[Salmon Rants!] SPN 11 - It's not a romance, what's wrong with you people?
Trigger warning, this post will contain interpretation of a relationship as Non-con. Read at your own risk.
So, actually, I am enjoying Supernatural Season 11 so far. I feel like there's been some great scenes and interesting plot twists. We've gotten to see characters from previous seasons again, We've gotten some fantastic brotherly bonding moments with Sam and Dean. Some pretty sweet scenes between Dean and Cas. We even got Jody forcing Sam and Dean to help her give the sex talk to Alex, which was so hilarious, I literally was laughing out loud. (And getting odd looks from my family since I was watching it on my smartphone with headsets on.)
If there's one thing about Season 11 that's got me a pretty disturbed, though, it's Amara and Dean. And it has nothing to do with being a Destiel fan. I liked Lisa. Although, truth be told, I liked Cassie more - sorry Lisa fans. Lisa was awesome in her own way, but Cassie was smarter about certain things. Cassie knew she couldn't handle being involved with Dean's life because she knew it meant giving up her regular life. Lisa fooled herself into thinking that Dean and her could be together and that him returning to hunting wouldn't change anything. Then kinda blamed it all on Dean that they fell apart. Half of it was on Dean for not telling her what all was going on. (Telling her he was turned into a vampire temporarily and telling her his brother was currently without a soul would have gone a long way toward fixing the problems in their relationship.) But at least half was Lisa because she didn't face how much things would have to change to sustain the relationship once Dean started hunting again until the relationship was falling apart. It doesn't make her any less of a cool character, or ruin the fact that her and Dean had a great relationship. It's just that she was more naive than Cassie, and kind of caused more heartache for everyone involved because of it. Which is why I like Cassie more. She understood enough about his life to know she couldn't handle it, so she walked away before things got that bad.
Mini rant of my opinions on Dean's previous relationships aside, my being disturbed about Amara and Dean doesn't have to do with not liking seeing Dean with someone. It has everything to do with what's actually happening on screen. Here's the thing, though, I'm pretty positive I'm supposed to be disturbed.
I'm a Bit Ashamed my Fandom is so Sexist
Equally disturbing to what's happening on the screen, is the fact that fans are ranting and/or raving about the "romance" between Amara and Dean. Romance... ROMANCE? I don't know whether to be ashamed or just horrified.
Here we go people, let's flip the genders on the characters for a moment.
A male supernatural being (Character A) is released from imprisonment and meets female fighter (Character B), who isn't actually responsible for his release (that was her brother), but was the last to wear the mystical mark binding him to his prison. A then thanks B for releasing him, kisses her and tells her they're bound and will always rescue each other. As the story progresses, A continues to stalk B. Touching and kissing her without her permission and insisting they are destined to be one. B is strangely entranced with A when his presence. Kissing him back, yet drawing away when she realizes what she's doing. She confesses to her brother that she doesn't feel anything when away from A, and knows they have to kill him, seeing as he's going around murdering innocent people. But, when she is in his presence, everything changes and she can't fight against him.
Oh, wait... are you starting to cry out NON-CON and CREEPY RAPIST? Oh, cuz character B is female?
It doesn't matter that Dean is male and Amara is female. It doesn't matter that Amara is hot (And, yes, damn, she's hot. But so was Abaddon, that didn't make her less evil or creepy. The only difference is Amara has the whole pity-me thing. Which is a lot like Lucifer, and remains just as much BS as when he spouted it.) Can my fellow fans be a little less sexist and shallow? She's a creepy stalker, and Dean is her victim. It's not a romance, it's a supernatural rape.
I Can't Even Blame the Writers Cuz They're Actually Writing it Correctly
Let's break it down, shall we?
After Dean's first interaction with Amara (Right after the Darkness original release, also the first time Amara kisses him), he is confused and embarrassed and doesn't tell Sam what happened. (Not unlike a victim of harassment hiding the crime from friends and family, because they feel ashamed of what has occurred and take on the blame for it even though they did nothing wrong)
As time goes on, and Amara continues her creepy stalking and non-con touching. (So disturbed by her caressing his face and being all - you were the first thing I saw of my brother's work. It's beauty and it's folly. Okay, great, but can you admire your brother's work from afar, because the touching someone without permission is CREEPER.) Dean is still disturbed, but continues to feel guilt and shame and doesn't confess to what's happening. (Once again, a reaction that fits in with him being a victim of sexual harassment. Plus, given Dean has a habit of feeling guilty for things that aren't his fault to begin with, it's not surprising he automatically assumes he's guilty somehow for Amara's advances.)
As Amara grows in her power, and her insistence that Dean and her are destined to be together grows more forceful, Dean is more and more upset by what's happening which leads to him finally confessing in his best friend. Unfortunately, Castiel is taken over by Lucifer at the time, so the conversation is only somewhat comforting. Dean also insists Castiel not tell Sam. (Once again, the writing is spot on to rape and sexual harassment. Dean finally confessing what's happening to someone he trusts, and asking them not to tell his family - not ready to face their reaction yet. Unfortunately for Dean is bestie is currently taken over by the Devil, so instead of assuring him he won't have to face Amara alone again, he suggests being able to use her attraction to Dean for their own ends. Damn it, Lucy, you just ruined what would have been a great friendship moment...)
Dean is forced to fully face what's going on due to an outside situation (The Qareen), and finally confesses in Sam. And here's where I love the writers because the first thing Sam does is assure Dean that it isn't his fault. Sam, you're a million shades of messed up, but sometimes you're just darn awesome. (And here we are again with the spot on writing. If it's one thing a victim of rape/sexual harassment needs to know it's that they are not to blame, and it's exactly what Sam tells Dean.)
Seriously, the writers are doing it right. So I can't blame them for the fans all calling it a romance. That disturbing factoid is all on my fellow fans. What is wrong with you people?
Waiting for the Showdown
If there's one thing about it all that makes it harder to watch and even more disturbing, it's that Dean's situation is ongoing. Amara's harassment is still happening, and he knows if he ends up near her again, he won't be able to fight her. She's going to continue to take what she wants. His confession to Sam that he can't be the one to take her out is pretty heartbreaking. In a sense, he's asking for his brother's protection, which Dean has never done ever. He's asked it of Cas, but never Sam. Sam's protective streak is in full effect the very next episode, and while it kinda makes you want to smack the back of his head, it's also pretty sweet, and fits with the non-con interpretation. (After all, Sam did just find out that Amara is essentially attempting to supernaturally rape his brother. Why wouldn't he be overprotective after hearing that?)
The part that I'm waiting for, and hopefully the writer's won't fail me on this - but hey, they haven't so far, is the final showdown. I have a feeling that, despite him saying he can't take out Amara, Dean is going to have to be the one to do just that. And I'm really looking forward to it. We've seen Amara slowly taking Dean's power away and forcing herself on him. We've seen him slowly reach out to his friends and family for support. So now I want to see him take that power back and face down Amara like the Badass we all know he is.
I'm kind of hoping for a speech not unlike he gave Lucifer in Endverse when he told him the only difference between him and regular monsters was the size of his ego. "Newsflash, Darkness, I didn't release you from your prison, I wasn't even involved in removing the mark. As a matter of fact, I was dead set against it. I've met Fate, and she's just a bitchy little blonde in spectacles, so you can stow your crap about destiny. I believe in free will, and that means I get a choice in this, and I would never choose you. You're an evil, selfish murdering hag, and your "poor me, I never got to play with my brother's shiny toys" act got old months ago. Have fun in the Void, Bitch."
Okay, I could write a better speech, but I'm not trying to. I'm waiting for the SPN writers to give me one instead.
So, actually, I am enjoying Supernatural Season 11 so far. I feel like there's been some great scenes and interesting plot twists. We've gotten to see characters from previous seasons again, We've gotten some fantastic brotherly bonding moments with Sam and Dean. Some pretty sweet scenes between Dean and Cas. We even got Jody forcing Sam and Dean to help her give the sex talk to Alex, which was so hilarious, I literally was laughing out loud. (And getting odd looks from my family since I was watching it on my smartphone with headsets on.)
If there's one thing about Season 11 that's got me a pretty disturbed, though, it's Amara and Dean. And it has nothing to do with being a Destiel fan. I liked Lisa. Although, truth be told, I liked Cassie more - sorry Lisa fans. Lisa was awesome in her own way, but Cassie was smarter about certain things. Cassie knew she couldn't handle being involved with Dean's life because she knew it meant giving up her regular life. Lisa fooled herself into thinking that Dean and her could be together and that him returning to hunting wouldn't change anything. Then kinda blamed it all on Dean that they fell apart. Half of it was on Dean for not telling her what all was going on. (Telling her he was turned into a vampire temporarily and telling her his brother was currently without a soul would have gone a long way toward fixing the problems in their relationship.) But at least half was Lisa because she didn't face how much things would have to change to sustain the relationship once Dean started hunting again until the relationship was falling apart. It doesn't make her any less of a cool character, or ruin the fact that her and Dean had a great relationship. It's just that she was more naive than Cassie, and kind of caused more heartache for everyone involved because of it. Which is why I like Cassie more. She understood enough about his life to know she couldn't handle it, so she walked away before things got that bad.
Mini rant of my opinions on Dean's previous relationships aside, my being disturbed about Amara and Dean doesn't have to do with not liking seeing Dean with someone. It has everything to do with what's actually happening on screen. Here's the thing, though, I'm pretty positive I'm supposed to be disturbed.
I'm a Bit Ashamed my Fandom is so Sexist
Equally disturbing to what's happening on the screen, is the fact that fans are ranting and/or raving about the "romance" between Amara and Dean. Romance... ROMANCE? I don't know whether to be ashamed or just horrified.
Here we go people, let's flip the genders on the characters for a moment.
A male supernatural being (Character A) is released from imprisonment and meets female fighter (Character B), who isn't actually responsible for his release (that was her brother), but was the last to wear the mystical mark binding him to his prison. A then thanks B for releasing him, kisses her and tells her they're bound and will always rescue each other. As the story progresses, A continues to stalk B. Touching and kissing her without her permission and insisting they are destined to be one. B is strangely entranced with A when his presence. Kissing him back, yet drawing away when she realizes what she's doing. She confesses to her brother that she doesn't feel anything when away from A, and knows they have to kill him, seeing as he's going around murdering innocent people. But, when she is in his presence, everything changes and she can't fight against him.
Oh, wait... are you starting to cry out NON-CON and CREEPY RAPIST? Oh, cuz character B is female?
It doesn't matter that Dean is male and Amara is female. It doesn't matter that Amara is hot (And, yes, damn, she's hot. But so was Abaddon, that didn't make her less evil or creepy. The only difference is Amara has the whole pity-me thing. Which is a lot like Lucifer, and remains just as much BS as when he spouted it.) Can my fellow fans be a little less sexist and shallow? She's a creepy stalker, and Dean is her victim. It's not a romance, it's a supernatural rape.
I Can't Even Blame the Writers Cuz They're Actually Writing it Correctly
Let's break it down, shall we?
After Dean's first interaction with Amara (Right after the Darkness original release, also the first time Amara kisses him), he is confused and embarrassed and doesn't tell Sam what happened. (Not unlike a victim of harassment hiding the crime from friends and family, because they feel ashamed of what has occurred and take on the blame for it even though they did nothing wrong)
As time goes on, and Amara continues her creepy stalking and non-con touching. (So disturbed by her caressing his face and being all - you were the first thing I saw of my brother's work. It's beauty and it's folly. Okay, great, but can you admire your brother's work from afar, because the touching someone without permission is CREEPER.) Dean is still disturbed, but continues to feel guilt and shame and doesn't confess to what's happening. (Once again, a reaction that fits in with him being a victim of sexual harassment. Plus, given Dean has a habit of feeling guilty for things that aren't his fault to begin with, it's not surprising he automatically assumes he's guilty somehow for Amara's advances.)
As Amara grows in her power, and her insistence that Dean and her are destined to be together grows more forceful, Dean is more and more upset by what's happening which leads to him finally confessing in his best friend. Unfortunately, Castiel is taken over by Lucifer at the time, so the conversation is only somewhat comforting. Dean also insists Castiel not tell Sam. (Once again, the writing is spot on to rape and sexual harassment. Dean finally confessing what's happening to someone he trusts, and asking them not to tell his family - not ready to face their reaction yet. Unfortunately for Dean is bestie is currently taken over by the Devil, so instead of assuring him he won't have to face Amara alone again, he suggests being able to use her attraction to Dean for their own ends. Damn it, Lucy, you just ruined what would have been a great friendship moment...)
Dean is forced to fully face what's going on due to an outside situation (The Qareen), and finally confesses in Sam. And here's where I love the writers because the first thing Sam does is assure Dean that it isn't his fault. Sam, you're a million shades of messed up, but sometimes you're just darn awesome. (And here we are again with the spot on writing. If it's one thing a victim of rape/sexual harassment needs to know it's that they are not to blame, and it's exactly what Sam tells Dean.)
Seriously, the writers are doing it right. So I can't blame them for the fans all calling it a romance. That disturbing factoid is all on my fellow fans. What is wrong with you people?
Waiting for the Showdown
If there's one thing about it all that makes it harder to watch and even more disturbing, it's that Dean's situation is ongoing. Amara's harassment is still happening, and he knows if he ends up near her again, he won't be able to fight her. She's going to continue to take what she wants. His confession to Sam that he can't be the one to take her out is pretty heartbreaking. In a sense, he's asking for his brother's protection, which Dean has never done ever. He's asked it of Cas, but never Sam. Sam's protective streak is in full effect the very next episode, and while it kinda makes you want to smack the back of his head, it's also pretty sweet, and fits with the non-con interpretation. (After all, Sam did just find out that Amara is essentially attempting to supernaturally rape his brother. Why wouldn't he be overprotective after hearing that?)
The part that I'm waiting for, and hopefully the writer's won't fail me on this - but hey, they haven't so far, is the final showdown. I have a feeling that, despite him saying he can't take out Amara, Dean is going to have to be the one to do just that. And I'm really looking forward to it. We've seen Amara slowly taking Dean's power away and forcing herself on him. We've seen him slowly reach out to his friends and family for support. So now I want to see him take that power back and face down Amara like the Badass we all know he is.
I'm kind of hoping for a speech not unlike he gave Lucifer in Endverse when he told him the only difference between him and regular monsters was the size of his ego. "Newsflash, Darkness, I didn't release you from your prison, I wasn't even involved in removing the mark. As a matter of fact, I was dead set against it. I've met Fate, and she's just a bitchy little blonde in spectacles, so you can stow your crap about destiny. I believe in free will, and that means I get a choice in this, and I would never choose you. You're an evil, selfish murdering hag, and your "poor me, I never got to play with my brother's shiny toys" act got old months ago. Have fun in the Void, Bitch."
Okay, I could write a better speech, but I'm not trying to. I'm waiting for the SPN writers to give me one instead.