Seven things I love about Supernatural.
While watching a few random Supernatural specials, I noticed something interesting, this parallel that may or may not be total bullshit between actors and people in fandom. Basically, some actors -- like, say, Jared Padalecki -- give really amazing meta, just like some members of fandom can give really amazing meta. I am not one of these people. I cannot give meta for shit. What I want to say, if I want to say it badly enough, I'll do in fic and then move on. Commentary, being able to articulate precisely in that sort of a format -- I just can't do it. Interestingly enough, I think that some actors are like this, too, because Jensen Ackles (whom I will fondly refer to from now on as "Ack Attack," haha, just kidding, oh God he's so beautiful) was really lacking on the "meta" front during the interviews. Or, rather, Padalecki was sort of ... really articulating what was going on, the relationship between Sam and Dean, Sam's particular feelings, etc., whereas Ackles was listing off a few true but no more than skin deep observations and then talking about his underwear. (I don't actually mind this at all, bring that on, excellent stuff.) None of this even remotely touched upon the incredible job he does on that show with Dean, with who Dean is, with what Dean wants and needs, what he shows and what he can't show. So I wonder if that's a thing, if some people can do it but all on the level of instinct and not with any way other than the one way to present what it is they're trying to say about a character.
Anyway, a short list before I head off to take final number two of four.
Things I Love About Supernatural
1. The music. Because even when the song isn't in there, the song is in there. (For some reason the fact that the Impala has only one headlight -- which, oddly enough, reminds me more of Meat Loaf than of the Wallflowers, but eh -- makes me deeply, deeply happy. Each song is so meticulously chosen. Plus, classic rock! It's music that I don't hate! In fact, it is music that I love, which is nice because I am a codger.)
2. Dean burninates. For whatever reason, Dean's answer to everything is "Let's burn it." While this may be a valuable and expedient way of dealing with the supernatural, rock salt and burninating, this also seems to reveal something quite interesting about his character. Whether it's "still carrying around the emotional baggage of burninated house from childhood" or "I'm a pyromaniac!" I am as yet unsure.
3. Dean and Dad dress the same. Manly plaid or denim, rolled up sleeves. No one ever says anything about it, it's just there for you to look at, subliminal messages and a level of subtlety that a show with the line "Practically every culture in the world has its (fill in the blank) lore" every other episode shouldn't achieve but does. Sam, on the other hand, dresses completely differently and it's just such a nice little touch.
4. It's funny. I mean, it's dark -- it's really, really, literally dark, sometimes I cannot see what the fuck is happening on my computer screen -- but it doesn't take itself too seriously, which is the problem with a lot of shows in this vein. It's not afraid to whip out the meta, itself, and poke a little fun. It's not afraid to be hyper-aware of itself when it panders to its audience, either, which makes me feel well-cared for.
5. Men crying. The family Winchester is so manly. It's plaid-manly. It's roll up your sleeves, get sweaty, dig graves and burninate manly. And they cry all. the. time. Weirdly, it doesn't cheapen the moments when their big, beautiful Winchester eyes swell with weeping, because somehow these guys are pulling it off, always human in the face of the shit they go through, which is fascinating to watch. Because, let's face it, I still think there are ghosts in my basement -- and part of that is because I want there to be.
6. Family. There's this wonderful moment in 1.21 (Salvation) where Papa Winchester talks about how he wanted Sam to go to college and Dean to have a family, and while I knew Sam wanted to go to college and be normal more than anything, or thought that's what he wanted, the bit about Dean made me stop and think. Does Dean want a family? Yes, yes he does. But I think it's more like he just wants to keep the family he's got. (Meanwhile, Sam, lawyer? Interesting point inmyriadbits made, but dude, Sam can't escape from what this life has made him just as much as Dean can't escape, and I think chosing to go to law school is kind of a roundabout way of doing the same thing he's always done, Pinky. Try to protect the world!)
7. Being scared is fun. Call it low budget, call it lack of special effects, call it whatever you like, but when it comes to being scared -- and this is what the Supernatural folks have so, so wonderfully right -- less is more! LESS IS MORE! What you don't see is scarier than someone's stomach exploding and seventeen slobbering aliens coming out and their stomachs exploding and tentacles bursting free and donkeys being lit on fire and their faces falling off and more aliens coming out of their faces, fucking your mother, and biting the heads off babies. That's not scary, that's sensory overload, and while it may make you puke, it won't make you shiver. Supernatural makes me shiver. This may be because I'm a pussy, but even when the episode is predictable I still get shivers. Occasionally there are even jump-in-your-seat moments. Which is deeply and delightfully successful.
Anyway, there are many things about Supernatural that are imperfect -- I was talking to cassandraclaire about this last weekend and she mentioned, for example, the pacing of the arcs and how the difference between earlier one-shot episodes and what we're building up to now is disjointed, and maybe how earlier arcs should have been longer in the beginning so we could care more about the characters and what's happening to them, not just the boys -- but I love it, and those are 7 of the thousand reasons why, and everyone should watch it and then come to my house and party. The end.
Now it is time to go recite Everything I Have Learned Ever About East Asian Texts. Also, mistful has an adorkable picture of the two of us from blackholly's New Year's party up HERE. Woe, how I will miss her. It's okay though, because I will follow her across oceans soon enough.
Sigh, wish me luck!
Anyway, a short list before I head off to take final number two of four.
Things I Love About Supernatural
1. The music. Because even when the song isn't in there, the song is in there. (For some reason the fact that the Impala has only one headlight -- which, oddly enough, reminds me more of Meat Loaf than of the Wallflowers, but eh -- makes me deeply, deeply happy. Each song is so meticulously chosen. Plus, classic rock! It's music that I don't hate! In fact, it is music that I love, which is nice because I am a codger.)
2. Dean burninates. For whatever reason, Dean's answer to everything is "Let's burn it." While this may be a valuable and expedient way of dealing with the supernatural, rock salt and burninating, this also seems to reveal something quite interesting about his character. Whether it's "still carrying around the emotional baggage of burninated house from childhood" or "I'm a pyromaniac!" I am as yet unsure.
3. Dean and Dad dress the same. Manly plaid or denim, rolled up sleeves. No one ever says anything about it, it's just there for you to look at, subliminal messages and a level of subtlety that a show with the line "Practically every culture in the world has its (fill in the blank) lore" every other episode shouldn't achieve but does. Sam, on the other hand, dresses completely differently and it's just such a nice little touch.
4. It's funny. I mean, it's dark -- it's really, really, literally dark, sometimes I cannot see what the fuck is happening on my computer screen -- but it doesn't take itself too seriously, which is the problem with a lot of shows in this vein. It's not afraid to whip out the meta, itself, and poke a little fun. It's not afraid to be hyper-aware of itself when it panders to its audience, either, which makes me feel well-cared for.
5. Men crying. The family Winchester is so manly. It's plaid-manly. It's roll up your sleeves, get sweaty, dig graves and burninate manly. And they cry all. the. time. Weirdly, it doesn't cheapen the moments when their big, beautiful Winchester eyes swell with weeping, because somehow these guys are pulling it off, always human in the face of the shit they go through, which is fascinating to watch. Because, let's face it, I still think there are ghosts in my basement -- and part of that is because I want there to be.
6. Family. There's this wonderful moment in 1.21 (Salvation) where Papa Winchester talks about how he wanted Sam to go to college and Dean to have a family, and while I knew Sam wanted to go to college and be normal more than anything, or thought that's what he wanted, the bit about Dean made me stop and think. Does Dean want a family? Yes, yes he does. But I think it's more like he just wants to keep the family he's got. (Meanwhile, Sam, lawyer? Interesting point inmyriadbits made, but dude, Sam can't escape from what this life has made him just as much as Dean can't escape, and I think chosing to go to law school is kind of a roundabout way of doing the same thing he's always done, Pinky. Try to protect the world!)
7. Being scared is fun. Call it low budget, call it lack of special effects, call it whatever you like, but when it comes to being scared -- and this is what the Supernatural folks have so, so wonderfully right -- less is more! LESS IS MORE! What you don't see is scarier than someone's stomach exploding and seventeen slobbering aliens coming out and their stomachs exploding and tentacles bursting free and donkeys being lit on fire and their faces falling off and more aliens coming out of their faces, fucking your mother, and biting the heads off babies. That's not scary, that's sensory overload, and while it may make you puke, it won't make you shiver. Supernatural makes me shiver. This may be because I'm a pussy, but even when the episode is predictable I still get shivers. Occasionally there are even jump-in-your-seat moments. Which is deeply and delightfully successful.
Anyway, there are many things about Supernatural that are imperfect -- I was talking to cassandraclaire about this last weekend and she mentioned, for example, the pacing of the arcs and how the difference between earlier one-shot episodes and what we're building up to now is disjointed, and maybe how earlier arcs should have been longer in the beginning so we could care more about the characters and what's happening to them, not just the boys -- but I love it, and those are 7 of the thousand reasons why, and everyone should watch it and then come to my house and party. The end.
Now it is time to go recite Everything I Have Learned Ever About East Asian Texts. Also, mistful has an adorkable picture of the two of us from blackholly's New Year's party up HERE. Woe, how I will miss her. It's okay though, because I will follow her across oceans soon enough.
Sigh, wish me luck!