i actually liked bean hitting ruby, because i saw it as a smackdown between near-equals that gender didn't even really enter into, but there has been a definite downturn in the portrayal of women this season.

I'm sure you're right about the smackdown between near-equals -- except that being a demon, Ruby is actually a lot stronger than Dean -- but for some reason I just found it really jarring, and found myself wishing that more women would call Dean on his shit.

I think it's even more worrying if the misogyny is unintentional, in way -- as if the writers and the whole staff were totally comfortable with "women are sluts and they are evil and must be put down," as a way of thinking. But I don't like it either way.