Dean’s self worth part 2: Team Free Will
Based on a reply from @lgoodrowblog.
With all the season 6 / season 12 subversion parallels I’m remembering what I think of as the three way validation and trust points in the finale “Swan Song”. As season 6 directly follows this finale, it’s core focus on TFW and HOW they win against Lucifer (and angels) is important to the narrative of that season and the subversion parallels we might see in season 12′s fight against Lucifer (and demons).
I see not only season 6 subversion parallels in season 12 but also parallels from seasons 4/5 again in seasons 11/12, mainly in that they are again facing an EXTERIOR threat together in contrast with many elements of the in between seasons. We have talked a lot about how good it is to see Sam and Dean working TOGETHER rather than at odds and Cas is now in this too. I am just focusing here on the big event, the apocalypse (and mainly on Dean) as for me it’s the starting point of their finding self worth, love and forgiveness is through each other’s eyes.
Now, the starting point of TFW: the famous scene from Castiel and Dean’s first meeting:
“… you don’t think you deserve to be saved?”
This sets our scene for their relationship (whether you view it as romantic or platonic, this relationship becomes core to both their lives and is a key point in Dean’s validation / self worth discussion).
TFW then develops, at this point mainly based around Castiel and Dean, leading up to the reminder of Cas’s faith in him in 5x02. Cas has now lost EVERYTHING he has ever know, ever stood for, for MILLENIA, even killing his own siblings, in fighting for Dean, he’s rebelled and did all of it for Dean…
Then comes Dean’s weakening resolve, in trying to save humanity he weakens, thinking of letting Michael in. So of COURSE in 5x18 Castiel is enraged by this!
Cas rebelled for him because he believed IN him, Dean then did let him down, so Cas was right to feel betrayed and let down.
But then what happened? They worked TOGETHER to fix it. Castiel’s faith in Dean is restored (5x21 “You are not the burnt and broken shell of a man that I believed you to be”).
Sam also validates his trust in Dean at this point when as Dean says himself it is Sam who takes Dean with him to the ‘beautiful room’ and TRUSTS that he will not say yes in 5x18.
Dean then acknowledges this and his own trust in Sam. “This stupid son of a bitch BROUGHT me here (…) If you’re grown up enough to find faith in me, the least I can do is return the favour”.
In the end Team Free Will validated ALL their trust in each other and therefore in themselves when their plan worked in Swan Song. Their trust and validation narratively come in order of difficulty and importance to the event (and also their character’s importance to the story culminating in Sam).
1. Firstly that that Cas would help them rather than remain the faithful, brainwashed soldier.
2. Then that Dean would not say yes to Michael despite being right on the edge and cornered by Angels.
3. Finally that Sam would be strong enough to hold off Lucifer once he was possessed and be able to jump into the pit.
Now, Sam has shown on numerous occasions that he does actually have a good amount of self - confidence and trust in himself, even when it’s misplaced. eg. demon blood, Lileth, holding off Lucifer (which he doesn’t actually manage to do until Dean puts himself in his way and allows himself to be pummelled nearly to death). While Dean needs support and trust to resist Michael and Castiel has lost his entire family and place in the world, Sam needs them through their forgiveness of his (perceived) errors exactly due to his misplaced self-confidence, so that he can forgive himself.
So, IMO TFW were and are still searching for self worth through love and …
Dean - trust/support
Cas - belonging
Sam - forgiveness
Well, I like to think that sarcastic Dean has a point when he’s talking about how to take down Lucifer, it is TFW’s ‘love’, trust and validation of each other that defeated him in the first place after all…