amypond45

I went back and rewatched the Purgatory conversation again (such a chore ;-) but it still sounds to me like Sam's confessing how sorry he is that he didn't do more to find Dean. I hear him say "but I stopped" as giving up way too soon, and this is certainly true when compared to the way he tried to get Dean back in Mystery Spot or after Season 4, so I tend to believe him. I think that was the source of his guilt and suffering at the beginning of the episode, or at least that's what Show wants us to think. It's hard for me to swallow the idea that Sam's still agonizing over something that happened four years ago this way, but it happens in real life, so I'll buy it. Not happy about it, but it feels like Show really really needed to put that point to rest, and now they have, so time to move on. Plot-wise, I understand it; they needed something big for Sam to feel guilty about and then confess to Dean so Dean could provide that much-needed absolution (which he did beautifully, thank you, Dean!) but it's really all about showcasing Dean's lack of confession, to emphasize the BIG secret he's still keeping from Sam, and his own discomfort about that. I get it, but I don't particularly like it. I'll get used to it, I guess!