Still, the further crumbling of Sam and Dean’s already fragile relationship was well emphasized here. Dean didn’t know who his brother was anymore. Okay, he does, but more on that in a minute. They both reacted to the idea of the new brother and John’s secret life in Minnesota very differently. Dean was angry, Sam accepted it. Eventually though, as this show often does, it twisted, and Sam’s acceptance turned to willingness to turn Adam toward the same terrible life he has, while Dean intended on protecting this kid, for it wasn’t too late.
The monster of the week story that literally tore open wounds was a clever mystery that kept me guessing all the way until Dean’s big discovery in that creepy crypt. Dean did most of the harsh work on the case, frightening the bejesus out of claustrophobics everywhere, while Sam stayed behind with newly found baby brother to mentor and protect. Dean’s level-headed maturity (minus the diva-ish storming out of the motel room) amidst his emotional turmoil over his dad’s secret life erased any doubts about his confidence that have surfaced over the past few episodes. As for Sam, the uncomfortable feeling over his painful torture didn’t let up at the end, hinting that the worst is yet to come for him.
Jealousy and The Winchester Family Curse
In their moments of disagreement, and there were a few, Sam and Dean accused each other of being jealous. Were they? Absolutely! Sam showed his jealously because if he had to give up his dream of a normal life, so did Adam. After all, he’s a Winchester. Dean was jealous because this kid got the life he never got, like going to a baseball game with Dad and having a stable life with Mom. Dean accepted his reality long ago, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. The opposing viewpoints pushed the brothers in totally different directions and it ended up blinding them both to the fact that this Adam was indeed evil.
Was Sam right? Is the Winchester family cursed? Given the brutal death of the real Adam and his mother in the name of revenge by the ghouls, the case could certainly be supported. Ultimately though, their deaths were a consequence of John Winchester’s actions and not some freak course of nature. It was established long ago that John took a black and white approach to killing things. If something was evil in his mind, it must be killed. His perception of evil was jaded though, and as Dean realized in “Bloodlust,” what if they killed stuff that didn’t need killing? The ghouls even pointed out their father wasn’t evil, just surviving on things that were already dead because that was his nature. Did he deserve to die just because he was different?
Article comments
1 - vichi
Hi Alice,
Great review as always. What can I say? Almost everytime I read your review and I feel like you read my mind. I feel exacly the same about this episode. It was slowly packed but that was necessary. I felt the gap between Sam and Dean and I think that this episode is the one where Sam's transformation process is over. From now one, Sam is ready to go dark, and I think that we'll have to say goodbye, foar a while, to the Sammy we used to Know. I think Dean did that too at Adam's grave! He said his farewell to Adam but also to Sammy he knew. This new Sammy feels like a stranger for him, now, and that's sad, really sad :( .
As for Adam, damn I fell sorry I didn't get the chance to really meet him and know him. Or that he didn't meet his brothers. How cruel Kripke can be! He knew that fans will reject a third brother from the start, then he introduced him and when everybody accepted and really wanted to know more about him, Kripke did that. Having Adam dead before the episode realy started was really a shocking idea and so unexpected. That's why I love this show so much! Can't wait for the next week or the last two episodes. It will be so intense...
2 - Anna
Great review Alice. And one that mirrors my own thoughts on the Winchester family. So much unnecessary pain. John and his single-minded obsession with the YED. Dean and his single-minded obsession with family. Sam and his single-minded obsession with Lilith. But, I was glad to see Dean taking more steps out of his family's shadow. He is finally starting to recognize the damage they've all done to each other in the name of love and seems determined to have it stop with him. He's based his life on his father's wants and his brother's needs and has neglected himself all along. Maybe now that he sees what those wants and needs have really accomplished, he'll be able to remove himself from the equation. Staying with Sam has stopped being an option now. It's only causing more pain for both brothers. It's kinda like watching a bad marriage continue on long after the divorce lawyers should have been called. The next 3 episodes are going to be hard and that's saying a lot for a season that has already broken my heart.
3 - BackToKansas
I think Dean did follow in his Dad's footsteps. It led him straight to Hell, where he was tortured and then turned torturer. That's not lucky in my book. I bet Dean wishes he had been allowed to die peacefully back when Sam dragged him (out of love!) to Reverend LaGrange.
As for Sam, his story is incredibly tragic because there never really could be normal for him. Sam was targeted by Azazel as a baby and fed demon blood. Azazel would have come after Sam no matter what life Sam was leading at the time. For Sam, there was no escape. That's probably enough to make any parent angry and vengeful.
I can't wait to see Sam's hero journey play out, and find out what role Dean plays in it. "We're stronger as a family, Dad, we just are, you know it."
4 - bordnow
I usually agree with you Alice, but not this time. While Sam and Dean were both jealous of Adam, I dont think Sam was trying to take Adam's choices away. Adam could have said no at any time. In the end Adam's lack of knowledge about the supernatural was what got him killed. He couldnt defend himself. While John could have been a much better father, he did give his eldest sons a defense against the supernatural world.
I agree that the Sam we knew is dead. Pulled back into a life he hated after Jess's death, then he lost his father and his brother. Sam had nothing left to lose. He began using the powers he loathes, and drinking Ruby's blood. SOmething that disgusts him. Sam finally ran out of hope. Even when he did just try to walk away from the demon blood, it caused him more pain. Jake killed Sam, leading to the deal and then Sam didnt use his powers to save Dean, and Dean died. Sam had nothing left to lose.
Also, im sure Sam knew that Dean didnt mean it as a compliment. Ive never seen a movie or show where the ill take it as a compliment was anything more than not wanting to fight about it. It was the same here too.
5 - Meg
Excellent review, Alice! I really enjoyed this episode. And as much as the conflict between the brothers has been painful to watch, I really love this season, especially the character growth we've seen in Dean.
"Dean was angry, Sam accepted it. Eventually though, as this show often does, it twisted, and Sam's acceptance turned to willingness to turn Adam toward the same terrible life he has, while Dean intended on protecting this kid, for it wasn't too late."
Yes, that was interesting. I felt that Dean's desire to protect Adam came from his desire to protect him, like John wanted. He and Sam had a LIFETIME of training, so I'm not sure if Sam expected that they would be able to stick around and train Adam for the next few years or what? So I definitely agreed with Dean's POV on this. I really felt that Sam's "What makes Adam so special?" remark was indicative of his underlying motivations here.
"But, I was glad to see Dean taking more steps out of his family's shadow. He is finally starting to recognize the damage they've all done to each other in the name of love and seems determined to have it stop with him. He's based his life on his father's wants and his brother's needs and has neglected himself all along."
Anna -- this is a great observation and I totally agree. I think Dean has matured so much this season and is finally stepping out of the shadows of what has defined him for most of his life -- his role in the family. He's finding his OWN identity, seperate from the role as caregiver, son, and brother, and it's a wonderful thing to see.