pondering Sam, demons and demon blood

[mickeym]

So, Sam drinking Ruby. How long do we think that's been going on? Personally, I think it's fairly recent -- though it's hard to tell, because of his "it's been several weeks and I need it" bit.

He's also a LOT more powerful than he was in the Great Pumpkin ep, or in IKWYDLS/Heaven&Hell.

It makes me wonder...did Ruby use it (her blood as a power boost) as a strategy to pull Sam back in closer? Because he made an effort to pull back from her for a while, after Metamorphosis. Made an effort not to use his power, or to have anything much to do with her, and I think she didn't like that. So she tells Sam she knows how to make him stronger, how to boost his own power with hers. (I kind of want to see/read/write the first time he drinks, because holy cow I'll bet it was a rush.)

I'd been thinking about the scene between Sam and Ruby in this last ep, a lot. It kind of skeeved me, the first time watching, and I thought, initially, it was because they seemed too intimate, too comfortable with each other (which I also interpreted as the relationship between Jared and Genevieve bleeding through). But after rewatching, I don't think it was intimate so much as...well, there was intimacy, but it's more than that. I don't want to say Ruby has Sam enthralled, exactly, but he was definitely showing signs of a junkie needing a fix, with the pusher right there. There's really nothing else that explains her calling him "Sammy" and him not so much as twitching, when she does. And he is twitchy, again, like a junkie craving something.

So, does taking Ruby's blood give him just a temporary power boost, or is it like a spike, with a leveling off that eventually wanes? Does Sam need it now, for the rush as well as the power?

Thoughts? Comments? Theories?

Ugh. I need to go fold laundry, now. The one constant in the universe: laundry ALWAYS needs doing.

And since this post does have spoilery stuff for 4x16, it's safe to say there'll be spoilery stuff in the comments, so tread carefully if you haven't seen it and don't want to be spoiled. :)

Comments

[digitalwave]

I think he's addicted, sweetie, in all of the worst possible ways. He's showing a lot of the classic sysmptoms:

1) Continues to use substances or engage in behavior even when it is dangerous.

2) The need increases to engage in behavior or use more of a substance to achieve the same effect or feeling.

3) Has tried, but failed, to stop using the substance or end the behavior.

4) Continues to engage in the behavior, or use the substances, even when they are aware of the dangers.

And, I think that it's completely calculated on her part in order to gain more control over Sam and to drive the wedge further between Dean and Sam. Something hit me while I watching Thursday night. I may be completely whacked out and wrong but I think she's Meg in disguise, at least since she's returned from Hell.

Heck, her calling him Sammy and crawling into his lap like that was almost a perfect mirror of Meg's actions when she had Sam trussed up in Shadow. Just think, if she is, and succeeds in completing her daddy's plan, she gains not only power but revenge for his death all at the same time.

like I said, I'm probably wrong. But, it sure would be cool, wouldn't it?

[lazy-daze.livejournal.com]

I imagine, and think Show is trying to push this, that it's very much a drug parallel - he says it's the last thing he wants, but that's intellectually him knowing he shouldn't want it - physically it feels SO good, I reckon, a definite rush. Did you see his eager little face that totally belied his initial reluctance, his 'yes yes yes please I can have now??' glance up at her? Also very much fits with Ruby saying 'if you'd just admit how much you like it'. I think it probably has a spike, an initial rush, but also each time amps up the baseline of his power.

I personally really like it - I hate HATE drug use IRL but I find it fascinating here in a story context, I quite like bloodplay/bloodsucking in some situations (and 'Sam' pretty much makes almost any situation acceptable XD), and I like it in context of Sam's character - it gives an 'excuse' for his getting stronger, and his potential (am unspoiled for anything beyond this ep!) spiral into darkness/evil/however Show wants to paint it. It means this Sam, even though I love him as he's understandable and also hot and badass and exciting, is also scary and dark - it means he can be FIXED, you know? As it's not all just HIM. And it's not like I want him to be entirely explained away by the blood, I am not sure how well am articulating myself, BUT.

[destina.livejournal.com]

I think he's addicted and he needs it. And that's good news for me, because perhaps someone will eventually write a story where Dean uses sex to wean him off the blood and break the addiction and then nurses him through the blood DTs. Hee. *g*

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

*perks up*

Have I told you lately that I love your brain?

[leighm.livejournal.com]

The way I see it-I think he could eventually become very powerful on his own. It's like a muscle you need to flex, work out, keep at it and it becomes that much stronger. When he doesn't use it, it loses its grip.

I see her blood mixing with his as a quick fix-putting him much further than he would've been just on his own (at this point). I think he constantly needs it to stay that strong that quickly.

Some kind of powers that boy's got, though.

Here through friendsfriends...

[stormcloude]

See, what I don't get is that in All Hell Breaks Loose, Ava said once you start using it, it's like flipping a switch. So why didn't it act that way for Sam? I find that a rather annoying plothole that I wish someone would explain.


(I had to go look up the exact quote. AVA: The learning curve is so fast, it’s crazy, the switches that just flip in your brain.)

[shotofjack.livejournal.com]

He started with the blood drinking after the episode with the magicians. He left Dean at the bar & went to Ruby and agreed to doing it her way. To me, that implies when he succumbed and went for the power boost (blood drinking).

Now, he might have tried it before & then stopped. Not sure on that. But definitely he started/resumed after the whole magician thing.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Is that the episode where she said, "I know what you don't like." ? I got from that that he'd done it and stopped. I think he started doing it while Dean was gone. I don't have a theory about when he stopped (though I think he did for a while) because I have trouble remembering when what happened this season (and even what was actually last season). I definitely agree that he started again in the magic episode. (and that also explains why Dean wasn't all, where were you for all those hours? Because Sam wasn't practicing killing demons. just drinking some blood.

[shotofjack.livejournal.com]

Yes, you make a good point about the "I know what you don't like" comment. That does imply Sam had been indulging and then stopped when Dean returned.

[munibunny.livejournal.com]

Definitely addicted.... Definitely needs an intervention to get him off the stuff... Demon needs to be put down for what she's done to Sammy. And yes, only Dean gets to call him that!