100 Episodes Supernatural

[galathea]

Tonight SUPERNATURAL airs its 100th episode! ♥ Congratulations to Kripke & Co for reaching this milestone. Wow, who would have thought back when the show started that we’ll ever find ourselves here? Does anybody remember the nerve-wracking time we waited for the confirmation that our little show was one of the few selected shows that would be picked up by The CW when UPN and The WB merged? Or when we were out of our minds with worry about The Crash? Or the fear that paralysed us all when we didn’t know for ages if we would get a S3? Fun times!

So, I felt a little nostalgic today and thought I’d take a look back at how it all started, I mean, for me, personally. I’ve been committed to this show for four years now, and like with any show there have been ups and downs, obviously, but the brothers Winchester are still my favourite characters on TV – even if they changed considerably over the years – and I think they always will be. So, have a stroll down memory lane with me, if you like.



There are a lot of TV shows that I watch for light-hearted entertainment purposes, but am not deeply invested in, like for example The Big Bang Theory or Leverage. Then there are some shows that I really love and consider myself a fan of, where I care about the characters and even watch episodes multiple times, like for example Friday Night Lights. But there are only very few shows that make the jump from 'love' to 'obsession', which is basically an all-encompassing, unhealthy fascination with all things Show! In the past, shows like Babylon 5 or Angel made the list of shows I obsessed over, but I can honestly say that I have never been as devoted to a show as I have been to Supernatural in these last four years. I may be frustrated with the show as a whole at times, but Sam and Dean Winchester own me completely, and I doubt that I will ever find two fictional characters that I care more about than I care about these two. ♥

So, it all began in 2005. The fall season had barely just started, when my friend ehlwyen started to talk about this brand-new show Supernatural that she had quickly become addicted to, and in the following weeks and months she tried to recruit anybody who would stand still long enough to listen to her. The premise in itself didn’t really catch my attention, but since I like horror/mystery/fantasy shows, I wasn’t exactly averse to giving it a shot either. Still, it wasn’t before January 2006 – during the S1 winter hiatus – that I actually caved and sat down to watch the show’s Pilot. Now, if any of you expects to hear a 'love at first sight' story, I have to disappoint you. The Pilot left me underwhelmed, to say the least. Not that I hated it, but it wasn’t one of those pilots where I instantly want to see the next episode either. You want to have a laugh? Here is what I wrote in terms of 'review' for the Pilot after I first watched it:

"I didn't find the Pilot very interesting. The story about the 'Woman In White' was very predictable from the start. The moment they showed the picture frame of her and the children in the abandoned house, it was clear where the story would be heading. I have to give the episode credit, some of the scenes were very creepy, but did anybody else feel heavily reminded of 'The Ring', what with the flickering image of the ghost, her dark long hair and crazy look? Also, the special effects at the end, combined with a very heavy score, were overdone and a little too unsubtle for me. I like my ghost stories more spooky and less gory.

Sam and Dean have the typical big brother/little brother thing going on. Sam, who wants to lead a normal life, but is forced to return to what he left behind, Dean as the older one, who used to look after his brother and follows in the footsteps of his father. Some of the dialogues between the two were funny ("No chick flick moments please!"), but there wasn't anything that really gripped me. I am not sure what I expected, but the Pilot definitely didn't do anything for me. Nevertheless, I guess I'll try some more episodes. It seldom happens that something grips me right from the start. I sometimes need time to get into the characters and see them develop, before I am actually hooked."

Hm, don’t you wish that my reviews nowadays were that short? *g* Anyway, despite my intention to watch a couple of episodes before returning my final verdict, I dropped the show for a while and turned my attention somewhere else – Veronica Mars, to be specific – so I missed the opportunity to actually follow the second half of S1 while it aired. Or at least most of it. It was at the end of April 2006 that I found myself bored and in want of some horror, and Supernatural seemed like a good choice at the time, especially since I still had a couple of episodes laying around on my computer. Needless to say that the second time around the show and I clicked! It was Dead In The Water that actually got me hooked, and from there on I basically inhaled S1 and finished it just in time to catch the finale when it aired at the beginning of May.

Now, with most shows I tend to gradually slip from 'like' to 'love' to 'obsessed', but for Supernatural I can actually pinpoint the exact moment I crossed the line into obsession territory. It was the episode Scarecrow that did the trick, the infamous phone conversation between the brothers in particular. I really loved the wonderful symmetry in the character work of the episode, i.e. Dean giving Sam the freedom he craves – at the expense of his own needs – and Sam in return realising that his freedom isn’t as important as Dean’s safety and their familial bond. The mutual love expressed in their gestures, the way both brothers give something up to unexpectedly receive what they need in return, really struck a cord in me, and I lost my heart to these boys there and then. Scarecrow was a lot of 'firsts' for me: First time the show made me cry, first time I wrote a review for an episode, first time I was inspired to make a wallpaper about the show. So, unsurprisingly, Scarecrow is an all-time favourite of mine for these exact reasons. ♥

I think most people know that I love both brothers equally – even if I sometimes love the storyline of one brother more than the other – and there is nothing in the show that makes me happier than Sam and Dean together. It doesn’t matter if they banter with each other in diners and rundown motel rooms, have chick flick moments at the side of the road or handle weapons, amulets and exorcisms, as long as they do it side by side, I am delirious. At the beginning of the show, however, I was a Sam!girl. Not only because I strongly identified with Sam and his struggles with his family, but also because I tend to prefer the brooding, emotional types of characters. It took me a couple of episodes to look past Dean’s 'bad boy' attitude and realise that it is mostly a defence mechanism, but around mid-season he had caught up in my affection. Again, it was Dean’s generous gesture in Scarecrow that turned the tables and put me in the Dean!girl corner – although obviously I never stopped to love Sam – and I remained a Dean!girl for a long time. It was S3, where I sympathised with the struggles of both brothers in equal measure, that Sam and Dean drew level in my heart, and I am bibro ever since. Although, admittedly, I have a major protective streak where Sam is concerned at the moment, probably because he receives so much hate in fandom ever since he betrayed Dean in S4.

Anyway, while the brothers and their relationship have always been the main attraction in the show for me, there have been other aspects that fed into my addiction with Supernatural as well, like for example the wonderful cinematography, the classic rock music soundtrack or the road movie feel of the show. The mystery of Mary’s death and the Yellow Eyed Demon and his nefarious plans intrigued me for the longest time, until the angels came into play and spoiled that part of the story to some extent, unfortunately. There have also been a row of amazing recurring characters that I fell in love with, like Bobby Singer and Mary Winchester, obviously, but also Victor Henriksen or Ellen and Jo Harvelle. A show needs good villains as well, and Supernatural created some fantastic 'baddies', like Azazel, Gordon, Uriel, Alistair, Lucifer. I loved them all.

In conclusion: For the last four years Supernatural ruled my world, and I know that no matter what, I will finish Sam and Dean’s journey with them. I just hope the writers will grant them a peaceful and happy ending. Overall, so far my obsession with Supernatural resulted in 150 wallpapers and 268.000+ words in reviews/metas – plus two fanfiction ficlets – and if that’s not inspiration, I don’t know what is.

So, that was short overview of my history with the show. How about you? Share something about your infatuation with the show with me, if you like. :)

In other news, I am sorry my review for 99 Problems is delayed, but my week has been extremely busy. The review is almost finished though and with a little luck - and lack of distraction - I’ll post it later today. My review for the 100th episode will be late as well, because my sister is visiting me for the next couple of days, so I won’t find any time to write. :)

Enjoy today’s episode everyone! ♥

Comments

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Woot, I've been waiting for this!

I love your 100th art, and man, how nostalgic I feel after that wander down memory lane.

I'm pretty sure you know my history with the show almost as well as your own, since we've pretty much experienced the whole thing together. I got into it before you, though - I started watching when ITV2 started airing the show in January 2006, mainly because I remembered loving Jensen in Dark Angel and wanted to see him again. I knew from the first episode that it was a show I was going to enjoy, albeit on a fairly superficial level, but that superficial enjoyment turned to full blown fandom around about the same point that it did for you - it was the little mini-arc of Asylum-Scarecrow-Faith that did it for me!

And the rest, as they say, is history :)

Have a great weekend, hon. Talk to you next week.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Yay, nostalgia! :) I felt very nostalgic, too, writing up this post, but in between reminiscing about the good old days and composing bits and pieces of my 99 Problems review, I also felt happy that I am still here, you know. Despite the dissatisfaction and disappointments throughout the years, this is still my No. 1 show. :)

Heh, yes, knowing your history with the show comes with being brain twins anyway. *g*

Thanks, I'm planning on it. We'll probably do a massive DVD marathon, I think I'm going to introduce my sister to Merlin or something equally light-hearted. :)

[chiiyo86.livejournal.com]

Hee, I love those "how it began" stories"!

Here is mine.

September 2007. I was bored and alone because everyone in my family was in school or at work except me, and I stumbled on a streaming website. I looked for a show to start watching, just to kill the time and I found Supernatural. At the time, season one had just finished airing on French TV, and I'd seen some trailers, so I knew what it was about. I didn't have any big expectations, I was hoping at most that it would be entertaining. What drew me to choose that show was that it was about brothers, and I've always loved stories about siblings. Like you, it wasn't love at first sight. I wasn't overwhelmed by the Pilot. The website didn't have all season one episodes, and they were in French - I still watched because I thought it was a show where you don't need to see every episode to understand, since it was one episode/one hunt. I finished season one quickly (with big holes in it) and started season two - which was whole, and in English. I think it was season two that sealed the deal for me, especially In MY Time Of Dying. When I finished watching it, season three was starting in the US. :)

I was at first more drawn to Dean than to Sam - I like sarcastic characters, and I could relate more easily to his position as an older sibling (also, I was more attracted to Dean than Sam in season one; those things are important!). Sam grew on me progressively during season two, and I think that now I'm more or less bibro. I have noticed that during discussions about the show, I'm more protective of Dean, though.

I'm an anime/manga fan, and we tend to be... fannish. I have loved characters, have been obsessed with them since I'm more character driven than plot driven, but it never came close to how much I love Sam and Dean Winchester. I think they will always hold a special place in my heart. <3

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I've always loved stories about siblings.
Ah, interesting. I think the only story about siblings that ever managed to engage me before I met the brothers Winchester was the storyline of Simon and River Tam from Firefly. Just like Sam and Dean they have an ultra protective, co-dependent relationship, and I think that's ultimately the aspect that draws me to these stories. Although, by now the word 'brothers' is inextricably connected to Sam and Dean for me, it's like a pavlovian reflex, I think about them as soon as I hear/read that word.*g*

I could relate more easily to his position as an older sibling
Heh, it's funny. I am the oldest of three sisters, but actually in our family I am the Sam type while my younger sisters are both Dean types, my middle sister especially. I had a lot of fights with my parents and I left for university, while my sisters stayed at home. Our relationship is still not the best, but at least I get along with my sisters just fine. I also share a lot of Sam's character traits, so yeah, I relate very strongly to him, but that's also the reason why I love Dean so much, because he accepts Sam with all of his flaws. :)

Heh, I doubt that I will ever love two characters more than Sam and Dean. I am sure I'll love others, once Supernatural is over, but this kind of deep devotion I've never experienced before. ♥

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Yay, Show LOVE!!! I will come back when I have more time and pollute your journal with how much I adore this entry and how similar our introductions to SPN are *boggles*. But for now I'll just say:

100 EPISODES!!! \O/ WE MADE IT!

*throws confetti and hugs you*

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Ooh, heh, can't wait to hear your story then! *g*

It's really UNBELIEVABLE! We made it, indeed, we've been beaten down time and again and had to make deals left and right, but hey, we're here! ;) Let's hope the 100th episode lives up to the hype. *g*

*hugs you back*

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

I'm back! *jazz hands*

I was a Sam!girl. Not only because I strongly identified with Sam and his struggles with his family, but also because I tend to prefer the brooding, emotional types of characters. It took me a couple of episodes to look past Dean’s 'bad boy' attitude and realise that it is mostly a defence mechanism, but around mid-season he had caught up in my affection.

Are you sure you didn't creep into by brain and read my thoughts? ;)

I was entertained by the boy's chemistry. The first episode I really watched (while trapped on the elliptical machine at the gym and only because there was nothing else on) was "Tall Tales". I found the snark addictive and Sam's bitchfaces and eye rolls and Dean jamming the candy in his mouth like a chipmunk were just too funny. But the real clincher were the humorous alternating POV scene--I thought that was so cleverly done. So I thought I'd give this little show I'd heard so much about a go.

To my surprise it wasn't just a Mulder-Scully-esque silly show, but there was real emotional substance and a captivating angst-filled mystery. When I really sat up and knew this show was worth a journey into fandom was when I saw "Nightmare" and "Faith". The revelation that there were more kids with nursery fires like Sam pretty much concussed me: I think I actually got the shivers and swore. That was when I fell in love with the plot. And "Faith" was such a quietly gorgeous episode with such intense brotherly emotion that I knew I had been drawn in hook, line, and sinker. That was when I fell in love with the characters.

The rest has been an exercise in strengthening my love for this show. Even though I may be dissatisfied with certain episodes or don't agree with some characterization or plot points or get frustrated that everyone keeps conveniently dying, at the heart of the matter is Sam and Dean and their brotherly relationship. And as long as that's the mainstay of the series around which all else revolves I'm here to stay. :)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Welcome back! *g*

When I really sat up and knew this show was worth a journey into fandom was when I saw "Nightmare" and "Faith".
Oh, I know what you mean. I think 90% of the SPN fans I know fell in love with the show during the Asylum-Scarecrow-Faith mini-arc - these three episodes belong together in my mind. I think I was intrigued by the plot right away due to the teaser sequence in the Pilot, a scene that still gives me chills after all these years. I might not have loved the Pilot as a whole in the beginning, but that chilling sequence with Mary was actually the reason why I went back and gave it another shot when I was in the mood for horror. *g*

And as long as that's the mainstay of the series around which all else revolves I'm here to stay. :)
I hear ya! I think disappointments are inevitable with TV shows - it's difficult to tell a story in 100+ episodes and with all the pressures/insecurities that come with the medium - but as long as the characters are treated well and stay consistent, I am in for the long haul. Really, the only thing I am unable to forgive in a show is character assassination.