Ben Edlund Interview – Supernatural at Comic-Con 2012, Press Room

It’s impossible to transcribe a Ben Edlund interview. Just watching him alone is pure entertainment. I’ll include some of the highlights, but it isn’t even close to capturing the true value of this interview. I suggest if you are at work, just set a reminder on your smart phone to watch the below video later.
Are there any “offbeat episodes” he’s working on? He’s always liked dinosaurs. He’s always had this idea that Cass is there in the beginning of time and he’s in the beginning of time. He sees a brontosaurus, looks at it, and it’s head explodes. He decided to stop there since he has a lot of crazy ideas.
What is his first episode? It’s episode five, and it’s got vampires in it. There’s some debate about whether or not it’s vampires that boat. “Yes, they’re technically ‘Vampirates.’” It involves a new way for vampires to get the job done. He again boasts it was the first one he ever did on time. What about the Alpha? He said that will happen, but won’t confirm it’ll be his episode or not.
What was he told about the direction? Jeremy has this interest on the human relationship charged by the mythology underneath it all and it’s his job to hear what the showrunner wants to do and do what he can to get him there.
Any new monsters? He didn’t say, but there is a lot of hearts being ripped from their chests. “Probably by episode 12, maybe we can make a really funny joke about it. Rule of 3.”
Any more meta. He’s actually figured out a way to expand on “The French Mistake.” He’s not sure if it’ll work yet.
And with that Ben was off to amuse another table.

Alice Jester is the founder, editor-in-chief, head writer, programmer, web designer, site administrator, marketer, and moderator for The Winchester Family Business. She is a 30 year IT applications and database expert with a penchant for creative and freelance writing in her spare (ha!!) time. That’s on top of being a wife, mother of two active kids, and four loving (aka needy) pets.
Glad to hear Jeremy Carver is putting human relationships first. Hope that means a better focus on Sam and Dean’s relationship despite any side characters hanging around.
Surprised to hear Ben Edlund’s first episode is the fifth one.
Another great interview! I just love Ben Edlund! He’s such a genius. Vampirates! 🙂 Plus an expansion of the French Mistake….I just loved that episode! I still laugh myself silly every time I watch that episode. 😀
I’m not a great fan of Edlund at all.
I didn’t mind his earlier episodes, and he did write the wonderful Bad Day at Black Rock, but I don’t like his meta episodes, nor meta in general.
I did not like the French Mistake and to hear that he wants to expand on it doesn’t thrill me either, so I really don’t expect much from him.
I’m actually glad he didn’t say a lot in this interview , as all the depressing snippets about next season that have been expressed by the protagonists in the other interviews have been way enough already.
So much love for this guy! And he looks just like I imagined. So excited for the French Mistake revisit! Just a really talented writer.
I LOVE Edlund but I thought TFM was a horrible episode. It had some fantastically funny scenes though.
I really hope they get away from the meta stuff. It makes the show kind of hokey. I want the well written drama back!
No disrespect to Ben Edlund but he seems to have this wonderful kidlike quality. The show is lucky to have a writer with such a great imagination, a certain amount of goofiness, and the intelligence to create something that reflects his unique abilities.
I especially loved what Ben had to say about Cas, and how we’d be seeing a lot of Cas this season. I feel really positive that having the show in the hands of showrunners who understand how adult relationships evolve will give it the shot in the arm it needs to progress it on from the utter tedium of Sam and Dean joined at the hip.
Some of us like seeing Sam and Dean, thank you. It’s not tedious at all. In fact, seasons 1 to 3 were full of brillant writing and they were all about Sam and Dean
You want more castiel? ok, but it should never be at expenses of the most important part of the show (the brothers, of course).
And Castiel acts like a big toddler, nothing about his relationship with Dean is good, imo.
[quote]
You want more castiel? ok, but it should never be at expenses of the most important part of the show (the brothers, of course).[/quote]
Please try to grasp the concept that for many fans Castiel is just as important as the brothers.
See, I’ve been fan of secondary characters, and sometimes I liked them better than the main ones.
I know how that works.
But I never wanted the story to change to fit my personal interests. Supernatural’s focus is Sam and Dean. The day it is about Castiel, or about any other character, more than it is about Sam and Dean, then it’s not SPN anymore.
I know some fans love Castiel, but it’s my opinion, and I’d say is reasonable, that they should accept he’s not a protagonist and his role in the story will never be as important as that of the brothers. The brothers, and not only San or only Dean.
It’s how Jared said in one of those interviews: there are 3 main characters, Sam, Dean and the relationship between Sam and Dean.
So you’re free to be a fan of Castiel or any other character, of course. But please, don’t call ‘utter tedium’ to what brings heart and soul to the show for many, many of us.
[quote] I never wanted the story to change to fit my personal interests.[/quote]
Beg to differ – you’re all over the Jared interview complaining about the spoilers and essentially demanding that the show change to fit your personal interests.
[quote] they should accept he’s not a protagonist and his role in the story will never be as important as that of the brothers.[/quote]
No, in fact Castiel fans don’t have to accept that at all. You don’t make the rules about which characters fans favor. To me, as a Casfan, he is just as important as the brothers. You don’t get to be the “boss of me” or any other Casfan in that respect.
[quote] Jared said in one of those interviews: there are 3 main characters, Sam, Dean and the relationship between Sam and Dean.[/quote]
Nor does any fan have to watch the show in the way Jared wants them to.
Jared also seems hugely excited by his S8 storyline but in that respect his opinion doesn’t seem to matter to you if your comments on the other article are anything to go by. Perhaps you should respect his judgement there too?
[quote]But please, don’t call ‘utter tedium’ to what brings heart and soul to the show for many, many of us.[/quote]
I call it how I see it. It has been utter tedium all through S7. That’s my opinion, and I’m damn well entitled to express it. Since fans here seem to have no issues over expressing their negative opinions of Castiel. It cuts both ways. If you’re free to say the brothers are the be all and end all, then I’m free to say they aren’t.
See, if you really think Castiel and S&D are equelly important to SPN, I just don’t have anything to argue here. We’re watching two totally different shows and I’m not interested in wasting my time with this fruitless but quite agressive argument that can only bring tension to the forum.
But just a small thing: I demand nothing. I never demanded a single thing.Get your facts straight, please.
Have a nice day.
Dean’s relationship with Castiel is possibly the dumbest, most hypocritical, least adult “friendship” I’ve had forced on me by a tv show. No thank you.
I honestly don’t see anything interesting in it either, and sirves no purpose other than having Castiel around for the convenient easy-fix.
I wonder if they’ll ever leave Jimmy Novak return to his body and forget about the angel that once lived in him, so he can, maybe, have the happy life he used to have and was stolen from him (c’mon, find a vessel with noone to care about, not a father).
[quote]I honestly don’t see anything interesting in it either[/quote]
I see that while you feel entitled to call me out for saying I find the brothers joined at the hip boring, you’re consider yourself free to say the same about a character many, many fans love…
There’s no doubt in my mind that Edlund is the show’s most talented writer, and I’m glad he’s sticking around. I’m hoping that with strong leadership in the writer’s room, all things will be more focused, including Ben’s talent.
I love his laugh. 🙂
[quote]He seems bonkers in all the good ways. This year is the first time I’ve paid attention to interviews and stuff with cast and writers… so Edlund is a shock! Amazing/witty/high-speed/left-field/nuts.[/quote]
Aggie: If you have never watched any of the “Special Features” that are included on the DVDs of Seasons 1 – 5 do your self a favor and watch the voice overs that Eric Kripke and Ben Edlund do together. Having the two of them together in the same room talking about the episodes as you watch the action evolve is uproariously funny. It is akin to having lightening in a bottle – both of them “left field nuts” and brilliant beyond belief. I have unending admiration for the talents of both of these men – but being able to witness their creative genius as it fed off of one another was a memorable experience for me, and one I think you should experience.