So much yes to this, esp. the first two paragraphs.
There is really no compelling internal reason why Sam and Dean cannot have friends and family outside of those who are directly linked to their mission
This is one of my biggest gripes about SPN practically every season (and it grows as the seasons pass). We've seen hunters who have homes and families (Steve Wendell, Samuel and Deanna Campbell) and even hunters who seem relatively functional and happy (Garth). Beyond repeatedly funneling Sam and Dean into a vacuum of "only Sam and Dean" in order to create drama, raise the stakes, and maintain their identities of tragic loner heroes, there's really no reason to do this. The tragic loner hero persona can still be maintained while interacting regularly with other characters (I'm thinking similar to the Roadhouse crew or some functional, average-joe hunters who aren't neurotic). In fact, that duality can act to further highlight their tragic loner hero identities and has been used to great effect in other shows like "Dexter". I'm not saying that Dexter is a hero or that I think literally Sam and Dean's lives should mimic Dexter's, but that contrasting aspects of a character's life can throw the opposing side into stark relief, making it an effective way to show their alienation more so than the what you'd get by just making them loner heroes. I also think regular characters provide rich, complex, and meaningful foils, more so than episodic MotW or one-off guest stars. Basically, I think the writers need to give Sam and Dean room to grow instead of suffocating them with each other.
OK, that was a strange, slightly ranty tangent. Huh.
Anyway, loved reading this. I'm glad our season is looking up with the past couple of episodes. Let's hope it continues. *crosses fingers*
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Date: 2013-02-03 04:03 am (UTC)So much yes to this, esp. the first two paragraphs.
There is really no compelling internal reason why Sam and Dean cannot have friends and family outside of those who are directly linked to their mission
This is one of my biggest gripes about SPN practically every season (and it grows as the seasons pass). We've seen hunters who have homes and families (Steve Wendell, Samuel and Deanna Campbell) and even hunters who seem relatively functional and happy (Garth). Beyond repeatedly funneling Sam and Dean into a vacuum of "only Sam and Dean" in order to create drama, raise the stakes, and maintain their identities of tragic loner heroes, there's really no reason to do this. The tragic loner hero persona can still be maintained while interacting regularly with other characters (I'm thinking similar to the Roadhouse crew or some functional, average-joe hunters who aren't neurotic). In fact, that duality can act to further highlight their tragic loner hero identities and has been used to great effect in other shows like "Dexter". I'm not saying that Dexter is a hero or that I think literally Sam and Dean's lives should mimic Dexter's, but that contrasting aspects of a character's life can throw the opposing side into stark relief, making it an effective way to show their alienation more so than the what you'd get by just making them loner heroes. I also think regular characters provide rich, complex, and meaningful foils, more so than episodic MotW or one-off guest stars. Basically, I think the writers need to give Sam and Dean room to grow instead of suffocating them with each other.
OK, that was a strange, slightly ranty tangent. Huh.
Anyway, loved reading this. I'm glad our season is looking up with the past couple of episodes. Let's hope it continues. *crosses fingers*