Has Sam Changed Since Seasons One and Two

[lady_windermere]

Just a quick poll. Not saying it is perfect, I'm feeling a little tired, and have probably missed out loads. Feel free to rip apart!

[Poll #1369540]

Comments

[shadowc44.livejournal.com]

Good questions. I think Sam did come back a bit wrong. It's always reminded me a little of the story, "The Monkey's Paw" (be careful what you wish for, and be damned careful how you word it!). For one thing, we don't know exactly how long Sam was dead. One of the companion books said he came back on his birthday. I think it was at least 2, maybe 3 days. So where was he? Presumably a Reaper showed up. Did he go with the Reaper, or was he hanging around, watching Dean, wanting to communicate and not knowing how? If so, he probably had to forget that, the same way Dean had to forget his convo with Tessa.

If Sam was Somewhere Else, where was it? Purgatory? Quite possibly. Heaven? Maybe, though I have my doubts. If it was Hell, 3 days would be 3...months? Weeks? Not years, as I originally wrote. Math is not my strong suit! Not at all like Dean's 40 years, but still, it probably felt like quite a long time. So what happened to him there? Was he tortured by Alastair, or someone similar? Was he given the same choices? Wherever he was at, he was ripped out of there so fast it would probably the like metaphysical whiplash. If he came back "wrong" he probably wouldn't realize it. If something were missing, he might not recognize it was missing.

Sam still has some compassion, but not as much as he did. Maybe he had too much before, and some of that's been siphoned off. Harder? Oh, yeah, I would think that would make perfect sense. Also, considering the things they do, losing some compassion, becoming harder, more cynical and pragmatic, just seem like a logical progression. But also, he's always admired Dean, and has been trying for two seasons to be as much like Dean as he can. He's even taken on Dean's faults, like the drinking, in Sin City, I think it was, when he went to the bar in the afternoon to get drunk and pick up chicks. The whole thing of having casual sex is so un-Samlike, that's a big clue there of how much he's changed. The sex-with-Ruby thing was partly out of self-loathing. Sera Gamble said something similar in an interview. Sam used to be more self-confident, and prideful. Not that he's ever likely to give Dean a run for his money in the self-pity department, but for a while he was just falling apart, before Ruby came to put the pieces back together. For her own manipulative reasons. She has definitely changed his way of thinking, convincing him using his powers will help in the long run. She lied to him about being able to save Dean, and he forgave her. Who knows how many things she's lied to him about?

I think if Azazel were still around, he'd be delighted by the changes in Sam. He might want things to move faster, but he'd probably be saying, "That's my boy!" with the same kind of pride Dean had when he said it in Provenance. Hm, Sam never really got John's approval, in the way he wanted it. He doesn't seem to have God's approval. But Azazel, who wanted to be a mentor, if not a father-figure, he'd have his approval for sure.

BTW, I loved how Bobby tried to convince Dean that naw, Sam didn't come back wrong, but his eyes said, "That'd explain a few things!"

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

I'm not sure Sam was anywhere really after he died. I have him in a kind of Limbo, while they decide what to do with him. If he went anywhere it would be Heaven, as he is basically the good guy at that stage, who believes in God, and does try to follow Christian principals, even when hunting. He is the one reluctant to kill a human, rather than Dean.

It was 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' that Sam was in the bar in the afternoon drinking and saying he wanted to pick up girls. Before they went to hospital to help Bobby, but yes, that is when he is taking on more and more of Dean's characteristics. It is also when, at the end, Dean admits he doesn't want to die.

Maybe he would have Azazel's approval, but I'm not sure. Sam isn't really leading a demon army like he wanted him to. I see Sam doing what he think needs to be done, without any guidance, except for Ruby. Which is the problem as he does need guidance after everything that has happened to him now.