The Requisite SPN Memorial Day Weekend Nostalgia Post

[oselle]

One thing about me, I am consistent. You could set your watch by me.

Here it is, Memorial Day weekend and I woke up feeling all nostalgic about Supernatural. I remember it was exactly one year ago, also on Memorial Day Weekend, that I wrote my last SPN Nostalgia Post.

Then I was talking with tazical and mentioned the exact moment I knew I was an SPN fan -- the scene in "Folsom Prison Blues" when Dean got billy-clubbed by the prison warden. I'm so glad I recorded that moment for posterity. I was flocking all my posts back then, but I've gone back and unflocked that one because it really needs to be out there, now that I've been in this thing for almost FOUR years. God...FOUR YEARS! Plenty of people have marriages that don't last that long.

Since then I've spent what must be hundreds of hours online talking about this show. I've written one AU standalone, one gen epic, one John Winchester backstory, and one little episode coda that wound up turning into an endless multi-story Dean/Cas saga. I've even written RPS, for God's sake. I've drunk an awful lot of chardonnay at baylorsr's house while cackling over Smallville and Dark Angel. I've gone on a terrifying (but very motivating) tour of Detroit. I ate cake in a snowstorm on Jared's wedding day and shamefully, got all melancholy at an ashram on Jensen's wedding day. I've written this show off at least a half-dozen times only to find myself crawling back for more.

What can I say? I'm in it for the long haul. In fact, this year, I think I've gotten back to my roots because I've realized that it's really all about Dean. It's always been all about Dean. No wonder I dig Castiel. We both love Dean so very, very much.

Now I think I'm going to spend the weekend watching Seasons One and Two on DVD. Ah, the memories.

Comments

[morganslady.livejournal.com]

I'm in it for the long haul too. I'm going bak to read your Last SPN post now..

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Last year right after Swan Song I had my college reunion and was kind of bummed out the whole weekend when I thought about the ep. I think just because it seemed so much like an ending, even though I knew it wasn't.

It's all about Dean

[ewanmax.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have been mostly in since season one, disappointed at times, embarrassingly obsessed and always, always crazy ass in love with Dean. I've had moments where I adore Sam and John and Ellen and Bobby or Castiel or Jo or Lisa and Ben, but in retrospect it was always based on their moment with, love of, fear for, anger at, disappointment with, rescued by DEAN. Plus the hours I have logged on my computer(s) reading about Dean are unfathomable.
Will I tune in next year, absolutely, am I waiting impatiently for Big Bang, absolutely.
Loved getting to read your take, as always.

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

You are completely right, it is all about Dean. And yes, how could we not love him?

Re: It's all about Dean

[oselle.livejournal.com]

in retrospect it was always based on their moment with, love of, fear for, anger at, disappointment with, rescued by DEAN.

Sigh. Ditto.

Anything about the show that doesn't at least involve Dean in some way falls flat for me. Of all the supporting characters they've had, only two -- John Winchester and Castiel -- have really interested me as characters in themselves, but even so, it's their connection to Dean that has meant the most to me.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I think it was Swan Song that first made me realize that I don't want this show to end, no matter how bad it gets. It's so regrettable that when it's all over, we'll have had to endure TWO series finales on this show -- Swan Song, and the eventual real one.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Well, we might as well all see it through to bitter end at this point.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Yet strangely, I know there are viewers who don't love him. I do not understand that at all.

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Me neither! Irrational behaviours...and I fail to see why you can't love Sam AND Dean and still love Dean MORE... :D

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Since I'm in confessional mode, I confess that whatever love I ever had for Sam ended somewhere around Season Four and has never come back. If Jared left the show it would hardly be a blip on my radar...and in fact it might improve my enjoyment because I wouldn't have to endure the writers' seeming inability to write stories that actually involve both of their main characters.

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Sigh. If I was an avid Sam fan I would have been exceptionally anguished by Season 6's treatment of him. In spite of what a lot of people say about Sera being a Sam-girl etc etc I really think that none of the writers have writen Sam convincingly or sympathetically this season and it is a shame. And a waste. But there you go.

In the meantime, I will just enjoy Jared as the adorably gawky expansive guy he is... speaking of which - PS I've put a picture up on one of your ancient posts of Jared looking lovingly at Jensen - hope you find it

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

"In fact, this year, I think I've gotten back to my roots because I've realized that it's really all about Dean. It's always been all about Dean."

Ain't that the truth? And the irony is that no matter how hard the showunners shove Sam and his storyline into the forefront, it still ends up being about Dean.

A big part of that for me is Jensen's pretty, pretty face, er, I mean acting talent that just refuses to be ignored. And then there's how the more the writers focus on these larger than life stories for Sam, the more of a Gary Stu character he becomes. If they had any common sense, they would have concentrated on Sam rebuilding his relationship with Dean, which would have endeared him to many a fan's heart. But instead, the showrunners had the brilliant idea of regurgitating six seasons of "Sam is a special, special snowflake!" Yeah, like that's going to make me like Sam more or relate to him the way I do to Dean's all too human character.

I'm trying to hang in there until the bitter end but dang, the show's making it hard these days.

[ghyste.livejournal.com]

The moment I became an SPN fan was when I watched the Don’t Fear The Reaper sequence in “Faith” for the first time. The care that they put into things like that in the first couple of seasons is awesome – just listen to what the music is doing as Roy lowers his hands onto the oxygen tank guy’s head.

My involvement in the fandom has been limited due to the absence of any large messageboards and the fact that I’ve never been able to write fanfiction for the show. Nevertheless I’ve been to three professionally run conventions – two good, one (Asylum 3) the worst I’ve ever been to – and a lovely fan-run event, and have passed many a happy hour bitching with you about the show’s decline and fall. I have to say that I’m a little concerned about your new zen-like approach because I suspect you’re the only thing that’s keeping me attached to the show, well that and the fact that I haven’t fallen in love with anything else.

Dean isn’t bad looking either :)

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The care that they put into things like that in the first couple of seasons is awesome

I totally agree. Those first few seasons weren't perfect by any means, but one thing they excelled at was creating a mood that really set the show apart. "Faith" was one of those lushly atmospheric episodes where everything worked, from the basic plot to the music, supporting characters, set design -- even the weather was perfect. Not to mention the whole tent revival religion setting was right in my wheelhouse...and Dean looked so incredibly hurt and pretty during the whole thing! And Sam, actually concerned about his brother's well-being...whatever happened to that guy?

Regarding the specific scene you mentioned, the show has always excelled at these music video-type moments. Another one that comes to mind is the graveyard scene from "Folsom Prison Blues" with "Rooster" on the soundtrack. That got my attention even before I was a committed fan. Hell, on rewatching "Exile on Main Street," I found that the long intro set to Bob Seger's "Beautiful Loser" was just about the best thing in the episode, even though I had no love for the whole Suburban Dean story. I think the downgrading of the soundtrack that began in S3 deprived the show of an immeasurable amount of spirit.

I have to say that I’m a little concerned about your new zen-like approach because I suspect you’re the only thing that’s keeping me attached to the show

My zen-like approach has evolved from necessity because sadly, these episodes have gotten so thin that there's often little else to focus on besides Dean's looks. In the past two seasons, I've watched episodes that made almost no impression on me. It's kind of hard to do a recap or critique when you can hardly remember anything that happened, or what you do remember seems so insignificant that it isn't even worth talking about. On top of it, I've gotten the overwhelming sense that the writers just don't care -- so how can I?

Nevertheless, I always welcome your thoughts and you, at least, always give me something to talk about. So please, stick around -- I often look forward to your posts more than the actual episodes!

[oselle.livejournal.com]

If they had any common sense, they would have concentrated on Sam rebuilding his relationship with Dean, which would have endeared him to many a fan's heart.

Not to mention that it needed to happen, although it's obvious that the writers either never saw it that way or were too lazy to address it. They keep trying to come up with all these big stories for Sam while ignoring the elephant in the room.

This season's much-touted "role reversal" was an especially pathetic attempt to turn the spotlight on Sam. To this day I don't even know what Sera Gamble thought she was doing there. She only succeeded in making Sam look worse than ever, with many viewers seeing little difference between "soulless" Sam and the original version.

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

"To this day I don't even know what Sera Gamble thought she was doing there"

Dude, Sera essentially turned the show into her own personal fanfic. I mean, who else but an obsessed fan girl would think she could just stick Dean's qualities on Sam and viola! That's how easy it'd be for Sam to become Dean II. Forget Jensen's acting or Dean's core qualities. It's all about being horny and snarky! *eye roll*

This title thing with Kripke and Edlund better not mean they're giving control back to Sera because seriously, that's like ensuring the show dies a painful, painful death.

[ghyste.livejournal.com]

Regarding the specific scene you mentioned, the show has always excelled at these music video-type moments.

Aside from Don’t Fear the Reaper my other two favourites were the White Rabbit sequence in “Hunted” and the In-a-Gadda-da-Vida sequence from “Skin”. I know you liked the Beautiful Loser sequence but I’m afraid I find it difficult to think of one that stands out for me since Season 2. Indeed, as I said in my 6.19 episode review the downturn in quality of the use of music is neatly encapsulated in the difference between Sam’s understated yet heart-tugging goodbye to Jess to Laugh, I Nearly Died at the end of “Bloody Mary” and the mawkish “Lisa Opens Doors” montage to Love Hurts in “Mannequin, The Revenge”.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Even if you had nothing better to compare it to, the "Lisa Opens Doors" montage would still be laughably awful. Part of me is still convinced that was supposed to be some kind of parody.

Another music moment I like wasn't actually a scene, it was the "THEN" sequence set to Billy Squier's "Lonely Is The Night" (from 4:02, "Are You There God, It's Me Dean Winchester"). It was total Monsters of Rock self-indulgence but I loved it. I loved it so much that I immediately downloaded the song for my iPod.

Alas, when I went back through my Archive to find out which episode that was from, I found this glowing review (http://oselle.livejournal.com/345048.html), including the following sentiments:

"It's like they're FINALLY taking this story seriously."

"I've been sort of against the show headed towards this sort of brother vs. brother apocalyptic showdown, mostly because I didn't think they were up to doing it with any degree of gravitas. But if they keep doing it like this? BRING IT ON."

"I said it before but I'll repeat it: this is how good I've always wanted this show to be...It may even become great."

LOLOLOLOL! What a poor, deluded fool I was! What a hopeless sucker! Not long after that, the show would embark upon the Great Stupidity that was Sam/Ruby and it would all go down the shitter. Talk about your bait-and-switch.

I also can't believe that Sera Gamble wrote this episode. What the hell happened to her?

[ghyste.livejournal.com]

I’ve made my own false assumptions about the show finding its feet again (and I wasn’t even blinded by Castiel’s heavenly glow!) but back at the beginning of S4 we hadn’t had the full reveal about Sam and could hold onto some hope that everything would be explained in a way that didn’t destroy his character. Alas, Sera Gamble’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” put paid to that.

I really don’t know what happened to Gamble’s writing. Her best work was undoubtedly done with Raelle Tucker, but even after she went Gamble wrote some pretty solid episodes, particularly the ones featuring Gordon. After the dreadful IKWYDLS, though, it was a pretty rapid descent – even the largely decent “It’s a Terrible Life” was marred by her parting shot about PTSD sufferers just needing to stop whining.

Mind you, I recently became aware that however badly the show has declined, it could have been much worse: At a recent Convention Jared said that if he could have changed anything about the show he would have had Ruby exorcised rather than killed so that her (presumably miraculously cured) meatsuit could have become Sam’s girlfriend…

[oselle.livejournal.com]

even the largely decent “It’s a Terrible Life” was marred by her parting shot about PTSD sufferers just needing to stop whining.

This was the episode where I began to hate Gamble's writing. Coming on the heels of the devastating "Head of a Pin," Gamble promised us a "much-needed shot in the arm" for Dean, and then apparently thought that the lamest pep talk in television history would do the trick. Much worse than just a "stop whining" lecture, Zachariah's little monologue made a lie out of the entire premise of the series, telling us that hunting is totally awesome (girls! cars!) and that its risks -- death, dismemberment, eternal damnation, apocalyptic responsibilities -- are mere trifles compared to the grind of an ordinary life. It's worth noting that Gamble then made a lie out of that concept by telling us that "a terrible life" was not only Dean's deepest desire, but was also the one thing his loved ones wanted for him...so much that they were willing to deceive him for a whole year about Sam's salvation.

Jared said that if he could have changed anything about the show he would have had Ruby exorcised rather than killed so that her (presumably miraculously cured) meatsuit could have become Sam’s girlfriend…

LOL, I wonder if Genevieve threatened to withhold sex to get him to say this out loud?

Mind you, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was on the table at one point. I never bought Kripke's claim that Ruby was "always bad." They had to make her bad at the end because someone had to release Lucifer, and if both Sam and Ruby had done so unwittingly, they both would have looked like idiots. We're fortunate that they didn't drum up a way to make it look like she had also been played, so that they could turn her into the "demon with a heart of gold" character that they were leaning towards earlier in Season Four (and even in S3, to some extent).

I wonder if they would have had Castiel cure her, or if they would have altogether ignored the fact that Ruby's meatsuit was dead meat without Ruby inside. Though now that I think about it...if "Ruby" were exorcised, she'd go to hell and that body would be some entirely other person. OMG, Jared's an idiot.

[ghyste.livejournal.com]

It's worth noting that Gamble then made a lie out of that concept by telling us that "a terrible life" was not only Dean's deepest desire, but was also the one thing his loved ones wanted for him...so much that they were willing to deceive him for a whole year about Sam's salvation.

That hadn’t occurred to me, but yes – the show has made several allusions about how dreadful a normal life is, and then they stuck Dean in it for a year and had Bobby saying it was for his own good. Not that the year made any sense in the end since nothing of any note happened to Sam during it and they never explained either why he didn’t go straight back to Dean or why he suddenly changed his mind a year in.

I wonder if they would have had Castiel cure her, or if they would have altogether ignored the fact that Ruby's meatsuit was dead meat without Ruby inside

Remember that coma-girl was a last minute addition after the disastrous interview that Jared did suggesting that sex with a possessed woman’s body was Sam’s “due”. At the time I was grateful to SG’s alleged intervention in the writers room, but in retrospect it gave them the excuse to keep Jared’s girlfriend on the show despite her terrible acting. I think I’d also have preferred a Sam that went so bad that they were forced to acknowledge it and redeem him than what we ended up with.

Though now that I think about it...if "Ruby" were exorcised, she'd go to hell and that body would be some entirely other person

Which makes Sam's S4 actions even more reprehensible – it's bad enough that all the terrible things he did were as a result of being in lust with the Ruby demon and the things she told him, but if Jared’s now saying it was just because Sam fancied the meatsuit she was wearing it‘s even worse.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Remember that coma-girl was a last minute addition after the disastrous interview that Jared did suggesting that sex with a possessed woman’s body was Sam’s “due”.

Was it actually Jared who said this, or was it that idiot at TV Guide and Jared just agreed?

it gave them the excuse to keep Jared’s girlfriend on the show despite her terrible acting.

They just so totally painted themselves in a corner when they brought sex into the mix. Not that I necessarily think they would have replaced Cortese in the middle of the season, but they really left themselves with no choice, unless they wanted to go out and find themselves another deceased hottie.

I think I’d also have preferred a Sam that went so bad that they were forced to acknowledge it and redeem him than what we ended up with.

Except that they would never heave acknowledged it, hence, no need for redemption! Easy peasy!

if Jared’s now saying it was just because Sam fancied the meatsuit she was wearing it‘s even worse.

I suspect that when Jared says this was the one thing he'd have changed, he's really just saying that he would have liked for his wife to still be on the show...for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the actual story. Which tells me that his own needs are more important than the show, so he can go fuck himself.

[ghyste.livejournal.com]

Was it actually Jared who said this, or was it that idiot at TV Guide and Jared just agreed?

IIRC, and it’s impossible to check now because they edited the interview after the outcry, the interviewer was the one who used the word “due” but Jared laughed and agreed, and referred to Sam having needs. At the time I assumed it was just obviousness rather than malice because the writers subsequent reaction made it look like the question of the Demon’s host had never been raised by them, but in retrospect maybe Jared was talking about himself again and forgot that Genevieve was playing a possessed girl?

Not that I necessarily think they would have replaced Cortese in the middle of the season

Actually, the casting notice had already gone out for what was pretty clearly GC’s replacement as Ruby when they suddenly decided to keep her on.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Actually, the casting notice had already gone out for what was pretty clearly GC’s replacement as Ruby when they suddenly decided to keep her on.

For real? Then I'd suspect that they retained Cortese to keep Jared happy. He was already becoming a problem on the set, and I'd guess they didn't want to fire his girlfriend and upset the apple cart even further.

If they'd really wanted to, they could have gotten a new Ruby and just made it clear that demon blood had replaced sex as Ruby's primary means of influence over Sam. If he never had sex with the new Ruby, whether she was or was not a living demon-host would have been irrelevant, so they could have dispensed with the need to show that this was yet another dead body. Yes, they did wind up killing her in the end, but as they long ago abandoned any compunction about torturing or killing other possessed individuals, I don't see why Ruby's host should have been any different.

I just hope that Jensen doesn't decide that he wants his wife on the show, too.

[ghyste.livejournal.com]

For real?

For real. Back in the day when they were allowed to discuss spoilers over at TWoP they used to post all of the casting sides. Though they didn't use the character's name it was for a female demon that fitted Ruby's description and no other character came along that it could have been. Given that the timing coincided with the end of GC's original contract it was fairly clear that her meatsuit was originally supposed to be destroyed along with Alistair's in "Heaven and Hell" and someone else was going to take over.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Well that's a damn shame. It's an even bigger shame that the show's producers put more consideration into Jared's feelings than into the quality of the show. Of course I don't know for sure that's what happened, but considering Genevieve's weakness as an actress (and her less-than-admirable conduct in interviews), they don't seem to have had any other reason to keep her on board. Sounds like hooking up with Jared got GC a husband and a paycheck. Nice deal.

I can't believe they've gotten rid of the spoiler thread at TWoP. What is their problem? I thought it was television without pity.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

What's "the title thing?"

*panics*

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

That Kripke and Edlund aren't listed as exec producers for the show anymore. Since exec prod pretty much control the show, no one knows what Sera meant when she told Ausiello:

:Gamble assures us that despite being left off a CW press release touting next season, Kripke and Edlund are hard at work on the seventh cycle. “Their titles have changed,” she explains. “There are a lot of technical and contractual reasons that people’s titles change that don’t necessarily reflect their level of involvement or commitment to the show. … They’ve been in the [writers] room with me every day this week.”

So, who the heck knows what's going on at this point?

[ghyste.livejournal.com]

I can't believe they've gotten rid of the spoiler thread at TWoP. What is their problem? I thought it was television without pity

The original mod got in a snit about something and had the spoiler discussion thread locked at the time they departed. The new one is a spoiler-phobe and announced that she was going to leave it locked because she didn't want to have to read a thread that would spoil her. There is a thread for spoiler announcements, modded by a trusted poster I think, but it's just links to stuff like Ausiello.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I find it very hard to believe that Kripke would take a step down from the show after he had to step IN this year and salvage what was left of the season. Kripke and Edlund could very well have been left off that press release to save face since there was so much buzz about Gamble having been demoted. And she is right, that there are all sorts of reasons that titles change in that business.

All I have to say is that if Gamble has even more free rein this year than last -- we are in for a hell of a shitty season.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I swear, that place is such a banana republic.

[kinkthatwinked.livejournal.com]

It was a Dean moment that made me realize I could love this show, too. A friend was on a mission to recruit fans by having them watch the highlights of the first season. So I'm sitting there watching 'Phantom Traveler,' and as the plane goes down, Dean finally loses his cool and starts hollering in terror. Between that and the passengers doing the 'Star Trek' bounce in their seats to suggest turbulence I was thinking, "Oh, scary AND funny! Hell, yeah, this is my new show!"

Back then, moments that poked fun at Dean were rare, not to mention a bit more subtle (like the revelation that he watches Oprah in 'Bugs.') Now it feels like frequent, blatant, toilet humor-level mockery. I can't even imagine first-season Dean making the "posse magnet" jokes from 'Frontierland,' though he might have still found it funny. And don't even get me started on stuff like the fairy episode.

And I'm absolutely in it for the long haul. Hell, I came back for the final episode of 'Smallville,' a show that should've ended ages ago, because I had to see Clark finally put on the damned Superman suit and fly. If I didn't give up on that crap, no way am I giving up on the Winchesters.