spn20rewatch, 1.09: "That boy... he has such powerful abilities."
Most of what can be said about Home has been said, but something that always stuck out to me was that Sam's powers aren't... that big a deal. Both in the episode, and in s1 generally.
DEAN: I mean, first you tell me that you’ve got the Shining? And then you tell me that I’ve gotta go back home? Especially when… SAM: When what? DEAN: When I swore to myself that I would never go back there? SAM: Look, Dean, we have to check this out. Just to make sure. DEAN: I know we do. [CUT TO: EXT – WINCHESTER HOUSE. DEAN and SAM pull up outside the house.] SAM: You gonna be all right, man?
The issue isn't that Sam's psychic. The issue is that Dean's afraid of going back to the scene of the original crime. He cries while leaving a pointless message on John's voicemail not because 'oh no, Sam's a monster', but because he's afraid and he needs help (and isn't going to get any).
Psychics seem to occupy an entirely different category in the power structure of the Supernatural universe. Missouri is useful, not a problem. (Other than threatening people with wooden spoons.) Sam's alarmed at this shift into having supernatural powers, but both he and Dean swiftly pivot to treating them like a source of useful information, not something to be particularly worried about. It's interesting to contrast that with the later delve into other powers. Once they take on a more demonic edge in s2/3/4, they become an actual problem. Proving, as usual with Supernatural, that it doesn't matter what you are -- it only matters what you do.
