One Night Stands
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One Night Stands
Rule number one: always get the audience’s attention.
Instead of tossing out a top ten list of episodes or stuff already nicely covered by Alice (Top Ten Villains, Unsung Heroes) or elle2 (I Wonder What They’re Doing Now), I present to you, for your edification (or a handy target for your slings and electrons), something not really that exciting and new, a sinking virtual Love Boat, if you will.
But don’t worry; it’s not one more top ten list.
It’s a top *thirteen* list!
Why a baker’s dozen? At the end of every December when I write up the Albums I Dig roll for my crappy blog, I always include thirteen, primarily because that’s a spooky number and rock and/or roll is the devil’s music, right? Assuming he doesn’t get offed before the season finale, I’m sure we’ll have a chance to ask The Prince Of Darkness if he prefers Leonard Cohen. Furthermore, I’m lazy and it takes effort to whittle off another three, and I figured why not recycle such a brilliant plan here, this time for those unsung cogs in the well-oiled machine that is Supernatural: the one-and-dones!
Evil Steeler Terry Bradshaw once said of himself, “you can lose with me, but you can’t win without me.” I assume the 952 Hall of Famers on defense might differ (I can’t hear their protests over all my sour grapes), but the point is clear: supporting casts have an impact on episode quality. For our purposes today, the only requirement is that the character had at least a few lines and never appeared in more than one episode. That’s it. I’m not concerned with advancement of plot (though that would naturally improve their chances for recognition, duh); whether he or she or it portrayed a character that was likable or demanded a volley of rotten tomatoes; or whether the episode itself is counted among the pantheon of all-timers, merely whether the character’s performance sticks in the craw like peanut butter.
“Do you remember the time…” is the benchmark.
Nothing is ever experienced in a vacuum, so I can safely guarantee that this, even more than lunatic and pointless Sam/Dean battles, is strictly a personal taste thing. It’s plausible that your list will look completely different than mine, but variety makes a spicy life, so please give us yours and tell me why I’m certifiable. Without further Apu, the lucky thirteen.
Honorable mention. Asia, Heat of the Moment. No longer just a misty, watercolor memory of the summer of Khan – holy shit, that was 27 years ago – this arena rock staple got played so often, it became the third wheel in the first few acts of arguably the show’s finest hour. That’s saying something. C’mon, you know you just hummed a few bars.
13. Corbett, Maggie and Spruce. Since I can’t include the original line of action figures, I’m going with the next best thing. Dustin Milligan’s Corbett is so much the nebbish everyman, Brittany Ishibashi’s Maggie is nearly the group’s Lennon (Spengler is obviously Yoko, for did not his rat-inspired scream sound like the backing vocals in Cold Turkey?) and Austin Basis’ Spruce is 15/16 Jew, 1/16 cameraman. “Is it cancer?†“Shut up.â€
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I enjoyed reading this .. I think my own “one night stand” list would match up favorably to this one.
Hey Randal,
fine work! Thanks for this fun piece!
Loved your choices, in particular Diana Ballard (thanks to Linda Blair even the thought of supernatural pea soup scares the ‘holy hell out of me’), Sam should have married Sarah (sorry, Randal), Madison was indeed enchanting (the whole episode is one of my all-time-favourites, breaks my heart every time. Oh dear, I’m a masochist), I hope there are also The Divine Comedy, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Wuthering Heights on her shelves. Then we’re good.
And, of course, Missouri – loved that woman (‘He means well, he’s just not the sharpest tool in the shed’… really… loved her, did I mention that?), and, yes, Grandpa Samuel, wonderfully ambivalent guy.
Thanks for this top thirteen list, as I consider thirteen to be a lucky number, you couldn’t have done better.
As for the early stages of senility… there is always medication, hahaha
😆
Best always, Jas
Good list … Ultimately sympathetic cop lady was Linda Blair! Wow! I totally missed that, but then it was back in the dawn of time and I did watch the entire film with my eyes shut …
Perhaps you could do a sort of one and a bit appendix and give sweet losermen Ash The Mullet and Big Bong Andy a shout out ( not to mention Mandroid Ron, bless his multi-perforated little cotton socks ) It’s going to be a long wait for fresh eppies after all …
Great top thirteen list Randal!
I just new you would out Casey on #1 (yes, I’ve noted before you have a crush on her).
Thanks for this one it’s always good to remember some of the guest actors, and thanks Alice for the photos (especially for that one of Heart 😉 )
Hi, Randal,
Great list. I love the idea of taking a blook at some of our ‘one and dones’ and I like your choices. While I agree the faboulous Missouri Mosely shouldn’t be on the list, I fear for her survival should she return. (Still grieving for Ellen)
As for Casey as Number 1…those scenes between her and Dean were excellent, two people sitting or standing and talking and yet the whole time the screen sizzles, not only with chemistry but with what we now know…Great job.
ELLEN’S DEAD!!! :cry::
F*CK. I really liked her. Now I’m all gloomy.
And we’re out of chocolate. :cry::
Hey, alice, thanks for adding photos! Takes away from the meandering text, ha ha.
pete, amen to that. It’s very easy for a single-shot to derail an episode with a poor performance and hell, there were ones I had to leave off that are just as worthy (Deacon, Cooper the Carny, Ms. Case – okay, the episode was wonky, and maybe it’s a guy thing, but her needling Sam was just funny to me).
CandyMaize, thanks!
Jasminka, I bet we’d certainly find those books on her shelves. Hmmm, you just inadvertently gave me an idea for an article. I’ll have to hold off on my meds for at least one more day. 😎
Dany, I’m not anything if not predictable! And I think the shot from Heart was alice’s suberversion of my fanboy #1, but you’d have to ask her. 😀
Suze, she was easily one of my favorites and if she had only appeared in 2.2, still would have made the list. At least she and Jo went out like hunters.
Suze, yikes, almost forget the rest of my reply. Maybe I should start taking those meds. I loved Ronald, Ash and Andy, who does indeed kick ass, (and Henriksen!) but the writers didn’t have the foresight to anticipate this list and brought ’em all back. 😀 I know I missed a few obvious ones, too.
!!!!! WTF! JO’S DEAD TOO?!!
AAAARGH … I have to catch up ( runs around in stressy little circles tearing hair ) … I have to catch up … I have to catch up …
What a great idea Randall. I agree with most of your list – Casey, Corbett, Jamie, Sarah, Nancy and Missouri especially. And you are so right that Missouri should have been more than a one night stand. Not sure I agree with you about Linda Blair though…I think the idea of her guest starring was much better than her actual performance…and have to say I would substitute the rabbit’s foot thieves for the organ player from Monster Movie 🙂
One thing I always wonder though is why Kripke et al struggle with the female recurring characters as opposed to the female ‘one night stands’ (that sounds awful doesn’t it).
I suppose to some extent the network/studio must be fussier and more involved with recurring characters and given the other shows on the network I assume for long-timers they give looks more weight than acting ability. And I am sure there is some jealousy at play for female fans when a female character ‘hooks up’ with a Winchester. Although here I would argue that this applies to one-timers as well and if an actress is talented enough and written ‘right’ (see below), fans are prepared to overlook this (see Jamie, Sarah, Madison)
But to me, the main difference between female characters who are accepted by the fandom and those that are not is this:
The female characters that the fandom accept, like (or admire) the Winchester brothers.
Anyone who treats them like they are stupid, inferior or irritating most of the time, opposes the fans’ view of the brothers and the main reason we watch the show. So, characters like Ruby v1 and v2, Bella, Jo-before-the-last-episode etc. do not go down well. Not to say that it all has to be ‘lollipops and candy canes’ (see Ellen, Jo-in-the-last-episode, Anna, Mom-in-the–genie-episode etc). They can be strong women who are intelligent and have their own agendas. They can tell the guys when they are wrong, but overall they need to be pro-Winchester brother rather than anti to be accepted by the fans.
Having said that, even for one-timers, if the pro-Winchester female characters are only one-note, they provoke indifference (doctor from Siren episode) or mild dislike (waitress when Sam worked at a bar in early Season 5). And the problem is exacerbated if the character is played by an actress with limited talent. The Young Mary actress is the opposite of this – she made the part more than it was …aided by being pro-Winchester times two! And Missouri is an interesting one where she liked Sam but talked down to Dean…perhaps the rule is ‘must be pro- at least one Winchester’!
So, in summary! If the writing creates a female character who is a) overall pro-Winchester and b) nuanced, and an actress brings more than is on the page alive with her talent, it works. She’s in.
I am not sure if this holds true for male characters…Hendrickson …hmmm…well he did not like them until the end, but he admired them…Zachariah, Rufus, Grandpa Winchester…hmmm…anyone, anyone? Bueller?
Addendum to above:
Female characters who are supposed to be anti-Winchester are obviously exempt e.g. Lilith.
Randal, glad to be of service – bring it on. 😉
Magichappening – interesting point. I have to admit, I’m not sure whether Kripke has discussed the question of the female character and disclosed the mystery why so many women don’t survive this show… But I don’t think it happens because fans don’t accept certain character. I believe each character comes in to serve their purpose, and I’ve always loved great female villains like Ruby or Bela, wanting to kill them myself at times…
If some parts of this fandom don’t accept them out of some kind of jealousy, oh, well, it’s probably immaturity on display… I don’t care, really.
Can’t think of a better argument right now, I need to get to sleep, it’s 2 a.m. here. So,
Good night everyone, Jas
Hi randal. Great list and a great idea 🙂
You really got me thinking about all these one-nighters that have graced our tv screens…
I got a few faves too. I liked Kathleen the cop from The Benders, Max Miller (boy, that boy was tragic), Lenore from Bloodlust, Molly from Roadkill, Father Gregory from HOTH, The organ player from MOster Movie (he was So funny lol), and Adam from Jump the Shark. And there are many many more if I reaaally start to think back… So I couldn’t make up a list like this, unless it was top50 or something 😀 So my hats of to you Randal, I really liked your choices and agree on many, and those guys really brought back great memories from the last 4+ years of this magnificent show.
Hi Randal
Love the list and the idea.
So many of the one night stands that truly added to the show.
I for one always liked Michael from Something Wicked.
Kind of a mini Dean who was willing to put his fears aside to save his little brother.
Also Layla from Faith. She was willing to try anything, but more for her Mother than herself.
Thanks again for the article.
Only one person in the list, who I don’t care about (actually I never found any real personality in her and was pretty surprised when Dean praised her – in the same time, she was pretty and Dean praises anything female, when it is pretty, so there…): Sarah.
To make that up: I have to admit that as a straight female, I was slightly in love with Casey too. Because she indeed did have a personality, an interesting one, and this hot vessel that she was fond of, was, oh, so very hot.
magichappening, see how many cool characters I ended up leaving out? I loved the Casio guy. “zee night ees mine!”
Interesting points about the females characters. I think part of the problem is that, since Supernatural is ostensibly a road show, and the boys are heterosexual males (sorry, Wincesters), it wouldn’t be that easy to have a girlfriend/companion with any kind of permanent status.
Obviously in the real world, long-distance relationships exist and there are husbands and wives who travel extensively for work, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Though I wonder if they were ever to do that, would then fandom rise up to complain that such a female character is getting the short shrift if she doesn’t appear on screen much, in comparison to an ‘enemy’ such as Bela or (mostly) Ruby? I don’t think they should automatically be assumed to be the stereotypical, one-dimensional femme fatale.
I think Bela could have worked if there had been more chemistry between her and the brothers; there’s nothing wrong with having a character to loathe as long as they’re compelling. I thought she worked well in 3.3. I think the problem for many was (and I realize I’m speaking for people I don’t know, ha ha) was that she often got the best of the brothers, two people as skilled in the game as her.
We could go on and on about this, especially since what I just said probably wasn’t that coherent. 😎
Jasminka, great, now I have to use my brain!
Clarice, thanks! I think she could have been a great resource/sounding board for Sam as he continued to deal with his burgeoning powers. Plus, she was funny as hell.
supernarttu, oh yeah, Officer Kathleen just missed the cut. I hated leaving her off. See, I think she provides a partial answer to the show’s “female problem.” There HAVE been strong female characters, but because there hasn’t been one along the entire run on the side of good, a lot of these great one-shots get overlooked.
Max Miller, I waffled on because he was the ‘bad’ guy, but man, it wasn’t his fault. And the actor did an excellent job. It’s hard to walk that line. Lenore (was great to see Amber Benson again, completely different role than Tara from Buffy). So many good ones!
Karen, ha, forgot about him! “What did you say?” “Nice car.”
vana naine, blasphemy! 😀 I think he was impressed because she didn’t shy away from danger. Of course, you make up for it for your love of Casey. I should start a fan club.
You never did strike me as a guy who tries to save brain tissue by using it as little as possible, Randal.
8-), Jas
That’s why Lenore looked familiar–wasn’t a regular viewer of Buffy, I couldn’t place her.
Great list, Randal! I think I’d have to tack on the kid Ben (cool kid!) & the changeling girl’s mom from Kids Are Alright, the organ player, Layla, the kid Michael from Something Wicked (I loved ’em too Karen ;-). Oh, & the trick-or-treating astronaut from Great Pumpkin. Apparently I really like the little people. And how long is my list now? Kudos on editing down to 13, a skill I clearly lack.
BTW, also loved Its a (Wo)Man’s World–hope you find more up your sleeve
Good points Randal – there is indeed nothing wrong with the character we love to hate e.g. Uriel, Zachariah, Yellow Eyed Demon, Benders..but for me Bella and Ruby did not work – but to each his own. Perhaps it comes down to personal taste and for me it is simply the magic alchemy of writing and acting has not come together for any of the antagonistic female characters and I still wonder whether it is the condescension rather than the antagonism which jars for me – although I agree Bella was good in her first episode.
And Ruby wise thought that maid she possessed for a scene was great! Ooh actually the Hansel and Gretel witch was really good too evil-wise! Shall have a think about a good femme fatale… I thought Lust was pretty good actually. And Tamara was pretty badass.
And Karen and supernattu and elenaM I agree with all of your choices! Kathleen (really good), Michael, Ben Braeden, mother of girl changeling (brilliant!), Layla (brilliant), Molly (brilliant), Lenore (really good), Father Gregory, Max Miller – 9 more…hmmm..a top 22 Randal?
Oh I can’t believe I forgot this character! – but Meg as the evil female – perhaps not the femme fatale in the truest sense but that scene in the daeva epsiode ?Shadow/s where she has tied the brothers up? Wow. Nicci Aycox was brilliant and even as Meg Masters rather than a demon she was phenomenal. I also do not mind the new Meg at all. She definitely has potential. So I stand corrected…or perhaps Meg is the exception that proves the rule. Curiouser and curiouser.
Ooh the Crossroads Demons! Femme fatales extraordinaire – all excellent. Particularly the one where Dean sold his soul. Now I’m really confused. They have strong, interesting females like Jamie and Sarah who the brothers get together with, they have strong female antagonists like the CRDs (and even one excellent lomg-term evil female in Meg)…but Bella and Ruby still did not work for me….?…hmmm… OK. I need to let this go. Time for wine.
You know, I think that my one night stand list would be almost completely different. Well, maybe half different.
However, that being said, I absolutely love your list and I think that all the characters you mentioned deserve massive props.
It just goes to show how many amazing supporting characters this show has had.
My top 13 would share your choices of Corbett Maggie and Spruce, Nancy, Madison, Missouri, and Samuel Campbell.
My other 8 characters would be the following:
Ronald (Nightshifter)- It’s the laser eyes. I just can’t get the line out of my head, and he did such a good job with this roll.
Meg Masters as Meg Masters (not the demon): though I love Meg the demon, she doesn’t really count as a one night stand. Meg Masters, on the other hand, does. She gave such a convincing and emotional portrayal of the character that I can’t not love her.
Layla- the issues this character brought up were just fascinating to me. As someone who has seen both friends and family struggle with terminal illness, I really appreciated the way they explored how she was dealing.
Lisa and Ben- I thought Lisa and Dean were just great together. Why? Because they were terrible together. Well, until the end. It was great to see a strong woman who wasn’t just going to fall right into Dean’s arms, but who also did really like him. And who couldn’t love Ben? He’s a mini Dean! It was fun to see Dean interact with Ben and get a glimpse of what Dean might be like as a father.
The Carrigans from A Very Supernatural Christmas. Do I really need to explain this one? This elderly couple reminded me so much of my grandparents, even when they were pulling out Sam and Dean’s fingernails and teeth. Now that’s impressive.
Adam- Ok, I didn’t even like this guy, mostly because I was determined before I even saw the episode that I would not support there being a third Winchester brother. But, as it turned out, I really liked the episode and what Adam’s presence revealed to us in Sam and Dean. We saw how much both brothers had changed in the past 2 seasons and we got to see Dean’s Daddy issues resurface once again.
Dean Smith and Sam Wesson- Not sure if this strictly counts as a one night stand, since it is still Sam and Dean, but it was interesting to see what their lives would have been without hunting, or better yet, with hunting and without the memory of it.
Jimmy- Seeing Cas ride around in Jimmy’s meatsuit is just so much more interesting once we’ve met the meatsuit. Jimmy is a truly interesting character, and it was heartbreaking to see how much this war was costing him. Plus, Misha did such a good job portraying a completely different character than Cas. As I watched the episode, I didn’t see Cas pretending to be Jimmy. I saw Jimmy.