You don't know me from Adam, but I found this and felt the urge to comment. Supernatural, oddly, is the show that made me *give up* the spoiler habit. When I was up to my ears in Buffy and then Angel, I wanted to know everything, sought it all out, was the spoiler-phile among my friends. Even that was a cyclic thing. I didn't always want to know what Buffy was going to do, and I only wanted to put off my guaranteed heartbreak with Angel. I was partly spoiled for the finale of Angel the Series, and, as powerful as Wes's death was, I felt the dilution of knowing beforehand. Now I am reveling in not knowing a thing about what's going to happen, theorizing and hypothesizing what's going to happen, praying for certain things to happen. It's fun
( ... )
Funny - I feel as if, with this little session, I'm embarking on the first phase of my 12-step program for recovery from spoiler addiction. I know the temptation will always be there, but I'm holding out for the satisfaction of letting Kripke and Company blindside and sucker-punch me with what happens to the boys in season three, and hopefully more seasons beyond. I'm glad to know that folk like you might be there as support for a recovering spoilerholic ... :)
I love spoilers. Not in the sense that I want to stand on a rooftop and shout them to the world but I'll admit to being one of the people who read the Harry Potter epilogue before the book even came out. For me, I think it's more of a security thing. I want to know where and in what state the characters are going to end up not as much to spoil the mystery but more so that I know that through all of it, they're going to be okay. Otherwise I'd probably drive myself crazy thinking of how many ways something could go wrong or angsty or evil or what-have-you.
Question for you: if you check out the end of a book and find the characters in grief for another major character who was lost in the course of the book, would you choose not to read the book and thus avoid sharing in the anguish of the loss of the one who died or failed, or would you read the book, clinging to the security of the knowledge of the characters who survive?
I can understad the desire for security, and the hesitation to commit to loving a character only to face losing them, especially since we have no choice in real life but to take our chances with loss. But me, I'll always choose to take the love, no matter what happens after and whether it takes me by surprise or is long in the forecast.
That is the kicker, isn't it? Once you commit yourself to a show/book/movie, you're going to have to accept the ending even if it rips your heart out. Knowing can soften the blow though, at least in my experience.
Knowing beforehand (or watching/reading again) definitely changes your perspective. You start to look out for the things that are Important (with a capital 'I') and get why it's going to show up again later. One of these days I really want to sit down and do a meta on The Benders because in retrospect, that's my favorite episode ever on family dynamics and how the bottom line of the entire show is You Do Not Screw With Me & Mine.
It's actually funny coz the same reason that got me addicted to SPN spoilers was wanting to get in the mood too, with the boring summer hiatus I felt I was craving for anything Supernatural and my decision to stay spoiler free was burnt to ashes When I read your beautiful entry I felt parts of me written in front of my eyes and I was glad to find someone like me Am a writer too but the dream of Kripke discovering me was far beyond my reach due to many geographical barriers, I'm just glad that my stuff is being read by foreign people Oops, guess I got into the habit of babbling again, hope you forgive me and hope you'd add me as a friend!
You're not babbling, jaylan121, and you are most welcome!
I love the appeal that Supernatural has across the globe. It doesn't seem to matter where people live; if they're introduced to the show, it captures them.
I'm going to try to stay spoiler-free from this point on, although I know I may occasionally fall off the wagon again. I just want the new season to begin!
Really excellent post. I've gone back and forth about spoilers since I got into fandom. But it's never been something that I've felt very strongly about, until Supernatural. :D Season 1, I didn't seek out spoilers. Season 2, I sought them out with mindless desperation right up until Heart. And then I backed away. I didn't want to know. I remembered how affected I was by going into Devil's Trap entirely unspoiled and didn't want to risk ruining the final episodes of Season 2 by learning too much too soon
( ... )
Greetings, sister would-be gopher! Man, I'd fetch coffee, hold jackets, do bloody anything, just for the satisfaction of sharing the tiniest sense of being part of this show.
And there are thousands like us ... be afraid. Be very afraid!
I love spoilers... for me, its not the destination, but the journey of how the writers, directors and actors take you to that destination. Knowing spoilers or not knowing them has never impacted nor negated my enjoyment.
I know how life ends....with death. Its kinda the most basic spoiler we all know... doesnt mean it will spoil the adventure of the journey.
Knowing Sam was going to be killed in S2 meant nothing compared to the emoitonal impact and roller coaster that we were taken on by the actors, etc. And common sense pretty much dictated.. they were not going to perm. kill off one of only two leads on the show! So knowing ahead of time, didnt ruin anything for me.
I've discovered ... I like surprises. I like emotions that sneak up on me from nowhere and sandbag me without warning. That's where spoilers get in the way for me. But hey - if I had the chance to sit in the writers' room and hear the stories being broken? Or watch them shooting? I wouldn't consider the story spoiled!
I appreciate the joy of surprise POV... but for me, if I know a key event ahead of time, I can start playing with it in my head and I get more enjoyment out of that. It makes my watch for details more...and go very analytical.
Actually, that might be the core divider/issue. I am very methodical..knowing spoilers is akin to doing blood work on a patient... it gives me a baseline and head's up. For somebody who loves surprises... spoilers are a boner killer.
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Funny - I feel as if, with this little session, I'm embarking on the first phase of my 12-step program for recovery from spoiler addiction. I know the temptation will always be there, but I'm holding out for the satisfaction of letting Kripke and Company blindside and sucker-punch me with what happens to the boys in season three, and hopefully more seasons beyond. I'm glad to know that folk like you might be there as support for a recovering spoilerholic ... :)
Reply
I love spoilers. Not in the sense that I want to stand on a rooftop and shout them to the world but I'll admit to being one of the people who read the Harry Potter epilogue before the book even came out.
For me, I think it's more of a security thing. I want to know where and in what state the characters are going to end up not as much to spoil the mystery but more so that I know that through all of it, they're going to be okay. Otherwise I'd probably drive myself crazy thinking of how many ways something could go wrong or angsty or evil or what-have-you.
If that made any sense.
Reply
Question for you: if you check out the end of a book and find the characters in grief for another major character who was lost in the course of the book, would you choose not to read the book and thus avoid sharing in the anguish of the loss of the one who died or failed, or would you read the book, clinging to the security of the knowledge of the characters who survive?
I can understad the desire for security, and the hesitation to commit to loving a character only to face losing them, especially since we have no choice in real life but to take our chances with loss. But me, I'll always choose to take the love, no matter what happens after and whether it takes me by surprise or is long in the forecast.
Thanks for coming by and sharing!
Reply
Knowing beforehand (or watching/reading again) definitely changes your perspective. You start to look out for the things that are Important (with a capital 'I') and get why it's going to show up again later.
One of these days I really want to sit down and do a meta on The Benders because in retrospect, that's my favorite episode ever on family dynamics and how the bottom line of the entire show is You Do Not Screw With Me & Mine.
Reply
When I read your beautiful entry I felt parts of me written in front of my eyes and I was glad to find someone like me
Am a writer too but the dream of Kripke discovering me was far beyond my reach due to many geographical barriers, I'm just glad that my stuff is being read by foreign people
Oops, guess I got into the habit of babbling again, hope you forgive me and hope you'd add me as a friend!
Reply
I love the appeal that Supernatural has across the globe. It doesn't seem to matter where people live; if they're introduced to the show, it captures them.
I'm going to try to stay spoiler-free from this point on, although I know I may occasionally fall off the wagon again. I just want the new season to begin!
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And there are thousands like us ... be afraid. Be very afraid!
Thanks for stopping by!
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I know how life ends....with death. Its kinda the most basic spoiler we all know... doesnt mean it will spoil the adventure of the journey.
Knowing Sam was going to be killed in S2 meant nothing compared to the emoitonal impact and roller coaster that we were taken on by the actors, etc. And common sense pretty much dictated.. they were not going to perm. kill off one of only two leads on the show! So knowing ahead of time, didnt ruin anything for me.
Reply
I've discovered ... I like surprises. I like emotions that sneak up on me from nowhere and sandbag me without warning. That's where spoilers get in the way for me. But hey - if I had the chance to sit in the writers' room and hear the stories being broken? Or watch them shooting? I wouldn't consider the story spoiled!
Thanks for sharing!
Reply
I appreciate the joy of surprise POV... but for me, if I know a key event ahead of time, I can start playing with it in my head and I get more enjoyment out of that. It makes my watch for details more...and go very analytical.
Actually, that might be the core divider/issue. I am very methodical..knowing spoilers is akin to doing blood work on a patient... it gives me a baseline and head's up. For somebody who loves surprises... spoilers are a boner killer.
Reply
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