I definitely want the end to be onwards to more saving. While Kripke had the reins (I haven't seen that spelt correctly the last 5 times I've seen it in fic--I'm beginning to wonder if Merriam Webster did a switcheroo) I was pretty sure it would end in tears and desolation.

Now, though, I have no predictions, only preferences.

I'm pushing out further through the tumblr world, trying to find people to follow for good reblog material and even interesting meta (although I do not think of tumblr as a source for that--I just don't have the energy to re-engage LJ). It's interesting to look at the demographics people list, and a few pages of their SPN philosophy.

I'm reading one tumblr now that I'm not going to follow, because she spends too much time criticising the show for too little Cas and unhappy Cas.

In fact, I want to yell at fandom in general about who people get mad at, and this is one really obvious example. He has two kids under five, never appeared all that much on the show when he was a regular, and even though you don't know he wanted to leave when he was written off the first time, why are you mad at the show for him not being on it more? Can you be usefully sure he's being denied something that he wants?

And that's just the actor meta. The only way to keep Cas happy is to keep him off the show. It's season 8. Rent the DVDs if you're not familiar with the tone. And keeping the angel onscreen does strenuous things to the narrative, so how do you see this working practically--him being onscreen more, and happy? Cheerfully casting away his powers?

It's halfbaked, is what it is. Liking the characters more than the show is...that's counterproductive.

I ended up dropping cafe de labielle because she was being engaged on why she stopped watching (they ruined her ship), and I just want that person who reblogs pretty pictures, sad GIFsets, and funny commentary. Tell me when you find them, will you?

Do you guys feel its inherently unhappy for Dean and Sam to spend most of their time together doing the family business? Back on LJ I used to read people who wanted them healed, and by healed they meant out of hunting, because no hunters are happy, because it's impossible to be mentally healthy and be a hunter.

I don't think they have to be Batman--as much as I complain about Garth--he wasn't unhappy. I don't feel Rufus or Bobby were unhappy, even though they died on the job. Dying is clearly a bad thing, but it's hardly a surprise ending. Saying hunting is unhealthy because it's dangerous is pretty much asking to clear out the ranks of soldiers, cops, firefighters, etc, because their jobs put them in increased jeopardy.

They are *heroes*. John was damaged and unhealthy, and that's why he went into hunting, true. Dean is damaged, but I think he's sincerely happy when he's hunting, and not hunting isn't how he's going to get self esteem. It's orthogonal to his career, or perhaps aided by the degree of heroism in his career (as opposed to him considering himself a walking sacrifice-in-waiting). Sam is scarred, but I don't think of him as that unhealthy.

I see that ending you guys does as the happy ending. We can have a rainbow arc over the car, and then Dean swerves left so he can hunt leprechauns. I don't regard either of them as a booby prize, and they can join the rotary club/get non-foxhole girlfriends later.

I just bumped into this explanation on how sole focus on the boys is bad. I'm not clear if they mean sudden sole focus, or if they mean an eighth year of sole focus, though.

They are never going to actually be the only recurring characters in the show--I don't know if that person is writing with the assumption that Cas will be back this year--clearly we're going to see him and the Trans (if not Garth) as well as Benny (even if that's not positively). How sole is sole? Is it because there's no Bobby to call? They haven't had a lot of people in general. I mean, there have (continued...)

( continues...) been big hard losses, but it's not like an epidemic wiped out their extensive social network--they're effectively one person short.

I dunno--I think that disliking the show and realising you dislike the show is saner than explaining why the show can/must not make certain choices. Even if it's a change in either you or the story, sometimes different is just different, and it's no longer your beautiful cake. That doesn't mean it's the wrong cake. Having Cas sad (as opposed to manipulated) or go dark is ruining your viewing experience, sure. But that's not the same as ruining Cas.

And, you know, I should pay more attention to the show and less attention to the people paying attention to the show. But I still maintain that like it or no, IO9 is giving it short shrift. The amount of attention the Vampire Diaries episode got this week (without seeming like jackshit changed), and SPN was basically "Hey, these guys are so gay for each other." And, hell, my comment that Sam doesn't mind if Dean is gay for Cas was agreed with by Annalee, which makes the recap's position even weaker--talk about why Benny is a threat, and not Cas. Oh, hey, talk about Cas while you're there, and the couple other angels or something? No? Season's big bad not worthy of professional attention that Wincest is?

When Cas told the brothers to stow their crap, I looked at the expression on Dean's face and thought "OK, maybe any chance of reciprocation hasn't been put to rest after all."

Amelia was actually more off-putting to me the longer she was on, but I really think it's the actress, not the writing. There's something irritating about her, no matter what she's saying, for me.

I'm with you. I just don't like the actress. Maybe it's the way that she always looks like she's pouting?

Matt,

I agree with your post above - and I'm on record here as not liking Amelia (tho "Kotex cam" kills me dead - reminded me of "Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo").

I also agree with comments above about the big bad needing to get bigger and badder every season. I suppose this is similar to what Buffy and Angel had to deal with - but probably more apropos comparison would be Charmed. By the final season, the "big bad" became ridiculous in that it defied canon and common sense.

For people who don't want the challenges to increase over time, what sort of big bads would you prefer seeing? Are you also not wanting the boys to increase their skills over time? I don't understand what you want instead.

For people who don't want the challenges to increase over time, what sort of big bads would you prefer seeing?

Actually so far I'm getting it. What I object to is not the skill of the bads increase, but the constant escalation of threat level. This season it does not NOT seem like it is the world at stake - but Kevin and Mom and chance to wipe out demons once at for all. There are hints that can change. And I don't think you have to have the whole world at state or always have huge numbers (thousands, millions) at risk. It is perfectly cromulent for the boys to spend a whole season saving a few people at a time, and including some friends and themselves - without needing apocalypic stakes. That lets the story be more human scale. They've done the apocalypse thing enough times: lets have this season be apocalypse free, then they can have the world or heaven or whatever at state in a future season if they insist. And no reason to try and make it a *bigger* apocalypse.

the constant escalation of threat level

Once you get to the end of the world, how much further can you get? I mean, they stopped the apocalypse, and since then, how have the threat levels escalated beyond that? I don't think Eve or Raphael or Leviathan were bigger than that.

I have never not felt a human scale to this show--they've been consistent with that in its effect on me. Sam and Dean make the most powerful of foes get really personally invested--I'd say that Eve and Dick were about the only two that didn't care about them personally, but there were always other things during their respective seasons that kept a very human-sized face on pain as well.

I wanted a separate post for this.

I don't know how far the stupid foofurrah about tumblr fan response to the cute West cooking video Misha posted, but apparently it's escalated to the point where many people are considering the misha collins tag soiled--one fan worked out where Misha lives in Vancouver and posted stuff on their lawn, other SPN fans are choosing now to post a litany of "Misha is a jackass" lists that are apparently causing some people to stop being fans...it's so remarkably puerile that I need to give tumblr a bit of a break for a mo.

And no reason to try and make it a *bigger* apocalypse.

Except that's what shows always do. Look at Buffy and Angel specifically.

I think trying too hard to make the next big bad scarier and more apocalyptic is always tough, and I thought it with Buffy and Angel, too -- I'd like it if they just made them *different*. Like, a big bad no spells would work on. Or maybe a big bad that's entirely incorporeal.

I don't know how far the stupid foofurrah about tumblr fan response to the cute West cooking video Misha posted

Wait, what? Or do I not want to know?

Okay, I just watched that and laughed so hard, my face hurts. West is priceless. What on earth are people objecting to?