On This Day in Supernatural-Universe History - March 23/24

[hells_half_acre]

I'm bored, so I was going to do another "On This Day..." post, except that apparently I was bored at this time last year too, and I already have a post for March 24th. So, I'm just going to update it:

~March 23/24, 2010-2011

(2006-2009 - we left off with Sam Wessen accidentally hitting on Dean Smith in an elevator)

2010 - It's around this time of year that Dean loses all faith in their ability to stop the apocalypse and he leaves Sam in an attempt to say yes to Michael. Sam, with the help of Castiel, finds him and stops him...through the power of love. 

2011 - Dean is living with Lisa and Ben Braeden while working construction. He occasionally goes out for beer with his neighbour Sid, but does not talk about his past. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Dean, Sam's body and brain is off Hunting with the Campbells.


Hope that was fun for you. I was suitably occupied for 10 minutes. I think I'll go out and do errands now.

Comments

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

You need to do this more often....

:)

You're getting too much of a life there.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Hahaha...never fear - my job is dropping down to part-time next month. ;)

Of course, the main problem is that Supernatural doesn't give me many dates to work with :P

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

No it doesn't -- I'm lucky if I can figure out what MONTH the ep takes place. So far I've been treating the seasons as dealing with September-ish through early/mid-May... with a weird, vast, empty space for the summer. Although that doesn't quite work for S2.... *ponders* Maybe Dean was in a coma for three months? *shrugs*

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

S1 took longer - in that it didn't end in May, but instead ended in July...and then Dean took most of August to fix the Impala, and they got on the road just before September.

S3 has HUGE gaps of time between episodes.

S4, they actually did sync it up, with Dean being in hell for the summer....but yeah, generally the seasons run September-May, with the first couple of episodes of the season spanning the summer in large chunks.

But you can see all that in my timeline. They've really confused themselves with the year-jump though. I think to the point where they are trying not to put ANY dates in the show at all. My S6 timeline so far is all unknowns, and sometimes just "winter" based on the weather :P

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

Huh. That makes a lot of sense about S1... for some reason I was going TOTALLY by the weather (I'm too busy looking at the pretties to care about dates...) and had DEVIL'S TRAP set in late May.

I figured Dean fixed the Impala in July/August -- he's outdoors in a T-SHIRT IN SUNSHINE... so... yeah. Anyways, I had it figured for Dean rebuilding -- and half-destroying and re-rebuilding -- the Impala in the summer, with BLOODLUST hitting September.

S3 was the season of the Writer's Strike so it makes sense about the HUGE GAPS and yes, it's painfully obvious, especially near the end where they skip over a month or so, going from three weeks to 30 hours. It's partly why I love S3 though -- for all its unevenness in the timeline, it is a great character season. Not to mention it's fanfic fodder and I don't have to squeeze the timeline to make my fic fit (okay, yes, I'm a continuity cop! I admit it!).

S4 and S5 was the easiest to figure out...

*skips off to timeline*

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

If you ever need help with timelining...well, I happen to have the best timeline on the internet (in my opinion) so you can just look at it, or ask me. I explain my reasoning in it as well, and sometimes different options for the date (there are two ways the beginning of S5 can be interpreted).

S3 was actually my least favorite season, but I think that has more to do with the them trying to appease the network by making the show "brighter" and shoe-horning in new female characters. Plus, I'm part of the very small minority who did not like Katie's Ruby (I much prefer the way Genevieve played her).

My favorite season for timelining is S4, because they accidentally wrote it so that I could put dates on nearly every episode without stretching logic too much.

I mostly ignore the weather on the show - mainly because I know it's filmed in Canada, and Canadian weather (especially in Vancouver) is very unpredictable, and I also know that their shooting schedule doesn't match up with the airing schedule (and they usually write the episodes to coincide with the time of year they air). But if I'm really hard-up for dates, and there is snow in the episode (or fall leaves) then I'll use those facts.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

YOU DO!!! I JUST FINISHED LOOKING AT IT!

I liked S3 -- I wasn't insane about Bela (kind of hated the actress, I thought she was bland) and I didn't like Katie's Ruby until I met Genevieve's Ruby... and then I joined the Ruby 1.0 camp. It's just that I dislike S4 Ruby / Gen's acting much much much more than S3 Ruby / Katie. But the feminizing of S3 aside, it's still one of my favorites and I'm in the total minority. But personally, I think S3 is one of JA's best seasons and I just loved the exploration into Dean's psyche and his insecurities and his tailspinning terror as the season winded down.

That makes total sense about the weather... and even though I know all that intellectually, I still default to the "ooh... flurries! Must be March-ish..."

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

It's just that I dislike S4 Ruby / Gen's acting much much much more than S3 Ruby / Katie.

Yeah, see, I'm the exact opposite. So, I like S4 much better than S3.

That being said, S3's saving grace WAS JA's acting and the exploration of Dean's psyche...and also the glimpse it finally gave us into how much Sam is equally co-dependent on Dean.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

I think that if it wasn't for JA's acting and the exploration of Dean's psyche...and also the glimpse it finally gave us into how much Sam is equally co-dependent on Dean, I'd have given up on it. I was coming off S2, which I actually hated (I liked S1 WAYYYYYY better... S2 was meh other than the first four episodes after S1 for me) so I was seriously debating sticking it out and S3 and its character developments of Sam's codependency on Dean, of realizing that Sam needed Dean just as much as Dean needed him, and the exploration into Dean's psyche and how little boy and scared shitless Dean really was despite his bravado was totally hitting my hot buttons. I just prefer character exploration over plot and mythological arcs and for me S1 and S3 take the cake.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I like character exploration over plot too - I like character driven plots, really. But, that being said, I DID like S2 as much as S1...actually, I liked it a little better because I'm a fan of the "dark destiny" trope that they more fully introduced in S2.

I really liked S4, because it just seemed much more cohesive and planned out than any of the other seasons...and it really was when I fell for Sam as much as I had fallen for Dean, because for some reason I needed him to be an idiot before I could love him. :P

So, I think you and I are just oddly opposites on favourites here! Which is cool, I think, because we both agree on the characters and motivations and whatnot.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

I think that this you and I are just oddly opposites on favourites here! Which is cool, I think, because we both agree on the characters and motivations and whatnot. Is what makes it so interesting to discuss it -- we agree on many of the aspects that make the boys who they are, but are opposites in terms of finding seasons more likable than others. I don't even know why I love S3 so much -- I just DO. I think most of it is because up until that point Dean was able to keep his walls in place, to keep up his facade but in S3, they just crumble because he's so terrified. S3 was really when Dean became HUMAN for me, rather than the glimpses we caught in S1 and S2.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Very true - about Dean in S3. S3 was very much the first Dean themed season, whereas the first two seasons it was more about the plot, or Sam. I really think the seasons, in terms of emphasis, when Plot, Sam, Dean, Sam, Dean...S6 (I know you haven't seen it) breaks the pattern a little and is very Dean themed (at least to start).

It's funny, because I can't even really put my finger on why I hate S3 so much :P I just do. I mean, objectively, I love finding out more about Dean, and I love seeing Sam's love and codependency issues...but I just don't like the season. There are a few episodes I like BDABR, Mystery Spot, Ghostfacers...but over all, it just doesn't sit well with me.

It's cool though, that the show can do this - it doesn't really have a bad season overall, because the fans are ALWAYS divided whether they like/hate something...well, except for a few episodes that won't be mentioned :P

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

Ironically, you just named the episodes I hate about S3... I loathe GHOSTFACERS with such a deep passion it's not even funny. Mainly my vitriol for that episode comes from the way it's filmed and the shaky hand-cam because I depend on faces and the angles are all wrong to say nothing about how my depth perception is crap and that episode really screwed with my bad eyes. BD@BR is the best of the three... while MYSTERY SPOT, except maybe for the Sam-stuff towards the end, was just stupid for me.

My personal favs for that season is AVSC, MALLEUS MALEFICARUM (one scene, anyways), LONG DISTANCE CALL, NRFTW, that one with the fairy tales..., and a host of others. But my love for S3 is definitely overall-speaking more than specific episodes.

My hated season is S4. There's something about overall S4 that just doesn't sit well with me and I can't really stomach it all that well (except for a few episodes I liked). But it isn't a *bad* season -- it's just doesn't sit with me.

I have to disagree with your alternating brothers in terms of how they're centric to the plot. The way I saw it was:

S1 - Sam
S2 - Sam
S3 - Dean
S4 - Dean
S5 - Sam

The first two can be debated, but I definitely see S3 and S4 as Dean-centric while S5 is overwhelming Sam-centric.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Wow, yeah, we just have completely different tastes in episodes. I loathed MALLEUS MALEFICARUM and Long-Distance Call.

I can understand hating Ghostfacers for hatred of the hand-held cam thing though - that makes perfect sense. Personally, I think the reason I love it so much is because the boys swear in it...which is probably a silly reason to like it, but there you go.

And yeah, your description of S4 just not sitting right with you, is basically me and S3. :P

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

If it wasn't for the handheld cam, I'd have actually liked Ghostfacers -- I'd have still thought it was stupid, but liked it WAYYYYYY better... as it was it's was just very distracting and I kept trying to focus. But it's entirely because of that ep I let the guys swear in my fics.

MALLEUS MALEFICARUM is a truly horrible episode -- basically I hated it until we got Dean palming his stomach, and then... yeah. LOVE. I just watch the puking scene, to be honest and I also watch the bit between Dean and Ruby at the end when they talk about humanity and Hell. If it wasn't for those two scenes, I'd have hated it... but I do adore those scenes and just watch those scenes. LDC is one of my favorite S3 eps... mainly because Dean's so WRECKED in it.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Well, at least you are self-aware of your love for Dean!Whump. It's true, the scene in MM where Dean is being cursed is a good one. I don't like the conversation between him and Ruby, because I don't like that Ruby - though, I DO like the scene for advancing the plot.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

Hey, I've never deluded myself about my kinks or the fact I love puking on TV and Books or the fact Dean is very, very, very pretty when he bleeds / cries. I got into Supernatural originally for some very shallow reasons and I've never pretended to myself otherwise. So, yes, I am very much self-aware of my love for Dean!Whump.

*points to icon* Yes, that MM scene is a very, very, PRETTY scene...

I can understand not liking the final scene because of the dislike of Ruby -- I have similar scenes in S4... there were scenes great for plot, but because I didn't like that Ruby... yeah.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I hate puking on TV :P ...I'm one of those people who get nauseated if they see/hear/smell puking...though, watching anime has desensitized me to puking blood.

But I do agree that Dean is very pretty when he cries/bleeds/hurts.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

in RL I can't stand it at all, but I'll totally be the one person in my family who will hear it and go in the bathroom going "you okay? Anything I can do to help...?" I won't LIKE it, and have the world's weakest gag reflex but I can deal with puking for some reason.

On TV, though, yes please... although I don't actually want to see the dinner -- think Sam in PLAYTHINGS (OMG... I think I replayed that scene five times before letting the rest of the ep pan out), although I felt robbed in WISHFUL THINKING. And, yes, for some reason, puking blood is way different and somehow less disturbing.

And Dean is *gorgeous* while crying/bleeding/hurting or simultaneously doing all three (see: DEVIL'S TRAP)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Thank goodness we don't write Supernatural - JA would be like "what the heck are you doing to me!?!" Hahaha...but yes, I agree.

I don't mind people looking sick on TV, but I don't want to hear/see the puking. In RL, I'm the person who leaves the family member puking in the bathroom and doesn't offer help at all...but that's also because I'm a horrible person - no, actually, it's because when *I'm* sick/puking, I never want anyone to mention it or come near me, so I just sort of treat those around as though they feel the same.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

I don't want to be touched or petted when sick but I *do* want to be asked if I'm okay. Even if it means snarling at them to leave me alone. But yes, I do treat people the way I want to be treated.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

But every single one of my "ALL TIME FAVs" were written by Ben Edlund. THE END, etc...

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

On this, we agree!! Ben Edlund is awesome. (Except that I think Ben Edlund wrote Ghostfacers - which is I guess the only aberration for you...unless I'm mistaken about that.)

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

YES! HE IS!!!!!

And it wasn't the narrative or writing or anything specific to GHOSTFACERS as an ep -- it was just the way it was filmed and my crap depth perception. If it was filmed in the way they filmed the ending scene, I'd have been totally fine. But, yes, GHOSTFACERS is my only aberration. The others are *LOVE* -- and I mean LOVE!!!!

Edlund is by far my favorite writer of any Supernatural ep.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Me too!!

He's writing AND directing an episode at the end of S6! I'm looking forward to it. Being at the end of the season, it'll mean that it'll be one of his more serious ones...like On The Head of a Pin (SUCH A GOOD EPISODE GUH!)

I guess MALLEUS...is the aberration for me when it comes to Edlund, and that probably has more to do with me not liking Ruby1.0 very much than it does with the actual writing - because as you pointed out, there is that awesome hurt!Dean scene, and the plot is moved along nicely by it.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD YES! OTHOAP is one of his better ones (and that totally explains my MM fetish... I'd forgotten that was his). I think he did a bunch of the best S1 ones -- HOME, for sure, maybe SALVATION (or is it DEVIL'S TRAP). But I really like his serious ones better. And OTHOAP floored me. But I guess that has more to do with JA's handling of the awesomeness he created. My favorite scene is a tie between the Dean/Alastair showdown (*points to icon* -- as in before Dean gets beaten into a bloody, unconscious, but gorgeous pulp) and when Dean cries in the hospital at the very end with Cas there.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I AGREE! I can't decide between those two scenes either. Man, such an awesome episode. OH! And I love Anna's line in that one, when Uriel says there's no God, and she says "maybe, maybe not, but there's still me" and then ganks him. AWESOME! Such a good writer.

Anyway...he joined the team in S2, I believe, so those S1 eps are due to other people's awesomeness. I'm not sure whose.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

Probably Kripke.