Supernatural Set Interview: Jared Padalecki on Sam and Dean's Strained Reunion

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Supernatural Season 8 kicked off last night with Sam and Dean reuniting after a year apart in "We Need to Talk About Kevin." While Dean was fighting his way through Purgatory, Sam was living a normal life - with a girl and a dog.

Last week, TV Fanatic headed to Vancouver (trip provided by Warner Bros TV) to visit the Supernatural set and get the scoop on the upcoming season from Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins.

At the end of a very long day, Padalecki sat down with a beer in hand to talk with us.

With Kevin

The brothers being separated is nothing new to Supernatural, but this time Sam, left all alone, decided to leave the hunter life behind. Jared explains why:

"I think Sam in this season is different than Sam in other seasons where Dean was either in hell or where Sam was in hell. Usually when they’ve been split up, there’s been sort of the impetus of like my brother’s in trouble, I’ve got to save him. I’ve got to help him. He’s going to help me and he’s going to save me. But here Sam was like, you know what, I was in a room and Dick Roman vanished and Castiel vanished, Kevin Tran is gone, I have no Bobby, I have no [Castiel], I have nothing...

"I’m going to take off the hunter garb and just live a normal life because I have nothing to tie me back. There’s no Jo, there’s no Harvelle’s Roadhouse, there’s nothing. There’s absolutely nothing holding Sam back from a normal life so he really commits to it and so when it all comes crashing back down, it’s like a brutal reminder yet again of who he kind of has been and is possibly meant to be. He isn’t so happy about it. I mean, he’s been living a pretty good contented life for a while."

In the video below, Jared elaborates on the strained relationship between the Winchester brothers and Sam's desire to leave the hunter life behind:

After the year apart, Sam has grown up and doesn't need Dean in the same way any more, as Jared explains:

"I think Sam, in a weird way…Sam is kind of the adult in this reconciliation. He’s like, look I found my own thing. I love you. You’re my brother and I’m so happy you’re back and I’m going to help you now but I want out. I want out. I love you. It’s great. I’m grateful that you’ve saved my life many times and vice versa but it’s not that I don’t need but I don’t need you and I know that now. No hard feelings."

Sam agrees to help Dean because he feels an obligation to his brother, but also sees the tablets as a way to get out of the life permanently.

"I think the way [Sam’s] going to specifically react to Dean is just try to help him out in the task at hand and hopefully then do his own thing again," Jared says on the video. "He’s not going to leave him hanging and go like, nope, I’m not having this. Have fun. He’s going to be like, okay I get it. I do owe you this as you certainly have done for me a lot more than anybody else has and vice versa but you’ve earned this and so I’ll help. ... We both believe that we’re onto something that will end our hunting careers forever so Sam’s like you know what? Perfect because I know what it’s like to not have an anchor into the hunting aspect of life so I would love to actually not have a need for that hunting aspect of life and if this can solve that, then I’m in."

On tap for next week: "What's Up, Tiger Mommy." And later this week: our latest Supernatural Round Table.

Carla Day is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.

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