Entry tags:
Dean Winchester's Assholishness
So I think Dean Winchester was quite the asshole from Let It Bleed (at the earliest) through PPMM (at the latest). I know I am not alone in this; it's been awhile since my tumblr days, but they were was a large crew of highly Dean-hostile fans out there.
But unlike most of those fans, I don’t think that Dean’s assholishness - at least not his Let It Bleed–PPMM assholishness - was centered around Sam. I've heard the strained argument that Dean killed Amy Pond to isolate Sam...but Dean's lie was centered on the assumption that Sam had no intention of contacting Amy again. Lisa and Ben weren't connected to Sam, neither was Tyler, the boy in PPMM. If anything, Dean's interaction with Tyler helped him feel and behave more positively towards Sam.
The only time Dean really comes down on Sam is when Sam tries to call him on his crap. Then we get anything from threats of physical violence (Let It Bleed) to Dean using Sam’s mental breakdown to shame him into backing down (The Mentalists).
But unlike most of those fans, I don’t think that Dean’s assholishness - at least not his Let It Bleed–PPMM assholishness - was centered around Sam. I've heard the strained argument that Dean killed Amy Pond to isolate Sam...but Dean's lie was centered on the assumption that Sam had no intention of contacting Amy again. Lisa and Ben weren't connected to Sam, neither was Tyler, the boy in PPMM. If anything, Dean's interaction with Tyler helped him feel and behave more positively towards Sam.
The only time Dean really comes down on Sam is when Sam tries to call him on his crap. Then we get anything from threats of physical violence (Let It Bleed) to Dean using Sam’s mental breakdown to shame him into backing down (The Mentalists).