What’s So Great About Season 1?
What’s so great about Season 1?
With all of the rumors, gossip, hope or whatever, that there will be a Season 6 the prevailing theme (in the two or three comments I’ve painstakingly sought out and read) is that Kripke is going to return Supernatural to its roots, you know, the ones of Season 1.
So, with winter hellatus upon us (two weeks down, seven to go) I thought I’d explore what’s so great about Season 1 and why there would be anyone out there thrilled that we’d go back there. Also, while I have plans, dreams, inspiration, aspiration and most definitely perspiration, to achieve some sort of literary magnificence during this winter hellatus, I currently have no creativity in that writing arena, so “˜tis fluff, and nothing but fluff I’m doing here in the hopes of jarring loose a modicum of creativity.
With that in mind, here we go:
What’s so great about Season 1, let me count the episodes:
Pilot, Skin, Home, Scarecrow, Faith, Nightmare, Shadow, Dead Man’s Blood, Salvation, Devil’s Trap.
Then there’s the other episodes:
Bugs, Route 666, The Benders, Hookman — they’re worth watching if for no other reason than to compare to the likes of BUABS, WIAWSNB, AVSC, MS, JIB, Lazarus Rising, OTHOAP, Lucifer Rising, AAH and so very many others.
Have I mentioned the actors/actresses?
Samatha Smith, Adrianne Palicki, Loretta Devine, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Nicki Aycox, Taylor Cole and the introduction of Jim Beaver (to name just the standouts in my mind, and off the cuff, feel free to add others.)
What about the anemic alternative pop music?
Won’t find any here! It’s all Allman Brothers, AC/DC, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Squire, Bad Company, Def Leppard, Rolling Stones, Iron Butterfly, Quiet Riot, Boston, CCR, Blue Oyster Colt, Ozzy Osbourne, Kansas and so very much more…ah, memories.
Then there’s the monsters, monsters and more monsters:
Wendigos, ghosts, vampires, cannibalistic humans, shrtigas, daevas, shapeshifters, pagan gods”¦hey, maybe we’ll finally see a chupacabra! Yeah!!!! (or better yet, zombie alligators “” I’m with you, Suze.)
Bring on the funny!
- Dean, muddy and stinky from plunging into the river.
- Bitch/Jerk
- No chick flick moments
- Sheriff: “Is there anything real about you?” Dean: “My boots.”
- Sam: “You’re afraid to fly?” Dean: “It’s never really been an issue before.”
- Sam: “Are you humming Metallica?”
- Dean: “Oh, honey, I don’t do shorts.”
- Everything in Hell House (especially the brotherly pranks)
Yeah, Season 1 has loads of good stuff. Should Mr. Kripke and his posse decide to go back to the roots of the show, I’m in. Of course, I’m a bit of a lemming, I’ll admit it, I’ll go where they lead”¦as long as there’s Carry On, Wayward Son.
Thanks for reading. Elle2
Hi Elle2, Fluff is NICE!!! Wish we had more of it!
I hadn’t heard much about a structure for s6, but I’m glad they are at least acknowledging the possibility of one. And yes…Kripke & Co best bet is a return to the season structure that had high ratings…. But we can’t forget Sam’s powers… I would like them carried through too… And I still say he has them.
Yes…season 1 was the year of the MOTW….and what monsters they were too! I just never get tired of watching those episodes, and I liked them all. Really thought Route 666 and Scarecrow showed the brotherly boys very well…..also the pilot. Loved when Sam kicked Dean, and Dean swatted Sam’s head. Remember the days when they boys weren’t afraid of the police! 😀 😀 😀
Your ‘Bring on the funny’ was great!!! They always fine such good one-liners for the boys.
.
What I would really like to see again is the scaryness of season one. It was so incredibly creepy sometimes. Just think of Scarecrow or Provenance. The little girl dragging her doll and holding a straight raiser in her other hand… Awesome!
Season 1 led to classic rock, peanut M&Ms, and an unhealthy fascination with salt appearing very commonly in my day to day life.
The monsters really were incredible. Although for some reason I don’t scare very easily when it comes to tv or movies, I loved watching the monsters and villains of season 1. They were always well-imagined, well-acted, and just generally awesomely fugly 🙂
Season 1 holds it’s own quite well, and I think, should there be a season 6 that actually follows the season 1 model, it would be even more amazing. Because, this time around, all the things that made season 1 work will be rebuilt upon a rich, multi-layered history acquired through the 5 seasons, giving an extra depth to an urban-legends based plot.
I say bring on the FLUFF, bring on the funny, bring on the scary, bring on the angst. Bring it on and keep it coming. (Please Mr. Kripke sir, you hear us?)
Elle2, I love your ‘fluff’ at any given time! Whatever the muses send you, I’ll be happy if you decided to share it with us… like this sweet piece… 🙂
You know, I’ve been looking at the mystery-spot-countdown, well, there are days, but when you point it out so aptly that there are about seven more weeks to go… oh dear, that silly brain of mine hasn’t made weeks of the days, and all of a sudden it all sounds so … long… What a crazy chick I am sometimes… (occupational hazard?!)
But I think we’re doing fine. With all the fun going on here on this great site, this hellatus will pass as if it wasn’t even there…
Season one will always be the season I fell in love with this show. The pilot. Two brothers. Terrified, yet fearless hunters, tormented by a terrible event, family issues, some really scary stuff, deep, indestructible bonds, and – on a shallow note – two of the most handsome guys in a sexy car… Yes, and this lady is glued to the screen…
The first season was already great, and that is not easy to achieve. Most shows struggle in the beginning, trying to find their pace and path, but this was high quality from the beginning. They changed some things, you notice today that everyone involved really knows the story and the characters, it’s getting even better!
I’d love to see Loretta Devine again, and Samantha Smith… Hey, bring back the ladies…
Of course I hope for a sixth season (and, hey, it will provide the actors and crew with safe work and income for at least a year), but I hope this show will go out before it starts getting that ‘oh-I-can’t-think-of-any-original-ideas’ vibe… Now, I don’t think that would likely happen with the fabulous people working on this show, but you never know…
And the actors probably would like to move on to other projects, as well. As Jared described at the last con (and finally I was able to catch the stuff on youtube) that the working conditions were not exactly appealing, being away in Canada for such a long time and not being able to see friends/family. Would be really tough for me, too, if I worked like that. I’m happy to have my loved ones around.
isn’t it grand to be a fan of such an exceptional show!?
…there’ll be peace when you are done…
Thanks for this! Love Jas
Someone described Season 1 as ” Two greasers riding around in a muscle car fighting demons ” which pretty well ticks all my boxes in one sentence. When you add the rock, the snark and the angst what’s not to love?
I’m enjoying the tangled web of mythos that is being wrapped around our heads at the moment but a return to simple pleasures would be rather fine too … Providing they worked my crocs in there somewhere, obviously! 😆
De-lurking for the first time!
I hadn’t heard the “season 1/season 6” comparison from Eric Kripke before. Though I think it’s a little too early to be talking about season 6, I’ll also say that I hope that the writer’s have learned from the weaknesses of season 1.
I started watching Supernatural midway through season 2. I may be in the minority here, but when I got a chance to watch season 1, I found it (like many first seasons) to have a lot of growing pains. Season 1 is actually my least favorite season, because although it had some GREAT episodes (Home, Faith), it also had quite a few clunkers (some of which elle2 pointed out in her article), fell into a formula early on, and took itself a little too seriously at times. We would have never gotten a “Monster Movie” or “Wishful Thinking” back in season 1.
But it’s a strength that the writers that they recognized this and took steps to correct it. I’m curious as to how the writers will return to a season 1 structure–I’m not sure I could go back to road trips after taking on the Devil!
By the way, zombie alligators? I TOTALLY want to see that! Someone get Ben Edland on it, stat! 😀
de-lurking the first time too.
just wondering, in respond to the sheriff’s question what’s real, did Dean say My boobs? I definitely think I heard boobs
I like the Benders, a lot, it is one of my favorite episodes; I found myself liking episodes a lot of people find problem with, like Red Sky in the Morning, Metamorphis, etc. Good for the show!
Thank you thank you thank you elle2 thrice for the ‘lo, verily season one is fine.’
The first episode I ever saw was The Benders and I had known (just stupidly never watched, maybe I had inadvertently taken the brown acid) it was a ghost/monster-fighting show, but when they talked about how their usual playmates acted, I figured I was missing some good stuff. Then to follow with an uninterrupted string of great stuff to close out the season, I was hooked.
And it was often the little things, the late, great Lorena Gale, who delivered so many memorable lines in the X-Files and Millennium, “your alarm’s about as useful as boobs on a man,” the brilliance of Hell House (man, does that episode kick vast gobs of ass), mythology that really does go to eleven, rock and roll, believable emotion.
Even the “clunkers” (and if each of us was to rank every episode, I’d wager that for most, a lot of the ones on the bottom would come from season one) on replay aren’t as bad as originally thought, plus there are always good moments. Even Bugs has some if you completely ignore the climatic “battle.”
They can do season six. Even if you beat the devil, not as if all the other monsters magically vanished. The question is, will the audience be willing to embrace a comedown after the high of the apocalypse?
Hummmm…..I would classify a return to a s1 model as a fresh start or a new beginning. Less pressure until the next problem come up. And with hunters…. it will.
FYI, yesterday I saw an comment that said Kripke would be there for s6 if renewed. As his current contract ends this year, I’m guessing that means they are, or already have, negotiated a contract with him for s6. Here’s hoping!!!.. 😀 😀 😀
Hi, everyone.
Forgive me that I’m not calling you out by name this time. Sadly, my desktop has caught a virus (the third time this year ergh!) and while I’ve scanned and scanned, quarantined and deleted there is still something lurking and slurking and this morning as it shut down, restarted three times in quick succession and then flashed a warning that it was going to “prepare for memory dump” I unplugged it from the back. YIKES!!!
Now, I’m on my laptop (which is where I do all my work and as little as possible internet stuff) and this site fro some reason runs the comments in a half inch wide stream so that I usually can read two or three words a line and then have to move down to keep reading. Suffice it to say it gives me a headache and it also overwrites on the names of people, so while I recognize some (Suze, Randal, Sablegreen, Jasminka, Josie and some newbies (well, new at delurking — HI!!!!) there are several I can’t read at all.
So until I come up with another couple hundred dollars (or a friend who’ll help for less — and a much better antivirus) I’m limited greatly. and my article (the one on Women and SPN) is coming along great, thankfully I printed it off to read last night so I can still work on it, but Ellen’s, Bobby’s, one inspired by Randal and something else are currently inaccessible (but I digress)
Where was I … thank you all for such a great response to this little article. I was worried I was being just to fluffy and walking on memory lane too much (but, but, but they’re such great memories). Good thing I’ve already got another little one already sent off to Alice — Randal, you’ll think I’m channeling you!
Thank you for delurking, thank you for sharing your memories, thank you for commenting and thank you for liking my fluff!
Thanks Elle2 for this. I absolutely loooooooove season 1. Sometimes I think it is my favourite one. Even the episodes that inspire scorn from others, I find much to love in them. For instance the “Bugs” climax. I tell myself that most of that evening was off screen and it would have been boring to swat bees for 8 hours, and so they popped back in with dawn arising. Heehee! That way, I even love “Bugs”. So much more to that episode that the creepy crawlies, mostly the brotherly relationship and differences of perception towards Big Daddy.
Most of season one lands in my top five episodes of all time, even if that is impossible. Too bad! That’s how I feel about it. I started watching in season 3 with Supernatural Christmas, and bought the dvds after that. I was so very pleased and enjoyed tremendously seasons 1 and 2. And I still do.
If Kripke stays on board and we return to the format of season one in season six, I for one will be a very very happy camper. I yearn for more brotherly banter and pranks, more cheeseburgers, more brotherly teams and trust and more brotherly fighting and snark and more Bitch! Jerk! moments. Sigh! (and on a shallow note, more shirtless scenes).
I’m sure there are a ton more monsters we have yet to see in the flesh, even though it is the brothers and not the MOTW that makes me watch. Loved the Benders, with its human monsters, the creeptacular Scarecrow (shiver), creepy girl from the painting and the fabulous Nicki Aycox as “Meg”. Sam could get back together for an episode with Sarah, my favourite Sam girl so far. Beautiful and gutsy and knows what Sam is about.
I have to say for sheer enjoyment I would pick seasons 1 and 2 and most of 3 before 4 or 5, even though I adore those also and wouldn’t give any of them up (and wouldn’t want to lose Cas for sure).
I want a miracle to heal Bobby and Please! No more killing of my favourite characters! Are there any left?
Another long time lurker here. I never thought I would ever be posting anything, but since I previously encountered the same problem viewing this site on my laptop that Elle2 has described, I thought I should mention how I managed to solve the problem at no cost whatever. I downloaded Mozilla Firefox to use as the browser on my PC instead of using Internet Explorer. Using Firefox as my browser not only solved the problem I was having viewing this particular website, but it solved a few other problems I was encountering with internet viewing on my laptop as well. I’m not sure if changing browsers would also work on your laptop, Elle2, but thought I would mention it since it worked for me.
Of course, now that I am here, I must mention that I have been watching and loving Supernatural since the very first episode. I sometimes think my daughter (who also loves the show but not as much as I do) is sorry she ever asked me to watch the Pilot with her when the show first aired back in 2005. She keeps joking that she thinks I’m obsessed with the show. I told her she didn’t have to worry unless: (a) I went to a convention, (b) I bought a 67 Impala, or (c) I started posting on fan websites. I’m pretty sure my daughter doesn’t read any of the fan websites, so hopefully, she’ll never find out that there is reason to worry after all.
Hi Elle2
Where do you go after an apocalypse?
I guess it makes sense to go back to the beginning.
Rebuilding and starting from scratch.
I’ve always loved season one, its where I fell in love with the show.
Either way, what ever they end up doing, I’ll be there watching.
Hi, just managed my ‘squinting’ reading again…hmm, Firefox and Mozilla. I think I’ll contact a friend who is more tech savvy (and braver) than me and ask them to show me how to do it. Since I’m a court reporter and all my transcripts are on this computer (although also archived off the computer) I’m hesitant at allowing any downloads other than uploads as I fear someone hacking in. “course, unless they’re just trolling who would want to hack me, I don’t do anything real cool.
I’ll check it out though…I’ll also suck it up and take my desk top to ‘the cleaner’ and get it fixed AGAIN !!! Ergh.
Love all the comments and that’s three delurkers now,,,hmm, perhaps I’ll write more fluff!
Thanks everyone for sharing insights in Season 1, it really is a lot of fun to watch.
Perhaps is SPN syndicated it could get a ratings boost (at least percentagewise) to what NCIS got which catapulted that show after six seasons
elle2, oh man, is the desktop clean now, I hope? Man, every time they replace the battalion of computers here, I have no idea what they do with the not-that-old ones. Too bad I couldn’t snag one, I’d just send it to you as a replacement. And remember, quadruple backups and flash drives and hard copies and such. If I lost all my poems and fantasy league stuff, I’d have to set the place on fire.
If you’re channeling me, well, my condolences. 😎 I’m going to have to repay the favor, as your Yay Season One gave me an idea. I’ll have to start once I finish this awful research paper. Good luck with your computer problems!
And I have to second Bevie. Bring Sarah back, you hear me Kripke? Help your fellow dudes out.
Elle2 fluff is always good! I always thought that after the apocalypse going back was the way to go, so… yey! I loved season 1 and if they go there for season 6 I’ll say that works for me.
Oh, and I’m with you and Suze on the zombie alligators 😀