• (8.01) Season premiere. Dean and Benny get out of Purgatory. Dean and Sam's reunion after a year. Sam asks about Cas and Dean turns away (which he always does when he wants to hide his emotions from Sam) and says that Cas didn't make it, that he "let go". Sam insists if he saw Cas die but Dean reacts angrily and the conversation ends there. We also see the first few flashbacks of Purgatory and how Dean is going back to torture to find Cas. Crowley refers to Cas as "Dean's angel". It's also worth mentioning that from this episode to 8.07 (Cas' return) Dean is clearly depressed and suffers from PTSD.
читать дальше• (8.02) The Purgatory flashbacks: we see a monster referring to Cas as Dean's angel again. Dean finds Cas and hugs him, asks Cas why he run away from him and Cas explains that he'd been trying to protect him from the leviathans. Then Dean says he needs him and refuses to leave Purgatory without him. Cas eventually agrees.
• (8.03) and (8.04) Cas-free episodes. Dean/Sam conflicts. Dean seems overwhelmed.
• (8.05) More purgatory flashbacks. Dean refuses to leave Cas behind even though he and Benny both agree that Cas should stay behind. Benny asks Dean why he resurrected him and a flashback immediately afterwards confirms that Benny saved Cas from a leviathan and this made Dean befriend Benny.
• (8.06) Cas-free episode, though he's mentioned by Dean when he says that Cas let him down (when Cas became God? In Purgatory when Cas let go of him? could be both). More Dean/Sam conflicts, Dean seems to be emotionally over the edge at this point.
• (8.07) Dean "hallucinates" Cas and we see the first time Dean is openly willing to talk with Sam about Dean's pain from losing Cas. Cas returns and Dean confronts him, saying that he did everything he could to get him out of purgatory. Cas confesses that he planned to stay there as a form of punishment. Meaning that Dean couldn't handle the thought of Cas leaving him so he unconsciously changed his memories so that it was Dean's fault. I'm also gonna point out here two patterns that start here in this episode and last until the present time: 1. Dean being worried and protective over Cas, and 2. Sam or other people often interrupting the Dean/Cas emotional moments/conversations.
• (8.08) The Dean/Cas/Sam dynamic is established: When the three of them are together, Dean seems to be uncaring and dismissive over Cas, while when Dean and Cas are alone, Dean is more willing to talk and show emotions, and shows a deep affection towards him. At this point, Cas' depression and suicidal thoughts become clear. We also see Dean being truly, honestly happy for the first time ever since the season premiere. At the end of the episode, Dean offers shotgun, but Cas chooses to stay with Fred. Dean is definitely not ok with this but respects Cas' decision.
• (8.09) Another Dean/Sam conflict when Benny reappears. Dean goes back to being tough and distressed.
• (8.10) Cas reappears to Dean and we can tell that he's still angry at Cas leaving in 8.08, though as the episode goes on Dean ends up asking him to spend time together outside of business. I'm also going to highlight how illogically embarrassed Dean is when Cas sees his porn, while openly talking about it with Sam. Cas stabs Samandriel and vanishes even though Dean asks him to wait. At this point, Dean and Sam know something's very wrong with Cas. Dean and Sam also end things with Benny and Amelia respectively.
• (8.11) The brothers's emotional aftermath after losing Benny and Amelia. Cas is gone from this episode until 8.17. Dean says that in this life he can't afford attachments and goes back to feeling troubled. Note: The Charlie/Gilda love story is fairly similar to the Dean/Cas situation.
• (8.12) and (8.13) First introduction of the MOL and the batcave. Dean is "nesting" and at some point asks Sam if he's heard from Cas. When he asks why, Dean says (hiding his emotions) that he's "not answering”, meaning that Dean's been calling him. Dean also gets hit on by Aaron, and for the first time we see Dean not turning him down because he "doesn't swing that way", but because he's on a case.
• (8.14) First introduction of the trials. Dean decides to do them alone because he doesn't see "a light at the end of the tunnel", and his depression and suicidal thoughts come up again. Sam ends up doing the first trial and is doing the rest of them because he, unlike Dean, wants to survive them. There's also Dean turning down a girl because he "can't".
• (8.15) and (8.16) Sam hides that he's coughing up blood from his brother and lies to him. Dean is worried and prays to Cas but he doesn't appear, which makes Dean wonder where he is, showing clear distress. Note: The Portia/James and Prometheus/Artemis love stories are again fairly similar to Dean/Cas and even James is called "Jimmy" at some point.
• (8.17) When the episode starts we learn that Cas has been training to kill the real Dean all this time, meaning that Naomi knows that Dean is Cas' weak point. Cas reappears and is so messed up that Dean and Sam know he's not himself almost immediately. Cas and Meg have a cute scene where Meg suggests they have sex later, but Dean interrupts them when Cas was about to reply. The crypt scene: Cas breaks free from Naomi when Dean says to him "Cas, it's me. We're family, we need you. I need you", though when Dean asks what broke the connection, Cas illogically answers that he doesn't know. Cas vanishes once again without a proper explanation. Note: At this point, Cas has left Dean 5 times already this season (when Cas runs away from Dean in Purgatory, when he chooses to stay in there, in 8.08, in 8.10 and now in 8.17), which is severely triggering Dean's abandonment issues, trust issues and self-worth.
• (8.18) Dean refuses to talk to Sam about how he feels after Cas beat him up.
• (8.19) Naomi appears to Dean and tries to manipulate him by saying that Cas wasn't really ordered to kill Dean and that Naomi has been trying to help Cas because he's been very emotionally damaged ever since Purgatory. Naomi also points out that Dean is hoping that Cas will "return to [him]" and even though she says that he's very loyal, she "only wishes [Cas] felt the same way", trying to make it sound like Cas doesn't care/love him back. It's also worth mentioning that the current storyline of Naomi trying to emotionally manipulate Dean and Cas to go against each other (and ultimately break said manipulation because of their love for each other) is a typical trope mainly used in love stories.
читать дальше• (8.02) The Purgatory flashbacks: we see a monster referring to Cas as Dean's angel again. Dean finds Cas and hugs him, asks Cas why he run away from him and Cas explains that he'd been trying to protect him from the leviathans. Then Dean says he needs him and refuses to leave Purgatory without him. Cas eventually agrees.
• (8.03) and (8.04) Cas-free episodes. Dean/Sam conflicts. Dean seems overwhelmed.
• (8.05) More purgatory flashbacks. Dean refuses to leave Cas behind even though he and Benny both agree that Cas should stay behind. Benny asks Dean why he resurrected him and a flashback immediately afterwards confirms that Benny saved Cas from a leviathan and this made Dean befriend Benny.
• (8.06) Cas-free episode, though he's mentioned by Dean when he says that Cas let him down (when Cas became God? In Purgatory when Cas let go of him? could be both). More Dean/Sam conflicts, Dean seems to be emotionally over the edge at this point.
• (8.07) Dean "hallucinates" Cas and we see the first time Dean is openly willing to talk with Sam about Dean's pain from losing Cas. Cas returns and Dean confronts him, saying that he did everything he could to get him out of purgatory. Cas confesses that he planned to stay there as a form of punishment. Meaning that Dean couldn't handle the thought of Cas leaving him so he unconsciously changed his memories so that it was Dean's fault. I'm also gonna point out here two patterns that start here in this episode and last until the present time: 1. Dean being worried and protective over Cas, and 2. Sam or other people often interrupting the Dean/Cas emotional moments/conversations.
• (8.08) The Dean/Cas/Sam dynamic is established: When the three of them are together, Dean seems to be uncaring and dismissive over Cas, while when Dean and Cas are alone, Dean is more willing to talk and show emotions, and shows a deep affection towards him. At this point, Cas' depression and suicidal thoughts become clear. We also see Dean being truly, honestly happy for the first time ever since the season premiere. At the end of the episode, Dean offers shotgun, but Cas chooses to stay with Fred. Dean is definitely not ok with this but respects Cas' decision.
• (8.09) Another Dean/Sam conflict when Benny reappears. Dean goes back to being tough and distressed.
• (8.10) Cas reappears to Dean and we can tell that he's still angry at Cas leaving in 8.08, though as the episode goes on Dean ends up asking him to spend time together outside of business. I'm also going to highlight how illogically embarrassed Dean is when Cas sees his porn, while openly talking about it with Sam. Cas stabs Samandriel and vanishes even though Dean asks him to wait. At this point, Dean and Sam know something's very wrong with Cas. Dean and Sam also end things with Benny and Amelia respectively.
• (8.11) The brothers's emotional aftermath after losing Benny and Amelia. Cas is gone from this episode until 8.17. Dean says that in this life he can't afford attachments and goes back to feeling troubled. Note: The Charlie/Gilda love story is fairly similar to the Dean/Cas situation.
• (8.12) and (8.13) First introduction of the MOL and the batcave. Dean is "nesting" and at some point asks Sam if he's heard from Cas. When he asks why, Dean says (hiding his emotions) that he's "not answering”, meaning that Dean's been calling him. Dean also gets hit on by Aaron, and for the first time we see Dean not turning him down because he "doesn't swing that way", but because he's on a case.
• (8.14) First introduction of the trials. Dean decides to do them alone because he doesn't see "a light at the end of the tunnel", and his depression and suicidal thoughts come up again. Sam ends up doing the first trial and is doing the rest of them because he, unlike Dean, wants to survive them. There's also Dean turning down a girl because he "can't".
• (8.15) and (8.16) Sam hides that he's coughing up blood from his brother and lies to him. Dean is worried and prays to Cas but he doesn't appear, which makes Dean wonder where he is, showing clear distress. Note: The Portia/James and Prometheus/Artemis love stories are again fairly similar to Dean/Cas and even James is called "Jimmy" at some point.
• (8.17) When the episode starts we learn that Cas has been training to kill the real Dean all this time, meaning that Naomi knows that Dean is Cas' weak point. Cas reappears and is so messed up that Dean and Sam know he's not himself almost immediately. Cas and Meg have a cute scene where Meg suggests they have sex later, but Dean interrupts them when Cas was about to reply. The crypt scene: Cas breaks free from Naomi when Dean says to him "Cas, it's me. We're family, we need you. I need you", though when Dean asks what broke the connection, Cas illogically answers that he doesn't know. Cas vanishes once again without a proper explanation. Note: At this point, Cas has left Dean 5 times already this season (when Cas runs away from Dean in Purgatory, when he chooses to stay in there, in 8.08, in 8.10 and now in 8.17), which is severely triggering Dean's abandonment issues, trust issues and self-worth.
• (8.18) Dean refuses to talk to Sam about how he feels after Cas beat him up.
• (8.19) Naomi appears to Dean and tries to manipulate him by saying that Cas wasn't really ordered to kill Dean and that Naomi has been trying to help Cas because he's been very emotionally damaged ever since Purgatory. Naomi also points out that Dean is hoping that Cas will "return to [him]" and even though she says that he's very loyal, she "only wishes [Cas] felt the same way", trying to make it sound like Cas doesn't care/love him back. It's also worth mentioning that the current storyline of Naomi trying to emotionally manipulate Dean and Cas to go against each other (and ultimately break said manipulation because of their love for each other) is a typical trope mainly used in love stories.