Very interesting spoiler coming out of a fan's participation in a semi-private Q&A at the Supernatural convention this past weekend in Chicago. She got to sit in on a session with Jensen Ackles, who cleared up a lot of confusion regarding his feelings about the show this season - he says he still loves his job, by the way - and talked a bit about the chemistry between the brothers in season 6. More on that in a minute.
First, we know Sam has been acting differently since his return from Hell. In the season 6 premiere he admitted to Dean that he didn't care about Dean's neighbours who were being attacked by the djinn. In this past week's episode he didn't protest about the fact that Castiel had to "torture" a kid for information like his brother did. Not only does Sam not seem to feel, he actually seems surprised by this fact when confronted by it. At the end of the last episode Dean confronted Sam, asking him if he felt any different and Sam seemed, once again, to brush off any feelings about going to Hell. Unlike Dean, who was emotionally tortured by his experience in Hell, Sam seems to have no adverse side effects - save for the fact that he is so clearly different from the Sam we all knew before.
His separation from Dean and his life of hunting on his own for a year (besides with the Campbells) can't be the only explanation. Sam became angry and isolated between seasons 3 and 4 when Dean was in Hell, but went back to being a Sam full of emotions when reunited with his brother (despite the angry emotions and demon blood addiction stemming from his relationship with Ruby). Now that's no longer the case.
The fan wrote this about Jensen's discussion during the Q&A:
He went on to say he hopes things get back to normal soon so season 6 can be the gravy train it was cracked up to be (lol) and not the season he and Jared have to work harder than ever! (And so the boys can rely on that chemistry that hooked us all on the show in the first place). We’re not explicitly sharing a spoiler here because – well, because we don’t want to spoil anything! – but what do you guys think is getting in the way of the boys’ famous chemistry? It can’t be soul – oops, we mean solely — the year of separation, right?
The moment I read that, I got to thinking. Maybe this is the best explanation for Sam's recent behavior. Bear with me here - maybe Sam doesn't have a soul. Or, if he does, a big chunk of it is missing. This may seem like a weird argument, but the whole mythology of vampires on Buffy was that humans lost their soul when turned into vampires. When Angel was cursed with a soul, he essentially regained his humanity - his feelings, his guilt, etc. This type of reasoning isn't an isolated incident in the mythology of a WB show, though. A lot of lore talks about the fact that your human feelings are essentially tied to your soul. Even Supernatural has discussed the issues of souls before - most recently in the last episode, where the angels remarked how powerful souls are.
So is this what's wrong with Sam? Did he come back from Hell soulless or without a whole soul? If it is, then the question becomes: how do you make Sam's soul whole again? Or how do you give it back to him period?
What do you think of this argument, folks? Do you have any other reasons for Sam's behavior or does this one make sense?
clarissa @ tvovermind.com
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Also, don't forget that according to Famine, Dean doesn't have a soul…
Actually, I read an explanation about Famine and Dean's lack of hunger that I really thought made sense – the point wasn't that Dean couldn't feel, but that was he hungered for more than anything was peace, which would explain his lack of emotion during that episode. It wasn't that he couldn't feel anything, it was that all he really felt was peace.
I think Dean, more than Sam now, definitely has a soul. He's been part of a family, he missed Sam while he was away, he obviously cares about Lisa (and dreams about her) and loves Ben. Dean definitely has feelings and had feelings when he returned from Hell. After all, he was very broken up over what he did there. Contrasted with Sam, who really seems to have no feelings after returning
Maybe Samuel made a deal with whoever he was on the phone with. To bring Sam from hell
That's an interesting theory. The real question is how Samuel figures into the whole equation as well. Or whether he's even Samuel at all and not someone else just using his body.
Well…. It's a good point! But nobody talked about Michael yet… and if Michael took Sam's body? I don't know… I'm so confused!
It IS confusing. But out of all of the speculation I've heard, this lack of soul kind of makes the most sense. Then again, we could be wrong – but I just hope we get an answer soon!
I've had a more down to Earth theory on the whole Sam thing lately. Sam was always the emotional one and he tended to feel everything very intensely. However, when someone like that gets hit with something like, oh the Devil inside you, I imagine that for his brain's survival, it had to shut down, thus, the not caring, the nonstop hunting, and the noticing how different he is without necessarily being able to pinpoint what's wrong or that anything is wrong. Sam is just numb, and he hasn't had anyone who knows him to call him on it for a year, so it's like habit. I think Dean will get him back to normal, once he admits to really being different. He's so close.
Okay. Psychoanalysis hour over. For now.
That's interesting. Yours sounds more like the PTSD syndrome explanation – that Sam is shutting down to protect himself. It's possible, but with the track record of the show, I kind of feel like they may go with a more supernatural or devastating explanation.
On the other hand, if you're right, I'll owe you a coffee.
oh i love that idea! that is the best..or at least the most logical one yet!!! LOVE IT!!!
knowing this show I'm thinking the soul think could work considering the family has a history of selling their souls for each other. But, then again Sam and Dean could be having a reversal of roles considering Sam couldn't be his usual vuneralbe self which is what Dean is trying his hand at, Sam had to pick up the "baton" and carry on in Dean's place or better to say take over and do what Dean would do and emulate his big brother.
From the first episode when Sam said that he could not feel and needed Dean to come hunt with him, because Dean could feel, I thought Sam was without a soul. The Third Man said souls are valuable commodities. And now this spoiler. I think Sam made a deal with someone to get out of Hell by giving up his soul. This someone could be an angel. Angels can go into hell, and raise souls from there. Castiel did it to Dean, but Cas gave Dean his soul back and made a new body for him. Perhaps this mysterious angel just wanted to horde up souls and bargained with Sam to let his body go and keep his soul. This could explain why Sam doesn't want to talk about his experiences in Hell.
Well some of us have figured as much, but if it is proven true I hope the writers don't wait till the last episodes to claim Sam's soul or actually reveal all this. It's nice to have new grounds to explore but the brothers and their chemistry on screen is the show's core and messing with that is like walking on fire in my book.
Sooner or later fans will react no matter how good of a job Jared does with the new Sam.
There ar all sorts of arguements regarding Sam's behavior. Many have in theory that Lucifer is in control of his body still or that Michael is. Also it could be his experience in Hell. But SUPERNATURAL will have all the answers. All I truly am is wondering if there is going to be a seventh season.
I agree with all of you. I think sam did lose his sole. He had Lucifer in him for who knows how long and we don't know what kind of trauma he had by having something so powerful and evil inside him. Espisode 1 season 6, when Sam was reunited with Dean…they hugged…he looked so empty inside. I saw it right away that he was just dead inside. It wasn't the same but I do think Jared is doing a great job. He's bring something different to the show. What I really want to know is what is grandpa cambell doing and does Sam know?
That is an interesting theory, and I think it's totally true..
There's something wrong with him.. this explains much.
Guys, if the Season 6 Sam didn't have a soul, he'd be a zombie and w/o free will. He'd have difficulty making decisions for himself…. It could be trauma on Sam's part which is causing him to act weird. Personally, what I found intriguing were: (1) why Castiel didn't answer his prayers [what? not even a dream message if he's busy fleeting about?]; (2) yeah, that part about how powerful the hoarding of souls are; and (3) Sam's terrified look about Luci coming out again.
I have convinced that this entire season is going to end up being a dream or a hallucination as a result of Dean's attack to the beginning of the season.
I had a different theory, but I like this one too. The theory I had been going with is that Sam made a deal with someone (probably Crowley since he seems to be king of Hell now) to do something that involves betraying Dean in order to get out of Hell. He was resisting doing it at first, which why he was adamant about not contacting Dean, but he's since broken. He's cutting himself off from human contact, and doesn't want to drive the Chevy (which serves as a connection between him and his brother), because if he starts feeling again he might not be able to go through with it.
I think what we're not factoring in is that Dean struggled to escape hell, fought going there, and when he did go to Hell, from the very first moment he was crying out to Sam to rescue him.
Dean was tortured. Dean was on the rack for decades in Hell, resisting as best he could, but eventually succumbing. His torture of the helpless was something he loathed. In his heart, Dean sees himself as a Hunter, a force for Good, or at the least a nemesis of Evil. Hurt them as much as you can and go down fighting.
Sam went to Hell thinking he wasn't ever coming out again, and — more importantly — went to hell of his own free will. He asked Dean not to open the cage. He went in and likely decided to 'make a go of it.' Yes, it's Hell, but if you're in Hell, you might as well be at the top of the food chain.
Sam's heritage factors in here: he was the general of the demon army, the heir-apparent to yellow-eyes. Sam was the chosen vessel for the Prince of Darkness. He had untapped depths.
Dean may have been tortured and eventually risen to the lofty rank of High Torturer's Apprentice, but my suspicion is that Sam was royalty in Hell from Day One.
There was a scene in Swan Song where Sam slaughters all those who toyed with him and Satan prods him to admit it felt good. I can easily see Sam returning after spending decades (or longer, who knows how time passes in different parts of hell?), torturing demons, killing any who would get within arm's reach of him. He may have let loose with his dark side and taken a long walk down the path to returning with black eyes.
Sam probably expects to wind up back in Hell and all of this seems unreal to him, like some game or dream. They're all going to die, it doesn't really matter; he's going to go back to hell, it doesn't really matter; Dean might go to Hell or Heaven, it doesn't really matter, etc.
The theme of Season 6 seems to be that nothing really matters to Sam. Sam doesn't see himself as tortured. I think he sees himself as Damned.
I was at the Q&A with jensen and can say he didn't say anything about Sam's soul. That was strickly speculation on her part. Jensen did say that you should talk blooers articles with a grain of salt. I think that applies here.