What! The Useless Bastard isn't going to get his comeuppance. I can accept that if and only if Sam never accepts John's affection. If John's behavior gets worse, than I think Sam would have two possible reactions: breaking down completely or completely rejecting any affection from John ever again. Since Sam declared his independence and went to Stanford AND refused to speak to John during that time period, I would have to go with Sam completely rejecting John. A broken Sam would never have left in a positive, constructive manner like going to college.
Truly, I agree with what someone said upthread about John not being like that a great deal of the time, because Sam would not have comparably favored John to Max's abusive father.
Speaking of abuse, though, I have to disagree about the assertion earlier upthread that John was not abusive. "He’s cruel because he thinks he needs to be, it gives him no pleasure, which is what, I think, keeps him from being an abuser." Abusers can always justify their violence, but that doesn't make the actions anything less than abusive. I'm sure the people who burn their children to keep them from touching the stove or giving their toddlers a bath in cold water to teach them not to have accidents (one great parenting tip I was actually given one day)had all the good intentions in the world and didn't see their actions as abusive. So in my book, John doesn't get a pass. He's being abusive. Period. End of story.
However, I do hope you don't have a reconciliation between John and Sam. I don't want Sam to be a lapdog or a good little soldier and accept whatever crumbs of affection that John is willing to throw Sam's way. I want Sam to keep a mental checklist of all of John's sins and use that as motivation to hold onto his dream of getting the hell out of Dodge. If I can't have John's evisceration, then I don't want a reconciliation. John doesn't deserve forgiveness at this point, and frankly, Sam doesn't deserve having to feel like he needs to forgive John because John bought him a popsicle. Besides, I just can't picture a true reconciliation without John being the one to change. If Sam relents, it's the forgiveness an abused child will give an undeserving parent. That's not reconciliation, but rather submission, in my opinion.
Personally, I still think this John would have died during a hunt. Sam just shoots the monster a couple seconds too late. If I was Sam, I wouldn't try to save John. I'd let him die as long as Dean wasn't around to see it. I wouldn't feel one damn guilty about it, either.
Then again, karma's a real bitch ; - ) If I can't have a physical evisceration, then I don't want anybody to have a reconciliation, either.
Finally, are you opposed to an emotional evisceration of John? It wouldn't be real bloody and leave a big mess. I'm sure it would smell better, too.
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Truly, I agree with what someone said upthread about John not being like that a great deal of the time, because Sam would not have comparably favored John to Max's abusive father.
Speaking of abuse, though, I have to disagree about the assertion earlier upthread that John was not abusive. "He’s cruel because he thinks he needs to be, it gives him no pleasure, which is what, I think, keeps him from being an abuser." Abusers can always justify their violence, but that doesn't make the actions anything less than abusive. I'm sure the people who burn their children to keep them from touching the stove or giving their toddlers a bath in cold water to teach them not to have accidents (one great parenting tip I was actually given one day)had all the good intentions in the world and didn't see their actions as abusive. So in my book, John doesn't get a pass. He's being abusive. Period. End of story.
However, I do hope you don't have a reconciliation between John and Sam. I don't want Sam to be a lapdog or a good little soldier and accept whatever crumbs of affection that John is willing to throw Sam's way. I want Sam to keep a mental checklist of all of John's sins and use that as motivation to hold onto his dream of getting the hell out of Dodge. If I can't have John's evisceration, then I don't want a reconciliation. John doesn't deserve forgiveness at this point, and frankly, Sam doesn't deserve having to feel like he needs to forgive John because John bought him a popsicle. Besides, I just can't picture a true reconciliation without John being the one to change. If Sam relents, it's the forgiveness an abused child will give an undeserving parent. That's not reconciliation, but rather submission, in my opinion.
Personally, I still think this John would have died during a hunt. Sam just shoots the monster a couple seconds too late. If I was Sam, I wouldn't try to save John. I'd let him die as long as Dean wasn't around to see it. I wouldn't feel one damn guilty about it, either.
Then again, karma's a real bitch ; - ) If I can't have a physical evisceration, then I don't want anybody to have a reconciliation, either.
Finally, are you opposed to an emotional evisceration of John? It wouldn't be real bloody and leave a big mess. I'm sure it would smell better, too.