S2: the balance of manlove (1st quarter)
Let me start this out by saying something. It's possible to enjoy an hour of television for what it was and for what it achieved, and still be powerfully dissatisfied by what it failed to do. I've re-watched No Exit five times now (and watched the preview for next week's episode roughly 15 times more than that, and you can stop laughing 'cause you know you did, too). I thoroughly enjoyed almost every minute of it as a stand-alone guest spotlight. And I hope we never see anything else like it ever again. Can y'all get where I'm coming from? (I'm full of contradictions, but I swear it makes sense in my head.)
Anyway. We've watched the first quarter of S2. Question:
Do you think the manlove for S2 has been relatively balanced thus far?
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the love in IMToD was beautifully balanced. The layers in ELaC were stunning. The last scene of Bloodlust was pitch perfect. The depth of CSPWDT was deeply satisfying. The touch-fest in Simon Said was nostalgic and pleasing. And the hallway bump of No Exit was… there.
At this point in S1, we'd had the pilot, Wendigo, Dead In the Water, Phantom Traveler, Bloody Mary and Skin. This is how they felt to me, as far as the narrative focus on manlove and the brothers' individual angst/themes. See what you think:
1) Sam feature/myth-arc with a focus on Sam angst (natch).
2) Stand-alone episode split between a Sam angst focus and Dean hero focus. *
3) Stand-alone episode with a Dean angst focus. **
4) Stand-alone episode with a very slight Sam angst focus at the end.
5) Sam feature/slight myth-arc with a Sam angst focus.
6) Dean feature with a split focus on Sam angst/Dean angst.
* I thought they handled Wendigo very poorly as far as Sam's grieving process is concerned, but on the other hand, it was a solid introduction to big damn hero Dean. I feel that it should have been more about Sam's grief, a la Bloody Mary. I do think it was a step above Hook Man, which I believe was the first episode shot after the pilot. Still, comparing it to ELaC makes its shortcomings painfully clear.
** Misplaced angst focus, IMO. Not that it wasn't nice to touch on Dean's inner feelings, but they brushed off Jessica's death with one poorly conceived scene in the diner. I enjoyed the rest of the episode for what it was, but that issue never sat right with me.
Thus far in S2, we've had:
1) Dean feature/myth-arc with a focus on angst about and by Dean. *
2) Stand-alone episode/slight myth-arc with a balanced focus on their grief. **
3) Stand-alone episode with a Dean angst focus.
4) Stand-alone episode with a Dean angst focus.
5) Myth-arc episode with a Sam angst focus.
6) Stand-alone/slight myth-arc with a Jo/slight Ellen angst focus.
* That the emotional content of IMToD was based on and driven by Dean's impending death creates a narrative focus on Dean in the script, however much he reciprocates the dedication throughout the hour. His bargaining with the Reaper is as much (or more) about his own character arc and evolution, than it is about his feelings for Sam, whereas Sam's scenes are almost entirely driven by his feelings for Dean. Their love is balanced, but the script is not. It's a love story for Dean, by both Sam and John.
** Given that one brother is holding back and the other is reaching out, this gives the episode the surface feel of imbalance. But that's untrue (IMO). The story being told is how John's death has changed both of their lives, and, to some degree, the nature of their interaction with each other. I personally found it the most beautifully balanced episode of the series, both emotionally and thematically.
What of the others?
Bloodlust? Sam played the part of devil's advocate but the journey was Dean's. It could be argued that the journey being Dean's balances the manlove, in the sense that his feelings for Sam (based on whatever it was John might have told him about Sam) influence a good deal of why he reacts to Gordon the way he does. So, we give Sam the extra cookie for his overt concern, and Dean gets the table scraps for his subtle protectiveness. Balanced manlove? Tilted towards Dean? What do you think?
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things? Sam was his brother's keeper, but once again the journey was Dean's. And this might in some way echo the Bloodlust overt/subtle balance, but it doesn't really. Dean's focus isn't on Sam this time around. The LoveFu found a stronger, steadier current in Sam, no question.
Simon Said? Thematically, they went back in time and visited their traditional roles. It was Nightmare Redux, and Sam was finally the brother on whom the focus was placed. The brother interaction felt beautifully natural and relatively stress-free, although on the heels of CSPWDT, I expected a remnant of angst. That said, the narrative focus shifted halfway through to Andy and Webber, and so Sam became a passenger in his own episode. However much the episode bolstered their manlove, the end result was not a promising sign for Sam's personal arc. [/my 2 cents]
No Exit? Unfortunately, I don't think that one requires any explanation. It was the first episode of the season, and of the entire series, which did absolutely nothing for the brothers' relationship except in the loosest possible interpretation. As I said up above, I like No Exit, quite a lot. But it feels like something that should have been the premiere of a spin-off or even a crossover with another established show.
Now, I understand that JP's injury complicated things and that he took time away to get some much-needed doctor's care and rest. So my problem isn't so much that his screen time was decreased. If he needed time off, this was the perfectly logical choice of episode. My problem is that the relationship between the brothers was in every way superfluous and insignificant to the story being told. It was not tested, bolstered, or illuminated in any way. One brother proved to be a prominent catalyst, but it was not his story. They were both spectators as someone else's journey took place. Even what I consider the flattest episode of all in S1 (The Benders) was ostensibly about their relationship, about how Dean feels about Sam and even how much trust Sam places in Dean. I didn't buy the performances, but the thought was there. And even in the most routine episode of the season (Bugs? Route 666? Hook Man?), their relationship made its mark. They revealed something, or evolved somehow. It was never, ever static. Until No Exit.
How much does JP's injury figure in? It reminded me of something similar that happened to the cast of SG-1. Michael Shanks had an emergency appendectomy the day before filming began on the finale of S3. They had to re-write the script to significantly reduce Shanks' screen time and to dole out his lines to other cast members. But what they did, was give him a couple of scenes that showed two things. 1) That our emotional investment in him mattered, and 2) that the emotional investment between Daniel and his team mattered. Like I said last week about Jo, it's not "how much," it's "how." Did Daniel have any impact on that episode? Not necessarily. But the emotional connection of the team still made its mark on the hour, and he was its voice.
That's what I feel was lacking in No Exit. The emotional connection of Sam and Dean made its mark in only the weakest possible way with the single throwaway remark by Sam, "Don't beat yourself up." That's why I'm less than convinced by arguments which use JP's injury to explain it all away. It certainly explains his screen time, but not how they chose to utilize it. If it had originally been written differently, with Sam a greater part in the story (and I believe he probably was, if marginally so), then TPTB chose a poor way to edit the script. Michael Shanks had perhaps less screen time than Jared Padalecki had, and yet the writers used those minutes with care and attention. They created character moments, not plot moments. Plot is anyone, everyone. Character is "us." And the writers of SG-1 aren't the best in the world; certainly given to forgetting character to make allowances for plot. The writers of SPN are leaps and bounds above them in the character department, and that's the foundation for my greatest love for this show. Plot may get trampled by racist trucks and may have its flaws revealed by insta!morning, but damn it, character matters.
So, no. Not impressed here, Kripke. Give Sam ten, five or even a single minute of screen time, if JP needs a week off, but however long it is, make that screen time matter. To hell with exposition; give that to Ash or Jo or Professor Cuthbert Calculus, for pete's sake. If a moment's all you've got, then use it for Sam and Dean to touch base. I don't think that's too much to ask. When a certain standard has been set and maintained right from the start, don't be surprised or upset if people notice when you fail to hit the mark.
Erm, back on topic…
After ELaC, the manlove has slowly shifted from a mutual focus to one of Sam's focus on Dean. Simon Said was an exception, and it was a welcome one. But I am growing concerned, as the weeks go by, that the weight is slowly tilting in one brother's favor. And that's not something I care to see, not from either end. S1 wasn't perfect, but both brothers had their share of being the one focused on by the other. However the myth-arc plot itself focused on Sam, the manlove was beautifully balanced. And I'm sort of missing that this season, to be honest. As deep and satisfying as the material has been, I'd like a few Sam-centric episodes in the future, with Dean going Benders on us. …And I hated The Benders. So you know I'm getting hungry here.
And I think the problem, as such, comes down to the quality of the writing. S1 focused slightly more on Sam's angst than it did Dean's for the first half, but the writing was lighter overall, less grounded and less purposeful. Wendigo, DITW, PT… those are all light episodes, nowhere near the power of IMToD, ELaC, CSPWDT. The only episode on a relatively similar level would be Bloody Mary, which feels somewhere between Bloodlust and CSPWDT. But even there, the writing was less challenging. The issues were simpler. They've raised the bar in S2, and that's all very good, but in retrospect, it feels slightly unfair to Sam. For he may or may not have received this much focus in S1, but he certainly didn't receive the same quality of writing.
Next week promises to be a Dean-centric episode again, but it looks to be a solid manlove episode in the tradition of Skin. And as a sequel to Skin? Yay. I've been waiting for that. Let's see if they get caught for the credit card scams, as well, or if Kripke will let that continue to slide.
p.s. It took me forever to post this thing. Is it just me, or is LJ still acting up?
Anyway. We've watched the first quarter of S2. Question:
Do you think the manlove for S2 has been relatively balanced thus far?
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the love in IMToD was beautifully balanced. The layers in ELaC were stunning. The last scene of Bloodlust was pitch perfect. The depth of CSPWDT was deeply satisfying. The touch-fest in Simon Said was nostalgic and pleasing. And the hallway bump of No Exit was… there.
At this point in S1, we'd had the pilot, Wendigo, Dead In the Water, Phantom Traveler, Bloody Mary and Skin. This is how they felt to me, as far as the narrative focus on manlove and the brothers' individual angst/themes. See what you think:
1) Sam feature/myth-arc with a focus on Sam angst (natch).
2) Stand-alone episode split between a Sam angst focus and Dean hero focus. *
3) Stand-alone episode with a Dean angst focus. **
4) Stand-alone episode with a very slight Sam angst focus at the end.
5) Sam feature/slight myth-arc with a Sam angst focus.
6) Dean feature with a split focus on Sam angst/Dean angst.
* I thought they handled Wendigo very poorly as far as Sam's grieving process is concerned, but on the other hand, it was a solid introduction to big damn hero Dean. I feel that it should have been more about Sam's grief, a la Bloody Mary. I do think it was a step above Hook Man, which I believe was the first episode shot after the pilot. Still, comparing it to ELaC makes its shortcomings painfully clear.
** Misplaced angst focus, IMO. Not that it wasn't nice to touch on Dean's inner feelings, but they brushed off Jessica's death with one poorly conceived scene in the diner. I enjoyed the rest of the episode for what it was, but that issue never sat right with me.
Thus far in S2, we've had:
1) Dean feature/myth-arc with a focus on angst about and by Dean. *
2) Stand-alone episode/slight myth-arc with a balanced focus on their grief. **
3) Stand-alone episode with a Dean angst focus.
4) Stand-alone episode with a Dean angst focus.
5) Myth-arc episode with a Sam angst focus.
6) Stand-alone/slight myth-arc with a Jo/slight Ellen angst focus.
* That the emotional content of IMToD was based on and driven by Dean's impending death creates a narrative focus on Dean in the script, however much he reciprocates the dedication throughout the hour. His bargaining with the Reaper is as much (or more) about his own character arc and evolution, than it is about his feelings for Sam, whereas Sam's scenes are almost entirely driven by his feelings for Dean. Their love is balanced, but the script is not. It's a love story for Dean, by both Sam and John.
** Given that one brother is holding back and the other is reaching out, this gives the episode the surface feel of imbalance. But that's untrue (IMO). The story being told is how John's death has changed both of their lives, and, to some degree, the nature of their interaction with each other. I personally found it the most beautifully balanced episode of the series, both emotionally and thematically.
What of the others?
Bloodlust? Sam played the part of devil's advocate but the journey was Dean's. It could be argued that the journey being Dean's balances the manlove, in the sense that his feelings for Sam (based on whatever it was John might have told him about Sam) influence a good deal of why he reacts to Gordon the way he does. So, we give Sam the extra cookie for his overt concern, and Dean gets the table scraps for his subtle protectiveness. Balanced manlove? Tilted towards Dean? What do you think?
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things? Sam was his brother's keeper, but once again the journey was Dean's. And this might in some way echo the Bloodlust overt/subtle balance, but it doesn't really. Dean's focus isn't on Sam this time around. The LoveFu found a stronger, steadier current in Sam, no question.
Simon Said? Thematically, they went back in time and visited their traditional roles. It was Nightmare Redux, and Sam was finally the brother on whom the focus was placed. The brother interaction felt beautifully natural and relatively stress-free, although on the heels of CSPWDT, I expected a remnant of angst. That said, the narrative focus shifted halfway through to Andy and Webber, and so Sam became a passenger in his own episode. However much the episode bolstered their manlove, the end result was not a promising sign for Sam's personal arc. [/my 2 cents]
No Exit? Unfortunately, I don't think that one requires any explanation. It was the first episode of the season, and of the entire series, which did absolutely nothing for the brothers' relationship except in the loosest possible interpretation. As I said up above, I like No Exit, quite a lot. But it feels like something that should have been the premiere of a spin-off or even a crossover with another established show.
Now, I understand that JP's injury complicated things and that he took time away to get some much-needed doctor's care and rest. So my problem isn't so much that his screen time was decreased. If he needed time off, this was the perfectly logical choice of episode. My problem is that the relationship between the brothers was in every way superfluous and insignificant to the story being told. It was not tested, bolstered, or illuminated in any way. One brother proved to be a prominent catalyst, but it was not his story. They were both spectators as someone else's journey took place. Even what I consider the flattest episode of all in S1 (The Benders) was ostensibly about their relationship, about how Dean feels about Sam and even how much trust Sam places in Dean. I didn't buy the performances, but the thought was there. And even in the most routine episode of the season (Bugs? Route 666? Hook Man?), their relationship made its mark. They revealed something, or evolved somehow. It was never, ever static. Until No Exit.
How much does JP's injury figure in? It reminded me of something similar that happened to the cast of SG-1. Michael Shanks had an emergency appendectomy the day before filming began on the finale of S3. They had to re-write the script to significantly reduce Shanks' screen time and to dole out his lines to other cast members. But what they did, was give him a couple of scenes that showed two things. 1) That our emotional investment in him mattered, and 2) that the emotional investment between Daniel and his team mattered. Like I said last week about Jo, it's not "how much," it's "how." Did Daniel have any impact on that episode? Not necessarily. But the emotional connection of the team still made its mark on the hour, and he was its voice.
That's what I feel was lacking in No Exit. The emotional connection of Sam and Dean made its mark in only the weakest possible way with the single throwaway remark by Sam, "Don't beat yourself up." That's why I'm less than convinced by arguments which use JP's injury to explain it all away. It certainly explains his screen time, but not how they chose to utilize it. If it had originally been written differently, with Sam a greater part in the story (and I believe he probably was, if marginally so), then TPTB chose a poor way to edit the script. Michael Shanks had perhaps less screen time than Jared Padalecki had, and yet the writers used those minutes with care and attention. They created character moments, not plot moments. Plot is anyone, everyone. Character is "us." And the writers of SG-1 aren't the best in the world; certainly given to forgetting character to make allowances for plot. The writers of SPN are leaps and bounds above them in the character department, and that's the foundation for my greatest love for this show. Plot may get trampled by racist trucks and may have its flaws revealed by insta!morning, but damn it, character matters.
So, no. Not impressed here, Kripke. Give Sam ten, five or even a single minute of screen time, if JP needs a week off, but however long it is, make that screen time matter. To hell with exposition; give that to Ash or Jo or Professor Cuthbert Calculus, for pete's sake. If a moment's all you've got, then use it for Sam and Dean to touch base. I don't think that's too much to ask. When a certain standard has been set and maintained right from the start, don't be surprised or upset if people notice when you fail to hit the mark.
Erm, back on topic…
After ELaC, the manlove has slowly shifted from a mutual focus to one of Sam's focus on Dean. Simon Said was an exception, and it was a welcome one. But I am growing concerned, as the weeks go by, that the weight is slowly tilting in one brother's favor. And that's not something I care to see, not from either end. S1 wasn't perfect, but both brothers had their share of being the one focused on by the other. However the myth-arc plot itself focused on Sam, the manlove was beautifully balanced. And I'm sort of missing that this season, to be honest. As deep and satisfying as the material has been, I'd like a few Sam-centric episodes in the future, with Dean going Benders on us. …And I hated The Benders. So you know I'm getting hungry here.
And I think the problem, as such, comes down to the quality of the writing. S1 focused slightly more on Sam's angst than it did Dean's for the first half, but the writing was lighter overall, less grounded and less purposeful. Wendigo, DITW, PT… those are all light episodes, nowhere near the power of IMToD, ELaC, CSPWDT. The only episode on a relatively similar level would be Bloody Mary, which feels somewhere between Bloodlust and CSPWDT. But even there, the writing was less challenging. The issues were simpler. They've raised the bar in S2, and that's all very good, but in retrospect, it feels slightly unfair to Sam. For he may or may not have received this much focus in S1, but he certainly didn't receive the same quality of writing.
Next week promises to be a Dean-centric episode again, but it looks to be a solid manlove episode in the tradition of Skin. And as a sequel to Skin? Yay. I've been waiting for that. Let's see if they get caught for the credit card scams, as well, or if Kripke will let that continue to slide.
p.s. It took me forever to post this thing. Is it just me, or is LJ still acting up?