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Old 01-13-2013, 09:25 AM   #11 (permalink)
Trollheart
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Prologue: "Looks like we've got some work to do!"

How would you feel if you knew your father was a demon-hunter? That he hunted actual, real, honest to --- well, not God obviously, but real demons from the pit of Hell? To even know such things actually existed would surely fry your mind and freeze your blood. But once you'd got over such fears and doubts, what would you do? Would you follow in his footsteps, or be so scared that you'd move far away?

When Dean and Sam Winchester were children a demon came for them. At the opening of the series we have no idea why, but we can see that the demon is one BAD mofo! He takes on the form of the father, and approaches the baby, Sam, who cries and alerts his mother. She comes in, takes in the scene and lunges at the demon --- whom she had taken originally to be her husband --- but is pinned to the ceiling and the demon vanishes. As John Winchester looks on in horror, his wife bursts into flame, and unable to help her he has to rush his two children out of the house as it begins to burn around their ears. He just barely gets them to safety.

Twenty-two years later and the boys have grown, but chosen separate paths in life. Sam has gone to college, is engaged to a girl and is studying for a law degree, trying to put the traumatic events of the past behind him. Having been a baby at the time he doesn't remember much, though Dean has told him what happened. As the older brother, Dean has elected to help his father track down the demon that killed their mother, and the two brothers have not seen each other for some time.

This, then, is the premise to Supernatural, an incredibly well-written, deep and intelligent fantasy series that really begins almost as a "monster of the week" show, but soon develops into so much more. There is a complicated and involved story arc running through the series, the main element of which is the reason why the demon wanted to abduct Sam, what his connection with the Winchester family is, and how many more of his type there are. Supernatural will be one of those rising breed of shows where you can never be one hundred percent certain that anyone, even the lead characters, are going to survive from week to week. Everyone's a target, and although, being fantasy, it's possible to sidestep death and find ways to bring people back, you just never know...

One of the huge selling points of Supernatural was and is its lead actors, two very handsome and personable guys in Jared Padalecki and Jensen Eckles, who surely got the hearts of most of the ladies (and maybe some of the lads!) all a-flutter when the series hit the network in 2005. There hadn't to my knowledge been any other show of this nature that had two male leads, and it was definitely their charm and charisma, and the chemistry between the two, that got the show on its feet and kept it on the air through the first mostly shaky season.

At its heart, Supernatural is a show about family, about devotion, and about revenge too. It's also about doing the right thing. Most of the creatures Dean and Sam track down through the first and second seasons have little or nothing to do with their mother's death (and later, Sam's financee's) but the brothers know these things are evil and must be dealt with, so they become freelance demon hunters, seeking out these horrors by way of newspaper reports, rumours and later, information garnered from like-minded individuals and allies, and in the process help people they don't even know.

But what holds the series together and stands it apart from a whole slew of monster/horror/fantasy themed shows is the bond between the two brothers. As the elder, Dean has always had to look out for Sam, especially when their father has disappeared for months at a time, chasing down the demon that killed his wife and looking for his own personal salvation. Dean can be reckless though, and oftentimes the roles get turned around, and it's more often the level-headed Sam that has to look after him. But when the brothers work as a unit, demons beware!

Another great thing about Supernatural, which will be of particular interest to those reading, is the terrific music they use in the show. Mostly classic rock, you'll hear some of the greats, and unlike many shows that use "indie" rock (usually angsty ballads) as their backdrop, Supernatural gives you the clear impression that the show could have easily been produced in the seventies, as most of the music comes from around that time. As I go through the episodes/seasons, I'll note what music is used in each episode, and if possible include a video.

Supernatural is interesting in many ways, not least the fact that it really concentrates on just the two brothers. There are others who come in from time to time, but the show revolves completely around Dean and Sam, and generally any extra characters who appear are for that episode only, at least in the beginning. Later, as the seasons develop and the brothers begin to meet and make allies in the world of demon hunting, some characters do recur, with the odd one staying on almost as a supporting character.

Without then giving away too much about the show, it begins as a basic monster hunt, although even then the episodes are pretty much really great, then widens its scope as the main story arc begins to kick in. It's only then that you truly start to appreciate what a powerful and sublime series it really is. It's still running at the time of writing, in its eighth season, said to be its last. I have only caught up with it as far as season three, so after I've encapsulated the first two seasons for you, we'll be discovering the rest together for the first time.

Like Babylon 5, Supernatural is the creation and vision of one person, Eric Kripke, who up until this series premiered was known for little other than the rather low budget horror film "Boogeyman". It's interesting, looking at the synopsis for the first movie, how elements from it would filter into the creation of his hit series. We'll discuss these in the next post. He remains the driving force behind the series, piloting it through its first five-year arc, after which it's said by critics it lost its way but recovered after season six. I don't know as I have not seen it that far, but we'll find out. All indications are that this is the final season though and that it looks on course to end strongly.
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Last edited by Trollheart; 10-05-2013 at 05:24 AM.
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