you know how I love Sam and hate season 4 and show's gender!fail? Yeah...

[coyotesuspect]

I've been thinking about season 4 of Supernatural (again) and I have a question...

What was the big deal about Sam killing Lilith? I understand the whole setting off the Apocalypse thing. But everyone wanted to call Lilith. I don't understand why it says something negative about Sam that he was the one to kill Lilith. Dean and Bobby's whole plan was to keep Sam locked up in the panic room so they could go kill Lilith on their own. Hell, maybe Ruby was even there as a safeguard- to kill Lilith in case Sam chickened out last minute. Even LILITH was on the "kill Lilith" bandwagon.

Think about it- how awesome would it have been if Bobby were the one to gank Lilith. Then he would have coped with ending the world by thinking about all the things that suck and will no longer exist. Like Republicans. And people who talk on their cell phone in the line at the grocery store.

I understand the meta-narrative reasons for why Sam had to be the one who did it- and I get that because Chuck* is the writer and the writer is God (or maybe it's Chuck is God and God is a writer), most of Supernatural's meta-narrative reasons can also be handwaved as narrative reasons. But, putting aside Fate and Literary Symmetry, there's no convincing narrative reasons for why Sam was the only who could kill Lilith, and why this is something he should feel guilty about. (What? The colt wouldn't have worked on her? Suspicious.)

Even in a season 4 where Sam and Dean are completely chill with each other and held hands and skipped through fields of flowers, they probably still would have ended up killing Lilith. Because Lilith was Evil and Trying to End the World. And that fact- that it was always going to end up in that church- makes the whole season 4 Brothers at Odds! drama and Lying, Sneaky Ruby kind of...pointless.

(Alternatively, it says something about destiny, and how the point of destiny isn't where you end up, but the choices you make along the way.)

It would have made more sense for Sam to feel guilty and awful over the innocent woman he drained of blood. (Though, if Mystery Spot showed us anything, it's that Sam has no problems draining people of blood when Dean Winchester is on the line.) And I think having one of the brother's explore the ramifications of their actions on other people on a smaller, more intimate level would have been interesting. Because there is a lot of collateral damage that gets handwaved.

And, let's face it, Sam, while he is my Favoritest Favorite Ever to Favorite, has an entire story and character arc based on dead women. At least Mary gets some backstory, but we don't know a single thing about who Jess was. While fandom has done a great job reclaiming her, her entire purpose is to set Sam into his journey. She's not a character; she's a plot device. I would have liked an exploration of who this woman was that Sam killed, and why her death is more important than Just One More Damn Thing for Sam to Feel Guilty About. (Granted, the whole Dead Woman as Vehicle for Male Character Motivation applies to Dean [and John!] as well, it is much lesser extent.)

Also, I want a pony. >( *crosses arms across chest*

*On the subject of Chuck, I have a theory: He told Becky he was God (because all relationships should be based on honesty and trust, amirite?) and she's cool with it. Then she reads the season 4 manuscripts and breaks up with him.

So all the wincest fanservice in the latter half of season 5 is Chuck trying to woo Becky back.

He keeps sending her manuscripts with stuff like "soulmates!" and "erotically codependent"  highlighted. And Becky's all, "Well...." But she can't get over Dean throwing the amulet away.

Chuck of course, objects to this one little thing standing in the way of their relationship. "Sometimes characters take on a mind of their own! It was a worthless McGuffin anyway!" But Becky's firm, and she keeps deleting the messages he leaves on her answering machine. (Perhaps Chuck also sets up a livejournal and tries to woo Becky back in the form of one of those weird LJ BFF/Internet soulmate kind of things. Hi, familiardevil !)

Then, as a last ditch effort, he e-mails her the manuscript for Swan Song. She shows up to his house, and he is all, :O! But I thought you would hate me killing off your favorite character and sending Dean to play house with that woman from half the series ago!

Becky: Please Chuck. I'm a fangirl. All I do is overanalyze texts. Dean just went to Lisa and Ben's because that's what Sam WANTED for him. They're just as codependent and in love as ever, and OMG SQUEE I can't believe you had their epic love for each other save the world! And, as long as they reunite in the next book... *pause* They will reunite in the next book, won't they?

Chuck: Uh! Yes! They will! There may even be making out! Uh. Not in the published version, you understand. But, you know! Apocryphal making out.

Someone should write this, is all I'm saying.

Also, I still think familiardevil  did the whole "God as a writer" thing much better than show.

God, I don't even know what that was. That was all over the place. I've had a lot of sugar today.

To make this post even more gratuitous, Captain America, everyone:

Comments

[meiou-set.livejournal.com]

ARGH the raeg is still here especially about the unaddressed nurse he drained (apart from that horrible way that Ruby was killed *hurl*). I would love more backstory on Jess. In my fantasy S5 that would be one epic storyline.