#just this completely unexpected swerve that threw off his plan and put dean (and sam) in the line of fire

[dyed-red]

one thing that always makes me ???? about the pilot is john's motel room.

he left his photo of him and the boys, he left his journal which the cops got, he left his freaking jacket. literally did not take the clothes jacket off his back. which is.... ????

if the demons (i.e., azazel and co) were literally on his ass to the extent that he had to drop everything, like everything, and run, wouldn't he have maybe given a heads up to sam and dean that Danger Was Imminent? or was he so entirely confident that they wouldn't be targeted and that only he himself was in danger, so he actually did drop everything and run but felt fine not even leaving a voicemail?

(if he thought that, uhhhh, just looking at jess, over here, and not saying anything).

like i get the narrative reason and function, but with all that in mind, the in-universe explanation that i land on is pretty much that john deliberately made it look like he had to drop everything and run. that he was in imminent, immediately, life-threatening danger, and this charade was mostly for dean. the logic of which is just... wild.