Why does everybody like Dean better?

[Abaddon]

To usher in the Destiel era I am sure.

*Groan*

Really? I don't have a problem with Destiel, I'm cool with it. But I just don't really see it, sorry.

 

[Gabriel]

*Groan*
Really? I don't have a problem with Destiel, I'm cool with it. But I just don't really see it, sorry.

That's the only reason I could see "fans" wanting to get rid of Sam, so that Cass can just slide on in.

 

[Death]

I think Sam relationships with women were more involved, even though they didn't last all that long. With Sam you could see him having more of a future with the women he was with, people like Sarah, Madison and Amelia. Whereas Dean wants to have that but knows that it's either a one night stand or he'll get drawn back into the hunting life. With Lisa he went with her because Sam told him to, I think he knew that he was just waiting for a reason to go back hunting.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Why do you guys think that is? Why doesn't Sam connect with people the way Dean does?

This is such an interesting question, and I think it may have something to do with the fact that, overall, Dean is more invested in being a hunter than Sam is.

Also, personality-wise, Dean is more friendly, charismatic and loyal, all traits that make him attractive as a friend.

 

[Ruby]

Wanting Sam out of the show has been a massive thing for years, but it hit it's peak during the Soulless!Sam arc. People took this as the perfect opportunity for Sam to be 'put out of his misery' and let Dean and Cas over. They can't seem to understand that the point of the show is the relationship between the brothers. These so-called fans went on a huge campaign, writing letters and organizing petitions to 'prove' that Sam was neither wanted nor needed. When Sam didn't look for Dean after Dean was sent to Purgatory, that was another reason for people to point out that Sam wasn't needed and didn't deserve to be on the show if he didn't want to look for his brother. They seemed to miss the part where Sam was traumatized and the fact that Dean did the exact same thing.

I don't think the fact that Dean is easier to relate to because he's more invested in being a hunter - in fact, I would imagine that that would make him harder to relate to, as it would mean that he puts hunting first, above everything, which we know he doesn't. To Dean, family always will come first, whether it's his real family - Sam, the other Winchesters and Campbells that he's met along the way - or the family he's created - Cas, Jo, Bobby, Lisa and Ben.

In fact, I would liken those characteristics to Sam - he's the practical, pragmatic one, willing to do whatever it takes to fix things, no matter the costs. Even going behind his brother's back and going against his express wishes. Dean has displayed those same characteristics more and more as he gets older, but never to the extent as Sam has.

I wouldn't say that either of the brothers was more invested in hunting than the other, but I think Sam understands better that the life they lead doesn't lend itself to long term relationships. That they will more than likely not live to old age - or even to 50. So Sam pulls back, closes himself off to stop himself and others from getting hurt when the inevitable happens. Which I think is a skill Dean hasn't learned yet.

 

[Abaddon]

I think Sam relationships with women were more involved, even though they didn't last all that long. With Sam you could see him having more of a future with the women he was with, people like Sarah, Madison and Amelia. Whereas Dean wants to have that but knows that it's either a one night stand or he'll get drawn back into the hunting life. With Lisa he went with her because Sam told him to, I think he knew that he was just waiting for a reason to go back hunting.

I agree. I think its because Sam really has the ability to separate himself from the job in a way that Dean has never been able to. Sam could drop everything for the woman he loves and never look back. Dean would always be looking back.

 

[Ruby]

I don't think Sam - this Sam, the Sam of S11 - would ever be willing to drop hunting and turn his back on Dean if he met a girl. I don't think that's in Sam's nature and I think that's a very negative way of looking at Sam's character. He even said it himself to Charlie, that the only way he would quit this life is if Dean died. Saying that he'd walk away from Dean for a girl is a very negative thing to say, in my opinion.

The only reason he did it with Amelia was because he thought Dean was dead. He had no other reason to continue hunting, he had nothing left to fight for. It's been a popular theory for years - one that I actually hold in my own personal headcanon - that Sam was planning on committing suicide the night he hit the dog with his car. It's been proven throughout the show that Sam has a thing for dogs and hitting Riot, almost killing him, was the push he needed to get him away from the edge and start living again. Once he was back on his feet, once he realized that Amelia wasn't the girl for him and he wasn't the guy for her, he left her and returned to Rufus' cabin. And this was before he knew Dean was back.

When he left to go to Stanford, it was because John gave him no choice. He literally told Sam it was hunting or a normal life, so Sam chose a normal life. But keep in mind that he was 17, a kid who knew nothing but living life on the road and killing monsters. I really don't blame him for wanting to see what else was out there in the world.

Dean lived a life without hunting for over a year until he was pulled back in - Sam didn't last that long with Amelia and he left of his own volition, not because he was pulled back. Dean needed a reason to go back to hunting a leave Lisa, Sam didn't.

 

[Abaddon]

Sorry, I didn't mean that he would walk away from Dean for a girl. I meant that he would be able to move on if the situation was right.

That's a theory? That Sam was going to commit suicide? Why do you hold that as your "personal headcanon"? I never even considered that, but now I'm curious.

 

[Lucifer]

I honestly can't imagine the show without Sam. Is he my favorite, no... well... it's complicated. I can love Sam, but he is also grating to me (like during the soulless stint, but even then I didn't want him gone). I do honestly though think he is more of a "downer", because he is often - at least in the beginning - the voice of reason. He's the one who (again in the beginning) wanted a normal life, who pressed their father for answers, who kind of forced Dean to have a perspective on hunting. He is necessary for the dynamic of the show, but that sometimes means being a bit unlikeable. All Dean, all the time would be a drag.

I think it is easier for other characters and viewers to bond with Dean because Sam is harder to read.
Dean may not always speak his mind, but in essence he feels a lot more... "simple". Friend or foe, it's not that hard to figure out what he's about. Sam however... he's trickier.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Dean lived a life without hunting for over a year until he was pulled back in - Sam didn't last that long with Amelia and he left of his own volition, not because he was pulled back. Dean needed a reason to go back to hunting a leave Lisa, Sam didn't.

This is a good point. ^

I honestly can't imagine the show without Sam. Is he my favorite, no... well... it's complicated. I can love Sam, but he is also grating to me (like during the soulless stint, but even then I didn't want him gone). I do honestly though think he is more of a "downer", because he is often - at least in the beginning - the voice of reason. He's the one who (again in the beginning) wanted a normal life, who pressed their father for answers, who kind of forced Dean to have a perspective on hunting. He is necessary for the dynamic of the show, but that sometimes means being a bit unlikeable. All Dean, all the time would be a drag.[

I think it is easier for other characters and viewers to bond with Dean because Sam is harder to read.
Dean may not always speak his mind, but in essence he feels a lot more... "simple". Friend or foe, it's not that hard to figure out what he's about. Sam however... he's trickier.

Firstly, I just want to express my delight that I've found a place to discuss SPN. Seriously, I am so happy.

i can't imagine the show without Sam, either. at the very core of the show, sPN is about two brothers, it wouldn't be the same show without Sam.

Now, I'm a Sam girl all around - not to say that he doesn't bug the hell out of me sometimes, but there are traits about Sam I find very attractive - he's very smart, sharp as a tack, and introspective.

I had no idea that many fans want Sam off the show - that's interesting to me. But I'm definitely new to the SPN fandom online, so I guess I have some catching up to do!

I think Dean is easier to relate to for the people they are encountering. He is the older brother/father figure. He has accepted and mostly embraced the life of the hunter, and he works hard to do it right. The bad guys like him because his weak spot is obvious (Sam) and they can play that against him; the good guys like him because he is loyal, a fighter, and very much so anti-evil and will do anything to stop it. Sam was drawn into the hunting life kicking and screaming, and has been looking for a way out of the life pretty much the entire time. He definitely tends to be broody and bitter, and very analytical. It seems he is still seen as the "little brother" kind of along for the ride with Dean for a lot of the other characters.

THIS ^

I think it's for the same reason he's a great character - his complexity. Even characters who are against him can't help but like him on some level. Sam is kind of a downer. *waits for Ruby to come and correct her* Sam is kind of like the "regular" person, the "you or me" character, the voice of reality (usually). So characters (and fans) don't necessarily want to be like him, because they're already like him.

Sam is a downer at times, true but only in comparison to Dean, who's the "fun" one.

I don't agree with those 'fans' who insist that Sam offers nothing to the show and should be gotten rid of (obviously), but I can, sort of, see their point when they say that Sam has no ties to the show other than Dean. And that's the writers' fault. That's the writers' fault for focusing their attention on Dean and his relationships.

Spot on.

Any maybe this is a conversation for a bigger thread, but I sometimes question Sam's loyalty to Dean. I know he said he says he wouldn't leave Dean and hunting unless Dean was dead, but I don't know if that's true.

But isn't that what makes Sam the 'hero' of the show and Dean the 'sidekick'?

I always saw them as partners.

 

[Lucifer]

I always saw them as partners.

Me too. One doesn't really work without the other.
I would say they take turns being the hero and the sidekick. All depends on the current storyline. It's that balance, I think, that's made the show last for so long.

 

[Death]

To me they are partners, they are siblings, they fight, the disagree, but that's the nature of siblings, especially ones that live and work together, but I do think that at heart they will always at least try to do right by the other, may not always go to plan, but they try.

 

[Baby]

Me too. One doesn't really work without the other.
I would say they take turns being the hero and the sidekick. All depends on the current storyline. It's that balance, I think, that's made the show last for so long.

To me they are partners, they are siblings, they fight, the disagree, but that's the nature of siblings, especially ones that live and work together, but I do think that at heart they will always at least try to do right by the other, may not always go to plan, but they try.

I would say these things here are the basis of the show. There has never really been one "star" of the show; they are both the stars and we both love and hate each character at different times. All kinds of fluctuation!

 

[Ruby]

Tell that to the Dean stans - all of them insist that Dean is the star, the main character. They can't seem to figure out that the show wouldn't work without one of them.

 

[Death]

Ok I'm going to ask it as I see the word used all over spn twitter posts, but what's a bibro? Is it a new name for the wincest shippers?

 

[Abaddon]

Firstly, I just want to express my delight that I've found a place to discuss SPN. Seriously, I am so happy.

I feel the exact same way I have friends irl who like the show, but we don't really discuss it. Its basically "Did you watch the latest episode? Wasn't it good?" and that's about it. To finally have a place to ask all the questions that have been on my mind is awesome. I'm so interested in everybody's opinions here. I already feel like I have learnt a whole bunch from you guys

I had no idea that many fans want Sam off the show - that's interesting to me. But I'm definitely new to the SPN fandom online, so I guess I have some catching up to do!


.

I know, right? That really surprised me as well.

Yes, Dean is my favourite hands down. But I love Sam a lot too. I completely agree with what you guys have been saying. They are partners and their relationship is so important. Without Sam the show just would not work.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Tell that to the Dean stans - all of them insist that Dean is the star, the main character. They can't seem to figure out that the show wouldn't work without one of them.

Huh? This makes no sense to me. They're both the stars. It's equal. Or at least I believe it was intended to me.
Just because fans like Dean better doesn't mean he's the hero.

I
Yes, Dean is my favourite hands down. But I love Sam a lot too. I completely agree with what you guys have been saying. They are partners and their relationship is so important. Without Sam the show just would not work.

Why do you like Dean the best? I'm not asking because I dislike him - of course I love Dean - but there's something in Sam I relate to a lot more.

I wrote an essay once on how Dean was one of the most complicated and interesting characters on television at the time...that was about 5 years ago. I'll see if I can find it.

Also, it kinds blows my mind that this show is still on air, 11 years into it....really impressive. It's a testament to how devoted the fans are. My mom is super into Dean and I'm super into Sam. We watch it together and always get into fights lol

Also on the subject of Dean...this quote by Frank Miller always reminded me of Dean:

The noir hero is a knight in blood caked armor.
He's dirty and he does his best to deny the fact that he's a hero the whole time.

I dunno.

 

[Ruby]

Huh? This makes no sense to me. They're both the stars. It's equal. Or at least I believe it was intended to me.
Just because fans like Dean better doesn't mean he's the hero.

There are certain 'fans' out there - mostly Destiel fans - that insist that Dean is the star of the show. Or maybe that should be Dean an Cas. They think that Sam is unimportant and useless and should have been killed off years ago. Like I said, they started petitions and wrote to the networks and studio trying to insist they get rid of Sam.

I'm not going to pretend I understand, because I don't. It's a show that, at its heart is about two brothers. How people can insist that it isn't boggles my mind.

 

[Abaddon]

Why do you like Dean the best? I'm not asking because I dislike him - of course I love Dean - but there's something in Sam I relate to a lot more.

You know what? I'm not really sure. I mean, I have never really analysed it before you know? I think that on the surface, the answer is simple to me - He makes me laugh. That might sound trivial I guess, but there it is, he just makes me happy. I find him interesting, including all his faults and his complexity. I just enjoy watching him. That's not to say I don't enjoy Sam, I do, but there is just something about Dean for me.

 

[Gabriel]

Oh to me it makes sense why people don't like Sam and want him replaced with Cas. Cas is more 'fun' etc. Sam is more introverted and reflective. Those traits don't make for the most happy happy fun characters. But Sam was never supposed to be that anyway.