Interview with Jensen Ackles on this season of Supernatural (possible Spoilers)
Jensen Ackles sat down for an interview Winchester Radio. He discusses Sam and Dean’s relationship, and the Mark of Cain storyline. I have not listened to it yet, all I have seen are the reported excerpts. People are reacting to this, so here it is for you to decide. It runs a little over 53 minutes.
ETA by Alice: I’ve read that some people can’t stream the podcast, or just can’t play it at work. Go here for the full transcipt:
http://itsajensenthing.tumblr.com/post/79239863238/well-it-took-me-6-and-a-half-hours-but-here-is
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I listened and I liked. Jensen knows his craft and his character very well. I wish we could also have an interview/podcast like this one with Jared too.. He is such a smart and funny guy, it would be really interesting to listen to his point of view of the serie.
Thanks to Winchester Radio for sharing with us such an amazing interview.
Take care,
Cla;}
Jensen did a great job of teasing and not giving away too much. He’s quite skilled at that. He handle all of these direct questions very well. We have to remember he and Jared don’t write this stuff, so they work with what they can. I think he’s speculating a lot of the time and giving his interpretation. I hope fans don’t hold a lot of what he says word for word, especially when he hasn’t seen the scripts for the rest of the season yet.
I’m stunned, absolutely stunned, by some of the content in that interview, and not in a good way.
I’ll give you permission to elaborate Tim. Feel free, let it all out. This is a spoiler thread, so I’m allowing it.
Thank you but it’s best that I don’t. My reaction to some of the content is not positive and that overshadows the rest of the interview for me so I’ll keep it to myself.
Thank you for the link.
Tim ,Are you on tumblr?
I think I can safely say that i’m sorry that I listened to this podcast. I walked away from it last night feeling disgusted. there’s nothing new in regards to the storyline, which I expected and am totally fine with. what left me disgusted I hate to say, is Jensen himself, and his opinion of sam Winchester. I guess dean calling sam an assh**** left a bad taste in my mouth. I think he was joking, but in all honesty, i’m not sure. after 9 years though it’s nice to know that he thinks sam is all about sam. he referred to sam as samcentric. not just the stories, but sam himself. I found that actually quite ironic given that Jensen admitted to dean pulling sam back into hunting in the first place. I also found it ironic, given that the characters of dean and john forced the hunting life on sam in the first place. I even further found it ironic that Jensen considers sam to be a samcentric character…given the fact that sam left normal behind for dean in the first place. sam jumped in the pit to save dean and the rest of the world, sam put his broken psyche back together strictly for dean who he refused to leave alone out there and is at his brother’s side right now given what dean did to him. Jensen painted dean as this self sacrificial character who only lives to do for others. but in all honesty, dean isn’t all that self sacrificial, no more than sam is anyway. granted dean has sacrificed for sam, but sam has sacrificed for him as well. dean may live to be a hero, but that’s self satisfaction for a character that’s admittedly never like himself. some of you seem to think that this opinion is based on the way the story is written. it really bothers me that based on this podcast, i’m not so sure if Jensen truly meant that this is what he thinks or what dean thinks or what show thinks I don’t’ know, the whole interview left me with a bad taste in my mouth. As I said, when the interview was over, I felt disgusted and regretted listening to it. 🙁
Just a TV show
Jensen is calling it as he sees it, which is basically how it was written. He isn’t wrong, but it’s not exactly two brothers in arms on the open road either. It’s entirely possible Jensen is stopping short of saying he’s not too happy with it either. At this point though, he does what’s on the page.
I don’t know, with all the fan fighting, bickering, and misery all around, maybe season ten should just be it. It seems to be no win no matter what.
Sorry Alice I didn’t see you had replied to me. I am fed up with the bickering too but from my perspective all I wanted and I think all I have ever asked for is that Sam get a fair shake.
I thought Jensen was joking when he said the selfish comment, playing off the list of times Sam didn’t get to save Dean. It was meant to get a laugh from the interviewers and it did. The rest of the interview I think he was giving us Dean’s point of view from what he knows to date. He can’t give Sam’s point of view any more than Jared could give Dean’s. So we got a peek into Dean’s head. I wasn’t surprised by anything. He and Sam do have different points of view right now on their relationship, both of them are hurt about it and they’ve yet to really talk about it. Dean’s going to be affected by the Mark in exactly the same way he was by Sam’s loss in The End.
I’m also not surprised Jensen said Sam’s view is Samcentric, because Sam is the younger brother. There are different family dynamics at play. Sometimes Dean has issues from being the big brother and sometimes Sam has issues from being the younger brother. Right now both brothers could use a walk in each other’s shoes.
Jensen couldn’t give any actual spoilers, and I think it’s been obvious the brother situation is going to be either ramped up or resolved in the finale, depending on when the Mark of Cain is going to come to head. So all he can talk about is where the brothers are now. Jensen’s always been a huge fan of the brother’s relationship, so he probably didn’t think he needed to give that context. He thinks he’s talking to the fans who come to conventions and get to hear he and Jared talk about the show.
That breathy noise was annoying, but apparently it was the wind as Jensen was outdoors for some of the interview.
Sorry Alice, this should have been a general comment, not a reply. Nothing about it was generated from anything you said.
That’s okay Gerry! This is a brand new system, so there will be some errors made. So far though from an admin perspective, this has been a dream!
(Nope, spoiler tag doesn’t work. I need to remove it from the toolbar. Thanks for allowing me to experiment!)
I found the reply button, yay! And Alice, I am a weird kid. I can’t call myself a “fan” in that way. I haven’t been a fan of anything when I was young nor later. I have liked and loved stuff but not in that way. At least I think. I love Supernatural. Or maybe I like it very very much. Anyway, the ratings I think have only risen up this season? Aren’t they the highest? Anyway, there is the boys, the actors, the writers. The whole Supernatural world and I am very much waiting on the next episode to see atm.
I see it go on if the crew and actors continue to have fun. And it seems they do. Keep holding the flag and keep watching. I actually watched the black and white episode again just now with my family and the ghost illness. And a smile was all the way on my face. 😉
Just a tv show
I’m kind of in the same position as you are [b]eilf[/b]. If this is just Jensen’s opinion, I’ll get over it. I’m really afraid that he is reflecting what has been in the scripts we haven’t seen yet and this is the way the writers have decided to go. If it is, I don’t think I can continue to care about the show. It would just hurt too much.
Thanks Percy. It has been a tough couple of seasons.
Yes it has [b]eilf[/b]. This interview has thrown me for a total loop. Apparently we are not supposed to like Sam and are stupid and wrong to do so. I’m gutted right now.
I just wish he had framed what he said about Sam differently it did not come across kindly or with empathy for Sam’s pov.
This is probably a perfect example of why we don’t get more podcasts or live interviews with Jensen. Seems like no matter what he says it always gets taken out of context or speculations happen on personal perceptions of what was said. With the exception of the long pauses and then what seemed like they must have been outside because of the wind blowing past the mic (sure it was something else since Jensen was inside) I enjoyed just hearing Jensen talk. He is bound by TPTB in revealing too much so of course he has to song and dance around some questions. As for his comments on Sam/Jared, we all know they are the best of friends and are like brothers so I had no problem with any comments said there. I’m just enjoying the show and may be in the minority here but that’s my prerogative.
I don’t think you’re in the minority. I’m certainly with you! I think the reason we don’t get a lot of podcasts/interviews is because of his schedule. But I think all the happy fans are the silent ones. I know the stats. Only about 1% of visitors comment. There are a lot of happy fans out there, I have to believe that.
I don’t comment much just because everyone else seems so disappointed in the show and the show runners and it just frustrates me and makes want to scream “SO QUIT WATCHING” so instead of getting on and telling them what I feel I just let it go and keep quiet. Keep believing Alice because I am believing right there with you.
Jensen never has seemed real comfortable with these interviews so it doesn’t surprise me that he is not doing more, not like Jared who seems to thrive on the questions and interaction. Enough said though. Again, I do love the new comments section. It’s much more user friendly, so thank you again for all your work.
I’ve interviewed Jensen at Comic Con four years in a row. He’s usually very relaxed in those environments and knows exactly what to say. This whole podcast thing over flaky technology like Skype is probably intimidating to a guy who doesn’t have any social media accounts.
Good to know. I guess I shouldn’t draw conclusions from a few YouTube spots I’ve seen and you are probably right about the flaky technology and the fact that he does not have any social media accounts but we love him just the same and in spite of it anyway.:)
I hope this interview doesn’t drag the actors into the general unhappiness of the fans over what has been going on the last few years. I honestly think (and got in hot water about it ;)) that Jared and Jensen love both of these characters. They love portraying them with flaws and they “get it” more than the fans sometimes. I am sure Jared would say that Dean is selfish and a a large scale jerk sometimes. I still think the imperfections are what attracts them about the characters. Personally I don’t think he was reflecting a general attitude about Sam by the writers/show. I don’t want to see Jared/Jensen get pulled into the fan wars.
[quote]I am sure Jared would say that Dean is selfish and a a large scale jerk sometimes.[/quote]
I don’t think he would.But I will do the sensible thing and not even listen to this podcast.It is better that way.
I loved it! Jensen sounds so upbeat and happy that at last he has a storyline that isn’t just Dean being all about Sam. It’s about time too, after all these years! My enthusiasm has just increased tenfold, and it sounds like the end of codependency too, which makes it even better. 🙂
I don’t know I heard a lot of sarcasm from Jensen with his comments about Sam. I thought he was trying to be funny in some spots. From what I understand there is no bigger fan of the brothers than Jensen. I thought that 90% of the interview he was explaining his own character and Dean’s storyline not Jared’s or Sam’s. It may have sounded like Sam was going to have little to no story but I hardly think that is the case. And I always thought that the brother issues were going to figure into the season finale since they made such an issue of it for more than half the season. Anyway I didn’t think the interview was anything more than Jensen talking about his character.
Ok just to clarify:
I would point out that I said I had NO PROBLEM with Jensen’s stating his opinion or with it being his opinion.
I don’t have any problem with Jensen even if what he said is absolutely, 100%, what the showrunners think.
I don’t think that Jensen’s opinion of a show that he is intimately familiar with is a problem, nor am I saying his opinion is wrong, and I don’t think it is anything to do with Jensen and Jared
I don’t have any problem with Jensen at all. I like the guy and I think he has always had a strong idea of the show.
Really. Really? I just don’t get some people. I was over the moon excited to see the coup WinchesterBros did in getting Jensen to do a podcast. He doesn’t do that stuff. He has more insight into the brothers than we the fans will ever have. I mean TPTB give them hints on how they want Sam and Dean to act and all someone has to do is read the history of Kripke’s vision and they will get what Jensen was talking about. Kripke said it was Star Wars on the road. Dean is Hans Solo. Star Wars was about Luke. It was Luke centric. I totally got what Jensen was saying about the premise of the show being Sam centric from the beginning. What kind of issues Sam had, trouble he was in, who was after him, yada yada. Dean was always the swashbuckling hero coming in to save Sam, just like Hans. Again, Kripke gave the boys some background on his vision when they started the show and I guess I am inclined to believe the J’s know more about that then we do.
I don’t think he was bashing Sam. He made a joke. Funny how the minute he said it though I said to myself that it was gonna send some people into an uproar. Just nuts.
I am also thankful he doesn’t do social media.
Loved it. Always thankful for insight.
Hi Winmomwannabe I wonder are you referring to me? If not then sorry for responding.
If you do mean me then from my point of view: [quote]I don’t think he was bashing Sam. He made a joke. Funny how the minute he said it though I said to myself that it was gonna send some people into an uproar. [/quote] was a joke, yes. Everything he said on the subject of Sam afterwards sounded like [quote] He has more insight into the brothers than we the fans will ever have. I mean TPTB give them hints on how they want Sam and Dean to act [/quote] I believe this to be true because I have a lot of respect for both Jensen and Jared as actors and as professionals.
And my solution is very likely the one Trucklady put forward, which hadn’t occurred to me before…
So since I was the only one who really had an issue (with a small but vital part of what Jensen had to say) which I elaborated on because I thought it was allowed, and since I have removed my original complaint and clarified several times what my problem actually IS I hope you can now all move past it?
You’re not the only one who had an issue (with a small but vital part of what JA had to say), so any criticism being leveled at your opinion and you for expressing that opinion is being leveled at more than you. However, unlike you, I’m not going to retract my post. I believe I have the right to like or dislike or agree or disagree with whatever part of what he says that I want. I can be appreciative of the interview without loving everything he said. I’m not obliged to wholly like everything JA said just because it’s JA who said it. If people want to think little of you or me or anyone for that well then so be it.
If I may ask what is podcast exactly..Like definition and all.
Thanks Tim! I appreciate the support. You made the sensible decision just to say you weren’t happy, and not go into details, which is what I should have done.
Ahh. I dunno. I think this podcast had the exact opposite effect on me than it should have – rather than get excited for the rest of the season, I’m now just kinda depressed and bitter. I just don’t care to watch episode after episode after episode of Sam & Dean feuding…or not even feuding, but just being distant toward one another. Jensen has read to episode 20 & the brother drama is STILL going on?
I am a fan who has always watched for Sam & Dean – it is their relationship that few me in & has kept me watching for 9 seasons. I so miss the easy banter between the brothers. I miss when it felt like they actually liked each other. That said, I’m having a hard time recognizing the Sam & Dean now with the Sam & Dean I feel in love with. I know characters change & grow, but I always thought that some core characteristics stay the same – and for Sam & Dean it was their love & devotion to each other. In the past whenever they fought & disagreed (as siblings do), I always felt like there was hope interlaced in the storyline. Now? Not so much. It’s all just doom & gloom.
Hearing Jensen talk about Sam having a “little brother” syndrome or whatever rubbed me the wrong way, and that’s not on Jensen at all. It is on the writers. I want to believe that Sam cares just as much as his big brother as Dean does. But the writers are not showing us that. And I’m scared that is actually the writers intention. So far Sam seems so unconcerned with the Mark of Cain & Jensen seems to indicate that Sam will continue to be. And I find that very unfair (and uncharacteristic) to Sam.
At this rate, we will not get any Sam & Dean being real brothers this season & I think that is unacceptable. For the first half of season 9, Sam spent a lot of time onscreen as Gadreel & now Sam and Dean are so far from being on the same page, they are in different books.
SPN is about two brothers who hunt & fight evil together. When did SPN veer from that…and why? The SPN world is so rich & there are so many stories still to be told…we don’t need to be rehashing old Sam & Dean issues.
Wonderful listening to Jensen. I love how honest and straight forward he is. It’s great learning more about how Jensen precedes Dean.
It’s wonderful to hear Jensen. I love how straight forward and honest he is with his answers to the questions he is given. It’s great getting insight as to how Jensen precedes Dean.
Trucklady: No, you’re not alone in this. I was totally psyched about the interview and happy to get even a tiny glimpse of of what the rest of the season might bring. It’s going much in the direction I thought it might if Jensen is correct and I was happy to hear that. I feel more positive than ever that the rest of the season is going to be very exciting. I’ve been kind of down because all the really compelling stories of the season have been kind of stalled by the one-offs which have not been holding my attention very tightly and the hiatus and I’m very ready for the story to kick it into gear. Since it was a radio interview and I’m several times removed from it and know nothing at all personal about Jensen, I won’t even try to analyze Jensens moods or tones of voice. I’m sticking strictly with the information given about his character and any spoilers I can glean from it.
What a great interview Obviously, he was joking. He clearly likes both these characters and can joke and tease about them just like we do with our closest friends. Great that he shared a little about the conflict between the fictional characters in the fictional show we all love. Good fiction has conflict, and as the viewer I do not determine what it will be – just experience the ride that is the story – frustrations and all – all worth it when conflict is resolved.
Good for them for landing the interview. I hope he does not deal with a lot of criticism after being so gracious, and decide not to do another
Sorry but I don’t know how to link my comments. This is in reply to eilf.
I was not addressing my comment to anyone in particular. I wasn’t referring to anyone in this thread. It was my opinion towards the many things I have heard in various places today.
I don’t post often anymore but felt the need to be supportive. And I have rarely said anything negative before. Guess I couldn’t keep it to myself this time.
Again. Loved his interview and candor.
Well thank you for your reply to me. I stand corrected. : -)
It suddenly occured to me that though SPN as a very specific show IS about two brothers the story that is told is really Sam’s story, it is Sam-centric and could exist without Dean. Brotherless Sam could (instead) have some friends and/or a girl for support. Sam’s conflict with his father could be still there, and even Cas’s line could be introduced with the angel being a counterbalance to demonic influence in the person of Rubi. Dean has always been here for help – giving a hand, saving, inducing Sam to to do smth or to stop doing smth. Especially in the second part of S8 Dean was playing a motherly role of a caretaker, and looked so tender, almost feminine. Dean’s
character is a beautiful addition to the story like intuition is a good addition to intellect, but what would have changed (in the terms of Sam’s story) if there had been John or Bobby instead? So I think I understand why Carver is going the road of estranging brothers – he’s trying to give each one his own arc. Being a happy fan I totally believe that this approach will enrich the story in general and develop both characters without prejudice to either of them. And I like angst and pain of season 9, imo it is one of the best seasons we ever had.
Well, all I can say is that; if the man who threw himself into the cage with Lucifer to save the world is a selfish asshole, then what does that make the rest of us?
Time to stop watching because I don’t like this story about a “selfish asshole” and his brother who tricked him into his worst nightmare. I will watch programmes with unlikeable protagonists if they’re interesting, but SPN didn’t start out that way and I can’t adjust.
Manzanita, everyone can and will make their own interpretation of the comments and of course your’s is valid. Just in case it changes anything at all for you, I really think Jensen’s response about the selfish asshole was meant as a joke, not his assessment of Sam. Jensen’s got a sarcastic dry sense of humor. I think his view that Sam is Samcentric is not so much a damning look at Sam’s character as a recognition that he’s the younger brother with an older brother who often stood in for a parent – a rather rebellious stance comes with that territory. And it’s only Jensen’s take on what Dean thinks, not what Sam thinks and not necessarily what the writers think. Sam has his own issues with what he finds constricting about Dean’s attitudes and they too might not be what Dean thinks or necessarily what the writers think.
I imagine the writers are playing with both points of view and both boys will end up shifting somewhat in order to reach each other. It’s not so much a who is completely right and who is completely wrong situation as a painful shift from old dynamics.
Jensen was so totally joking. He wanted to make the women laugh and they did. I just listened to the interview again because I thought I must have missed something. To me (and I mean just me) it was Jensen talking about his character and in some instances how he viewed his character in relation to Jared’s character. I really didn’t hear anything other than a tired actor trying to come up with answers to questions on the spur of the moment. I doubt if questions were sent to Jensen ahead of time so he could write out exactly what he wanted to say so that he wouldn’t be misinterpreted or misunderstood by fans. Also I think, and someone here already mentioned this but it really sounded like he was thinking that he was talking to fans that loved the show. I am sure he is aware of the fractious nature of the fandom but I doubt he really gets how each word uttered by either Jared or Jensen gets scrutinized by the fans to either vindicate or damn there favorite brother. I thought that everyone would be exited that some of the speculation for Dean was actually happening and going to happen. If we get an interview with the equally busy and I am sure even more exhausted Jared we will probably hear Sam’s POV.
Manzanita Crow here. It’s not just this interview Gerry. That’s just been the final straw since it gives the impression (since Jensen knows what is coming) that they aren’t going to let Sam air his (perfectly reasonable) grievances in an coherent and comprehensible way. Overall, they give so much time to Dean to air his feelings that I’m bored to tears of his manpain and he is starting to come across as a self-pitying whiny bitch. And they give so little time to Sam’s feelings – and give him such cryptic lines – that he IS coming across as a “selfish asshole” even though he has every right to be angry. The quality of the show has simply plummeted and it’s time I stopped moaning about it and just found something better to occupy me. OK, last complaint from me (sorry Alice). I shall stick to seasons 1-7 from now on and continue loving my heroic and loving Winchester boys as they were pre-Carver.
Fair enough, MC. Everybody has their breaking point. To be honest, I’ll make my assessment of where I am with the show at the end of this season, as I had to at the end of last season. I know why I watch and if the core story changes too much due to a different showrunner and different writers, I may have to wave goodbye. But this interview didn’t make me think Sam would not get to discuss his feelings anymore or that Dean was going to moan about anything. I gathered from it the issues are all still in play and that Dean will be getting harder, not whinier. 🙂 I guess we’ll see what rolls out.
The interview was horrible! Interviewing is a real skill (see Graham Norton) and should get the best out of the interviewee for maximum entertainment. It’s not a factual delivery system. Whether it’s because of the limitations of the technology or the limitations of the interviewers, this whole interview was actually embarrassing. I was cringing and frustrated whilst listening. But regardless of the possible technical limitations, the questions were badly phrased and repetitive and nothing the interviewee said was followed up on. Nothing said here makes me think Dean thinks it’s Sam’s fault, Sam think’s it’s Dean’s fault, the writers don’t know the brothers, the writers don’t like Sam or they don’t like Dean, Jensen Ackles doesn’t like the Sam character, or the Dean character or that the rest of the season is going to be good or bad.
Jensen Ackles has a nice voice. The end.
People really… I mean really. No wonder Jensen doesn’t have any social media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Skype.
I wouldn’t want him to read most of the comments. It seems he is not allowed to talk about Supernatural, his character, plot or even joke and god forbid if he mentions Sam on an interview what was mostly about Dean, his character. It seems it only needs one word and people turn into hyenas Dooming the series and jumping off the cliff.
I didn’t listen to the podcast but I read the transcript because reading is better for me. I was actually exited about the little spoilers he gave and how he talked about his character. Even Sam BECAUSE THEY JOKE AND ARE PLAYFULL. Don’t hang the man as he truly likes the series and the brothers.
It seems some of you really shouldn’t read anything or even watch the series if you act this way. (I hope Jensen nor Jared ever reads the comments in here) and I don’t want Jensen/Jared turn into robots that say “no comments” on everything that is asked because of the “people that love” the series).
“Jensen: (huffed laughter) Well, I don’t even want to know the rumors. Don’t believe everything you read or hear but um at the same time I’ll say there’ll be some nice surprises in the future.”
To those that really enjoy the series trough sticks and stones and happy times these comments (Not anything concerning the series itself) are ruining it. Literally. I guess I need to start to filter it that I see the others that have same view and just hop over those that argue on everything…
I do not think anybody’s interpretation of his interview is wrong just a personal view . I have heard the podcast and read the transcript and I did not like some comment’s it is not wrong to do that. I admire Jensen as a actor but that does not mean I have to go along with everything he said .
Lilah Kane, those of us you feel really shouldn’t read anything or watch the series because we act what way? Should we not read or watch the series because some of disagree with part of what JA said? Do you think that justifies you referring to posters here as ‘hyenas’ or alleging things were said that were not said at all? Nobody hung the man, no-one said that he wasn’t allowed to talk about the character, the plot or the show, nobody is jumping off a cliff or dooming the series etc, where did you even get that idea?
JA gave an interview, what he said is up for discussion. What he said was discussed, some in the positive, some in the negative. That’s the nature of giving an opinion. We see that here. However, JA comments were discussed respectfully, even by those who disagreed with what he said. Nobody criticised him, or talked him down or cast scorn on him or called him a ‘hyena’. They just disagreed with part of what he said. I’m assuming that’s still allowed or is it going to be a case whereby only those who agree wholeheartedly with what is said should be entitled to post, or at least post without being subject to criticism?
Tim, I answered in lower post to it to explain it more clear. (Was at work so couldn’t reply directly to Sharon) and to my eyes some of the text went overboard and that is how I see them. Will not point anyone with fingers and that is why didn’t quote the things they wrote. Most from the first post was examples because of that. So, I will leave it and talk about the thing that caught my ear from Jensen.
Like from some reviews and talks people have had I guess we guessed right at least some of the effects of the MoC to Dean. His humanity waving down and not caring about who he kills from bad guys. The little tiny detail about his body strength growing made me think episodes after the mark. I wonder how far it will go? I hope he is not turning to be Superman or something. Anyway, interesting times coming.
With all due respect, Lilah_Kane, anyone and everyone’s posts could be deemed as ‘going overboard’, depending on whether or not you agree with the post in question. However, I don’t feel that anyone or their responses, whether it is deemed ‘overboard’ or not, merited being called ‘hyenas’ or ‘dooming the series’ or ‘argue over everything’. You might differ in that feeling.
Like I said, I said that just those what you said shouldn’t taken so literal. And I think I better not try to describe either what I meant for things to go worse. English is not my native language after all. That is why I tried to turn it actually do discuss about MoC what were talked about there and where it was going, but I guess not. Will save it to Blade runners episode reviews. Peace!
Sharon, I know. Even I can say I like/dislike somethings what has happened. They are point of views of course.
It just seems too strict on some. That the way they see it makes “All that is related to Supernatural” blamed because how they see it. Aaaand, how they see it only. Like I said in general, commenting is not bad but how some comment. Like I had no trouble to read your output because you didn’t immediately condam any reasons that fits the previous sample.
All that matters in the end: Do I like the series myself and if I do. I watch it. That simple. 😉
Lilah Kane, English iss not my first language too and like you sometimes I feel the dificulty to convey my ideas into another language. So I feel your pain LOL
But one thing that I can tell you is this – I agree with you 100%.. I loved this interview, I may agree or disagree with certain things, but I respect his opinions aS well as I do respect others that were disappointed with some of his comments…
I’m just leaving this msg because while reading the comments, because I could relate to what you wrote.
I only hope is that Jensen doesn’t stop giving his opioins because of how people reacted to this interview.
Take care and have a nice week.
Cla;}
I am happy. I could listen to Jensen read the alphabet outdoors during a hurricane for the 53 minutes of this admittedly somewhat awkward interview. I hope he avoids these comments and does more podcasts in the future.
The content may not have been to everyone’s liking – when is ANYTHING to everyone’s liking – but at least a J did a podcast! Maybe Jared will do one too sometime!
Would like to hear more from both. Maybe not podcasts because I like to read. Can’t make anything out of it if there is backround noise. 🙂
Despite the awkwardness of the interviewers, I thought Jensen made it very clear when he was joking or being fascetious. I think that translates much better when listening. If you are only reading the transcript, you are missing tone of voice and inflection, which is very important. I thought he did a great job, and I am looking forward to seeing how the Mark of Cain plays out through the rest of the season.
alice,
i want to thank you for printing out the transcript. after reading it i feel a lot less upset about the interview. i still don’t agree with ja in regards to it being a sam centric world in his mind. (sam’s mind). are we supposed to find sam centered only on himself because he never wanted to hunt? is it because sam dreams of a life away from hunting and because he doesn’t want to live the rest of his life with the burden of saving the world, but would like a chance to just be safe and maybe have a family someday? is that why he’s sam centric? is sam samcentric because he wants to live his life the way he wants to live his life and be able to make his own decisions? then maybe part of sam is sam centric in his mind, hell we all are in that case. still the fact still remains that despite sam wanting all these things for himself, he still doesn’t have them. the reason he doesn’t is because as long as dean wants/needs sam by his side, sam will be there. he will always choose dean over what he wants for himself. he always has and he still does it. if that weren’t the case even as of now, then when dean walked away from sam, sam could’ve gone anywhere and started living normal. i think dean is just as dean centered in his mind as much as sam might be sam centered in his. dean is the one who brought sam back into hunting knowing sam just wanted to live normal. but dean didn’t want to be alone. he wanted them all to hunt together because in dean’s mind that’s the only way to be a family, that’s being dean centric. all the times that dean only hears what he wants to hear from sam, is dean centric. like when sam told dean he thought he was dead, and dean only heard he hit a dog and met a girl. dean’s concern for his brother is priority, but its because sam is the center of dean’s life. dean makes decisions for sam based on what he feels is the right thing to do, that’s dean centric….so if we are going to be both fair and honest i think it’s fair to say that both sam and dean are “centric”. i only wish the interviewers would have had enough thought to elaborate on that question more. i’d like to think if they had, that jensen might agree that dean has had his share of moments which have been dean centric as well.
i wasn’t really upset about the ass*** comment. i knew jensen was joking. i do get that show has been centered around sam and what happened to him in his life. although, that being the case, i’ve never felt dean was without a story or a pov. it seems to me while the story centers around sam, the pov has been dean’s i do hope jensen is right when he says show is keeping in vein with past seasons. i hope that since dean is getting the story, i hope it’s sam’s pov we get to see now. i don’t think a few people upset with what jensen had to say is going to affect the boys in any way. jensen doesn’t even have social media. as wonderful as this site is, i don’t imagine jensen comes on the site and reads the reviews or our posts. i think it’s ok to disagree and have our own opinions on what jensen or even jared might say. it doesn’t mean we don’t love them just because we don’t agree with them, or even if we temporarily feel disgusted.
i’m very excited with what’s coming and i have no doubt that the boys will be fine. it’s all good in my book. 🙂
nappi, I completely agree that both boys are self-centric right now, and it’s very understandable why they are. Their challenge is to really hear the other one, but we’re all self-centric to a certain degree. I think the boys will be able to find enough common ground. I do think Jensen’s comment that this season will be in the same vein as previous season has been a bit lost. I don’t think he meant to convey the bond is not a priority or that Sam doesn’t have a point of view. I think he is just really excited about having a meaty story line that will drive the myth arc for a while, because he typically doesn’t get that. He was describing Dean’s POV in light of the Mark of Cain, and evidentally our speculation was correct (go, us!) that Dean will be greatly affected, including his emotional outlook. Jensen did say Dean is getting more disconnected from his emotions, so that may be why the issues are still ongoing so late in the season. Maybe Dean has lost an important part of himself.
Gerry, I totally agree. I never listen to podcasts. I found it quite irritating. it was almost like pulling teeth. I guess i’m so used to listening to dj’s on the radio when they interview people, I expected the same thing. there was no flow. they kept stopping. there were long pauses bet. questions. it felt like nobody did a practice run. they just winged it…I guess if I were going to interview Jensen ackles or jared padalecki or even misha Collins, I wouldn’t wing it. I also thought that they should’ve followed up on certain questions. when Jensen says something like sam is samcentric in his mind…I would have asked what he meant by that. I would’ve mentioned that dean making the decision for gadreel to possess sam was dean centric, as dean was imposing what he deemed to be the right thing on his brother without asking. you know what I mean, and i totally agree that we all are self centric. you know i heard somewhere that there is no such thing as an unselfish act. when we do good for someone, we feel good about ourselves. we feel a sense of pride when someone thinks highly of us. And we feel good when someone loves us back. in the end, it’s about feeling good.
i think the interviewers could have done a much better job. i’m sorry but i felt like they weren’t prepared at all. I’ve been to so many cons where people ask the boys thought provoking questions and also have a follow up. i guess i expected it to be more professional and well balanced. i’ll just stick with reading the transcripts.
by the way, i got the feeling Jensen knew more than he was telling. i think he was hinting at it too. like when he that sam had the little brother thing going on and dean is the big brother, you should figure it out…i laughed at that because that’s exactly what sam is waiting for dean to do. to realize what it is that sam needs him to understand…and it won’t mean anything to dean if sam just spells it out for him…dean has to come to learn this lesson on his own. i got the feeling that Jensen was telling us that that’s what dean will end up doing… Jensen is only allowed to say so much. but i think he knows more than he has led on…:)
it’s all good…and like i said, just because you don’t agree with something someone said and you end up feeling disgusted , that doesn’t mean you don’t still love them and won’t see things clearer the next day;)
I have no doubt Jensen knew all kinds of things he wasn’t spilling. 😉 I thought Winchester Bros asked good questions, but precisely because of that, Jensen couldn’t answer them fully. He had to pick and choose how to answer. He’s not going to give out a play by play on where each of the boys is when their relationship is the key arc of the season. I suspect we’ll see Sam noticing more and more that something’s up with Dean, but Dean won’t be able to see it himself. Abbadon has got to come back in a big way and complicate what ever is going on with Dean. I’m really hoping we get a breakthough with the boys this season (oh please) but if we do, I don’t think it will come before the finale because I think it’s going to take a big move by Sam to make a difference to the Mark of Cain. I suppose it’s possible the Mark will take possession of Dean like it did Cain and this whole story line will spill over to season 10. Season 10 may be about rescuing Dean from being a demon, shades of season three. What ever way it goes, I don’t think Jensen could speculate along many of the lines Winchester Bros were following because it would have involved leaking too much plot. So he just concentrated on Dean’s frame of mind because that’s fair game.
[quote]Abbadon has got to come back in a big way and complicate what ever is going on with Dean. [/quote]I think Abbadon will come back and in a big way.The initial and the purpose of MOC is Abaddon.And on a personal note I like the character.
I had problems with the Sam parts..But the interviewers were grating.I don’t know how Jensen did not sleep..I was feeling sleepy.The pauses in between Jensen’s answer and next question was ridiculous.But this is the first podcast i am listening to.may be they are like this?
I`ve done a couple of podcasts and they aren`t easy. One of the problems is you don`t know whether the other person has finished speaking or is just pausing, so talking over another person is really easy to do. Because Winchester Bros have at least 3 interviewers on, there`s a lot of opportunity for them to talk over each other and Jensen. I think they have learned to pause to make sure they don`t talk over someone. On top of that, I don`t think they are able to exchange questions with each other, never mind Jensen, so again there`s a lot of opportunity for pauses as they react to what he said and someone decides to take the lead on where to go next. The multi-interviewer set up I think hard to make work smoothly.
I listened to the interview last night, and quite liked it! I agree that the “asshole” comment was clearly off the cuff and a joke (also, I don’t follow the interviews closely, but others have said that JA calls Dean an “asshole” or other names regularly, FWIW). He also tried to put the “Sam-centric” comment in context- that’s it’s a relic of S+D’s “parent-child” relationship but also since stuff is usually happening to Sam! If I were Sam by now I’d also be like “What new crap is about to happen to me?!” Most of the rest of it wasn’t that surprising. I did find it interesting when he commented that TPTB haven’t really demanded either actor keep up a certain physique- I heard a rumour years ago that Jared was asked to bulk up after the first season of SPN, but it sounds lie he just decided to do that on his own.
It does make me think I should look up some J2 stuff to get my mind off the brother angst though! :p. Sounds like the J’s have so much fun together, even when they have to walk on set and act like brothers who hate each other.
I actually head on forth in the land of youtube. Played all of the youtube Gag reels for having a good laugh. And boy I did laugh. Also found the Supernatural animation… I am noooooot sure how I feel about it though. Two last episodes had J2 at least as voices. But just a tip with the gag reels if you need a good laugh. Hugs to all.
htbrown07 I probably would hear the tones and such but I couldn’t make what they would be saying. Maybe listening and reading transcript would help at the same time. 🙂
I listened to it with my ipad and earbuds. It was quiet and the wind noise was annoying. Without the earbuds, I think it would have been worse. I could hear that dang phone ringing loud and clear, though. How embarrassing for that interviewer!
Just trying to get my subscribe to work and it says I need to comment. So Comment.
When I hear and see Jared and Jensen talk with fans and each other, I see reflections of my father. His main way of showing affection is through teasing. The more affection he feels, the more he teases. It’s how he communicates his love. He can’t not do it, even when I’ve specifically asked him to tone it down. It’s his default when he wants to express himself in a way comfortable for him. Maybe it’s a guy thing, I don’t know, but anyway that’s what I heard in this podcast with Jensen. His genuine affection for the show, for Sam, for the brothers was all evident to me. It seems that we, the fans, are not going to get hugs and kisses from these guys – unless we ask, maybe 🙂 So we’ll just have to give hugs and kisses to each other. I’ll start – XOXOXO to you all 🙂
While the ‘Yeah, Sam’s a real selfish asshole’ line might have been said that way to get a laugh, that doesn’t mean that JA or Dean didn’t mean what he said. In fact, in the very next line he confirmed ‘It is true’. He then gives a long description detailing what he perceives to be Sam’s selfishness saying how he’s preoccupied he is and how he (Dean) as the bigger brother can figure it out for himself and how it’s a Sam centric world in Sam’s mind and it always has been.
Were those comments all part of the ‘joke’ as well?
[quote]While the ‘Yeah, Sam’s a real selfish asshole’ line might have been said that way to get a laugh, that doesn’t mean that JA or Dean didn’t mean what he said. In fact, in the very next line he confirmed ‘It is true’. He then gives a long description detailing what he perceives to be Sam’s selfishness saying how he’s preoccupied he is and how he (Dean) as the bigger brother can figure it out for himself and how it’s a Sam centric world in Sam’s mind and it always has been.
Were those comments all part of the ‘joke’ as well?[/quote]
This was the same thought I had.If he had stopped at the selfish asshole thing I would have thought it was funny..But then he went and elaborated on it.
If it turns out to be so this might become the first show I will discontinue.
Yes. Exactly. I had the same thoughts, [b]anonymousN[/b] and [b]Tim[/b].
I had no problems with the ‘Sam’s a real selfish asshole’ line, I saw it as a joke. But then it continued onto the whole ‘Sam-centric world in Sam’s mind’ stuff and that I did have a problem with.
The rest of the interview was interesting enough and I’m interested to see where the MOC storyline goes. Although, sadly for me, my expectations for S9 have been greatly lowered these past few weeks; I’ve been really disappointed with how they’ve handled Sam’s POV since the Gadreel secret came out. I also wasn’t too chuffed to read that the brothers are still not reconciled by Ep.20 as all the brotherly tension and strife just depresses me these days and it’s starting to drastically affect my enjoyment of Show. I am looking forward to seeing Crowley though. Love that guy! 😀
Just read the transcript. Can I just say that JA’s stock has taken a nose dive in my view. Sam bashing at it’s absolute worst.
I really loved this … thank you to Jensen for giving such a long and in-depth interview. Such a rare chance to hear his opinions and insight on the character of Dean and current/past storylines for an extended length of time rather than quick 5 minute interviews or cons where the questions are often far lighter and/or JA is playing entertainer to the crowd.
I appreciated that this was an interview focused on Dean, as I felt it should be, and I thought it was great. Wonderful to hear him go into detail on his thoughts, and Dean’s POV and feelings and what’s in store for Dean. Watching eps since First Born, it seemed like the Mark of Cain was effecting him subtly, but nothing was stated for sure in-show, so it was great to have it confirmed that… yes, indeed, the coldness/killing/more aggressive behavior is because of the mark. Figured it was but it’s nice to have it confirmed, especially since after First Born we’ve had little mention of the mark and no major movement to the storyline (though that looks to change next episode).
Loving the slow build they’re doing with Dean & the MoC and the way Jensen described it. Intrigued & excited by the comment on increased physical strength too, and that the mark seems to be slowly draining away Dean’s humanity. Looks like we’re in for some Dark!Dean and an mytharc actually focusing on him and for me it’s a welcome change that makes me very, very excited for the upcoming episodes. I get the feeling, since JA said it’s still building up at ep 20, that the mark of cain storyline will probably carry over into season 10. I hope so, as there is a lot of possibilities for this story and I hope it’s explored fully (like I wish they’d done with Purgatory).
Really surprising and interesting comment, to me, about JA saying Dean would like his father back the most AND that he always felt that Dean would eventually become John (to some extent). I think there are a lot of differences between the two characters, but there was always some John in Dean to be sure.
As for Sam’s role here… I’m guessing it’s going to be more in line w/ the role Dean usually plays. My guess is it will be Sam’s turn to save Dean, and each will walk a little in each others shoes. Looking forward to it, personally, and enjoying this season very much. 🙂
Scarlett, definitely agree with you. We don’t usually get an interview with Jensen so I am thrilled. I have been waiting for Dark Dean forever. I am so excited with this story line. I do hope that Sam comes to an understanding of who his brother is and is the one to save him. I may be doing a Happy Dance over this season.
Scarlett That was my take as well. It was a candid, informative look at the mindset of Dean. I can’t wait to see how the MOC affects Dean. When he was asked what character he would most like to see back I was screaming JDM. Dean is becoming John. What Sam’s role is going to be I can’t guess but as far as I can tell the only one who can save Dean is Sam. He is the only person that Dean cares about above all others. If there is still a spark of humanity left in Dean I would think it would be for Sam. I am really excited for the rest of the season.
This place never changes *sigh* Jensen had some interesting insights into DEAN and where the storyline might be heading, he gave thoughtful answers with a touch of humor and all you care about is your knee-jerk reaction to his comments about SAM which he said half-jokingly after a leading question before offering a reasonable explanation. Your responses and over-reaction are very immature as is any actor bashing for expressing an opinion different to yours. Despite what you want the show is not the Sam Show and he’s entitled to talk about his own character but most of you guys here don’t care about Dean or the show overall just Sam and yet many of you claim to care about the brothers, nope its just Sam’s show for you. You extreme fans have really been showing yourselves up lately and giving fandom a bad reputation.
Well no group of fans is in a position to take the moral highground in the fandom. I can only speak for myself in that who ever it is and whether I like them or not I do not feel a need to agree with everything they say and it was a small part of what Jensen said that I thought was not funny . If that makes me a Extreme then so be it but I would rather that than not be my own person and not think for myself. I think alot of Jensen but I do not see a need to tip toe around being afraid to say something . I have never claimed anything where the show is concerned and feel that not liking something Jensen says consitutes wanting the Sam show but ok .
CJ, it appears that in your comment about the site and its posters, you’ve neglected to say anything about the actual interview. That’s rather ironic considering what you’re criticising people for. So perhaps you’re not here to talk about what he said and you’re just here to bash those who have a different opinion to you. Whatever about this place never changing, you’ve made it obvious that some fans will never change either.
Also, there are over 70 comments here, the bulk of which are stating that they very much enjoyed and appreciated the interview. You possibly skipped over all those before you posted your comment. So, your statement that ‘most of you guys here don’t care about Dean….’ is hugely erroneous. (Actually given that you didn’t comment about what JA said at all, a valid question might be if you care about Dean.)
You don’t know that he was joking. If he had also made a nasty comment about Dean, I might have considered that he was. As it stands now, to me it seemed as if he was trying to deflect attention away from the things that Dean did wrong. Just like you, this is my opinion of what I read. My opinion is just a valid as yours.
Despite what you think, the show is not the Dean show either. It supposed to be about both brothers.
I expected better from JA than for him to bash a character on the show.
Sounds as if you’re an extreme Dean fan. So don’t be bashing Sam fans.
I love this interview with Jensen, maybe I should say I love Jensen’s responses, not necessarily the people doing the interview and the pauses and breathing issues.
I’m very interested in Jensen’s thoughts about Dean, Dean’s view of the brother relationship and the Mark of Cain storyline. I really hope Dean isn’t putting too much credence into the “stuff” Sam said that wasn’t true about Dean.
This interview has given me hope that this Dean storyline won’t be dropped, that we’ll get to see follow-through on a storyline that’s actually about Dean.
Jensen puts so much thought into his responses, it’s nice to hear. I hope we get more, including mainstream, interviews with Jensen about Dean and the Mark of Cain.
CJ that was a bit harsh. As you can see many of the comments indicate that we are very excited for this storyline and feel that what we have been speculating is actually what is happening. I am a Sam girl through and through. I adore Dean but love love love Sam. I didn’t see anything that even resembled Sam bashing in Jensen’s interview. I enjoyed it very much (in fact I have listened to it twice). I love getting little spoilers and insights into both characters. Just like with extreme Dean fans you are going to find some that read too much into what an actor might be saying.
i’m a sam girl too. a jared girl as well. 😉 i was upset when i listened to the podcast at first. it was frustrating and unprofessional. there were no follow up questions as there should have been and i thought there were a few needless questions. i knew jensen was joking with the ass*** comment. even thinking about it, of course right now sam is sam centric in his mind, after all he’s been through quite a trauma. his brother broke his trust, and sam is frustrated that dean hasn’t acknowledge his pain in all this. after watching the purge again, it was all so clear. i mean it’s quite understandable that sam is thinking about sam right now. he’s still trying to process everything that’s happened to him which dean is responsible for. it’s kind of hard for sam to feel bad for dean when he’s still reeling from the hurt and pain and the fact that dean hasn’t acknowledged his part in it. so yes, at the moment sam is sam centric. but, to be fair, dean is dean centric. because with everything dean has done to sam, in dean’s mind he did the right thing. he’s made decisions for sam currently and in the past based on what he thinks his right. that’s dean centric. instead of dealing with what he did on that bridge, he walked away. he thought he was poison. his focus was on himself….that’s dean centric. right now dean is totally focused on himself and how bad sam is treating him that he’s not given a single thought as to why sam is feeling the way he is. ever since sam found out what dean did to him, dean’s focus has been on himself. that to me is dean centric. you know, truth is everyone is “centric” to a certain extent. right now ea. brother is experiencing the need to focus on their own hurt. hopefully though the time is drawing closer that they can focus on ea. other and deal with it all. damn i digress, what i want to say is that it was the job of the interviewer to follow up on jensen’s comments. it was also their job to correct jensen when he made an error, which he did and they didn’t notice. jensen said that dean is working with crowley because of the things sam has said to him. he has this i dont care attitude…but dean worked with crowley in first blood. sam had said nothing to dean at this point, as dean had walked away from sam. dean worked with crowley because of dean, not because of sam. the interviewer should have corrected jensen there, or at the very least reminded jensen that dean worked with crowley before talking with sam…then clarified if jensen meant that he’s continuing to work for crowley because of the discussions with sam.
overall the interview was a bust in my book. i wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to another podcast, even if it were with jared…i’ll stick to reading the transcripts.
i was upset at first with jensen’s view of sam, but then i realized that he wasn’t really given follow up questions that he should’ve been asked. if those interviewers had reminded jensen that dean also lives in his own mindset of how things should be, then i’d think it’s safe to say that jensen would’ve acknowledged that dean was a bit deancentric as well.
for those of you out there who are truly miffed at the moment, i would tell you to try and not let it get to you. i really believe that a more competent interviewer would have had an interview with a more positive outlook.
Nappi these type of interviews are usually too brief to go into a lot of detail. An interview over the phone has to be extremely difficult. Many times as in this one they were talking over each, waiting to make sure the person talking was done so it did seem like the pauses were awkward. I really felt like Jensen was there to talk about his character and the show. There just wasn’t enough time for Jensen to go into a lot of detail. Probably he didn’t want to give away too much and he was more focused on what Dean was up to and very briefly how his character viewed Jared’s character. I am sure if Jared had been part of that interview (well for one there would have been too much horsing around) but he might have called out Jensen or maybe agreed with some of his comments. I for one was happy to hear Jensen’s take on the show and Dean.
[quote]I really loved this … thank you to Jensen for giving such a long and in-depth interview. Such a rare chance to hear his opinions and insight on the character of Dean and current/past storylines for an extended length of time rather than quick 5 minute interviews or cons where the questions are often far lighter and/or JA is playing entertainer to the crowd.
I appreciated that this was an interview focused on Dean, as I felt it should be, and I thought it was great. Wonderful to hear him go into detail on his thoughts, and Dean’s POV and feelings and what’s in store for Dean. Watching eps since First Born, it seemed like the Mark of Cain was effecting him subtly, but nothing was stated for sure in-show, so it was great to have it confirmed that… yes, indeed, the coldness/killing/more aggressive behavior is because of the mark. Figured it was but it’s nice to have it confirmed, especially since after First Born we’ve had little mention of the mark and no major movement to the storyline (though that looks to change next episode).
Loving the slow build they’re doing with Dean & the MoC and the way Jensen described it. Intrigued & excited by the comment on increased physical strength too, and that the mark seems to be slowly draining away Dean’s humanity. Looks like we’re in for some Dark!Dean and an mytharc actually focusing on him and for me it’s a welcome change that makes me very, very excited for the upcoming episodes. I get the feeling, since JA said it’s still building up at ep 20, that the mark of cain storyline will probably carry over into season 10. I hope so, as there is a lot of possibilities for this story and I hope it’s explored fully (like I wish they’d done with Purgatory).[/quote]
I agree, Scarlet. We don’t normally get this kind of Dean focused interviews and I loved it. I loved how thoughtful and insightful Jensen’s responses were. Jensen usually talks about other characters and the show more than Dean in his interviews, so this was nice, to have such a Dean focused interview and coming from the actor who plays him.
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Honestly the fandom is a pretty excitable mixed bag. No side of the fandom has a monopoly on bashing. I have seen unfair, rude comments from Dean fans, Sam fans, Destiel fans, and on and on. But I think this site and this thread is as even handed as it gets. People are allowed to express how they feel and sometimes it garners strong responses. When that happens people tend to feel picked on. Emotions are running pretty high. Lines are being drawn and people are upset. I still believe everyone deserves to be heard. The rules should be followed but Alice encouraged people to give input and I don’t think, other than strongly disagreeing, anyone has been out of line. I am a Dean leaning fan and even I wouldn’t agree that this thread has reflected anything close to a “Sam show” mentality. I see people who have seen an interview in different ways. I am on the ‘no big deal’ side of things and I enjoyed the interview for the most part. In the interest of full disclosure, I felt it was awkward and a little hard to hear at times. Consequently I fell asleep and got most of my information second hand. 🙂 I did go back and relisten and read the transcript later.
I’m glad Jensen Ackles did this interview. He’s intelligent and articulate about acting and the character of Dean Winchester. It’s nice to hear how he analyzes the character and while as fans, we don’t have to agree with all of the characters (it seems that every character has his/her own point of view on the show), it’s refreshing to hear the actor talk about his thoughts on the story lines and how he views the characters on the show.
Jensen Ackles is a wonderful actor and incredible story teller. Jensen Ackles has been consistently brilliant on Supernatural, but this season, Jensen has been molding Dean into a different creature. It’s nuanced and detailed and oh, so precarious as well.
I’m glad to hear the excitement in Jensen’s voice as he talks about Supernatural. I’m excited for this show. Supernatural has come a long way. ~lou
This interview has made me a very happy camper. I am so excited over a Dark Dean storyline and the ramifications to the supernatural universe. I may have just gained a new appreciation for Carver and his 3 year story arc. I just hope Cas will be involved also. I am wondering if Cas may have some insight into the side effects of the MOC.
” I think they both kind of come at it from different angles: Sam is- he’s more willing to kind of allow for things to just happen the way they happen and he is- It’s a Sam centric world in his mind and I think it always has been “
this is the kicker that seems to have gotten under a lot of people’s skin, including my own. so i read it over and this time i paid attention. you know a lot of the fan’s debates have been over stuff sam has said to dean, but i noticed for the most part that a lot of those people who have noted that sam is being cruel to dean, that most have taken what sam has said out of context. i really had focused on that while watching the purge again. the purge was such an eye opener for me. for instance when they showed the recap and sam had told dean that we are family was cure-all. i’m listening to sam and dean have this conversation and if you really pay attention, the emphasis of what sam said….everything that’s ever went wrong between us is because we are family…the emphasis in the word because is vital to what sam really meant. what he was truly telling dean. sam didn’t say everything that went wrong between them was because they were family…like being family is why everything went wrong…he was saying that everything that went wrong was be cause we’re family, like the reason we go to all these extremes and end up huring ea. other is because we are family. because we are blood we can do this to ea other and because we are family we just keep doing it without ever learning from past mistakes. of course, dean didn’t hear it the way sam intended…dean only heard what he wanted to hear, he wasn’t really listening to what sam was actually saying.
the same thing again with the whole you want to be partners comment. sam only told dean in the first place that if he wanted to be partners, fine we’ll be partners, because dean’s response to sam when sam told him something was damaged. he couldn’t trust him, was all we need to do is go back to work and put a few wins in the win column. sam became frustrated with dean’s response, so in turn, sam says you want to be partners, fine we’ll be partners…if you want to be brothers…..those are my terms. sam never once in that conversation told dean they weren’t brothers. nowhere in that conversation did sam say he didn’t want to be dean’s brother. what sam did insinuate in that conversation, was that they were broken as brothers and they needed to work at fixing it. but again, dean only heard what he wanted to hear and wasn’t listening to what sam was actually saying. when sam asked dean if he was ok and if dean was sure it wasn’t about what he said last night, sam’s face had this glimmer of hope on it..like he was getting to his brother. but dean instead responded with his don’t worry i don’t break easily. the light on sam’s face went out as dean said that. sam’s eyes got angry and that’s when he said good because i was just being honest. he said that out of hurt. you could see it on sam’s face when dean left the room and sam faced the camera. you watch and you watch and you watch and then suddenly you really notice things for the first time. even the conversation at the end of the purge …did dean hear sam when he said same circumstances no he wouldnt’ save him. i don’t think so. i think dean only heard he wouldn’t save him.
again, not really focusing on what is being said…which leads me to why i copied that quote.
i read it again. and then it hit me, what Jensen was saying. he said that sam is more willing to allow things to happen the way they happen then he follows up with it’s a sam centric world in his mind. i don’t think Jensen was saying sam is all about sam. i think Jensen was referring to sam’s mindset. sam is more willing to accept fate or destiny. dean always said he didnt’ believe in destiny. sam is more willing to accept what life deals him. dean would rather change it. for instance, sam believed his brother was dead in s8. he accepted dean’s death. he didn’t try to bring him back. he respected their promise to ea other instead. it wasn’t easy. he ran away from the life that killed his family. he couldn’t handle the responsibility, he imploded . he hid in a life that he’d always wanted, but didn’t belong in. had sam not accepted fate. had he gone against his brother’s wishes and tried to make a deal, sam might have learned that dean wasn’t dead. sam thus lives in a sam centric world. a world where he accepts what life throws at him and if that means death, then he’ll accept that too.
dean’s mindset is the opposite. he doesn’t accept fate. if he doesn’t like his brother dead, he’ll go to extremes to change the situation, consequences be damned.
dean has a dean centric mind as well. it’s just that the interview didn’t really delve into it.
i guess i see the interview a lot more clearly now. goes to show you how easily it is for fans to see what they want to see or hear what they want to hear and not really pay attention to what’s being shown or said. :p
That’s kind of more how I saw it too nappi. I mean we are all self centered to an extent. I am Leah- centic and sometimes I am selfish. Who isn’t? I do think it was Dean slanted POV about Sam from Jensen because he has played him for almost a decade and to do that he needs to identify with Dean’s mindset when he discusses the show. You may not agree with this but I honestly believe Jensen loves both of the characters. I have also, BTW, seen Jensen speak of Dean in what may seem less than flattering terms. Who knows what was in his mind? Really no one does at this point, it is all conjecture. I have watched con videos for years and seen the love these guys exude for this show, their characters, and other actor’s character’s. They adored Bobby and yet they called him a cranky old drunk on occasion It is not like Jensen (or Jared) to trash any of the characters in a serious ‘I hate that character’ way. Anyway that’s how I choose to see this interview.:)
Thanks for the transcript Alice.
The “asshole” comment was obviously a joke IMO, but what came after tells me that Jensen (and Dean) thinks that Sam is selfish. it’s an interesting comment during a season where Dean betrayed Sam that Jensen talks about Sam’s selfishness without mentioning Dean’s.
I think that I’d be more excited about Dean’s mytharc if Sam ended up with Dean’s usual POV. It’s a Dean-centric world in Jensen’s mind and it’s definitely becoming a Dean-centric show, in my opinion.
Thank you JuliaG. I thought the comment was uncalled for. Had JA confined his comments to the Dean character I would not have gotten so upset. JA doesn’t live in a cave. He has to know at least to some degree about all the Sam bashing that goes on. So to do the same thing makes me think a lot less of him.
Seemed to me at least that he was deflecting so that questions weren’t asked about what Dean did to Sam. Just my opinion of course.
Same as you, I don’t think we’ll get any real Sam POV and I agree that it is the Dean show. IMO it has been for a while. I think that’s killing a lot of long term fans ‘interest in the show. It’s certainly has done so for me. I’m not find SPN to be must-see TV anymore.
I’ve been out of touch and off line for the better part of the last two weeks. Re-established internet connection yesterday, and found the link to the Jensen interview. MAN am I sorry I did. The first thing I’d heard about Supernatural in almost 2 weeks, and this is it. Whether or not Jensen meant his words to be taken as real or as tongue-in-cheek, they did absolutely nothing to help this Samgirl reinvest in my beloved Show. Why must a great plotline for Dean mean a shit plotline for Sam (and vice versa). Are the brothers in competition even in the writers room? It all sounds incredibly juvenile, and unworthy of the audience that has stuck with them for so long.
Yes, it’s just a TV show, and I control the remote…..
Now I have to decide whether or not to keep my tickets for Dallascon.
Hi, st50. If you have tickets to a Con, don’t let one interview keep you from going. There will be so much fun there! Take it from someone who will never be able to go to any con – go and have fun. See your friends. At least see Jared. Ask Jensen what he was thinking. You have an opportunity that millions of viewer don’t have! I would LOVE to go to a con. Go and have fun.
Love ya, l2b
The more I think about the interview the less excited I get for the rest of the season. I’m not into Jensen’s vision of Dean and Sam. “Sam-centric world”, really? Sam wants to cash out vs. Dean just wants to keep the family together. I suspected the John thing because Dean was so off in The Purge but now I’m feeling blah about it, too. I hope the interview showed more of Jensen’s own personal frustrations coming through rather than stuff that is actually in the scripts.
There is a brief interview with Jared at SXSW where he talks very briefly about the MOC. Mostly it is Jared being Jared. But it is on instagram and youtube.
I was reading the comments on this thread and thinking that first of all Jared and Jensen as the actors who play Sam and Dean are the last people to put either character on a pedestal (imagine how they would act if they did that) and also that it would be very hard for Jensen to play Dean if instead of empathising with his character he had to pull out and look at the bigger picture. Instead he looks at it from Dean’s point of view. It was clear from the reports from Las Vegas this weekend that both he and Jared are really empathising with their own characters’ positions and therefore that limits how far they are going to agree that their own characters are being unreasonable – but that that hasn’t affected their friendship or ability to get on well with one another, even though they do have actual disagreements about how the others’ character should feel and behave. Jared was just as articulate about Sam’s perspective and just as unable to empathise with Dean’s point of view as Jensen was about Sam both at the con and in this interview, and both of them seem okay with that.
I usually don’t listen to these podcasts mostly because I am trying (with all my might) to stay entirely spoiler free. But I broke down and listened because it’s unusual to get a long interview with Jensen that’s a bit more off the cuff. I liked it. Yes, they aren’t professional interviewers, but I kinda like this format for Jensen and thought all-in-all everyone handled it well. Jensen’s a very thoughtful actor and very passionate about what he does–he’s really the biggest Dean fan out there–so I appreciated how he talked about Dean and how he approaches playing Dean. I think his comments about the show being Sam centric was really just him reflecting on how the original construct of the show was that it was Sam’s journey, but as with most things in life, the show has evolved and changed over time. I liked how he commented on how even though it was centered around Sam’s journey, it could be argued that it has been seen through Dean’s eyes…that’s how I’ve mostly viewed the show since S2.
I was actually more interested in how he talked about S6. I personally never thought Dean was whiney back then, funny though, I kinda think of him as whiney lately. I was also annoyed to hear that there is still no coming together for Sam and Dean in the near future. Yeah, I had assumed they wouldn’t give them any common ground until sweeps or something, but I am just so sick of all the bickering and would really like them to get on the same page and fight the good fight together again.
Anyway, I seem to be digressing. Interesting stuff here, nothing too shocking, though.