SPN Georg

When Dean’s current character arc is paralleled to a zombie girl, we know there will be Feelings™. This boy has so much guilt-- blaming himself and his continued existence as an alive person on the planet for his father’s death, blaming himself for everything Sam has been through since John’s death because of that, and still unable to address the “if you can’t save him, you’ll have to kill him” order at all... Meanwhile Sam continues making choices for himself based on what he believes his dead father would’ve wanted, and of course, Dean just feels all the more guilty because of it.

Oh, did we mention that all of this starts because Sam was insistent they visit a graveyard monument erected to Mary Winchester’s memory? Yeah...

Things referenced in this episode:

The Superwiki Page for this episode

My tag for this episode

The post about pretty much all the porn in SPN being created for Sam and not Dean

Casting sides for Angela

Casting sides for Neil

Episode 25 already? Wow! But also, this episode is a big one. A difficult one, too, since it marks a lot of firsts and introduces a lot of Big Concepts into the show that Sam and Dean will wrestle with for the rest of the series. Mostly, it clarifies that the morality of hunting isn’t black and white. Monsters aren’t all evil things that need to die. And Dean gets told that he’s just a killer for the first time. Which... is honestly what will eventually drive him to the culmination of his entire character arc over the next fifteen seasons.

In this episode, the horrific final order that John gave to Dean in 2.01 is exposed from a completely different angle through Gordon. Dean was ordered to kill Sam if it came to that, if Sam “lost his humanity” and Dean can’t save him. It’s the fundamental difference between Dean and Gordon, because where Dean will do anything and everything (including selling his own soul) to save Sam, Gordon killed his own sister without hesitation when she “lost her humanity.”

The wheel in the sky keeps on turning, and I think this is my longest episode yet... (sorry!) :’D

Things referenced this week that might be of interest:

The Superwiki page for this episode

My tag for this episode

Network Arena for this episode

Casting sides for Gordon Walker

Casting sides for Lenore

The production draft script for this episode

Video of Jared at Jaxcon 2018 talking about injuring his wrist while filming this episode

So this week’s episode is a bit late, and a bit shaky... I have had an unbelievable *checks clock* 28 hours of the most ridiculous series of technical difficulties both with my laptop and in real life. It has been a doozy, folks. I’m just gonna apologize in advance if this episode is a little bit glitchy, but IT EXISTS and eight hours ago I thought I’d lost the whole thing, so I’m gonna count this as a win and move on. LOL.

On to the actual episode! More Dean Pain! And Sam suffers clowns, which is also pain!

This is definitely one of those episodes that looks entirely different on a rewatch, with the context of the following 14 seasons of character growth and suffering. So much of Supernatural does.

(aka why I detest the concept of episodes being “skippable” or “bad” or “unimportant.” well... maybe a few are... but overall there is wonder and pain to be dredged from the vast majority of canon, and it’s plentiful in this episode. grab your shovel, we’re going digging!)

Things referenced in this episode:

The Superwiki page for this episode

My tag for this episode

The casting sides for Jo, the alternate second casting sides for Jo, the casting sides for Ellen, and the casting sides for Ash. (again, highly recommend a compare/contrast read of all of these side by side along with the transcript of how these scenes transpired on screen... a fascinating read)

Gosh I love this song...

Welcome to Season Two! Most of the episode, it looks like Dean’s time of dying, but he just refused to go. Or, well... things happen, etc. etc., and surprise! Dean does not permadie in episode 1 of season 2, and in fact they go on to make quite a goodly number more episodes! Uh... spoiler alert?

Welcome to the official merge lane at the top of the on ramp to the Spiral Narrative of the entire series, the staking of Dean’s position on free will versus fate, the beginning of Dean’s intense personal relationship with Death.

(and I only get mad at the series finale like twice... maybe three times...)

Important things referenced in this episode:

The Superwiki page for the episode

My tag for this episode

Kim Manners and Eric Kripke talking about “ghost rules”

Casting Sides for Tessa (14 pages)

Casting Sides for Janitor/Azazel (technically the script from 1.22 and not 2.01... sorry I didn’t link these last week, but they’re marked as for 2.01 and were the readings used for this character, but I’m including it here for the record)

And a few interesting things from the casting sides for Tessa that I mentioned in the podcast I'd include here:

-the second deleted scene with the “wounded man” is referenced at the top of the first page

-lol forgot to mention part of the first deleted scene included a gratuitous shot of a patient removing her top before the doctor shut the door, and Dean debating if he was a bad person for wanting to sneak another look >.> (glad that got deleted because wtf...)

-Several lines have been rewritten, mostly just for pacing (one likely because network censors wouldn’t let Dean say “dicking” lol), but one of John’s lines was mostly cut and the rest was changed substantially: “I... I know you don’t believe me... but you boys really are the most important things in my life. And I swear. I won’t hunt the Demon. Not until  we figure out how to help Dean.”  It’s replaced with: “ Wait, Sam. I promise I won't hunt this demon. Not until we know Dean's okay.”

-apparently the apparition of the reaper is referred to in the script as a “Black Phantom” before Dean identifies it as a reaper

-a whole section of Dean explaining the “Black Phantom” to Tessa and then flirting with her, and her flirting back... which was cut entirely

-Tessa asking if Dean was ever in AA (he says no), and then she justifies her acceptance of her fate with the Serenity Prayer. This whole bit was cut.

-another deleted reference to the bloodied man from the cut scenes, that Tessa now conveniently uses as an example of someone who refused to accept his fate and is now trapped in the hospital-- or is it just another of Tessa’s illusions for Dean?

-another deleted speech from Tessa to Dean in their final scene:

TESSA: You don’t think I can see it?

the scene then continues as written through Tessa’s possession and the demon healing Dean.

I can’t believe I finally made it to the end of the first season! Wheee! Er, or, maybe something less celebratory sounding considering the circumstances of this episode...

We finally get to meet Bobby! YAY! But Meg kills his dog... BOO. But Bobby teaches them some invaluable lessons about demons! YAY! But one of those lessons is that humans are possessed and trapped in their bodies by the demons... BOO. But they are able to free Meg from her possession! YAY! But sadly she dies of her injuries... BOO...

Heck I could probably just go through the whole episode like that, but I won’t because I have talked about it enough for one day already. :’D

Thank you to everyone who’s been along on this ride with me! It’s been fun so far, and hopefully you’ll be joining me for season 2 beginning next week! YAY!

Things I mentioned in this episode include:

The Superwiki page for this episode

Casting Sides for Bobby Singer

My tag for this episode

This week we visit a fictional town (in our universe, it’s real enough in the SPN universe) that was “created for sinners.” I like to think it’s Chuck taking a little dig at everyone, and they have no idea yet...

We also get our first introduction to Carry On Wayward Son in canon, which I marvel at probably longer than I should’ve, but this is my podcast and I do what I want. :’D

Impossible desires are explored: John wants Mary back (and he just wants this whole nightmare to end in general), Sam wants to finally get revenge for all of it, and Dean just wants what’s left of his family to be able to walk away from it all.

We’re basically just setting up angst for the finale here, and boy is there a lot of it to sift through!

Things referenced in this episode include:

my tag for the episode

the post by lizbob about Carry On Wayward Son

the post by lizbob about Sam’s lil polo shirt (conveniently also in Demonic Warning Red vs the Caution Yellow of his polo in 4.17)

the interview with Jerry Wanek where he mentions the motel screen with the crosses hidden in the design

costume designer Diane Widas explaining the evolution of Meg’s wardrobe to reflect her evolution in story

(at which point I stop typing for a few minutes to cackle to myself about Color Theory and positive associations with red outweighing negative ones when designing snail trail blood splatter décor in children’s hospitals, because I am an awful person)

the superwiki page for this episode (including links to the transcript and the casting sides for “Tom” the demon)

Welcome to another installment of the Free Will United Against John Winchester’s Direct Orders Fan Club! I hope everyone brought their clubs! :’D

We are introduced to the Colt, are informed that yes, vampires are a thing that exist, and begin learning the extent of things that John had been keeping hidden from Sam and Dean, ostensibly in the name of keeping them safe.

Since I talked an awful lot this week, I’ll keep these notes short and get right to the links to important reference materials:

The Superwiki page for this episode

The casting sides for the vampires Beau, Luther, and Kate, wherein there’s a few references to Genny, who you might better remember as Dr. Ellen Piccolo who slaps Sam and calls him a “brilliant coward” a number of times in Changing Channels, since it’s the same actress...

my tag for this episode

the tweet I mention toward the end of the episode

and finally, a link to my personal frustration over the fact I still can’t find the long post I made about how monsters are used for specific thematic representation on Supernatural, because I know I wrote this post and I’ll be golly gosh danged if I can’t find it now...

Once again, Sam finds a clue to follow to a new hunt, prompted partly by three short entries in John’s journal of seemingly unrelated murders separated by decades. He and Dean are on the hunt for something that connects them all together. Sam is also pushed to the forefront of information gathering, through a budding relationship with Sarah Blake.

Yes, we finally get a bit of a look at Sam’s deeper emotional state, something beyond “find Dad, get revenge, bottle everything else.” Plus, Dean is a good brother. :’)

Things referenced in this episode include:

My tag for the episode (woefully light in posts, and I still haven’t edited the tag on the one that should’ve been in the 1.18 tag instead... I’ll get to it eventually)

The Superwiki Page for this episode

Even though it’s both in a post in my tag AND linked on the superwiki page, have a direct link to the relevant casting sides for Sarah Blake I refer to toward the end of the podcast.

Heck this one just absolutely murders me with Dean feels. This boy tries so hard, and thinks he fails at everything, and has been carrying this burden around most of his life. I could ramble on about this forever, but luckily it’s gish week and I’m thoroughly distracted or else I’d be having another Dean-induced breakdown on this post. Consider yourselves spared.

I do however break down frequently during this episode, so consider yourselves warned :’D

Things referenced in this post:

My tag for this episode

The Superwiki page for this episode

A bit of leftover business from last week's episode that I forgot to link... I mentioned there has been fanfic about Supernatural being made into a movie, which of course becomes A Case that TFW has to go investigate... It's called Meta Madness by angelswatchingover. There are likely others, but this is a favorite of mine. :)

I hope everyone participating in gish this week is having a blast, and hope everyone else is having a lovely week, too!

Pranks can go horribly, terribly wrong, and sometimes they can go so awry they can unwittingly alter reality.

What was likely intended to be a fun MotW episode at the time really does explore a lot of deeper themes about how the story can be made real just by the power of belief. We also get to gently poke fun at some of the earlier episodes and the frequently bumbling approach of Sam and Dean as they began to feel their way through hunting on their own through Sam and Dean’s reactions to Ed and Harry. They might not yet call themselves Ghostfacers, but their complete ignorance of the Supernatural despite declaring themselves “professional” investigators help us understand just how naive most of humanity really is to what’s actually out there.

And it’s a dang good thing we’ve been on this ride with Sam and Dean all this time and can laugh and be frustrated right along with them. :’D

Things referenced in this episode:

The Superwiki page for this episode

My tag for this episode

And this glorious, hilarious shot of the exterior of their Texas Motel Room. Seriously, if these guys were staring at you every time you walked up to your room, how comfy would you feel staying here?

Be honest now...