Season 13 thoughts so far

[amberdreams]

With spoilers for episodes aired, none (hopefully) for future ones.

Firstly - I am enjoying what we've been given so far. I'll put that up front before I start, because the rest of my ramblings might give a contrary view.

The griping part - Things I Did Not Love:

• I did not enjoy that they killed Missouri. Not one little bit. I've been wanting her brought back since I first saw her back in Season 1, and then this bunch of wankers go and kill her off before she's had more than a couple of scenes. I'm not a happy bunny.


• I really, really wish I did not know about the spin off. I wish I didn't know that the CW favour pretty young things. Because it was like an anvil dropping on our toes to have Missiouri ( the middle aged, charismatic and kick ass character) killed off in order to preserve the obviously-to-be-spun-off, oh-so-pretty Patience. And if that actress is 18 I'll chew off my crushed toes and feed them to my non-existent cat.


• Castiel is back. Sigh. Surprise surprise - even without Jared's blurt at JIB, or all the promo posters having Cas on them, etc, etc, it was bloody obvious he'd be back. I had held out some hope for AU Cas which might have made him more interesting again, but from what we got here, it looks like he's just been resurrected. Again. By Jack, which is what I'd predicted/feared when the Season12 finale aired.


• Sigh - I accidentally saw the title of next week's episode. Way to kill off any speculation about where Castiel might be.

The more positive parts:

• The shallow stuff - Our boys, they are so pretty... Dean is looking older, tired and worn, Sam is being lit beautifully with deep shadows and stubble, and it's all gorgeous.


• I'm really liking how the Winchesters are interacting. They are being brutally frank with each other, but the knives aren’t out. They are listening.


• Sam is softer and more reminiscent (in the way he's speaking) of early Seasons Sam, but without that fierce undercurrent of rage that used to fuel him. That's been replaced by something steely and determined, and I've got to say, Jared's acting is just wonderful. He's conveying such compassion but combined with an inner strength that makes him suddenly imposing, and for more than his sheer physical presence.


• Dean is such a master of suppression by now I doubt he even knows he's doing it. I'm loving how weary this Dean is, even while I miss his childlike pleasure in things. The grief he carries is part of his very fabric, and I also loved that Missouri could see that so clearly.


• Jack could be a very interesting character - so far the actor playing him has been excellent, giving us nicely nuanced performances. This latest episode didn't give him quite as much to play with, but it was enough to keep me hopeful that the writers will do something that allows him to develop in unpredictable ways.


• I’m still hopeful!

The odd observations:

• I want to watch the show. I want to know what happens to our boys – but I’m not excited about it any more. I’m liable to forget it’s a show day, and I’m not waking up too early, eager to see each episode like I used to be. I’m happy to wait for the email from iTunes telling me the episode is ready to watch, instead of trawling the internet for downloads because I can’t wait that long.


• Fandom – fanfic, fanart and conventions – are what is keeping me attached and interested.


• I’ve started watching a few other tv shows – Man in the High Castle, restarted Arrow, trying to get into Preacher. I’m reading Marvel fanfic, I think I could get into the Red Hood and Nightwing.


• While I’m happy Wayward Sisters got the go ahead, I’m half dreading it.


• There is nothing else coming close to replacing SPN in my heart.

Comments

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

Before I read any comments, I have to reply with a resounding ME TOO. My experiences are echoing yours, almost verbatim. Right down to the odd observations. (If I could go to more cons, I would.) I think we're outgrowing what the show is becoming. I mean, it has been a loooooong time. I'll stick with it to the end, but the writing just isn't there anymore. Hasn't been for ages, but hey, hope springs eternal, right? Well, my spring has gone done dried up. While I really cheered over the conversation Dean and Sam had at the end there--mostly because this baggage has been hanging over everyone's heads like a giant anvil--the rest of the show is a wan shadow of its old self. I get that things must evolve and time marches on and all that yakkity smack, but the lightning is out of the bottle and the spark that made SPN "the little show that could" is no more. I feel like they're trying to manufacture it for Wayward Sisters, and it JUST. AIN'T. THERE. Point of fact, I couldn't be less interested in any of the characters they've been grooming for the new show. Just feels like a seething morass of Mary Sues; a 'healthy', social-justice approved snore fest. It's not like I don't want better rep and a lack of misogyny, of course I want better! But I also want pretty guys and horror and flawed characters and ESCAPISM. Anywho, I'm sure this all makes me a bad feminist and a bad fan. Oh well. Guess that's what I am, then.

I'm also super-bitter that Wayward Sisters is taking up valuable real estate in the SPN season. I totally understand why it has to be done, but it's sure has hell not endearing me to the spin-off either.

No other show is tickling my fandom fancy, and I'm half glad. I'll be working on more original stuff once SPN has worked its way out of my system; I don't need another fixation, heh. I'm enjoying Preacher and Ozark and The Expanse ... none of which are airing right now, dern it. The John Wick universe is interesting to me, but not so much that I wanna do fanworks for it. Same with Kingsman. It's at once more fun but less passionate to watch shows w/o an eye to how to manipulate that into fanworks, and worry about how fandom will respond to this, that or the other. Maybe I'll actually start reading original fiction again, gasp!

Big hugs, woman. Big hugs.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Ahhh original fiction, I remember that... I'm not quite there yet, I've been trying to read 'real' books but they don't grip me, I find I'm dipping in and out and not remembering anything. Though I have read some bits that resonated - use of language, world that aren't this one, and aren't American... It feels a bit radical to be thinking other thoughts. One thing I want to do is rewrite my novel - I think it needs it.

I had a conversation today with someone very taken with The Expanse, but as it's on Netflix I'd have to wait for the dvds.

I confess that I was always wary about Wayward Sisters - I want it to succeed but doubt it will be my cup of tea. I still regret the ones that got away - Ellen and Jo, Bobby and Rufus, something that could have spun off from the Winchester verse with credibility and solid background, and humour. These over-earnest, unfeasibly attractive pseudo teens are just not for me - I find them too unbelievable and basically boring.

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

ELLEN AND JO. *still pouring one out for them*

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Ellen remains one of my favourite characters ever.

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

The Expanse!!! (See my reply to quickreaver...)

I found that the plot in season 1 was so intricate I had to read the books to figure it out. (Season 2 is much more straightforward.) But the CHARACTERS! Are so worth making the effort. Let me know if you want a cheat sheet on the S1 plot elements so you can focus on the characters. ;D

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Aw thanks- I'll take it! I'm just looking on Amazon and the Bluray of season 1 is available... Mmm. It does look like something I'd like - sci fi is up my alley. Before SPN I mainlined on Firefly and Babylon 5 and any other sci fi I could get my hands on. Space detectives reminds me of another programme we used to really like on BBC - Star Cops. Looking it up now, it only had 9 episodes! What a waste.

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

Email me at ahr7542 @ att.net and I'll email you my PDF! I think there are lots of parallels with Firely -- you'll want to discover if the characters can trust each other or not... Some reviewers call season 1 of Expanse a cross between Blade Runner (futuristic noir mystery/sci fi) and Battlestar Galactica.

Expanse S1 (IMO) is a set of characters and you are trying to understand what motivates them and if they can count on each other, and meanwhile, solve a mystery that's a bit convoluted. (But the fate of the universe may depend on it!)

S2 - you'll have figured out who you're invested in, and you'll stay tuned to see how they each respond to conflict/crises, learn even more about them and their secrets in the process, and watch how the choices they make affect their relationships with each other.

Hope you enjoy!

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

I was just nodding along to everything and then I stumbled across the magic word. The Expanse!!! The characters there have totally captured my heart and given me that 'can't wait' passion each week (in season). Squee!

Every time I'm fallen in love with a series and a fandom (over the last 30 years!), I've wondered if anything could replace it in my heart when the show winds down. Something always came along. But I think I loved Supernatural in its prime more than anything before or since. I'll follow along till the very end... I still care about Sam n Dean, but it's not even my favorite show any more.

I have no words for how much I am enthralled by The Expanse. But I don't think I have any interest in reading or writing Expanse fanfic. Not sure I see an opportunity to engage in fandom with it. IThough if you see any art or vids or meta, let me know!)