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?

Apparently there were two reactions other than the one true "OMGHOWCUTEISTHAT????" response--someone in Vancouver worked out where he was living (it would be hysterical if he was faking the front of the house, though) and went there and posted her tumblr address. Also, there seems to be a surge of "Misha Collins is an asshole, because this one time he..." and the things he did involve suggesting scavenger hunt suggestions that are dangerous, illegally moving trees, not running a charity properly, doing things that cost money for fans to participate in and on and on...

I've read a couple of the "You're an idiot if you stan him" posts/tumblrs, and then a few "OMG, he's not perfect, I thought he was perfect, my whole worldview is suspect now" and I just really can't take how idiotic people are willing to be in public sometimes.

I have not seen the "Misha is a bad parent, how dare he let West..." yet, and I'm honestly disappointed. In that way that's not fucking disappointed at all. But I'm sure, for instance, there are people in the anon meme (assuming it's still alive--I haven't looked in an age) talking that sort of shit. Because people are people.

I wondered if parenting was the issue. Not that I think he did anything wrong. I think West is pretty self-confident and capable for his age, and that's all due to his parents. Also, way to eat, kiddo.

Okay, "Debriel" is my new most loathed portmanteau.

I think we should hate the ship too...

Actually, while it makes much less sense than Dean/Castiel, I've always thought Dean/Gabriel makes way more sense than Sam/Gabriel.

How much angel/angel is there? I'm guessing that most of the action involves a Winchester, but I've wondered about Gabriel/Balthazar as a side pairing, AU or canon.