SPN Questions

[casey28]

So, Cupid said that John and Mary couldn't stand each other at first, but from Dean's description of their first meeting, it sounds like they got along just fine. So, is this another example of the writers forgetting their own canon, or did things get worse on the second date

Comments

[emmatheslayer]

That's what bugged me about 12 they forgot all of the cannon for the last 11.years thank you for pointing that out

[casey28]

Yes, canon gets forgotten way too many times. You're welcome!

[kalliel]

I imagine their first "impromptu" date would have gone fine enough to earn them a second one. But as their relationship would have gotten more serious, it would also certainly have gotten more complicated. And actually staying together--that is, long enough and with enough commitment to marry, copulate, fulfill prophecies, etc.--would have been the difficult part for the Cupids, I imagine. Not to mention anything Dean would have known about John and Mary's meeting would have been filtered pretty heavily through John--and we know that after Mary's death, John painted a perfect picture of her, their family, etc. It's the myth that Sam knows and the myth Dean likes (even as he recognizes that the past John talks about isn't likely entirely true--which we see in 5x16, where Dean is old enough to remember that John and Mary's perfect marriage "wasn't perfect until after she died"). Given how precarious objective memories of the past are, and the fact that we're getting these "facts" 1) from a Cupid, and 2) from John to Dean to Mary, I

[casey28]

That's true... it could start out fine, but get more complicated over time. And Dean only knows the version of the story that John told him. The Cupid was giving the "facts" from his pov, and we don't know all of the details. So I agree, it's possible that these two canon moments can be compatible. I'm still not sure if the writers themselves look at it this way, though, since they often forget canon from the past.

[sailorhathor]

It's them forgetting/ignoring/not researching the canon, IMO.

[casey28]

It's very likely that they've forgotten the canon. It's also possible that John's version of his first meeting with Mary isn't totally accurate, and we don't know the details of how the Cupid made their relationship work. But the writers have a tendency to ignore canon, or alter it intentionally.

[sailorhathor]

You can probably work it out where the characters are concerned, but in terms of the writers' intentions? It was laziness/not caring about canon.

[casey28]

Good point. And we shouldn't have to work so hard to figure out what's going on with a character. It's a shame that the writers don't care about canon, like we do.

[karakuri_doll]

It could be that John's story isn't objective and truthful but Mary would have probably corrected it to Dean if that was the case - unless she didn't want to shatter Dean's romantic image of his parents' first meeting, which is possible. Parents often want to shelter their kids from unpleasant truths and make it seem like their marriage is perfect even if it was far from it.

Anyway, I think the most plausible explanation is that the writers contradicted themselves.

[casey28]

That's a good point, Mary would've corrected him, unless she didn't want to alter what John had told him. Also, she was in shock, so she's probably not concerned about details at the moment.

Yes, since they mess up canon so often, that's the most likely explanation.

[milly_gal]

I think it's a case of alternating canons, and writers forgetting the bits they shouldn't, but in twelve years of writing, that must happen, right? I struggle in one fic of 10k let alone over 230 episodes of telly.

[casey28]

True, I just wish they'd keep better track of things. I can understand little details getting missed now and then, but for big things like John and Mary's origin story, they could easily go to the Superwiki and read about it.

I think with fics it's harder, because the authors don't have outside resources that they can use to check their work. I mean, they can check for canon stuff online, but I imagine it's hard to keep track of all the new details that an author creates.

I greatly admire all the hard work you do with your writing, hon!

[milly_gal]

I imagine it's hard to keep track of all the new details that an author creates. That it is, or can be, but we're not tied down to audience reactions or schedules (unless you sign on for challenges etc) so I think both things carry a hardness with them. Thanks honey much appreciated ♥

[casey28]

You're very welcome!♥