When the promo for tonight's episode said "Doubt leads to betrayal", people assume that Dean will betray Sam after losing faith that Sam is the old Sam even without his soul. But I think the promo isn't talking about Dean. It's talking about Sam. I think the "doubt" is abou his uncertainty over whether he really wants his soul back and the "betrayal" is either killing the Alpha before he and Dean could turn it over to Crowley thus allowing him to continue keeping his soul under lock and key or making some kind of side deal with Crowley behind Dean's back or in front of Dean.
Why he would do such a thing I think there may have been signs of that reason already. On two occassions, Dean has asked Sam about his time in Lucifer's cage and both times Sam refuse to talk about it making it sound like it wasn't such a torturous experience. I think it was. I think it may have been worse than Dean's time in Hell. But without his soul, Sam can't feel the emotional trauma of that which I believe Sam thinks is a good thing. Without a soul, he can't feel emotional pain that has in the past troubled him and messed with his judgment as a hunter. He is now free of such emotions and can do hunting without them standing in the way.
But there was a subconscious part of him that felt he needed Dean to at least act as his soul's instincts because without them, he's blind metaphorically speaking. But there's a difference between having Dean act his soul's replacement and having his soul back. I have never heard Sam say once that he wanted his soul back. Dean said it and because he wants it back, Sam is willing to along with his lead because of the role Sam appointed him. But Sam has never expressed the same want. Dean flat-out asked Sam if he wanted his soul back and Sam didn't really give it a "yes" or "no" answer. He deflected and the same way he deflected when Dean asked him at the end of the last episode what happens after they stop following Crowley's orders. I think Dean expected him to say about wanting his soul back after giving Crowley what he deserved but Sam doesn't mention it at all which I think gives Dean some pause.
All of this leads me to believe that Sam will betray Dean to keep himself from getting back his soul. Hopefully the episode after that will convince Sam the importance of having his soul back.
Why he would do such a thing I think there may have been signs of that reason already. On two occassions, Dean has asked Sam about his time in Lucifer's cage and both times Sam refuse to talk about it making it sound like it wasn't such a torturous experience. I think it was. I think it may have been worse than Dean's time in Hell. But without his soul, Sam can't feel the emotional trauma of that which I believe Sam thinks is a good thing. Without a soul, he can't feel emotional pain that has in the past troubled him and messed with his judgment as a hunter. He is now free of such emotions and can do hunting without them standing in the way.
But there was a subconscious part of him that felt he needed Dean to at least act as his soul's instincts because without them, he's blind metaphorically speaking. But there's a difference between having Dean act his soul's replacement and having his soul back. I have never heard Sam say once that he wanted his soul back. Dean said it and because he wants it back, Sam is willing to along with his lead because of the role Sam appointed him. But Sam has never expressed the same want. Dean flat-out asked Sam if he wanted his soul back and Sam didn't really give it a "yes" or "no" answer. He deflected and the same way he deflected when Dean asked him at the end of the last episode what happens after they stop following Crowley's orders. I think Dean expected him to say about wanting his soul back after giving Crowley what he deserved but Sam doesn't mention it at all which I think gives Dean some pause.
All of this leads me to believe that Sam will betray Dean to keep himself from getting back his soul. Hopefully the episode after that will convince Sam the importance of having his soul back.
