Supernatural: Men and Angels...

[fajrdrako]

Once again I spent the evening watching Supernatural with explodedteabag. I'm enjoying it immensely, despite having to close my eyes occasionally for the gore. I'm still particularly enjoying the bits where Castiel appears....

And by a delightful though eerie chance, as I was watching episode 4x10, "Heaven and Hell", I got a phone call from a friend to tell me about the book she was reading about Angels. She knew nothing about Supernatural, not even that the show exists, let alone that I was watching it. I almost asked her if the book had anything about Castiel in it, but I suspect not. As angels go, he's fairly obscure.

This show is so reminding me of some comics I love. Misha Collins even has the John Constantine stance down pat. And the gaze. And the rumpled coat. explodedteabag wants to know: how can you get your trench coat that rumpled in heaven?

I'm also starting to like Sam and Dean, not just for their clever dialogue, but as individuals.

Comments

[creativeelf.livejournal.com]

Did you know Kripke based Cas off of Constantine :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, and you can't imagine how much I love that.

That's what got me watching the show. explodedteabag told me there was a character like John Constantine. It's a nice sort of bonus that he's an angel.

He's so much better than the Keanu Reeves version.

[ceindreadh.livejournal.com]

I quite liked the movie Constantine. But then
(a) I like Keanu Reeves and
(b) I'd never heard of Constantine before the movie, so I had no preconceptions about it.

I do love Castiel though (and am finding Misha Collins in all sorts of random guest spots now that I'm looking for him!)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I quite liked the movie Constantine.

Oh, I did too. And I like Keanu Reeves, whom I think is far better, generally, than people give him credit for.

I'm just saying that they simplified and normalized the character immensely for the movie; and made him Californian. None of that fits the real, fascinating, John Constantine.

As I recall, Keanu Reeves didn't even wear the trench coat. But maybe I forget. I think I'll watch that again.

Anyway, Castiel is terrific.

[abrakadabrah.livejournal.com]

Hah. I just met creativeelf through a different link earlier today. She's got some really beautiful - moody and evocative - new Supernatural iconshere (http://creativeelf.livejournal.com/161298.html#cutid1) among other fandoms. LOTR, too.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link - some of those Castiel icons (with wings) are lovely. And I snagged a Legolas, too.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

Haha. While I started out adoring Dean, now Dean-and-Sam, and am only barely beginning to warm up to Castiel. (Why yes, my loudest RP/writing character atm is Dean. Oops.)

But I must say, this show? Is making me happy. (Not the fandom, omg, the fandom has bucketloads of craaaazy!) In four seasons, there are about all of three episodes that are even slightly a let-down. And heeh. I don't know where you started watching the show, but yes, the boys do deserve being loved as individuals. Although getting to like Sam, if you started with S4 directly, must be hard. Or even both. Starting from the top though, you fall in love with them before things really and truly break them down.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Dean is fun. So is Sam, though I don't feel I know or understand him as well. I love Castiel because (a) I love the idea of a brooding and angsty Angel and (b) he's John Constantine, a sort of prefab mystic hero. Such fun.

omg, the fandom has bucketloads of craaaazy!

Don't they all? But I've heard Supernatural fandom is worse than most. Can't be worse than some of the stories I've heard of Harry Potter and LOTR fandom, though.

omg, the fandom has bucketloads of craaaazy!

With 4.01

Although getting to like Sam, if you started with S4 directly, must be hard.

No problem at all. He's adorable. So... sweet and vulnerable. I'm sure I'll see another side of him later on but so far he has "little brother" written all over him.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

*amused* Dean is also one giant stoic emobox and this weekend I want to blow his brains out. And... Sam is... yes, but the darker parts are... Sam is lying to himself a lot. And lying to everybody. He is turning into a full-blown Sorcerer (http://kitty.nopespace.com/arcane.html#sorcerer), and it's taking its tall on him, and on Dean. And the boys are so damn broken. But adorable too. Each in his own way. Otoh, there's a running theme in S4 that Dean is less than he used to be, and... yeah, earlier seasons are well worth watching. The whole plot of the series is very consistent, and probably will indeed finish with S5, and I love that Kripke has a very good idea what he's doing and doesn't let the quality drop.

Oh. Um... okay, Spn fandom is theoretically small, but very loud. There have been characters who have been written off the series or killed off because of fandom outcry? So I would say, probably worse than LOTR or HP. >.>

I love the show. The fandom... I really really tend to stay away from. Also. The boys are so straight that it hurts, especially Dean, and writing them as a pair is irking me. And it's not like I don't do slash...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I am trying to get my hands on earlier seasons, even though they don't feature Castiel. But I'm intrigued and intersting. As you know, I love broken heroes.

And yes, I've already looked at the straightness as problematical. Not that I haven't encountered this in TV often enough before, but it still isn't my favourite thing, and I have in recent years become so utterly spoiled with the fluid sexualities of Torchwood.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

Oh they are good. In three seasons there are about two episodes that I consider unworthy. Spn is good TV, and just you wait till you reach 4x16; that's a brilliant, brilliant episode. And yes. Oh yes. And Sam and Dean both are. And Castiel seems to be turning into one too.

Heh. Maybe, but it's consistent with the way they were raised. John seems to have been a bit of a Bible Belt kind of person, and after what happened he was extremely, extremely focused. That said, the straightness is also done with a remarkable lack of homophobia, at least from my perception, and I like that. (And, you you know. Fluid sexuality is one thing. Incest is different.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Do you think I should continue watching season 4, or go back to season 1? My inclination is to watch season 4 up to the current episode (so I can at least participate in current discussions of the show) and then will in by going back to the beginning.

John - you mean John Winchester?

Yeah, I too like a lack of homophobia, though I'm not always sure how to define it, or how to know it when I see it.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

I'd say, if you have s4 available, watch it through. And then when you are caught up with the first three seasons, watch s4 again. You will, I promise you, see a lot more when you know much more of the backstory. They are doing an amazing job of making sure new watchers can follow the story and at the same time there are references and layers that are comprehensible only if you've watched the earlier stuff. So yeah. Up to you. I'm... very very happy that I succumbed to watching it. I literally ran through the first three seasons in two weeks (besides work) in September together with kittydesade - she has the Sam to my Dean - and... yeah. There are inescapably episodes which are a little weaker, but the show hasn't disappointed me yet.

Yes, John Winchester, the boys' dad. Which episodes have you seen so far?

Heh. The only (sexuality-related) eww so far has been incest (both parent-child and siblings) and it's pretty clear. The rest, well. The boys are living in our century.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I've seen season 4, episodes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The first five minutes of season 1 episode 1 (when it aired). And a showing of season 3 episode 1 at a video-party, where it didn't make much of an impression.

So I've barely seen John Winchester but I loved the actor in The Watchmen, where he was such a complex personality.

So far I like the way the show has handled sex, considering that it's all het. (That I've noticed, anyway.)

Yes, I think that's what I'll do - catch up on season 4 and then go back to season 1 and watch it all in order.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

Heh. So you know where John started from. Something that the boys didn't know at all. And... hmm. 3x01 makes a great deal more impression when one knows about Dean's deal and how it came about and what happened in ... most of s2 actually. S3 actually has no downer episodes, even if some (Jus in Bello) are hard for me to watch. S1 ep that may be a downer (not all of it, just the ending) is Bugs; S2 is Nightshifter. S4 is Family Remains (11) so be forewarned - but also you can see what low quality for this show means, and I know that's still higher quality than a lot of tv series eps.

Yes. Some of the charges leveled against Spn is that it's sexist (as in biased against women), although I'm ... that sort of thing hasn't irked me sufficiently to notice it? (Okay, it has its share of bitchy female characters. It also has a good share of bastards; and even the boys are no angels. Hey, even the angels are no angels! Dicks.) So... yeah. I just like it. >.>

Hee :D

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Coming in at S4, you're definitely hitting the character development in a weird place. One of the things I've loved about SPN is the way the boys have been allowed to grow and develop while staying absolutely themselves. They creep under your skin before you know it, definitely.

Various people did research about Castiel when he first appeared, but no one could really find anything. Which suits me just fine, because watching him is more than enough :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Coming in at S4, you're definitely hitting the character development in a weird place.

Have I? I am thankful to have explodedteabag to tell me what's been going on in the plot, though she hasn't seen all the episodes. But it's fun to guess and pick up the story as I go, too.

I think Castiel is one of those angels who is known as a name, but isn't featured in the stories of angels. Which makes him a blank slate - they can do practically anything with him.