SPN 5:09

[oselle]

I had a couple drinks and I watched it, and it wasn't so much an episode as it was a...a collective, figurative circle jerk. Like this should have been something the gang filmed for their own amusement, maybe to show at the season wrap party, but not something that ever should have seen the light of day.

What the fuck were they thinking?

Comments

[fates3.livejournal.com]

No idea. Esp for SWEEPS!! Lame, and vaguely insulting. :-/ I did like frustrated Dean though. Jensen is always good, no matter how bad the material.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Jensen's always good but Dean's anger was bizarre and uncalled for and this is the SECOND TIME now that the show has violated ITS OWN REALITY by telling us that hunting is really super-terrific and cool and much, much better than the ordinary life that the Winchesters supposedly got cheated out of by fate. I guess by that logic, Sam and Dean should be HAPPY their mother got torched and their father went nuts...because that's MUCH BETTER than fixing copiers. Oh, the HORROR.

[fates3.livejournal.com]

LOL, yea, that one was pretty out there! The whole "saving the world is so awesome, it's worth all of the suffering!" Um, yea, OK, you try it!

I don't know, his anger was out there, but it made sense to me. He's never been fond of fake ghost hunters, and people mocking his life and pain would really tick him off. So I could see it.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

It didn't make sense to me, at least not in character. No one was mocking being a hunter, in fact they all thought it was so cool that they wanted to do it too. And then by the end of the ep, why, Dean agrees with them!

It felt more like a not-so-subtle judgment from Kripke & Co. on some of their more ardent fans. What did he say? "Not here to be stared at and treated like circus freaks?" Bzuh?

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

I dunno, sometimes I think the fact that the gag reels are mostly fart jokes ought to tell us something important.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Well, at this rate we'll get an episode that's all fart jokes. Althought they did already go there with the whoopee cushion a few eps back so wow that's some groundbreaking television right there.

[july-july-july.livejournal.com]

What the fuck were they thinking?

I...do not know. I'm not sure what the plan was, or the point. But we finally got an episode that didn't clear the Season 3 bar.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

You know, the series overall has had some duds, but I don't recall any episode that was so relentlessly self-absorbed. I have a personal theory about creative endeavors, that they're supposed to...I don't know how to put this. They're supposed to be open somehow, both receiving and giving inspiration, functioning within and expanding upon the real world and other creative efforts that have gone before. But this episode, much like a selfish person, was completely closed off, functioning only within itself and for itself. And so, much like a selfish person, it was also boring and unpleasant and not worth anyone's time.

[oxer12.livejournal.com]

I cringed the whole hour. My overriding thought while watching this episode was "DO NOT WANT."

[oselle.livejournal.com]

LOL -- see july_july_july's icon above!

[ariadnes-string.livejournal.com]

I only saw the second half of it--but it's quite possible I won't go back and see the first half, so I might as well say something now. Which is--I completely agree with you. It was so weird--why would they think that was a good idea?

I feel like it could have been partially redeemed if it hadn't been so boring and unfunny. Like if anybody involved had had exhibited any energy or enjoyment. But everyone, including the Js (in the second half anyway) seemed bored out of their minds. Distracted, even.

This show used to be good, right? right?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I'm clinging to my beloved Episode 5:04 because the past five episodes have marked a progressive degeneration, all bottoming out with this disgraceful exhibition of self-stroking crap. It was not only boring and unfunny but betrayed something I've suspected for a while -- a pointed disdain for the fans, at least for a certain type of fan. I don't go to cons, and I don't follow the actors around with my eyes bugging out, and I don't dress up like my favorite characters and you know what? Neither do most of the fans I know. And what really pisses me off is that I bet those idiots at TWoP are all delighted because, through the characters of Demian and Barnes, they've now literally been written into the show's canon. I think Kripke et al would do themselves a favor by getting off those fucking boards altogether, cloistering themselves in their writing room with a few great books and a few great DVDs for inspiration, and DOING THEIR FUCKING JOBS.

[ariadnes-string.livejournal.com]

DOING THEIR FUCKING JOBS.
Word.

I really hope that 5.10 is good/ better/ half-way decent because other than that I'm looking forward to hiatus--so I won't end up staying up too late on Thurs. nights...

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Every morning at work I get a rundown of the previous night's TV ratings. The Vampire Diaries has turned into a genuine hit for the CW, but every week they lose a significant portion of the Vampire audience at 9:00. Considering none of the past 5 weeks' episodes have looked worth sticking around for, I'm not surprised. Unless Kripke's already locked into a sixth season, we may all soon have one less reason to stay up late on Thursday.

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

WORD.

What a bloody waste of 40 minutes -and it was a Kripke penned sweeps episode, no less.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I've always felt that Kripke's work was spotty at best -- when he's good he's good, when he's bad, he's bloody awful. I think he relies upon the talents of those around him and left to his own devices we get shit like this. The next time someone wants to tell me Kripke's a "genius" or really, truly has some sort of brilliant vision for the show, I'm going to wave this episode in their face.

[catsbycat.livejournal.com]

Well, for the first time in 5 and a half seasons I've seen an episode of Supernatural that I never ever want to see again. The acting was terrible, the story was lame, and it took away from the fabulousness of Monster at the end of this book. That episode was funny and clever. This wasn't.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The idea of Chuck as a pulp-novelist prophet was original, clever and had so much potential but they decided to use it a springboard for idiotic, self-absorbed jokes instead. What a waste.

[ala-tariel.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it. Yet. Don't want to. Although I finished downloading it, like, 4 hours ago. I don't know why, but I guess this episode is terrible.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Do not waste your time. There's not even enough pretty Jensen in it to make it worthwhile.

[ala-tariel.livejournal.com]

:D
But I guess I will watch it with my sis, tonight.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I'm a sucker for the "Because that's what Sam and Dean would do" type line where it shows fans admiring actual noble qualities about the heroes and then being heroic themselves.

But to get that we really didn't need this whole set up. (And I wrote a whole post about how even the gender breakdown amongst the crazy fans was kind of depressing--LARPer fandom might be pathetic but fanfic-fandom can't even follow the story.) And coming after another meta episode? It's a serious mis-step. Adding an actual fake fandom within their own universe that actually tied into the plot (Chuck the pulp novelist prophet) was surprisingly clever, but the fandom side of it isn't necessary and certainly can't sustain whole episodes of attention. The joke's old to people outside of fandom and people inside of fandom know it's distorted anyway.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Because that's what Sam and Dean would do

This sort of thing certainly loses all of its effect when the fans are almost universally portrayed as pathetic louts. I wonder if Kripke thought we would somehow find it flattering that the fans became the heroes of the story, but I thought it was just a sop thrown to us after 40 minutes of mockery. And naming those two guys "Barnes" and "Demian," after the TWoP moderator and recapper, respectively, gave both of those asswipes more attention than they deserve and I don't even think they got that right -- I'm pretty sure that the real Barnes is a woman. But then again since they chose to depict a highly distorted fandom that was almost entirely devoid of female presence, I guess it didn't matter whether the real Barnes is a woman or not.

[andycake.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I did not enjoy this episode very much. Not so much that I was personally offended by their characterisation of fandom because I did not see myself reflected there, but that I just want the bloody fourth wall back!!

I posted about this in my own journal, but I don't watch Supernatural to see a dramatisation of "fans" (however Kripke portrays them), I want to see a dramatisation of Sam and Dean!! I'm all for little nods and winks to the attentive fans, i.e. the House of Wax reference a few weeks ago, but this was just too self referential.

I also mentioned in my review that I feel like Kripke, Gamble and others are starting to get a little too in love with themselves and their "concepts" for each ep. There have been some really sloppy narrative devices popping up quite a bit in the last few episodes. Seriously, Dean and Sam drive all night to Chuck on the basis of a text, but don't ring first to see what is going on? Or a few weeks earlier, how did Sam, Dean and Bobby keep on finding the he-witch so easily or figure out which was his in an enormous building of apartments. All of these things are stuff that SPN usually gets right. I expect a little better from them.

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

Hope you dont' mind if I jump in to add that I think you're absolutely right. There definitely seems to be a different flavor in the episodes this season as if the writers are getting too cocky.

Some of my own personal favorite "huh?" issues: in last week's episode, why didn't they just break a window to get out? Or call Cas? That sure would have beat using a civilian to round up the homicidal ghosts. And speaking of Cas, why don't Dean and Sam ask him about where Michael could be and why he hasn't contacted Dean himself or why did Zach use the word "sword" if Dean's just a vessel or why Dean had to swear that angel oath, since it seems to be pretty non binding or what Lucifer is like or what happened in the last angelic showdown? The writers could have easily incorporated short little snippets of those conversations even into the filler episodes, instead of making us think the brothers have suddenly become brain dead. Does Kripke really think this fandom isn't going to notice and "ooh" and "aaaah" at anything they toss up cn screen, just because it's SHOW?

Re: the fan meta. If Kripke meant it as a "loving" tribute, um, okay. Not thrilled, but okay. We can continue on with our messy, complicated, dysfunctional relationship. If Kripke really was maliciously poking at fandom with a stick, though, then I'm just giddy over just how much we must bug the living crap out of him, with our demanding of consistent and logical characterization, stories that make sense, well written female characters. (If that as the underlying intent), Kripke can mockingly create as many delusional Beckys and overinvested fans as he wants. But unless he wants to be Whedon's stepchild with a series of failed shows, we basically own his ass until the bitter end. Heh. I find that so beyond awesome, if only for the "take that, you arrogant twit" sort of way.

My apologies to the man if I misunderstood his message about his sincere love of fandom. But then perhaps next time, he could write an episode that perhaps shows that so we won't have this confusion?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

why don't Dean and Sam ask him about where Michael could be and why he hasn't contacted Dean himself or why did Zach use the word "sword" if Dean's just a vessel or why Dean had to swear that angel oath, since it seems to be pretty non binding or what Lucifer is like or what happened in the last angelic showdown?

Two possible answers to all these questions:
1) The writers don't know yet and will pull something out of their ass later.
2) The writers don't care and are too busy pleasuring themselves with this self-absorbed bullshit and will pull something out of their ass later.

My apologies to the man if I misunderstood his message about his sincere love of fandom. But then perhaps next time, he could write an episode that perhaps shows that so we won't have this confusion?

If WE misunderstood what Kripke meant as an affectionate tribute to fandom as a piece of sneering and condescending and cliched crap, then either we are as silly and blockheaded as we've been depicted or Kripke is one hell of a sucky storyteller. My money's on the latter.

I'm just giddy over just how much we must bug the living crap out of him

You did make me smile with the thought of how much good stuff in fandom Kripke (and the rest of them too) must have to force themselves to ignore in order to focus on a tiny segment of breathless dingbats, pathetic losers and bad slashers. Dick.

P.S.: He's bald. I just feel like I have to say that because Kripke insists on casting plain or ugly people as fans, or at least uglying them up with hideous outfits that look like something from a nun's rummage sale. I just want to put ERIC KRIPKE IS A MIDDLE-AGED BALD MAN in my user profile or in my icon or something.

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

"P.S.: He's bald. I just feel like I have to say that because Kripke insists on casting plain or ugly people as fans, or at least uglying them up with hideous outfits that look like something from a nun's rummage sale. I just want to put ERIC KRIPKE IS A MIDDLE-AGED BALD MAN in my user profile or in my icon or something."

DUDE! Warn me next time, okay? I almost spewed soda all over my keyboard. Hee.

(Considering the timing of this episode, I wonder what the mood is over at the Chicago Con this weekend.)

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I totally put that in my profile. I wanted to add "He probably also has a spare tire and a small dick" but it didn't fit.

My experience with fandoms in general is that, except for people like me, the overall sentiment is usually one of grateful indulgence, i.e., even if the show screws up badly, they give it a pass because they're so "grateful" for what the show has given them. So I'm sure the mood at the con is as giddy as always. I really don't fucking care.

P.S.: Eric Kripke is a middle-aged bald man.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

It's irrelevant that I don't see myself reflected in that depiction of fandom, I see their opinion of me reflected in their depiction and that's enough.

I don't watch Supernatural to see a dramatisation of "fans"

I don't think anyone does, which makes it all the worse that these writers are amusing themselves at our expense and certainly at our boredom.