Profile on “Supernatural” writer Robbie Thompson – Part 1

Thompson joined the Supernatural writer’s room in season 7—a daunting and intimidating venture certainly! Did he find it to be that way? His answer, “Yes, there’s an aweomse history to the show that has to be respected. But it was fun, too: got to binge watch 6 great seasons. [sic] “Before Thompson ever wrote his first episode, he took the time to familiarize himself with the history, the tone, and the feel of the show, watching it in full. When he does drafts, Thompson remarks, “as many as The Carver lets me write! as for voice, i always go back to the source, rewatching eps and reading scripts [sic]” Does he have a preference for mythology or standalone episodes? And does he happen to have a favorite episode?  He states, “Love both. Standalones are more open but myth eps carry a lot of weight. Can’t choose a fav, too many! Mys Spot, The End, etc. [sic].” Not only did the show itself come with a lot of legacy, there’s the fandom itself. Thompson says about them, “I love the passion. it’s an honor to work on a show with such amazing fans. [sic].” This respect has shown in his episodes well. It gives him the ability to pull in past events into their framework and to not only grasp Sam and Dean, but other characters new and old. 

He tells Spinoff Online, “When I joined the show and watched the first six seasons I was shocked at how emotional the story was and how I related it to emotionally. I’m a big nerd. I came for the monsters, but I stayed for the drama. So it’s certainly a challenge to come up with a new take on a monster, but with these two characters as portrayed by these two actors it’s an endless well to draw from.”

We certainly found Supernatural a deep well for Thompson’s first episode, “Slash Fiction.” This episode gives us a template for Thompson episodes to follow: a brotherly focus, pop culture galore, a human story, and a clear understanding of the show’s history with innovative ways of introducing new characters into its fabric. “Slash Fiction” delved deep into the growing mythology of season 7 surrounding the Leviathans—asking and answering questions about these troublesome and hard to kill monsters. They have one—Chet—chained in the basement of Rufus’s cabin, held under by Don Stark’s spell. It’s up to them to figure out now what might actually at least hurt and slow down one of these monsters.

Unfortunately, Winchester Luck comes into play and there’s much more to deal with. Leviathans aren’t just hungry monsters—they’re also shapeshifters. With that particular trait, it means they can become anyone at anytime. That includes the brothers themselves. The Leviathans need Sam and Dean backed into a corner so they can be neutralized. The easiest method to do that is to commit a lot of heinous crimes while wearing their shapes. So, that’s exactly what they do.

What makes this storyline so engaging and impressive for Thompson’s first script is we’re treated to two versions of Sam and Dean. It shows a deep understanding of the show and its history—and an ability to bring it all together to make a great episode. Without the Leviathan versions of the brothers running around, we wouldn’t see Sam and Dean have to scramble and find new ways to do their jobs.

Thompson grasps Sam and Dean’s reaction to the situation well. He put them into a corner with the Leviathan doing unspeakable acts of violence while wearing their faces—and the brothers could only answer one way: by accepting that challenge. He showed us that the Winchester’s routines and usual methods for hunting could be a liability as much as a strength, and how taking those things away made them uncomfortable as to be expected.

We see that best when Sam and Dean are forced to go to Bobby’s ally, Frank. He tells them, “Well, first thing we got to do is wipe all your old aliases. No more rock shoutouts. It’s Tom and John Smith from now on. And no plastic. Cash only. And change your phones on a very frequent non-schedule schedule, you understand? Oh, and try to stay out of view of the 200 million cameras that the government has access to, ‘kay?” It’s a lot to take in, but then he adds insult to injury by smashing Sam’s laptop and dropping the bomb about Baby, “Your doublemints — they’re using a car just like the one outside.”

Instead of having the brothers angst about it or get angry, Thompson treats us to one of the best humorous moments Supernatural has ever had. Oh sure, the glower of disgust on Dean’s face is full of angst, but how can we not laugh at their discomfort with a My Little Pony dangling from the rearview mirror? If that’s not funny enough, the song choice is downright hilarious. Air Supply’s “All Out of Love” pumps through the stand in car’s speakers, and Sam offers to turn it back off when Dean snaps, “Just leave it. Probably gonna be the only thing on.”

Oh, but this is really just a cover for Dean’s true appreciation for the song. To our delight (and to Sam’s horror), Dean starts to lip sync to the song—and the moment is pure gold from start to finish. It’s a humanizing moment, too. The brothers are caught in a rock and a hard place, ousted from their beloved Impala, forced to ditch their usual rock aliases and routines, and scrambling to formulate a plan of attack against the Leviathans that are making their job all the harder. This moment exemplifies that there’s two possible responses to something like this: either laugh or cry. Why not laugh at the utter ridiculousness of it all?