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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. 
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You wrote
“Plus, I suspect that the scene with Bar Chick getting shot wasn’t shot on purpose for this particular ep. I suspect very strongly that Show had a leftover clip from earlier in the season, from a day of shooting where they got some clips showing Soulless Sam being soulless, and this was one of them. Not, as you see, shot for this ep, because god forbid Show should spend some actual time and money on Sam Winchester.”
It’s well knows that Jared filmed for three days on his own for this ep. So they did indeed spend time, and money on Sam Winchester.
It’s not entirely well known, but then, I don’t spend a whole lot of my free time keeping up with SPN’s filming schedule, so thank you for the update
After reading your review, and that you like this show, I just had to ask. Why do you like it?
Why do I like this show? Oh, there are so very many reasons, most of which have to do with the premise. Hunters, in and of themselves, are outliers. Sam and Dean are outliers of outliers – they are, together, on their own, crossing the country, saving people, hunting things. They stay in backwoods cabins and skanky motels, they steal from the unsuspecting to afford to buy their fast-food dinners, and stay up way too late researching every last detail in order to help some poor idiot who doesn’t understand the basic uses of salt and iron (or silver, depending).
I like Sam and Dean. I like how they are brothers and get on each others’ nerves, I like how, even when they’re fighting, they will be there to support the other one. I like their tough, self-reliant attitudes, and their bleach-stained jeans, I like their sturdy boots, and well-worn jackets. I like their hair. I like them defeating the monster of the week, and I like them kicking back every once in a while, having a beer after the work is done.
This review, this week, isn’t typical. Normally I heap praise on the ep, and couch any criticisms I might have with a Pollyanna “hope they meant to do their best” kind of attitude. But this week, I was so disappointed at the lack of care and balance in the writing, and angry at the lack of Sam, that I let it all hang out, much more than I normally do.
But I do like Supernatural. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have written about it, and written reviews for every ep of every season for the last six seasons. I started in the fall of 2007; it’s now halfway through 2011. That’s a lot of writing, so yes, I like this show. If I didn’t like it, if I didn’t care? I wouldn’t be here.
This ep didn’t bother me as much as it did you, although I did feel a little cheated at times when it came to Sam (and I am a Sam girl, too). There’s just one main question I have…
Plus, I suspect that the scene with Bar Chick getting shot wasn’t shot on purpose for this particular ep. I suspect very strongly that Show had a leftover clip from earlier in the season, from a day of shooting where they got some clips showing Soulless Sam being soulless, and this was one of them.
Were you being sarcastic here or totally serious? Because it seems to me that they had Bar Chick’s actress there just for this episode only – I don’t know if I could see her brought in for one short scene (or a few) early in the season and thinking they could use it in a later episode (like Unforgiven) or something like the finale. Unless you mean just the shots where Sam shoots and says his line, not the coverage on the actress and the demon/whatever holding her…
A little of both, I guess. I don’t know (though I have had it since pointed out to me) what the shooting schedule was, and how they set it up, but at the time I wasn’t aware. And as I watched this scene (the one where Sam shoots Bar Chick), it occurred to me that it could have been a re-used scene (taken from earlier and filmed to add to the “clips of Soulless Sam” pile), .and then maybe they brought the chick back in to actually do some interactive scenes with Sam.
But it was all speculation on my part (and sarcastic in nature), because I had the bad feeling that although the ep started off with Sam on the run (and what could be bad about that?), as many “flashback” eps are, it could contain lots of already-filmed footage.
And thusly, my rant formed in my head – that of course, instead of doing it RIGHT for Sam, they used old footage. You know, like so many shows do, at the end of the season (or whenever), they take a bunch of clips from previous episodes, string them together with some sort of premise for presenting them that way. One good method is where one character has amnesia and the other one tells the story of their relationship together – and the clips get used as illustrations. Shows can save a lot of money and effort and time re-using clips, so of course, they’d do that to Sam. Rant, rant, rant.
You know, there’s a whole lot of nostalgia for a Dean who die/sell his soul/go all feral for Sam but Sam himself said he didn’t like feeling like the little brother in Fallen Idols and Dean was mocked all up and down for it in S5 so . . . why should Dean act in a way that Sam himself repudiated. Why not treat Sam like the adult that he so wanted?
Kissing him on the forehead would feel like Dean didn’t get the message about infantalizing the guy. Sam’s not a baby anymore and that’s something you do with a very small child. I’d actually pop an eyebrow if he did it with Ben and Ben was actually his kid.
I don’t see what Dean gets out of reverting back to S1 and S2.
There’s something called the Sauce-Bearnaise Syndrome where you can’t stand a certain food because it gave you a really bad experience. Honestly if I were Dean, I think robo!Sam and junkie!Sam would give me a really bad version of that.
Sorry if I miss something, but how could a kiss infantalize Sam? Last time I checked, a kiss is a physical demonstration of your affection for someone, child or not. Maybe you’re not in the habit of kissing your loved ones, but other people still do it.
It’s good for Dean that he’s done with Soulless and Junkie Sam. There’s a new brother in town so now he’s got to deal with power junkie Castiel, who thinks he’s god.
If Dean was done with souless & junkie Sam, why’s he working with Sam? They’re all parts of him. If the show insists that Dean has to go that far for family (apologizing, getting beaten up, forgiving about Ruby & choking & general emotional abandonment) then for internal consistency for the show to make any sort of sense, he has to go pretty far to save Castiel. Maybe Dean can kiss Castiel on the temple or something.
Wow! What a nice comment. I can almost see the venom leaking. Congratulations. And be careful not to bite yourself.
As for Dean kissing Castiel, maybe he does. He seems definitely infatuated. Enjoy while you can. Hopefully the producers will come to their senses in season 7.
Don’t mind Mobiusklein anybody, she’s known throughout the fandom as a rabid Sam and Jared hater.
She’s everywhere, spewing her hatred. Keep that in mind when reading her posts.
Hello know you see you havent changed . Still a laughable read keep up the good work
I don’t know…I kiss my sisters and my mom and my nieces and nephews and brother-in-law and nephew-in-law (is that a term?) on the forehead (and on the cheek, etc.) all the time – to me it’s a sign of affection and love and joy in simply being with them, regardless of someone’s age. While we’re not a family that says “I love you” a whole lot, we tend to reach out and touch or hug, just to make a connection. A kiss on the forehead isn’t infantalizing or demeaning, at least not to me, and if Sam’s unconscious, he’s hardly likely to object if Dean does it. I think it would have been a nice symbol of their continued connection.
Sylvia:
I enjoy your reviews even when I don’t agree! Thanks for all the smiles you’ve given me over the years.
I think this episode was off because they tried to cram too much in too quickly. This season, they’ve seemed to be unsure of where they wanted to go. Then when they finally decided, they rushed it.
I liked the bar chick. Took me a while to realize it was Jo from Eureka.
Next season, it may be more Sam and Dean. I’m in it for the long haul whatever. I enjoy the scenery too much.
Keep reviewing. I’ll keep reading, even if I don’t comment.
Hey you’re more than welcome, and thank you. You don’t have to comment, unless you have something to say, I’m just pleased to have you as a reader.
And thanks for the update on who the Bar Chick was!
You’re right about them cramming in too much in too short a time because yeah, they didn’t seem to have a real direction when they started, which might have to do with the fact that Show originally had a five-year plan?
The first half of this season was all about Sam. The ratings dropped like a lead balloon. He was given good material to work with – as he was in season 4 and season 5. He simply isn’t up to the job. Pulling faces isn’t acting. If Jared fades into the background, it is because he is outclassed every step of the way by his fellow castmembers, who are all far better actors. I can only hope that the dismal ratings for most of this season have proved to Sera Gamble that her favourite can’t carry this show.
actually jensen said at the recent con that dean “drove” the story…so the first half of the season wasn’t all about sam..and if jared/sam is in the background it’s the writer’s fault..jared has done alot with the little he has been given…i really don’t think he’s “outclassed” by his fellow actors…that was rude, imo…jared is the other half of this show and i hope tptb recognize that fact…
Even if half the season was driven by Dean, the story was all about Sam. You can`t argue about that!
That Jared is a bad actor is just your opinion and you’re welcome to it. But he was praised widely by fans and the media this season for his portrayal of Souless Sam. As for my opinion, Jared is an awesome actor and the fact that the lack of Sam is constantly being brought up just shows how much he has brought to the role despite the little he has been given. That we I still care about Sam speak volumes about Jared. The few chances he has been given to shine, he has played it beautifully. Maybe the ratings have fallen because people are sick of having the had the brothers at odds for more than 2 seasons. Show puts Jared in the background but he has never faded. And I am happy to say that Jensen is of the same opinion of me based on the many times in interviews and in conventions when he has praised Jared.
Laura, I am not sure where you are getting your information but the ratings for Supernatural have remained fairly steady throughout the course of the season, ranging from 2.04-2.47 on average with perhaps a slight dip around episode 16 “And Then There Were None.” As a matter of fact, the first 12 episodes were among the strongest of the season ranging between 2.15 and 2.90 million viewers. Given that these ratings are also coupled with the show moving to Friday nights (the death slot for most TV shows) the general consensus is that the show is doing very well, hence a season 7 and already talk of a season 8. I guess all the recent publicity, the TV Guide covers and newspaper and magazine articles don’t mean anything either. In future, I suggest that if you are going to start spouting off your opinion as though it was fact to support some type of poorly thought out argument, that you might want to do a little research prior.
“As a matter of fact, the first 12 episodes were among the strongest of the season ranging between 2.15 and 2.90 million viewers.”
Interesting since “Sam” was primarily absent for those episodes. I do think the viewers enjoyed Dean as the driving force trying to solve the mystery of what was wrong with Sam.
I agree about the writers not doing enough to prsent Sam’s point of view lately. I also think the writers have never done enough to give Dean his own significant mytharc role.
So, I think it would be interesting next season if Dean was the focus of the supernatural mytharc (I always thought it would be cool if as a result of playing “Death” for a day, that Dean develop a “Sixth Sense” kind of thing and be able to see dead people, or something like that). And then we could see Sam’s point of view as he reacted to Dean’s situation. Just a thought.
This wasn’t a comment intended to be about wheather or not the first 12 episodes were Sam’s or Dean’s really. It was intended more to counter Laura’s ridiculous, and erroneous statement that to have the story focused on the Sam character caused the ratings to, in her words, “sink like a lead balloon.” It is simply incorrect. People shouldn’t go around making up facts just to suit their biases. They should know what you are talking about and be able to back it up with fact.
That said, I really agree with you. I think it would be nice for the writers to put to bed much of the current story arc and find a new one for our boys; one in which we get more central and connected involvement for Dean and more insight for Sam. Oh, and arguing. I love it when they argue, it’s how they show their affection for one another.
Sera’s favorite? You mean Castiel Almighty? Yes, I guess he can’t. Sam was shoved to the corner for most part of season 6 in favor of some Holy War and I don’t see the ratings going wonderful.
I mean the most part of the second half. My apologies. The first half was about Dean’s angst.
Agreeing with mtee here, but
Sera’s favorite? You mean Castiel Almighty?
I’m not that up on the behind the scenes stuff, but isn’t it a running joke that Sera’s openly a Samgirl? Not that this means she spotlighted Sam the whole season, but I don’t think leading up to the big mystery of the season being Castiel and Crowley opening Purgatory and a cliffhanger of Castiel being God is evidence she’s switched her favorite character.
To be honest, I too used to think that Sera was a Samgirl. But if I had such a suspicion, it’s gone now. I can hardly recognize the same writer that penned episodes like Heart, All Hell Breaks Loose, Houses of The Holly, I Know What You Did Last Summer, When the Levee Breaks, just to name a few, in the way Sam was treated in Season 6.
Maybe you could point out some evidence to support her supposed Samgirlness? And don’t tell me about Sam’s soullessness. This story was told from Dean’s POV from the beginning and completely dropped in the second half of the season in favor of Castiel arc. But wait! Sam appeared shirtless in episode 3, so yes, this proves that Sera is a Samgirl.
I thought she was a Samgirl because I thought this was something that was just a known fact about the writer. If that was based on just what she wrote maybe you just can’t tell what character somebody favors based on that.
If Sam’s soulless storyline doesn’t count then there’s be nothing to say about this season because that was the story. I don’t think Dean being the pov character of that story makes it anti-Sam. Sam was the mystery, Dean had the viewer’s pov of wondering what was different about Sam. Sam was in jeopardy, and that doesn’t seem like something somebody who liked the character would not want to write.
He was a badass while he had no soul, had a relationship with the Campbells, had the threat of the wall coming down and that ep where he went back to the town where he’d been with the Campbells. Then they got thrown into different situations with hints about the conspiracy b/w Castiel and Crowley and the last ep seemed to be tying up what it thought was Sam development by having him accept his other selves and run off to save Dean.
The soulless storyline didn’t go anywhere, imo, but that was mostly what both Sam and Dean dealt with until the conspiracy reveal. I’m not convinced it didn’t go anywhere because anybody disliked Sam.
I didn’t know about Sera’s supposed favoritism for Sam being a known fact. A known fact has to based on something to be a fact. Either Sera declared it herself (and to the best of my knowledge she never did) or it was based on some kind of evidence. My only evidence was that she used to write insightful episodes about Sam and well, she seemed to like to show him shirtless. But this is hardly evidence, and that’s why I used the word suspicion.
Since there is no confirmation of this “fact”, I find it pretty irritating that people insist on saying that Season 6 is all about Sam because Sera is a Samgirl. Acually I have no complaints about the first half of the season as far as balance if concerned. Sam has the storyline and Dean the POV. Of course that doesn’t make the season anti-Sam but it can hardly define the season as a “Sam season because Sera is a Samgirl” either.
My problems begin with the second half. IMO, it made a disservice both to Sam AND Dean. Both were reduced to supporting characters to Castiel’s plotiline. Dean still had his “brother” relationship with Castiel but Sam virtually disappearad in the background. They just didn’t put him away in some drawer because they couldn’t find one his size. Then they quickly resolved his arc in half an episode and that’s it. And this, yes, is anti-Sam and can hardly be used as proof that Sera Gamble is a Samgirl. I’m just fed up with this argument.
The soullessness led to nothing? Perhaps, but it could if better handled. And DEAN too could have had a better arc than that boring family of his. Lisa is no woman for a hunter and Ben is terribly annoying. Domesticated Dean is not half as fun as the Dean of old. And Jensen agrees.
Now, why are we doing instead of working better storylines for the boys and exploring their relationship which, I’ll insist until the end of times, is the CORE of this show? We’re making room for Castiel’s plots. So please, don’t tell me that Sera is a Samgirl.
As I said, I didn’t know for a fact that she was, I had just always heard it as a running joke. I think I allowed that it might have just been a running joke based on what she wrote. That doesn’t make it fact. I was just saying that if it didn’t make it a fact it probably showed that what somebody wrote in an episode wasn’t a good way to tell if they had bias. To me it just says that Sera wrote X eps in the past, and she wrote Y now, and maybe none of it had to do with bias toward any character. I wasn’t arguing that this was a Sam-centric season because Sera’s a Samgirl, I was just surprised to hear her described as having a bias for Castiel when for years I’d heard about her bias for Sam.
I didn’t see S&D getting shoved aside for Castiel’s plot. I thought Castiel was their plot. Like the writers thought the souls from purgatory plot was a good hook for the season since it gave them monsters to chase and a mystery to solve (and was all very Third Man-ish), leading up to a new problem for next year.
It was a conspiracy that was important because of how it affected S&D–like Azazel’s plot was important for that. Only the demon plot led back to the Winchesters via Mary’s death and what was done to Sam, which was more about their identies and origin, while Castiel’s led back to them only through him being an ally of theirs who was now working against them.
Your points are valid, but IMO Castiel has become way too central for a supporting character. A Castiel-based episode is strange enough, but a Castiel cliffhanger too, in a season finale?
Plus (and I guess that’s what bothers me most), there’s this very irritating insistence on show’s part of connecting him with Dean only, leaving Sam with nothing to do but stand by and look pretty. So now he’s a brother to Dean, in the same level as Sam? How and when did it happen? When Adam was introduced, there was a public uproar because how did they dare introducing a 3rd brother? But curiously, no one objects to Castiel being promoted to brother.
Sorry, I know that he has fans and that those fans are happy, but I’m not a fan and I’m not happy. IMO, Season 6 was a Castiel season and if Sera is someone’s girl, she’s a Castiel girl.
YMMV, but just on the brother thing, I don’t think Dean elevated Castiel to Sam-status. I thought he was saying “you’re like a brother to me” the way people say their friends are “like a brother.” His brother relationship with Sam goes way beyond that. So to me it was like he was just saying he was in that circle–like when he told Bobby he was the closest thing to a father he had, you can’t really compare that to his actual co-dependent, hero-worshipping relationship to his actual father. I could be wrong, of course, it just seems like the show is still pretty clear on Sam & Dean being the product of a lifetime of growing up isolated in that life etc., not to mention Dean’s earlier directive being to save Sam etc.
On Sera, I don’t feel like she declared herself being unfairly partial to Castiel. I think she was pleased with the plot she came up with for him, and he did get an episode about what he was up to (as did Bobby). It just didn’t seem like that was about elevating Castiel so much as liking the story she came up with. I mean, it probably goes without saying that there are Castiel fans out there who think that he was intentionally destroyed as a character and probably think it all proves SG hates him.
I really, really wish you’re right about Dean and Sam. This is one of the occasions when I want to be wrong. Castiel never grew on me as a character. I find him him occasionaly funny, but that’s all. However, if he had been written as a friend to both boys, I could accept him, if not love. The way it is, I just resent him for being intrusive and making the boys appear incompetent, as though they can’t do anything by themselves.
No, Sera would never plead herself guilty of partiality. How could she, in her position? But trust me, I’m not the only one complaining that he’s receiving more attention than he should.
While some people are complaining about the destruction of the character, others think that he’s the best villain in SPN ever. I don’t think this makes SG anti-Castiel.
I appreciated the points you made and I thank you for a very civilized conversation. I wish we could discuss different POVs like this always. But I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree here.
Sorry but you are way off the mar here and dont quite know why you felt the need for this post. The ratings have been very steady and was not Dean in these episodes too. And focusing on Dean or Cstiel doesnt make much difference so what exactly was your point. Jared is a fine actor has many fans and peers will acclaim to so to try and sugest he was at fault for something was a low unfounded statment. Sam is a beautiful character played by a equally beautiful actor who has very hard scenes to play harder to be honest than Jensen . It is to his testament that people still love this character because it is done despit of not because of the writers or some parts of this fandom.
“Sam is a beautiful character played by a equally beautiful actor who has very hard scenes to play harder to be honest than Jensen.”
I think they are BOTH good actors and they both play characters who are have many different facets to their personality (ranging from light to dark, and everything in between).
I don’t see the need to criticize one actor in order to prop up the actor you favor.
I think that in general this thread is in response to the earlier poster (Laura) who said that Jared “simply isn’t up to the job. Pulling faces isn’t acting. If Jared fades into the background, it is because he is outclassed every step of the way by his fellow castmembers, who are all far better actors.”
This is the one of the rudest things I’ve ever read in response to one of my reviews. And I agree with you, Kay, both actors give so much and in so many ways, I can’t imagine one without the other on this show, together they are what makes it.
Why are all these Sam haters even here? I heard about a site named WTPO, WTOP or something of the sort. Not sure, because it’s not my sort of place, but based on what I heard they’ll feel much more comfortable there, among fellows.
Jared faced several acting challenges in the course of SPN. He played an evil side of himself many times (who doesn’t remember Evil Sam and Jo?). He played Demon Blood Sam, Lucifer, and Soulless Sam for half a season to general praise, sometimes playing two different Sams in the same episode (Unforgiven). And lastly he played nothing less than 3 Sams. If he can do all of this being bad, I’d like to see him being good. His acting is praised by well-known critics (Mo Ryan and Mary Bardic are 2 examples) and I remember reading reviews back at Season 4 about how much he could do with the little he was given. And if I remember right, there was even some Emmy consideration (for both him and Jensen).
Now, everyone is entitled to their opinion and you don’t have to love anyone’s acting, but the words I read above are just mean, cruel and unncecessary. If you (Laura) love Jensen so much you should know that they’re best friends and that a friend bashing can hardly please him.
Nicely put. Jared has done some amazing things with this character, my favorite one being the contrast between Soulless and/or Evil Sam/ Dark Sam and regular Sam. Come to think of it, with all the nuances that go into that character, is there anything like a “regular” Sam? We’ve gotten so many varieties of Sam, it’s almost mind boggling, and it’s this ability of Jared’s to switch almost seamlessly between them that makes him so fun to watch.
And I can complain all I want about his lack of lines, but that only highlights how MUCH he did with so very little. I mean, so very little is him having less than 50% of all the lines! The other 50%, of course, should go to Jensen. : D (Oh, alright, Bobby can have some screentime too, in my perfect world, but only if equal amounts are taken from Sam-time and Dean-time.)
As to why Samhaters are here? I have no idea, simply no idea. In fact I never understand why haters gotta hate, be it Samhaters or Deanhaters, and mostly they stay away. Not that I mind people venting or disagreeing with me about my opinion….and no I don’t hate the Soap Angel, per se. I just HATE that he took so much time away from my favorite. And yes I have a favorite, sheesh. : D
So you think it is Jared Padalecki´s fault that the ratings has dropped??
Mhhh so WHY the had episode 22 more ratings than epsiode 21????
One thing you have to say for the Sam haters. They’re always creative. They always outdo themselves finding new “reasons” to hate Sam and to blame him for.
Oh Andrea you have no idea. I’m not a Samgirl but to hear their view of the finale is really wild. It’s like Dean and Cas were having this pleasant conversation and super freaky cracked out Sam out of nowhere stabbed poor Cas in the back. What?
Sorry by saying their view, I meant Cas fans.
Lisa, I’m amazed (in a negative way) at some things I hear. Indeed, how bad of Sam to show up and interrupt such a romantic scene between Dean and Castiel. He should have known that being used as bait by Castiel was with the best intentions, not to mention that no, maddened Castiel was not threatening his brother and Bobby. (Sorry, extreme sarcasm)
BTW, I’m stil hoping that Dean will teach Castiel a lesson for almost kiling his brother.
i know the first episode of s4 got massive ratings, but even after that the ratings started to fall so s6 did not start the “ratings fall”…that’s another thing that is unfair to blame jared for…
and tonia…thank you and well said…
Thanks, windykl! We gotta stick by our boy Jared when there is nasty mud-slinging cause our other boy Jensen wouldn’t like it either.
no problem..no matter what jared is given, i’ll stick by him..he does a great job, imo, playing sam..i just can’t get over how some people can be so mean/rude about him..he only does what is asked of him….
They’re rude because he interferes with their fantasy of Dean and SA.
I get suprised by Jared because I always thought he was the weaker actor who improved over the years. I watched Houses of the Holy from season 2 recently and he totally dispelled those thoughts. Jared made me cry at the end. Becaue he is the more subtle actor , I think he is often overlooked. He shouldn’t be.
Lisa, I think you hit the nail about Castiel fans. Ironically, the main reason for my dislike of this character is that I think HE interferes with the 2-brothers dynamic. The difference is that I don’t go around bashing Mr. Collins as an actor or a person, perhaps including his family. It’s his CHARACTER I don’t like, so why not separating things? I’ve heard the most shocking things about Jared AND his wife. I’m surprised they don’t hate his dogs too, but then let’s not give them any ideas. Tell me about sickness.
I’m glad you found a new appreciation for Jared’s acting. As a fan, it hurts me that he’s not given the credit he deserves. Houses of the Holy is one of my favorite episodes in my favorite season (season 2). You’re so right, the last scene is heart-wrenching for both boys. Sam, because his disappointment is so painful to watch; Dean, because his brother’s pain is always hard for him to take. Dean’s sorrow for Sam’s loss of innocence is palpable. That’s the sort of scene that makes love this show .
Hi Sylvia
I am sorry this episode disappointed you so much.
As you know, normally I post my list of what I liked about an episode. However, I decided to change my mind and instead decided to post my thoughts on how I felt about Season 6, as a whole, and what I miss most about seasons past.
I have to admit, when I heard Supernatural was renewed for Season 7, I felt a pang of guilt mixed with sadness. This was a new experience for me because I wasn’t that excited and I didn’t know how to deal with feeling that way.
This show has lost itself and I do hope it finds its way back because I just can’t bring myself to totally abandon SHOW because I still ‘heart Jensen and Jared’ and I am a long time viewer who still believes in Supernatural.
I want a return to what made me love this show so much from the moment I was brought into the Winchester family, way back in September of 2005. I want Sam and Dean to go back to ‘Saving People and Hunting things’. I miss ‘Bitch’ ‘Jerk’. I miss the boys getting in each other’s personal space. I miss them suturing up their wounds. I miss the simplicity of the first Season when they spent their time travelling the back roads in the ’67 Impala, dithering about ‘monsters’ and ‘ghosts’. I totally miss John Winchester. But most of all, I miss Sam and Dean just being ‘brothers’.
As I have said many times, over the years, their relationship and strong bond, was what made this show so incredible and addicting and it was what ‘spoke to me’. SHOW was about family and love and doing whatever it took to ensure that bond was never broken. Sure, it was tested but never shattered into a million pieces like it has been over the last couple of seasons.
I want the ‘real Dean’ and I want the ‘real Sam’ back. Sure, I know characters are supposed to grow and change but not so much that long time fans are appalled at the extreme shifts that make no sense and test our patience.
I was so excited when I saw Eric Kripke’s name as the writer of the Season 6 finale but I have to say he did not deliver. I did like some parts of the episode….there were some cool scenes and Sam did have more screen time…but I could not believe they did not explore more of what happened to Sam when he was in the pit. And, I agree with you Sylvia….a kiss on the forehead would have been wonderful! We can dream…can’t we!
I truly hope Season 7 returns to its roots and allows both Sam and Dean to be ‘Sam and Dean’. I want the writers and producers to equal out the ‘playing field’ and allow both brothers to be on screen…communicating…hugging…saving people and hunting things.
I hope you have a good Summer and I will see you in the fall.
Take care, Joan
Wow, Joan! Thank you for aswering all the detractors why we fell in love with this show and what we want to go back to.
Have a great Summer. Sadly, it’ll be Winter where I am.
Hi Andrea.
Thank you so much for your response.
Thanks also for wishing me a great Summer. Summer is my favorite time of the year, weather wise.
You must live south of the equator if it will be Winter where you are. I am not a fan of Winter, I have to admit, but I do enjoy the change of seasons, each year.
I look forward to seeing you again here, after the long hiatus.
We ‘fangirls’ have to stick together…and it doesn’t matter if we are ‘Dean Girls’ or ‘Sam Girls’ or if we like both equally.
See ya!
Joan
Joan
I’m in Brazil actually. Not a fan of Winter either! And we don’t have snow here which could have been a good thing. At least it could give some charm to this unpleasnat (to me) part of the year.
So true! Samgirls or Deangirls, the boys are part of a package. One cannot exist without the other, for Show’s own good. And they’re both awesome, even if our heart warms a little bit more towards one or the other.
Hi Andrea.
You live in a beautiful country. I have never been to Brazil but I have seen pictures and it is breathtaking.
It doesn’t snow much where I live, but we have had some really cold winters with a lot of snow. Very hot and humid Summers which I love.
You are correct. The boys are part of a package and one can’t exist without the other, for Show’s own good.
They are both truly awesome.
Joan
Thank you Joan. Maybe you can visit us someday.
Where do you live, BTW?
Hi Andrea
You are welcome.
I apologize for the delay in responding. I was away on a much-needed vacation escape to Asheville North Carolina.
I live in Louisville, Kentucky.
I would love to visit your wonderful country someday.
Joan, I want want you want, really I do. And I feel the same mixed feelings at the thought of another season – Show has had it’s ups and downs, but Season 6 felt thin on the ground to me, especially in comparison to seasons 1 and 2, and 4, I think. Show seems to have lost its way, and as you pointed out, it’s because many of the classic elements are missing or skipped over or pushed to the side in favor of a storyline that has no depth and nothing I can relate to.
So will season 7 be better? Only time will tell.
Thank you for your participation with the reviews, and your fun lists, and your joy in Show. Take good care of yourself, and I’ll see you when September comes. : D
Hi Sylvia
You are welcome.
I have thoroughly enjoyed coming here and sharing my lists and my love for this show.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the writers have heard and listened to the fans of this show and here’s hoping they bring back all the classic elements that made this show so awesome.
I will take care of myself. Please do the same. And I will definitely see you in September.
Take care
Joan
Joan (and Sylvia), thanks for summing up how I’m feeling about Supernatural these days. The Angel Puddle Battle (great description by the way) bores me to tears. IMO, the Winchesters don’t need some apocalyptic Buffy-style event or Big Nasty to fight every season, I want back what Show hooked me in with – the brothers, being brothers and hunting things/saving people.
I felt guilty when I heard Supernatural was getting renewed for two more years because I don’t trust that the writers can write good plots for the Winchesters and I don’t want to end up disliking Supernatural because of the dodgy writing. I am having thoughts along the lines that ending Show now, before it gets even farther away from it roots, might be a mercy killing.
I enjoy your reviews Sylvia, they help me find the bits to feel positive about in each episode – thanks!!
Thank you, Mich, I appreciate it. (Yeah, Angel Puddle Battle, I owe that one to Dr. Seuss.)
But TWO more years? How is that possible??? Can I start crying now, because, holy cow, if they couldn’t keep it together for season 6 (and stay on target), then how are they going to manage two more? I’m sure there are plenty of fans who can help them with the scripts; count me in. I’d move to Vancouver in a heartbeat.
Show has not been renewed for 2 years, just for 1 as of now. But at the latest convention, Jared mentioned that the new head of the network came up to him and said how much he liked the show and that he could envision having a season eight. The J’s aren’t signed for anything after next year, so this may be the first step in starting to negotiate that.
The nice thing is that for the first time someone in power at the CW actually LIKES Supernatural. Dawn Ostroff always treated SPN like the red haired stepchild of the CW. If there is network support, we may also get less hints from above that “Gee that Castiel fellow is really popular. We really would like to give you a season five, but couldn’t you find a place for him?”
Frankly, it’s all going to come down to money, but Jared has given signals that HE is willing to go on, presumably for the right price so all they need is Jensen to show interest and then MAYBE there is a season eight.
Also I am encouraged by the fact that Misha is no longer a regular on Supernatural. It doesn’t mean we won’t see a lot of the SA after all Jim Beaver isn’t a regular and we see a lot of him, but it does indicate that TPTB no longer consider the SA to be so central to the storyline that they have to tie money up keeping Misha available. There is hope that they may actually allow the Sam and Dean story to be about Sam and Dean.
I am, as you can see an eternal optimist when it comes to Supernatural.
Thank you so very much for the update, I’m glad to hear that someone at CW might be taking a second look at what Supernatural is and really could be, with the right focus and backing.
I, like you, tend to be an optimist and hope that the Sam and Dean story will be about Sam AND Dean. I’d rather be an optimist, so thanks for giving me some hope.
Hi Mich
Thank you! You sound like a true fan.
Let’s hope they go back to the core of this show. It sure would make a lot of us very happy.
Joan
I think part of the problem in regards to the season overall is that the PTB got a little too ambitious about the plot lines. In trying to deliver a complex plot and provide the fans with a “shocking reveal” in every episode, I feel like our brothers got a little lost. There just wasn’t that considered attention to detail; scenes where they sit or lounge on a skanky motel bed and talk to one another or dither in the car.They almost never argued with one another this season. That’s not realistic for them.. they always argue and disagree and love each other despite their differences. I loved how they seemed to be getting along in the second half of the season, but it was almost too much getting along if you know what I mean. Where was the tension and the discussions and the opinions that were both a little bit right and a little bit wrong on both sides? I am not sure that Sam and Dean can go back to being the Sam and Dean of Season one and two, but they can reclaim that push and pull dynamic that was a vital part of what made them so compelling.
Oh, BoGirle, how perfectly you describe the issue at hand. Sometimes, when I read comments like this one, I think, well, why didn’t I just say this, instead of rambling on about something else? This is exactly it. To want them to “reclaim that push and pull dynamic that was a vital part of what made them so compelling” is exactly what I want. Everything else is window dressing. (And what fine window dressing it is!)
Very well said. I guess Show is not investing as much time in the relationship as they used to, and it shows. Before this season started, we were told that it would be a return to Season 1 fashion. I saw nothing of that. Now we’re told once again that in season 7 “all they have is each other” and that they’ll only go where the Impala takes them. Sounds awesome and very Season 1 like to me, but we still have to see if it delivers.
Thanks Sylvia and Andrea! I love this show to distraction and probably spend waaaaaay too much time thinking about it.
to be honest, i’ve decided not to listen to the writers or tptb..every time i get my hopes up, i’m disappointed..like when bob singer said we would get the relationship btw the boys the fans “crave”, yeah that didn’t happen…in ep 21 sam gets locked in a dungeon and in ep 22 spends most of that time lying on a cot…did i miss smth? dean and sam hardly communicated…it was dean/cas with bobby in the mix..and remember when ep 22 was supposed to be “sam-centric”..thank goodness i have s1-2 to get that feeling of brotherhood…i really hope s7 is better..but cas will probably get his redemption arc, dean will have his arc and sam will be left in the background again i fear…
Believe me, I’ve had more fun watching Supernatural Anime than I had with most part of the second half of season 6. At least, it has that Season 1/2 flavor that I sorely miss.
As for the main arcs, Dean’s will probably be redeeming his “bro” Castiel. Sam’s will be dealing with his traumas (hopefully).
If the PTB really want to return to the dynamic of season one and two, then season seven could be the best opportunity if they play it right. The key factor to the way that Sam and Dean were then was Sam’s vulnerability; he had been away from hunting for quite a while, was out of practice and was grieving the loss of Jessica which triggered all of Dean’s protective instincts. They could go back there in season seven if they play up Sam’s trauma from Hell making him not as an affective hunter or have his PTS interfere in various ways. I’d love to see that, even temporarily. I’d also like to see the brother’s connect over their respective exepriences. This would be a great opportunity to get to see a little bit more about Dean’s time in Hell too: his trauma was given short shrift as well.
BoGirle
They could go many different directions as long as it focuses on the Winchesters and doesn’t get sidelined by minor characters.
I read comments recently that Supernatural would be camcelled if they didn’t introduce angels in the mix because nobody want to see Sam & Dean on the road forever.
Their logic is so flawed. Look at Seinfeld. It kept the same 4 characters front and center. Jerry never even moved from the apartment we saw from the first episode A show that kept the same original formula increased it’s viewership over the years. Supernatural’s original formula is magic and I hope the writing team realizes this.
Hi Pinkraygun — I’ve read a few of your reviews and enjoyed your witty style, but I have a question: why do you call Castiel the “Soap Angel”? I’m not criticizing; I literally have no idea what that means. Is it some cultural reference that I’m just not getting? I’d love to know! Thanks!
I’ve been asked the following question a lot over the last week:” Where does the name “Soap Angel” come from, anyway?”
Well, here goes.
When I first heard the name “Castiel” it made me think of soap, and soap bubbles, and bubble baths, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. So then, I’m in the store, buying bath soap, and there on the shelf are bars of this soap called Kirk’s Original Castile soap.
The name of type of soap “Castile” is just two little letters off from “Castiel” and so thusly the explanation for my instant association between Castiel and SOAP can be explained. I take full responsibility for my consistent and irritating use of “Soap Angel” in place of “Castiel” in my reviews.
Thanks for the explanation! And don’t worry, it’s not irritating; just a little perplexing. But now that I know the association, it all makes sense!
You’re more than welcome; I’m happy to share my little quirks with the world.
I’m with you, Sylvia, this was a horrible episode. It was a turrible episode for a season finale.
Sam’s plot would have been far more interesting if it happened in the middle of the season. There’s a chance that they might explore it more in S7, but I doubt it. If they weren’t going to do anything with Tormented Sam, they should have written it that Tormented Sam killed himself and that wouldn’t have integrated into Sam.
I don’t even remember what Dean did this episode. In fact, this episode had very little to do with the Boys in the main plot. I’m amazed that they ended the season like that. The Boys didn’t do anything with Purgatory, the angels, Cas, or the demons. They just hung around for about five minutes while everyone talked amongst themselves.
The only good thing was the cliffhanger with Cas, although I have no idea how they’re going to write around that, and the fact that Crowley will be in S7.