curled around these images

RUN! Do not walk! zimshan has written the most thorough and brilliant meta on S8 Sam and Dean. It's mostly about Sam but anything about Sam has to include Dean. Snippet because...THIS!:

For much of fandom, one of those questions is, 'What happened to Sam to make him not look for Dean?'

Here is where I'm going to go out on a limb and say, I don't need an answer for this. There might very well be one. Maybe he was under the influence of the angels or Crowley who had an interest in keeping Dean down in purg all year long. Maybe he really DID do something and he's playing it cool and hiding it from Dean. I look forward to the unraveling of Sam's flashback stories as the season progresses. But I don't feel like I need some big REASON. A "human story", as Carver has called it, will work just fine. Because a "human story" for this just makes so much sense.

I have been holding off my thoughts on what might be going on with Sam this season because we just haven't been given enough information yet. I have desperately wanted something to be up - something major to have influenced Sam's decision, but after reading this the something is no longer a "must have" for me. Mainly because it's already in plain sight.

I love it. I would love to think Show has been this thoughtful about the boys character arcs this season. After the first two episodes I have a feeling they just might have. (YAY!)

While I am here I've been meaning to rec a wonderful story written by cherie_morte - Minotaurs Inside a Maze. It was posted before 8.01 aired but I didn't read it until after I saw that episode. What I love about it is how much it has STUCK WITH ME ever since I read it. It is such a refreshing, interesting and clever idea and it works on so many levels. It is also possibly responsible for my skewed look at the nature of monsters and purgatory now (which is good!). Go read!

And if you like looking at all the little details in an episode (like me!) check out galwithglasses 8.02 picspam. I had no idea there was so much (well placed) red in that ep!

I'm really looking forward to the next ep. Jensen directing excites me and I am reeaally keen to see how they are going to be moving everything forward. I'm thinking this one has to be a good indicator.