Thoughts on S5 DVDs and recent S6 spoilers

[hells_half_acre]

S5 DVD - I really hope there's Kripke-commentary to the final episode (I'm sure there will be), and in it, I hope Kripke tells us how it would have ended if there'd been no S6. The production person said on twitter that there WERE rewrites once S6 was announced, but she can't tell us what they were. I'd love to know.

Because it occurred to me yesterday that Kripke's arc was indeed a tragedy. I remember reading a meta in the past year that pointed out that Supernatural was following the basic rules of a classic tragedy - and at the time, I thought "Nooooo" because although my favorite play is Hamlet, I don't actually like the fact that everybody dies in tragedies. I like it when people dog-sled off into the sunset to find the Hand of Franklin.

That being said, I don't mind that Kripke's arc was a tragedy, and that really illustrates how awesome Supernatural is, because here are some facts about me:

1)I don't like one hour dramas.
2)I don't like horror
3)I don't like it when my favorite characters die (and they mostly always do, because I tend to fall for the expendable crew member.)

Yet: My favorite show is Supernatural.

Anyway...I got off track there...let's talk about S6 spoilers:

1)There will be a time-jump
-You know, a lot of people are freaking out about this and I don't know why. I think it'd be way worse if Sam were to just show up after only a week or 2 months or 4 months - it would totally diminish the sacrifice he made, and it would also diminish the loyalty Dean is showing to him by trying with Lisa even though he wants to die or get Sam back. 

2)Jensen will direct an episode.
YAY! That's awesome. I can't wait. Also, if Jensen is directing, I'm assuming that it'll mostly be a Sam episode - because dude, Jensen is overworked as it is! So, that'll be neat.

Alright, well there isn't much point to this post, I'm just bored. So I'll go now.

Comments

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Well, from the interview with Jensen where he talked about the time-jump, it doesn't sound like they are going for happy domesticity. He was talking about it from a "soldier coming back from a war" perspective, and how they have difficulty with "normal"...so, that gives me hope.

But yes, I really think that had it been a series finale, they would have both jumped in that hole - and it would have been more of a tie-up.

The problem with everything paying off nicely is that it takes a level of planning that I just don't think Kripke has ever had - just based on the amount of times he's tried something, decided he didn't like it, and killed it off. I mean, I absolutely love the show and I think they do a good job with it, but I can recognize that some of it has been a bit haphazard, so I've made piece with the fact that it's not going to have that nice perfect bow on it at the end of the day.

[claudiapriscus.livejournal.com]

Well, I did tell you my 'alternate universe' season theory, didn't I?

I'll work on embracing it a bit more. I think also some of my disappointment lies in that I got hooked on Season 4, so those were the things I wanted to see payoff. I think some of the longer-term fans are more immune to this than I am because they're used to the random seasonal mytharc veering.

I still think they had it in them, though, without being completely meticulous about it. Lots of planning is one way of doing that payoff, but as it doesn't have to be perfect resolution, I think it's possible to fake it. I mean, they faked it pretty well with a few of their retcons. But that's neither here nor there. I'm pretty forgiving of plotholes when it *feels* like it fits. Like Casablanca. It's got some ridiculously large plotholes and inconsistencies. Big enough that the whole story should probably just fall apart. But it's got one hell of an emotional/thematic payoff, and that seems stronger than all the tight plotting in the world. the "real" story completely transcends the mundane details.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

See, for me Supernatural DOES fake it well enough for me...or, the payoff is enough that I don't care. So, I guess you just have higher standards.

In my opinion Supernatural has never actually done any "retcons" either by the traditional definition...

But yeah, I know what you are saying.

I'm not sure you did tell me your 'alternate universe' season theory...unless I'm just not linking up the name with the theory...

[claudiapriscus.livejournal.com]

Well, sort of retcons, anyway. Changing things in the past to fit with the current storyline that they absolutely, positively, didn't originally intend/do. Sometimes, it can be made to fit seamlessly. Sometimes, in retrospect, it doesn't really make sense at all, but that may or may not be a big problem.


For example, I'm pretty sure that when they introduced Chuck, they weren't thinking, "let's make him actually be god" nor do I bet they thought, "hey, I bet the amulet's a god-detector" when they introduced it.

My "alternate universe season theory" is that every season takes place in a slightly (if significantly) different universe than the season previous. And that explains why none of them really line up on some of the larger mytharc things. (This theory is also known as 'the writers were making up shit as they went along' theory ;)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Well, they didn't CHANGE things about the past - they just ADDED things to the past. Therefore, not a retcon in my books. Though, you're correct in the fact that Chuck=God DOES come close to a retcon...because damn, God was a good actor :P What with the nervousness and the prostitutes and the mooning over Becky... :P

And YES! Now I remember your alternate universe season theory. You did explain it before. I remember liking it.

[claudiapriscus.livejournal.com]

I'm just going to ignore Chuck = God and substitute the x-files (where burt reynolds = God) until they force me to think differently.

But that's mostly because I adored Chuck and if he's God...well, if he'd just died there'd be a very good chance he'd be back. God...not so much.

Plus, I know it's stupid fannish detail, but I'm kind of irked that they made a big deal of putting that loaded gun (i mean..amulet) on stage in the first episode, if they weren't planning on having it going off at some point. Figuratively speaking.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the problem with the amulet is that they DID have it pay off, just not in the way we were expecting. We wanted it to WORK, but they used it as a symbol. Ah well.

The thing with Chuck though, is that even if he wasn't God, there's absolutely no use for him anymore now that the apocalypse storyline is over. He's prophetting days are over, there's nothing to tie him into the story. At least this way we get some sort of closure with his character...otherwise it'd be years from now and we'd be saying "I wonder whatever happened to Chuck?"

Much like a lot of the characters, his days were numbered just because of the purpose he served.

[claudiapriscus.livejournal.com]

He wasn't being particularly prophet-y in "The Real Ghostbusters". Or in "The End." (man, the End definitely puts him in the "jerk" category.) He could have still hung around! Don't burst my little bubble, here.

The amulet thing is confusing, because it was already a symbol, and then it was a plot coupon, and then it was a symbol of Castiel's faith (which seemed kind of shoehorned, but I could go with it), and I'm still puzzled by Dean throwing it away, because he never seemed to see it as a symbol for faith in God, and his relationship with Sam at that point did not seem worse than it had at the beginning of the season, when he was still reluctant to let go of it.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Who knows. But yeah, Chuck in the future was odd...unless you go with the theory that the "future" was all a Zachariah manipulation.

Technically, Dean HAD just got back from Heaven where he discovered that all Sam's happiest memories were his worst ones, and that Sam was happiest without him, and OUCH...so, to me it made sense that even as a symbol of brotherhood, Dean was in a foul enough mood to throw it away. But that's me. I think Dean was being pissy and he probably regretted it later, but since it appears Sam didn't have the thought to pull that thing out of the garbage, it's too late now for him to get it back. I bet he's really kicking himself now that his beloved brother is DEAD and IN HELL.

[claudiapriscus.livejournal.com]

Hehe. Yes. That's the mother of all guilt trips right there.

Ben: "hey, whatever happened to your weird necklace thing?"

Dean takes a swig of whisky: "I...lost it." A single perfect tear rolls down his manly cheek.

Ben: "You know, I think I liked it better when Mom was dating the lawyer."

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

LOL!! I love it!! Oh man...