Tension, Conflict, Motivation, and Plot: Why the Story is About Dean and We Do Know Sam
I wrote a meta thingy! :)
There’s been avid discussion about Sam and Dean and which of them, if either, seems to be favored by Kripke as well as debate about “who is the story really about”. I’ve noticed there’s been a propensity for some self-proclaimed “Dean girls” and “Sam girls” to run circles around each other, trying to prove their points. ( Read more... )
There’s been avid discussion about Sam and Dean and which of them, if either, seems to be favored by Kripke as well as debate about “who is the story really about”. I’ve noticed there’s been a propensity for some self-proclaimed “Dean girls” and “Sam girls” to run circles around each other, trying to prove their points. ( Read more... )
Here's his blog, I'd bet that he's going to be mainly writing creepy MotW's. Which I'm all for the MotW's as long as they're fun.
I very, very much miss Raelle Tucker and I do think that the show has been different in certain ways now that she's gone. Same goes for John Shiban. Gamble does well co-writing and Fresh Blood was very good, but my goodness does she drive me muts with how many people she likes to kill off! I am glad Jeremy Carver joined in, he does very well with the brotherly dynamic. <3
I have no clue what's going to happen either, but I love the fact that Sam could choose to do a number of things and they'd all make sense. He's truly reaching a fork in the road. I can't wait!
Same here, although something tells me that his choice will be very angsty. It would make sense though, because at the end of each season Sam has always had a choice to make, and although it is the 'right' choice for him, it's the 'wrong' choice for the Greater Good and I've probably said that before and if I have, I apologize. It's the thing that sticks out most in my mind about Sam's journey from season to season. (And uh, I'm lucky if I remember things for more than a day, much less several weeks.)
But ohh, what will it be?! Will it involve going full-Darkside only to pull back at the last minute? Will it involve opening the Devil's Gate and going into hell? I demand fanfic until the answers are given!!
swear it's Mary. I hope she's somehow tied to the generations of psychics (who I still think should be our "forces of good"). I wrote a Mary/rose motif/psychic meta a long time ago and I'm still sticking to it. *is stubborn* I haven't read "Good Omens", but it's on my list
My pet theory that will probably be proved totally wrong is that Mary was indeed a PsyKid, and Sam is THE desired result after manymany generations of stronger and stronger psychics that are selectively picked off when they reach their limit. But that's probably a little too sci-fi for a horror/fantasy show?
Good Omens is all about the Antichrist being raised as a human. And although I doubt Kripke is really basing anything in SPN off of that particular novel, the book does have an interesting message about free will.
Consequently, have you ever examined the close up shots of John's notes shown at the beginning of "Salvation"? Gah. Sadelyrate has a Tiny Triffles post that picks everything apart; the Show has a weird fascination with Arizona and California.
I might have? I am so tempted to spend the summer trying to look through all the visible pictures in the hotel room in the Pilot and connect them to episodes/themes later on in the series. But that really [i]would[/i] take all summer long methinks, and would require more brains than just mine!
Reply
I would've liked to see a Kubric and Gordon hang around. Henricksen (however you spell his name) would've been a good ace in the pocket for future storylines as he'd be a handy plot device. But I suppose with Sam and Dean Winchester officially dead, the renegade outlaw subplot could feasibly disappear.
I sort of like the fact that most characters die. Well, not because they're dead (Andy *sniff*), but because it closes off subplots, keeps the story clean and focused. Most of all it gives the impression that nobody is too precious and injects this sense of "oh no, they wouldn't, would they?" doubt. I love that! For me, it's all about upping the stakes and making things tense to the point you're on the edge of your seat because, omg, they just MIGHT kill a beloved character, but you just don't know! Anguish. :D
at the end of each season Sam has always had a choice to make, and although it is the 'right' choice for him, it's the 'wrong' choice for the Greater Good
So you're saying Sam needs to murder someone at the end of each season to save the world. ;)
But ohh, what will it be?!
I don't know, but it should involve wearing black leather. *wags eyebrows*
Mary was indeed a PsyKid, and Sam is THE desired result...
I want Mary to be a PsyKid, too. In fact, I want the psychics to be the unseen, hiding "forces of good" and Azazel was going around trying to use them for his own purposes by making them a human/demon blood cocktail (you know the saying about defeating your enemy by turning them against themselves or using their strengths against them or something like that? *voice trails off*). And now Sam being the only psychic of his generation left has the best of both worlds (I think this is where the demon virus from Croatoan will come back into play. Sam, being half human/half demon, is immune to it.) and will need to chose his side. But Dean will be used to make the choice difficult.
I am so tempted to spend the summer trying to look through all the visible pictures in the hotel room in the Pilot and connect them to episodes/themes later on in the series. But that really [i]would[/i] take all summer long methinks, and would require more brains than just mine!
That sounds like an interesting project. I would love to read what you came up with. Hugemind, sadelyrate, and I have (had?) intentions of doing a spnematography viewer's guide which would incorporate segments of sade's Tiny Triffles posts and visual-based facts/observations for each episode. Lierina offered to make title card graphics. We have an outline and ideas, but have back burnered it because of LIFE. Maybe during the summer hiatus we'll pursue it. Your idea sounds like it would fit in nicely if you're interested in collaborating. If not that's fine, too. :)
Reply
I will miss Henrickson a LOT, but I understand that the reason he got off'd was really out of Kripke's control (Gordon too). Weirdly enough, the one person I really want to see back is the lawyer from Folsom Prison Blues. Even though I don't know anything she could do.
I'll agree with you about Supernatural being gutsy enough to leave a body count, and it is indeed realistic, but too much and the boys have no one to fall back on except themselves. In a way that's good, in another way, it's just such humongous odds...
I guess my one complaint is that as far as death of the main characters go, some of the punch is taken away. (Is that a good way to phrase it? I'm not sure...) John's death in IMToD was very meaningful and very real and left a lot of issues, but we were given closure in AHBLII and John ended up getting a 'happy-ish' ending. Sam's death also has ramifications, but the death itself lasted only a little while and I don't know yet what the full consequences will be. And if Dean does die and go to hell, the question won't be if he's coming back, but how and with how much damage.
So you're saying Sam needs to murder someone at the end of each season to save the world. ;)
No! Well, actually, now that you mention it, yes. Only that does make it suddenly very murky, doesn't it. I'm all twisted up and trying to re-think it now. ;)
I don't know, but it should involve wearing black leather. *wags eyebrows*
I'll trade the black leather for a convertible for him to sprawl out in and since Sam is full of demon blood and therefore connected to hell he gets hot easily andmust wear less clothing. *firm nod*
In fact, I want the psychics to be the unseen, hiding "forces of good" and Azazel was going around trying to use them for his own purposes by making them a human/demon blood cocktail
I'd totally love this, especially because I really do want to believe that there is some force of good out there besides a group of ragged, quite often revenge-driven hunters. And taking one of the 'good' ones is certainly one of the most evil acts the YED could commit. Here's hoping your theory is right!!
I wish you guys luck on your project, all of you are certainly better at picking things out than I am. Including symbols & such. I had to cackle with glee when sadelyrate mentioned the symbol of Astaroth in 3.09 because that's originally who Tammi was - at least as long as I'm remembering the sides right.
Reply
Oh, Mara! I liked the fact she jabbed Henriksen (however you spell it ... you know, I write that every time, from now on it's going to be "Henricksonhoweveryouspellit") good and hard. I also liked the detective in "The Usual Suspects". It would be great if they joined forces and cleaned up the boys' criminal records so they could rejoin society at some point (I doubt that would happen, but maybe in ficland).
some of the punch is taken away
Yeah, I see your point. For sure, you start pulling your punches (killing your main characters and then repeatedly resurrecting them) and after a while nobody flinches when you make a fist. But (heh), on the other hand, it's when everyone's habituated to the "fake out" that a real punch knocks everyone flat. Not that I think Dean won't be back for S4 or anything. *knocks on wood*
But I think the big thing no matter who dies or doesn't is to is no to jerk the audience around too much. Once the writer's lose their credibility it's almost impossible to get it back. I think Kripke is hyper aware of this, which is one of the reasons why he surfs the boards and seems interested in fan reactions. Yay for conscientious producer-writer-creator-evil masterminds. :)
a convertible for him to sprawl out in
LOL! That poor boy, he could barely fit into that little car. His knees must have bruises from the dash board. I don't know how he fits into most things ... airplanes especially. My husband is 6'4" and gets leg cramps if he can't sit in an exit aisle.
since Sam is full of demon blood and therefore connected to hell he gets hot easily andmust wear less clothing.
Sweat. There's probably some sweating involved somewhere, too. How about black leather pants and a sweaty ... tank top. Yeah. A white or gray tank top. And maybe to cool off he leans up against a metal fence. Wow. Now if I only had a picture of that...
Here's hoping your theory is right!!
Forces of good (FoG) FTW! *waves FoG flag*
I wish you guys luck on your project
Thank you! :)
because that's originally who Tammi was
Yet another demon with a real demon name! This just really makes me wonder why some demons have demon names and others like Ruby and Lilith have human sounding names. Show, you confuse me! And consequently sometimes I confuse myself as to why I'm thinking about demonology, Hell's hierarchy, and demon names in the first place XD!
Reply
Leave a comment