Profile on “Supernatural” writer Robbie Thompson – Part 1

Thompson’s second venture into television drama was another short-lived series, Human Target (FOX 2010). The action/adventure drama centered on Christopher Chance, an unorthodox body guard that uses himself as the lure to protect his clients. It is a bit of a departure from his usual genre, but the show has roots in DC Comics as the main character is based upon a character created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino. Thompson served as a staff writer for the first season, penning the season finale “Christopher Chance” with Jonathan E. Steinberg. It examines the creation of Christopher Chance as he journeys from criminal and villain to the hero. Not unlike Sam and Dean on Supernatural, Chance works in areas of grey by using fake names and unorthodox means to complete his missions. Thompson and Steinberg weave this story together well, all while telling a story in the present as Chance faces down his former employers by telling them what happened with the last kill he was supposed to make but didn’t: Katherine Walters. (Side note: in another Supernatural connection, Katherine is played by Amy Acker, seen as Andrea Barr in “Dead In the Water”).

There is a number of great lines peppered throughout the episode, mostly delivered with zing by Chance, such as “You can call me Connie” to Detective Laverne Winston, and “Don’t get up, I got it,” said to the guard dog in his home base. We’re also treated to a moral debate about what it means to be a good guy and what makes a bad guy and when those lines blur as we watch Chance’s evolution into the man facing down the interrogator sent by his former boss. Loyalty comes up as well, as Chance was considered the son and next in line to the crime boss he served. The suspense is what pushes the story along well, keeping us engaged and invested in Chance’s predicament and how it is he became the Human Target. An action episode it may be, but we are most invested in Chance’s relationship to Katherine as he transitions from attempted assassin to protector.

For Thompson’s last television project prior to Supernatural, he worked as a story editor for The Cape (NBC 2011). He co-wrote the episode “The Lich: Part 2” with Toni Graphia. The series was short-lived at ten episodes. It focused on Vince Faraday, a cop framed for murder and now going under the guise of a vigilante known only as the Cape. The Cape embraces all the comic book genre has to offer, playing very much like one in live action. The show had all its hallmarks: the masked hero, the disfigured villain, the damsel in distress being held captive by the villain, and the family the hero has to hide his identity from to keep them safe. In many ways, the series had the potential to be the modern version of the 1960s Batman and Robin live action series. About writing for TV or comics and which is harder, Thompson states, “All of them! Comics I have limited experience with and hope to do more– it’s a real challenge but v. rewarding. [sic]” With this episode he was allowed to dabble in both.

In “The Lich: Part 2,” we see all of these elements come together. The Cape is after the villain, named the Lich, who has kidnapped Orwell, an ally of the Cape’s. The Lich is in love with her and has forced her into a wedding ceremony by using a paralyzing toxin. The episode revolves around this creepy scenario, playing as foil to the scenes focusing in on the Cape as he tries to stop the Lich’s attacks on the city. The Cape needs help to stop him, and he goes to the wife that believes he is dead. She has connections with the police and can get him inside the interrogation room where an ally of the Lich’s is being held. The Cape operates with all the expected smoke and mirrors that come with a masked crusader—including the ability to do illusions and acrobatics to fight crime. The show certainly made for entertaining escapism that harkens back to earlier comic book shows and this episode exemplified how.