I've just re-read this (I felt the need for some Sammy angst!) and all the comments and felt I had to comment again. I feel that your characterisation of John is absolutely canon. What little we see of him in the first series is not pleasant. He has kicked Sam out; he has abandoned Dean without any explanation (unbelievably hurtful, especially for Dean, with no one else to turn to); he barks orders at the boys and expects instant obedience, again without explanation. As you said, the comments in Buga are very telling, but the real clincher for me is the line in Nightmare about "a little more tequila and a little less hunting...etc" The important word here is little. John was close to crossing the line, but equally important - he didn't.
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I feel that your characterisation of John is absolutely canon. What little we see of him in the first series is not pleasant. He has kicked Sam out; he has abandoned Dean without any explanation (unbelievably hurtful, especially for Dean, with no one else to turn to); he barks orders at the boys and expects instant obedience, again without explanation.
As you said, the comments in Buga are very telling, but the real clincher for me is the line in Nightmare about "a little more tequila and a little less hunting...etc" The important word here is little. John was close to crossing the line, but equally important - he didn't.