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'Supernatural's' Jared Padalecki talks Season 7: Sam is 'tortured' but 'honorable'
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Don't tell our other TV shows, but "Supernatural" may be our favorite show to cover at San Diego Comic-Con. This year was no exception! Before he took the stage in Hall H to speak to a packed room, we spoke with series star Jared Padalecki about Season 7 and Sam Winchester's newest hurdles.As we saw in the Season 6 finale, Castiel (Misha Collins) brought down the wall in Sam's head that protected him from his memories of hell. We saw him stagger to save his brother, but the memories will continue to plague him. "We pick up right where we left off," Padalecki says. "I think not only the audience but the actors would've been really upset to just pick up three months later like 'Glad that cleared up!' so we pick up immediately. Sam has figuratively seen the worst he's going to see. So now it's up to Sam to acknowledge that and move forward."
Once again, Padalecki finds himself comparing Sam's situation to that of a recovering addict. "We almost saw a touch of it with the demon blood. [He's] like a recovering addict, saying 'I know I've got a problem, and it's still messing with me. I still get this urge sometimes to do this or do that, but I see it now I realize it now.'"
Sam's relationship with his brother Dean (Jensen Ackles) is as strong as its ever been. While in the past Sam has hidden certain truths from his brother, he's being honest about the realities of his predicament this time. "Dean, obviously, is going 'Um, you alright man? You're kind of passing out on us; you're talking to yourself,' so Dean's a little freaked out by it," Padalecki explains. Sam acknowledges the problem. "Sam's feeling is 'Look, I get it. I get that you're afraid, I can see why, but I'm dealing with... my issue. I have this problem, I understand it, it's not going to go away, I'm not just going to say 'No I'm healed.' Sam had a tendency to say 'No, I'm better, look,' and smile. 'Let's have a beer.' But now Sam's saying 'No, I'm not okay but I'm dealing with it.'"
This season presents a new acting challenge for Padalecki. "Soulless Sam, I don't want to say it was easy," he says, "But I had something that I could tell myself. I was just trying to think absolutely no emotion, pure reason. He thought that there was no attachment, there was no nothing. This year, I'm yet to see how it's going to manifest itself. If they've done it in the writers' room I haven't seen the script yet. So I as an actor don't yet know how it's going to turn out, so that's difficult to logistically play."
As always, Sam is doing his best to stay strong in the face of his challenges. When Season 7 opens, we'll see a Sam who is "tortured but refusing to let himself be tortured. As always, the Winchesters are bearing their burdens with honor and with courage." We'll see Dean become increasingly worried about his brother. "Sam says 'Look, I know that seemed weird, but I'm on it, I've got it, I'm the only one that can save myself,'" Padalecki explains.
Stay tuned to Zap2it over the next few days for lots more "Supernatural" and Comic-Con coverage. In the meantime, watch the video below (it's a little loud in the press room, so turn down your volume!) and drop us a comment about your hopes and expectations for Season 7.
Once again, Padalecki finds himself comparing Sam's situation to that of a recovering addict. "We almost saw a touch of it with the demon blood. [He's] like a recovering addict, saying 'I know I've got a problem, and it's still messing with me. I still get this urge sometimes to do this or do that, but I see it now I realize it now.'"
Sam's relationship with his brother Dean (Jensen Ackles) is as strong as its ever been. While in the past Sam has hidden certain truths from his brother, he's being honest about the realities of his predicament this time. "Dean, obviously, is going 'Um, you alright man? You're kind of passing out on us; you're talking to yourself,' so Dean's a little freaked out by it," Padalecki explains. Sam acknowledges the problem. "Sam's feeling is 'Look, I get it. I get that you're afraid, I can see why, but I'm dealing with... my issue. I have this problem, I understand it, it's not going to go away, I'm not just going to say 'No I'm healed.' Sam had a tendency to say 'No, I'm better, look,' and smile. 'Let's have a beer.' But now Sam's saying 'No, I'm not okay but I'm dealing with it.'"
This season presents a new acting challenge for Padalecki. "Soulless Sam, I don't want to say it was easy," he says, "But I had something that I could tell myself. I was just trying to think absolutely no emotion, pure reason. He thought that there was no attachment, there was no nothing. This year, I'm yet to see how it's going to manifest itself. If they've done it in the writers' room I haven't seen the script yet. So I as an actor don't yet know how it's going to turn out, so that's difficult to logistically play."
As always, Sam is doing his best to stay strong in the face of his challenges. When Season 7 opens, we'll see a Sam who is "tortured but refusing to let himself be tortured. As always, the Winchesters are bearing their burdens with honor and with courage." We'll see Dean become increasingly worried about his brother. "Sam says 'Look, I know that seemed weird, but I'm on it, I've got it, I'm the only one that can save myself,'" Padalecki explains.
Stay tuned to Zap2it over the next few days for lots more "Supernatural" and Comic-Con coverage. In the meantime, watch the video below (it's a little loud in the press room, so turn down your volume!) and drop us a comment about your hopes and expectations for Season 7.
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So we have the 259th version of what's wrong with Sam.
That's not redundant or anything.
"We'll see Dean become increasingly worried about his brother."
So Dean's going to have the exact same storyline he's had for the past six years?
Awww I really enjoy Jared. Wonderful interview and looking forward to where they take the guys this season and especially intrigued to see how they go with Sam's hell wall follow up.
What about Dean? Will have his own storyline or will it again be about Sam?
Geen, another season of what is wrong with Sam, and Dean who? I can hardly wait. NOT!. I'm bored already and the show hasn't even started yet. Maybe it would help if for once Sam wasn't worried about himself, and Dean had something else to do besides worry about Sam.
Gameble, Redundancy is your name.
Okay, another season with Sam being forefront and Dean on worry/ansgt patrol. Guess this long-time fan will finally call it quits on watching. Too bad. How difficult is it to give Dean a storyline too?
I loved the season 6 hurdle that Sam was thrown through. It's good to see Sammy getting a Storyline. The thing of it is- that Dean isn't the only person who has a battle. Dean isn't the only one who has had inner turmoil and strife. It's about time that something like this was shown.
In season seven, I'd love to see just what Padalecki expressed. The brothers becoming stronger together as a team, and a Storyline that involves the both of them rather than a singled out character. Supernatural's basis of plot is centered around two brothers and their quests, their lives, and how they're overcoming their battles together. It's nice to see that balance.
Love this show. Love the talent, and positively love Padalecki's energy.
Well, I'm happy with what I'm hearing so far about the new season. Dean will emo about himself like he always does, and will get lots of screen time to do it in. And Dean hasn't been much of a brother to Sam for years now, so to this viewer, seeing Dean openly care about Sam like that will be new at this point. I'm so tired of Dean being angry and self-righteous with Sam, so tired. So if we see both brothers being genuinely brotherly towards each other, and loving rather than angry, it will make me more than happy.
Thanks for the wonderful interview with Jared. He looks beautiful! I am really looking forward to Sam dealing with his broken psyche next season. Awesome!
Another season where Dean has no solid storyline and he gets to be all angsty and emotional, and Sam has inner turmoil. I'd love to see Dean have a strong storyline behind him also, instead of being the righteous brother, or the brother who is angsty and emotional. Jensen Ackles is such a strong actor, and sure - he has a lot of screen time just like Jared but I'd like for him to have more of a challenge with his roles also.
@ Shazam
Dean hasn't been much of a brother to Sam for years now???? What show are you watching? Certainly not Supernatural!!
I really do not understand rabid Sam fans like you who have to bash Dean in order to make Sam look good. It's disgusting.