They were actually planning to write Ellen into one of the final four episodes. But because of strike delay, filming of the episode, if it did get filmed, was going to conflict with pilot season and Sam Ferrell decided she couldn't commit to the single episode she was offered, *if* that episode actually did get filmed, post-strike, when she had a better chance of finding more work, possibly steady work, by keeping her schedule open.
The realities and economics of teevee do not always dovetail with the wishes of the audience, nor the actors, sadly. I know Tal had a job as a regular or recurring on another show last season and didn't have time on her schedule to appear as Jo, even if it had been offered. Malik Whitfield commited to a series and so would not be able to appear as Henriksen in S4, though I still think they should have kept the option open should his series not succeed. Sterling Brown's contract actually prevents him from appearing in a current series on another network while he's working on Army Wives.
But they haven't actually written Ellen off. She may appear, or they may refer to her in passing. I occasionally think Kripke tends to turn loose of characters and plot points he's bored with, but then something comes up that refers back to a minor point in a previous season, and I go, hmmm. So there's hope for Ellen, though I doubt for Jo, since much of SPN fandom still has a residual hate-on for her. I like her as a little sister-esque character. And I even hold out a faint flicker of hope for Henriksen, and even Ash. If they didn't die onscreen or I never saw the body, to me there's always hope.
It does bug, though, that we get new characters like Rufus, and never get to see the ones that have been mentioned, like Jefferson and Joshua. I'd even appreciate a flashback with Pastor Jim or Caleb, since we have met those two, fairly immediately pre-mortem.
I wondered whether some of the latter flowed inevitably from the fact that it's the two of them against the world, a boys' own adventure...but really, I think that it's just bad writing.
I think there was a lot of bad storytelling in this season. Some lovely bits for the boys but surrounded by bad storytelling and writing choices that I don't think I will ever comprehend.
It's so fascinating what impresses you when you mainline a season, rather than imbibing it as weekly doses over a period of months.
I am mainlining S3 before clearing most of the eps off of my dvr and it feels very different watching it this quickly. There are some lovely character bits surrounded by storytelling and moral choices I question. But the character bits are just startling when you aren't waiting for a nibble each week (or more with all of the hiatus breaks last season) and and quite delicious.
It's sort of how I felt with S7 of Buffy. A rewatch (and judicious fast-forwarding of the speechifying) made the season feel much less stuttery to me.
Malleus Maleficarum still is really awful and objectionable on about thirty levels. *deletes*
That was the
Witches of Eastwick
one?
Yes, it was the witches ep. I tend to think that the ep is just "Our Skeevy Offensive Issues, Let Us Horrify You Show You Them."
eta: My html skillz, let me correct them.
It's a week or two since I watched that episode, and it was in the midst of mainlining the first half of the season (so eps do blur together a bit). What was it that made that episode stand out for you in particular? I remember when I saw it that I was half-way comparing it to the
Blood Ties
ep that dealt with the same topic, and with the WoE book & movie - I was actually quite glad that the witches weren't being portrayed as sexually frustrated & manipulated by a male demon in this version, at least.
And I liked the development of the mythos that we got through this ep - the whole people-become-demons thing, with the idea that that's what will happen to Dean in the fullness of time - was this the first time we found out about that? Can't recall.
I do remember being uncomfortable with the episode, particularly the ending, but I'd be interested to know your take on it.
It just read so terribly misogynistic to me and the violence was creepily sexualized, from the dead witch boobplanting on the glass coffee table to Dean thrusting the knife into another witch over and over in a way that read more than a little like rape to me.
And I liked the development of the mythos that we got through this ep - the whole people-become-demons thing, with the idea that that's what will happen to Dean in the fullness of time - was this the first time we found out about that? Can't recall.
The how (at least some) demons are made bit was cool. And it's where we find out that Dean has a demonic future once he goes to Hell.
I actually liked Ruby for once too. Especially when she snarled for Dean to stop calling her a bitch.
Practicing witchcraft for lower mortgage rates, free trips to Hawaii and a promotion for their husbands? This is what women will sell their souls for?
Aside from the skeevy treatment of women in Malleus Malificarum, that episode and the Christmas one cheesed me off by painting pagans as unequivocally evil. Uh, boys? Half the rituals you guys use come from pagan sources, of various ethnic cultures, and that's not counting the ones that were modified for use in the church. I really liked the Christmas episode, except for feeling as though the show equates me personally with demonic entities.
The Christmas ep has the gifting of the amulet though. That is why I will always love parts of that ep.
the Christmas one cheesed me off by painting pagans as unequivocally evil
See, that didn't ping me. It came across to me that those *particular* pagan *entities* were willing to do what they had to do to survive, i.e. if no one was going to make sacrifices to them, they'd do the sacrificing themselves.
