Supernatural – Torn and Frayed – The Break-up Episode

It was all about the break-ups last week. And the unhealthy but much-needed reconciliations.

Sam takes off over the death of Martin Creasor and Dean’s defence of Benny for it, and for Dean tricking Sam into running to Amelia.

After Amelia spies Sam peeping in her windows, she confronts him at the motel. They spend the night together and decide they will meet again two days hence: if one or the other isn’t there, they’ll know, etc.

Benny calls Dean needing his help to stay off the human juice.

But we all know, don’t we – we all know already how this is going to play out.

Dean and Sam have the unhealthiest of codependent sibling relationships, barring drug addicts, and they absolutely have to. It’s a complete and total necessity. Who else could they have/would have them? In reality, it is human nature (for most folk, anyway!) to shy away from danger and serious emotional baggage. So they’re stuck with each other, and they know it. And we know it – even when the uproar over Sam’s ‘marriage’ was speedily peaking, everyone knew it. There’s just no way – it’s not in the cards, for either of them.

Unless, of course, two hot female hunters happen along – we’d all buy in, then, after the angst of character additions died down.

But the writers know they can’t do that – Sam and Dean’s dysfunction is really what keeps a lot of viewers tuning in every week.

So back we go, always, to the inevitable break-ups. John Winchester, Ellen and Jo Harvelle, Ash, Bobby Singer….no one is allowed to stick around for long. Which is why, in the beginning, I found it amusing that so many fans were up in arms about Benny.

I liked the addition of Benny. He was Dean’s answer to Sam’s Amelia. Previously, this answer to any of Sam’s absences, problems, issues, has been Castiel. We needed a new foil; as much as we all love Castiel, he has his own dysfunction going on right now – not sure what the deal is with this whole Naomi thing.

If Benny is gone, I am truly sad to see him go, for a few reasons – a few of the same reasons that he had to go. He was a vampire, after all – a monster, no matter what. His acceptance would have been, well, unacceptable. It would have upset the precarious balance between Sam and Dean, and left things uneven – and I know you know I sometimes like things uneven.

Sam and Dean reconcile, Dean breaks up with Benny, and Amelia arrives to a Sam-less hotel room. I guess she knows, now.

Totally off topic – how funny were Sam and Dean’s “Showdown” faces when Castiel told them to “Stow their crap”??

Supernatural airs Wednesday nights at 9e/6p. Check your local listings.