Sam “Men of Words” Winchester supporting his brother Dean “I struggle with words” Winchester.
This is a theme this season. Dean (and Sam, Cas) vs communication. (Actually, it started last season.)
Dean constantly confuses “we” with “I”, mixes “need” with “want” and “love”, gets the words wrong (it’s pronounced ca-pi-chu-lum, Dean!), and is in pain even thinking about books (“aka the written word”), but he has no problems analyzing facts and reports, and pictures, and data, and numbers and everything else.
Dean uses post it notes (aka a tool of communication, albeit simple communication), but turns them into a joke, puts them where Sam can’t read them, and in the end dismisses them for the sake of yet another mission at hand. Dean uses funny words like dum dum, or jinkies, or “whack”, but he has problems pronouncing French or Latin (aka “serious words”). In the meantime Sam and Cas (who speaks every language possible and “doesn’t get the words wrong”) are on the other side, waiting for Dean to catch up - to start using his words correctly and without struggle. Cas is pissy because he asks questions, but gets bullshit answers. Sam is supportive, but he feels there is so much Dean is not sharing or struggles to share (”I don’t know what you are!”). Dean is in pain because he can’t get the words right. He is definitely not a part of a “speakeasy”, as Sandy put it. In the beginning of the episode he is pretty overwhelmed by the need to find the right words (in the books), and that’s why he hates them so much at the moment.
So many methaphors for communication problems in this episode (13x17):
- previously mentioned post-its that Sam cannot read unless he REALLY tries (and somehow he doesn’t figure out that removing a layer of clothing would actually help the communication here - smart, since the fifteen layers of flannel have always been a symbol for hiding oneself);
- Sandy is both gagged and not gagged in the cold open (she is gagged in every second frame), so she either can’t speak at all or screams in fear;
- Dean is practically overwhelmed by the amount of books around him (they are EVERYWHERE, in the war room, in the kitchen, in the archives, in the corridors, in the other bunker’s office…) in the beginning, before he finds a case (aka Sandy chained to the alter) that removes the pressure to work with words for now - and the books magically disappear (they are even gone from the war room when they come back to the bunker while in the beginning Sam sleeps there surrounded by them);
- when the boys explain the future to Sandy, Dean shows her his car (aka his mean of transportation, of moving, of acting), while Sam shows her his phone - his way of communicating with the world;
- the other MoLs attack and kidnap first, ask questions later (literally), which is such a sign for bad communication skills. They are hooded and silent the whole first time the boys meet them! If only they started by talking to one of the guys, for example on his way to the bathroom - since once they kidnap Sam all they do is TALK TO HIM, not hurt him - the whole case could go so much smoother and fewer people would die;
- the older waitress talks to herself, and in the end compliments Marco for being such a great conversationalist (”You always make me laugh!”), even though he doesn’t say a word;
- the younger waitress, Amy, is obviously happy with the attention given her by the young boy, Buck, but she still doesn’t give him a clear “yes” or “no” - until later in the episode when she does indeed say yes, and agrees to go out with him (but he dies to protect her and she is left behind, alone)(what a tragic love story!)(like a Hallmark movie!)(foreshadowing? what foreshadowing?!)(smh);
- there is not-so-subtle-storytelling, and there is Dean Winchester chained to an undergound altar to be sacrificed to become the male-half of a (het) romantic couple, and when he tries to protest his voice is literally taken away, until he liberates himself, kills the monster, and can speak again/breathe again. Yeah, mr Perez. Subtle. (Almost as subtle as the story of two lovers separated by the rift, or the person being stabbed from behind, through the chest, by the bad guy/girl in front of Dean to trigger his trauma);
- speaking of being gagged/voices being taken away - Gabriel is mute the whole time he is on screen, his lips physically sewn together, and even when Sam cuts the threads, and Gabe is able to open his mouth, he is still unable to share his experience due to the years of abuse, being locked away and forced to be silent. Again, subtle;
- there is A LOT of focus being put on asking questions/getting answers. Asmodeus doesn’t get information because he doesn’t ask. Ketch asks again and again (a nice huge Cas mirror that he is in this episode) why he was called, why he is there, what does Asmodeus want from him, what is the nature of their relationship; one of the post-its on Sam’s back says “I’m stupid - ask me!”. Dean pronounces in front of Capitulum VII - “You ask questions, you get answers.” I hope soon he will give people around him the honest answers, because so far he is trying to avoid it at all cost;
- speaking of honest - everyone is surprisingly sincere in this episode, and I hope it’s a foreshadowing for the better communication from now on. People who asked questions, got answers, and that’s great. Dean is trying while still struggling, but it seems the general idea is that he is getting better, and he has Sam’s support;
- even Sandy questions WHY they are not more willing to discuss her newfound existence - why don’t they ask questions? Why are they not more surprised? Sam starts asking questions then - simple, basic questions - and he finds stuff out while Dean has no interest in talking to Sandy about her misfortune (words vs not using his words again). I would also like to point out that Sandy seems to have all the memories of her vessel - unless she made everything up which I doubt. I wonder if it will be important in the future;
- also, when the attack on the diner (aptly named Krispy’s, with a K instead of C) happens, all the phones are dead, including the landline. All the means of communication are dead for now, and Dean has no ways to communicate with Sam, and he turns to violence - preparing Molotov’s coctails that he never actually uses. Sam on the other hand, who TALKS with the MoLs, manages to regain control over the situation, using HIS WORDS, and not force;
- Sandy dies when her mouth (and her screams) is shut again by Yokoth’s tentacle. While in her body, the god kills people by sucking their hearts out, and their souls dry with a deadly tentacle shooting out of her mouth (nice visual there!).
Miscommunication has been Davy Perez’ pet theme since 12x12 when the whole thing started - Cas using his words, and Dean staying silent. We are over a year later, and Dean got better, but these words still need to come out. In 12x15 Davy made sure to show us that not using your words gets people killed (and for sure it did get Cas killed in the finale of s12). BTW, 13x12, 13x14 and 13x17 have a lot in common, and it’s really interesting to do a little compare and contrast with these three episodes - Yokoth, Glythur and Perez together again, maybe I will (ten)tackle it some other time. They are showing us that asking questions is the way to go because (eventually) you will get your answer. We have seen how since 13x06 Cas has wanted to know why he was brought back, but the answers he got were misleading at best - so he got to the wrong conclusions, and the whole merry-go-round of Cas feeling not loved and leaving started again. BECAUSE DEAN PAL-ZONED AND NEED-ZONED HIM AGAIN DUE TO HIS INTERNALIZED COMMUNICATION ISSUES. The season needs to end with Dean vocalizing how he feels - he has been making such a huge progress that I can’t see it go any other way. However, I fully expect that once he does say out loud what has been sitting inside him for years (to Cas and to Sam as well), the universe will go “oh no you didn’t!”, and will interfere with the force of a raging cosmic entity (or a raging archangel). And we will have new issues on the table. Tragic. You know - like a Hallmark movie.
