The Enigma which is post-hell!Sam...

[zimshan]

Disclaimer: I've had limited time the last couple weeks and haven't kept up with all the meta out there, but the Sam mystery has taken my brain for a ride. This post has been brewing since the premiere, and fueled by all my flist's awesome thoughts that have kept me thinking. I really wish I had time to do more than incoherent rambling and random picspam. I probably missed half the things I wanted to talk about in the rush, but I really just need to get these thoughts down. Probably not much new here, and the little bit which is will probably be knocked down tonight, rendering this whole post pointless, but...here goes nothing.



I’ve been holding off on making this post for a couple weeks, simply because while I felt like I understood the direction they were taking Sam, I could not for the life of me decide whether they’d be going with the mental damage or physical damage explanation.

If the last episode did anything, it was to convince me that the first option can no longer be an option. In my eyes, it is clear that Sam is some how physically damaged, as a consequence of (1) Lucifer possessing him, (2) being thrown in the cage with Lucifer, or (3) the action of whoever/whatever pulled him out.

There’s a fine line of where this would be interesting and where I would hate this. Generally, if this is any PART of Sam we’re getting, I’m still there with bells on. The lamest would be him not at all, and because it at no point accelerates the character progression in a show that relies on character progression to function ep to ep throughout a season, I can not see them taking that route. I think making consequences for him choosing to tackle with Luci in order to save the world would be pretty damn realistic and oh so TRAGIC, but I hope they can do it in such a way that isn’t just a retread on OH POOR SAMMY THAT HAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIM WHICH DEAN FEELS RESPONSIBLE TO FIX. You know? That would just ruin all the five year character arc Sam had to get to the point they had in the S5 finale. I am about 99% sure Gamble and Co are smarter than that. But THERE’S ALWAYS THAT 1% THAT SCARES ME GUYS.

So I’ve been keeping a list for the last month: EVIDENCE OF S6!SAM. And let me tell you IT'S GOTTEN LONG. I was going to post it, but it would make this post much longer than is necessary, so I'll just jump right into the ideas that have cropped up from looking at that list after five episodes.

Remember the red and blue meta of last year? OH YES, I'VE CONNECTED IT TO THE MYSTERY OF SAM. Just bare with me, and call me crazy later.

'Cause here’s the thing: Heaven and Hell, which has been denoted by the colors blue and red respectively for seasons now, has SWITCHED ROLES. Heaven dissolving into anarchy just as Hell comes under authoritarian rule. And, in keeping up with how remarkably consistent this show is, the colors have switched as well. Check out 5.03:




What is particularly brilliant is that this has happened at the same time as SAM AND DEAN have switched roles. Ultra-blue, depressed as ever Dean is found aligned much more often with red as he’s become more tied to life and living again (sheesh last week he was the one with the blood addiction!). Meanwhile, red is nowhere near Sam. Get a load out of that above scene, with red lighting all over but pointedly not on Sam. Same in 6.05 at the vamp bar filled with red lights, there's none to be found on Sam. The same for wardrobe. Sam was wearing red until it was coming out his ears last year, red shirts, a red tie whenever they could fit it in. Not on stitch of red has been worn by him. In fact, it is all pointedly BLUE.





The first frames of the season are Dean's memories of Sam in past seasons, filtered in blue. The first time we see real-time!Sam, he’s in this new bright blue jacket (THAT LOOKS ATROCIOUS ON HIM SORRY), he’s never worn anything that solid of blue. BUT DEAN HAS. In fact, Dean has a jacket just like that bright blue number. And those ties this season? BLUE.

Now what happened last year? The credits were red. Sam saved the world with blood. Both physically (having to drink it to withstand Luci when saying ‘yes‘) and emotionally (as his empathy /pathos/love for his brother proved to be strong enough for him to gain control of Lucifer).

Cut to this year, the credits are icy blue. Just as Sam comes back in blue with a complete absent of red/emotion/life and an icy blue personality change? Guess what, I don’t think this is coincidence.

Let’s back up for a second. Recall how he had to drink gallons of blood for his body to withstand Lucifer? Ever wonder what that was about? We all thought the bloodline was enough right?

But it’s this moment that’s played in my head every since I first saw it:

LUCIFER: *blows cold breath over the window pane* Most people think I burn hot. *melts ice wiping glass with his vessel's finger* It’s actually quite the opposite.

It was brilliant in that it gave a counter to the blood. The reason Sam had to consume blood, aka life source, in order for his body to withstand him. Some heat to counter Lucifer's icy coldness inside of him. Some red, to balance the blue. But why on earth wait until the last episode to tell us something like this? Could it have been last minute planting of plot points for S6? Foreshadowing the consequence of super icy Lucifer inhabiting Sam on earth/in the pit?

I know it's become a popular idea that Lucifer is still in there sharing Sam's noggin. Practically, I can't see that happening, simply because Lucifer, as a plot point, needs to be done. S5 finale had to be the end of him, otherwise this season becomes a weird continuation of a five year arc that’s supposed to have already epically wrapped things up.

Of all the little details in my EVIDENCE OF S6!SAM list, the two most telling are in the premiere. This is no news at this point, but I think it's helpful to highlight.

First, Sam saying he wouldn't have even thought to care to save the neighbors. When two episodes ago, the show had very pointedly showed us, YES, SAM WILL ALWAYS GO BACK AND SAVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS HE CAN.





Number one with a bullet is Sam missing the emotional cue of Dean offering him the Impala. You know, THE OBJECT THAT SAM'S RECOGNITION OF CAUSED A WAVE OF LOVE FOR HIS BROTHER THAT ENABLED HIM TO TAKE CONTROL OF LUCIFER AND JUMP IN THAT HOLE TO SAVE THE WORLD. You know, just that thing.





That's the big neon sign with blinking lights saying ' HI, LOOK. What defined Sam for years and culminating in him helping save the world has LEFT THE BUILDING.'

So here is my guess: That Lucifer, being the Devil that he is, exacted justice on the man that defeated him by taking away the very thing that defined him. Indeed the very thing that saved the damn world. Lucifer ripped out Sam Winchester's empathy.

This makes sense to me, in a very ‘when big shit happens, there are very big consequences’. Sam letting Lucifer in, and control him, and jumping in the cage with him was just about as big as shit can get on this show. It makes sense that Sam would have to bare a consequence of that choice.

Now, I see that they could explain this in a couple of different ways. The result of (1) a literal froze heart caused by Lucifer's residence, (2) part of his soul missing do to Lucifer cutting/ripping it out, or (3) his whole soul totally missing. It all depends on how literal the show wants to take its mythology (we know it's gone pretty literal before). And whether they want to go and say soul=humanity=empathy or not.

While I’m kinda a fan of the first two options, it strikes me as pretty probable they’ll go with a clean cut #3 option. But remember this show has yet to clearly define what a "soul" in this verse is. Just because Sam is soulless does not mean he’s Angelus. In SPN, a lack of a soul might just be a lack of connection to others. In which case, we’re looking at rebuilding that connection over time.

The S5 finale gave a nod to the #3 option, so small you might have missed it. I certainly didn't catch it until I rewatched it the other day with the concept of souls on my mind.

LUCIFER: Come on, Sam, I’ve never lied to you, why don’t you pay me the same respect. That’s okay, I’m not mad. Let’s see, a wrestling match inside your noggin. I like the idea. Just you and me? One round? No tricks. You win? You jump in the hole. I win? Well, then I win. What’d you say, Sam? A fiddle of gold for your soul says I’m better than you.
SAM: *mutters* So he knows, doesn’t change anything. *Turns to Lucifer* ...Yes.

Those are the terms he agreed to. Turn of phrase maybe? But perhaps more. We did just learn angels can buy souls just like demons.

Nevertheless, I will put money down that this is the real Sam. Just not all of him. In my head, I call him an emo!Knockout Sam right now (like knockout mice? I spend too much time in a lab.) It’s as if someone just knocked the whole perception and ability of emotion right out of him. Stripped of empathy or pathos that thing that literally defined his character for five years and helped to save the world, all that’s left is excessive practicality. Efficiency. Without emotions, he has no fear. No stress, or concerns, but getting his job done. We can get info by doing this procedure on a kid, go ahead. It doesn’t register as torture, doesn’t register as a hard or tough call. It’s literally, this gets us what we need. Same with sex. Most efficient and direct simply to hire. A business transaction. The physical money and sex only. Throw away the phone number for a freebie.





He meets Dean a year later, and happily hugs him like one hugs a random family member at Christmas, with absolutely no sense of history. Dean hands him the Impala keys, it doesn't register to him that its anymore than a car. And he’s already got one. He keeps referring to the Campbells as "family" like its equivalent to who Dean is to him, when one is devoid of history and emotion, and the other one is full of it. He has trouble caring about the neighbors if evidence says they're dead. He gets bored with a case if evidence says dead babies aren't because of a monster. He tells Christian about Dean's time in Hell. It's all this fact-based stuff, without emotion mixing in. As if all he can register is info. He has the info of the past, facts of who he and others are, but lacks an understanding of the meaning of that facts. "I'm a hunter. I hunt monsters. The Campbells are family. Just like Dean. Dean's my brother. He went to Hell. He wants a family of his own. He deserves it."

And this fact-based thing has become remarkably consistent. Check out even the small bits of 6.04, where he completely misses why Bobby is upset, stating matter-of-factly "all you had to do was ask". Even more so, there’s nothing he’s more interested in than those facts. Watch how he does this squinty eye thing when Dean reacts in a way that's outside of Sam's expectations of him. Or when he's hunting and hears a noise. Look at his face when he watches Cas do that torturous procedure on that kid, like a surgeon observing a surgical procedure. You can almost see him mentally tabulating a list of observations, information, facts, to file away in his head. And then there's the last episode. In which, in getting a chance to observe the turning of a vamp, a tiny upturn of his lip gives away his perverse fascination. As much as it's already been seared into history as the evil!Sam smirk that stopped the hearts of fandom, look at it again. Fascination is how it reads to me. Him taking in the facts for what they are. And getting a tad too excited about being able to witness it.





He has no concern over Dean, because the facts are in his favor. "Dean's strong. He'll be able to fight drinking, Samuel's got the antidote, Dean will find the vamp, get his blood, and some intel, and everything will be fine." Did you notice that proud pat Sam gives him when Dean comes back from the hellish antidote experience? Go and rewatch it. It'd be endearing if it wasn't TOTALLY DISTURBING. Also notice how every question he asks Dean after he turns is about facts. Understanding the physicality of turning. What does Dean feel from the change? How was the nest? What did he see in the Alpha message?

But the one fact he doesn’t know, is why he’s back. Or Samuel. And what’s going on with these Alpha’s. But I bet you money this all facts boy knows those are related. Hence the one train deal he seems to be on. Torture a kid for answers. Put up a baby for bait. Wait five seconds and let his brother get turned for some inside intel.There's been more than one mention from Sam that he knows everything isn't okay with him, and I'd put money on it that he thinks figuring out this mission will help him, if he doesn't already have solid info on it already.





Interestingly, the one episode that is a big anomaly is 6.02. The baby right from the start annoys this Sam. And this Sam is downright unflappable. But he can't control it. It makes everyone in the supermarket look at them like child abusers and they can’t do a thing about it. Watching Dean with the baby spurs a convo in which he listens to Dean and gives him helpful advice, and later he comes back fuming as he kills the shifter that’s come after it. Later he even stands up for Dean in the face of Christian’s taunts. Interestingly the hotel scene in this ep is the only place I can find where Sam’s filmed with any significant red in the background.





For me, this really points to this ongoing theme of "we keep each other human". Or as Sam said, "It's better when you're around". It's undoubtable there's something wrong with Sam right now, but it's not irreparable. Sam's gonna need Dean's help to find his way back to normal, just like Dean needed his last year. And eventually things will stop being so damn depressing and start rebuilding. Just, SHOW? Make the rebuilding start sooner, rather than later already. I don't know how much more my heart can take.

As for where we are now, I think we're being lead into this episode tonight lock-in-step with Dean, thinking Sam is either absolutely Not!Sam or at least a Sam that wishes ill-will on him. And Dean is in for a rude awakening. It's not like the other times. It's not like what he fears. The template's been shattered. The script's been thrown out. It's nothing that you think it is. *crosses fingers*


ENJOY THE WINCHESTERS TONIGHT EVERYONE!!

ETA (10/30/10): Be sure to watch counteragent's new post-hell!Sam vid, 'Numb', if you haven't already. In a hysterical bit of mindshare, it's lock-in-step with what I was trying to say here. Only she argues it in BRILLIANT MULTI-LAYERED VID FORM. I'll be sure to have this one on repeat for the next couple weeks. XD

[6.06 SPOILERS now in the comments]

Comments

[harper47.livejournal.com]

Oh I love your color meta. And I pretty much agree with all of this.

But question what is your take on Sam being upset that Cas answered Dean's prayer and not his?

[musiqueguy1.livejournal.com]

I love your analysis!!! I pretty much have thought the same things you put forth here except the lighting/color ideas. This is eloquently put!!! THANKS! Me want to share it for the world LOL

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

YAY! Glad you enjoyed! And that it doesn't feel too left-field like.

But question what is your take on Sam being upset that Cas answered Dean's prayer and not his?
OH! I wanted to add that in as well! I thought it was HUGGGEEEE evidence of all fact-based, efficient, practical Sam that calling Cas was the "first and second and third thing" he did once he got topside. Facts tell him Cas answers. It was something he could count on to be true. And then it didn't work. When Cas answer's Dean's prayer, it's the only other time we really see him so noticeably flustered. I think exactly because Sam calling him didn't work like it should. That he might have favored Dean over Sam is one of those 'understanding relationship' things that just doesn't register.

[harper47.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, that makes sense.

I just love the color meta. I never ever make those connections on my own until you point it out and I'm going to look for it tonight.

[singingrl.livejournal.com]

That's a really interesting observation about Sam. I thought the same thing about Sam, that he measures his responses and has become much less cerebral and much more like a machine, a robot, reacting to each situation as though he's seeing it through fresh eyes. He's a Winchester, but it seems like he's lost any appreciation of the journey Dean and he have taken in life and forgotten that he never wanted to be a hunter, that he only did this for the good of the family. It's almost as though finding the Campbells has given him some sort of strange amnesia about his life as a Winchester, if that makes sense. I think you're onto something with the inference that Sam has lost his empathy and/or his soul. I can't help but believe that the Campbells know more than they let on about Sam and that Lucifer is somehow involved. I want so badly to see Sam and Dean embrace as brothers, but I'm not sure how the Sam Dean knows and loves ever really can come back. There has to be an answer, the real Sam has to be in there somewhere, however I don't think Dean's going to find him for awhile. I'm with you though, this show needs a teeny tiny jolt of hope and optimism at some point soon or I'll just be a walking puddle of tears by November sweeps.

[smilla02.livejournal.com]

This kind of works for me. Though I'm mostly interested in how they deal with it all.

Your meta color is wonderful, as usual. You've made me internalize it so much that I had indeed noticed the total blue associated with Sam so far. \o/ or is it /o\? I have noticed those squinty looks Sam gives Dean whenever Dean does something (this)Sam may consider unexplicable, like in the most recent episode, when he went to say goodbye to Lisa.

Wrt that line from 5.22 (great catch, btw!), all of this would mean that Sam lost the bet?

[fannishliss.livejournal.com]

One thing to add about sam vs. Baby -- The human reaction to the sound of crying babies is a physiological response --hardwired-- which may be why it freaked Sam out so much. It would be pretty weird to feel this insane need to "fix it" if you hadn't felt anything for so long.

I like how you lay out the options very clearly in this meta, and I'm really looking forward to learning more tonight about Sam! They've never really defined "soul" in this show... someone can "own" your soul, like happened to Dean or Bobby -- but it's yours while you're alive -- or at least so far. Souls in Hell or in Heaven experience things as if they were alive -- ie, Dean's very physical memories of hanging on meathooks (argh, that STILL gets me) or Sam and Dean shotgunning pbr with Ash in Heaven. In some theology, the inhabitation of a soul within a body is signalled by the breath -- leading the Hebrew word "ruach" to mean breath or spirit interchangeably. this is very exciting if you think about Lucifer breathing ice onto the glass!! But I don't see how Sam can still be breathing if he has no soul. And they very carefully showed that his heart is still beating...

anyway, also thought you might enjoy this poem having to do with the imagery of ice, since it ties in with your discussion of Blue. http://fannishliss.livejournal.com/67124.html

Very, very interesting, that now Heaven is the side association with Red untrammeled passion... Thanks Anna and Castiel!! :D

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

Yeah, another colour post from you with interesting interpretations to boot, especially the connection with Lucifer as self-professed ice-queen (or king, rather)! I've always found it confusing to keep in mind that Lucifer still IS an angel which crushes the usual idea of setting him up as an opposite to the angels - they are the same stuff.
Little aside: did you by any chance notice anything unusual in connection with Grandpa Samuel? I've never been too observant in these things, but your other colour posts sort of put me on the trail and in one of the first episodes (1 or 2) Samuel was shot with a BIG bowl or basket of yellow pears in front of him that served absolutely no purpose whatsoever - as soon as I saw it, I wondered what you might make of it?

[chiiyo86.livejournal.com]

You make a lot of sense, and your colors make sense too as usual (I never see this stuff!). I feel the way you do, interested, fascinated even, but a little worried too. I think tonight's episode will bring us a lot of answers, or at least I hope so! I hope that whatever is wrong with Sam, this is at least partially him because I don't like the thought that we didn't have Sam for the past five episodes.

[radiophile]

Hate to butt in here, but: How did Sam know that Castiel was alive? He made him explode as Lucifer and then went into the Pit, and it wasn't until after he was gone that Castiel came back to magically snap his fingers and make everything okay.

This also doesn't explain how Sam knew that Bobby was alive again, too...

I can totally get behind the notion of Sam finding out somehow, but when he said calling for Castiel was the "first" (and second and third) thing he did? I was like, "Buh?! How did you know?"

[radiophile]

Awesome meta, as always! I love your color theory -- it's something I've started to notice more and more ever since reading your meta, and it's so satisfying to see that the show has kept it pretty consistent :)

[rileycakes.livejournal.com]

This made me feel a thousand times better about the situation with Sam. Thanks for the fascinating commentary!

[mtee.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the color analysis/picspam. I NEVER observe that stuff, so I always love to learn, from others, the depth the show goes.

I would love to have someone ask if the color/rose themes/analysis the fans observe is truly done on purpose and what thought processes went into it.

Someone should have a convention with the graphics/special affect/lighting people.. so we can pick their brains! They truly make this show interesting.

Anyway.. I do like the analysis of Sam as well. Someone had postulated that maybe Sam is enhancing again.. only this time with the alpha monsters they are collecting. But there are some holes in that.. isn't there someone on the outside who is leading this? In which case, I doubt Sam would have access to the alphas. Plus wouldn't you think Sam would have learned his lesson by now?

I like the soul is gone.. since it was brought up out of the blue that angels are collecting souls and they can go for a high price.

Good question brought up on how Sam knew that Cas and Bobby were still alive. Very very good. Never thought of that.

Ahh, fandom is best when the smart analysis is discussed and debated. Forget which brother has more screen time or which is being dissed by the writers.... These type of discussions need to be read by the writers and producers... the majority of fans are intelligent viewers who thrive on the literary and cinematography that is Supernatural.

Please keep educating us.
Thanks so much.

[marciaelena.livejournal.com]

Awesome meta, as usual. I've been wondering when you'd post another one of these, wanting to talk to you about it. You are definitely the reason why I've been paying a lot more attention to the colors, and what they could be pointing to.

First of all, I wonder if some of this storyline was already in the works by the end of last season. Because in the last scene of the finale, when we see Sam, he's wearing a predominantly blue shirt, as opposed to the red or the mix of blue & red he'd been wearing a lot before that:



There *is* some red there, but they're thin lines, drowned out by the blue. Then, in 6x01, the first time Dean sees Sam, Sam's wearing a predominantly blue shirt again. And again, there's some red in it, but it's overwhelmed by all the blue:




Then in 6x03 this scene really stood out for me, and not because of half-naked!Sam. There's a lot of red behind Sam here, but not in the room with him. It's outside, seen through the blinds. And the blinds promptly made me think of bars:



Also in this same scene we can see that the bathroom is red. Sam is facing the bathroom as he works out, but again, all the red is in another room, not where Sam is. And then when Dean calls Sam, he's coming out of a burger joint (with a big red sign) but what drew my eye was the OPEN sign we see behind Dean while he and Sam are talking on the phone:



Lots of red, but it's surrounded by blue. Caged in, one might say?

Anyway. *grin* I hope tonight's episode gives us at least the hint of an answer. I want Dean's beloved Sammy back! All of him.

[monicawoe.livejournal.com]

Excellent analysis! I too think this is all Sam we're seeing, just damaged. I do hope we get answers tonight!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yesyesyes, this is brilliant.

Squeeee... \o/

SOOOOOOOO much evidence that Sam is missing something VITAL and I LOVE that you've used your colour meta to demonstrate that. So exciting...

It just makes me feel so much better that this is not any kind of new Sam we have to live with forever, that at some point (and hopefully soon) we'll see what's happened and where that vital component is. Whether it be lack of soul or lack of empathy - he needs to get it back STAT!

I love that you brought up "YES, SAM WILL ALWAYS GO BACK AND SAVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS HE CAN." I meant to mention that myself because this is such a clear glue because Sam will always save people. \o/

And yep.... 1% scared. It's that 1% that's making me terrified to watch tonights ep. Will my heart be ripped out even more.... argh.

Thanks so such for this. It's awesome and yesyesyes...
:D:D

[etoile444.livejournal.com]

I often wonder if it is real Sam some of the time and not!Sam at others. I love that you included "cold as ice" Lucifer pictures because that little clue is nagging at me. Angels are always associated with blue and now Sam acts more like an angel, like someone who had his humanity ripped out.

I think worrying about Sam as the semi-demon boy king is over. I'd worry more about the partially angelic robo-hunter more.

Excellent thought provoking meta on Sam and the use of color.

Oh, Lucifer's sigil on the window always makes me wonder if it bound him and Sam somehow?????

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Hate to butt in here, but: How did Sam know that Castiel was alive? He made him explode as Lucifer and then went into the Pit, and it wasn't until after he was gone that Castiel came back to magically snap his fingers and make everything okay.

Ooo. That's right. Smart thinking, I hadn't realized that. Hmmm, perhaps we're just missing it in terms of the timeline, not having the time between the jump and topside with Sam? Or else whoever wrote that wasn't thinking. ;)

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm glad you could enjoy! And that it was along the lines with what you'd been thinking too!

[nekosammy.livejournal.com]

Great meta, and hopefully accurate on some level. I really want to start getting into Sam's new life and way of thinking though, get his point of view, more than we have so far. If Sam has been damaged, I want to see how he's been hurt.

I did notice Sam was in blue this season, so reading color metas has influenced my thinking on Show.

Lucifer also said that he "burned" cold, so I imagine that being with Lucifer and/or The Cage, was the kind of cold that hurts you - the way water that is too cold starts to hurt.


Anyway, I appreciate you giving me some hope for Sam this season.

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

It's almost as though finding the Campbells has given him some sort of strange amnesia about his life as a Winchester, if that makes sense.
It's funny, 'cause I keep observing Sam's reactions on things, and thinking that in some way his story this season is playing very much like an amnesia storyline. Only that he remembers the past, factually at least. This should ping 'possession' in this show, but it still seems like Sam for me. Just something a bit different. IDK, I read this interview of Padalecki at the beginning of the season in which he said no one had told him this wasn't Sam so that's how he's been playing it. If this isn't really him, or even if he's got Luci in there with him, it'd be pretty careless for the writers not to clue him in. (Then again, he could be lying. Who knows.)

I want so badly to see Sam and Dean embrace as brothers, but I'm not sure how the Sam Dean knows and loves ever really can come back. There has to be an answer, the real Sam has to be in there somewhere, however I don't think Dean's going to find him for awhile.
I guess part of why I like the first two options best, the literal freeze, or just the "part" missing, is that in my head, it could possibly be something that might "wear off" or "grow back" so to speak. Idk, on some hand I have this wish that whatever Samuel and the Campbells are up to, Sam knows more and is using them. That would circumvent this repetition of Sam trusting people who are bad thing. But on the other hand, I have this feeling that this truth ep tonight isn't going to show us much other than clearing up the Not!Sam or Evil!Sam idea Dean's thinking right now. 'Cause Sam doesn't know much himself.

Really the thing irking me the most is Dean being so isolated from Sam, thinking it either isn't him or that he's evil somehow or something. If Dean could just learn that whatever it is, it's because of something that's been done to Sam and not a corruption of Sam's own choosing, I think Dean's whole 'trust no one, sleep with one eye open' shtick could end. Who knows though!

[echo-grace-07.livejournal.com]

**Not official, of course, but it's what I'm thinking.
Remember Gabriel's time loop in Mystery Spot? How Zachariah introduced himself? Considering they were each claiming to "help" at the time, before Sam was stuck between two pissy archangels in a cage, it's probably safe to say that he didn't know he was no longer in some angel-constructed alternate reality when he ran into Bobby (or Bobby into him). Once each convinced the other of who he was, Bobby explained that Cas had come back angel'd up, healed Dean and revived Bobby before going back Upstairs to Rumble with Heaven.

So Sam started praying. And Cas didn't answer.

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Hee, I almost didn't write this out, because for me too, it's mostly how they deal with it that's gonna make or break this thing for me.

You noticed the blue too! It makes me feel less crazy when I hear others are seeing it too.

The squinty eye when Dean said he went to say goodbye to Lisa! YES! That's probably my favorite squinty eye so far.

Wrt that line from 5.22 (great catch, btw!), all of this would mean that Sam lost the bet?
Idk, my big question is the logistics after Sam jumped in. In the pit, was Luci still in his noggin? Could he have taken control again then? And of course, what's happened to Luci now that Sam's topside again. Honestly, why Dean or Cas or Bobby or Samuel or Sam (if he hasn't figured it out already) hasn't asked this yet is BEYOND ME.

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

One thing to add about sam vs. Baby -- The human reaction to the sound of crying babies is a physiological response --hardwired-- which may be why it freaked Sam out so much. It would be pretty weird to feel this insane need to "fix it" if you hadn't felt anything for so long.
Oooo. NICE! That very well could have been the thinking behind that then. I definitely had thought BUZZWHATT??? when I first heard the summary for that ep, and then when we saw this new Sam in the premiere, it made more sense. I think it was definitely a concept designed to set this Sam on edge.

Definitely with you on the lack of definition we have now for "soul" on this show. That's what I've been thinking too. As much as this whole show's mythology has surrounded the concept of buy and selling them, we don't have much of an idea of what it truly is. The most is really what Ruby said about burning humanity out of you to become a demon, but even then, are we supposed to assume that demons have no souls? Or are they just blackened souls? What about angels? Are their souls those white lights that fill vessels? How is it different from humans? There's sooooo much they could do here, and yet sooooo much they could screw up. It makes me kinda nervous.

Ooo, and you wrote a ice imagery poem! Awesome, I'll have to check it out!

So glad you could enjoy this! I'll be crossing my fingers for tonight...

[cece-away.livejournal.com]

You are brilliant. The color meta totally bypassed my brain. I didn't even think to look for it, but I'll be looking now.

And *What’d you say, Sam? A fiddle of gold for your soul says I’m better than you.* Huge hint. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.