New Spoilery Sera Gamble Interview – Comic Con Special TV Guide Edition
I just got my hands on the special edition Warner Brothers TV Guide printed just for Comic Con. There is a great 9 page spread in there for Supernatural. Included in those pages is a very spoilery season seven preview with Sera Gamble. I went online looking for the interview and haven’t found it. It was too good not to share though, so I took some time in between press rooms to type it up.
The interviewer is the always wonderful to Supernatural Ileane Rudolph of TV Guide. She’s been covering the show for TV Guide since almost the beginning and always knows the right questions to ask. She didn’t hold back with the burning questions here.
Oh, right… SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Burning Questions
What’s next for Castiel, and what dangers will the Winchesters face in Season 7?
By Ileane Rudolph
Are we finished with the arc about Sam’s memories of Hell?
No. Sam heroically got it together to help his brother in the finale. He spent a lot of credit just to be vertical in that final scene (when he tried to rescue Dean from Castiel). He’ll pay a really big price for that in the beginning of season 7.
Now that Misha Collins is no longer a series regular, how much will we see Castiel?
I can’t say exactly how much he’ll be around without giving away a lot. We will see him in more than just the first episode. There’s never been a character we’ve loved as much as Castiel or an actor loved as much as Misha. With the exception of Jared and Jensen, Supernatural has a long history of weaving characters in and out of the story.
What does that mean for Castiel’s story line?
I can’t give away too much about it, but I can say that we plan to pick up very, very soon after where we left off and explain exactly what the transformation was for Cas, what he plans to do with the angels in Heaven and to Sam, Dean and Bobby, and to Crowley. The whole nine yards.
That doesn’t sound good.
What we’re saying is that Cas is not evil. He’s transformed. That might not be good, but that’s not mustache-twirling evil either.
Balthazar and Crowley have added great wit to the show. Is Balthazar truly dead? Will Crowley be back?
Cas really stabbed Balthazar with an angel knife, so he really killed him. But this is Supernatural. We often find ways to explore characters again in the future, and we really like Balthazar. And yeah, we will see Crowley again.
Will goings-on in Heaven be a plot line this season?
We did the Apocalypse [in season 5], then we did the post-Apocalyptic civil war [in season 6]. Those were huge celestial stories. We’re interested in what happens on Earth in Season 7.
Will Sam and Dean be on the run a lot?
They will be. We have new creatures in story for the boys. We’ll bring back some favorites and bring in some new ones. There’s an earth full of monsters and demons and evil spirits. There’s always another bad thing for Sam and Dean to kill.
Like what?
Good old-gashioned monsters that eat people. I was just pitched a story with a new creature that does nasty things to people. We’ll also have ghosts and a story with psychics and mediums.
Now that Dean has wiped the memories of ex-girlfriend Lisa and her son Ben – who had given him his once chance at living in a normal family situation – does that kill all chances for the boys to find true love and happiness?
It wasn’t what I call a high point for Dean. I don’t think it’s a statement about the rest of their lives necessarily, but it certainly is a statement about where they are today.
You’ve killed off or at best exiled anyone that the Winchesters have cared about, other than Bobby. The show’s been pretty depressing lately. Any chance for some fun and happiness next season?
There’s always been measure of darkness in the show. This season, there is a fun story line that’s emerging. There’s almost a tongue-in-cheek satirical quality to some of the story lines and mythology. We definitely felt that after all the twists and turns of Season 6, we wanted to have some fun. We’re all emo, but we’re ready for that.
Does that mean some fresh blood or favorite faces from the past?
You will see some faces from the past – alive or dead. We also have some new recurring characters in mind.
Any women?
Some of them are not gender-determined, actually. [Laughs]. I guess that tell you that they are not love interests.
Will Sam and Dean’s half-brother Adam return? He seems to have been left languishing in Hell.
We have a couple of ideas. People ask me about him all the time and I promise that we haven’t forgotten about him.
And finally, what’s the prognosis for the wrecked Impala?
Well, the last time we saw it, it was upside down! But it would have to be in a million pieces not to have Dean put it back together again!
Great info! Thanks so much for taking the time to type this up for us. Much appreciated.
Love Sera’s interviews! At first you think it’s really spoilery but then when you think about it, nah not really. She actually says a lot without really giving too much away in the details. It just amps up my excitement for the upcoming season. Don’t want to wish my summer away but can’t wait for season 7 to begin!!
Thanks for typing this out for us, Alice. I’m really getting excited for S7. Hope you’re having a blast at SDCC!
Thanks for sharing this, Alice! I was particularly struck by a couple points:
[quote] No. Sam herocially got it together to help his brother in the finale. He spent a lot of credit just to be vertical in that final scene (when he tried to rescue Dean from Castiel). He’ll pay a really big price for that in the beginning of season 7.[/quote]I’ve been really curious about the toll the whole integration process is going to take on Sam, especially once the adrenaline of getting to his brother’s side is gone, so, while nerve-wracking, this excites me, haha.
Also:
[quote]We’ll also have ghosts and a story with psychics and mediums.[/quote]Psychics? Please tell me there’ll be some reference to Sam’s AWOL powers here.
Getting really excited for September the more tidbits that start coming through!
That’s one of my hopes, too – to hear a bit about Sam’s powers. I wouldn’t mind them re-surfacing. I can’t think of a logical way (at this point) to weave them into the story. But then again, that’s not my job 😆 , Jas
[quote]Some of them are not gender-determined, actually. [Laughs]. I guess that tell you that they are not love interests.[/quote]
Right.
Because being love interests is the most important thing about any potential female character.
And being love interests is reserved for women only.
You know what, whatever. Sera can gush all she wants about how this season is going to be about going after monsters~ and spirits~ and dealing with Sam’s soul and hell issues for another year, but you know, Castiel and his story is redundant.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this, Alice! I am happily incredulous that we are here at Season 7. Remember when we were sweating renewal during Season 2?? The new season sounds fantastic – can’t wait!! 😆
“Some of them are not gender-determined, actually. [Laughs]. I guess that tells you that they are not love interests.”
What a strange quote. Somewhat feminist in that, if they are women, that’s not their defining characteristic, but sexist and heterosexist in that for them to be love interests, their defining charactersitic would be their sex.
Strange quote.
“What we’re saying is that Cas is not evil. He’s transformed. That might not be good, but that’s not moustache-twirling evil either.”
Lol. I can’t help but like Sera though.
[quote]”Some of them are not gender-determined, actually. [Laughs]. I guess that tells you that they are not love interests.”
What a strange quote. Somewhat feminist in that, if they are women, that’s not their defining characteristic, but sexist and heterosexist in that for them to be love interests, their defining charactersitic would be their sex.
Strange quote.
hehe – I think what she’s saying is that the characters are being written for roles other than love interests, whether female or not – and – of course their sex will determine if its possible for them to be love interest since the boys don’t swing both ways.
Well, this is just one interview. We’ve got a whole press room session and panel on Sunday. So you might get your wish. Or not. We’ll see!
[quote]Well, this is just one interview. We’ve got a whole press room session and panel on Sunday. So you might get your wish. Or not. We’ll see![/quote]
I disagree. It’s interview after interview after interview. Contrast Sam’s shiny soul with calling Dean a scruffy drinker. Yeah.
Thank you for transcribing this interview for us — I am getting pumped up for the start of Season 7. Bring it on!
Well, Sera’s comments make me feel a little better about Cas’s chances. I like that she reassured us that she really does love him. LIVE, CAS! LIVE! And eventually go back to being the sweet nerd angel!
Yes Castiel is loved the precious one. cant have him evil or blamed for anything.
That is left for Sam good job he is there what would they have done . hardly bears thinking about.
But why should he be blamed? He did it all to stop Apocalypse #2. Sam has gotten a free pass every damn time because his intentions were good. Cas should get the same. I can remember your lot going on and on after WTLB about how Sam choking Dean was strategic, so he could go and do what he thought he had to do to stop it all. Well you know what? Cas breaking Sam’s wall was strategic, so that he could go and do what he thought he had to do to stop it all.
[quote]We did the Apocalypse [in season 5], then we did the post-Apocalyptic civil war [in season 6].[/quote]
Not really, no.
i’m still confused on what happened with chuck… O.o
Seriously annoying that still there are no spoilers about Dean in S7. But most likely Dean will once again just be there while Sam does everything else.
its sounds very much like a retelling of season 6.
[quote]There’s never been a character we’ve loved as much as Castiel or an actor loved as much as Misha.[/quote]
That’s the biggest laugh I got out of this whole joke. I’ve seen Gamble’s love for Misha/Cas and Dean/Jensen, and it seems to me that she’d rather they didn’t exist or interfere with her preciousssssssss Sammy.
Whatever Gamble. Your lies are quite evident and your bias is also. Season 7 isn’t giving me any excitement, since I see it as another extension of Gamble’s Sam fetish/fantasies that she’s forcing on the audience.
[quote]No. Sam herocially got it together to help his brother in the finale. He spent a lot of credit just to be vertical in that final scene (when he tried to rescue Dean from Castiel). He’ll pay a really big price for that in the beginning of season 7[/quote]
Funny, Dean heroically held it together all of season 4 to save his brother from Ruby, and all he got was a kick in the face for it. Sam, of course, gets the hero’s story. What a farce this show has become.
Sigh. I’d pay someone for some Dean spoilers. Any takers? Because this is getting beyond ridiculous. Yes, I’m happy that Castiel’s not going to be evil. I’m also happy that Sam looks like he’ll have an interesting storyline this season. But is it too much to ask for some interesting tidbits on what we can expect for Dean this coming season? I’m remaining optimistic that Comic Con will give us a hint.
Dean Who? :/
Well, thanks for transcribing this, but geez, could she be any more apparent in her character preference? She comes off as so grudging when she talks about Dean as compared to when she talks about Sam…*shakes head in dismay*…
Thanks a million for this. You know, just when I think I’ve reached a place of calm acceptance that SPN won’t be on a while yet, something like this arrives and I get all geed up again. (Damn you, Alice!)
Ok, so far:
[b]Acknowledgement of Hell memories:[/b] Good
[b]No twirling of the moustache Castiel:[/b] Good (Can’t imagine Castiel with facial hair)
[b]Crowley back: [/b]Good (albeit begrudgingly)
[b]Old fashioned monsters:[/b] Good
[b]Faces from the past:[/b] Good
[b]Adam acknowledgment:[/b] Good (and about fecking time).
Omigod, JOHN is going to rescue Adam! That would so tie up these two bits of info. He’s done it for his other two sons. This is gonna happen lads, I feel it in my bones. I’m predicting a season finale with this one!!
For those waiting on spoilers re: Dean, I know I’m (definitely) the last person who should be saying this but please, have a wee bit of patience. There are no new or in-depth revelations in this interview beyond what most viewers already surmised in the aftermath of 6.22. We knew they’d have to deal with Castiel, Adam and the hell memories because they were hanging storylines; they were about the only things it was safe for Sera Gamble [i]to[/i] acknowledge.
At the start of season 6 no-one could have guessed Castiel would end up with the storyline he did as it was never alluded to in any interview I read (especially none that came out [i]9 weeks[/i] before the new season even started). The same will happen with Dean, he’s always had a storyline, he’s not just going to be left in the car scratching his (fine) ass.
For those waiting on spoilers re: Dean, I know I’m (definitely) the last person who should be saying this but please, have a wee bit of patience. There are no new or in-depth revelations in this interview beyond what most viewers already surmised in the aftermath of 6.22. We knew they’d have to deal with Castiel, Adam and the hell memories because they were hanging storylines;
This is kind of the problem. Everyone else HAS a storyline hanging, except Dean. Okay, not Bobby either but that makes Dean the same rate as an occassional sidekick supporting character.
The same will happen with Dean, he’s always had a storyline
I very much disagree. He had a nominal plotline in Season 3 and one in Season 4 or 5 that turned out a complete red herring. He didn’t have a PLOT – not side emo stuff, a real plot – in years 1, 2 and 6. And by all accounts he won’t have one now.
he’s not just going to be left in the car scratching his (fine) ass.
Maybe not literally all the time but yes, I’m thinking this will be what the character gets. The driving-around-Sam-sidekick stuff, waiting in the car when the real plot happens. Or kneeling by the car while Sam saves the world again, maybe cheerleading him a bit.
I wonder last Season why the character was still in the show – and for plot reasons there was never an answer. So why would this time be different? Jensen is contracted, that’s why.
I asked on the boards many times last season why Dean was even in the show. I’m still wondering. This season sounds again like he will be wringing his hands over Sam’s Hell memories and redeeming/forgiving Cas. How many times can writers have Dean say, “It’s not your fault?”
Hell memories? Not very interested. I hope they wrap that up in Ep. 1 and move on.
Evil or transformed Cas? The shelf-life on the angel story is way past due.
Crowley back? Okay. So far he hasn’t taken over the show.
Old fashioned monsters? Good, but I hope that the brothers do more than run from them. I’d like to see them turn around and kill a few this season.
Faces from the past? I’m tired of the previouslies.
Adam acknowledgement? Gag. I’ll skip that episode.
Impala back: Yippee. Missed her last year. I hope we hear rock music blasting from the windows while on an road trips. Last season it got to looking like an awful lot of stage sets.
Sam and Dean? Dean who? I hope there is a plot for both characters, and that whatever plot there is doesn’t drive the two brothers. I’d like to go back to the brothers’ story driving the plot this season.
Last year I quit reading anything Sera said. I think I’ll do that again this year. Her interviews just fill me with disappointment and despair.
But thanks, Alice, for your hard work.
I think that it’s wrong to ask people to have patience when that patience has NEVER been rewarded. Sera is very clear that Dean’s pretty much an afterthought.
If a producer talks about a character a lot, then yeah she has tons for him. If a producer DOESN’T then she has squat.
That’s because the writers themselves didn’t know that Castiel would end up with the storyline he did. Misha even said the original plan was to kill him off in the finale. Transformed, evil, it makes no difference. Either way the Castiel I enjoyed is gone, and that sucks. Also I was hoping the Sam hell memories thing would be wrapped up quickly. Apparently not. And where’s the Dean info?
Wouldn’t be surprised if all Dean did this year is be there while Sam’s moaning about what happened to him in hell. I can just picture a scene where Sam’s like ‘oh i was in hell, it was so terrible. Lucifer did this Michael did that.’ And Dean will be like ‘Don’t worry Sammy. They won’t hurt you anymore. No-one will as long as I’m around.’ And that’ll be all Dean does, until he has to save Sam from something or watch helplessly as Sam goes through something else terrible in the Sam room… sorry I meant the panic room.
The comment about Sam paying a big price sounds like there could be yet more Sam angst (maybe unconcsious Sam) while Dean & Bobby are all worried once again.
Yeah, I’m bored already.
Seriously they might aswell rename the show ‘Hero Sam & his sidekick Dean’ cos they’ll probably try & make Sam a better hunter than Dean (again) or try & make him into Dean (again) Oh I suppose they might let Dean kill something to make him feel useful instead of just driving Sam to wherever to save the world and be the hero (again)
AGREE! Also think at some point while Sam’s whining and moaning, Dean’ll say I know how you feel & Sam’ll just look at him & say how would you know how i feel? I was there for 150 years you were there for just 40.
Wouldn’t be surprised if he also pulled the “being tortured by Lucifer and Michael” card and compare them to Alastair, and make it sound like Dean hardly suffered and make him the weak one again.
Once thing that annoyed me when Dean came back from hell was everyone was like ‘oh hes weak and pathetic’ ‘boo hoo’ ‘stop whining’ ‘hes not all there anymore & not strong enough’ basically to grow a pair, but when Sam came back it was suddenly the most horrible terrible hideous thing that ever happened in the whole world.
Hated the way they treated Dean in S4. The only way they had him deal with his memories of hell was drink a lot. S7 they’ll probably have some brother moments where Deans there for him, while Sam whines about it. Even though Sam couldn’t really give a rats ass when Dean probably needed him, he was always out with Ruby.
Thank God I’m not alone.
Amen to that!
I think if they keep Sam moaning about how tough it was for him in Hell, he’s going to look like wussy whiny princess next to Dean who got mocked just for spending 8 minutes on it in Season 4. It’s probably not what they are shooting for but frankly that’s the impression I’m going to get especially since they’ll never have him apologize for the way Sam mocked him in S4 about still suffering aftereffects.
So if they’re expecting an outpouring of “poor baby” then I think they’re going to be very surprised, especially if Dean has to coddle him.
True. If Sam does moan about hell, and expects people to feel sorry for him, I know for a fact that I won’t give a rats ass either, & I’ll just be sat there bored.
There’s only one brother I care about and feel sorry for, and that’s Dean. He’s my favourite & always will be, they can try & make Sam into Dean all they want, but it won’t make me like him.
[quote]True. If Sam does moan about hell, and expects people to feel sorry for him, I know for a fact that I won’t give a rats ass either, & I’ll just be sat there bored.
There’s only one brother I care about and feel sorry for, and that’s Dean. He’s my favourite & always will be, they can try & make Sam into Dean all they want, but it won’t make me like him.[/quote]
I honestly think that Sera’s going to draw it out like the souless!Sam arc that seemed just a “fun” way of getting Sam to treat Dean like crap but without having Sam take responsibility for his actions/thoughts. I halfway think she’ll have Sam choke or beat up Dean in the throes of his “suffering” but it’ll be Dean having to apologize for not being able to fix him. ick.
[quote][quote]True. If Sam does moan about hell, and expects people to feel sorry for him, I know for a fact that I won’t give a rats ass either, & I’ll just be sat there bored.
There’s only one brother I care about and feel sorry for, and that’s Dean. He’s my favourite & always will be, they can try & make Sam into Dean all they want, but it won’t make me like him.[/quote]
I honestly think that Sera’s going to draw it out like the souless!Sam arc that seemed just a “fun” way of getting Sam to treat Dean like crap but without having Sam take responsibility for his actions/thoughts. I halfway think she’ll have Sam choke or beat up Dean in the throes of his “suffering” but it’ll be Dean having to apologize for not being able to fix him. ick.[/quote]
Just what i was thinking. There’ll probably be loads of nightmare & flashback scenes too (Which they never really had for Dean) Sam treating poor Dean like crap again like 6 & don’t forget when he was a d!ck to him in 4 for no reason. Or he’ll probably hallucinate Michael or Lucifer & fight back not realising he’s beating the crap out of Dean… And then Dean will for some reason have to apologize for it. Or Dean will once again say Sam’s stronger than him, and he can deal with it better than he did.
I wholeheartedly hope you folks will never have to experience traumatic events of this scale.
That’s the way I feel, too. Give Sammy and fifth of hunter’s helper and eight minutes to talk about Hell.
Nothing against Sam, but I’ve really lost my patience with Sera.
[quote]Once thing that annoyed me when Dean came back from hell was everyone was like ‘oh hes weak and pathetic’ ‘boo hoo’ ‘stop whining’ ‘hes not all there anymore & not strong enough’ basically to grow a pair, but when Sam came back it was suddenly the most horrible terrible hideous thing that ever happened in the whole world.
Hated the way they treated Dean in S4. The only way they had him deal with his memories of hell was drink a lot. S7 they’ll probably have some brother moments where Deans there for him, while Sam whines about it. Even though Sam couldn’t really give a rats ass when Dean probably needed him, he was always out with Ruby.[/quote]
AGREE! I also hated when they all made fun of Dean and mocked him for being weak, (even Sam said it) The scene at the end of 4.10 & 4.11 are actually 2 of my favourite emotional Dean scenes. The confession at the end of ep10 broke my heart, Jensen was amazing in that.
Who else hopes they bring the amulet back in S7?
I know they most likely won’t, but I miss Dean wearing it. Nearly everyone who watches the show (even Jared) thinks that Sam wouldn’t have left it there in the bin, so hopefully he gives it back to his brother at some point & it’ll be back where it belongs.
We can always hope.
I don’t want them to EVER bring back the amulet. It’s a symbol of all the false beliefs Dean had about the brotherly relationship and it belongs in the trash. It symbolizes the burden and the expectations that he should never have had to shoulder like being the father John wasn’t.
Thanks for transcribing this, Alice! I really appreciate the teasing tidbits our show’s creators toss our way – especially since we know (or should know by this time!) that nothing they reveal will play out the way people automatically expect!
I am tired though with the way every little announcement and reveal gets pounced on by vocal fans who jump to conclusions about what it indicates or means, and always interpret the information negatively through the lens of their own personal Sam-or-Dean bias. That automatic reaction on the part of many discourages me from reading or responding to comments, because the mood is so negative. And because there’s no way to reason someone out of a position they weren’t reasoned into, it’s impossible to change either people’s minds or the often carping tone of the conversation.
Given that, I’ll let the negatives go and just enjoy my own anticipation for seeing another season of my favorite show. 🙂
Thanks Bardicvoice. You have no idea how much I hate the Sam VS Dean moanings that pop up much too often here lately. Talk about downers! I love this show and don’t appreciate being brought down by them.
The Dean lovers are just as bad as the Sam lovers and they are all a depressing bunch.
I too will try to let the negatives go.
Thank you Alice for this interesting interview and this Dean girl has absolutely no complaints about any imagined bias as to the boys.
Why the moaners even watch the show they hate so much is beyond my understanding!
[quote]Thanks Bardicvoice. You have no idea how much I hate the Sam VS Dean moanings that pop up much too often here lately. Talk about downers! I love this show and don’t appreciate being brought down by them.
The Dean lovers are just as bad as the Sam lovers and they are all a depressing bunch.
I too will try to let the negatives go.
Thank you Alice for this interesting interview and this Dean girl has absolutely no complaints about any imagined bias as to the boys.
Why the moaners even watch the show they hate so much is beyond my understanding![/quote]
Most of these “moaners” watched because they fell for the lie that the show was about two brothers, not just one.
And don’t “moan” if ratings take a hit or the boards become even more empty after the premiere when it’s obvious that Sam gets to mock his “shady” brother while demanding that his “shady” brother tend to his needs.
[quote]Thanks Bardicvoice. You have no idea how much I hate the Sam VS Dean moanings that pop up much too often here lately. Talk about downers! I love this show and don’t appreciate being brought down by them.
The Dean lovers are just as bad as the Sam lovers and they are all a depressing bunch.
I too will try to let the negatives go.
Thank you Alice for this interesting interview and this Dean girl has absolutely no complaints about any imagined bias as to the boys.
Why the moaners even watch the show they hate so much is beyond my understanding![/quote]
I totally agree with you guys. I also think that maybe Sera is holding back a lot. It’s too soon to let all the upcoming stories out of the closet. I eagerly await S7.
As for the Dean vs. Sam age old discussion, let’s drop it. Both guys had storylines last year that were very good. I think the first half of the year was geared toward Dean. While the second half tipped more towards Sam. That’s 11 to 11 and seems pretty fair to me.
I think the reason we haven’t heard anything about Dean this year, is probably because he won’t have a story line –apart from make his hilarious smartass comments and drive the car– or even if he does have one, they’ll probably pass it over to Sam again like they did with Deans pointless 2 year story line– Save the world & stop apocolypse/Lucifer & be Michaels vessel– in the season 5 finale & make Dean just stand around watching worriedley.
**I think the reason we haven’t heard anything about Dean this year, is probably because he won’t have a story line –apart from make his hilarious smartass comments and drive the car**
Don’t forget when he has to fix the Impala & worry about Sam.
[quote]**I think the reason we haven’t heard anything about Dean this year, is probably because he won’t have a story line –apart from make his hilarious smartass comments and drive the car**
Don’t forget when he has to fix the Impala & worry about Sam.[/quote]
They might as well have Joe Schmoe to do the occasional oil change.
So everyone has a story next season BUT Dean?
It’s disgusting.
It’s very disgusting. there really should be no more pretense about where the show’s priorities are and it certainly isn’t Dean.
Sera answered the questions she was asked. Kripke always said Sam and Dean were like Luke and Han Solo. The show has stayed true to that premise pretty much. Dean was raised to “look out for Sam”, “take care of Sam”…it seems they are being true to the character. The underlying story has always been the righteous Dean being the one thing strong, devoted and loyal enough to keep Sam from fulfilling his destiny to be the evil/Anti-Christ.
Han Solo doesn’t really matter storywise. Luke Skywalker is the superduper hero with the destiny and the powers. The only reason he doesn’t get the girl is because it’s his sister. So, yeah, he’s royalty on top of that. All Han has is a ship that’s slightly clunky and a good best friend who’s pretty furry. All Dean has is a good car and . . . I got nothing.
Also, I’d hope that a character would get to be more than being a Supernanny after all these years. And I can’t say that I’d wish anybody to be a brother’s keeper for the rest of their lives. There is NOTHING in it for Dean as a character.
No, Dean deserves more than just to be Sam’s caretaker. I think Dean deserves HIS OWN unique storyline because HE is also important in the realm of the supernatural, and not just because he’s the brother of Sam.
Dean’s primary function on the show last season was to figure out what was wrong with Sam and get Sam’s soul back. Oh well yeah, I guess he also had his “domesticated” storyline, which was just awful, IMO. It was just an excuse to show Dean not being a badass hunter because he had to look inept compared to soulless Sam, the uber badass hunter. And then of course it served to knock Dean down even more because his presence in Lisa and Ben’s life ended up hurting both of them.
:sigh:
We were told that story ended with S5,and it was made very clear in that entire season that Sam no longer needed a protector. Except, oh wait, he still did in S6, and now probably will in S7, too. And how is this NOT redundant- something Sera stated she wanted to avoid in her last interview-if this is ALL that Dean will ever be? And if they have any intention whatsoever of giving him something more they should at least tell us THAT at Comic Con, because from what I’ve been reading ths fandom feels to me as if it’s ready to explode over this issue.
[quote]We were told that story ended with S5,and it was made very clear in that entire season that Sam no longer needed a protector. Except, oh wait, he still did in S6, and now probably will in S7, too. And how is this NOT redundant- something Sera stated she wanted to avoid in her last interview-if this is ALL that Dean will ever be? And if they have any intention whatsoever of giving him something more they should at least tell us THAT at Comic Con, because from what I’ve been reading ths fandom feels to me as if it’s ready to explode over this issue.[/quote]
I think it’ll explode then shrivel because I think a lot of Dean fans are willing to watch either Fringe or Grimm so it’s not like they don’t have genre options. Grimm also has the MAJOR advantage of having network FX money and has a clean slate. Also, Fringe had the better and more intriguing finale.
Cool interview, its kinda weird CW using my poster design 😛
Ah another interview where one samgirl interviews another.
No wonder there is nothing about Dean.
It’s that or I just missed the announcement where Ackles has also been demoted to guest star so there is no need to ask about his role and talk about him in only in the most grudging terms.
Sorry, I gotta step in here. I accept there’s always a certain amount of bashing and whining that goes on when new spoilers break every season, it’s kind of a tradition, but don’t you dare insult Ileane Rudolph like that. She is the most objective and unbiased journalist I’ve ever seen cover Supernatural. She did ask a Dean question. She asked a Sam question. She asked a Castiel question. Heck she even asked an Adam question. If you’re not happy with the answers, so be it, but don’t bash the interviewer for doing her job.
I agree, Alice. Ileane has always been a great supporter of BOTH brothers on the show. It’s not her fault Sera choose not to talk about the writers’ plans for Dean.
(Edited by Alice) Sorry, but you aren’t allowed to bash Ileane Rudloph here or the editor (aka me!) of this site. Comment edited. Take your opinions to another forum. Yes, I am allowed legally to censor such comments.
So predictable but fine. Then perhaps you can point out the Dean question to me and explain to me how a question about both boys’ future relationships is a “Dean question.”
Well, following the site’s rules is, of course, as predictable as… getting a parking ticket for parking in a wrong spot, dear.
We all complain about those, too, I’d say, but there are rules.
LOL, spoke by the person who wrote an endless whinefest comparing Dean to a rapist for resouling Sam. Please.
You go Alice!
So right, and thank you for stepping in.
I have no sympathy whatsoever for the Dean lovers and their constant moaning, and I am a Dean girl!! You just know that their carping will follow on with a spoiler or a Sera Gamble interview. They have their hate on and I guess it makes them feel good to bring others down. Just wish they’d go elsewhere. There are lots of sites that should welcome those kind of posts, unfortunately.
So, Sam will have his “hell memories” and “paying a big price to heroically save Dean” storyline. Cas will have his “god/is he evil or isn’t he?” storyline and Dean will have…nothing? How hard is it to give a little hint about what’s coming up for Dean this season? Believe it or not, there are fans who care about Dean too.
I love how all the Dean girls are all sticking up for our beloved Dean. He deserves a story line too.
It’s supposed to be about 2 brothers not just Sam. They might as well have left Dean living with Lisa & Ben at beginning of season 6 & just renamed the show ‘Sams destiny’ or ‘the Sam show’.
No point in keeping Dean around, if he never really does anything apart from be there for Sam, or give him a story line for 2 years only for it to go nowhere.
If Dean once again does nothing, then I might stop watching it, I’m just sick of them treating Dean like they are.
In the middle of the huge Comic Con weekend you find time (more like make the time 8) ) to type up this article; thank you very much.
Thank you, Alice, for all that you’re going to bring us during and after this huge weekend.
I’ll be checking for your updates on the other panels you’re attending as well. Hope this weekend you stay healthy for the entire time…and then some.
Thank you!
I am at a loss for words here. I can’t believe how articles like this bring out those who seem to revel in bashing and whining.
It saddens me immensely that people who call themselves fans of this show that is – at its core – all about friendship and decency demonstrate in this often vicious manner how disconnected they are from the show’s contents…
Alice, thank you for typing all this up. I’m sure you’re swamped at Comic Con and I appreciate your efforts.
Thank you so much! Love, Jas
Jas, you are so right. It’s cruel nonsense like this that is driving me away from online fandom. I deal with depression every day, and crap like this doesn’t help.
Love,
Robin
Please, if it was Sam that was ignored and the only thing you heard was that he got to fix the car then you’d complain big time.
Sam gets to talk and talk and talk about his time in Hell, something he complained when it was someone else, his supposedly DEAR brother. Sam has magic blood that can bind death. Sam gets an episode all about him in episode 3. Dean . . .nothing, squat, nada. Situation ain’t the same at ALL.
Oh, please… insinuating is really the sport of today, eh?
[quote]Oh, please… insinuating is really the sport of today, eh?[/quote]
Truth is the truth.
“The truth is rarely pure, and never simple.” Oscar Wilde
[quote]Sam gets to talk and talk and talk about his time in Hell,[/quote]
Actually you don’t have the certainty that it will be so. Sera said just that Hell’s memories will be a strong issue for Sam in S7. And I, for one, would be very disappointed if it wasn’t so because that’s not something that you just shove under the carpet. It would be just psychologically logical.
[quote]something he complained when it was someone else, his supposedly DEAR brother.[/quote]
He complained just ONE time, and it was under the effect of a poison that expanded and exasperated negative feelings. And negative feelings you have when you’re watching someone you love suffering without knowing what to do to help him. You feel frustration and exasperation, and sometimes you just want him to stop suffering, like magic, and above all to stop voicing that suffering. You can ever be mad at him. I suppose it is what happens to people waiting on beloved ones terminally and painfully ill, but it happens (even if more blandly) also to parents with babies who cry ALL the time and cannot be comforted in any way (personal experience here! 😛 )
I think that’s what Sam was feeling for Dean during S4, and one of the reasons why his search for revenge on Lilith was so obsessive even if Dean was back from hell: without knowing what to do to help his brother, he reached out to the one way he could think of to be in control of the situation, to right the wrongs. But the negative feelings, the desperation, the exasperation, were there, and siren’s poison amplificated them, made them the only ones Sam could feel at that moment. Just like the supposed “truths” elicited by Veritas in this Season.
I agree with every word, Robin. Since I deal with depression (and quite an array of other nuances of human behaviour) on a daily basis, too, I tend to detach myself from all this like I would at work. Perhaps that strategy could help you, too? Don’t let it get to you, if possible *hugs*
Take care, dear. Love Jas
The biggest reason I don’t post at this site too often is because posters attack other posters here for what they have to say about the show. If a comment is allowed to stay then it’s probably not breaking any rules, and yet other posters have to come on wagging their fingers. This should be the moderator’s job and no one else’s, IMO.
It’s always a fine line Shelby, but yes, I allow a lot. In this case, I’m allowing plenty because I’m the only moderator and I’m too busy with Comic Con right now.
The rules can be found here if anyone is confused, but we do have posted rules. [url]https://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/news-and-announcements/news-and-announcements/14338-we-are-a-happy-site-but-there-are-rules.html[/url]
The biggest rules are respect others and no Sam vs. Dean nonsense. From what I’ve read so far, people are upset about Dean but I haven’t seen a ton (or any) Sam bashing. So, those comments are okay.
Please keep in mind though, we still have the Supernatural panel and press room tomorrow at Comic Con. More info is coming. Jensen will be among those interviewed and I’m sure he’ll be asked about Dean’s direction. So, before going off too much, let’s wait and see what comes out of that.
now that dean had lisa and ben memories eraced will he be seening cassie again because we never got that storline told again on the eposode route666 dean did tell cassie he will be seening her agian is that true.
While I don’t agree with the bashing of other characters, I do believe that there are fans who have legitimate concerns about Dean’s story line and role in season 7. Believe it or not, there are ‘Dean girls’, like me for instance, who love Sam and Castiel, and are excited to see what’s in store for them.
However, I would also like to have something exciting to look forward to in regards to Dean. So far, we’ve got nothing. And I know that not many spoilers have been released, but at least we have some semblance of what Sam and Castiel will be up to. We know Dean will fix the Impala, but that’s a given. Which is why I’m hoping we’ll get something from Comic Con.
Thanks so much, Alice, for giving us this marvelous article! I really enjoyed it. I’m missing new eps of SPN desperately! When my shrink asks me what makes me saddest these days and I tell her, “No new SUPERNATURAL episodes,” I think she wants to belt me in the mouth, lol!
It’s true, though.
Love,
Robin
Alice, thank you for typing all this up! I’m italian and I always follow your interview! I appreciate your efforts!
I’ll be checking for your updates on the other panels you’re attending!
Wow, Denny, I’m always thrilled to hear where our site visitors come from!
Italy! The country of magnificent food, Puccini and Verdi, Cinecittà , such immense history!
Cordiali saluti a l’Italia!
🙂 , Jasminka
Thanks Jasminka,
I’m always here to read some news, but I’m sure I’m not the only one from other country, especially Italy!
Forgive my english too, good at reading but not so much at writing! 😀
Hi, Denny! Me too I’m Italian. Io frequento il forum di Supernatural Legend, lo conosci? http://supernatural-legend.forumcommunity.net/
u mad, Ellie? ^_^
Thank you Alice for taking the time to type this up. I know this is a busy week, what with Comic Con and all and I really appreciate the article. I think next year sounds really interesting, although SG is very good at not letting spoilers out while still giving an interview.
Wow! The love and respect towards Sera Gamble has left me overwhelmed.:o
I’m feeling the love man.
I’m feeling the love.
Thank you so much for taking the time to type this all out for us Alice, especially during such a busy weekend.
I can’t wait to see what tib bits you have for us from the Comic Con.
Hope your having a fantastic time!
Cheers!
Thanks for posting this interview.
And once again the SPN fandom overreacts to every single word. I have an idea…how about we wait and see before judging. That’s a thought
Girls, just one question: what show were you watching from the start? Dean was ALWAYS essentially “his brother’s keeper” (along with the people he protected from monsters: “saving people, hunting things” was his life phylosophy), the one who found in protecting others his first reason to live (ep. 2×20, anyone?); and Sam was ALWAYS the one with psychic powers, the “chosen one” who had to understand where he came from and what would be his destiny. This was the narration dynamic between them [u]since season one[/u]. So I ask: why did you fall in love with the show (and Dean) to begin with? Because if you are so unsatisfied with Dean being “just” Sam’s keeper, then I just don’t understand exactly WHAT you found so fascinating in him in the past seasons to become “Deangirls”.
Speaking for myself, I am a bi-bro (not really, though: I am far more interested in the story itself than in one or another character, even if I do care for them), but if I have to choose one dear to my heart I would choose Dean. And I fell in love for him just for his role of “protector” (not just of Sam, but of people in general). So maybe you can love him and find him “heroic” in his own right even if he doesn’t have the “big”, “mythological” storyline. For one, I wasn’t too thrilled when this kind of storyline popped up for Sam: I was and am SO sick and tired of stories of “chosen ones” who have to fulfill their supposed destiny… If it wasn’t for Dean and his role of tying the story to family and people relationships, of grounding it down to the earth, maybe I would quit the show long ago.
Thank you, Brynhild, for this comment! I have been asking myself the very same question. To be frank, I wonder about that mostly every time a debate like this erupts here…
Cheers, Jas
So, it’s wrong now to want something else, something bigger and better for your favourite character? They have to stay forever and ever in the “role” they were introduced in? I happen to think shows were about evolution and growth, not “a servant stays a servant stays a servant and why would anyone have a problem with that?”
It’s been six years, why can’t Dean have the plot for a change? Why can’t Sam just be the lowly sidekick for a change? Is the role so beneath him? Or just good enough for Dean?
I loved Dean [i]despite[/i] the show making him barely more than that, not for it, because Jensen managed to bring more than that to the role. That doesn’t mean I have to be content with it forever and ever. The character deserves his turn in the sun for a change.
I think it’s quite a pity that some look at Dean and see a ‘lowly sidekick’… For me, he has been a most wonderful character, a man I’d love to be friends with, a man I’d love to call brother… no sidekick of whatever nature. It seems we are watching the show through very different glasses…
Well, for me the plot, the overarching arc IS the entire story. And in that, Dean holds a minor sidekick role. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a charismatic or admirable character but I want plot importance for my favourites, simple as that. I loved Season 4 best because back then I foolishly believed they would give him that.
And it doesn’t have to be a zero sum game, in fact I don’t know a single other show on TV, over or present, that doesn’t/didn’t manage to give at least TWO measly characters plot importance. So I truly fail to see why SPN can’t give a lead character a storyline of their own, that is hardly an outlandish wish for fans of said character. Meanwhile they overburden the other character with so much specialness and over-the-top-everything-ness, I find him completely unrelatable now and I tended to at least like him okay.
In that vein, a swap would be highly appreciated by me.
[quote]Well, for me the plot, the overarching arc IS the entire story. And in that, Dean holds a minor sidekick role. [/quote]
Save for the fact that without this “minor sidekick role” the “overarching arc” would never have been fulfilled, without [u]his [/u]choices, the story would have been very different. Please, rewatch “The End” and remember why (i.e., thanks to whom) Sam didn’t let Lucifer wwear him for the prom…
If you’re talking about the Season 5 Finale, that is my most hated episode of the entire show for the single reason of throwing Dean summarily out of the arc and making his entire storyline of Seasons 4 and 5 moot.
I hate yellow crayon moments in general and this one had to be one of the most humiliating ones ever for a character I have had the displeasure to witness.
So, if I had to list the characters in that episode in order of importance, it would go: Sam-Lucifer-Michael-Adam-Castiel-the car-the plastic soldier, then Dean and Bobby as the ones easiest to lose without making the story much different.
To me, they gave Sam the entire world-saving by himself and anyone could have stood in as a cheerleader on the ground.
so nope, not remotely anything I’m talking about. I was excited when Dean was brought back from hell by an angel for a seemingly bigger purpose related to specifically him, any purpose that wasn’t all about Sam. Granted, I got taken in for a fool with that hope.
To me Dean’s strength is not and never will be “being a good brother to Sam” because that would be liking by proxy. If I felt that way, the one I really liked was just Sam and I’d care for Dean only insofar as how he revolved around Sam. I don’t, I want him to be seen as his own person and being special just for that, without bringing Sam into it. And if he was a protector, fine, but then let him be one for people at large, even storywise. His entire reason for being and worth doesn’t have to start with an S and end with an M.
NO, I wasn’t referring to 5×22. I was referring to ALL the S5 story. That’s why I said “rewatch The End”: if it wasn’t for Dean’s trust, Sam would have said yes to Lucifer long ago. And NOT to save the world, but out of desperation and hoplessness. So the story would have turned VERY differently, the Apocalypse wouldn’t have been averted. DOn’t know, for a “lowly sidekick” it seems pretty a pivotal role to me.
I agree that Dean’s strenght is not “being a good brother to Sam”, but I never found THAT to be his strenght (but maybe that was what HE thought). His strenght is to be a protector, period, and for what I have been watching, Dean finally came to the point where he understood that all his world doesn’t revolve around Sam: if not so, he would never have let a comatose Sam alone to go to save the day like he did in 6×22. Hell, he would never have refused to go with him at the end of 6×01! BUT is a fact that Sam is the core of his sense of family, and family is the primary drive in Dean’s life. It always was and always will be. It’s the core of the character.
Anyway I don’t think that ALL Dean will do in S7 will be being at Sam’s side to help him to cope. And I don’ think ALL Sam will do in S7 will be moaning or pitying himself for being in the Cage. I don’t think even this will be the overarching arc. It’s a bit too little to build a season plot and fill in 23 episodes, and the writers are more smart than that. BUT it is certainly an issue underlying the season, just like it was for Dean in S4, while the overarching arc was to stop Lilith, and therefore the problem with Sam’s powers.
For me, I think that Sera was just answering the fans (again, angry fans. Again. So boring!) who objected the seemingly “easy” way Sam came out of his comatose state and pulled himself together. SO, since neither Dean nor Sam seem to be specifically addressed by S7 plot (of which [u]we still don’t have any clue[/u], apart from the obious issue with God!Castiel), I don’t think it is so obvious that Dean will be just “his brother’s keeper” and Sam will lead the plot. On the contrary, the situation seems pretty open to me, and potentially could show the brothers teaming up as perfect equals (even if one of them has some issues, but it wasn’t so time and again for one or another also in past seasons?) to save the day, leading the plot together to stop/save/whatever God!Castiel and shove the monsters back into the Purgatory. IF this is going to be the season plot.
[quote]NO, I wasn’t referring to 5×22. I was referring to ALL the S5 story. That’s why I said “rewatch The End”: if it wasn’t for Dean’s trust, Sam would have said yes to Lucifer long ago. And NOT to save the world, but out of desperation and hoplessness. So the story would have turned VERY differently, the Apocalypse wouldn’t have been averted. DOn’t know, for a “lowly sidekick” it seems pretty a pivotal role to me.
I agree that Dean’s strenght is not “being a good brother to Sam”, but I never found THAT to be his strenght (but maybe that was what HE thought). His strenght is to be a protector, period, and for what I have been watching, Dean finally came to the point where he understood that all his world doesn’t revolve around Sam: if not so, he would never have let a comatose Sam alone to go to save the day like he did in 6×22. Hell, he would never have refused to go with him at the end of 6×01! BUT is a fact that Sam is the core of his sense of family, and family is the primary drive in Dean’s life. It always was and always will be. It’s the core of the character.
Anyway I don’t think that ALL Dean will do in S7 will be being at Sam’s side to help him to cope. And I don’ think ALL Sam will do in S7 will be moaning or pitying himself for being in the Cage. I don’t think even this will be the overarching arc. It’s a bit too little to build a season plot and fill in 23 episodes, and the writers are more smart than that. BUT it is certainly an issue underlying the season, just like it was for Dean in S4, while the overarching arc was to stop Lilith, and therefore the problem with Sam’s powers.
For me, I think that Sera was just answering the fans (again, angry fans. Again. So boring!) who objected the seemingly “easy” way Sam came out of his comatose state and pulled himself together. SO, since neither Dean nor Sam seem to be specifically addressed by S7 plot (of which [u]we still don’t have any clue[/u], apart from the obious issue with God!Castiel), I don’t think it is so obvious that Dean will be just “his brother’s keeper” and Sam will lead the plot. On the contrary, the situation seems pretty open to me, and potentially could show the brothers teaming up as perfect equals (even if one of them has some issues, but it wasn’t so time and again for one or another also in past seasons?) to save the day, leading the plot together to stop/save/whatever God!Castiel and shove the monsters back into the Purgatory. IF this is going to be the season plot.[/quote]
So it’s OK to listen to angry fans when it comes to Sam but not so much when it comes to Dean. Thanks.
Besides when even Sam mocks and complains about Dean for his brotherliness, that pretty much killed my interest in Dean being a caretaker. When it’s mocked even on the show yet they insist on sticking him in there, that’s just another form of torture.
This post is a perfect example of some fans’ attitude: of ALL a post, take just the ONE line you can relate to your ranting and go on. Oh, god, why am I still trying to reason with such people?
And please, WHEN and WHERE Sam mocks and complains about Dean’s brotherliness??? 😮
No, Jas. This is not watching the [i]show [/i]through different glasses: this is viewing LIFE through different glasses. Glasses that view protecting and supporting and giving strenght and defending and caring for and fighting (not just physically, but emotionally as well) for someone’s sake or salvation or safety like a “servant” role. LIke a “lowly sidekick” role. So, since I can’t agree on this view of life, I suppose I’ve nothing to say to these people.
Since I we get ‘only’ those fans’ view of the show with their arguments referring to the show and its characters, it’s too far fetched for me to insinuate that they view life (as a whole) in the same manner.
I don’t like those opinions, either, and I strongly disagree with many of the voiced positions.
Your assumption (that they view life in the same way) might be correct, of course. But to my mind it’s unfair to assume it was a fact. I only meet those fans in this context. I know too little about them to build an opinion about their whole outlook on life merely on comments like that. One can easily be mistaken.
Jas
You’re right, it’s unfair. So I’ll say that to me (self-quoting here) “protecting and supporting and giving strenght and defending and caring for and fighting (not just physically, but emotionally as well) for someone’s sake or salvation or safety” it’s so far from the deeds of a “lowly sidekick”, in the show as well as in real life, that I fear I can’t have any dialogue with people who think so, even if it was just about the show.
I understand that, Brynhild. I do. I feel like that often myself.
I have to remind myself constantly that I might be unfair when I am in danger of judging one of the commenters here, because I don’t know anything else about them.
But, as it turns out, decent dialogue seems to be impossible with some of them. Several comments here are proof to that.
Gosh, it does sadden me. It does. I don’t like that…
Take care, Jas
No, actually he’s the man you compared to a rapist.
[i]Dean was ALWAYS essentially “his brother’s keeper” [/i]
Um, no actually he wasn’t. In season 4, wow, he actually got a storyline! One that was erased out of existence at the end of season 5 with the line “You’re no longer a part of this story.” That says it all about Dean ongoing and Sera’s obvious fangirling of Jared is embarrassing to watch. Funny how the seventh version of “what’s wrong with Sam” isn’t redundant, but a decent storyline for Dean and Castiel is.
[quote][i]Dean was ALWAYS essentially “his brother’s keeper” [/i]
Um, no actually he wasn’t. In season 4, wow, he actually got a storyline! [/quote]
Oh yes, and I never was so happy like I was when he refused to fulfill that storyline. Like I said, I am sick and tired of “special, chosen ones” of any kind, I could stand Sam’s storyline exactly because there was Dean to give us the opposite perspective of an “ordinary guy” who act not to fulfill some kind of “big, special” role or destiny, but out of love and sense of duty.
[quote]One that was erased out of existence at the end of season 5 with the line “You’re no longer a part of this story.” [/quote]
Save for the fact that such line proved wrong in the end. Yes, he wasn’t part of THAT story: the story that angels and demons were plotting since the beginning of time. But that was NOT the story that actually happened: the book was ripped apart, like we were said several times in S6, and it was so essentially thanks to Dean. Dean who didn’t accept to be thrown out of the story and showed himself at the Stull Cemetery. Dean who taught Castiel Free Will’s importance.
Yes, he didn’t fulfill his “mythic” role. That’s exactly why he (HE, because without him, Sam would have “saved the world” my as*) could save the day.
I have been reading the comments here for the last 24 hours with increasing incredulity. I swore I was not going to get involved but I just can`t help myself.
First I want to thank Alice for typing this up in what I am sure is a manic schedule there, I am very grateful she does this and keeps us all in the picture with what is happening at comic con.
For a show that, despite the monsters, angels, demons, ghosts and all manner of `nasty things`, has its core based on love I am amazed at the amount of vitriol that has been written here about it. I love this show and cannot understand how, if you do too, you cannot love both characters. But of course we all have our own `preferences` I think it has always been pretty obvious to whom my heart really belongs, and I have no complaints whatsoever about Dean`s role or, in my view, incorrectly perceived lack of role in any season.
I just wonder at times if people do indeed watch the same show as I do. When I read comments complaining about no growth or evolution of the characters and of them staying in the same roles they were introduced in I fail to understand at all. Do people really see the same `boys` in the pilot when they view the Winchesters now? I also don`t understand why, if people are so unhappy with the show and dislike the direction in which it had gone, do they continue to watch?
Personally I just cannot wait for season 7 and I trust the team producing the show to maintain the wonderful standard we have come to expect and to enjoy for the last 6 years.
I have decided I am now going to stop reading the comments here about this interview as frankly they are becoming detrimental to my blood pressure.
As I am anti spoiler, I’ve stayed away from this interview on principle.
That being said, I’ve clicked on some of the comments in response, and then wished I hadn’t. “Such anger, young Skywalker!”
I am with you. Love the show, don’t see why everyone is so up in arms over what should be exciting and wonderful news about the upcoming season. No interview or teaser spoiler can sum up the whole we will see in a couple short months.
I can imagine how you feel, Julie. I didn’t want to participate here, neither, but while I was writing, I took a look here once in a while and felt tempted to post the odd comment.
I will have to discipline myself to not do that. Ever again? Nothing remotely pleasant comes out of it, and I come to this site exactly for that – to have fun, discuss in a pleasant and civil manner, love the show…
If you admit to loving the show as it is, you’re being attacked, if you try to defend the storyline, there’s another bash… That’s not to my taste at all. In fact, I can’t abide it.
It seems to me, whenever Alice or one of our writers takes the time to transcibe an interview like this, the negativity comes out of the dark and the discussion suddenly isn’t about the contents of the article anymore but, well… I don’t have to name it, do I?
Mind your blood pressure, Julie. I should have been smart and do that, too. Those out there who enjoy sowing dissent and sadness can be happy now.
Hugs, Jas
First of all, thank you Alice, for taking time away from what is a hectic schedule to give us some news.
Second of all, as Julie noted, this thread is rather hyperreactive right now. So as I was reading the comments and the article I realized that one of the reasons that I love the show so much is the amount of care and love that the writers, actors, and everyone else on Supernatural give to the characters, even when they recognize the LIMITATIONS of their resources – including time, space, and storyline. It’s an hour long drama with an infinity of possibilities and these writers make choices, as is their right as writers, to follow those possibilities.
And to be honest, I’m not really understanding the frustration. In point of fact, having watched the show from beginning to the end of the fifth season in a concentrated time (3 weeks perhaps) I saw how Dean became much more of a central character than he started out as. But this show has been, since the middle of the first season, about the brotherhood, not about the brothers. The pendulum swings back and forth, and does it stay a little longer on Sam sometimes? Yes, and that’s understandable since the frame of the show was always to be “Sam’s” story. The writers adapted, though, when they saw that the real core of the story was not Sam, but Sam and Dean, and from the middle of the first season onward, if you watch carefully, you can see that the show tries its damnedest to always bring it back to the two of them. And Dean? The strength and center of his character, or at least what I read as the core, is his unconditional love and loyalty for a brother who has been troubled since infancy. Without Sam he would not be Dean. Without Dean, Sam would not be Sam.
I also think that what takes me aback the most about the vitriol thrown at Sera is the underlying accusation that she has somehow fetishized or overly sexualized Sam, and at the core of the accusation is a strange sentimentality for the Dean character that requires all other characters to become less than in order for him to become equal to, which I think is a mischaracterization of the show, first of all, but Sera most of all. I joke about Sera’s “love” for Sam, as has Jared in interviews, but my joke and I imagine Jared’s joke as well, are just that, joking because she has often been the one “assigned” to write Sam in emotional episodes. And it would make sense that she continue to do that since that has been demonstrated as one of her writing strengths. To me, episodic television is a collaborative art, not a singular vision.
Okay, I’ve gone off on a tangent and should not have probably. Again, thank you Alice. I, for one, am excited for the seventh season and for what it means for the brothers.
Oh, Linda, your efforts here are honourable, but following the comments in this thread (and, well, remembering some others) I fear that they’ll be without avail. Personally, I’m at the brink of giving up… 🙁 , Jas
“Girls, just one question: what show were you watching from the start? Dean was ALWAYS essentially “his brother’s keeper” (along with the people he protected from monsters: “saving people, hunting things” was his life phylosophy),”
Sera tried to take the “hunter” role away from Dean this season to a degree, in what was sold to us as a “role reversal”-and which, in truth, was THE lamest example of a role reversal that I have ever seen in my life. Off all the things Sera did, I hated that the most and while I expect we’ll get that role back for Dean in S7, as they realized halfway through that Sam as the “new Dean” and Dean as…I don’t know who or what…wasn’t working, the fact that Sera even tried to do that ruined this season for me. If they were going to take the thing that, in my mind, connected Dean to the myth-arc(the hunter role) away from him and give it to Sam, then the true role reversal would have been to give Dean Sam’s Chosen One role as that was HIS connection to the myth-arc. I guess Sera wanted both for Sam and she wanted us to know that Dean’s connection to the myth-arc is really ONLY through his being the Protector of Sam. The fact that many in the fandom saw Dean’s connection to the myth-arc as being the Best Hunter on the Planet(something special about Dean, and Dean alone) was apparently a no-no on our parts. Dean is only in the story to service the Sam storyline and nothing else seemed to be Sera’s intended message. A storyline about “finding oneself”(apparently what she was going for as regards Dean) might fit on a soap opera, but that’s not why I watch this show; and it shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that different people watch this show for many different reasons and through different “eyes”-perception is not a universal concept, after all. I DO hope that with the outpouring of comments this season that reflected the absolute and far-reaching dislike of what she tried to do in those terms this season, TPTB will have learned something. They don’t want to give Dean(or Jensen-which is sadder to me) a myth-arc storyline that isn’t dependent on strictly and only being Sam’s support system, again seems to be the message they wanted to send this season. Fine. Message received, loud abnd clear, but they could at least give us back a large part of the core of the character that we fell in love with in Season 1-The Best Hunter on the Planet-becasue this, in addition to being the heart of The Winchester Family-is who *I* fell in love with from the series’ inception; and I hope Jensen won’t have to work as hard(and against the writng as much) in S7, to give him to us, as he did in S6. I’ve stopped hoping for anything more, which is why the show has lost much of it’s luster for me, but to answer that other question-I’m still watching because of Jensen and Dean, and the Cas story, too. The writers have turned me off to anything or anyone else, but the show is still worthwhile viewing for me becauseof those characters and that storyline.
Alice, thank you for the article, and I admire your patience with all of this.
For the angry Dean girls, Dean was the hero last season. When I say hero, I’m speaking mostly in the literary sense – the protagonist who stumbles into a situation that doesn’t feel quite right, whose perspective we uncover the story through, and who saves the day or dies trying at the end. Dean saved his brother, he killed Eve, and he was the one dealing with Cas at the end. In addition, we saw a more personal storyline – Dean’s struggle with his Daddy issues and his conflict between being a hunter and being a father.
The big “story” in SPN is usually the monster that needs to be killed, or a family member that’s turning into a monster. Do you really want Dean to come back as a monster next season, and have the story told through Sam’s perspective as Sam tries to save him? As someone who leans more toward Sam, I’d love to get more quality Sam time, and I’d be quite happy with that story, but I’m wondering if Dean girls are really on board with that.
[quote]Do you really want Dean to come back as a monster next season, and have the story told through Sam’s perspective as Sam tries to save him? As someone who leans more toward Sam, I’d love to get more quality Sam time, and I’d be quite happy with that story, but I’m wondering if Dean girls are really on board with that.[/quote]
If iz entailed the same things Sam got: being pushed as the super badass while inherently any dark acts could be easily explained away by “it wasn’t really him”, hell yes.
Because in my understanding of storyline, it would be entirely about Dean. Even if Sam got the “save Dean” part and the “perspective part”, he’d still revolve around Dean and his perspective would be just on Dean’s story.
I don’t consider being the POV anything worthwhile anyway so if Dean got the mystery with all the glory, then please by all means give Sam Dean’s old role. However, I don’t think a lot of Samgirls would be down with [i]that[/i].
[quote]Even if Sam got the “save Dean” part and the “perspective part”, he’d still revolve around Dean and his perspective would be just on Dean’s story.[/quote]
The perspective would be on almost everything in their world, the way it is now with Dean. Most of what we know about Cas, we know from Dean’s interactions with him (with the exception of TMWWBK). Most of what we know about Bobby, we know from Dean’s interactions with him. What we know about Death, we know from Dean’s interactions with him. The hero of the story is the character who has most of the interactions with all of side characters, so we see SPN world through the hero’s perspective.
[quote]However, I don’t think a lot of Samgirls would be down with [i]that[/i].[/quote]
I certainly can’t speak for all Samgirls, but from conversations I’ve had elsewhere, I think you might be surprised. I think most right now just want some quality time hearing Sam’s story.
[quote]The hero of the story is the character who has most of the interactions with all of side characters, so we see SPN world through the hero’s perspective.[/QUOTE]
I’d disagree. For me the hero is the one the story is about.
[QUOTE]I certainly can’t speak for all Samgirls, but from conversations I’ve had elsewhere, I think you might be surprised. I think most right now just want some quality time hearing Sam’s story.[/quote]
I’ve been reading a lot of wishes for him to have learned special secrets in the cage, have his powers come back, have a new mystery about him etc. On top of getting emotional exploration, sure, but I haven’t seen anyone saying they’d be content of he was just “Dean’s brother”. In fact when for a brief moment in Season 4 it looked like Dean was the chosen one, there was an outcry how that role wasn’t good enough.
Which in itself is fine, you know, but in that vein I can’t understand this way of thinking that Deanfans have no right to expect or want any of that. Or that Dean as a character shouldn’t get any of that. Yes, I’d like a good Dean-related mystery arc more than anything right now. I don’t see why there is such resistance to the mere idea of a storyline for him that is outside of Sam. Sam’s storylines – Chosen One and soullessness were outside of Dean as well.
[quote][quote]Even if Sam got the “save Dean” part and the “perspective part”, he’d still revolve around Dean and his perspective would be just on Dean’s story.[/quote]
The perspective would be on almost everything in their world, the way it is now with Dean. Most of what we know about Cas, we know from Dean’s interactions with him (with the exception of TMWWBK). Most of what we know about Bobby, we know from Dean’s interactions with him. What we know about Death, we know from Dean’s interactions with him. The hero of the story is the character who has most of the interactions with all of side characters, so we see SPN world through the hero’s perspective.
[quote]However, I don’t think a lot of Samgirls would be down with [i]that[/i].[/quote]
I certainly can’t speak for all Samgirls, but from conversations I’ve had elsewhere, I think you might be surprised. I think most right now just want some quality time hearing Sam’s story.[/quote]
Can Dean choke Sam then have Sam apologize for making Dean choke him? Can Bobby tell Sammy that he’s a whining and a princess when Sam goes on and on about Hell? Because you’ll get tired of THAT real fast!
[quote]
Can Dean choke Sam then have Sam apologize for making Dean choke him? Can Bobby tell Sammy that he’s a whining and a princess when Sam goes on and on about Hell? Because you’ll get tired of THAT real fast![/quote]
OK, I don’t even remember this. When did Dean say to Sam, “I’m sorry you had to choke me”? And on the flip side of this, Dean beat Sam to a pulp in YCHTT, and never apologized. I’m not blaming Dean here. I was on his side with the way Sam was at the time. But my point is is that there has been brother-on-brother violence from both sides throughout the series.
I also don’t remember Bobby calling Dean a princess because he was talking about Hell. I thought the self-pity comments were in response to Dean saying that Sam was never really his brother. Bobby’s point is that family comes flawed, but they’re still family.
I would be frightfully grateful, if some of you could stop going on about the ever present Dean vs. Sam debate.
The interview Alice posted here was of another content… I honestly don’t know where you take all that from.
Please, stop it. Or simply go away. Thank you.
You know, I was almost ready to walk away from this thread because it seems rather useless to say anything constructive, as the discourse has devolved into full on attack and what I would define as near-bullying. If you are dissatisfied with the way the show has treated a “character,” then you are more than welcome to stop watching, but I’m going to call a spade a spade here and say that this defense of Dean is a thinly veiled debate about the screentime of Jensen at the expense of his co-stars, but most especially, Jared. I love both of these actors and they bring a lot to the table, equally.
I’ve read the comments about Dean’s storyline and let’s be honest, from the very beginning of the story, he was meant to be a character in support of the hero’s journey. Kripke identified Sam as his hero, at first. It was the chemistry and the organic nature of telling a story that moved the show to focus on two characters rather than one. It is not your story. It is not Dean’s story. It’s not even Sam’s story anymore. It’s a Winchester story. But you know what? Sam is just as important as Dean, and I’ve made the argument several times that I think Dean is our frame, he’s the audience. But the mere thought that those who claim to support Dean engage in what can only be described as a hatred for Sam, the one character that Dean loves beyond all else, is so anathema to the “character” of Dean that again, I will say that this frustration is not about the character at all.
And another thing – these debates demonstrate plainly why the show should’ve kept its damn fourth wall up – constructive criticism is one thing. Full on attack and demands for fundamental storyline changes is another.
I know this is harsh and if it’s deleted, I understand, but I had to say it.
[quote] but I’m going to call a spade a spade here and say that this defense of Dean is a thinly veiled debate about the screentime of Jensen at the expense of his co-stars, but most especially, Jared. [/quote]
Actually, screentime is the one thing I never really had a complain about. Jensen gets ample of it. So nope, screentime is not my issue, it’s the quality of the material. In fact I’d prefer less screentime to much better writing for him.
As far as prefering the character of Dean and not liking Sam, well, I like the character but I’m not him, I don’t have to love who he loves. That’s never how TV viewing has worked for me. Either I like a character by themselves or not at all. People also don’t like their friend’s of their friends all the time by proxy.
And again, since I don’t want or need a character to be “me” aka the audience, I consider this “role” completely worthless.
Okay, can this just stop? Please, can this just stop? It’s gone from being what should be happy news in that the back was broken on hellatus as the season 7 interviews began, to sarcastic comments, personal remarks and attempts to hammer home arguments that simply cannot be won, by either side. It’s the same old ding dong of the last few seasons, ‘X is this’ ‘Y is that’. ‘X never gets this’ ‘Y never gets that’. It’s sickening that Alice is doing a shitload of hard work, in crowded circumstances and in a limited amount of time to get this posted so that we can enjoy it, and this is the thanks she gets? Bickering, sniping and criticism! Guys, this isn’t doing anyone any good.
For those who aren’t happy with the way the show is going, I’m truly sorry and I’m sure everyone associated with the show, fans, writers and actors, hopes that you find something in Season 7 you are happy with, whether it’s a storyline or some character development or even a new shirt! You must have found something in season 6; otherwise you still wouldn’t be watching and commenting. Hang tight for another few hours, there might be some reveal in Comic Con for you to get excited about. If not, then there’s a whole 22 or 23 (thought I read that somewhere) episodes ahead of you to find something you do enjoy.
For those who are happy with the show; excellent. Keep watching, keeping posting, keep talking and keep enjoying.
In lieu of Alice posting another spoiler to distract us and in the hopes of bringing some peace to this discussion, I am willing to offer up John as a sacrifice, a sort of common enemy, so to speak. We won’t be attacking each other if we have a big, strong, brave, talented man with a lovely smattering of chest hair, mad dimples and little bunny rabbit teeth to turn on. So come on, give him your best criticism. I won’t even try to defend him! Don’t worry, he raised Sam and Dean, he can take it…..
I liked John. 😮 I felt sorry for him. Sorry for responding to the above comments and continuing the toxic discussion. I’ll back away now.
Yeah, I’ve got some issues with John. First of all, why so hot John? Seriously, it’s bad enough that we have two hot men and then there’s you, with your scruffiness and “I don’t need love” soulfulness. What’s up with that? I can only handle so much!
Second, what’s up with the dying crap? I know you had Grey’s Anatomy on the backburner, but really, Kathering Heigl is so not worth walking away from Sam and Dean. Bad parenting. Bad.
Finally, why no friends? You don’t even interact with Bobby before you shuffle off the mortal coil. And the priest? Well he’s just dead from the beginning – by the way, I want Pastor Jim back story, people. I mean those kids were already screwed up – imagine adding Catholic guilt to it?
Just some thoughts for a sunny afternoon.
And in a completely unrelated matter, I miss that we can’t preview posts before we press send…. I miss ‘preview’. He was great.
Ugh. Read a couple of things from comic con. All it says about Dean is he does some soul searching & questions why he does this. Wow. What excitement. Hasn’t he done something like that before?
While Sam’s gonna suffer a major break in his psyche and it’s going to bring a lot of problems that can’t be fixed. And Season 7 will deal with Sam remembering Hell and what follows. We see Sam struggle to figure out whether or not it’s a dream
So it sounds like Dean hardly does anything again, while Sams storyline will probably drag on again for at least half of season 7.
I think I’m definitely done with the show now. I don’t care what happened to Sam in hell.
Also Sam will have major issues with Cas.
Don’t forget the ep Jensen directed is about Sam’s past.
[quote]Ugh. Read a couple of things from comic con. All it says about Dean is he does some soul searching & questions why he does this. Wow. What excitement. Hasn’t he done something like that before?
While Sam’s gonna suffer a major break in his psyche and it’s going to bring a lot of problems that can’t be fixed. And Season 7 will deal with Sam remembering Hell and what follows. We see Sam struggle to figure out whether or not it’s a dream
So it sounds like Dean hardly does anything again, while Sams storyline will probably drag on again for at least half of season 7.
I think I’m definitely done with the show now. I don’t care what happened to Sam in hell.
[/quote]
Dean is going to have to deal with his brother and his memories of Hell, but he’s also going to have to deal with Castiel, too.
So yet even more worrying Dean. I’m with you on not watching anymore, I’ve lost interest.
I’ll add that Sam also starts not being able to tell what is real and what isn’t.
Sounds to me like there’ll be hallucinations/nightmares/flashbacks at some point.
Wouldn’t be surprised if he thinks he’s still in hell & starts beating the crap out of Dean thinking he’s Michael/Lucifer.
What part of ‘please can this stop’ continues to elude you?
Alice and Jasminka, it is amazing how one simple innocent article about an upcoming season always seems to turn into a Sam vs Dean battle rumble. We had the same stupidness last year and also the year before.
People, Sera and Co. are not going to give away the whole season in any interviews. So, stop reading more into them then what is there.
Supernatural is about the Winchester family. John and his lovely wife Mary and their handsome sons Dean and Sam. They have friends like Bobby Singer. They have enermies like Azazel. And they have people like Castiel and Crowley, who, depending on the day, are an enermy or a friend.
So, stop with the Sam vs Dean bullcrap.
ADMIN WARNING!!!!!!!
Everyone, this is a place where we do not engage in Sam. vs. Dean debate. If you can’t keep things friendly, then please don’t post comments. Discussion is one thing. Attacks are quite another. If this continues, Alice and I will start editing offending comments. If Sam vs. Dean nonsense continues, we will close comments.
Thank you for your co-operation in this manner.
Ardeospina
Thank you! Love, Jas
I second what Jas has said. We don’t need that type of talk.
Amen. thank you Ardeospina.
Thank you so much for the spoiler … it’s amazing can’t wait for season 7 🙂
Alice, thank you for taking the time to type this up. I am constantly amazed at how little the spoilers actually reveal about the season while still managing to stir so much debate. I for one, am really looking forward to season 7.
To the commentator whose final lines are quoted below –
“I’m with you on not watching anymore, I’ve lost interest.”
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Thanks for this…. I’m so excited for season 7! – Amy
although i am waiting for supernatural season 7 to arrive carnt wait i do have a lot of reservations about the new season like some people have said all season 6 was more or less about sam having lost his soul and now the new season is sam again trying to get over hell etc. obviously he will need a bit of time but i have a feeling sera is gonna drag this out again all season it get to much i love both brothers but i dont think sera is giving them equall story time and that all the major arcs are for sam if she is going to keep supernatural from ending with season 7 she needs to get more interesting arc for both brothers and introduce new people that the viewers can relate to and come to enjoy having them in the show i think dean in a stable relationship would have worked if it had been done properly everything this last season has been to rushed for me i ve heard jo s coming back not sure about that either but we ll have to see in what way she s coming back hope its not for a get over lisa thing for dean but i will watch and see all that said i am still looking forward to the new season hope it does nt dissapoint.