Salute to Supernatural

I am recovering from the best weekend of my life.

Okay, I keep saying that, then I have to revise it and say top five, because I'm sure I've had other weekends that I felt the same way about. But seriously.

The. Best. Weekend.

I'm just going to hit the highlights here, because I could ramble on forever and that works much better on my personal blog than it does here. :) These highlights are HIGH, baby. Then, if you want more detail, you can head over to my regular blog, where I'll have daily posts about my experience.

One thing you won't get from me either here or there is a transcript of what everyone said, because I didn't record it nor did I retain it so well. I'm going to stick mostly to my personal experience, because no one else had it but me.

Okay, first, if you would believe it--the best moment of the event was Friday night at karaoke. I and my friends Megan and Lori:



sat at a table and said hi to the women sitting there, and congratulated Kayleigh, who had won a contest. We talked a little, she asked if I was on any message boards, I mentioned Supernatural Sisters, and...guess what? SHE READS US!! I was high half the night on that! :) So here's a shot of Kayleigh and me. She and her sister Mallory (I'm pretty sure it's her sister) are just the sweetest people ever, and I hope I get to see them again next year (but more on that later).



Surprise Number One--The Crowd

We figured a con in Jersey would be pretty intimate, with maybe less craziness than a big venue like LA or Chicago, but we still expected more than there was. There was one woman who was over-the-top obnoxious, and another who (seems to have) lied to us to cut the line, and one who asked Richard Speight, Jr., his opinion on Wincest (the crowd reaction apparently was enough to keep her in line after that, and she asked excellent questions otherwise).

I am NOT a social creature. I have my friends-who-are-like-me and otherwise, it's painful to strike up a conversation with a stranger. So Friday and Saturday went by without me saying a single word to the guy next to me. But that changed Saturday night, when we hung out in the bar, and Mike and his aunt Darlene were super-cool. *waves* We talked to some random people in line a couple of times, too. I didn't get/can't remember names, so this is a general shout-out to y'all. Hope to see you next year, too (more on that later).

Surprise Number Two--The Creation Staff

I'm not sure what I expected. I mean, they charge $7.25 in "freight" per ticket, even if those tickets are sent to you by e-mail. The SAME e-mail. Instead of doing a lottery with a flat rate for backstage passes and the (canceled) lunch with Jared, they auction them off, and the money isn't for charity. But when Jared canceled, I got all my money back for the photo op, including the freight charge. They allowed people who'd bought Saturday tickets to see Misha to exchange them when he got moved to Sunday. And they offered a significant discount (ostensibly due to the cancellation) off next year's con if you booked before the weekend was over. But more on that later.

The staff and volunteers were incredibly nice and welcoming people. They recognized us from one event to the next (and from almost running us down in the parking lot! LOL) and were really down to earth and personable. The guy emceeing everything teased people and made jokes and basically acted like he was one of us. The company has been around, I found out, since 1971, and they do a really great job.

Finally, Chris, the photographer, is superfantabulous. He takes really great photos, moves everything along really well but doesn't make you feel rushed or like an object instead of a person, AND, when he heard me lament that I'd blinked in the photo with Jim Beaver, told me he'd fix it and send me a new copy. I mean, how supercool is that?!

Surprise Number Three--The Access

Now, I'm sure things are different for Jensen and Jared (who?). They're kept protected from the insane freaks by also being protected from us nice, smart, reasonable, well-behaved fans. And indeed, things were very different on Sunday than they were Friday and Saturday. For the dessert reception Saturday night and the breakfast on Sunday, we got two minutes with each celebrity. But still, that up-close-and personal moment? SO worth the Gold Package. Seriously, you have to get it. But more on that later...

Anyway, on Sunday everything was very tightly scheduled, especially after Jim Beaver threw everything off first thing. :) It's photo op, photo op, speakerspeakerspeaker, autographing, go home. That creates a slight distance between the group of us down here and the guests Up There. Still, you don't get rushed through the autograph line, you can chat with them, and they all act like they want to chat. Poor Traci Dinwiddie was really tired, really sick, and really sweet and funny. The staff made sure she got through things as quickly as possible so she could rest.

But on Friday and Saturday...

This is my very favorite shot of the weekend:



That's Gabriel Tigerman, who played Andy in the episodes "Simon Said" and "All Hell Breaks Loose Part I." ALL the guests were nice, personable, awesome people who gave us more than we really deserve. But Chad Lindberg (Ash), Richard Speight, Jr. (The Trickster), and Gabriel Tigerman (Andy) went way beyond.

First, Friday night, Chad and Jason Manns (the musician) weren't leaving right away, so they showed up at karaoke. Then Richard appeared--he'd arrived in preparation for his event the next morning--and after about an hour or so, we got up the nerve to edge our way over and talk to them. We spent a good 10 minutes or more with Chad and Jason, then gave way to talk to other people and caught Richard, with whom we discussed all kinds of things, including television and the broken advertising model and stuff. Chad wandered back over and joined us, and by 1:20 a.m. we had a crowd surrounding us--I think (hope!) they were trying to hear, because, you know, we were so brilliant--and we only stopped when the handlers said the guys needed to get up early and we had to let them go.

We had elevator time with both Richard and Gabe, and Saturday night, we hung in the bar for a while after the dessert party, and they showed up, as did Jason Manns and Todd Stashwick. Misha Collins (Castiel) and Malik/Charles Malik Whitfield (Agent Henricksen) spent some time in there, too, but not when we were there.

We were really super lucky. Not everyone got these opportunities. Not too many people went to karaoke, because it started at 11:00 p.m., and not many people were in the bar (though plenty were in the lobby). We were in the right spot, and made ourselves available, and of course being fun and articulate didn't hurt. Nor did Megan's awesome boots. They were quite memorable. :)

What Wasn't a Surprise

1. Jason Manns. He had a turn on stage, and did his concert, and he sounded as amazing in person as he does in the studio. His talent is...well, okay, "unsurpassed" is probably too much of a superlative, but there isn't anyone I'd rather see perform. He spent a lot of time with us, too, during the autographing time on Friday, and didn't mind all the silly women asking for hugs. Oh, wait, there was one surprise about Jason. He's BIG. Everyone thought he'd be smaller, but he's easily Jensen Ackles' height, and quite built.

2. Misha Collins is beautiful.



Lori got much better pictures with her much better camera with the much better zoom, but it doesn't matter. His extreme beauty in person is etched in my brain, never to be worn away. Plus, she gave me copies.

3. Everyone was so entertaining!

They all had great answers to the questions they were asked, they kept the flow going, and they were willing to tell embarrassing stories and/or tell us no when they didn't want to do or say something. And they were all different.

Jim was Bobby Singer if he'd never become a hunter and had a second-grader he totally doted on.

Malik was being all spiritual and inspirational one minute, making toilet/swirly jokes the next or claiming Misha was going to strip for us.

Traci was shy, but put herself fully in our hands and trusted us to treat her kindly, then went all the way and had one of the top stories of the night.

Todd has such a broad and varied career, including stand-up, that he just got up there and put on a show. Every minute was entertaining, even those that were serious.

Chad had the toughest time, being on Friday with half the crowd, not getting enough questions, and some of them being really tough for someone who spent a handful of episodes on the show two years ago.

Okay, I think I've rambled on long enough. Now for la pièce de résistance...

This One's For You...

Everyone please thank Terri Clark for inspiring me to be bold (and find a way to expense the trip!). It's all WAY tentative, because even though everyone agreed, we still have to make the connections and follow through. But Terri will be interviewing Jim Beaver for Supernatural Sisters, and I have already received e-mail from Richard Speight, Jr.'s manager to do one with him. If we're lucky, we'll have several sprinkled over the next few months, probably scheduled during the next hiatus to keep us all from drying up in withdrawal.

Please send questions for any of the stars who were at the convention to natalie AT nataliedamschroder DOT com so we can do some kick-ass interviews!

AND, we have a nice little prize package that we're putting together and will hold some kind of contest for in the coming weeks.

Sooooo...that's the highlights. Can you imagine if I gave details? If you want me to elaborate on anything, or have questions, please comment! I could talk about this forever, and if I do it here, my husband will personally thank each and every one of you. :)

~~~~~~~~~~
OH, I almost forgot! Creation plans to hold a Salute to Supernatural in Parsippany, NJ, in July 2010. No one is booked yet, but my oldest kid, a fan, is extremely jealous of me and we are already saving our money for the day they officially announce tickets are on sale and, hopefully, that Jared and Jensen are booked. So stay tuned and keep an eye out for that!

Angels in the Supernatural World

As likely as not, when someone mentions angels now, people immediately think of women with golden, flowing hair; long gowns; wings and harps in their hands. Sometimes little cherubs come to mind. You can find both versions in Hallmark stores, hospital gift shops and Christmas decor stores without fail. But for some reason, the angels that are actually portrayed in Revelations, fearsome warrior angels, aren't the image conjured by modern minds. So when Eric Kripke and friends brought angels into this season of Supernatural, and made them of the darker warrior breed, it startled some people. I didn't know how I would feel about this storyline at first, but so far I'm enjoying it. I'm intensely curious where it's going to go -- and how the angels Castiel and Uriel are going to react to whatever battle is coming.

From the moment Misha Collins appeared as the angel Castiel, I was intrigued. I love it when he appears in an episode. While he is undoubtedly powerful and not of the cherubic or "angelic" stripe, I do sense compassion in him. I think viewers can connect more with him because he's actually expressed doubt and he doesn't go around flounting his incredible power unless necessary or to get a point across. You get the sense that he believes what he is doing is for the greater good.

Uriel, on the other hand, just comes across as an arrogant jerk. From him, you get the sense that he views humanity as a bunch of bugs and perhaps he doesn't know why God bothers with us. To me, he's almost like an unthinking soldier who just does what he's told without too much self-inquiry. I also think he likes showcasing his power, like a bully.

No matter their differences, Castiel and Uriel are undoubtedly powerful, enough to scare demons like Ruby. Enough to blind someone who spies on them, and enough to nearly split eardrums when someone can hear their true voice. Enough to pull Dean right out of hell. The writers backed up this characterization of angels with dialogue such as when Dean asks Castiel who he is and Castiel replies, "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition." They also use imagery like the raised-welt handprints on Dean's arms as well as this shot (which is one of my favorites from this season) that revealed the truth of Castiel's words.

I have lots of questions regarding these guys:

1. Why did they pull Dean from hell? Did they think he was the only one who could convince Sam to stop doing whatever it is they want him to stop doing? That seems odd considering how incredibly powerful they are? Does that mean that Sam, and some of the higher-level demons, could put up a good fight against them? Is it only the lower-level demons they scare the bejeebers out of?

2. Will Castiel end up seeing things from the boys' point of view, that everything isn't black and white and sometimes you have to fight evil in unconventional ways? Will Castiel (and Dean, for that matter) realize that the way Sam intends to fight the baddies is actually the way to go? The only way to win? How wild would it be to see Castiel and Ruby fighting side by side!

3. Will Castiel and Uriel end up fighting each other? And does that mean Castiel will fall?

When this season is over and the DVDs come out, I really need to go back and watch all the episodes again, especially ones that deal with the angels. There's so much going on there that we've yet to see or understand.

And then there's Anna, the fallen angel. She was introduced as a girl who could hear the angels' conversations. It's only later that we find out it's because she's one of them. I like how Sam and Dean protect her from all the forces wanting to get their hands on her -- angels and demons alike. What I was kind of squiggy about was Dean and her hooking up. To me, it seemed forced. Perhaps too much of an effort to polarize the brothers by having Dean with an angel while Sam was with a demon.

What are your thoughts? Do you like how the writers are portraying angels? What are your views of Castiel and Uriel and where their character journeys might take them? What do you think of the Anna/Dean hook-up?

The week ahead

We've got another fun week ahead on the Supernatural Sisters blog. So swing by each day and bring a friend (or two or three or...).

Monday -- I (Trish) will explore how Supernatural is portraying angels. Castiel, I like. Uriel, not so much.

Tuesday -- Natalie will give us a fabulous round-up of the Salute to Supernatural conference in Cherry Hill, NJ. Wow, I'm jealous that she's going.

Wednesday -- MJ will give us a review of The Watchmen, starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (aka Papa Winchester). I know she's been waiting for this movie for a long time. Hmm, I wonder how many times she's watched the trailer. :)

Thursday -- Terri will be talking about the music used on Supernatural. Oh, fun! I know I'm not alone in that I wished they'd put together a Supernatural soundtrack. I wonder if the members of Kansas wondered why sales of "Carry On, My Wayward Son" suddenly spiked a few years back.

Friday -- It's episode re-cap day with Tanya, this time for the new episode "Death Takes a Holiday." I'm sure it'll be full of her signature wit and interesting observations.

Creepier when it could be real

Normally on Fridays, we do an episode recap, but since Natalie already did a recap of "Family Remains" (last night's repeat episode) back in January, I decided to talk about an aspect of this episode that really creeps me out -- the fact that it could happen.

My husband was saying last night that he thought I had nightmares because I watch scary shows like Supernatural. But my nightmares are about people chasing me or other scary things that happen in real life, not vampires and werewolves and skinwalkers. To me, the things that could happen in real life are way scarier than myths dreamed up in someone's imagination. Paranormal tales don't bother me. Slasher movies do. That's why, no matter how much I love Jared and Jensen, I can't watch Friday the 13th or My Bloody Valentine. The nightmares would be awful. I mean, I already hate the dark and waking up in the middle of the night wondering what noise woke me up.

In "Family Remains," we have a couple of young people who have been kept in the epitome of a dysfunctional situation. They are a product of incest, and their father/grandfather has kept them either locked in the house or in the walls for a couple of decades. No wonder they're disturbed. But what's even scarier than the moment when the creepy "ghost" girl steps across the circle of salt and Dean realizes that she's human is the fact that this scenario is not outside the realm of possibility. After all, the news covered a case out of Austria last year where a man was arrested for imprisoning his daughter and the three children they had together in his cellar for 24 years! I cannot imagine the horror. Sure, she didn't break free and start killing off members of a nice family who bought the house, but you'd sort of understand if she did.

Another non-supernatural Supernatural episode that gave me a serious case of the creeps was "The Benders" from Season One. In this one, Sam and Dean have their first case where they end up dealing with seriously messed-up humans instead of some evil supernatural force. It forces them to face the question of how to deal with non-supernatural baddies, and at the same time makes it difficult for me to enjoy a walk in the woods anywhere near an old house. Again, it's possible that a backwoods family would get their disturbing kicks out of kidnapping and hunting fellow humans.

These "dealing with humans" episodes are among my least favorite because of the real-life creep factor and the fact that they don't really relate to the show's theme of dealing with supernatural beings and situations. I much prefer my scary to be of the "couldn't happen in real life" variety. I can watch Underworld all day, but I would only watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Shining of my life depended on it.

So, what about you? What do you think of these "real life" episodes? Do they creep you out more than ones filled with wendigos and ghosts? Do you wish the writers would steer clear of these types of antagonists and let the Winchester boys focus on supernatural bad dudes?

Do You, or Don't You?

To spoil, or not to spoil? And then there those who have good intentions to remain unspoiled but fall off the wagon and "click here" whenever promised spoilery goodness. There are no actual SPN spoilers here, btw, just my unsolicited opinions *g*

When I got my author copies of Necessary Arrangements (my first full length, single title novel) I gave one to a close friend and fellow writer. When I called her about half an hour later to ask about a trip we were taking she sniffled, "I just read the ending! It was beautiful." At first, I was confused--no one could possibly have read 300+ pages that fast. Then I discovered that she had (gasp) read the last page first. Now, she is not alone. My sister and favorite aunt do this, too. I remain--respectfully--appalled. It's my contention that, wherever an author or, more importantly, character arrives by page 400, she worked darn hard to get there. She changed as a person, she overcame obstacles, she weathered plot twists! Don't we read for that exact journey, for the emotional impact of overcoming and weathering with her?

I take a similar view toward television, although I feel that increasingly I am in the minority.

Now, I don't mind fan speculation--intend to indulge in it myself--but I prefer uninformed speculation. For example, I didn't mind chatting up a storm with fellow fans about whether we thought Dean could get out of his demon's bargain or whether he was actually going to hell! I listened to other Rowling readers debate who they thought the half-blood prince was, but I wouldn't actually want to read leaked manuscript pages on the internet. Just as I didn't want to know ahead of time who killed Laura Palmer (or to use an example from this century, Lily Kane)--not unless I figured it out for myself. Otherwise, I'm along for the ride in all its exhilirating glory.

The journey aside, there are two main reasons that I am anti-spoiler.

1. I want the shocking OMG moments! Aren't they part of the excitement? TV commcercials with their annoying "DON'T MISS THE LAST 3 MINUTES! SOMEONE DIES!" drive me freaking crazy. Instead of enjoying the episode for what it is, I spend 45 minutes trying to figure out who's going to kick the bucket. MILD SPOILER FOR OLDER MOVIES: If you've ever seen the movie Serenity (and weren't spoiled) you know that some deaths can be effectively shocking, really knocking the viewers off balance. (Did I enjoy it? Hell, no. But it was powerful. Besides, if someone had told me ahead of time, I might have been upset enough that I decided not to go, and that would have been a shame.) Wasn't half the point of the Sixth Sense having the revelation with (or, in my case, ahead of) the character? (When I pieced it together midway, I had an audible OMG moment.) You know writers worked hard to craft that moment of shock, and we constantly rob ourselves of it. Of course, the other problem I have with those incessant promos, is that half the time they're hyping the death of some Red-Shirt (ie background character we barely know the name of, much less care about.)


2. Here's the other problem I have with spoilers--we fans are darned opinionated. (Yeah, there's a newsflash, Tanya.) Every time a rumor circulates, people react with vehement opinions, often negative. Which means that by the time a certain episode occurs, we can't just judge it on its merits and decide in 50-minute real-time if we like it. Half of us decided two months prior that we hated a twist/scene/secondary character and the writer will have to actively convince us otherwise. (Luckily, most of my favorite writers are skilled enough to do just that, but still, hardly seems fair.) And I often sense that the writers themselves are frustrated by spoilers, some of them going so far as to leak decoy information to preserve the surprise.

I do like to gossip about which guest stars I love who might be appearing on shows I love (although I don't need to know all the details about who they'll be playing) and I looooooove to discuss and dissect an episode as soon as I've seen it. (My mom also likes to discuss post-episode, and she's a big BSG fan. I've been on deadline and have DVRed the last 3 eps. She keeps calling to ask, "Did you just see that? What the frak?" and I keep telling her, "Not yet! Say NOTHING!" and slamming down the phone. Well, not slamming exactly, she is my mom. And it's a cordless.)

IMO, spoilers do exactly that--they SPOIL part of my viewing experience. But clearly most people don't feel that way, judging by the number of spoilers that are posted and/or confirmed on the internet on a near hourly basis. So, those of you like my friend (who calls herself a spoiler-whore), why do you like knowing ahead of time? Is it just the value of having knowledge beforehand? Does it actually enhance your viewing, or is it more like a fix to keep you plugged into the show between eps? Have you ever stumbled across a surprise you wish you hadn't? (I've done this. I DVRed a previous season finale of Lost, wouldn't let anyone talk to me about it, then accidentally stumbled across a spoiler headline when I was on a TV site trying to find what channel some other show came on.)

Are you a spoiler purist, or semi spoiler purist? (Tell me I'm not alone!) I will admit that because of my strong reactions, my family will generally warn me before I go see a movie if a child is harmed in a particularly graphic way or the dog dies (Show!). Also, I don't have a problem with trailers. I did watch the first few minutes of this season of SPN, which was tantalizing and answered one main question, but here's the thing with a good trailer, I feel it should raise more questions than it answers. I guess that's what it boils down to, I like having stuff to try to figure out! Can Dean break the bargain? How will he get out? What happened while he was there? Will we see the Trickster again? Will we ever see John again? How far will this rift between the brothers go? How will they mend it? Where will we be by the end of the Season?

These are the questions that haunt me.

Please do not email me if you have all the answers.

Supernatural March Madness!

It's still my blog day, so I'm going to slip in a plug here for the second annual Supernatural March Madness. It's like basketball March Madness, only with voting for Supernatural episodes, instead.

Head over and vote for your favorites, and make sure to keep going back for upcoming brackets. If you scroll down a little, you'll see the explanation for how it works.

Be warned. Not all of the matchups are difficult, but some are very much so. Choosing between "Lazarus Rising" and "Ghostfacers"? Not fair, man, not fair. Well, for me, anyway.

So join in the fun! Right now! :)

Jump the Shark

Remember before season 3, when it Bela and Ruby were announced? If you're at all tapped into "the fandom," you saw the uproar it caused. People were afraid they'd be love interests, or riding around in the back of the Impala, or something.

Then there was the synopsis of "The Kids Are Alright," the episode where Dean wondered briefly if he had a son. Same uproar. People were afraid a kid would interfere with the hunting, or he'd be riding around in the back of the Impala, or something.

In the case of the son, the episode was excellent--the way it was handled fit perfectly into the structure of the show. Since Ruby and Bela were recurring characters, that was a little tougher. Many people hated them--the acting, the characterization, the way they...

...messed with the brothers.



I think that's the element that drives this outcry every single time. The fans fear any development that would interfere with the brotherly dynamic, and the central conceit of the show--two guys on a road trip to fight evil.

Which brings us to this season's uproar.

STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS. I MEAN IT. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. (ALSO, AVOID THE COMMENTS.)

It all started back on January 5, when Kristin of E! Online posted this teaser about Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character, John Winchester:

"Turns out, Jeffrey may be a daddy to a secret son on a certain show, and this certain show will be changed forever because of this upcoming plot twist."

In the comments trail of that post, once someone said flat out that it could mean a third Winchester brother, all hell broke loose. Furor may have continued in certain forums, but for the most part, people blew it off as "TV-reporter hype" where she planted seeds that don't connect to reality.

On January 14, in Mega Buzz by Matt Mitovich et al (of TV Guide.com), we got the following bit:

I heard a rumor that Supernatural is adding a new lead — and it's a long-lost Winchester brother?! Please say this is just a rumor! — Jessica M.

MATT: Consider the CW forewarned (literally, by yours truly) that Supernatural would be playing with hellfire if they went this route. Asked to address this near-sacrilegious buzz, series creator Eric Kripke will only say, "Stay tuned." Sources, meanwhile, tell me that whatever the truth is here, it's going to make for a very interesting story arc.

On February 9, Kristin confirmed the casting of Jake Abel as an 18-year-old, third Winchester brother for the episode airing on April 23. This was also reported on many other TV sites, apparently first by TV Guide, but this was the one I saw. There were details that made it harder to blow off, and also turned up the lamenting. It's a one-time casting, the brother won't be seen again. It's the result of an affair, and John knew about him.

I personally have never thought about, worried over, and feared a spoiler as much as I have this one.

If this is exactly as described, I think it will take a lot to make the fandom accept it. Some will probably not buy that John would have been unfaithful to Mary's memory a mere 7 years after her death, not when he was still totally obsessed 22 years later. Others, who are more pragmatic, will admit it's unrealistic that he didn't sleep with other women during those years.

Personally, I think I could handle the boys finding out they had a brother in a focused sense, but not a global one. The emotions of them meeting, etc., would be well done, I have no doubt, especially because it seems likely Adam would be in danger and Sam and Dean have to save him. But after that, what? If the stories are right, we don't have to worry about the whole "back seat of the Impala" thing. But Sam and Dean wouldn't leave him behind, unprotected and alone. Of course, he could have a good family situation, but still. I'm sure Lilith and Alistair would love to have something to use against the boys, and do they really need more conflict? The show is loaded already, and the specter of brother versus brother is more than enough, in my opinion, without making it a triangle.

This could be a "trick," like The Trickster or the djinn, with an alternate reality or something like that. When the first rumors surfaced, this was what most of us figured. We trust Kripke and Co., especially this season, because even though there have been a few standalone episodes we didn't care for, and some chemistry and acting issues in some we loved, the road they've been taking us down has been marvelous, even if we hate every step of the way.

But even the most beloved showrunners/creators can misstep. Is this one going to be Kripke's? All we can do is wait until April 23 and judge for ourselves. In the meantime, Kripke did do an interview here that doesn't really tell us anything but is pretty funny.

So what do you think is going to happen? What does this mean for the brothers and for the show going into season 5? Weigh in in the comments!