Kim Manners: In Memoriam
I always find it sad when someone so important to a show passes away, but it’s also fantastic when that show pays tribute to those lost. The Supernatural family did just that when executive producer and director Kim Manners died of lung cancer about four years ago in early 2009. The episode “Death Takes a Holiday” that aired on March 12, 2009 featured a dedication to Manners at the end: “”We dedicate the entire season to Kim Manners. We miss you, Kim.” The series creator, Eric Kripke, even released a statement after Manners’ death: “Everyone at Supernatural is walking around in a daze, shocked and absolutely devastated. Kim was a brilliant director; more than that, he was a mentor and friend. He was one of the patriarchs of the family, and we miss him desperately. He gave so much to Supernatural, and everything we do on the show, now and forever, is in memory of him.”
Kim Manners was such an important part of the show and his passion for it showed in the interviews he did. While a lot of people might find it stressful to come up with different myths and urban legends to write about every week, Kim explained during season 2 that there are hundreds to choose from and that there is no shortage of material to use for the show. While he did not actually write for the show, I have no doubt he had a big hand in the direction and subject matter of each episode.
Jared?
Now, its not really surprising that Kim was so interested in this type of show and so good at what he did. Before working on Supernatural, he was a director for the X-Files. He was more than just a regular ole director for that show, too. He actually directed more episodes than any other director of the series. That’s pretty impressive if I do say so myself! Similarly, it’s also not very surprising that he found his way into show business. Aside from the fact that he was a child actor, his father, brother, and sister all have had their hands in the television business too. Now I’m sure you’re wondering about the whole child actor thing. Well, he did find his calling with directing before the acting really took over, but he does have a couple credits: two to be exact in 1970. We can just forgive and forget about that though since he went on to become, in my opinion, one of the best television producer/directors.
Pilot Season
So, after breaking down the structure of The Big Bang Theory for my spec script, I decided I’d like to do the same for Supernatural. Now, I knew that an episode of Supernatural would be twice as long as an episode of a typical sitcom. I didn’t realize, however, how many more scenes Supernatural has in a single episode. I counted 25 different scenes, though some of them run together in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish one scene from the next. In any case, I’m going to stick with 25.
In case you were wondering (because I’m sure you were), the episode of Supernatural I chose to watch was actually the pilot. I thought about just simply choosing an episode at random (which is what I did for The Big Bang Theory review), but then I decided that I wanted to re-watch the pilot and do my analysis on that episode. I’m in the process of writing a new episode for The Big Bang Theory, so it was only fitting that I chose any episode in the middle of the series to do my analysis on since my episode would be just another episode in the middle. For Supernatural, though, I wanted to go back to the beginning and see what structural elements have changed over the years and which have remained the same.
Of the 25 total scenes in the episode, only 4 do not feature at least one of the two brothers in present day. While the very first scene of the episode does technically have Sam and Dean in it, they are children and the focus is on their parents. This, however, is just a result of the episode being the pilot, though a number of episodes do feature flashbacks to the brothers’ childhood and teenaged years.
Any episode in the series that revolves around an isolated supernatural event follows a basic structural pattern. Typically, the problem (or being) is introduced at the beginning without involvement from main characters. This functions as the introduction of the A plotline. Oddly enough, it is very rare to have more than just one other plot line. In this particular case, there isn’t really a B plotline that involves any other characters. If an episode does have a B plotline, the center is usually Bobby or Castiel. In the pilot episode, though, Sam and Dean are actually working in two different plotlines. In plotline A, they hunt the ghost that is killing people and manage to get rid of it. They are also working to find their father at the same time. This is a very interesting and clever way to incorporate two totally different plotlines into one.
Along the way, Dean leaves for food, which happens ALL the time, the brothers check into a hotel room, they pretend to be federal officers, the question people around town, they scour the internet, and they work together to defeat the beast. Dean even gets thrown into jail, which is not uncommon throughout the series either. They catch the bad guys in the end. In the first season in particular, the episodes were fairly stand-alone, and viewers did not necessarily have to know the whole show to understand what was happening. For this reason, a lot of the same things happen episode after episode, and yet it is always just as enjoyable to watch the next episode!
Minor Detour: Spec Script Time!
As an assignment for my writing class I am to write a spec script for a sitcom of my choice. Because Supernatural is not a sitcom and I had reservations about actually being able to produce another episode for it, I decided to focus my efforts on The Big Bang Theory instead. I’m sure most of you have at least heard of it. If you have not watched it before, it is most certainly one of the funniest shows I’ve ever watched and I’ve seen almost every episode. Now, I’m almost positive the writers for that show have some special alien talent that I do not possess, but I will give my script my best effort! The outcome is yet to be determined, however.
Figuring out the structure of the show is a very important stage of preparation when writing a spec script. For the purpose of this assignment, I watched one episode of The Big Bang Theory called “The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition” and took note of the number of scenes and which subplot they were related to. I chose this episode simply because I found it to be one of the funniest episodes. Sheldon actually shows a real human emotion: jealousy. The way Jim Parsons plays a jealous Sheldon is something no other actor could do. As I was watching it, though, I began to realize that this episode was actually unordinary. Every scene in the episode (11 total) had to do with the main plot line: Stuart from the comic book store asks Amy out on a date and Sheldon becomes jealous even though he and Amy are not technically an “item.” When the scene only involved Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj, the characters were still all talking about Sheldon’s dilemma (though Sheldon was in a state of denial himself). Even when just the girls (Penny, Bernadette, and Amy) were alone, they were discussing Amy’s new “relationship” with Stuart.
All episodes begin with a cold opening that typically shows most of the characters doing something together (most commonly sitting in Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment eating). The cold opening typically functions as an introduction to all plots and subplots of an episode, which is why most main characters are involved in it. After the fun theme song plays, the show will typically jump into Plot A to get the audience going with whatever that episode is mainly about. There is no real set formula for what subplots are explored first and in what order they continue throughout the episode. There are typically only 3 plots for an episode: A, B, and C, if even that many. Sometimes, like in the episode I watched, all the characters are doing something together. For example, they have all gone on a road trip together. The subplots (B and C) are always resolved before A, and the show typically ends in a similar fashion to how it began. The characters often reconvene in Leonard and Sheldon’s living room and eat yet again. This type of scenario is not saved for only the beginning and end, however. Often, the characters get together several times throughout an episode, but it is not unusual if they don’t.
Road trip’n.
Now, I do realize that most episodes of the series (at least in previous seasons) do not have quite the same structure. Normally in an episode of the show, the main plot line will have something to do with Sheldon, Penny, or Leonard. Raj and Howard’s lives were always the subject of subplots throughout the episode, especially when they do not necessarily factor into the main characters’ problems. The actors who portray Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny even earn more than the others, so it is to be expected that they would get more screen time. Recently, however, Howard and Bernadette have been given larger storylines. Because there are more characters, the writers have begun trying different story structures. That’s why I chose to write about this particular episode. I was interested to see how the show manages to still be successful even when it tampers with traditional structure. It will be interesting to see how this show structure changes in the current season. Once they went from 5 major cast members to 7, it was only a matter of time until those characters began to get more in depth stories. There has even been an episode that featured Howard heavily in the main Plot A. I respect that the writers are able to pull off different structures and can keep up with all the characters!
Guys, what about the women?
As I looked back through the last few blog posts, I realized that I had only been talking about the men on the show. Of course, the two main characters and other main supporting characters are all men, but there have actually been quite a few strong female characters in the show. Now, it’s no secret (to anyone I’m sure!) that a lot of women (myself included) sometimes watch the show simply for the handsomeness gracing the screen. Whatever it was the casting directors were looking for, I’m sure easy on the eyes was at least somewhat a deciding factor. For this reason, I have found that there are quite a few female viewers who despise any and all women on the show. Do they think that they would actually have a chance with these actors (characters?) if no women were ever on screen? Maybe they just simply watch the show for the pure entertainment value in seeing these men.
Fellow hunters Jo and Ellen.
The problem I have with this, however, is that these viewers are forgetting what the show is meant to be about. These people all have to work towards the end goal of abolishing evil and they have to work together to get there. The women help drive the show by giving all these men some humanity. How could they not have humanity anyway you ask? The women of the show are often in positions of power and they work to put the guys back in check. There are a number of out of control moments throughout the seasons that require a reality check. Sam and Dean are reminded that family (even if not blood related) is what’s important when Jo and Ellen (daughter and wife of a hunter killed in action) agree to die for the greater good. The downward spiral of irrationality came to a screeching halt when they discovered how much they loved those two women and what their place was in their lives. In this case, the women represented love, courage, and a will to survive (through other people).
The first Meg “meat suit” of the series.
Women monsters are also a big part of the show. There is a particular demon called Meg who first appears in the first season and tricks Sam into siding with her. Her purpose at first seems to be a love interest, but that quickly changes when it reveled she is working with the devil to lure the Winchesters. She comes back in later seasons (played by a different actress) in a different “meat suit.” She appears to be helpful to the guys in current seasons, and is even on their side with helping out Castiel.
The two versions of Ruby.
The only main female character that I really consider to be weak would be Ruby. I’m not sure that she was only intended to be a love interest in the show for Sam, but it definitely felt like it at times. She too was played by different actresses (Katie Cassidy and Genevieve Cortese). Cortese eventually became Jared Padalecki’s wife in real life, so that chemistry on screen was obviously not fake. Ruby turned out to be bad news in the end, though she unfortunately earned Sam’s trust throughout the show.
Program Critique
I had to write a program critique on a single episode of Supernatural for my writing class at school. I decided to write about the attention to detail that was in the season 4 episode “It’s a Terrible Life.” I found it to be a fresh look at how the brothers should not be doing anything else but hunting. Enjoy!
Season Premiere!
So, how about that season 8 premiere episode (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”)?! I found it to be a perfectly enjoyable episode that really set the bar high for the rest of the season. So much was included in the episode that I cannot help but wish for more right away. Entering into its eighth season, you might be quick to assume that the show is beginning to run out of steam. Not the case! Supernatural keeps on giving: the storyline gets better and better and the characters are staying fresh with new directions all the time. It seems like so many shows burn out very quickly (or just start out a bust), but the writing team must enjoy themselves too much to start giving up on this show. Judging by this season premiere, we are all in for a fantastic season and I can’t wait!
The new show runner may be a good choice too. Sera Gamble, former show runner and executive producer, stepped down this season. I sincerely hope the new guy (Jeremy Carver) can keep up. Sera was a major writer for the series too, but so far so good (even though it was only one episode!).
There was some mirroring of other episodes in this one. Dean was in Purgatory, and has now escaped somehow. He comes back to find Sam has moved on, as per Dean’s request. However, it seems Sam has really moved on. Back in Season 6, the first episode showed Dean living a cookie-cutter life with Lisa after Sam jumped into Lucifer’s cage. Emotionally, though, Dean never really moved on. He just couldn’t give up on Sam, but he did give up hunting for a year. In this season premiere, the roles are reversed. Sam has given up hunting and moved on with his life. He did not spend his time looking for Dean, though. This royally ticked Dean off.
Also, the last time Dean was gone (in Hell), Sam managed to move on. He even managed to “douche” up Dean’s Impala (‘Baby’) by hooking up an iPod dock into it. That made Dean rather mad as well. That time however, Sam didn’t give up hunting in Dean’s absence. Dean also came back rather calm. In the episode last night, Dean was a complete bloodied mess upon his escape and seemed like he was ready for nothing less than war. I think this is a very strong foreshadowing of the episodes to come. I think Supernatural is about to get darker, scarier, more intense, and way more emotional than ever before! Sam doesn’t want to hunt anymore, though which makes me wonder what he could have been doing during the last year. I hope all of that is revealed more throughout this season too, though I’m sure it will be. Of course, we still need to know how Dean escaped too.
Here’s to Season 8!
The Unplanned Season
Eric Kripke originally intended for Supernatural to only last five seasons. He was, then, taken off guard when the CW decided to renew the series in 2010 for a sixth season due to high ratings compared to other shows on the network (though not in comparison to shows on other networks). Supernatural had, in a lot of ways, already ended in season five. The season had been focused on the brothers’ attempt, along with Castiel and Bobby, to stop Lucifer from triggering the apocalypse. The season involved much fewer case-by-case episodes as it focused more on the season long story arc. The writers and Kripke had to revamp their ideas for the sixth season in order to keep the series going strong. They brought back what seemed to a fan favorite: episodes dealing with cases drenched in supernatural lore and myth that were resolved by the end of the hour (or about 42 minutes if you’re really keeping tabs).
The broader storylines were still there, though. I actually quite liked the introduction of Sam and Dean’s grandfather, though some felt it to be pointless as the storyline eventually fizzled out over the season. I felt giving more family to the boys added to their relationship as brothers. Their bonds strengthened over their mutual dislike of a grandfather from the past who had known about the supernatural all along. Also, the season had to evolve just like the show had been doing in the past in order to keep it an entertaining hour of television, so incorporating smaller story arcs spiced up the world.
John Winchester, Sam and Dean’s father.
The brilliant incorporation of mythology in the series cannot be doubted, however. This is why the case-by-case episodes could stand alone even without the season long stories. The first few seasons of the series definitely exemplified this. While they dealt with the boys finding their father and avenging their mother’s death, the episodes were supernatural centric. Though I said before that these elements are not why I watch the show, they certainly enhance the viewing process for me. First and foremost, the writers are master storytellers. As one reviewer put it, “Supernatural beautifully juxtaposes [the story arcs] with all of the many tales that the history of the world contains (from Greek mythology to vampires).”
The Devil’s Trap features heavily in the show to trap demons.
The myths are not just mentioned then handled with creative license. The characters must go through the proper lengths to identify the creatures they are dealing with and obtain the resources necessary for “smoking” them. Even the tales about skin walkers were spot on, including how their actions might be mistaken for werewolves. Aside from the cleverly spoofed Twilight episode and the one involving fairies, most episodes dealt with creatures even the most creepy fanatics would take pleasure in. The Leviathan are introduced in the sixth season, as well as Eve (The Mother of All), as purgatory is opened.
A Leviathan.
Also in season 6: Jensen Ackles’ directed episode “Weekend at Bobby’s” and the funniest ever episode “The French Mistake” (to be discussed later!)
“….the voice says I’m almost out of minutes.”
Bobby.
Shall we quickly review some of the other major characters (or at least those I find to be notable)? Obviously, Sam and Dean (the boys, if you will) are the heart and soul of the series, but I would like to add two honorable mentions: Bobby Singer and Castiel (Cas for short). For anyone who might only watch snippets of the show, you have probably still been able to get an idea of who Bobby (Jim Beaver) is, or at least what he means to Sam and Dean. In a lot of ways, Bobby is their surrogate father, or maybe uncle. They grew up with Bobby as one of their dad’s hunter friends. He has always been a part of the Winchesters’ lives, and was there for them when their dad disappeared and when he eventually died. The boys look to him for support and his help in solving cases has been invaluable to the boys. Bobby functions throughout the series as somewhat of a monster encyclopedia. He has so much information stored inside his mind and in his house (which is almost a character in itself). He also helps in other (humorous) ways, though. For instance, whenever the boys act as FBI agents, Bobby’s number is always listed as their supervisor. He is always on call, and will convince whatever nervous ninny that thinks the boys are anything less than they say they are otherwise. Fun fact: one of the main executive producers of the show is Robert Singer. This (“sick”) coincidence is pointed out on screen in my favorite episode “The French Mistake” in season 6 (to be discussed in a later post).
The angel, Castiel (Cas).
Castiel, the angel in a trench coat, is probably my favorite character (aside from Sam and Dean) of the series. Misha Collins’ portrayal of Cas has even forced me to become a huge Misha fan. Much like Jim Parsons being the only person who could ever play Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, I can’t imagine anyone else playing Castiel as well as Misha Collins. Cas can be serious (and downright scary at times), but he a major source of comic relief. Dean and Cas together make for some incredibly funny television. Cas goes through many changes over the seasons after he was introduced in season 4. He goes off the deep end, thinks he’s God, and betrays the guys. I find him noteworthy, however, for his one-liners. Please enjoy the video below of some of his best moments. I can’t get enough!
Sam and Dean
I am not much for overanalyzing technicalities of a show, particularly not for shows I enjoy watching. The only aspect that I ever really pay attention to is the character development. Therefore, I felt I needed to give a few examples of why I love these characters so much.
Sam and Dean have been given so much background throughout the show that it would be difficult to not feel for them. I can connect with Sam the most because his relationship with his older brother, Dean, mirrors my own relationship with my older brother. The frustration with being treated like a little brother on occasion, wanting his older brother to stop being so tough, and wanting Dean to let Sam take care of things himself are all issues Sam has dealt with throughout the series, particularly in the first season. Dean, on the other hand, is very macho, only cries once or twice in the series, and loves to eat. He wants revenge for his mother’s death and refuses to let anything, even emotion, stand in his way.
What the show does so well is to make sure the characters are acting and reacting to certain situations based on all of their prior experiences. We even see flashbacks to boys’ past that range from them being toddlers to teenagers. Most of the flashbacks deal with their relationship as brothers, which helps the audience to understand whatever is happening in the present. On one occasion, the flashback shows the brothers in one of their many old schools interacting with the other students. This was background for the episode where they had to return to this school to find and kill the ghost that is going on a killing spree. This episode also features Dean wearing tiny red shorts as a substitute gym teacher. I laughed for hours after I watched that episode.
Coach Dean
Sometimes the brothers are tested and brought to the breaking point. This is why I love them so much. It is really just like watching two real brothers. Even when literally faced with the apocalypse, the bond between them is not broken. In season 7, Lucifer was taking hold of Sam’s mind, causing Sam to go crazy and confuse reality with his hallucinations. Dean has to convince Sam that he is not part of Lucifer’s mind game. It almost makes me cry how strong Dean’s love is for his brother. He will do absolutely anything to save his brother. What incredible writing and acting! The emotion feels so real.
Who am I kidding? There is a lot of emotion on this show apparently!
Eric Kripke
So let me begin by saying I positively love the show Supernatural. I don’t even like horror films or scary movies of any kind, but for some reason I can’t get enough of Supernatural. I have watched every episode except for the last few of this past season. I think what helps the show so much is the writing. I might not enjoy it so much if it did not have the perfect combination of science fiction and humor. Aside from Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki brilliantly convincing the audience that they really are ghost hunting brothers, their chemistry together helps them play off all the humorous jokes incorporated into the script.
Series creator Eric Kripke.
Though Supernatural has numerous writers, I have decided to focus this post more on a major writer for the series. Eric Kripke not only writes some of the episodes, but he also created the series for goodness sake. I always think it’s awesome when someone not only writes for a show, but can also claim to be the creator. That’s probably a major reason why I love Supernatural so much. Eric Kripke writes for the show, but he always knew (and still knows!) exactly what he wanted it to be about. This overall knowledge of the show would most definitely help him keep the episodes cohesive. He also seems to have an affinity for shows and films related to the supernatural. He found success before Supernatural with the movie Boogeyman in 2005. I honestly haven’t seen that movie, but I bet I would like it. I find Supernatural to be beyond entertaining.
By the way, did I mention he’s only 38?! He only graduated from college (USC) in 1996, which makes it that much more impressive he’s found this kind of success so relatively quickly. He made home movies with friends as a kid, so his passion was evident at an early age.
Kripke with actor Jensen Ackles.
Kripke tries to keep Supernatural fun. Of course it is a serious show, but who could not fall in love with the hilarious Winchester brothers. I did, that’s for sure. He wanted to have the horror aspect, but he wanted to keep the show real….ish. That’s why he kept in the family aspect and made the brothers such a strong team. He still wanted the audience to be able to connect to the characters. In this interview, Kripke goes into much more detail about how he developed the characters to show that family can overcome even an apocalypse. It’s actually quite impressive and amazing how much effort he puts into the show.
The show is just about to begin its eighth season (wow!) on October 3rd. That is majorly impressive for any show, particularly one that does not necessarily appeal to a massive audience. I, for one, cannot wait for it to begin.
Supernatural Thoughts 