Fan Video of the Week: Supernatural Reflections on Always Keep Fighting & “The Werther Project”

Editor’s Note: Supernatural often inspires its fans to express themselves artistically. Fan videos are one such creative outlet. This week we are excited to share with you an article written by a Guest Writer who found videos that emotionally reflect “The Werther Project” and the Always Keep Fighting campaign. We hope you enjoy this musical interpretation of Supernatural’s most recent messages.—

This weeks episode, “The Werther Project”, tackled the theme of suicide. Before the episode had even aired, Jared Padalecki and the writer warned the fans about the episode containing that theme because it might be too much for some viewers.

“Jared Padalecki @jarpad  ·  Apr 22
Tonights episode is the one I filmed during the first #AlwaysKeepFighting campaign. Its content deals with suicide. #SupernaturaI”

and,

“Bobo Berens @robertberens  ·  Apr 20
As you may have guessed from @jarpad’s awesome #alwayskeepfighting campaign, this Wednesday’s all new #Supernatural deals with suicide. It’s 1 element among many. But 4 those for whom that theme–and macabre representations of that theme–might be too much, this is a warning.”

If you think about Supernatural and what Jared’s campaign “Always keep fighting” is all about, you might see that the brothers are not new to the thought of depression or even suicidal tendencies. Their father John offered his life in a deal to keep Dean alive. The deal he made was taking his own life even if it was not by his hand. Dean did the same for Sam. Dean’s arranged suicide had a time limit and his death almost caused Sam to follow the same route. When Dean died, Sam was in a swirl of depression and he was hitting the bottom fast.  He admitted to Dean that Ruby saved his life and that he wouldn’t have been alive without her.

During the ten year run, self harm and suicide has lifted it’s ugly head many times through words or just lingering in the backround. It was often with the brothers but also with other characters like Ellen and Bobby. In this episode it was again with Sam and Dean.

In my real life I have also been affected by this matter with friends and family. Some have been saved and some have been lost. This episode was also strong for me because I knew what work Jared was doing before, during and after the episode. He got support for the cause from people all around him like Jensen, Travis Aaron Wade who played Cole and people around the world. He also continued “Always Keep Fighting” with Jensen.

He mentioned the following in an interview:

“Maybe a lot of people don’t know this, but Season 3, we were shooting an episode, and I went back to my trailer to get changed and just kind of broke down.A doctor came to set and talked to me for about 30 minutes or 45 minutes and said: “Jared, I think you’re clinically depressed. I think I should write you a note and we can shut down production for five days and then we can take it from there.” And it kind of hit me like a sack of bricks. I mean, I was 25 years old. I had my own TV show. I had dogs that I loved and tons of friends and I was getting adoration from fans and I was happy with my work, but I couldn’t figure out what it was; it doesn’t always make sense is my point. It’s not just people who can’t find a job, or can’t fit in in society that struggle with depression sometimes.Luckily, two of my great friends, Jensen who everybody knows very well, and my friend Kelly who I work with, came to my trailer to check in on me and talked to me for probably an hour or so and then, I was like, “All right guys, I’m going through a tough time right now. I don’t know what it is, but I’m just going to keep my legs moving. I’m going to keep fighting.”

Also in represent.com Padalecki wrote:

“On New Years Eve, my dear friend lost his battle with depression. This, unfortunately, wasn’t the first time I lost a personal friend to suicide, and it hurt me deeply…”

Now, by this long introduction, I move to video(s) that I think fit perfectly with the suicidal thoughts of both brothers in “The Werther Project”:

“Hurt” by Johnny Cash

The first video is from Dean’s point of view, by ash4897:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLLRjwWyRaM

The second video is from Sam’s point of view, by JShomphe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vydfiDnB_DU

Listen to the lyrics and the voice. This song fits both brothers so well.

“Hurt” (originally by Nine Inch Nails)

I hurt myself today 
To see if I still feel 
I focus on the pain 
The only thing that’s real 
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting 
Try to kill it all away 
But I remember everything 

[Chorus:]
What have I become 
My sweetest friend 
Everyone I know goes away 
In the end 
And you could have it all 
My empire of dirt 
I will let you down 
I will make you hurt 

I wear this crown of thorns 
Upon my liar’s chair 
Full of broken thoughts 
I cannot repair 
Beneath the stains of time 
The feelings disappear 
You are someone else 
I am still right here 

[Chorus:]
What have I become 
My sweetest friend 
Everyone I know goes away 
In the end 
And you could have it all 
My empire of dirt 
I will let you down 
I will make you hurt 

If I could start again 
A million miles away 
I would keep myself 
I would find a way

All I can say is Always Keep Fighting Sam and Dean. Always keep fighting.

The song “Hurt” is a song written by Trent Reznor. It was first released on Nine Inch Nails’ 1994 album: The Downward Spiral. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Song in 1996 but it didn’t win. “Hurt” was rerecorded by Johnny Cash to critical acclaim and you can definitely hear the reason for that. The song was one of Cash’s final hit releases before his death September 12, 2003 at the age of 71.

References:

WikipediA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Variety: http://variety.com/2015/tv/people-news/jared-padalecki-always-keep-fighting-depression-suicide-twloha-1201451708/
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnnycash/hurt.html
https://represent.com/jaredjensen 

Twitter:

@jarpad – @JensenAckles – @TravisAaronWade

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/JaredPadalecki
https://www.facebook.com/JensenAckles