Thoughts on When to End a Show (Supernatural)
I was kind of happy to hear that Supernatural was finishing at the end of Season 5. Now, I hear it might go on, and I got to thinking about whether it should.
I always prefer that shows go out at the top. Rather than dragging out tired characters in tired stories. It's especially nice if everyone knows the show is going to end, so the season can be aimed at ending the show.
And I don't know that Supernatural is the kind of show that should run endlessly. Maybe I could have seen that in the first, possibly second, season, with the monster of the week style. But over the four seasons, Supernatural has evolved into a new style, and it can't go back.
There needs to be a resolution soon. We can't endure having the angst dragged out much longer and I don't think that the story should really go on after this. Really. People are going to move on to something a little more feelgood. It's one thing to have it in fanfiction, or even for a few episodes, but years of this. And we can't return to the season 1 style because the characters and the audience have been through too much. The show can't go back to the season 1 feel, and you can't have arc after arc. Besides which, how do you really come up with an arc that tops freeing, and hopefully defeating, Lucifer? Eventually the hero's journey has to end - hopefully when he's defeated his greatest foe, overcome the hardest trial. Most television shows don't get that, and they ruin the story they've created. I believe in television as modern mythology and culture, and when shows drag out, they damage what they've contributed.
What I want: for this season to spend the first half defeating Lucifer and the second reestablishing their bond as brothers. I guess they can split that over two seasons, but I kind of dread seeing the brothers continue as they have.
I think it would be a great end to see them driving off down the highway, back to being brothers. But I don't think we need to see them once they're fixed. It's enough to know they are. The mood of the show has gone so far from the feel of season 1 that while it would be great to know the brothers have that back, the show can't go back to it.
Sometimes you have to trust (without seeing every detail) that though they may not live a perfect happily ever after, they will live and they will have happiness. A good story ends knowing that while the characters go on, the story is over.
I always prefer that shows go out at the top. Rather than dragging out tired characters in tired stories. It's especially nice if everyone knows the show is going to end, so the season can be aimed at ending the show.
And I don't know that Supernatural is the kind of show that should run endlessly. Maybe I could have seen that in the first, possibly second, season, with the monster of the week style. But over the four seasons, Supernatural has evolved into a new style, and it can't go back.
There needs to be a resolution soon. We can't endure having the angst dragged out much longer and I don't think that the story should really go on after this. Really. People are going to move on to something a little more feelgood. It's one thing to have it in fanfiction, or even for a few episodes, but years of this. And we can't return to the season 1 style because the characters and the audience have been through too much. The show can't go back to the season 1 feel, and you can't have arc after arc. Besides which, how do you really come up with an arc that tops freeing, and hopefully defeating, Lucifer? Eventually the hero's journey has to end - hopefully when he's defeated his greatest foe, overcome the hardest trial. Most television shows don't get that, and they ruin the story they've created. I believe in television as modern mythology and culture, and when shows drag out, they damage what they've contributed.
What I want: for this season to spend the first half defeating Lucifer and the second reestablishing their bond as brothers. I guess they can split that over two seasons, but I kind of dread seeing the brothers continue as they have.
I think it would be a great end to see them driving off down the highway, back to being brothers. But I don't think we need to see them once they're fixed. It's enough to know they are. The mood of the show has gone so far from the feel of season 1 that while it would be great to know the brothers have that back, the show can't go back to it.
Sometimes you have to trust (without seeing every detail) that though they may not live a perfect happily ever after, they will live and they will have happiness. A good story ends knowing that while the characters go on, the story is over.