An encyclopedia of weirdness

Eric Kripke’s new post-apocalyptic show Revolution is currently airing on NBC and, like most Supernatural fans, I felt compelled to check it out. Not only because it is Kripke’s new baby, but also because the dystopian setting appealed to me. Now, so far I’ve only watched the first two episodes – both have been penned by Kripke himself – and I have pretty mixed feelings about it, but I think there is a lot of potential for the show to grow. So, I thought I write down some of my first impressions of the show.

( Your job, Charlie, is to not let go of your brother’s hand. )

I just learned something that made me rethink the theory I formulated in my last post. It actually makes me a litte bit excited for S8. :)

( More S8 Spoilers )

I just saw this Jensen interview from SDCC, where he talks about Dean’s unforgiving attitude towards Castiel, and it resonated deeply with my own take on the Dean-Castiel relationship, so I was delighted to see Jensen’s similar thoughts on the subject. I wrote up a transcript of it. No worries, there are no spoilers for S8.

( Read more... )

Once upon a time, I promised llywela13 a picspam about the area where I live, and since we had a gorgeous day today and I had nothing urgent to do, I decided to make good on that promise.

I hope you enjoy the picspam, hon!



( The one with vineyards and historic buildings! )

I think there is little doubt that Sera Gamble’s Survival Of The Fittest is the weakest season finale of the show to date, and I am sad to see one of the strongest writers for Supernatural go out in this manner. It is not that the episode is not entertaining; there are moments that moved me, there are moments that made me laugh, there are moments between characters I enjoyed – but none of those moments are actually about Sam and Dean. While I had prepared myself for a 'brothers light' episode these last couple of weeks, I thought that we would at least get something – a moment, a scene between the brothers that carries actual meaning and emotion. Alas, we are denied even that. If it was not for the truly evil – and unexpected – turn of events in the last five minutes, Survival Of The Fittest would have been an entirely unremarkable episode.

( Looks like you’re well and truly on your own. )

Ben Edlund has not turned in many scripts for Supernatural that I find as lacklustre as the one he wrote for Reading Is Fundamental, and it is really a pity that his usual forte with the plot fails him at this particular point in the season. The exposition heavy episode mainly drives the mytharc forward, albeit in a very clumsy and contrived manner, and gives us an update on Castiel and Meg. Unfortunately, the episode is awkwardly paced, lacks true suspense and is overcrowded with guest characters, some of which deliver very weak performances. The overall Castiel centricity does not help the episode either, especially since his characterisation reflects somewhat badly on his character and, to add insult to injury, there is not even any substantial Sam-and-Dean time to tide me over the more annoying parts of the story. Overall, I daresay that Reading Is Fundamental ranks amongst my least favourite episodes of the season.

( No, you’re playing sorry. )

Of Grave Importance, written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming, is a good old-fashioned ghost story told from an insider perspective. The episode ties in with the reveal about Bobby at the end of Party On, Garth and explores the ins and outs of being a spirit, expanding the ghost mythology of the show in the process. Admittedly, Sam and Dean are relegated to the sidelines for a good part of the episode, but since the main story managed to hold my interest, I actually did not mind that as much as I usually do. And since the brothers’ characterisation/interaction is actually highly enjoyable, I feel pretty content with the direction of the episode.

( Everything is supposed to end. )

Sorry, I am so late, but work has been kicking my ass this week, and I didn’t get much writing done in the evenings. That’s also the reason why this review is not quite as extensive as I had planned, but I hope I can revisit it at a later time.

As is often the case, Supernatural counterbalances the drama of the previous episode with a more light-hearted offering. Party On, Garth by Adam Glass is an amusing standalone episode that, as the title suggests, puts a spotlight on the dorky hunter Garth. The differences in personality and attitude between the brothers and Garth not only make for some nice comedy moments, but also accentuate that Sam and Dean’s way to approach hunting is not the only way to go about it, and I like that. Overall, I enjoyed the episode, even though I think the writers missed some great opportunities to use the plot of the episode for the exploration of Dean’s arc this season.

( You’ve been Garthed! )

In other fandom news: I guess by now almost everyone will be aware of the fact that Sera Gamble will step down as a show runner and that Jeremy Carver will take her place in S8 – provided there will be a S8 of course. I really have to say that I am sad to see Sera go. She has been with the show from day one, and I think there is no denying that she wrote some of the best episodes Supernatural has to offer. Just this season, she thoroughly impressed me with her writing for Death’s Door, and I cannot help but feel that we lose an invaluable member of the Supernatural family with her departure. Furthermore, I loved her direction for S6/7. In fact, I preferred her seasons by far over the last two seasons with Kripke at the helm. I think she did wonders for the level of maturity in the overall writing for the show, not only for the characters, who were finally allowed to act their age, but also for the humour, which stopped being crude and juvenile. I have always hated the bashing Sera had to endure from this fandom, she did not deserve that and I just hope it didn’t play a part in her decision to leave. I wish her all the best for her future. ♥ That being said, Jeremy Carver has been one of my favourite writers in S3-S5, and I was devastated when he left the show to produce Being Human (US), so I am obviously thrilled to see him return to Supernatural. I have no idea how he will do as a show runner, but I am looking forward to what he will bring to the table. At the very least I have trust in his ability to write the brothers well, and that is a good start.

Out With The Old by Robert Singer and Jenny Klein mostly feels like a transitional episode, i.e. it introduces a couple of new plot points and poses more questions than it answers, but it is done well and makes for an enjoyable watch, even on repeated viewings. The episode not only delivers some surprising developments on the mytharc front, but also moves Sam’s arc forward in a satisfactory manner and offers some insight into Dean’s current state of mind. Moreover, the one-off characters are highly entertaining, and the brothers’ case of the week puts them into some very amusing situations. So, while not an outstanding instalment in the current season, Out With The Old is still a solid episode that successfully maintains the overall high quality of S7 so far.

( We’re only here to help. )