a walking encyclopedia of weirdness
It's May second, and so I'm taking a moment from the madness of finals, term papers and projects in order to celebrate a birthday.
Whose, you ask? Well, his name's Sam Winchester, and he's a character on one of the best shows on television.
That's right. I'm talking about Supernatural.
Sam: When I told dad I was scared of the thing in my closet he gave me a .45.
Dean: Well what was he supposed to do?
Sam: I was nine years old. He was supposed to say "Don’t be afraid of the dark."
Dean: Don’t be afraid of the dark? What, are you kidding me? Of course you should be afraid of the dark! You know what’s out there!
Dean's right. Both the Winchesters know what's out there, and you should too. To find out the answers, you could check out WatchSupernatural.org, or why not simply follow the LJ-cuts below?
The Story So Far:
November 2, 1983: Former Marine-turned-mechanic John Winchester and his wife Mary have two sons-- Dean, age four, and Sam, age six months. The Winchester family is a close-knit, happy and loving one; they've got a good life in a nice home in peaceful Lawrence, Kansas, and a bright future to look forward to.
That all changed on the night that Sam Winchester turned six months old.
After John witnessed his wife's death -- a mysterious, unnatural death, caused by a demonic force that pinned Mary to the nursery ceiling above infant Sam's bed before setting her on fire-- everything changed. No longer blind to the paranormal evil that exists in the dark and in secret, John drew on his former training and started hunting the supernatural-- and he raised Dean and Sam to do the same.
The Present Day: A few years ago, Sam Winchester left his family and the violence and danger of the hunting life behind for college, intending on law school to follow, and a normal life after that. Everything was going according to plan until Dean showed up on the doorstep of the apartment he shared with his girlfriend Jess, bringing bad news: John Winchester was missing, having disappeared on a "hunting trip."
Together, Sam and Dean tracked their father to the place where he'd vanished, in the process dealing with the ghost he'd gone to investigate. They didn't find John, although they found his records, and when they got back to Sam's apartment, they found something worse: Jess, pinned to the ceiling above Sam's bed and murdered by fire, just as their mother Mary had been, twenty-two years before.
Now, Dean and Sam Winchester travel the roads together in a 1967 Chevy Impala, searching for the demon that destroyed their family. Along the way, they continue to hunt creatures that most people believe are only stories: ghosts, vampires, demons, werewolves, wendigo, reapers, spirits, and spooks. The more they find out, the more questions they have... and the more dangerous it gets.
Why Everyone Should Watch This Show:
Oh, there are so many reasons, but let me break it down to two:
* Storytelling that Gets It Right. Move over, Joss Whedon, you're no longer alone. I don't say that lightly. Eric Kripke is another creator who really gets it-- and who, together with the rest of the writing team, has put together a tightly-plotted, well-written series of spooky tales that brings us adventure week by week as well as an overarching storyline that has excellent continuity. You'll find elements of urban legend, myth, and history mixed in neatly with original material and seamlessly blended. There's an excellent balance of humor, wit, snark, danger, and drama, too-- and the combination is devastatingly powerful. I have rarely laughed, screamed, or cried so hard as I have done while watching Supernatural-- I get caught up in the tale and the emotion, and I follow willingly where the story takes me.
As a long-time fan, I've loved (and still do love) shows like Buffy, Angel, and Firefly for similar reasons, but Supernatural brings me something I've been missing since the early days of the X-Files -- and perhaps it's no coincidence that there are familiar names from the 1013 Productions team showing up on Kripke's team as well. Among them are John Shiban, Kim Manners, and powerhouse David Nutter.
* The Winchester brothers. Dean Winchester is played by Jensen Ackles, Sam Winchester by Jared Padalecki, and together the two actors bring a dynamic of true partnership, trust, sibling rivalry, snark, and emotion that's absolutely spot on perfect. Which is as it should be, really: the Winchester boys are the heart, soul, and the core of the show (albeit with an ample supporting cast that includes some well-beloved recurring characters), and Jared and Jensen make us believe it completely.
And you know what? They're pretty damn fine to look at, too. Take a look at some of the pics, if you don't believe me. Here's the promo shots from season one, and here's season two.
Whew. Where was I? Oh yeah.
Anyway. Now that you're going to give the show a try -- you are, right? Right? -- where can you find it, you ask?
I'm glad you did.
Sources for Supernatural Episodes
* The CW: Your first and possibly easiest choice is the network itself. Supernatural airs on the CW on Thursday nights, at 9 PM ET (that's 8 PM, Central and Mountain). We're currently three episodes out from the end of Season Two.
Can't watch then, or you'd rather start with earlier episodes, you say? The network may still be a good choice for you, but this time online. The CW airs selected full episodes of Supernatural in streaming format from their website. Just follow this convenient link right here.
* Download from iTunes or Amazon: Don't mind paying a little bit of money? You can get episodes of Supernatural by downloading from either iTunes or Amazon.com, for $1.99 each. This applies for all season 2 episodes. ETA: bansidhe points out that an iTunes season pass is less expensive overall than getting the season episode by episode. Thanks, Bansh!
* Season One on DVD: That's right, season one has been released to DVD and is available now. Here's a link to Amazon, and another to Deep Discount DVD, but check around. Prices may vary, depending on who's got a sale going. If you prefer to rent, both Netflix and Blockbuster have the series available. ETA: weaverandom notes that you can get season 1 DVDs in Australia at JB Hi-Fi stores for under thirty dollars. Thanks, Weaves!
* Need Another Option?: How much do I love this show? Enough to help you find those other options, if you're looking for them. Leave a comment here or send me an email at aspen[at]silveraspen[dot]net. I'll get back to you. Put "Supernatural" in the subject line, and I'll get back to you that much faster. ;)
Interested? Have questions, want to discuss something about the show, or just need more convincing? Leave a comment, and let's talk.
Whose, you ask? Well, his name's Sam Winchester, and he's a character on one of the best shows on television.
That's right. I'm talking about Supernatural.
Sam: When I told dad I was scared of the thing in my closet he gave me a .45.
Dean: Well what was he supposed to do?
Sam: I was nine years old. He was supposed to say "Don’t be afraid of the dark."
Dean: Don’t be afraid of the dark? What, are you kidding me? Of course you should be afraid of the dark! You know what’s out there!
Dean's right. Both the Winchesters know what's out there, and you should too. To find out the answers, you could check out WatchSupernatural.org, or why not simply follow the LJ-cuts below?
The Story So Far:
November 2, 1983: Former Marine-turned-mechanic John Winchester and his wife Mary have two sons-- Dean, age four, and Sam, age six months. The Winchester family is a close-knit, happy and loving one; they've got a good life in a nice home in peaceful Lawrence, Kansas, and a bright future to look forward to.
That all changed on the night that Sam Winchester turned six months old.
After John witnessed his wife's death -- a mysterious, unnatural death, caused by a demonic force that pinned Mary to the nursery ceiling above infant Sam's bed before setting her on fire-- everything changed. No longer blind to the paranormal evil that exists in the dark and in secret, John drew on his former training and started hunting the supernatural-- and he raised Dean and Sam to do the same.
The Present Day: A few years ago, Sam Winchester left his family and the violence and danger of the hunting life behind for college, intending on law school to follow, and a normal life after that. Everything was going according to plan until Dean showed up on the doorstep of the apartment he shared with his girlfriend Jess, bringing bad news: John Winchester was missing, having disappeared on a "hunting trip."
Together, Sam and Dean tracked their father to the place where he'd vanished, in the process dealing with the ghost he'd gone to investigate. They didn't find John, although they found his records, and when they got back to Sam's apartment, they found something worse: Jess, pinned to the ceiling above Sam's bed and murdered by fire, just as their mother Mary had been, twenty-two years before.
Now, Dean and Sam Winchester travel the roads together in a 1967 Chevy Impala, searching for the demon that destroyed their family. Along the way, they continue to hunt creatures that most people believe are only stories: ghosts, vampires, demons, werewolves, wendigo, reapers, spirits, and spooks. The more they find out, the more questions they have... and the more dangerous it gets.
Why Everyone Should Watch This Show:
Oh, there are so many reasons, but let me break it down to two:
* Storytelling that Gets It Right. Move over, Joss Whedon, you're no longer alone. I don't say that lightly. Eric Kripke is another creator who really gets it-- and who, together with the rest of the writing team, has put together a tightly-plotted, well-written series of spooky tales that brings us adventure week by week as well as an overarching storyline that has excellent continuity. You'll find elements of urban legend, myth, and history mixed in neatly with original material and seamlessly blended. There's an excellent balance of humor, wit, snark, danger, and drama, too-- and the combination is devastatingly powerful. I have rarely laughed, screamed, or cried so hard as I have done while watching Supernatural-- I get caught up in the tale and the emotion, and I follow willingly where the story takes me.
As a long-time fan, I've loved (and still do love) shows like Buffy, Angel, and Firefly for similar reasons, but Supernatural brings me something I've been missing since the early days of the X-Files -- and perhaps it's no coincidence that there are familiar names from the 1013 Productions team showing up on Kripke's team as well. Among them are John Shiban, Kim Manners, and powerhouse David Nutter.
* The Winchester brothers. Dean Winchester is played by Jensen Ackles, Sam Winchester by Jared Padalecki, and together the two actors bring a dynamic of true partnership, trust, sibling rivalry, snark, and emotion that's absolutely spot on perfect. Which is as it should be, really: the Winchester boys are the heart, soul, and the core of the show (albeit with an ample supporting cast that includes some well-beloved recurring characters), and Jared and Jensen make us believe it completely.
And you know what? They're pretty damn fine to look at, too. Take a look at some of the pics, if you don't believe me. Here's the promo shots from season one, and here's season two.
Whew. Where was I? Oh yeah.
Anyway. Now that you're going to give the show a try -- you are, right? Right? -- where can you find it, you ask?
I'm glad you did.
Sources for Supernatural Episodes
* The CW: Your first and possibly easiest choice is the network itself. Supernatural airs on the CW on Thursday nights, at 9 PM ET (that's 8 PM, Central and Mountain). We're currently three episodes out from the end of Season Two.
Can't watch then, or you'd rather start with earlier episodes, you say? The network may still be a good choice for you, but this time online. The CW airs selected full episodes of Supernatural in streaming format from their website. Just follow this convenient link right here.
* Download from iTunes or Amazon: Don't mind paying a little bit of money? You can get episodes of Supernatural by downloading from either iTunes or Amazon.com, for $1.99 each. This applies for all season 2 episodes. ETA: bansidhe points out that an iTunes season pass is less expensive overall than getting the season episode by episode. Thanks, Bansh!
* Season One on DVD: That's right, season one has been released to DVD and is available now. Here's a link to Amazon, and another to Deep Discount DVD, but check around. Prices may vary, depending on who's got a sale going. If you prefer to rent, both Netflix and Blockbuster have the series available. ETA: weaverandom notes that you can get season 1 DVDs in Australia at JB Hi-Fi stores for under thirty dollars. Thanks, Weaves!
* Need Another Option?: How much do I love this show? Enough to help you find those other options, if you're looking for them. Leave a comment here or send me an email at aspen[at]silveraspen[dot]net. I'll get back to you. Put "Supernatural" in the subject line, and I'll get back to you that much faster. ;)
Interested? Have questions, want to discuss something about the show, or just need more convincing? Leave a comment, and let's talk.