30 Days of SPN - Day 21
I don’t usually think about this stuff at all, you realise. Just so that’s clear. Because, really. You know?
Day 21 - Your favourite character entrance
Here’s the thing. SPN is good at entrances. Show really does its characters justice in making their entrances match their personas and purpose, although it’s not that simple when it comes to the major characters (the Ws, Bobby, Cas). And they like doing both straightforward entrances and deceptive entrances, as befits what the character is there to do. Which means that as far as criteria goes, we can take “appropriate” and “well-crafted” off the table.
To wit: Mary, walking into Sam’s nursery holding Dean, sweet and maternal and soft in her nightgown, an icon and an ideal for her men to adore and avenge, which also turns out to be completely misleading.
Azazel, lurking darkly and violently and loathsomely in the heart of their home.
The Impala, carrying her shellshocked and grieving boys in the wake of the fire.
Jess, a beautiful young woman, visually reminiscent of Mary, but dressed in a sexy nurse outfit. Sweet and virtuous to convincingly be the love of Sam’s life, but flirting for one night with the cheap blonde/staple victim of the horror genre.
Meg, innocently tripped over by the side of the road.
Ash, passed out on the pool table. (Win!)
Jo and Ellen, badass and working together - when there’s a serious threat.
Henrickson, hardass and taking over, incovenient and very good at his job.
Ruby, lurking outside and then storming into the house and killing demons.
Bela, a mere sexy waitress, superficially part of the Winchester’s plot, but revealed to be working her own angle.
Lillith, an annoying little girl with an unfortunate blast radius.
Rufus, paranoid and capable at his own front door.
And on, and on. These are all off the top of my head, although I’ll admit I haven’t watched S4&5 enough rattle off character entrances in them.
So if these entrances are all excellent from Show’s standpoint, what then?
Castiel’s entrance was impressive as all get-out, but at that point he wasn’t making a character entrance, he was making a species entrance. It wasn’t really about him.
Crowley’s entrance was brilliant, but that’s also because I love his character.
Ah, wait, that’ll work: Death. Inexorable, bending time to his own slow walk, taking those who he takes and no one can stop him. Threatening yet mysterious. With a brilliant old folk song tweaked by the SPN crew to accompany him. It was cool, it was perfectly executed, and it was a delightful setup to sitting down for a friendly chat with Dean Winchester over deep dish pizza. Very fun, very disturbing, very Show. We're locking in the answer, Phil.
Day 21 - Your favourite character entrance
Here’s the thing. SPN is good at entrances. Show really does its characters justice in making their entrances match their personas and purpose, although it’s not that simple when it comes to the major characters (the Ws, Bobby, Cas). And they like doing both straightforward entrances and deceptive entrances, as befits what the character is there to do. Which means that as far as criteria goes, we can take “appropriate” and “well-crafted” off the table.
To wit: Mary, walking into Sam’s nursery holding Dean, sweet and maternal and soft in her nightgown, an icon and an ideal for her men to adore and avenge, which also turns out to be completely misleading.
Azazel, lurking darkly and violently and loathsomely in the heart of their home.
The Impala, carrying her shellshocked and grieving boys in the wake of the fire.
Jess, a beautiful young woman, visually reminiscent of Mary, but dressed in a sexy nurse outfit. Sweet and virtuous to convincingly be the love of Sam’s life, but flirting for one night with the cheap blonde/staple victim of the horror genre.
Meg, innocently tripped over by the side of the road.
Ash, passed out on the pool table. (Win!)
Jo and Ellen, badass and working together - when there’s a serious threat.
Henrickson, hardass and taking over, incovenient and very good at his job.
Ruby, lurking outside and then storming into the house and killing demons.
Bela, a mere sexy waitress, superficially part of the Winchester’s plot, but revealed to be working her own angle.
Lillith, an annoying little girl with an unfortunate blast radius.
Rufus, paranoid and capable at his own front door.
And on, and on. These are all off the top of my head, although I’ll admit I haven’t watched S4&5 enough rattle off character entrances in them.
So if these entrances are all excellent from Show’s standpoint, what then?
Castiel’s entrance was impressive as all get-out, but at that point he wasn’t making a character entrance, he was making a species entrance. It wasn’t really about him.
Crowley’s entrance was brilliant, but that’s also because I love his character.
Ah, wait, that’ll work: Death. Inexorable, bending time to his own slow walk, taking those who he takes and no one can stop him. Threatening yet mysterious. With a brilliant old folk song tweaked by the SPN crew to accompany him. It was cool, it was perfectly executed, and it was a delightful setup to sitting down for a friendly chat with Dean Winchester over deep dish pizza. Very fun, very disturbing, very Show. We're locking in the answer, Phil.