Supernatural Writer Profile: Ben Edlund
He also plays with wonderful whimsy in episodes such as “Monster Movie,” “Wishful Thinking,” and “Clap Your Hands If You Believe.” Each episode takes us into a world of fantasy and whimsy that turns everything upside down, and yet there is tragedy laced throughout each.
In “Monster Movie,” we see another shapeshifter that is struggling with his freakish nature. He has decided to turn to Hollywood and its monsters as an escape. He takes on the guise of Dracula. The episode, shot in black and white, captures the spirit of the film genre well. It’s comedy, captured in the moment when Dracula opens the door for a pizza and states with all seriousness, “But I have a coupon,” makes it delightful. And yet, when Dracula has to tell his story of how he has suffered throughout his life because of what he is, we can’t help but feel some form of sympathy for him””even if we do know he must die.
Edlund next gives us the mysterious town where everyone’s wishes come true. It seems like a good thing, until those wishes turn very sour. While investigating, the brothers run into a little girl in need of help with her teddy bear. She has wished it to life, and instead of a friendly playmate, she has brought to life a sad, suicidal teddy bear that demands, “Tea parties? Is that all there is!?” It’s almost too weird for Sam and Dean, and yet Edlund knows how to incorporate it just enough to provide something wacky while not dragging it onto long. We see a funny gag thrown in for amusement in the boy who wished to be invisible and spy on women in showers. He’s fine until he gets caught, and by Sam no less! Edlund turns it tragic as we realize that the original wish made by Wes Mondale has gone terribly awry. The woman he desires has fallen in love with Wes, but the wish stipulated that Hope should love him “more than anything,” and she does. It should be a dream come true, but Wes is miserable. She loves him more than even herself, and if he told her to go get hit by a bus, she would. Turns out, all Wes wanted was for Hope to know he existed. Edlund, ever the metafictional writer, also has Hope wish Sam dead—yet another death added to the brother’s ongoing death parades.
“Clap Your Hands If You believe,” perhaps the most whimsical of Edlund’s eps, tackles that of UFOs and faeries. It blends in a metafictional element, shouting out to Supernatural’s predecessor, The X-Files from the opening credits reflecting the abduction of Billy Miles in The X-Files pilot. But, Supernatural will not simply stand by as a flatterer or imitator. It twists the story around, and it turns out that instead of aliens, Sam and Dean are dealing with faeries—“forcefully.” It is the height of Soulless Sam in season 6, and he holds nothing back. Edlund gives this dark character enough whimsicality to make him funny, especially in the exchange after Dean returns from his own abduction. His reaching out to grip Dean’s knee and state, “Safe Room,” is memorable and demonstrates this character’s wrongness inside humor.
The most bizarre moment of the episode arrives when Dean is beaten up by a “Tinker Bell” type fairy. Set to the song “Space Oddity,” Edlund presents the viewer with a fantastic sequence as Dean faces off with the small glowing ball of energy. As Dean gets in really close to inspect his attacker, he realizes something and questions, “Nipples?” He then gets knocked around the room, only lucky enough to arrive at the microwave and trap it inside. Once the door closes, he starts it and we hear it scream in shrill agony. Perfectly placed, Edlund makes sure to add the punctuation point here when the microwave dings as the screen goes black.

Yet, this episode contains a serious kernel about what it means to be human. Soulless Sam, clueless, asks Dean about it. Dean tells him that you are to “feel the loss” and that means even when nothing can be done. Soulless Sam is aghast and says, “So you”™re saying having a soul equals suffering.” The conversation seems absurd and is played off with humor, but under its surface, Edlund knows how to place the truth inside just right. It leaves us to wonder about the human condition in which we exist, and what that means.
Edlund’s comedy, metafiction, and whimsical episodes may capture viewers, but it is his drama that grips the heart and squeezes hard. Episodes such as “On the Head of a Pin,” “The End,” “The Man Who Would Be King,” and “Repo Man,” show his ability to weave powerful stories.
In “On the Head of a Pin,” Dean is thrust into facing his torturer in Hell. He must use the skills learned underneath Alistair on Alistair so the angels can learn who is killing the angels. It is painful to watch as Dean goes from reluctant to enjoyment throughout the scenes. Edlund makes it worse by giving Alistair harsh taunts and characteristics that will only rub salt into Dean’s wounds. He is what Dean wants to avoid becoming—someone who enjoys inflicting pain and evil on others for the sheer pleasure of it. Alistair knows just what to say, what knife to twist, and while he is being tied down, we can’t help but feel he is the torturer. His line “And it is written that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in hell. As he breaks, so shall it break.” shatters Dean in an instant, as he realizes it is his fault that the Apocalypse could be nigh. It is heartbreaking that a simple dripping water pipe turns the tables on Dean, and he then becomes revictimized, only to be saved by Sam hopped up on demon blood—a substance Dean wants his little brother to never consume again. It is a powerful episode that still causes ripples well into the seventh season of the series.
“The End,” puts Dean into his worst nightmare. Sam has said “yes” to Lucifer. It is 2014, and he is put into a landscape twisted and destroyed by his little brother’s consent. He is sent to witness this by Zachariah, in order to see the err of his ways and give into his destiny as Michael’s vessel. He encounters his future self, a resistance leader that has a small band of people—including Chuck and Castiel, now fallen and powerless. They are tracking Lucifer in the region, avoiding those infected with the Croatoan virus. Edlund sets up an ultimate showdown that could have swayed Dean to Zachariah’s position, only to twist it so instead the experience instills in Dean the will to save Sam all the more.
Upon reaching the garden Lucifer is in, he sees what his brother has become while being possessed by the fallen archangel—just as he snaps the neck of his future self. He is sinister, cold, and full of himself. He wears a pristine white suit and holds a red rose. Seeing his brother in this manner breaks Dean’s heart into shards—and Edlund makes certain that the viewers follow suit. Lucifer, while wearing Sam’s face, tries to provide comfort in a strange way—all the while trying to sway Dean to his side. He reaches out to put a hand on Dean’s shoulder, only for Dean to jerk away in recoil. When that fails, he informs Dean in cold terms, “I know you won’t. I know you won’t say yes to Michael, either. And I know you won’t kill Sam. Whatever you do, you will always end up here. Whatever choices you make, whatever details you alter, we will always end up…here. I win. So, I win.”

It is the conversation that allows Dean to let Sam back in—and he tells Sam, “Long story. The point is…maybe we are each other’s Achilles heel. Maybe they’ll find a way to use us against each other, I don’t know. I just know we’re all we’ve got. More than that. We keep each other human.” It is the start of what will become “Team Free Will,” and it is all because of this moment. Edlund also provides an excellent dose of foreshadowing of the end of season 5 in this early season episode. It resonates long after viewing, and its impact is still rippling through the Winchester’s lives.
Farawayeyes!
Wonderful homage to Edlund. I loved learning about his other projects. And I think your review of his Supernatural episodes show how much he brings to the table. I’ll admit he is my favorite writer on the series. He gets the brothers and Cas in ways that make me love them even more.
And his humor? So well paired with his ability to write sadness.
And kudos on choosing the 15 great lines.
Thank you for this!
Linda
Linda,
Thanks. This kind of demanded to be written, so I did.
Edlund, by far, is my favorite writer of the series. He has enough sense to be well rounded and not box himself into either comedy or drama or bizarre. He knows how to mix each one in just right.
I was really pleased when I found out he had been involved with The Venture Brothers. Back when I stayed up late I used to watch that show quite often. I knew about his involvement with Firefly and Angel, but not Point Pleasant. I kind of want to do these profiles to learn more about them. We see a lot about actors or Kripke or Gamble as showrunners, but we don’t really get to hear nearly as much about the writers who produce the scripts. So, I hope this series will expand knowledge.
I hadn’t had the lines in there originally, but in a rereading I thought that it made sense, considering a script is all dialogue with vague action cues mostly. And I went for the ones that stuck out to me and touched me. The ones that long after the episode has ended come back and haunt me in my daydreams or whatever.
I also learned, as a writer myself, about how much Edlund has influenced me in the last year and a half or so. I can see it now in the text I’m producing, and while he’s not the only influence there I can sense his stamp on my own writing. That’s pretty damn cool.
I hope to tackle Jeremy Carver next. I know he’s not writing for the show, but those that enjoy his writing might like to learn about his non SPN projects, too.
Thanks again for teh wonderful comment. I had a lot of fun with this and I hope to continue it.
Far Away Eyes
LOVE LOVE LOVE Ben Edlund. He’s fantastic! Great profile. He deserves an Emmy several times over. The French Mistake especially because it was so orginal. And a lot of times when shows try strange ideas they end up jumping the shark. But FM weaved so wonderfully the hysterical and the “reality based” that it just knocks it out of the park. It even had some poignants moments. “We’re not even brothers here” and Gen’s affection with Sam (he gets so little).
You did miss some of my favorite lines. But he has so many great ones I’m not surprised.
I look forward to your profile on Jeremy Carver.
Thank you for the response.
I agree. Edlund knows how tackle so many strange or unusual story that keep it from going too far into left field while embracing the wacky and weird. It’s a fine line and Edlund certainly knows where that line is.
As for lines, please, share yours. It was hard to keep it to just 15. I had started with just 10 and I just kept going “OH YEAH that line and THAT line and THAT line.” I decided to keep it to 15 so it wouldn’t go on too , too long. I also had inserted them into the actual text that I didn’t want to repeat. So please, share your favorite Edlund lines. I’d love to see what others love.
I enjoyed learning about this writer and getting to know the others in SPN Staff Past and Present.
Ahhhhhhhhh. Thank you! I’m in love with this man.
I have “We keep each other human” tattooed on my arm. 1. Because for me it represents not only the brother’s relationship but also who Dean is, that when faced with everything they were faced with, he made the choice of family, he chose to put everything behind him for Sam. 2. Because well, it’s a lovely sentiment we all should remember and 3. It comes from Edlund…..and it reminds me of what I want to be.
He makes me want to write, he makes me want to be a better writer, he makes me want to be a great writer.
Thank you so much for this. He is one of my idols and I’m as much a fan of Ben’s as I am of Jensen and Jared. Seriously.
🙂
You’re welcome and thank you for the wonderful comment!
I am an Edlund girl. Last year I went to my first convention, and while no writers were there, I think I would have fangirled had Edlund been there. I told my friend that I’d kill to go to a Con and meet Edlund and a few of the other writers just to talk writing with them. Not about just the show, writing in general, to see how they do it. I’m a geek, I know.
I loved that exchange between Sam and Dean as well. It allowed them to know there’s things to work on, but that they’re in it together through it all, and I think Dean’s actions in season 6 concerning Soulless Sam proves this line well. And yes, it is something we should all remember.
I got into this show for its writing, (though the pretty boys didn’t hurt!) and the deeper I went down the rabbit hole and the more I started to notice writers names the more I realized Edlund was writing my favorites. And much like you, he makes me want to be a great writer—though I am a fiction and he’s a screen writer.
This is a wonderful idea to get us some more info on the writers. I really enjoyed that. Ben Edlund is my favourite writer on Supernatural. I love his episodes.
I am not sure, but isn’t My Bloddy Valentine a Ben Edlund ep also. Always thought he wrote that one too.
I’m glad you liked this profile and I really do hope to write a few more. I think it’s nice to see what the writers are about, too.
Yes, Edlund did write “My Bloody Valentine,” too. I kind of picked a few of the episodes from each season he’s written for when I put this together. It’s a great one in many ways, too!
Thank you so much for this article. Like everyone in the Supernatural fandom, I love Ben Edlund, definitely my favourite writer. I can watch “On the Head of a Pin” over and over again and still find so much hidden in that little gem of a script. He can bring the pathos along with the comedic so darn well. I get all tingley when I know the script is from him. It was really interesting to learn the other things he’s been involved in. Along with Jared’s and Jensen’s career post-SPN, I will be following his also.
I will be looking forward to your article on Jeremy Carver, and hope that you tackle other writers as well. I love Sera Gamble’s writing so much, sometimes I’m sorry she’s the showrunner and too busy to write as many episodes as she used to, “Appointment in Samarra” is one of my all-time favourites. And I sorely miss Kathryn Humphries (she deserves better than “Ringer” IMO) and Julie Siege also.
Glad you liked this look at Edlund. I really loved “On the Head of a Pin,” too. I think it’s one of the first episodes of his that I really sat up and paid close attention to the fact that he was the writer for it and then I went back and looked at some past episodes to find that he had written those, too. He has a way with bringing the human condition to light in either comedy or tragedy or a mix of the two. It’s so amazing to me and I often go back to his episodes to hear great lines.
I do hope to make this a series. I think we don’t hear enough about the writers, so hence why I kind of came up with this idea. Edlund is just my favorite, so my starting point. Outside of reviews and responding to an episode’s story, we don’t often really focus on the writers that put those scripts together, so here is that shot.
I like Ringer, but I agree, the weakness in the show at times drags down the really hard work Humphris and others put into it. I miss her scripts on the show. Hopefully I’ll get to the Carver profile soon!
“I love Sera Gamble’s writing so much, sometimes I’m sorry she’s the showrunner and too busy to write as many episodes as she used to . . . And I sorely miss Kathryn Humphries”
I would like to strongly support this opinion, Sylvie. I think Ben Edlund is completely brilliant and I miss having Jeremy Carver writing for SPN. But nobody writes more emotionally devastating episodes for Sam and Dean than Gamble and Humphris. Following one of their episodes, I am absolutely devastated, a pool of roiling emotions that leaves me ruminating for days on end. IMO nobody does it better.
Thanks for the comment!
I have to agree. Gamble has written some of my favorite episodes, too. “Faith” was the second episode I saw and it really helped hook me on the show. Only reason I didn’t start with her or Kripke is because we hear an awful lot about both as show runners, either current or former.
I do intend on covering her at some point, though!
Thank you for this, Farawayeyes. I’ve been paying more attention to the writers and directors – which I guess you do after you’ve watched each episode a million times. I didn’t realize Edlund was the one to do The Tick. I used to love that show! Back when I was single, childless and worked from 5 pm to 1 a.m., I’d come home and put on Cartoon Network so I could catch that show. It was so witty. And he was 17 when he originally wrote the comic? Color me impressed.
It’s so great going deeper into all these aspects of the show and learning about things from all these perspectives. Can’t wait for your next one!
Thank you for the wonderful comment!
As much as I love learning about Jared and Jensen’s careers and other cast members, I like to learn about the behind the scenes people like the writers and directors, too. Guy Norman Bee is awesome, finding out about his camera work before getting into directing is just cool.
I have to admit I hadn’t really seen the Tick, but having found out that Edlund wrote/created it, I’ll have to go back and look at it.
Hopefully, as I do more of these, we’ll learn more about the writing staff, past and present.
I stand completely in awe of the awesomeness that is Ben Edlund! May he continue his magic with this show until it ends!
This article was completely awesome! 8)
Hey, I’m no writer! 😀
Thanks!
I agree. I hope Edlund continues to write for this show. He is brilliant and one of my writing heroes, for sure.
I can’t really claim the awesomeness when it’s all his, though.
Thanks for this homage to Edlund. The man is truly a genius. I would so love to meet him, talk to him, and interview him about his creative process. But, much like Misha Collins, I doubt he gives straightforward answers. I don’t think his brain works that way.
I think Edlund is truly brilliant because of his ability to perfectly mix comedy and tragedy. In that mixture, he always deliver some new insights on what it really means to be human.
Science fiction (and that’s pretty much the category Supernatural falls into) is often seen as one of the lesser lights of literature. Much like comedies never get Academy Awards, science fiction rarely gets much widespread critical acclaim and praise. (Has a sci-fi ever won a big prize like the Pulitzer, the Man Booker, the Governor-General’s Award in Canada? Don’t know, but doubt it.) Sci-fi is generally viewed as geek-lit.
But really good sci-fi examines the world we live in now. It may use spaceships, or time travel, or a fight between angels & demons, but it’s always just a metaphor for what’s happening in the here & now.
The really brilliant sci-fi writers, like Edlund, have some profound things to say about where society is today, where we’re heading in the future, and how human strengths and frailties may alter both the journey and the destination.
That’s why I think Edlund’s episodes continue to have resonance, and just staying power.
Long may he write. Long may we benefit.
Thanks, PD!
I, too, would LOVE to take the time to talk with him and talk craft especially. Unfortunately, I think you’re right. I have a funny feeling he’d not be exactly straight in his answers, but who knows what great kernels we’d get!
I absolutely agree with you on science fiction getting looked down upon by the hoity toity in the writing world. Too often they dismiss it as silly or bad or lazy, when in reality so much of it is more current than other literature on the market.
Edlund shows the best of this genre and proves that he can write a sci fi show that will touch on the human condition and society as a whole. Anyone who disputes that should sit down and watch “The End.”
May he continue to write for Supernatural till it is over and write for many years after that.
Thank you for this article about my favorite writer on the show. We get to learn a lot about Jared and Jensen but, the show is SO much more than just them. The exceptional writing, the lighting, the art department, etc…. It is nice to delve a bit deeper into one of the “behind the scenes” members.
I used to watch The Tick cartoon and, although I haven’t seen if for years, I still regard it as one of my favorites of all time. So to see it was a creation of Ben Edlund actually made me squee a bit. 🙂
Thanks again and I am looking forward to your next installment.
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you liked this look.
It’s one reason I chose to do this. I am very curious about the behind the scenes people, and while I don’t know about other aspects such as lighting or directing, it might be something I’ll consider tackling once I am don with the writers.
I really didn’t watch the Tick, but I will now just to see something Edlund did outside of SPN—as well as anything he does after. I squeed over his small involvement in The Venture Brothers, though. Such a funny show.
I do hope to do another one very soon. Thanks again for the wonderful comment.
Love love love this! I loved Jared’s delivery and timing of the line “I’m not supposed to laugh, right?” After Dean said the fairy hit him. Hilarious!
Thanks for the awesome essay! I look forward to the rest.
Cheers, -RG
You’re very welcome.
I also loved Jared’s delivery of that line, too. It is a big portion of how the writing comes to life.
I do hope to eventually talk about other behind the scenes folks, too. Russ, the Location Manager, would be an awesome and fascinating one to tackle.
Thanks again!
Recognizing the writers is an excellent idea. I absolutely love BE’s dialogue, for it’s efficiency and for his warped, a little off color humor. Just love it. I, too, get all excited when I see hear about an upcoming episode by Ben.
With others, I wished Catherine Humphris was still with us. I really like her, too. The new ones I am liking is Dabb and Loflin. While On the Head of a Pin was powerful and remains a favorite of mine, Dark Side of the Moon and Point of No Return rival it for being powerful, so I’ll be looking forward to your articles on them.
I’m glad you liked this idea.
I think it’s a neat thing to look at this show through each script writer, and while I’ll cover those no longer involved with the show, I think some newer ones are proving to be good, too. Robbie Thompson comes to mind.
I hope you’ll continue to enjoy the series as we get further along. I like learning a lot about the behind the scenes people of the show, and I think it’s only right to share what I learn!
Yes, Robbie Thompson for sure! Let’s hope he’s with the show until the end (snif). I’m going to my happy place, I don’t want to think about the end yet.
Thompson’s Slash Fiction really sold me, and then I saw his Time After Time and I KNEW they had found a great writer for the show.
I’d love to see more from him for it, too. He’s witty and really gets these characters.
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