Look at it this way....

[Ginx]

To me, it's Kripke's way of showing us how truly screwed up the Winchester boys are. It builds dynamic of John's character. Doesn't affect the boys at all imo. It showed that there was more to learn about their father and that door is still open to learn more about him although he's gone now. In a way, it's drawing John back into the storyline a bit.

Didn't mean he didn't love his kids, but at the end of the day, he chose the hunter life and maybe he just needed a normal life and was embarrassed to show that side of him to Dean and Sam, although that would have been exactly what they needed to see.... majorly screwed up family lol......

[chole_fan]

I can see that...and we did get some additional insight into John and the boys thanks to the brother. I guess I just wish Kripke had found a different way to give us that.

If I am being rational about it, it is not surprising that John had a kid. I mean, he was on the road a lot and like the boys said, he was not a "monk". It's beyond probable that John fathered another child somewhere along the way.

It still doesn't mean I have to like it...

[Ginx]

I guess to me it also gives the boys motivation to keep hunting. To loose yet another person that could have been family, it's hard to keep going. But it gives them more willpower to keep fighting.

[xrayvision]

I had a feeling that something like this would happen way back in season 2 when the boys first met Ellen and voiced their 1st impression on her. I think it was Dean specifically who did since he wasn't thrilled to deal with her.

[Lilah]

That last scene was a nice touch. I still would have liked them to meet their real brother.

[comptonassmel]

I understand that there might be positive aspects to this episode, but it's so hard to accept this. I think I will definitely need some time.

[SVfan26]

I don't like that he never told them, especially the last time Dean ever saw him (as the ghost at the end of S2).

But if it turns out to be this way, he had good intentions. I mean, how do you tell your "main" boys that you raised them to live a completely crap and danger-filled life, while you have at least one other child out there that is living a normal life and you go do normal things with them? Sam and Dean would have HATED him, at least for a time. Not only cause he had other kid(s), but those kids got to live lives that they were/are denied. In turn, Sam/Dean would hate their lives knowing others that should be their siblings are off being "normal", while they are fighting monsters//going to Hell/trying to prevent an Apocolypse/etc.

[Ginx]

I still kinda think that John visited the kid when he was in town checking to make sure that thing he killed was really gone. And based on what we've seen of John, I think that he knew he didn't want that kinda life for his kids. So when he found he had another he could start fresh with, be the father he wanted to be, he took the step. He prob didn't spread around the idea of a kid because then the demons could use him as collateral like they do already with Sam and Dean.

Plus he was probably embarrassed that he was off leading another life and not sharing it with his sons. And after a certain point it would be difficult to explain to Dean and Sam they had another sibling without them getting angry. They had bigger concerns.....

In the end, I think Sam and Dean will appreciate each other a little more now, once again reminded that they are the last of their family.

[Lilah]

Unfortunately, not saying anything about the kid ultimately got him killed.

So in a sense, Sam was right. They may have been raised hunters and wanted normalcy in their lives, but their dad taught them to survive.

Adam didn't have that luxury.

That's what's sad.