'Supernatural' Season 15 Episode 16: Dean telling Sam truth after 'oops, I did it again' moment shows his growth
To a lot of fans watching Dean hide what Cas told him about Jack's death and 'managing' his reactions, seems like old ground. This has been the driving point of entire seasons of 'Supernatural'. Dean would hide or lie about something crucial and this would create severe misunderstanding between the brothers until the truth was revealed. Sam would often do something impulsive because Dean had lied again. This is a 'Supernatural' rinse-and-repeat formula.
In Episode 16, we see an old case bring back memories and we see how Dean as a kid would hide some pretty gruesome things so that he could keep things normal for Sammy. But this sort of infantilizing is not something Sam appreciates and he has repeatedly made that known. But things have got better with the brothers over seasons -- they don't lie to each other and it has been ages since Dean hid anything from Sam.
The Supernatural fandom must have let out a collective groan when Dean seemed to be backsliding into his old ways at the start of the episode. He starts lying about why Cas suddenly "bailed" on them. In his head, he thought that if Sam had "ethical" problems around killing Amara, he would completely bail on the plan to kill Chuck if Sam knew Jack was going to die because of it.
But it took Caitlin, an old friend, to remind him that he wasn't the old Dean anymore and that he had in fact grown. When Dean admits that he was scared of Baba Yaga, Caitlin says he has changed and for the better, because the young, patronizing Dean would never have admitted that. "What do they say about getting older? You tell the truth more because lies don't make things any better," she tells him before they hug it out.
Dean is also visited by Billie aka Death, who like fans is wondering why Sam and Dean are going monster-hunting so close to the finish line. Never say 'Supernatural' isn't self-aware about its filler episodes! She tells him very sternly to "put his house in order" because she doesn't like loose ends -- and Sam Winchester is a very big loose end if he doesn't know what is at stake for the end game.
And so Dean tells Sam the truth about Jack having to sacrifice himself when he detonates to kill Chuck and Amara. Sam predictably loses it. It must have not helped to have old memories stirred to remind him just how many times Dean has done this to him before.
But here is the silver lining. In earlier seasons, Dean lying and hiding things would happen in the first few episodes and Sam found out about them only toward the end of the season. Their differences and misunderstandings would span the entire season, driving the main plot. Here, after Dean has his 'oops, I did it again' moment, it only takes him a few days to reveal everything to Sam. And that's growth. Dean has changed over 15 seasons and how quickly he readjusts his behavior is proof.
But old habits and familial patterns are hard to break and it takes some urging from Death herself and the wise words of an old friend for Dean to course correct. Now, all we have to worry about is Sam spiraling down the same 'impulsive behavior' habit of his because of anger. And boy, is he angry. As Billie would say, there is no time for bro drama right now with Chuck headed back after extinguishing every other world in the multiverse.
'Supernatural' airs on Thursdays at 8 pm only on The CW.