SPN Fans: Not Happy? Happy? Write Letters!
I accept that we live in a world of Twitter and Facebook, not to mention the online world of forums, online petitions, instant messaging and things like that. You know, a world where we as fans expect through all that noise that our voices be heard and respected. A message today on Twitter from one of Supernatural’s new writers helpfully tells us that none of that is getting through.
Ben Blacker, along with his writing partner Ben Acker, (The Thrilling Adventure Hour) have officially joined the writing staff of Supernatural for season seven. Ben Blacker is on Twitter and judging by this latest tweet he has been getting some fan complaints about the direction of season six and what they want to see in season seven. Here is his perfect response:
@BenBlacker Hey SPN fans. You should realize how little say we on Twitter have in the big decisions. Write letters.
So, before all of you say “Great Alice, how in the world do I do that?” I’m going to do my public service and help you all out in that category. Writing a letter is still pretty easy. First, the address. I suggest you send your letters to Sera Gamble. Robert Singer works too.
Sera Gamble
Supernatural
c/o Warner Brothers
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank CA 91522
USA
DO NOT send your letters to the studio in Vancouver. They will not likely get proper attention, or any attention for that manner. I know that they read letters from fans at the Warner Brothers offices. Sure, they’ll probably be filtered by assistants first, but they do get read.
Here’s some friendly advice when constructing your letters. For one, be respectful and positive in tone. If you start with harsh remarks and insults, your letter will likely be filtered toward the trash bin.
Second, don’t make demands and insist that certain plots have to happen. You are not a writer. You are a fan. Just let them know what you like about what has happened so far and/or what has disappointed you. Constructively. Maybe you can even politely list some concerns you’ve come away with after watching the recent episodes. There’s no rule either that you can’t request something you’d like to see in the future (Sam and Dean go to the Grand Canyon!) but don’t insist the show will be ruined if that doesn’t happen.
Third, don’t say “If this doesn’t happen, I’ll never watch again.” Not only will you get a silent “Your loss,” again the letter might end up getting filtered through the Greater Los Angeles waste management system.
Fourth, use good grammar and spelling. Honest, hard core writers will be nitpicking your grammar over the points you are trying to make. Lord knows I’m prone to doing that when reading comments.
Anyway, I do hope you find this post informative. Before I get pelted with cynical comments like “They’ll never read my letter” or “This is just a waste of my time,” give it a try. You might be glad you did! At least if you don’t hear anything and nothing changes then you can say that when I give this message again next year. Assuming you followed the above four helpful hints.
Happy writing everyone!
Edited – It’s been suggested on Twitter (thanks SPN_Sherry) that we write letters if we’re happy too! After all, who needs to hear nothing but bitterness. So, if you feel compelled to send a letter in appreciation, I encourage that as well. It’s always good as a writer to know your hard work in appreciated.
I wrote letters to EK back during the writers’ strike in S3 when I hated Bela. I rec’d a nice note back with an autographed picture of Jensen & Jared.
I’ve been feeling a letter coming on. LOL
Edited to add — I’m been quite happy with S6 — for the most part, any letter I send will be a very positive one.
Wow, that’s so cool! Thanks for letting us know that. I do wonder if they do that anymore. Not sure, but a fresh letter can’t hurt!
I should have specified — that I didn’t ONLY hate Bela LOL — I loved a lot about the show in the letter too. Also, as you say, it was (if I do say so myself) a fairly well thought out explanation for why Bela didn’t work for me. So I absolutely loved it when the hellhounds came for Bela.
In the same letter, I also begged them not to kill Dean. And we all know how THAT turned out!
🙂
Edited by Alice. The site rules are pretty clear. No insulting the writer and stay on the topic of the article. If you don’t like what’s said here, there’s many other sites!
Hi Alice, thats a great idea and an approach that gets overlooked in the world of electronic media. An old-fashioned letter to anybody (elected officials especially) is always taken to have more cache than emails/tweets etc. Thanks for giving the rest of SPN fandom something to do, although I do think you were slightly optimistic regarding plot specificity! SPN fans are nothing but an enthusiastic bunch!
I think it’s a great idea, not just for those who aren’t happy, but for those who (like me) are excited about the way the season ended. I’ll definitely be letting Sera know how pleased I am with her guidance!
Yes … Thanks for the info.
I’ll definitely be writing Sera telling her how AWESOME Supernatural is.
Life is pretty simple sometimes. If you don’t like the show, don’t watch.
It’s not always that simple, Christopher…When you care about something as much as some of us care about SPN, it’s hard to let go. I suffered thru two seasons (4-5) in the hopes that it would get better and it finally did. I just hope that those writing to complain are civil about it.
I disagree. I don’t recall seeing the kind of loathsome comments about a show like I have on this website–and judging from some of the comments, it is worse elsewhere. There is a difference between disliking a show’s creative direction and making constructive criticism about what you see, and making some of the kind of derogatory comments about the SPN creative staff that I’ve seen here. Stirring the pot by by framing a letter-writing campaign in the way this post’s headline does only invites more negativity. It seems to me that the editors on this website should follow the same rules in their postings about the show as those they have established for interpersonal reactions ON the website
what about fans abroad? any quicker alternative?
Sorry, I don’t think I was clear. I was referring to simply not watching the show if you don’t like the way it’s going. I completely agree that there has been an unfortunate amount of negativity about SPN and the creative staff lately, almost to the point of hysteria. That’s one reason I came here (and commented on twitter) to point out that those of us who are happy with the show should be writing in as well. I would love for the writers to get just as many or more positive letters as a result of this article as negative–they deserve to how many of us love and appreciate their efforts.
Oops that was supposed to be a reply to Christopher. Sorry.
I don’t disagree with your point about people who love the show having difficulty letting go. I get that. I think true fans will stick with something no matter what, and for that reason, following a project when it doesn’t meet your expectations can become difficult.
A good example in my case is that the artwork on a certain comic book I read lately has been subpar, but because I’m deeply invested in the story, I’ve been sticking it out. But when I comment about the book on the fan website that I frequent, I don’t make ad hominem attacks about the writer and creator. I make critical and specific points about what I don’t care for in the story and the artwork.
Many of the comments and reviews about SPN that I’ve seen have been made in that vein, but others have just been downright nasty.
To a certain degree, I think we’re dealing with semantics. In my mind, someone who makes a comment like, “well, I’m just not watching this show anymore because I don’t like yada yada yada,” isn’t [u]really[/u] a fan … at least not anymore. They’re entitled to their opinion, and they’re entitled to express it as well–but in my book it’s just sour grapes that they’re putting out there. And I don’t think it benefits anyone. This is why celebrities don’t read stuff written about them in the newspapers or the internet.
And I guess what really irks me is that I suspect far more of those disgruntled no-longer-fan types will be likely to pick up a pen and write a letter than those who really care about the show.
I think it is sad because I think SPN is a special show, and I also think it is the kind of show that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else on television these days. And the CW really deserves kudos for their commitment to the show.
I for one will be writing a positive letter. I love this show no matter what, and I did enjoy this season, I’ve already watched it a few times. I agree with you Christopher that when you are a true fan, you will stay with a show or a book until the end. I followed Smallville all the way to the end even though I thought the show had been lacking a great deal, because I wanted to see how it would turn out. Same with books, it kills me to abandon something when I’m invested.
So, long winded explanation aside, I love this show and I will always love it, warts and all.
I love to write letters, I’m quite old-fashioned in that department.
Receiving a letter first shows that someone took time and effort to compose a letter, because the recipient was important enough to do that. It’s a form of respect and acknowledgement in itself, and if the content is equally civil – all is well…
I think I will also write a positive letter to Ms Gamble & Co. The complaints I had about the show truly were minor and in general I love what we are getting. For me, [i]Supernatural [/i] is still one of the best, if not [i]the [/i] best, show out there.
This was a nice reminder, Alice. Thank you! 🙂 , Jas
God fans need to grow up, i did not like the first half of Spn season6 but to say the final is horrible,stupid etc… that is stupid
Side-eyeing the professionalism of this website right now.
I’d like to ask you to specify what you mean.
ta, Jas
Maybe it’s a question of tone. Instead of suggesting people write to complain about what they don’t like (personally,I refuse to read any more “how horrible the RoboSam storyline was” complaints, whether or not I agree with them) they should simply mention what they’d LIKE to see. Give it a positive spin instead of so much negativity.
And as a side note, maybe the fans should be a little more open to changes in the characters. Personally, I enjoy seeing how the boys have grown and changed (and matured!) over the years, and think it would be a major disservice to bring them back to their season 1/2 personnas. They’ve gone through way too much to be just “reset,” as if the last 5 years never happened.
Just my thoughts.
I agree nanT. It is entirely an issue of yone, IMO.
AND I also agree with you re: growth in characters. Both Sam and Dean have changed so much that the idea of a back-to-monster-hunting season would be nonsensical at this point. Whether you like whatever meta-arc the reators have dreamed up is one thing, but the necessity of a meta-story ought to be clear.
Personally, I think they need to bring back Sam and Dean’s younger brother Adam. Much of the earlier seasons were devoted to their daddy issues as it were. Bringing in the younger Winchester would give the creators the opportunity to work on those issues from a different perspective while also creating new opportunities for plot tension. What happens to the relationship dynamics, for example, between Sam and Dean, if Dean transfers his maternal instincts to young Adam?
*tone*
While I agree that we can’t go back to Season 1-2 I don’t think that rules out monster of the week type eps. I have zero interest in learning more about Adam or (God forbid) John Winchester. I actually have negative interest, if such a thing is possible, in seeing Dean replace Sam with Adam, as you suggest.
I’d just like to see Sam and Dean have the chance to fight things outside themselves, to be united against a common enemy again. We got to see a little bit of that in S6 mixed in with the overall storyarc, and I loved it. If the writers can do that again while keeping it a little tighter and cleaner (not so many plotlines and a few more answered questions) I will happily watch as many seasons as they want to put out.
I agree with you, Kelios. I think MOTW would work in the new season, as long as they allow the characters to keep their growth and not revert back to just emo/little brother-Sam and horndog/over-protective Dean. Sam is now a dedicated hunter, able to make hard choices, and Dean has had a taste of a long-term and meaningful relationship instead of just one-night stands. I think it would be interesting to see how these more complex characters would work together in “saving people, hunting things.”
The ‘can’t go back to season 1’ article is really frustrating to me, because it’s the last thing I’d like to see. As you’ve mentioned, Sam and Dean have grown tremendously since then, and I love the people they’ve become. What I want to see is this new Sam and Dean working together to save the world/save people/do whatever it is the writers want them to. I know there has to be plot tension to make a good show, but why does the tension have to be between Sam and Dean? I want them to be solid, fighting something outside themselves. They’ve worked hard to get where they are now, let them enjoy it.
I have mixed feelings about revisiting the MOTW approach. On the one hand, this season introduced a perfectly plausible premise for that with Eve coming through from Purgatory. Keeping in mind all of her off-screen activity, I could easily imagine her giving birth to any number of “new” creepies–and there are enough demons wandering around as well that generating 22 episodes won’t be too difficult I reckon.
On the flip side, I think a straight-up MOTW approach without some kind of integrating theme or narrative would become rather boring rather quickly. Just ask some old time fans of Smallville how well that series’ FOTW approach worked during its first season.
The point I was driving at in my earlier comment is that these characters (Sam and Dean … and to a certain extent Bobby) can’t be allowed to stagnate. They’ve each reached a level of complexity that old formulas just won’t work with them. They’ve both been to Hell and back, quite literally. They’ve both had significant relationships and lost those relationships. They’ve both gained and lost and regained faith in each other. yada yada yada … to just write MOTW stories without continuing to develop these characters and the universe they inhabit would be tragic. However the writers move this show forward, however, I’ll probably be satisfied.
As to Adam being brought back, I don’t think the character has had enough on screen time for anyone to evaluate him properly and form any fair judgments. Bringing Dean and Sam’s other brother into the mix might be one way to create narrative tension. And, frankly, Adam being trapped in the cage with Michael and Lucifer seems like a really unfortunate loose end that really needs to be squared away. The kid was “dead” and blissfully dreaming away in Heaven. It isn’t his fault that the angels decided to use him for their sordid purposes. Maybe he doesn’t become a regular but they need to deal with that in some fashion at some point … IMO.
So … bottom line … I’m not opposed to MOTW format as long as they continue to develop the overarching narrative and the principal characters.
You’re right, they shouldn’t go back to MOTW exclusively. I’m not opposed to a mytharc, just one that pits Sam against Dean the way it was in S4-5 and even 3 to a certain extent.
As for Adam…I don’t really consider him their brother, for one thing. The show has worked hard to show that family isn’t about blood, and Adam has done nothing to deserve the right to be part of their family. The fact that he has Winchester DNA means nothing.
And I have no problem with him staying in Hell indefinitely or not knowing what happened to him…It’s no different than most of the PIPs Sam and Dean encounter and neither we nor they give them a second thought. Leaving aside the Winchester DNA (which is all he shares with them) he’s no different than anyone else they’ve tried to save.
There is some irony in the fact that the fandom has split in the same way the show constructed the Sam-Dean relationship for seasons 4-5.
Adam hasn’t exactly been given any opportunity to become family in a deeper sense either. It isn’t his fault that the angel Michael decided to use him as a meat suit. I think Adam deserves at least as much an opportunity as, say, Castiel did (with whom Dean and Sam shared very little in common when he first appeared). And as far as I’m concerned, if Dean considers Adam family, then we ought to as well:
[i]“You sure we should do this?†Sam asks. Adam’s body is wrapped up and on a pile of wood. “Ghouls didn’t fake those pictures,†Dean replies, “And they didn’t fake Dad’s journal… Adam was our brother.†He pours holy water on the body. “He died like a hunter, he deserves to go out like one.â€[/i] [http://supernatural.wikia.com/wiki/Jump_the_Shark]
We’re just going to have to agree to disagree on this. DNA does mean something.
It wasn’t his fault Michael chose him, but he did say yes. Admittedly with reason but…I dunno. I didn’t feel any connection with him, and I never thought what Dean said meant a lot–more along the lines of saying nice things about someone when they’re dead. Certainly he wasn’t all that thrilled with Adam when Adam was alive–that was more Sam’s thing.
If Adam does come back, what are they going to do with him? I don’t particularly want anyone riding along in the back seat, not to mention if Dean does feel responsibility for Adam it will be to keep him out of hunting, just like he did when they met and just like he did with Ben. I just don’t see how the character adds to the story at all. I’ve been wrong before, but this isn’t a road I’d like to go down.
So yeah, I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree 🙂
Thanks for the pleasant, civil discussion! Sadly, it’s become all too rare these days.
Despite the idea being that if you don’t like something say something, I’d like to say thanks for providing the addresses.
As a writer, I’ve wanted to thank the writers personally for giving me the inspiration to pursue my own writing after being so dormant for so long.
So I for one look forward to writing a “thank you” letter.
I must now go off to work on my own review of season 6. So much to talk about, so much to cover!
Just to clarify, I only posted this to give information. I’m not encouraging a movement against the show, or even for the show, just merely extending an idea that was given on Twitter yesterday. People wanted an address.
I know as a writer, I like honest feedback about my work. Many don’t know how to do that for Supernatural. Thus the address and advice.
Also, if anyone questions the editorial content of this site, remember, it’s not “editors.” It’s [i]editor[/i]. Me. I’m it. I’m responsible for 100% of the content that goes on this site. So, if you think our “editorial” content is questionable, it’s all on me and me alone.
I’ve been running this site for over two years now and through it’s enormous growth I’ve learned that I can’t please everyone. This fandom is way too divided for that! Decisions to publish something like this are made off the cuff at 1 am after I’ve had a long day but find something I deem worth mentioning. While I would LOVE to have a team of editors, it’s just not in the cards for a site that I run outside of my day job. And family life.
Right, the point. Don’t read into this more than it’s intent, to inform. That’s true of most of our news articles, especially the recent news about Misha. I’m only the messenger!
I understand what you’re saying, but the overall tone of the article came off as very negative. It would be great if you could publicize an article actively encouraging those who are happy with the show to offer support in addition to this one.
My apologies. Again, I probably shouldn’t be typing up these things at 1 am when I’ve had a long day. I did put in an edit later, but it was too little too late I guess.
Sorry if I sounded overly critical. I do appreciate the hard work that you put into this site in addition to everything else in your life. My only point was that an edit to this article, as opposed to a separate post, would probably only be seen by those tracking this article. Does that make sense?
I normally agree, but in this case there were under 100 hits on this article before I edited it. After the edit, a few thousand. So most saw it. Now I did take suggestions to balance the title. That I should have fixed. But sorry, it was an editorial decision to not confuse by doing two articles since so few saw the original. I apologize if you were one of them!
You’re doing a brilliant job with the site. I’m reacting as much to comments left on the site as I am to some of the reviews posted by contributors … and I honestly don’t keep very good track of who writes what.
Here is a very simple revision of your headline that would have been a bit more balanced IMO:
SPN Fans: Got feedback about SPN? Write Letters!
Or even more simply — SPN Fans: Not Happy? Happy? Write Letters!
I know that there used to be a PR-type formula – 1 letter = X other people who feel the same way but don’t take the time to write. I wonder if the marketing people have figured out that sort of formula for internet posting yet.
My Mom is a letter writer from way back – op ed entries, cheers and jeers about products, letters to her Congressman and all sorts of stuff. People and companies really seem to respond to her when she writes and as you suggest, Alice, she is unfailingly polite, uses impeccable grammar and doesn’t even own a computer.
🙂
That’s a great suggestion. Done!
Late to the party as always, but just my 2cents worth. I have written to the series a number of times and have received no reply. Can get frustrating at times. I’m guessing they just don’t have time. But can a simply postcard saying ‘thanks for watching the show’ be that hard?
I could never understand the reason behind the fandom hostility for Adam. Personally, I see no problem in bringing him back. For those who don’t want a third brother in the equation, what about Dean calling Castiel a brother? If Castiel is “like a brother” to Dean, I see no hurt in adding an extra one. And if Adam was underdeveloped, this could change. He could become interesting and add to the story, not necessarily as a regular, but as a recurrent character.
But regardless, just leaving Adam trapped in the cage with Michael and Lucifer to burn for all eternity is not only a big loose end. It’s also OOC for the boys. Are we supposed to believe that they would just leave his kin in there and don’t do nothing, not even try? Perhaps they don’t see him as much as kin, but he’s still a victim and deserves better from them. Or, if the show doesn’t want to keep the character, just send him back to Heaven, but this loose end has to be tied.
I don’t quite get why Dean says Castiel is like a brother either. I mean, I know WHY–because the writers wanted a greater emotional impact when he fell. But I don’t know why in terms of what’s been portrayed in the show. I haven’t seen much of anything to that effect. Then again I was never that fond of the character.
I don’t feel particularly hostile towards Adam, more apathetic. I don’t see a need for him. I don’t see a need to rescue him. He CHOSE to host Michael. The only connection to Sam and Dean is a random bit of DNA, and this story is very much about the fact that family has very little to do with blood. Not to mention, Gwen’s death was a senseless tragedy and we have no idea if she is in heaven or hell. But I haven’t heard anyone calling for Sam and Dean to find out and rescue her or bring her back, despite having much more of a connection to them than Adam did. Sam and Dean can’t possibly rescue everyone who may be suffering in the afterlife; it just isn’t feasible.
We have no reason to believe that Adam is suffering the way Sam did. HE played his part. HE did what he was supposed to. Why would Michael and Lucifer be torturing him?
I just don’t see the character as anything beyond another person Sam and Dean tried to save. His fate is sad, as is the fate of everyone they lose, but it isn’t extraordinary by any means.
I agree that Eve left many new monsters to fight next season, but the other ARC will have to deal with Sam. He has all of his memories back. Maybe he remembers something about Cas, Crowley, Samuel, and what they were doing to get to purgatory that year he had no soul. Maybe he remembers what happened to Adam in Hell. Will he be able to function? Will Dean and Bobby have to fight alone? I’m excited to see what happens. The show has always had good writing; just think they had to get back on track after the Apocalypse. Also think it’s ok to love a show and want it to be the best it can be. Fans should write and tell the Showrunner and the network what they would like to see as far as story arcs and character development. Wanting to see S/D working as a team against the world is a valid suggestion; I also enjoy the show the most then. Producer Bob Singer said next season would be like S/D against the world, so we should get our wish.
Agreed … maybe they could also deal with Dean’s stint in Hell as well … my recollection was that it was covered only superficially in season 4 (or was it 5?).