dean messily eating pie that mary brought is what you mean when you look for performing dean, because he doesn’t eat like that. no one does, but he is performing a role of mary’s son and that role ended when he was a little child who maybe ate his fave food messily.
dean putting up walls doesnt equal performing dean because he’s not performing, he’s protecting himself
dean suddenly forgetting how to chew because mary has only ever known a toddler dean and he wants to ease her into the sudden transition so he basically acts like a little boy equals performing dean
thanks for coming to my dean talk
People always act like performing means that Dean doesn’t know who he is rather than Dean has read a situation and made a decision to act a certain way. It makes no sense. In what world does lying mean you yourself don’t know the truth?
Here’s the thing about being in a cartoon. It tends to make you act…cartoonish. Like, traits are exaggerated for comedic effect. If anything, Dean flirting with Daphne (who is a literal cartoon of a woman) makes his performance of heterosexuality seem ridiculous and over-exaggerated. Or, I should say, reveals it as ridiculous and over-exaggerated. If Dean hitting on a girl is totally in keeping with a cartoon that means it’s not the full extent of who he is. Cartoon Dean is goofy with his crush. Regular Dean is…something else.
I would truly love if they used a freaking Scooby Doo crossover to do significant emotional exposition that they’re somehow not able to do in their regular universe. It would be so great. It could work too. You know how in “Hunter Heroici” the cartoon dude’s heart burst out of his chest with love/desire? I doubt that would happen, but I think it’s possible we’ll get Dean playing matchmaker to Fred and Daphne (he’s a fan after all! he’s gotta have his ships!). And maybe one of them tries to play matchmaker in return. “Is there anyone special for you, Dean?” “What? <gulp> um, uh, no. I’m, uh, I’m single. Yeah. That’s what I am.” <cartoon blush spreads over face> <possible knowing look from Sam> <possible incredulous look from someone else> <Cas stares off into space unaware that this conversation is about him>
Not that Dean isn’t crushing on Daphne. We are in a Dr. Sexy situation here! Who among us would NOT choose to flirt with and/or act goofy with our TV crush. <side eyes entire fandom> I am encouraged by the fact that Dean emerges wearing both plaid and an ascot that maybe he’s crushing on Fred too. (Ascots are inherently bisexual. It’s a fact. Look it up.) Either way, Dean, my dude, you CAN wear both! (And maybe ditch those awful plaid recliners of brotherly loneliness and forever singlehood. Ew. Get a sofa.)
I would also take emotional exposition in the form of a conversation in the live action portion along the lines of “You know it’s not like that in real life, right Cas? You’re not some goofy sidekick.” Could be a prompt to clarify to Cas what he actually is to Dean (not a hammer or weapon) but important for himself.
Tl; dr - the Daphne thing is meaningless. If anything, it will work like the love spell in 13x12 to make Dean’s attraction to a woman (again, an actual caricature of a woman) seem ridiculous. In contrast to…. <fill in the blank. or should I say The Big Empty.>
Shout-out to @naruhearts, with whom I was chatting while I wrote this so elements of our conversation definitely made it in here. 😘
100% agree.
I just watched the episode of Scooby Doo that this is supposed to be based on. I LOVED Scooby Doo as a kid. Much like Dean, I grew up watching it with my little brother. It holds a very sentimental place in my heart.
But man, I kinda forgot how cheesy and ridiculous, exaggerated, and over-the-top everything is. I rolled my eyes I don’t know how many times. A door just opened behind Scooby’s bathtub and he slid down a tunnel. Shaggy and Scooby just piloted a washing machine powered by a fan through the sky. This is slapstick, cheap gags, and physical comedy for kids. It’s a cartoon, and anything Dean does in this episode is going to be equally ridiculous and extremely performative. But I am HERE for the light it can potentially shed on their “real” lives and Dean’s genuine feelings.
… Including that bit about Cas as their sidekick (dog?). That’s mighty interesting.
Like I said in Tink’s post—yeah, Daphne’s literally a drawing (yep @7faerielights). He’s a caricature in a fictionalized reality that’s contradictory to the 3-dimensional (subtextual-not-really-subtextual) truths of actual reality, and it’s as if they’re reducing Dean’s amped-up heterosexuality to just that…a 1-dimensional, super performative, flat and silly cartoon character who has no footing IRL but instead serves as exposition—negative spaces threading together what’s not being said and shown.
And HELL yeah, I want “Cas, man…you ain’t a doggy sidekick. You’re family. (My family)” as much as the next person. Strike down that expendability!! *buzzes*
I want him to flirt with Daphne AND Fred; not this one sided BS. They’re cartoons, it’s harmless. But if he’s gonna hit on the one, hit on them both.
In fact, I’d love it if Fred hit on Dean and we get the dopey, “I can’t believe a guy is hitting on me,” Aaron Bass callback/exposition.
Dabb did say that Dean has strong opinions on these two characters specifically. And then Dean is wearing Fred’s ascot at, what I assume is, the end of the episode when they’re live action again?! 🤔
