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Article by Sylvia Bond
Sylvia Bond is a ten-year technical writing veteran with too many degrees under her belt to count. She lives in Colorado, but does not ski, preferring instead to spend her money and time at the annual Great American Beer Festival, taking road trips across the United States, and reading historical fiction from the comfort of her fluffy green arm chair. She has been involved in fandom since 1993 and been writing fanfic since approximately 1993. What she finds most amazing about fandom (besides the open heartedness of fans and the sheer amount of creativity) is how visible fandom has become. "In my day," she says, "we had to hide behind P.O. boxes to get fanfic. But nowadays, people wear t-shirts that shout their affiliation and share their shiny toys on the internet." It's a wonderful world. 38 Comments
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[...] can read my review of the Supernatural episode “The Monster at the End of the Book” at pinkraygun.com. Thank [...]
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[...] Bond shares her take on the episode at Pink Raygun. She likes it. She really likes it. I enjoy Pink Raygun . It’s [...]
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[...] of slashfic on Pink Raygun. Sylvia Bond, who is the regular Pink Raygun recapper for Supernatural, addressed the topic in her recap of the episode. It starts about halfway through, and is a really sweet, positive explanation for why we do what we [...]
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Yay! Tuesday morning has become one of my favorites. I sit down at my desk, with a cup of coffee, and race off to PRG to read Sylvia's review! Another good job Sylvia!
Boy, this was a lot of episode for our money, so to speak. I thought all of the actors absolutely blew it out of the water, with the exception of the lady playing Lilith. The little girl, and Katie Cassidy, were much, much better at bringing out the uber creepy side of Lilith. This girl seemed like she could have been pretty much any run of the mill demon. She might have even made a decent Ruby. But I wasn't feeling her as Lilith. Other than that, everyone was great. Jared killed me with the scene with Chuck. The "Does it?…All rest on my shoulders?" line was so good it hurt. Ditto for the scene with Dean in the motel room, when Dean is trying to leave. The look on his face and the way he seemed to unconsciously hold his breath when Dean said he knew what Sam had done, and the way that he let it out and looked shaken and relieved when he realized that all Dean knew was about Alistair. Awesome. Also the scene you mentioned with Dean and Castiel, I loved all the expressions and tones that Misha Collins used during his "Why I can't help you speech". So much love. One more bit of praise for Jensen in the scene where Dean is trying to get Chuck to come with him. The turn from the dramatic music to "No friggin' way!" was awesome, and it was topped off by Dean's "Let's see who the quicker draw is" and the look on Chuck's face.
So, so much love for the laundry scene, though I have to admit to giving Dean the evil eye for not helping. "I'm sitting in a laundry room, reading about myself sitting in a laundry room, reading about myself. My head hurts!" That and Sam's brooding and pensive shoulders, it was just so much win. As were the scenes in the diner, and the entire Vonnegut exchange with Chuck. See Dean? We knew you were a smart one. And a thinky one apparently. And not one of those college age Vonnegut readers who reads the books solely so they can say they've read them and put them on their bookshelf in the hopes that it somehow makes them look edgier and more cerebral. Ahem.
On to part two
The meta left me cold though. Actually, scratch that. The meta left me steaming. From the use of an actual, longtime fan's screen name (though ironically, I don't think she posts a whole lot any more), to the less than affectionate way that Chuck told the boys to get a life when he thought they were fans, it all seemed like a snap at the hand that feeds you. As you said, fans complain because they care. If we didn't care, they wouldn't have a show. After the slightly obsessed way that the publisher responded to them, and the way she made them answer a quiz of trivia, it all just felt too much like mocking to me. I grew up in a very large extended family, and I have two older brothers. Believe me, I know how to dish it and I know how to take it, and I know the difference between mocking and teasing. And that, to me, was mocking, not teasing. YMMV, of course. The throwaway line about living bad writing was good (though I'm not sure Bugs was really bad writing; just a case of InstaDawn), as were Chuck's protestations that writing is hard (I totally agree with him).
Sam's LSAT score did come up once, way back in the Pilot. Jess mentioned it in the bar scene with their friend. Though if I scored a 174 out of 180 possible on a test, I don't think I'd forget it, that made me hurt for Sam that he had to think that hard to pull it up again. It hasn't been much, if any, use to him over the past few years, but it's still something to be proud of.
I wonder how much, if any, good all the fan complaining about never seeing into Sam's head factored into the scene with Chuck? I'm thinking not much, or we would have gotten something before the 18th episode. But, at least when we did get it, what we got was good. I thought Chuck made a wonderful sounding board for Sam, an impartial, unbiased listener, who needed none of the details explained to him. That was nice, for Sam to finally get to open up to someone other than Ruby. I like Chuck. I hope he comes back and doesn't die.
The scene with Lilith was meh to me. She wasn't threatening enough, and I never for a second believed Sam would go through with it, though watching him bristle under her touch was interesting. "I am the prophet, Chuck!" That cracked me up! I feel a compulsion to run into a room and shout it. Thus far I have suppressed that compulsion, but it definitely ranks as one of the best lines ever.
It's official. I neither like, nor trust, Zachariah. Poor Chuck. I hope he finds the nerve, and a way, to warn the guys about whatever it was he saw. And I really, really hope that Sam's all consuming desire to take Lilith out doesn't have bigger repercussions than he can see before he goes through with it. Pure speculation but, what if that's what Azazel was grooming his chief psychic kid for? To take Lilith out so Lucifer can rise? He was raising an army for something. I guess it could have been that. I can't say I don't like where this is going, but I would like it a whole lot better if I could trust Kripke to make it all better in the end.
Anyway, another great review Sylvia! And thank you for putting up with my verbosity again.
Terriffic review again Sylvia! Loved everything abot this ep ('cept one teeny thing). The whole "there are Samgirls and Deangirls" thing had me snorting Diet Pepsi (would have prefered seeing a shout-out to us Samazons, but what the heck.) The laundry room scene was killer, and Castiel's "I'm helping you but I'm not supposed to but I'm doing it anyway" scene was just SUBLIME. All hail Misha Collins, master of looking so dang awesome.
Now on complaint, and it's a small one I grant, but I'm shallow this way. When Chuck gives the bg reveal that Sam and Lilith are destined to do the nasty, we get a Sam Laugh. A loud, perfect Sam Laugh… off camera.
What the FUDGE?! That's just wrong, Show. That's totally teasing us.
I don't know if it will make you feel any better about the meta but the publisher fangirl's name was supposed to be Sera Siege – a combination of Sera Gamble's and Julie Siege's names just like Carver Edlund was a combination of Ben Edlund's and Jeremy Carver's names.
Sera has defined herself as fangirlish in past interviews. Jared has commented about how she likes to write them naked or crying or naked and crying in episodes. So if that was mockery it was self-mockery.
I had read that after viewing the episode, and had I known it at the time, it might have helped. Or, even better, if they had made that clear in the episode, it would have worked even better for me. It still seemed like they were poking more fun at the fans than they ever were at themselves. I've read that about Sera before too, and I've heard Jared comment to that effect. I got the overall effect that they were going for, it just fell flat for me. A few more obvious prods at themselves might have shifted the balance a little more.
the less than affectionate way that Chuck told the boys to get a life when he thought they were fans, it all seemed like a snap at the hand that feeds you.
It fascinates me how sometimes people interpret anything that comes out of a character's mouth as speaking for the mindset if the show, literally.
Personally, I think the reaction of 'get a life' from Chuck wasn't in there as a slap to fans. I think it was in there because it was a very believable reaction for a writer to have when some guys show up on his doorstep claiming to be the characters in his book.
I've been reading a lot of reviews of this episode and it's interesting how varied the reactions have been specifically to the fan-meta.
Sometimes it's like reading tea leaves: the shape that one sees comes out of one's own subconscious.
*tries to make you feel better about the "Get a life."*
It didn't bother me at all, because in the context it was said, from Chuck's point of view, it made perfect sense. The boys were standing on his doorstep, refusing to leave, and telling him they really were the two guys he writes about. Even if they had been fans, that's taking fandom a little too far. To him, they must have sounded creepy and stalkerish.
Did it work?
"By bringing up slash, Show seems to be again administering the usual tsk tsk enjoinder to tell fans that Show does not approve of them putting Dean and Sam in a slash relationship."
What seems to be is not always what is, however.
Show acknowledged, in a subtler way, slash in the fandom as far back as Season 2, "Playthings", by having multiple jokes about the hotel folks assuming that Sam & Dean were a gay couple out antiquing. It was a running gag through the episode, which also included Drunk!Sam and Dean, rolling on the bed!
Though the words "fan" and "slash" did not show up (it wouldn't have been appropriate for the story in the episode of course), it was pretty obvious to me that this was an example of fanservice. Kripke & Co. are up to date and savvy, they would know about the slash contingency of fandom from the getgo.
I don't for a moment think they have a problem with it, they, and a lot of shows including many of the ones you mention in your mini-meta on slash, aren't dumb. Fanservice moments show up everywhere, as a behind the hand wink and nod to fans. Slash fans are fans, and they buy merchandise, watch the show, and fuel the buzz. Entertainment folks are smart enough to appreciate, and even, when they can get away with it, encourage.
What was amazing and fun about this episode was the sheer balls the folks that make our Show exhibited it bringing it out into the open. That was for us.
They couldn't have anyone in show voicing approval, especially not Sam or Dean. That would only make the show a potential target for haters and right wing groups, which they already are by reason of their subject matter (or were until the angels showed up – now they have plausible deniability, also a genius move).
They were giving us, the fans, credit for being able to read between the lines and see the nod and wink for what it was, out from behind the concealing hand.
I for one was far from offended, I was waving back at my TV screen like an idiot, yelling, "I see you seeing me! Hi hi hi!!"
It was like the smart and funny, but never kissed, wallflower girl at the dance having a song dedicated to her by the band. For that, I'll dance happily by myself, or in groups with my galpals. ;D
[i]"It fascinates me how sometimes people interpret anything that comes out of a character's mouth as speaking for the mindset if the show, literally.[/i]
In any other episode, from any other character, I would totally agree with you. Coming from Chuck who was, as far as he knew up to that point, the creator of the Winchesters and their entire universe, in the midst of an episode chock full of meta, it seems, to me, that his view would be a little weightier than the average character. As I said in my original comment, your mileage may vary on that, and it obviously does. But yes, ordinarily I'd be with you one hundred percent.
"It fascinates me how sometimes people interpret anything that comes out of a character's mouth as speaking for the mindset if the show, literally."
In any other episode, from any other character, I would totally agree with you. Coming from Chuck who was, as far as he knew up to that point, the creator of the Winchesters and their entire universe, in the midst of an episode chock full of meta, it seems, to me, that his view would be a little weightier than the average character. As I said in my original comment, your mileage may vary on that, and it obviously does. But yes, ordinarily I'd be with you one hundred percent.