That part in Changing Channels where the doctor who keeps slapping Sam in the face tells him "So that girl died on your table; it wasn't your fault, it wasn't anybody's fault. Sometimes people just die." always hits me in an odd fashion. I know it's just supposed to be a jokey jab at hospital dramas but the fact that it's Gabriel's TV land illusion land that he controls plus the fact it's said so directly to Sam makes the line feel bigger than it is.
Gabriel makes the world, the characters, and hell, I'm betting the script too, so I'd say it's intentional, however to back up my theory, this is also something he's told Sam before. In mystery spot he tried to show Sam over and over again that he needed to let go; that, so what if people die, that's what they do, it's what everyone eventually does in a myriad of ways and that's not your fault, it's not about fault. Because that's where this whole thing started, Jess and all the people he couldn't save. It's what his visions were, it's what Lucifer used to try and lure him into becoming his vessel. Time and time again Sam's biggest fault, as Gabriel sees it, is his responsibility.
The archangel tried to prepare him for Dean's death, now it's preparation for Lucifer's possession, the unspeakable things he will do, and the apocalypse. A predetermined set of events that Sam will undoubtedly blame himself for despite none of it being within his power to control. The line is almost a kindness. Yet, it being said as it's said and where it is said, Sam of course only responds with, "I have no idea what you're saying to me." Which is funny no matter how you look at it, only now it also hits me with a heart wrenching sadness.
Continuing on the thought of these themes within their characters, it's also interesting to see (both in early and later seasons) that where Sam is too blaming of himself, Gabriel is too blaming of the world. Sam tries to take all of the accountability where Gabriel takes none, and they are drawn to that in each other, almost seeming to sympathize or pity the other for it. Gabriel keeps centring on Sam because he sees that familiar story of the brother who chose to run away, but he sees too that Sam is stuck in his guilt, is confined by it, and he wishes to free him. Sam too sees this similarity, but he sees the way that it's not guilt that Gabriel lacks, it's commitment. Gabriel too is trapped by his guilt in the way that it keeps him from action, where he wishes things were one way, he does nothing to change them away from the other. Another pull and push point of their characters is that Gabriel has power where Sam has to gain it. At the point of Changing Channel's or even later seasons, there's the dichotomy between the use of power and the having of it. Gabriel has the power, he just refuses to use it and Sam wants to use power he doesn't have.
This is all to say... Well, it's mostly to say I love Sam and Gabriel's relationship and wish we got more of it, but of course they have to kill him off before he can follow through with any of the responsibilities he ends up taking on; and no dying does not count as taking responsibility (I'm looking at you John Winchester). In the later seasons especially I think it would have been neat to see him try and help heaven but perhaps the writers thought it would be too easy a solution, repetitive, or couldn't think of a meaningful way to put him there (though just think, we could've had Queen of Hell Rowena, Ruler of Heaven Gabriel power couple/FWB and that would have been hilarious... *sighs* anyway). So, to finish this thought off, I think it's neat when there's a crack in the joke, a truth in the lie. Gabriel's a masterful illusionist, but when his facade breaks, even for just a moment, it's really interesting to see what can be drawn from it.
