Supernatural University: Analysis of a (Reformed) Mid-life Spoiler Junkie [Contains No Spoilers]
Why do some people crave spoilers, and others hate them? What drives spoiler junkies and spoiler phobes, and where are you on the continuum? Welcome to a very personal psychological case study of spoiler schizophrenia at Supernatural University. I’m not analyzing anyone or anything else this time: I’m under my own microscope. You can join me on the couch if you’d like, or just sit back and observe.
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Supernatural University: Analysis of a (Reformed) Mid-life Spoiler Junkie [Contains No Spoilers]
Why do some people crave spoilers, and others hate them? What drives spoiler junkies and spoiler phobes, and where are you on the continuum? Welcome to a very personal psychological case study of spoiler schizophrenia at Supernatural University. I’m not analyzing anyone or anything else this time: I’m under my own microscope. You can join me on the couch if you’d like, or just sit back and observe.
Spoilers on television reveal information about upcoming episodes. They can be minor – what I would call teasers rather than true spoilers, such as the typical brief run-downs in TV Guide listing the episode title and describing something about the plot, or comments made in interviews by careful actors, writers, and producers to attract interest without giving any answers away – or they can truly spoil what would otherwise come as a surprise or even an outright shock to a watcher (“Luke, I am your father!”).
Until the first season of Supernatural ended, I never understood the lure of spoilers at all. I would have guessed that spoiler junkies were simply the same people who would open a book to read the end of the story before working their way through the chapters in order, or who thought they knew characters and what should happen to them better than their writers and creators did, or who wanted to be one-up on everyone else walking into a story, or see if they could validate their intelligence and understanding of the show by anticipating correctly where it would go.
Since I always colored within the lines when it came to reading stories and watching television, and since I – especially being a bit of a writer myself – appreciate how stories unfold and characters gradually develop through them, jumping to the end never attracted me. I’ve always wanted to live the stories together with their characters, to experience what they know and feel in real time, so that I would share it with them. I don’t want to go into a story knowing in advance what will happen because the characters don’t know, and sharing the discovery with them brings me closer to them. It also means that my emotions are fresh, sometimes even raw, not rehearsed or blunted by the time a climactic moment arrives.
Mind you, I’ve never had a problem with judicious teasers. I’ll even confess to looking forward to them, especially to fill in lean times while waiting for new episodes. When you love characters and want desperately to spend time with them, it’s hard to wait until they show up in person, especially when you’re wondering what they’re going to face or how they feel. I’ve always loved well done promos and tried to understand the flashing images I saw in them, and only resented them when they crossed the line from teasing into spoiling. For example, the only early-season Supernatural promo that really bothered me was the one for All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1. If it had stopped with Dean’s shout and him running forward, I would have been content, but going all the way to showing Dean kneeling, hugging Sam’s dead body, told me more than I wanted to know in advance about exactly how the episode would end.
With all that said, I must admit that during Supernatural’s second season, I crossed the line. I walked in spoiler country. I read episode sides (the scant handful of pages from each script made available to casting agents for actors to use in preparing to audition for guest roles). Unlike many spoiler junkies who obsess on the information in the company of others, I refused to discuss the sides or engage in interminable speculation, worry, and debate on them. I never assumed that I knew more about what would happen than the sides themselves revealed, and I avoided all spoiler discussion forums like the plague, but I read the sides themselves. I wrote my own anticipatory episode rundowns based on them, TV Guide-style, and told the episode names over in my mind like the beads on a rosary, wondering to myself what would happen in them. I’d never done that before for any show, but I simply couldn’t resist doing it for Supernatural.
Why?
When I dissected my uncharacteristic new spoiler addiction, the first basic reason that emerged for it was simply that I was starving for information. Since the show shoots in Vancouver and is roundly ignored (like the rest of the Hollywood-north-of-the-border shows) by the usual Hollywood publicity machine, we hear vanishingly little from the set. Rare bonanzas happen when fans describe set visits, or when the studio brings specific bloggers or media in for a singular, invitation-only event. Teasers are limited to rare interviews with Kripke, the boys, and some of the writers, typically trickled out days or even weeks after they happen, and to promos for the show, which also tend to be rare given the CW’s general lack of a promotional budget and the network’s concentration on peddling its brand-new, brand-original (i.e., CW, not former WB or UPN) shows. The Supernatural production company itself also has focused almost entirely on crafting the episodes, not on creating ancillary outreach through interactive websites, blogs, or other things, as studios do for some other shows. As a result, we get a lot less information on the production of Supernatural than we hear generally on other shows being shot in Hollywood or aired on networks with deeper pockets. (During more recent seasons, Twitter and Facebook have brought unexpected new riches in real-time, teaserish-rather-than-spoilery posts from certain cast members and one director, but those weren’t available back when I fell off the spoiler wagon.)
But mere hunger for information wasn’t enough to explain my crossing the spoiler line. I’d never done spoilers before for any show, no matter how hungry I got. I really didn’t want to dilute the emotional punch of stories by knowing events before they happened and anticipating the effects they would have. Even discovering along the way in season two – especially with Heart – that knowing the general gist of events didn’t mean knowing how Kripke and Company would actually deliver them didn’t fully offset the damage that spoilers did to in-show revelations for me. And yet, I sought out spoilers for Supernatural. It was like poking a sore tooth or scratching off scabs. I didn’t want to do it, but I couldn’t help myself, even when it hurt.
It took me a while to look in the mirror and admit to this, but the primary reason turned out to be simple. What I really want isn’t spoilers; it’s to be a part of the show. And not just any show: this show, with this cast, this crew, this set of writers. I’ve loved shows before, but this one made me obsessive. My taste for spoilers – and, for that matter, even my decision to blog – was nothing more or less than the expression of my frustrated desire to be something more than just one of millions of anonymous, interchangeable Supernatural fans. I wanted to somehow become a part of the show itself. I wanted to see it happen, to help make it happen, and I wanted to be known as part of it to those who were a part of it already.
My spoiler curiosity wasn’t a desire to know in advance what would happen in the overall story, or to see if I could forecast events. Instead, it was just the desire to know what was happening in the writers’ room and on the set now, in real time, as if that knowledge could make me feel more a part of the experience. I found myself sometimes looking at my watch in D.C. and realizing what time it would be in L.A. and Vancouver, and wondering what was happening right then. Were they starting with a very early call, or still finishing off a late one? What story were they shooting? What would that mean for the mood on the set? How were the boys approaching intense scenes? What sort of new characters were being cast, and how would they interact with the boys? What kinds of locations might they be using? What kind of daily schedule were they likely to be running on – would those exterior locations be daytime or nighttime shoots? What would I be seeing, if I were there? What must the discussion in the writers’ room have been like to produce this one? Who came up with that idea, and who added that piece on to it? What ideas were the writers kicking around for unveiling the next piece of the puzzle? How they heck were they going to shoot to get that effect? What kind of a read will that line get?
What fun or emotion was I missing, that would never make it into an interview story or onto a gag reel?
I’ve concluded that my spoiler fixation fell into the “mid-life crisis” category of wishful thinking experience. The depressing reality is that my chances of actually participating in the production of the show in any way are basically on a par with my chances of winning the lottery without buying a ticket. I mean, really? I’m a senior career federal civil servant in D.C. with a law degree and over twenty years in public service, and with no film or television courses or experience apart from having survived a few on-camera news interviews. All I have to offer are passion, intelligence, and the irresistible urge to write, commodities readily available from professionals in the industry and spread liberally throughout the fandom. Eric Kripke and Sera Gamble are not going to swoop down, snatch me from the faceless crowd, and offer me a job. And I’m not going to chuck a responsible career in pursuit of a figment of imagination, either. I might, if I’m very, very lucky, get the chance again, as both I and other fans have done, to find a location and even view some filming someday while on a vacation trip to Vancouver, but to wake up in the morning as part of the production, knowing its schedule? Not going to happen.
The most I could hope for is that someone from the production might fall over my blog, enjoy it, share it, and possibly remember my online name. Given the plethora of blogs and fansites, however, that’s only marginally more likely than that hypothetically winning lottery ticket. All I am ever likely to be is part of the herd. That’s reality.
That’s depressing.
Having realized this, however, I finally had the sack to give up spoilers before season three began, and I’ve stuck to that. Becoming a part of the production, or at least having some of the people whose work I adore – especially including Kripke, Robert Singer, Sera Gamble, Phil Sgriccia, Jensen Ackles, and Jared Padalecki – know my name, will still be my absolute favorite wish fulfillment daydream, but I’ve decided that acknowledging the fantasy was enough to let me return to spoiler innocence and the joy (and grief) of sharing what the Winchester brothers experience in story-time, rather than in actor-shooting-time.
I’m happy that we’ve gotten more information about the production process with the publication of the season companion books, the creation of the show magazine by Titan, and the little features on the DVD sets. I’m positively delighted that certain actors and others on the show post teasery bits and interact directly with fans on Twitter and Facebook. I constantly hope for more coverage of the show by the Hollywood publicity engine, and perhaps for more internet interactivity on the part of Warner Brothers and the CW. I’ll keep doing my part with letters and posts to encourage that.
Mind you, I’ll still sniff out and enjoy every teaser I can find, and I’ll still glory in every discovery of information on the story design and filming process that fleshes out the vicarious adventure of imagining myself there, but I’ll leave the stories alone until I see them complete. Simply because doing it delights me, I will still analyze things to death after they air and speculate in my ignorance about potential futures, and I’ll write episode commentary whether anyone out there reads and comments on it or not. I’ll never broadcast any spoilers that I do accidentally uncover, but I’ll do everything I can to promote the show and express my joy in it. It’s enough for me to have it there to watch. Knowing I’ll be seeing new episodes soon is all the anti-depressant medication I need. And if I ever get the chance again to observe more filming on location or – ultimate dream! – on set, you can bet that I will store up every word, image, and nuance in order to be able to share them with others – after the episode I saw filming actually airs.
Oh, by the way – if that winning Supernatural lottery ticket ever should come up with my number, Mr. Kripke, Ms. Gamble, you’ll find me right here, ready and waiting. I’m at your service.
Someone else can use the couch now. This personal case study is closed.
Sorry guys, in my list of system issues I’m fixing this morning, I didn’t realize commenting wasn’t automatically being enabled for new articles. Comment away now!
Thanks for the fix, Alice! (Don’t know how you keep up with all the site maintenance stuff …)
I soo relate to your fan-crisis. I have NEVER been fixated/obcessed with a show like this one. You hit the nail perfectly. I felt like it could be me you’re talking about, wanting to be involved in the show in a more personal way. I too am always searching out new information, and I have to admit, sometimes there’s not enough and sometimes there’s too much.
I thought about this after the previews for next week. We see Sam, up and around, investigating a case. Now, OF COURSE I want Sam to be ok, and not left some drooling shell on the floor of an old building. BUT, I would rather those previews only showed Dean or maybe Dean talking to Bobby ABOUT Sam. I want to see HOW he comes out of it. And I can only hope they won’t skip or skim over that part with some trite little Impala scene with a comment from Dean like “so what was that about back there?” I really hope they let us in to see the meat of it. Let us be part of Sam’s recovery and Dean’s being a big brother. I didn’t need to SEE Sam up and around acting normally. I know that he will be, as there are 10 episodes left, but sometimes the previews give too much away. I have to agree I like teasers better and comments from the actors and producers about the show’s direction.
Alas, I don’t think I can NOT WATCH the previews, however. I just don’t think I have that kind of self-control! I appreciate your little look in the mirror, though, as I think I have a better grip now on why I just have to know. Thanks for that!
Thanks, fanotheboyz! Like you, I hope the next episode picks up *precisely* where this one left off, so we learn how Sam comes back. Fingers crossed!
I can’t resist the previews, either. I justify them to myself as sanctioned teasers, and mostly, they are … so I’m not breaking my “no spoilers” rule!
At least we have each other for support!
My name is jillyanne and I’m a spoiler junkie. There. I said it. (But only when it comes to Supernatural). I couldn’t give a rat’s behind about spoilers for any other show. I spend far too much time on SpoilerTV’s Supernatural pages and comment there like my life depends on it. Like you, I think it’s because I want to feel like I’m part of the show somehow.
I have to admit that I’m becoming less addicted than I was. Case in point: Like A Virgin. I read all the preview articles (which were all great) and all the spoilers, so that by the time the episode aired I had a pretty good handle on what was going on…not that the episode didn’t deliver on surprises….but I remember thinking at the end that I wished I hadn’t known so much….
I’m also over the arguing and speculation that happens with each new spoiler…in fact Supernatural is one of the few shows where it is almost impossible to guess what the writers have in store anyway (which is one of the things I love most about it)so it all seems a bit pointless. I’m going to be cutting back on the spoilers from now on. It definitely does take something away from my enjoyment of the show.
Of course that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop commenting on the show…where’s the fun in not having your opinion heard? But definitely fewer spoilers. 🙂
Oh. And roll on S7 (and S8…. etc)
Welcome, jillyanne, and thanks for sharing! There’s no judgment passed here on spoiler junkies, nor on spoiler phobes; but it sounds as if you share my own heart.
And that heart fully endorses more seasons!
Hey Mary!
Your EVERY word about a desire to be a part of the show and to participate in any way in the show’s production echoes back in my heart. But it’s just a dream that brightens up my life 😉
As for spoilers… Want to know the main reason I read them and look for them? (Thought I must confess I avoided spoilers before season 4) Because I take this show too seriously, too deeply to heart. And sometimes, for some things, I just need to be prepared. Otherwise some things would just kill me. So, that’s it 😉
Thanks, Vicky! I can understand wanting to be prepared for overwhelming impacts, but at the same time, with regard to the people and things that most involve me, I actually [i]want[/i] to be overwhelmed.
Different strokes for different folks, eh? 🙂 That’s one of the things that makes being human truly worthwhile – the differences between us!
I too am a spoiler junkie, I can’t help myself. I loved it when we still had access to the sides. I downloaded those I could and read them over and over. Sadly those days are long over. I also admit I’m one of those who likes to read the end of the story first and then go back to the beginning to start anew. I just don’t like surprises. I’m a Cancer, we like to be prepared at all times for anything and everything.
My level of obsession for this show scares me sometimes. I’ve never gotten this involved in a fandom over ANY show before. I don’t think I’ve gone a day in the last 6 yrs that I haven’t read, watched, or listened to something related to Supernatural. Most days on a scale of 1-10 I’m a comfortable 4 or 5. Fridays or Con weekends a full blown 10. I know there are those who are 11’s 24/7 but thank god that is not me. I do manage to have a life outside of SN. It’s not much but I do try.
There was a time I thought about starting my own blog about the show because I have so much I want to talk about and no one here to talk to. I quickly realized though that there are those far more articulate (yourself included) than myself out there doing it better than I ever could. I am content now to just sit back, read and commiserate with everyone else.
I’ve made peace with the fact that I will most likely never make it to a Con. I envy those of you who do. I, like so many others live vicariously through your videos, pics and blogs. You all make us feel like we are as much a part of the fun as you were. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Its a Monday after a Con. How sad was I to have to take off my gigglely Fan girl hat and put back on my Middle aged, responsible grown woman hat and go to work this morning. Alas my obsession with SN doesn’t pay my bills. But one can always dream right?
Thanks, sn_chills! As a reformed spoiler junkie, I can appreciate your confession. And thank you for sharing!
I promise that I will share every con experience I have as fully as possible, to include folk who can’t be there. I know precisely how lucky I have been to be able to attend cons and even find and watch location shoots. And I appreciate having to wear the responsible, middle-aged-woman hat while easrnestly desiring to fangirl like a 13-year-old; ah, the drawbacks of maturity. Our salvation, I think, is that we have a better-developed fantasy life – I know I can live there even while I’m in the office!
Hang in there: you’re not alone!
Thanks, Yume! I agree wholeheartedly that [i]Supernatural[/i] is special. And it’s not any one thing; it’s the synthesis of many, from the characters to the stories to the actors to all the production details. And it’s the fans, embracing it all, and the production, loving the fans right back.
One of my friends today said something similar to your comment, about spoilers taking the edge off; she said she actually likes reading spoilers because, if the events would otherwise be too intense, she can simply pay attention to the characters instead of being overwhelmed by the story. I’d never thought of that, but it sounds similar to what you said. I think you and my friend Amy are on a similar wavelength!
Welcome to one of my favourite Spn sites Mary and thank you for your insightful article.
You have succinctly expressed lot of my feelings for this show. I often succumb to the temptation of spoilers if only to fill the void between episodes.
Living in Oz and being subject to the vagaries and limitations of Australian Commercial TV I rely on the online forums and programme downloads to fulfil my ‘slight’ obsession with this show.
Even though the boys are very fetching and the actors themselves friendly and engaging I realise that it is the entire production team that brings me to this point. Not since ‘Firefly’ have I had this much dedication to a show. The stories are well written, wonderfully directed and produced and beautifully acted by all involved.
I find many TV plots predictable and trite but in Spn case I love being surprised and intrigued.(if I can hold off reading the spoilers).
As a theatre lighting technician I am also impressed by the way the show maintains interesting and challenging angles and effects and how they can make that much used ‘Watchman’ set be so much for so many.
I’m looking forward to reading many more of your articles.
Thanks, Katie! I had the chance to walk on the Watchmen set during the first location tour with Russ Hamilton, and I snapped photos like crazy and just tried to memorize the place. I have great fun watching episodes and going, “Hey – that’s the backlot! I know that building!” I’ve made a few trips to Vancouver and gone locaion hunting to see past locales, and one of the funniest things is to realize I *can’t* get a shot to duplicate one on the show because they used a crane … curses, foiled again!
Hi Mary.. hm… am I a spoiler junkie? I’d say, I’m not. I hate it when people give me major hints about films like The Sixth Sense or Shutter Island.
When those films were ruined for my by friends trying to wet my appetite for them, I seriously wanted to nail them to a wall.
For me, it’s different with movies. That’s a two to three hour experience, and as I think films are a modern art form, I don’t like the experience spoiled. It’s a tad different with tv shows. Though I see in them also an art form (with hundreds of people working on one project and producing something that can be actually amazing, I’m in awe), I’m not as adamant about not getting spoilers.
I love the teasers more, as you describe, but I don’t avoid spoilers. But only with this show. I have not explored my own psyche to find an answer to that, nor do I have the intention to do so (I know too many colleagues that over-analyze everything, from conversations to ads to scenes in films, I never want to become one of them and take some things as they are without scrutinizing every detail), I just noticed that with Supernatural I love to satisfy my curiosity with tiny bits that point to some story development.
Let’s hope I’ll not end up like the proverbial cat.
Don’t be confused by Jaspala, this is Jasminka speaking. I use that alias when I’m at work and can’t log in, our firewall sometimes won’t let me.
Thanks for this interesting train of thought, dear. Cheers, Jas
Thanks, Jas! Funny thing: this is the only show I take apart and analyze this way. I’ve done that a little in the past with certain other shows – [i]Max Headroom[/i] and everything Whedon come to mind, among others – but never to the extent I’ve done with [i]Supernatural[/i]. Something about the psychological complexity of the brothers tipped me over the edge, I think. And once I started to write about them, I couldn’t stop!
I’m a serial obsessor, by the way; when something does suck me in, nothing else has a chance. So while I enjoy other shows, none of them captivate me.
Funny thing: I’ve always been more a TV girl than a movie one, I think because I really like to get into long-term relationships with characters, and movies, for the most part, just don’t let you do that. I don’t watch movies nearly as often as I choose television. Fun factoid … 🙂
I’m sort of the other way around, I used to be an avid spoiler-hound … I’d read the end of books first to see if I was going to like how the story turned out and I was quite happy to have the entire plot of a film explained to me in minute detail before I saw it … Not because I wanted to be part of the process( some part of me likes to think it’s all real ) but just ‘cos I’m greedy, I want it all and I want it now, no hanging around.
This changed when I started watching True Blood with some spoiler-phobe friends ( my TV doesn’t get that channel and I swore not to download episodes and get ahead, as I’m a total bucket mouth and would give the game away in an instant ) It was a revelation! So now I’m happy to be teased but I don’t want any more than that, I’m enjoying just letting events flow over me …
Welcome to the joys of unspoiled immediacy, Suze! I really savor the impact plot and character events have on me when they take me by storm, building only from the story and not from advance spoilers. I think that gives a show an entirely different feel than I get if I knew things in advance and just wind up seeing them confirmed. Go with the flow!
I started watching Supernatural five years ago when it first aired in German Free TV. After season one we had a Hellout for about a year and after season three we had a hellout for almost two years! Right now season four is airing but it will probly be one more year befor season five will be on. Why I´m telling this? Because I had to learn to be pationed. After Dean went to hell, I could not help myself went online and found out everything I wanted to know.
Of course I still wanted to see it, so I went to other pages to see them.
So I knew what was going to happend but it still was diffrent to see. Now I watch our show weekly online and enjoy the teasers.
Wow, Junkerin; I think you could probably give lessons in patience! I don’t know how you international fans survive; I crave my weekly fix like a junkie. Funny: I was looking at the chance of getting a detail assignment to Australia a while ago (didn’t happen, alas), and one of the first things I thought was, “I’d have to arrange this to happen during the US summer, so I don’t miss my show!” Yep: I’m a [i]Supernatural[/i] addict, and proud of it!
Hi Bardicvoice
I’m a somewhat former spoiler junkie. It started for me during the summer hiatus of 2007, before Season 3 was to begin. This was the summer of new discoveries for me.
1..I had upgraded my entertainment system from an old, unreliable VCR to a DVD player (the vcr had mysteriously died).:-* I was working straight nights so I missed a lot of episodes during seasons 1 and 2. And since we didn’t own a DVD player I couldn’t buy Season one when it first came out. Luckily our upgrade came just as Season 2 hit the stands.:lol:
2..My Cable carrier introduced the DVR box so now I could record my show with out any hassles. Haven’t missed an episode since.
3.. My then teenage daughter introduced me to the world of Supernatural Websites and Youtube! Eureka!
Upon discovering these websites/youtube, my world opened up. Not only could I feed my starved brain with all the information I needed but I was so relieved to find out I was not alone in my obsession with this show. This was the first time I had ever had a TV show consume me, it was on my brain 24/7. I felt I was maybe losing my mind, but with the discovery of these websites I thought that maybe I was not as nuts as I thought.
That summer and through Season three I fell into the Spoiler trap, I was out of control…looking for anything and everything I could find on the show.
Teasers, Trailers and Spoilers Oh My!
However by the end of Season 3 I found that because I had seen and read so much before each episode that the element of surprise and mystery was no longer there. That some of the excitement was being taken away. So when Season 4 started I decided to try and go spoiler free. It was hard and I admit I tend to slip at times, especially after a long hiatus. The Supernatural withdrawals are just too unbearable, the need for a fix is just too strong so I do weaken and give in to the temptation. However once the show is back on track, I jump back and I’m generally ok. I would say I’m about 90% spoiler free.
Thank you for the article, I really enjoyed reading it.
Thanks, Karen! And I really undrstand what you mean about the show being an all-consuming addiction. My friends laugh that my mind has a [i]Supernatural[/i] channel permanently running! Almost anything that happens rings the memory bell linking back to the show in some way or other. And you know something? Not only do I not mind; I positively love it. I don’t want to think about what I’ll do when it someday ends. Nope; not going to think about it!
I’m right there with you on spoilers, Mary. I started out peeking at just a few, then moved on to watching the preview clips and now am back to no spoilers (as much as I can avoid them, anyway) or clips at all. I was to experience the story unfolding as the writer(s) intended.
Wow, Rose: I couldn’t swear off the preview clips. You’ve got more willpower than I! I put them in the teaser category rather than the spoiler one; hat’s my excuse, anyway! But I’m definitely with you on wanting to experience the story in its own time, learning things only as the characters learn them. I love that!
Hey Bardicvoice. I loved your article. I do admire how honest and self-analytical you are. And reading that and the subsequent comments I feel a bit like I have stumbled across a clandestine meeting of Spoiler Junkies Anonymous! OK, my turn? Hi, my name is magichappening and I am a mild spoiler junkie, with occasional relapses…
I discovered Supernatural around the end of Season 2 I suppose and was hooked. I have loved other TV shows in the past, but nothing like this show. And I truly do feel that technology, the internet, smart phones and social media are changing the face of entertainment and how we experience the shows we love. Never before have we been able to access the information we now can, link to and share with others who have the same love, and interact with the artists we watch in the way we now can, in real time or on such a scale. Even 3-4 years ago it was a different world.
I live in the UK and am not technology-savvy at all, but at the beginning of Season 3 I did not know where look for spoilers even if I had wanted to. Even previews I had no idea about, but when I discovered them I sought them out avidly (a gateway drug perhaps?). My tolerance built and I began to enjoy the ‘before’ the episode as much as the ‘after’. However, that came to a slamming halt when I saw the preview of Monster Movie. I loved the episode, but the fact that they had showed the ‘punchline’ of Dracula on a moped really annoyed me! It was such a wonderful moment, but would have been so much better if I had not been spoiled. So I stopped.
But hiatuses are dangerous times and we go into withdrawal…with no episodes to look forward to every week, we fall back on online discussion and reading and inevitably as the new season gets closer, spoilers slip through. I have never read episode summaries, the magazines or companion books, but I love watching clips of the Comic Con panels (and conventions), and these have ‘spoiled’ me for some developments it is true. But these were ‘good spoilers’! They teased about storylines, heightened anticipation and made the imagination race at the possibilities, but did not ruin the surprise, give away the punch line, lessen the impact of the story etc.
And as Supernatural has grown from strength to strength, its online reflections have grown apace, within this small, but really dedicated fandom. And I re-discovered that the anticipation is half the fun – ruined major plot points like the PREVIEW reveal of Sam not having a soul notwithstanding (what were they THINKing!) Talk about a ‘bad’ spoiler. And this site has become a part of my Supernatural life.
I have personally found that it is difficult to go cold turkey and avoid all knowledge of upcoming episodes, as to do that in this day and age, you have to avoid all things Supernatural online. Which limits your experience of the show to an individual one, which, while amazing in and of itself and the reason that brings us all together, is not as rich as the shared experience of loving this fantastic show, and going through the highs (and lows) together. In a previous article on TWFB someone pointed out that humanity in the show is never expressed as an individual experience, but as a bond with others. Perhaps the Supernatural fandom experience is the same?
I think part of our fascination with the making of the show is because we are lucky enough here to have two amazing worlds to explore. One is that of Sam and Dean, and the other is of the equally fascinating cast, and the crew and writers behind the scenes. And one brings us the other.
And perhaps being spared the tender mercies of CW’s marketing (I heard of the VD campaign for another show) and leaving the spoiling to the cast and crew (and people like Guy Bee, who is a master at it) is a blessing in disguise! So I think I will continue to dip my toe in spoilers, but no more. Caffeine, red wine and Supernatural. My drugs of choice!
[quote]In a previous article on TWFB someone pointed out that humanity in the show is never expressed as an individual experience, but as a bond with others. Perhaps the Supernatural fandom experience is the same?
I think part of our fascination with the making of the show is because we are lucky enough here to have two amazing worlds to explore. One is that of Sam and Dean, and the other is of the equally fascinating cast, and the crew and writers behind the scenes. And one brings us the other.
[/quote]
Hi, magichappening! I loved your points, especially the above two. And you’re absolutely right about the amazing impact of technology and social media on the fandom experience! Who’d ever have thought we’d be tweeting with such people as Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, and Guy Bee? We’ve never had such access or such immediacy, including in sharing our experiences and reactions with each other.
I think the best thing this fandom has done for me is to connect me with people all around the world who are very different from me in most ways, but are twinned with me in love of this show. Sharing what we do changes the experience for all of us, I think; we take things from each other’s differing points of view that we’d never see standing in our own shoes. And I LOVE it!
Thank you VERY much for coming to this clandestine meeting! 🙂
I kept shaking my head “yes” to nearly everything you wrote (well, except for our job descriptions; I’m a vet in Ohio)! I’ve watched a lot of TV over the years & am an avid reader, but this is the only TV show ( and The Lord of the Rings the only book/films) over which I can truly say I have ever been obsessed! I don’t seek out spoilers, but I usually read them if I come across them. I’m another one of those fans who check this site & a few others every day, especially during a hellatus.
Isn’t it fun to share an addiction? *grin*
While I’ve loved and occasionally analyzed other shows, I’ve never done it to the extent I pursue [i]Supernatural[/i]. I guess it was the right thing in the right place at the right time … a perfect storm of family relationships, scares, humor, wit, and such stellar production values I couldn’t look away.
And I’m glad to be here sharing it with you!