This on is less kind to Dean tan most others. I really didn't like Dean in this episode. But Ella isn't too upset with him in this one for it. For headcanon reasons below.
Episode Twenty One – When the Levee Breaks
He had begun closing the kitchens on Wednesdays after the sun set, as he liked to keep an eye on the place while people ate and he played the piano for the clientele. He couldn't do that while away and watching Supernatural, so for the time being Wednesdays and Mondays were very dull nights club wise.
He would still open the club, obviously, but after 9 only, and then he would likely just stay among the crowd as the people danced or drank away their problems.
He had two episodes left of the 4th season before going on to the fifth, and he had been warned he may not like the fifth. This had to be the reason Ella dared him and set it up as a bet she knew he couldn't say no to.
He stared at the title of the episode When the Levee Breaks, remembered how the last episode ended and gulped, holding onto the remote a bit tighter than he should.
"Com on, Lucifer. Best to get this one out of the way."
He frowned. "But that just makes it closer to what I dread more than I dread watching Sam going through withdrawal and something bad happening. I know something bad is going to happen."
Ella sighed and leaned her head against his arm. "Of course something bad happens. This is Supernatural. Everything bad happens. Now hurry up and push play."
He sighed, wished he had opened the kitchens that night and was downstairs playing piano instead, but still pointed the remote at the DVD player and pushed play.
He paused it when the titles rolled and frowned. "As much as I hate Dean's attitude normally, the attitude in this situation is kind of needed. Because he's right."
Ella grinned. "Hah! Is that something you like about him?"
He frowned at the top of her head. "Hell no. I hate his attitude, because Sam was right too. Dean is self-righteous. Dean is always right. Everything Dean wants, Dean gets. Every decision Dean has is twice as good as anything Sam could ever come up with, because Sam is lesser than he is. He is the authority. He is the one who calls the shots. Sam needs to detox, but he needs to not be abandoned as he does it. Dean is effectively leaving a person going through withdrawal, which can actually cause the death of a person, on their own, in a room no one can exit if inside it to dry out. Without medical help or any comfort at all. And there is nothing I could think of that is a more dick move he has ever done."
Ella sighed, but didn't get up. "You'll see why it's not a good idea why anyone is there with him at the time."
Lucifer growled out his distaste at hearing that. "They don't have to be in the room with him. All they should do is park outside the door and give him reassurance that he isn't alone. Dean was right to tell him he needs to dry out, but deadly wrong to leave him afterwards. And even worse telling him he is leaving him there and hunting Lilith while Sam is stuck."
Ella was oddly quiet after he said that and he could just imagine her rolling her eyes at him. She didn't even shake or nod her head. He pushed play again just to get the awkward silence to end.
He was going to pause it after the hallucination Sam had involving Alastair, but decided to keep on going and instead paused it after the scene with Dean and Bobby talking. "Well, shit. At least Bobby understands the situation and is keeping an ear out for Sam. He maybe be upstairs drinking with Dean, but he's at least sort of looking out for him. It beats Dean thinking Sam should just be better already. Like detoxing works that way. Stupid arsehole..."
Ella butted her head against his shoulder. "As far as I can see, Dean and Bobby are doing the exact same thing."
He shook his head. "No. Bobby knows the risks of what is happening. Dean doesn't care, as long as Sam lives and comes off the blood. Bobby is worried over Sam's health. Dean is just worried over his life, and only then after Bobby stated he could die from this."
Ella sighed loudly. "I have no idea where you get this from..."
He blinked at that and frowned, not bothering to look down at her. "Because the show is that blatant about it. People tend to gloss over Dean's shitty behaviour because they think he's sexy, or they like the bad boy, or they think he's a cinnamon roll underneath the gruff, hard outer exterior. Dean isn't a cinnamon roll. He's a chocolate. Hard on the outside layer, gooey and soft under that layer, and with a hard nut in the centre where his heart should actually be. People see past the outer layer, think the next layer is truly him and don't bother looking for the nut."
"Everyone has the nut, Lucifer."
He shook his head. "Nope, not everyone. Some people don't. And those people generally are empaths. But that's real life. You can't judge a fictional character by the same means, because most fictional characters generally don't have more than those first two layers. One the one hand, it makes the Winchester brothers more real, as they have more than one layer each. On the other hand, it doesn't stop Dean being a shitty person, who has good in him when he decides to act like it."
Ella sat up and frowned at him. "Sam is the opposite."
He modded. "Yep. His outer layer is that of the caring, hospitable one. Under that is a layer of wafer. Hard, cracked and breaks easily. Under that is a layer of jam. Sticky, hard to control and very bloody. And under that is the marshmallow layer of a little boy abandoned by his father, is not allowed to grow up and live his own life and is blamed for everything under the sun by the brother who raised him. Neither of the boys is innocent. Both are hard, just in different ways. Sam is caring. Dean is the bad boy. I don't see heroes, I see flawed humans who are fundamentally different because of what their father did to them."
Ella blinked at him a few times, before frowning. "You're going to have to repeat that in an easier to read metaphor later on, because right now I get Dean as a choc covered walnut and Sam as a Wagon Wheel."
He grinned down at her. "Yep. Dean has three layers, Sam has more."
Ella frowned. "I just don't see it the same way you do."
He snorted. "Of course you don't. You don't see the shape of people, their souls. Fictional characters are harder to read because they're fictional. But I have spent the majority of my life in Hell around souls and can read them very well."
She sighed, leaned back against him and pointed at the television. "Okay, enough waxing poetic about souls and put the show back on, please."
He put it back on and shut up talking about fictional souls vs real ones, even though he could tell the topic fascinated her. He'll have to tell her more about it after the episode had ended.
He paused it to point at Bobby. "See? He cares. He knows that Sam could die, he knows Sam shouldn't be doing this right now. He knows Sam like a son and wants to take care of him and doesn't like hearing him in pain, but he knows the detox has to happen. It just doesn't have to happen right then and it could have waited. That is caring."
Ella punched his shoulder. "Dean cares too."
Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Yes, he cares so much, he is going to charge off after Lilith on his own or with Bobby in tow while leaving Sam detoxing alone in a locked room he can't get out of and without any help if he needs it."
Ella sighed and shook her head against him. "I don't even know why I bother trying to point things out."
"Because you're only seeing half the picture. You blind yourself because you like him."
"You blind yourself to Bobby and Sam..."
He shook his head. "Nope, hey both can be shitty people, especially Bobby, but it doesn't stop them also being lovable. There is nothing lovable about Dean."
She sighed again and pointed. "On."
He rolled his eyes and pushed play, expecting this to go to hell in a hand basket when Dean refuses the sense Bobby is making.
He paused it again once the hallucination of Mary disappeared to frown. "Okay...this is fucked up. Sam, no. It's not a good thing. It can be used as a gift and save a lot of people, but it isn't a good thing. Who is sending these images to him? That was not Mary. That was personally tailored to push Sam's buttons. The other hallucinations were just that. This was different."
Ella sat back up and looked at him with the unspoken question of why he thought that shining clearly in her eyes. "Huh?" she asked instead.
"Sam's hallucinations are of pain. Himself is a pretty normal one, I'd say, not that I know much about this kind of thing, but I expect it to be normal, as he is tormenting himself right now by going through detox. Alastair made sense. He was torturing Sam as a way for Sam to know he was in physical pain. Where Alastair was digging into him is where he is hurting most. That made sense. I'm expecting Dean to show up next. Not sure if it will be real Dean or a hallucination, but either way, Den will show up to torment him."
Ella cocked her head to one side and frowned. "Wait... You don't think the hallucinations are really hallucinations?"
He shook his head. "I think Mary wasn't a hallucination. I think her image is being projected into his head by nasty angels. Probably Zachariah."
Ella hummed at him for that. "Nice theory. How about starting it. I swear, you've spent more time talking than actually watching this episode."
He grinned. "Guess i have a lot to say about this one."
She grinned back and laid her head back down. "Yeah, I noticed. "
He pushed play again.
He paused it after the talk between Dean and Castiel. "Huh. So Dean has sworn allegiance with Heaven, not thinking about what that means. Idiot."
"How does that make him an idiot?" Ella asked, not bothering to move her head against his shoulder.
"He blindly follows."
"He doesn't want Sam to have to drink demon blood again."
"No, he doesn't want to have to kill Sam for something he perceives Sam as after he drinks the demon blood again."
Ella shrugged against him. "Same thing."
He sighed loudly. "No, it isn't. You seem to get a lot of things that sound similar muddled up with them being the same thing. Castiel said quite clearly that Dean would feel like he has to hunt Sam for the amount of blood he drank, because of changes he would see in him."
"He said it would change Sam."
"No, he said it would change Sam into something Dean would want to hunt. Dean has already stated that Sam just by having these powers to begin with was something he wanted to hunt. Therefore the demon blood is a moot point. It doesn't change anything. Castiel worded what he said very carefully to snag Dean and get him where he wants him. Wow, Dean was right, Castiel did turn into a dick. What happened to him in Heaven?"
Ella giggled at that one. "You still have seasons to go to find out about that. Season 9 dude, season 9. And I don't think it makes the demon blood moot."
Lucifer sighed. "We'll be talking in circles all night about this. I am very good when it comes to saying things with a twist to keep telling the truth while also keeping the truth to myself. Trust me, Castiel did not say Sam would become a monster by drinking that demon blood. He said Dean would perceive Sam as a monster if he drank that blood."
Ella sighed. "Fine, maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong."
He grinned at the screen. "Ah, you know what happens and you don't want to spoiler me. I'm right, aren't I?"
As a reply, she hit him in the shoulder again. He laughed and pushed play.
He laughed at Bobby saying that Dean signed on willingly to be the angels' bitch. Because, yes, he did. Like an idiot.
He paused it again after Sam had his seizure. "Wow, what is it with this show suddenly giving characters seizures? I mean in this case it makes sense, but what about Jimmy from last episode?"
Ella lifted her shoulder to look at him with the most ridiculous expression of confusion on her face. "You're seriously bringing up Jimmy now?"
He shrugged. "Why not, he had a seizure for no reason last episode. Like I said, this one at least makes sense. Ooh, is Dean going to have one in the last episode? Or Bobby?"
Ella blinked and looked away, her eyes unfocusing as she thought about that. "Huh, I have no idea. I don't think anyone does, but I could be wrong."
He grinned and chuckled at that. "Well, that's not fair, is it?"
She huffed in faux anger at that, before laying her head back down.
He pushed play again. For such a screwed up episode, he was finally having fun bantering with Ella about the shittiness of the show's characters without her getting angry.
Lucifer shook his head in absolute disappointment about Dean willing to let Sam die, something he could never allow, than give him demon blood to let him live. He paused it and pointed. "See that? Bobby knows this is going to kill him and doesn't want his son to die and wasn't talking huge amounts of blood. He's talking of weaning Sam off it slowly, like an addictive substance without going cold turkey and killing him. The withdrawal woudl be easier and he had a good chance of surviving then. And Dean absolutely refuses on the principal the demon blood will turn him into a monster, even though it wouldn't. Castiel said exactly what Dean wanted to hear to get Sam out of the way."
Ella sighed and butted him with her head again. "Ow. Shut up and push play."
He rolled his eyes but did as he was told.
He paused it after Sam stole the impala and left Bobby lying in the dirt unconscious. "No. Non no no. This sucks. What were Castiel's orders? Sam should not have to do this alone. But he has no help at all. Heaven has abandoned him, Dean would rather see him dead and then die himself as a suicide pact, Bobby just wants to help Sam detox...this is a big huge mess."
Ella grinned. "I'm not telling. Spoilers, dude."
He scowled at her. "Damn spoiler warning. Why did I let you put that in place again?"
Sh grinned smugly up at him. "To stop you from being spoiled, duh."
He rolled his eyes but gave her that one. He just felt she was quoting Doctor Who at him with the sweetie left out. He pushed play again.
He wrinkled his nose at the baby eating first demon Lilith. Before Ella tapped him. "Pause for a sec."
Hearing her ask him to pause was so against what she'd normally say, he waited a second before he did so. "Hmm?"
"Lilith was the first demon, right?"
He nodded. "Yes, but not from my hands. Dad threw her into Hell and twisted her into the first demon. She gave birth to most of the demons in Hell. She's a mother, it's what she does. Spawn more demons."
She wrinkled her nose at that. "Eww. So no baby eating then?"
He shrugged. "Only if she doesn't think one will survive and then she's free to go at it all she wants, but that is very rare."
"Huh," she replied to that, before turning back to the screen. He took the hint and pushed play.
He grinned widely when Sam punched Dean. "Oh, yes, you punch that bastard. He deserves a million more for all the times you stood still and let him punch you."
Ella punched him in reply to that.
He paused it when Dean mimicked their Dad yet again and yet blamed Sam for being just like John. "What a fucking arsehole! Sam stands up for himself against Dean for the first time ever, Dean goes psycho on his arse and then says the exact same thing John did to him. See, this is why I hate Dean. Because if Sam doesn't do what Dean wants, he's not good enough, he's not towing the line. He's just a monster to be put out of his misery."
Ella punched him harder for that. "Sam just choked him!"
Lucifer nodded. "Yeah, and he stopped. Dean was looking to kill, because Sam is now one of the monsters to him. And when he couldn't, he disowned him for not doing what Dean wants. Sorry, but I am on Sam's side here, even if he is doing things wrong. Sam needed his brother to trust him and listen, but Dean can't do that, because Dean is the master in this relationship."
Ella looked up at him in shock. "You truly believe that."
Lucifer nodded. "Yep. It is clearly what is shown in this episode. Sam has now been disowned by his father and his surrogate. His adopted father is the only one who hasn't abandoned him. Go Bobby. Let Dean die and have the Sam and Bobby show. At least Bobby cares."
Ella went back to staring at the screen. "I don't like this very much."
He grinned. "Well, that's mot my problem."
He pushed play to stop her from answering only to have the episode end two seconds later.
He blinked. "Huh."
She grinned. "You lost track of the time, hah."
He shrugged. "Yes I did. I spent most of the episode really hating on nearly everyone at least once, but I did lose track of he time. It was a good episode, regardless of all the crap in it."
She nodded. "Yeah, it was definitely that."
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am really going to hate season 5, aren't I?"
She grinned at him. "Oh yeah. Like I said, I bet you wouldn't be able to make it past the first 5 seasons."
He scowled at her. "I am going to win that bet, you know. I will watch every damned episode of this show, if it's the last thing I watch."
She laughed at that and patted the shoulder she used as a headrest most of the episode. "That I believe to be a downright lie. This will definitely not be the last thing you watch. You're addicted to cheesy television."
He blinked, before shrugging. "Okay, point."
"So! Tell me more about souls."
He grinned. "Well, it is Wednesday, which is the slowest club day of the week, so I don't need to go downstairs at all tonight if I don't want. So, how much do you want to know?"
She grinned at him. "Everything!"
He laughed and settled down onto the couch in a more comfortable position for a long talk. "Okay, but you might want to get comfy, because this could take several nights."
She moved herself around until she was comfortable and he started his lecture about souls.
Note - The whole spiel about Sam and Dean being different kinds of chocolate is stupid. It was NaNo time. Which means anything gets in there. So, have that silly little shitty scene in there, even though, as Ella puts it, he needs a more understandable metaphor because his made no sense. Usually I take scenes like that out, but I found this one so ridiculous I had to keep it in.
Headcanon - I'm not actually sure Sam could be weaned off the demon blood slowly like Lucifer goes on about here. I think it is cold turkey or death for him. I do think the second time he goes through detox it was easier on him because he had less blood in his system.
Headcanon - Ella is less shitty when it comes to Lucifer being a bastard about Dean in this episode, because she didn't like all Dean did in this episode either as a sibling of a brother who has gone through detox. Yeah, that's a headcanon.