I’m curious what you mean by “Death’s fascination with Sam will always be my favorite”. Whatever his interest was in Sam, he still wanted him dead in ep 10.23.
I don’t really see how that changes anything, though? You’re absolutely right, of course, Anon, but—perhaps especially in the wacky universe that is SPN—respecting someone and needing them out of your way are not mutually exclusive. The opposite is often true, I imagine!
Death recognized that even if he did this crap on a cosmic scale, Sam Fucking Winchester was such a stubborn fool badass he’d find a way to undo it, so he recognized the necessity for Sam’s death.
In any case, Death is perfectly aware that Sam doesn’t fear dying. He was calmly negotiating the permanence of his passing with Death in season 9, with a peace and readiness that I can only imagine made Death respect Sam. (That’s my headcanon, at least! I even wrote a fic about it.)
And respect Sam he does.
Let’s be entirely real here. Death said, “I consider it to be quite the honor to be collecting the likes of Sam Winchester. I try so hard not to pass judgment at times like this – not my bag, you see, but you… Well played, my boy.”
And when you think about it, that’s freaking legendary? How many souls of kings or epic warriors has Death moved along to their final resting place?
- The ageless being who was fated to reap God himself canonically respects Sam Winchester and would find it an honor to reap him.
Said ageless being, however, also realizes that Sam is stubborn and needs to be removed from the playing field, because if he can turn a destiny nearly as old as the earth itself on its head and overcome Lucifer by sheer force of will, what the hell can’t that boy do?
