2 - Beth
Thank you for making your own brain hurt to put this together for the rest of us. :) You have analyzed most succinctly what I've been struggling with since last season. Sam being the Anti-Christ hadn't occurred to me, but it seems like a reasonable possibility. And I'd much rather Dean be the one to save Sam, rather than *stop* him. One implies redemption, and the other...well, I'd rather not go there.
3 - Tigershire
What did you have in your morning coffee??? What a lot to think about. But it's not like I mind any more than you or the rest of the fans do. GRIN.
I did see a post somewhere, where a fan suggested that perhaps Supernatural should go 6 seasons because, at 22 episodes per season, that would be 66......
Since there seems to be a trend with that number....
Thank goodness it's Thursday.