Two things about this bit of meta on the amulet. This statement:

Did Sam retrieve the amulet? Fandom of course is generally convinced he has (and possibly melted it down into commitment rings, or commitment cock rings as one fan suggested).

And the fact that I clicked on the link to learn more about Chekov's gun, only to some mortification as I learned the Chekov in question was Anton, not Pavel.

You know what else? SHOW Today!!!

I could only briefly skim that article on my phone, but dare she suggest it might be a good thing that he shuck the Samulet? No!

Uh, there's no way I'm getting perspective on that any time soon.

Man, I wonder what it must be like to have that sort of power, to convulse fandom like that. "And now I shall make them weep. Dabb? Loflin? Throw away the amulet. And we won't mention it next week..."

I honestly believe Kripke's got a deeper mean streak than Joss. And that's saying something.

Now into season two of Leverage and have forgiven Aldis Hodge for killing Sam on Supernatural.

xpost with Cable Drama

I've been trying to articulate the differences in pain caused by Whedon and Kripke. It's hard. I think Joss is trying to say more, and thinks he's aiming higher (I'm not judging here, but I think he has lofty goals) and mostly I think Mr. Kripke is just a bastard. He's not trying to teach his audience the meaning of the fragility of life or anything like that. He's just trying to make them cry and cry and cry.

But he hits that spot anyway, so in the end I'm not sure his goal matters. I think Joss's goals were often so clear cut you could see them coming from a mile away, once you figured out how he operated. And that's not a bad thing, since it probably saved me from actually ripping my hair out in shock and misery, but.

I think mostly Kripke has a lot to be thankful in his writing staff. Given his original idea for this series, the way they've explored family and brotherhood and loyalty and heroes and human fear and desire has dug a lot deeper than he might have expected.

mostly I think Mr. Kripke is just a bastard. He's not trying to teach his audience the meaning of the fragility of life or anything like that. He's just trying to make them cry and cry and cry.

I think Kripke must not interview well and that is why I have the impression of him just wanting gore, blood, and teen age humor. I never get a feeling that subtleties of the storytelling are credited to him, but I guess they must be.

I think Joss's goals were often so clear cut you could see them coming from a mile away, once you figured out how he operated

There's an IO9 post today about tearjerker moments in genre, and mine are pretty much Whedon and Kripke (oh, and Peter Jackson/Tolkien). The Buffy/Angel/Firefly even Dollhouse moments that choke me up have a similar tenor that's quite different from the more ongoing sort of misery that Kripke's work sustains.

Supernatural's crypoints are more moments and acting and realisations that make me cry, when it's apparent that that must hurt so damned bad, and I love the character, and I must cry too. Joss gets me with words, more often. I'm never going to say "Oh, that Emma Caulfield really knows how to manipulate me." But the fruit punch speech? Makes me shiver just thinking about it. I don't want to reread it. I don't want to get upset. Same with Wesley's death scene, although the acting was great--the words themselves tear me up, outside of me thinking "Poor Wes!"

Whereas with Supernatural I'm just so invested in Sam and Dean and Cas and friends that their pain or happiness guts me and the wordsmithing is less key. I'm going to be triggered by the visuals of the fireworks scene.

Bah. Rambling. Obviously I'm invested in Buffy when she says "Mom? Mom? Mommy?" But something about the words themselves breaks me, right now, still.

Everything that ita said, I am nodding and saying , "yes."

And my alergies are kicking in a little from some forgotten moments. Damn.