and that certain episodes (hi, Bloody Mary and Usual Suspects!) really give me the icy shudders.

Wait, I haven't seen Usual Suspects yet, have I?

I luuuurved Bloody Mary. I think I may have giggled and clapped my hands. Which was also my reaction to the haunted asylum episode.

What hooked me?

SAM: Hey, Dean? What I said earlier... about Mom and Dad, I'm sorry.

DEAN (holding up a hand): No chick-flick moments.

SAM: All right. Jerk.

DEAN: Bitch.

I resisted SPN because, well, I wasn't looking for a show, and also I'm not a horror fan. But I watched and Oh! Dean! also it's the perfect way for me to watch horror films, because there's none of the gore or the stuff that freaks me out.

Wait, I haven't seen Usual Suspects yet, have I?

Nope! It has true horror movie creepy! Also, Linda Blair.

Ahaha: my first rational thoughts on the show (about 3-4 days into my viewing) [link]

Thanks for the link, Plei. I do think it was the whole idea of family (and family secrets) that drew me in. For one thing, the sibling dynamic fascinates me and also engenders a certain sense of longing. Growing up as an only child, I could only imagine what having a sibling would be like, and what I'm getting here is a deep, vicarious, and visceral experience that is at once very different from anything I have ever known in my own life and yet seems so right, so familiar.

As for the family secrets, that is a subject that has always fascinated me, given that my own family has their share. Little ticking time bombs that manage to come out at the worst times, or get talked around rather than about.

Let's see... I love the horror. Like Jilli, I giggle and squee at times. And I'm big on the pretty and the snark. Good snark, this show. I'm also a fan of the complex, deeply flawed character and SPN has an abundance of that. Over-abundance maybe. Tortured boys? Yum. Roots and deep connections between the characters? Check that one off the list, too. Did someone say dysfunctional family? Excellent. Count me in.

Like askye, I wasn't looking for a show. I was actually kind of burned out on tv all together. And I was watching Grey's when SPN was on. Poor me, I don't have one of those cool dvr thingies. But the flailing (and the sale price on the season 1 dvds) peaked my interest just enough to check it out. And I'm soooo glad it did.

For one thing, the sibling dynamic fascinates me and also engenders a certain sense of longing. Growing up as an only child, I could only imagine what having a sibling would be like, and what I'm getting here is a deep, vicarious, and visceral experience that is at once very different from anything I have ever known in my own life and yet seems so right, so familiar.

points at what Anne said and nods

I didn't even think about that, but yeah. Totally.

I was totally looking for a show. Missing Buffy and Angel like mad.

And I love anything that's remotely spooky or scary or paranormal. I mean, I watched the first two episodes of that haunted-type show Matthew Fox was in, and the one with the band who was dead (or something -- memfault), before they were cancelled. (I also read Stephen King. I LOVE the scary.)

And the pretty was such a bonus! But after the pilot, I was amazed -- there was meat to it! Vengeance, and unresolved family issues, and brotherly competition and loyalty and togetherness is their outsiderness, and a missing dad, and a dead girlfriend (motivation!). I think after Buffy and Angel, too, what got me was the element of choice. Outside of the very natural urge for vengeance, none of these men *have* to do this.

Yes. Oh, SHOW.

Actually the pretty didn't keep me. And the scary scared me away at first. But the character interaction? That's where the show hooked me. The pretty is very, very pretty, true, but it's the characters and their interplay that own me.

::nods::

The pretty was pretty much out of my age and interest range--I mean, WB boys. I know, I say that a lot. But I think there is, and always has been a class of Hollywood actors that were/are "WB boys" of their time. I thought that's what we had here. Which is why it's been of such interest to me to see the actors dig in and improve their craft, as well as discover and expand their characters.

I don't share Plei's fourth wall issues, in fact, I'm probably the exact opposite. Part of my meta is tech meta. How did you get there? What was going through your head during that scene? How many takes to get it right? Did you drink yourself blind after it was over?

the sibling dynamic fascinates me and also engenders a certain sense of longing. Growing up as an only child, I could only imagine what having a sibling would be like, and what I'm getting here is a deep, vicarious, and visceral experience that is at once very different from anything I have ever known in my own life and yet seems so right, so familiar.

Yes! This! A whole lot of this. Also, having raised and observed male siblings from outside their unique relationship, and having often been puzzled by their dynamic, I'm learning stuff about that. It's illuminating in a way.