UPDATED: WFB Roundtable Interview With Supernatural EP Jeremy Carver, San Diego Comic Con 2014
Jeremy Carver was our first interview of the session, which thrilled me since I didn’t get to talk to him at all last year. He’s always very adverse with spoilers, but he gave us some pretty good teases here. He certainly explained his theme for the season much better than what was in the TV Guide article. He also talks a bit about who we can expect to come back.
Just in case you think you’re losing it, there is five seconds missing from Jeremy’s first answer. Small camera blip! Just check the transcript below for what you’re missing.
You seem to have opened up an incredible amount of storytelling with the introduction of the Men of Letters bunker. Do you plan on doing continued focus on that in the new season and can we expect to see new ghosts, new ghouls?
Yeah, we brought the Men of Letters into the story not just as a location but as one of the final pieces of the Winchester Family Tree. Understand it really, really for the writers opened up an enormous trove of possibilities. Yes, folks are always coming up with fantastic ways of looking at the Men of Letters. It’s become such a part of the show now that it doesn’t even necessarily have to be a Men of Letters specific episode to really use the richness of that.
Any tease for new monsters or creatures for the upcoming season, anything we can expect?
I think we have a lot of spins on some monsters we’ve seen before. To me it’s not so much the question of introducing new monsters as it is finding a fresh new way to get to the world of even monsters that we’ve seen. We’re doing a vampire or a werewolf again. I think it’s all about the character whose inhabiting them that gets me going. But there will be a few new ones that you’ll see. Not all monsters though.
Can you talk about the theme coming into season ten and how that differs from you guys as creators going into previous seasons.
For me, season nine was very much about each of our characters, this is including Crowley and Castiel. Each of them at a certain point in that season were presented with ‘Who do I want to be?’ Castiel started as a human, Sam was inhabited by Gadreel, and even Gadreel himself had this arc of ‘Okay, I chose the wrong way to find redemption.” Everyone faces that choice. I think this season the overall drama, and I’m giving you a roundabout answer, the overall mythology doesn’t totally hit you in the face in episode one in terms that this is going to be a quest. It’s really careful building blocks sort of centering around the idea of forcing our main characters to eventually come to a ‘You are who you are’ or ‘I am what I am.’ We talked a lot of paths between monsters and humans and friendships and you can you think of all the ways they’ve crossed and everything. People are going to be forced to make much more stark choices this year based on ‘Who I am?’ It’s not going to be only them making the decisions. It’s going to be very personal this year.
Any characters returning this season? Will be we Cain again?
You’re not going to see Cain in the first run of episodes. But he’s an absolutely wonderful character we’ve looked to find a way to bring back. For him (Tim Omundson) it’s actually a professional issue right now. He’s on another show right now. “Galavant,” is that the name? (Yes!) I know I’ve seen the teaser for that and he’s terrific, he’s ridiculous on that. Off the top of my head you will see Sheriff Mills, you’ll see her teamed up actually with another sheriff that we introduced last year, Donna Hanscum from “The Purge,” in what we think is a really fun, less emotional episode, average version of “The Heat.” And we’ll see another character that I’d like to keep as a surprise right now.
Bobby?
(laughs, doesn’t answer)
Any chance for Felicia Day to come back from Oz?
They’re working on a way to get her back. We absolutely adore her. I can say that we are actively working for a way to bring her back.
Any closure on the Kevin storyline?
Kevin is in a really weird spot right now. I just love that character and I was sad as anyone to kill him off. Any chance we can find to bring him back we will. I love Osric, I think he’s terrific.

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.
I just have one question and I promise that i’m not trying to be a smart ass or anything.:) are the questions that are asked screened? it’s just that there have been so many complaints and articles and not just from this site, but elsewhere as well, that sam Winchester was not given any pov last season, or at least not as much pov that he should’ve been given. A large amount of complaining stemmed from the fact that everything was seen strictly from dean’s pov and sam simply was pretty wallpaper…..and yet out of all these complaints, I haven’t seen one interview with Jeremy carver that asked the question:
“sam’s pov seemed to be pretty lacking last season and most of the season was based on dean’s pov, will season 10 have more pov from sam?
how come nobody has asked that question? it’s been a sore point with so many and yet…there’s the man with the answer and nobody posed the question…
I was just wondering why? 😮
Hi Nappi,
I had the EXACT same reaction and wondered if the questions were screened or vetted in some way as well. These questions are interesting and I particularly like the idea of Sheriff Jody and Sheriff Donna teaming up. (Now THAT’S a spinoff idea that I could get behind… kind of The X-Files meets Fargo.) But none of these questions really get at the heart of what the fans have been discussing here and on other boards all season long. I realize that it must be a lot harder to ask a controversial question when the actual show runner is sitting there right in front of you, and attendees probably get time for only 1 question each (if that), but I’ve noticed at these press things that NO ONE ever asks the questions that fans have been really bothered by all season long. My guess is that there are strict guidelines for what types of questions can be asked, and a detailed list of topics that are off limits. That’s my guess anyway.
Yep, the questions asked at these things tend to be bland and predictable. But, I get the feeling if you ask a question that pisses off the show runner or stars, you won’t get the opportunity to ask another question. 🙂
i’m not even referring to the press stuff as i know there is a time constriction, i was actually referring to actual interviews.
i guess i just don’t see it as controversial. i mean in all honesty, dean doesn’t have to be brought up or the lack of pov for sam in the first place. the question could simply be
will we be getting sam pov in s10? that’s it….. not very controversial at all…..
of course we spn fans are very smart and if one goes deep enough it could imply that there are those who might feel there wasn’t enough…..but that’s the fans, not the writing team…..so all in all, it seems to me to be quite an innocent question. ;):D
We had five minutes with him. We were there to talk about season ten. Plus, I did touch upon this in the panel report, some writers stay away from social media because they want to stay true to their vision. I got to speak to Jeremy Carver briefly on the escalator after it was all over. They’re very excited about season ten and what’s to come. Of course he knows there are unhappy fans out there. He’s not trying to please everyone, he’s following the vision he and the writing team have devised. If people like that’s great, if not, there’s not a whole lot he can do about a finished product. He’s focused on season ten and that’s where they’re going. And from a professional standpoint, “Will Sam be getting a POV?” is a whiny fan girl question. Sorry, but if I asked questions like that, I’d be tossed out of the room.
I get you (and yes, am a little jealous I don’t get to go with you out there and help out :D) but sometimes just the incessant positivity & spin from them strikes me as… boring. Like, as a writer, I get his bit about vision and everything but 1) he inherited the playground so his vision must have some restraints on it or at least needs to reign in some of those he’s “invited” to play along (else it all has no meaning) 2) sometimes the vision doesn’t come off well (like if you set about to sculpt a man and ended up with a cat) and you have to adapt or change or start over or whatever.
I am curious to know from him: Is there any episode you’d like to go back and do over if you could? Was there anything that didn’t get explored or expanded on as much as you wanted it to? What do you feel was the biggest lost this season to time and budget constraints?
Writers – or any craftsmen really – should learn more from their mistakes than successes. And if he doesn’t think they’ve made ANY mistakes this last season…
i’m not one of the fans who actually had a problem with sam. I’ve posted extremely verbose posts to the opposite:D. but for those who feel their complaint is legitimate, i think, if what you say is true, then it seems to me that the writers/show runner would be pretty condescending with the fans in regarding a question such as this….as coming from a whiny fangirl….. especially given…that the question is short, succinct and to the point….without having to bring up the lack there of that others felt existed. imho I don’t believe Jeremy carver would think such a thing in the first place.
alice, if i were a showrunner, and you asked me….will sam have pov in the upcoming season,……i wouldn’t think you a whiny fangirl….i would think you were an interviewer asking a legitimate question….and my answer would be either yes or a nice general response in which i would indicate that the fans would be getting a fair amount of pov from both characters this upcoming season …which will have them very excited for the season to come.
like i said, i never had a problem with sam..i thought he was perfect….i’m just asking this in regards to all the unhappy fans out there, including the writers who have maintained an unfair perspective in regards to sam.
i’m excited for s10 and have no doubt we’ll be getting a happier group of fan girls and boys who will in fact get to see things from sam’s side as well, at least more blatantly. 😉
I’m not saying the complaints aren’t legit. Hell, if you read my “Deeper Look at Sam Winchester” series you see how I obviously had issues with Sam’s character development. It’s the context of the question. You never frame the question to the showrunner that way. You’ll get a smart answer like “Yes” and never be asked back. For one, Carver likely thinks Sam did have POV last season and he gets one every season. The problem is, that POV probably doesn’t meet some fan expectations. That is probably the better approach to the question. How does Carver answer that? What would you like him to say? I’m sorry? We should have done better? Does that fix season nine for you? He’s moved on, and he’s expecting fans to as well. He isn’t the only one. Wait until you see my Mark Sheppard interview. Mark is way more blunt about things. His tone is basically shut up and enjoy what you’re given. Again, not saying he’s right, but…
Carver on Sunday was enthusiastically looking forward to season ten. So until I see that result, “Does Sam get a POV?” sounds like the question from a bitter fan girl. It does sound like they have an arc planned for Sam, the lengths he goes to save Dean. Would you like to know more than that?
Alice – comments weren’t meant as a criticism of the folks asking the questions; it seems like the actors and producers are rushed from table to table and you only get to ask one question, need to maintain some professional decorum, and there isn’t time to ask detailed/in depth questions. Good thing for Jeremy Carver that nappi815 wasn’t there, and didn’t trap him in an elevator. He might not have made it out alive 😉
and… I’m not a writer but if i were, I’d stay away from social media – it’s brutal.
Thanks for the clarification. You’ve got it right, there isn’t much time for anything other than “Give us some scoop.” I do understand nappi815’s point. I really do. It’s spoken like a passionate fan. However, as someone who’s interviewed a lot of showrunners, you can’t go to that table with guns loaded per se. They’re there despite their busy schedule to promote and you have to play nice. I swear I need to dig out my interview with Julie Plec a few years ago asking her how she handled the extremely vocal and demanding Vampire Diaries fans on her Twitter feed. It really hurt her at first, but she knows how to handle it now.
i feel like i’m getting attacked here and all i did was ask the question based not on my own feelings but on the feelings of so so many others. i have done nothing but write positive posts defending the writers and jeremy carver. i have repeatedly and i mean repeatedly and quite verbosely posted on how much i felt sam was not written as unsympathetic…i’ve posted over and over about how i believe jc is telling the story …..and i’ve defended him post after post…
i actually left the sam winchester deeper look thread because it got too depressing as it was just me, myself and i swimming in the pool of positivity. it’s hard being the only one who had absolutely no problems at all with the way the story was being told. so as i was reading all these interviews from carver and not the comic con stuff, but real interviews….i noticed that with all the questions being asked, not one of them regarded sam’s pov. i found that odd given that this was half the fandom’s biggest complaint….so i simply wondered why that was and asked the question….
then i get jumped on because i asked…it was never even a concern of mine…i had no issues….i just wondered and thought someone out there would know why that would be…..
alice your response is that a question like that would be a whiny fangirl question…..which kind of threw me because from your thread, it was very much a question you seemed to have…you and so many others…. although i didn’t agree with the way alot of you saw sam, i never once thought you were whiny…so to think that a show runner would think someone whiny for asking a question like that makes no sense to me. it’s just as normal a question as any other…. the point i was trying to make is that i feel a show runner wouldn’t think that at all….
if i had carver trapped in an elevator with me, i’d do nothing but praise the man…..now if i had jared trapped in an elevator…..:D;)
nappi815 – my comments were tongue-in-cheek; no offense intended.
i’m not offended…maybe it’s my fault because my posts are often so long that i don’t think everything i write is being read but skimmed over ….all i did was ask why the lack of sam pov question was never asked in any interview given that it was a subject of contention for so many fans. i found it odd that in not one interview that question was brought up….just wondered if it was because questions were screened…
i loved this season. i never had a problem with the writing. i’ve defended carver and his story over and over. this question isn’t even mine….it’s just that i’ve been so alone in my positive outlook, it was pretty hard to miss what everyone was so upset about. so i guess i noticed that no one ever brought it up….and simply wondered why ……
like i said, if i had carver trapped in an elevator, i would just praise the man and thank him for breathing life into our show oh hell, i probably would be so overwhelmed i’d only manage a simple….”thank you”. 😉
How many “whiny fangirls” does it take to turn a bitter complaint into a legitimate concern exactly?
E – I think the bottom line is the ratings and $$$; as long as the ratings are strong, and in SPN’s case they have been improving over the course of S8/S9, they’ll stay with what they’re doing.
e, is this a riddle? I don’t know…I never considered anyone whiny fan girls or boys for that matter.:) to be honest, I don’t believe Jeremy carver would think that either if he ever was posed the question;)
are you referring to the term legitimate? if so I only meant that a question regarding sam’s pov isn’t any different than any other question that’s been asked in these interviews. I kind of wish they had asked, because I agree with njspn fan in that some of these questions have been repetitive and bland…not all, just some. 😉 I agree with Cheryl that someone should’ve asked more about sam’s arc concerning dean….but then again, that could be too much of a spoiler so I can see why that would be kept on the low down. 😉
Hi nappi, my ‘riddle’ wasn’t really directed at you. I just put it under your comment so that I could keep it in the middle of the current conversation. Sorry if you took offense. And I agree with you… I would hope that JC would take any question posed in a respectful and articulate manner seriously and provide a serious answer.
I was just struck by the notion (and not in a good way) that a completely legitimate and thoroughly discussed character issue (an issue addressed here ad nauseaum by the way) such as Sam’s POV (or the lack thereof) could be summarily reduced down to “whiny fangirl” status and dismissed so easily. When is a character concern simply fan kvetching and when it it a real problem that needs addressing? And how many fans need to be dissatisfied before whiny complaining evolves into an astute observation about problems in the writing and characterization that are truly undermining the quality of the show? When is it complaining and when is it legitimate criticism? Since many fans (many, many) have noticed the lack of Sam POV since season 4 (and that’s SIX YEARS for anyone who’s counting) we are way beyond petty complaint status and well into serious flaws in dramatic construction; flaws that need to be voiced by fans and addressed by the writers. If JC is so oblivious as to not see the flaws in the writing for Sam then I would at least expect him to be aware of the fan reaction to the writing for Sam at the very least. So, we are back to the initial riddle…. how many whiny fangirls does it take to turn a bitter complaint into legitimate concern? And who is going to bring up these concerns in interviews so that they CAN be addressed? I get that Comicon was not the time or place for such questions, but I haven’t seen anyone address these issues in any meaningful way in YEARS. How can TPTB truly have their ear towards the fans if the fans are never asking the tough questions and expecting real answers? Kripke was very good about being up front with the fans, admitting when things didn’t work (the roadhouse, Bella) when they’d made mistakes (Sam’s ‘4’ year absence in the pilot, introducing Jo as a love interest for Dean etc…) and I miss that about him. Carver’s tight lipped stoicism is much less interesting and satisfying to me. This show has always been very transparent, I see no reason for them to go all tight lipped and cryptic now.
Once again, I ask, what sort of answer are you all expecting? I’m willing to bet the farm that there is no answer Jeremy Carver could come up with that would satisfy people. It would get picked apart in numerous ways and fans out there would manage to twist his words to show that he’s a terrible show runner (which I DO NOT think he is). That won’t make the seasons gone by any better. He is happy with the story lines and how they’ve been done. He thinks his writers are doing a great job. He would tell you all that if you asked the “whiny fan girl question.” (Which by the way, means the question is whiny, not any of you). He would not address it with any sort of detail.
Go back to my Robert Singer question last year when I asked how they address continuity issues with a fan base that gets upset when things are wrong. He gave a cute analogy about it being like cooking dinner for friends. He hopes they like it, but if not, oh well. How many of you said after this, “Oh, that cleared things up.” https://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/article-archives/interviews/17980-interview-with-supernatural-executive-producer-robert-singer-comic-con-2013
This is season ten. What in the world makes anyone think that maybe this season they will change the way they do things? Jeremy Carver is not Eric Kripke. He’s not open with fans. Neither is Robert Singer. They prefer to keep fans at arms length. It helps makes their jobs easier. It doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate fans, but they’re not going to let fans dictate their creative direction.
Before anyone takes offense, this post is not addressed at one person. I’m just replying to this thread to keep the response with the appropriate discussion. I’m also quite annoyed that people who have never been in a press room are dictating how things should be. But I’ll digress on that. I’ve got bigger fish to fry, like posting interviews right now.
I guess I am not really expecting any sort of answer, but a simple acknowledgment might help; Kripke was very good at finding this balance, Carver less so, and I basically liked Kripke’s approach better. This is just me being disappointed (again) knowing that even though there appears to be a very real problem (and an easily correctible one) that it won’t get addressed, probably can’t be addressed and at this point probably won’t change in any meaningful or satisfying way. It’s all part of what happens to an aging show apparently. Character problems, canon problems, writing problems… I guess it just comes with the territory, sadly. At least the story is still holding together well for the most part. I remember the X-Files getting downright preposterous to the point that I couldn’t watch any more, at least this show hasn’t gotten to that point.
Boy do I agree with you about the X-Files E! I have to admit I have jumped ship on quite a few shows. Even though this show has some issues and there are things I miss dearly about the earlier seasons, Supernatural still has the ability to excite (and sometimes disappoint) me. I don’t know whether it’s because I have bonded so closely with the characters or because it has gotten me through some tough times or because I love and admire the lead actors but I know I am in it until the end and I always look forward to every premiere, finale and all the ones in between. This may be the first show I have stuck with this long-term.
It’s funny that the actors always give out a little more information than the showrunners. And of the actors it is the J’s that give us the most. Mark is the toughest nut to crack I think.:) Anyway thanks for all the hard work you are doing Alice, it must be exhausting attending the cons and then getting all these interviews and articles up, in addition to everything else you are doing.
alice i never said or even implied that you said the complaints weren’t legit. you said that the show runner would consider a question such as that as something coming from a whiny fan girl….i was just saying that [b]if[/b] a show runner implied such a thing, at a question that was actually a legitimate one based on the vast amount of complaints that i’ve seen posted here and elsewhere, then it would seem that the show runner was being condescending to the fans. i never said this was actually the case. it was simply a rhetorical observation. to be honest if you were to read my posts ( i know they are long so more than likely you would probably avoid them) but if you do ever go back and read them, in the deeper look at sam winchester thread, you would see that i am the only one who’s ever defended the writing and jeremy carver.
as i said, i never once had a problem with sam or the way he was written. I totally understood where he was coming from the entire season, just as i understood where dean was coming from. I had stated in my posts that i felt sam was written true to his nature and true to reality considering what he’s gone through. I never for a second saw him being as written unsympathetic in any way shape or form, and i’ve endlessly defended carver and his team on the story i believed he was telling and the way in which he’s telling it….and judging by what i’m seeing, my theory holds true.
i loved season 9 and barring one episode in which i felt that the age of sam winchester was totally wrong, because sam has never been a clueless kid post the age of 5…..i thought the writing was fine and the story excellent. i am one of perhaps three people who’s constant positivity and optimism has most likely nauseated people to the point of carrying around a barf bag:D…..but alas…..i have always had faith in carver and the story he’s telling and i still do…
i’m sorry that you misunderstood my post… i was merely posing the question based not on what i felt, but based on what others had felt. there are literally hundreds of posts in the sam winchester thread complaining about sam’s pov, i just found it odd that it was never a question asked in an interview….i just wondered why out loud….
I understood what you meant as well. I would have liked to see someone ask Carver a different question. We have gotten some fleshing out of character stories for S10 but the one that is still kind of mysterious is Sam’s. I know that only 3 episodes have been filmed but I was curious about Sam’s story or if it is going to be a little bit of a surprise later on when we find out just what he did. In the interviews I have read or watched so far not much has been revealed for Sam. I am just curious if that is by design.
Also how did they write the injury into the story. We need to know these things ;)…I am so excited for S10 just from that one small clip. I can hardly wait.
🙂 thank you. I think I agree that I would’ve liked that myself….I kind of think it was by design…I think the fact that dean’s demon character has been described by Jensen as being an assh+++ is just so that the fans can brace themselves. Be prepared for what’s to come because chances are good that we won’t like this dean…but then when the real dean comes back, it’s all the more sweeter. the fact that dean reveals in the clip that he knew what sam did…kind of makes me wonder how dean would know in the first place… I look forward to sam and dean interacting on a demon/human level…I expect dean won’t be very civil and say whatever it takes to mess with sam’s head…but I can see why demon dean would want to kill sam, I mean if anyone could stop demon dean, it’ll be sam…so sam is demon dean’s biggest threat….wonder how that will play out…kind of wonder too, if demon dean isn’t possessed and his soul is just twisted, then wouldn’t sam have to cure him to change him back again? wonder how that will play out….I would love love love to see dean handcuffed to a chair while sam shoots him up with his blood….that would make for such an awesome scene……the transformation back to human…boy I hope that’s the way it goes down. 🙂
Be gentle Nappi, he’s got a big boo boo, kiss and make it better? 😀 Honestly I don’t think anyone is attacking anyone here! I guess you do have to be a little careful how you frame a question. I saw Jared bristle a tiny bit at one question in the press room.
leah ….i know you’ve read my posts…i have never once, not once complained about sam or the writing. i have done nothing but defend carver and the writers. i would never ask carver that question because i never felt the need to. i was just pointing out that i was surprised that it was a question that was never asked at all given how many people , including writers, felt that this was an issue that needed to be rectified. i realize that you would have to ask a question like that with tact and caution……but i think just posing the question….will we be seeing sam pov in s10 is pretty tactful…nothing that would make one bristle, unless of course someone posed that question in a condescending tone…. but i think interviewers know enough to be careful or at least hope so….
leah, it’s not even my question. it’s not something i’m passionate about at all….i never had a problem with this season or sam…..it was just a stupid observation that i noticed and should’ve kept to myself…:(
No nappi I totally get it. You were just wondering why no one ever asked that when the fandom has been up in arms about it for years.:) I knew it wasn’t YOUR question. We who read your posts (and thoroughly enjoy them) and see how you defend the writers and JC know that is not one of your quibbles. No worries nappi. 🙂
thank you leah, i really appreciate your kind words…….and i hope you enjoy diabolical dean this season….i have a feeling i will. 😀
If the sizzle clip is any indication I am sure I will!:)
I just want to say that I am [b]psyched[/b] Sheriff Hanscum will be coming back. She had a small but memorable part in “The Purge”, and I can’t wait to see what a Mills/Hanscum buddy cop episode looks like.
Agreed!! As I said upthread… if they wanted to do a Sheriff Jody/Sheriff spinoff with monsters getting ganked or mom’ed to death I’d be totally behind that. It could be Cagney and Lacy meets X-Files meets Fargo! Totally awesome! I’d watch that for sure. They could even take in some young orphaned hunter types to appeal to the younger fan base. I’ve always hated Crissy as a character but if they wanted to bring her back to get schooled by Sheriff Jody and Sheriff Donna I’d be all OVER it. It could also provide another safe haven for the boys to get some mothering and pie.
I agree strawhair, that is one of the things I heard that I was pretty stoked about. It should be a lot of fun. I hope they get to kick some supernatural ass! 🙂
I was pretty interested to hear that too! Sounds like it will be awesome.
It seems to me S10 is going to “payoff” the set-up of S8 & S9.
Carver pre-S8:[quote]And they are each going to have to learn how to deal with the fact that their brother might not be the same person, maturity speaking, as the guy they hopped in the car with seven years ago. And everyone on the staff seems to be united in feeling like it’s time for these guys to start growing up a little. I mean, God knows they’ve gone through so much, you know what I mean? [/quote] (Huffington Post TCA interview in August)
What Carver just said about S9 (above):[quote]For me, season nine was very much about each of our characters, this is including Crowley and Castiel. Each of them at a certain point in that season were presented with ‘Who do I want to be?’ Castiel started as a human, Sam was inhabited by Gadreel, and even Gadreel himself had this arc of ‘Okay, I chose the wrong way to find redemption.” Everyone faces that choice. [/quote]
Plus add in that the opening song was “Who Do You Love” with Charlie providing the voice-over S9 thesis statement in my mind; [b][i]”There’s pretty much nothing the Winchesters can’t do if they work together”[/i][/b] And what happened? An emotionally separated Sam and Dean ended up running into a buzzsaw.
Now add Carver’s next line about S10 (above): [quote] It’s really careful building blocks sort of centering around the idea of forcing our main characters to eventually come to a ‘You are who you are’ or ‘I am what I am.’ [/quote]
Taken collectively here’s what I get:
– He wants to mature the relationship b/w the two and he first starts off with recognizing they are different and the old ways don’t work. Dean was different from Purgatory. Sam was different from living a year out of the life. More importantly, they each experienced different traumas over the last decade and the dynamic needs to recognize this.
– He wanted them to sort themselves out a bit in S9 and I think we learned a few things: Sam is settled into being a hunter/MOL for his life, Cas is an Angel. And Dean? Dean is a mess — he’s the least settled. But the killer that he’s always had at his core, that was fed in Purgatory, is now amp’d up with the MoC. So Dean’s identity is probably least set but they’ve got a direction I think (hey, you’re good at killing, doesn’t mean you are poison). Crowley seems to be coming to grips with being a demon with a humanity addiction.
In short, I think S8 & S9 have set up S10 to finally get a functionally working Winchester Team who accept who they are. Charlie’s voiceover from last year is the key I think. I believe Team Winchester is going to be functioning again by the end of S10.
And I think Carver lays it all out.
I know that Carver said that the theme of season 9 was “Who do I want to be?” and quite honestly, I don’t see that at all…mostly because not one single character posed that question to themselves or indicated to the audience in any way that this was a theme or that they were thinking about who they wanted to be. A theme needs to be acknowledged in some way to the audience for it to be a theme. Only Gadreel even came close to deciding who he wanted to be, and he was killed off, so it doesn’t matter. So, I guess that means Cas wanted to be the kind of angel that steals another angels grace, Crowley wanted to be a blood junkie, Kevin wanted to be dead, Dean wanted the MoC to turn him into a demon, and Sam wanted to be possessed by an angel and forced to commit atrocities against his will. I don’t get this “theme” Carver is talking about AT ALL. Since all the characters except Sam said “I did what I had to do” I was under the impression that that was the theme. Maybe he meant that “who do I want to be” is supposed to be for season 10 instead, cause I can’t reconcile that being the theme of this past year because not one single character (aside from Gadreel) thought about who they wanted to be or choose the way they ended up this season as something they wanted to be and it wasn’t made clear to the audience.
Professional integrity is the access to these press conferences. The focus was on s10 as you can’t go back and fix s9 parts that some fans did not like. The writers stick with their vision and then it gets translated on screen-like it or not. It is a fan question that probably gets screened out at J2 panels to avoid tension between the players for the juicier role of the season. The controversy also keeps hope alive that Sam is more expressive in his POV in a new season. There is a POV for Sam. He consistently shows his duality of character. He has been this way since the pilot. It is expressed in how he acts, reacts, and carries himself with Dean and other people. It is all let out in 9.23. Sam was ready to die in 9.1. He wants to stay in the family business. He wants distance from Dean- this isn’t a new theme. He has his internal battle going on always but once he feels responsible for Kevin’s death, he has to decide who he is and what relationships he wants.He understands Dean’s mission even though he knows it may kill him because he respects that Dean is ready to die. He gets it. He also is a loving brother when he filters out his guilt and nightmares.He comes full circle in not wanting to let Dean die when he summons Crowley. He hates demons, with good reason, and yet he is willing to summon one for help. There is a Sam POV iIMHO, it just is not as glaring as other characters as it is reflective of Sam’s approach to issues. So Sam’s hatred of demons and love for his brother- another duality within Sam.
I agree;)
Hey Nappi I have a burning question for you? Do you know why you have a little clock on your icon torso and no one else? Perpetually at 9 o’clock? I’ve wondered about that for awhile. Lost sleep. Were you born at 9:00? Does it have important signiicance in your life? Or is it a fluky site thing (which I suspect but it would be less interesting , so make something up ok? ;))? 😀
(sorry for the silliness, just couldn’t resist)
hi leah.
can I be honest with you….I had no idea until just now that you pointed it out that I had a clock on my icon. I never even looked at my icon til just now. 😀 hell I keep trying to change the picture but it never accepts the ones I pick out…:p I was actually born around 8 in the morning I believe…..so 9 doesn’t have any personal significance….except for the fact, that coincidentally, 9 o’clock is the time that my all time favorite show is on….in fact, it’s really the only show I watch:D how’s that for awesome irony..,:D
it’s not silly at all, I actually like digressing….I do it all the time.
oh and it’s anna. nappi is just a shortened nickname of my last name. 🙂
LOL. You know I like the one favorite show @ 9 o’clock angle! It works. Anna is a very pretty name. 🙂
thanks:) leah is pretty too…I knew a leah when I was a little girl in Brooklyn…I am actually the first of the grandchildren, so I was named after my grandma:D
Thanks Anna. Gosh now I am unsure what to call you:) Do you have a preference here? My Grandma, who was a dear sweet soul, was named Edna. That was my Mom’s alternate choice. I am good with her final choice.:D I do have her middle name Mae!
anna is fine unless it’s easier for you to remember my handle you can refer to me by that. 😀 just don’t call me late for dinner….:p:D..jared ain’t the only one with the lame jokes…although I really did giggle at the constipation joke:D
e, I kind of think I did see a little where the characters were making a choice of who they wanted to be.
Crowley chose humanity..at least in small doses.
cas chose to be what he’s always been meant to be.
dean chose to be a self designated victim …a victim of his own belief that he’s no good.
sam chose not to be the victim. I know there was a lot of complaining that we didn’t know what sam was thinking, but I don’t think that’s out of character. sam isn’t one to gripe. he isn’t one to indulge in self pity or play the victim…sam endures, sometimes silently, but he endures. he survives and pushes on without complaint. but he did change. he recognizes that the old way of doing things isn’t acceptable anymore damned the consequences. sam has matured in many ways.
I think season 10 will be the season in which the boys face who they are and come to accept ea. other and themselves. that will be a major part of the healing process. imho.
Maybe the answer to this question is out there somewhere but the one thing I’d love to hear from Carver is about his ideas about brotherly relationships in general. It was always interesting to hear Kripke’s conception of the characters in terms of his first ideas about Dean as the Han Solo to Sam’s Luke Skywalker and his own personal lifestory and its connection to the story of Sam being the one who moves away from the family. Carver talks a lot about the relationship between Sam and Dean and its need to develop and change but what is his definition of a ‘good’ relationship? He talks a lot about character development which is why I want to hear his ideas about whether there are ‘right’ answers to the questions (‘Who do I want to be?’ ‘Who am I’?’) he poses. I get that he doesn’t want to give plots away, but it would be great to hear what he thinks about life in general and be able to read the show against that.