Thank you, Kim Manners
I have watched plenty of TV series in my life and it wasn't until "The XFiles" that I even cared to notice who was directing these beautiful episodes that tugged at my heart and opened my eyes to such exquisite emotions from the characters and their actors who portrayed them.
I started to notice a pattern. The episodes that drew me into the story the most, that touched my heart the most, that made me feel the most, were all directed by Kim Manners. I then started to read the opening credits each time a new episode aired and became very excited when I saw his name, because I knew then that the performances of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were going to give us magic in the form of their characters, Mulder and Scully. Mr. Manners had a way, with close-ups as a guide, to show us, the audience, what the characters were feeling and make us feel this too, even if all we saw was just one look, one gentle movement.
One touch.
I started watching Supernatural from ground zero and whose name as director did I see right away?
Gosh, his episodes were incredible. Just to name a few off the top of my head - "Shadows" "Devil's Trap", "In My Time Of Dying," "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things", "Heart," "All Hell Breaks Loose-part 2," "Fresh Blood," "Mystery Spot," "No Rest For The Wicked, and "Lazarus Rising." Just think of those episodes and think of how they all made us feel. The magic that is Jared and Jensen, the magic that is their friendship, the magic that is their incredible acting. This magic was captured to perfection by this masterful artist - a perfection we will not see again.
I remember in the "All Hell Breaks Loose" documentary when Jared is talking about having to reshoot the seeing John graveyard scene. You then saw Jared standing in front of a green screen with Kim telling him that Jeffrey Dean was one pole with a tennis ball to his left and Jensen was the other pole with a tennis ball to his right. They were reshooting the scene where Sammy is crying at seeing his Dad once more. Jared said that Kim got him to those emotions like he always could.
Like he always could.
Oh how I had hoped that one day at one of these conventions that Mr. Manners, himself, would have been a guest and we could have asked him to share with us just how he could pull these precise feelings, emotions and performances that he wanted, and how he could make us feel every emotion right along with them.
Per the Trickster, Dean was "doing the Hellfire Rumba as we speak." Well, Mr. Manners, up in heaven where you are, go ahead and do that Hellfire Rumba - and enjoy yourself. Heaven has now gained a very special heart - a very special soul. One that has touched our hearts and souls in everything you did.
God Bless you, Mr. Manners and rest in peace. You will be missed so very much.