Dean and Friends: Benny LaFitte

8x01 "We Need To Talk about Kevin" 
8x02 "What's up Tiger Mommy" 
8x05 "Blood Brother"
8x07 "A Little Slice of Kevin"
8x19 "Taxi Driver"

Let’s talk about Dean and his friendship to Benny, Benny LaFitte. Let’s talk about how in a very short period of time he became a good friend, how it was completely irrelevant to Dean what Benny was, but only who he was, how he possibly made purgatory much more bearable for Dean until they found Cas. How he was someone Dean could confide in, when no one else was there to watch his back.

Let’s talk about how he they went from strangers, to being forced allies, to brothers in arms - and that in more than one way. Let’s talk about how Benny might not have been excited about Dean’s plan to only escape “god’s armpit” after they found “the angel”, but realized quickly how important that certain angel was for Dean.

Let’s talk about how in the end, Benny saving Cas marked the ultimate moment  he earned Dean’s trust and friendship, how he became a part of Dean’s extended family.

Let’s talk about how Benny - a vampire, a monster by description - turned out to be much less monstrous and much more human than Dean at times. Let’s talk about how Dean trusting Benny marked a major moment of growth for him, because it changed up his black and white world view, how he learnt that it’s choice that decides whether you are a monster or not and not the shape of your teeth or the colour of your eyes.

Let’s talk about how Dean carried Benny in his arm out of purgatory. Embracing the monster. Let’s talk about how Dean and Benny promised one another to “keep their noses clean”, to stay on-track and let’s talk about how they’ve been there for one another when Benny went after his maker or when Martin wanted to see Benny dead. Lets talk about how Dean sided with Benny, no doubts about him possibly not being innocent, but trusting him.

Let’s talk about how selfless Benny was, how even though Dean didn’t manage to be there for him the same way he was there for Dean. Let’s talk about he didn’t even hesitate to return to purgatory, let the one and possibly only true friend he had for a long time, kill him, so he could save that friend’s brother and father figure.

Yes, let’s talk about all of this and more and then let’s talk about how Benny never felt like belonging and therefore decided to stay in purgatory and how Dean now with the Mark of Cain and becoming a demon, losing himself - without a doubt still feeling guilty about not being there for Benny the way he was there for him and had his back - really understands what Benny was trying to tell him when he said “I don’t belong…”