I’ve seen a lot of people offended on Dean’s behalf about Sam’s dream at the beginning of 13×21. I didn’t really see it as Sam trying to paint himself as the perfect son that helps around the house versus Dean, the silly one that everyone makes fun of. Yeah, Sam doesn’t usually help around the house, but we’re supposed to get a familial feel here and also it’s Sam’s dream, so of course he’s gonna be the focus. What do you think?

thejabberwock:

I think the dream told us a lot of information about Sam, and one of those things it told us was that Sam is extremely bothered by Dean’s eating habits, to the point where the dream centered, at the beginning, around everyone ganging up to pick at him about it. Honestly, my knee-jerk reaction was to be offended as well. Not offended, I guess, but protective of Dean, because clearly he didn’t like being the brunt of everyone’s jokes. 

Which is interesting in itself, since this was Sam’s subconscious being aware of that fact, and interesting further because everyone else was joining in 

so it wasn’t just about Sam, who is usually the one who is making comments about Dean’s eating habits. So this is Sam believing everyone feels that way and it’s not just him. Mary’s comments (and remember this is Sam’s subconscious, not actually Mary, were the final nail in the coffin, as it were, so Dean had to make a show of not eating anymore so Mary wouldn’t call him a piglet again. Sam imagined Dean actually still wanted more, just without Mary (presumably, probably Sam too) to judge him. Notice how he checks to make sure they are gone and not watching. So Sam has some idea about Dean that he sometimes does things to get people off his back or because Dean wants people to think certain ways about him. 

The dream also tells us something about Sam and what he wishes his mother would be–namely, that he wishes Mary was more like a traditional mother, the one who picks up after them and generally is just motherly. 

Which isn’t all that surprising, since Dean said something similar (not that he wanted her to clean up after them, but just that he wanted her to stick around and be a mom) during a family meeting in 12.14, where Sam was letting Dean do the talking for him. 

And once Dean left, Mary implored Sam and Sam echoed Dean’s sentiments to leave. 

So, I found it pretty interesting (and just reaffirming) that Sam clearly wants Mary to just stick around and be a mom too. 

Further, it gives us a clear picture that Sam wants his mom to think of him as not only a good son as he helps with the dishes, 

and a son who is caring, just look how proprietary he’s being with her

and not just those things, but he also wants her to see him as hero. 

Sam wants to be able to protect her and be a son she can count on. Which takes us all the way back to 4.21 when Sam was having visions of Mary being proud of him when he was drinking demon blood, obviously not something Mary would have been proud of. 

But Sam has a pretty big desire to be a good son, all the way back to when he felt John was disappointed in him too (gif from 1.08). 

So, this dream was a manifestation of those feelings, and not just about Dean and his eating habits. 

Keep in mind too that when Mary was there with them, the only family sitting around the table scene we got was Mary being bemused, slightly alarmed at Dean shoveling a pie into his mouth and she and Sam sharing a moment shaking their heads over it (12.02). 

So, Sam dreaming about Mary and him commiserating over Dean’s eating habits and being long-suffering about it isn’t really out of the realm of possibility, which is probably why people are offended. And honestly, I can understand that. Let the man eat his pizza. He has so few pleasures in life, you know? 

There’s also the interpretation about Dean not having enough to eat while growing up, which is one many in the fandom have and so there offense, on his behalf, in that regard, is understandable too. We just heard about Dean hiding food in his room in 13.19. Hidden cheeseburger in the bedroom, for emergencies, which may or may not have been intended to comedic effect. 

But we already know he’s been hungry to the point of starving (gif from 4.04). 

We also know he had to resort to stealing to make sure Sam ate, (gif from 9.07)

so it’s really not out of the realm of possibility that people are interpreting that Dean eats the way he does partly because he grew up not always having food, something which Sam wouldn’t have experienced as glaringly if Dean was taking care of him and making sure he got food (notice it was I knew you’d get hungry, Sam, not I was hungry and also notice that Dean and Sam routinely hustle people for money now so it’s not out of the realm of possibility either that Dean was trying to play a card game to get more money for things they’d need). And probably people who are upset are wishing Sam understood that, especially because I’d venture to say Sam has his own issues with food, mainly having  to do with purposeful deprivation as a means to cleanse himself. 

That dream scene in 13.21 was also played for comedic effect, even if it did give us a lot of interesting information about Sam and the way he thinks. And Dean’s family all being disgusted by him makes people feel protective, no matter if it’s meant to give us information, or a laugh, or both. 

But I will say we also got to see how very fond of Dean Sam is. Just look at his face when Mary amends her words to say you and Dean. 

Sam’s smile says it all. He’s clearly proud of his big brother and wants his mom to be as well and I think that’s important to remember too.