What Kind of Supernatural Fan Are You?
Confession time. This has been a strange year in my life, and I often wonder if I’ve become batshit crazy. I’ve loved TV shows before, heck I’ve even been part of online communities praising said TV shows, but I wasn’t prepared for what happened when Supernatural came into my life. I wasn’t prepared for that moment when I fell in love with this under the radar show about two hot brothers traveling cross country fighting evil, in a cool car, on a crappy network no one ever heard of. I had no idea I would be sucked into a phenomenon that went far beyond an hour of my life each Thursday.
I was so blown away by this show after spending weeks catching up on DVDs, I wrote an homage about how much I loved it. Why I never heard of Supernatural before season three. Then someone came along who actually wanted to publish this story. The article became so wildly popular that I ended up becoming a regular voice on this fandom. Now people actually want to read what I write each week. That’s something I never to this day take for granted and appreciate having in my life. It’s also something I never expected happening in a million years.
In the time since then, I’ve gotten to know many fans, and delved deeper into the rabid (in a good way) fandom behind this cult hit. I found a deeply loyal and die hard bunch whose borders went far beyond the US. There are no borders actually, for I’ve heard from fans in every corner of the globe. I never realized that a fandom could take love of a show and do so much, like find clever ways to promote the show that went far beyond anything a network PR department could pay for. How they could raise money for charitable causes in the name of the show, and create photobook projects, fanfics, fanart, fanvids, icons, picspams”¦Everything I’ve seen has been nothing short of amazing.
I’ve met so many wonderful people and share daily correspondences with fans all over the world. To read about how passionate a fan is in Romania is every bit as thrilling as raving about the week’s episode in my morning Taekwondo class. I’ve spent countless hours on the forums debating this and that, even sharing my obscure knowledge about how screwed up the network is, breaking down ratings statistics in all sorts of twisted ways (yes, the inner geek took over), and debating over the make and model of the classic car spotted in various episodes. That Pinto was time-warped I tell you!
I never considered going to a fan convention before, having laughed at all the Trekkies out there for years. In four months time though, I went to two Supernatural ones. I even gushed like a fan girl at them, something I never imagined could happen to me. I still smile when I think about it. I even started my own fan website, putting in with delight the hours it takes to create clips and screenshots for the articles on the site, just because words can only be enhanced by the pretty.
I never knew a TV show could affect me so much. I also never knew what could happen by getting too much of a good thing.
Lately the fandom has been more taxing than supportive. Too much enthusiasm becomes overwhelming. I’ve deflected tons of attacks from both Sam and Dean fans over my commentaries, claiming I’ve unfairly favored one over the other. All out wars have broken out in the comments sections of my articles. I get frequent messages expressing outrage over what this person in the fandom did or what that blogger said about the show or Jared and Jensen, along with the hundreds of supporting condemnations, and I wonder how people find this uplifting. I find it aggravating.
I’m constantly solicited on a daily basis now to “donate” or “buy this” in support of the show, which near impossible for someone like myself who’s on a rigid budget. I love mentioning a cause in the blog here and there, but those are my limits. There are also so many polls out there now I can’t imagine why the Winchesters need to win all these. Does that actually lead to better ratings? Diversions are fun, but when it turns into a part-time job, not so much. The overreactions to this spoiler and that teaser is getting plain ridiculous, and shows a strange lack of trust for a show that rarely lets us down. Finally, as much as I want to promote and share the love about this show, reading the constant plugs for interviews and the latest projects of every single actor that’s ever appeared on the show is becoming overkill. Some efforts are worthwhile, others are just going too far.
I’m ready to admit it now, I have a life outside of this show. I can’t keep up with it all. So, in confessing my weariness, what kind of fan does this make me? An ungrateful one? A jaded one? A heartless one? Someone who should have my membership revoked? Someone who doesn’t deserve the readership I get?
No matter what, I’m a loyal fan. I’m just one that’s straying from “batshit” territory by going back to the basics. I went back and asked myself, how did I fall in love? Easy. I was won over in two minutes by two brothers, a moment of family angst, and a classic car. Why do I keep coming back each week? Two brothers, moments of family angst, and a classic car. Sure, the writing is some of the best I’ve seen in television, the chemistry between the lead actors is second to none, the sets are memorable, and the directing will leave its legacy long after the show is done, but once I strip it down to the bare basics, I’m left with those three little things. That is my pure joy. That is the spirit I choose to promote.
I’ll continue to eagerly wait for the new episode each Thursday, with no expectations other than to trust the creative minds to “share the vision.” I’m dying to see the finished result after the hours of endless debate in the writer’s room, the long production meetings hammering out every detail, and episode shoots into ungodly hours of the morning. I’m honored to analyze the finished work with objectivity, and admire in awe how this small yet compelling piece fits to this gigantic puzzle that’s been years in the making. I appreciate every week, even in reruns, how all this has been done for me and a few million others like me. When I look at the show this way, I truly feel special.
It’s so easy to get caught in the madness. It’s so easy to troll the boards, fan groups, emails, and Facebook/MySpace/Twitter communities constantly just to get that frequent fix. Fandoms are good. Bonding with those that share your love is good. Using your spark of creativity to honor your favorite show? Good. Analyzing character development and story plotting like we would at a book of the month club? Good (unless fan wars break out). Taking everything in the fandom and twisting it so much that you lose sight of the basics? Not good.
Now it’s time for all of you to confess. What sucked you in the moment you saw the show? Is that still the same thing that brings you back every week? Will that ever change? There’s no right or wrong answer, for the best part here is as fans, we’re all among family. Even us batshit ones.
What kind of fan are you?
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.
A pretty lax one by the sound of things!
I fell over the show by accident halfway through season 3, it was dark, funny and pushed all the right buttons. No one I knew had ever heard of it so when it disappeared I went on-line to try and find out if it was coming back. Talk about Pandora’s Box! I waded through all the virtual hair-pulling for a while, found your stuff on Blogcritics and decided it was an oasis of sensibleness in amongst all the toxic wittering and have tuned in ever since when I feel like a chat.
That’s it though. I really enjoy the show, even the rubbish bits, and it’s nice to share thoughts with others who feel the same. I don’t care about the actors personal lives, their other projects, polls, fanfiction, spoilers, what people think about the spoilers, what other people think about what people think about the soilers and so on.
Life’s too short, frankly!
I don’t blame you for feeling rather overwhelmed, I’ve got two kids and a job too and I have no idea how you find the time to do all this as well. Please don’t let it all get you down to the extent that you pack up writing about Supernatural though, that would be a bloody tragedy! :cry:: 😆 😆
Dear Alice,
I’d like to believe that I am simply a fan of this show. Reading your articles always ensure me that I am not alone with my opinion and I can learn some new aspects from them as well.
I totally agree with you on the “hard core” fans with slash or without, it is way too much, and it is often not about this gem of the tv shows anymore. I stopped visiting many forums and blogs because of the uncomfortable point of view how they “love” SN.
But I like the enthusiasm as for example here in Europe fans are waiting for Friday to come or that you can enjoy the actual episode in your native language as even for not english speakers the subtitles are available in many languages a few hours after the episode aired.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us every week and I keep visiting and reading your blogs, because I like the way you handle being fan of this show. It is often not easy. 🙂
(Sorry for my English.)
What kind of fan am I? Probably more obsessed than most would consider healthy, given it’s a TV show. I think the term would be “true fan” and that can be applied to yourself as well, Alice and most, if not all, of the people who post here. I think the wars between who loves which brother/actor better and over who is being covered more by the writers, etc. are ridiculous and do a disservice to the show.
Supernatural and I have a special relationship. Every week I count on Supernatural and look forward to seeing the brothers like they are old friends. When I’m having a bad day or am upset, then I can put in a DVD and lose myself in great writing and a beautiful journey of a family that is only slightly more dysfunctional than my own. Back in 2005 when in started, life was pretty crazy and I could never keep straight when it was on and usually I wasn’t home in time. So, I didn’t get into SPN until last summer when I went out and bought Season 1 and 2 on DVD sight unseen. Supernatural filled a place in my life that had been empty since the days of Buffy (my childhood hero and idol). I watched the first two seasons in a matter of DAYS, loving each moment more than the next until I was scouring the Interet to watch episodes of season three. And that, Alice, is when I discovered your fabulous articles.
I love reading your thoughts and analysis of the show every week and knowing there are other people out there who respect and love the writing, the acting, the storylines, the humour and the music as much as I do. Yours is the only Supernatural site I visit because the “drama” on the other sites is too much for me and I want to enjoy the show purely, without dopey arguements to taint it. I think anyone who is a genuine fan of the show doesn’t get pulled in to that whirlpool of name calling and bashing of each other.
So thanks Alice, for giving all the “true fans” out there a place to go!
I am actually very very new to Supernatural. I am presently studying abroad in Spain and a lot of people pass around what Dvds and books we have in English. At home I am an active member of an anime/Sci-Fi/Fantasy club and I rather missed my intense fandom time. Then I found a friend of similar persuasions who was stunned I had never heard of Supernatural. I watched the first few episodes and was hooked, mainly on the amazing relationship between Sam and Dean and how marvelously hilarious the show can be. I am now caught up, in the space of about a month or less. I’ve only stuck a pinky toe into this fandom, but having experienced others, I am certain they have gone too far. I really appreciate your reviews, if nothing else than because they allow me to get another’s opinion on the episodes rolling around in my head without digging too deep into the scary scary abyss of fandom.
Hi, Alice,
I’m a fan quite similar to you. I ‘found’ SPN last year, Mystery Spot first episode I ever watched. Checked it out the next week, and like Suze waded online into the fandom and got blown away with all that was out there. Quite quickly however I found a little bit of balance (only spent two hours a day online rather than four LOL) and having been finding more and more balance with each day.
I love snuggling up with a favorite episode or two (three or four) and enjoy writing a bit about themes or events that are of interest to me. I still check a few sites for an interview here or there but no longer search for videos of all the conventions or read every thread discussing an episode, upcoming or past.
The ‘love’ of some fans has bordered on possessiveness and I even posted my thoughts to those who stated that it was their show, they [the fans] made it what it is and thus it’s their’s and they should be able to tell Kripke and Co. what they could/should do. Whoa, no way.
What drew me to this show…the brothers and their relationship. To me that’s the heartbeat each and every week no matter how rocky the road has been at times. That’s why I love the show and that’s why I willingly settle in and ride along on each and every new episode.
My goal after the season finale airs…no spoilers for this next season. With a few moments of panic last summer (namely when Kripke mentioned that Sam and Dean’s relationship was to be ‘massively effected’ by Dean’s time in hell) none of the spoilers I have delved into for this season have bothered me at all. I loved the idea of the giant teddy bear, the idea of the black/white homage episode had me eagerly anticipating it, the magicians and after school special were to be looked forward to and I thought the premise of It’s a Terrible Life and Monster at the End of This Story as put out on spoilers was genius (I still do too). I’m with you, Alice — and others, I trust Eric Kripke with HIS vision and I’m ready for the ride.
I’m not too worried this year how I’ll pass the time until September(ish) since I’ll be going back and writing about what drew me to this show and fun aspects and trends and themes that are so much more visible now that four years have passed; the picture is by no means complete but it’s becoming more clear which is why I write with an eye to the past and try to figure where we are now. Also, in the hopes that some are newer fans like me, we can explore these themes together.
I’m a fan that has no time or love for the anger, I’m not a slash fan but don’t care that others are. I’m not a Sam or Dean girl or a Jared or Jensen…I love SPN. I’m not a Ruby fan or a GC as an actress fan but I don’t spend a lot of time moaning about her inclusion either as Ruby moves the story and has a fantastic role to play as does Anna, who has stirred up a lot of people.
Demons come and go, guest starts are awesome and others are okay, sometimes a script isn’t awesome but more often than not it is. I miss certain aspects (especially the music) but I know there’s nothing to be done about it and complaining just brings me down so I move past it. I hope John appears again but if he doesn’t, his presence permeates the episodes sometimes palpably.
Sometimes I watch for the mytharc exclusively, other times I look for the bro moments, other times I’m watching with an eye exclusively to the directing, lighting and sets [that sometimes includes a lot of pausing on frames to take in all the details]
But for sure, I’m watching each and every week and loving the show all the more. In fact, the less obsessive I’ve gotten over it, the more I’ve enjoyed it.
I’m a fan and I know that I’m only along for the ride, so I choose to enjoy it.
Too tired to write in english more than that:
* 2 beautiful brothers and physical fighting! guns! wounds! and blooood! took my heart (I’m not car’s person, I don’t even know how to drive).
* I read fanfiction and visit regularly (at least once in a week) 10-12 LJ journal and 3 other supernatural-related pages including this one.
* I never fight about anything on internet, but sometimes I comment – if I think I have something to say.
* I don’t care about actors personal lives (it took some time before I learned their names) or other projects.
* But I do care about fandom as such. It’s sweet and weird and full of fun grown-up women. (I ignore stupid teenagers, but I like fun teenagers too, when I see one).
*I don’t really feel as part of fandom, but more like visiting the most awesome zoo ever. (And I love zoos.) Probably because writing in english is such a pain in my arse and real communicating is just too hard. Or is the right word “difficult” here? Whatever.
* I like your hair-color.
* Bye!
The first I noticed this show was the Supernatural Christmas episode. What sucked me in immediately was the two brothers relationship.I immediately ordered online the first and second seasons. What a joy it was to be able to watch the episodes one after the other. I immediately fell in love with the two of them. (And the Impala as well). I loved every single episode (yes, including Bugs and Route 666 LOL).
I had heard of the CW network as I watched Smallville for a few years, but never paid any attention to the one that followed. Dumb dumb me!
Now I can’t imagine life without Supernatural. Whatever will I do when it is all over? Well, I guess what I do now. Every night of the week I watch 2 or 3 episodes to finish off the day.
I am retired, so I have time to surf for anything regarding my favourite show of all time. Hate hate hate the stupid infighting that goes on re Dean/Sam girls. Because of that, I have cut down on a lot of sites and continue on with the worthy ones such as yours Alice, and Bardicvoice and Tina Charles at TV Guide. I find I enjoy those reviews and discussions a lot, even if I did disagree with you once Alice, LOL. I did enjoy Bugs! For the brothers, not for the story though.
Since I do have the time now I have gotten into the fanfiction somewhat and found some truly marvellous stuff by some very talented writers that is true to the characters and the relationships. I purchased the 3 Supernatural novels from Amazon, and I find that they can’t hold a candle to the best fanfiction.
I love the brothers, I love John, I love the Impala and I love Bobby. (Geez, I hope he survives. Dean needs to have someone.)
And I love Kripke, Kim, Jensen, Jared, Jeffrey, Sera and all the wonderful writers and producers, directors and crew that give us this fascinating show. So I suppose I am truly obsessed and a true fan. I am enjoying the ride more than I can say.
I’m someone who discovered SPN quite early on. I caught a 2am repeat way back in 2005 after stumbling in from a night out (student at the time!). Fell in love with the show there and then and it just keeps getting better and better. Even though I’ve been following the show for a while I only discovered fandom in the last six months and although I’ve met some wonderful and interesting people (I met the professors writing the book too, Kath and Lynn I believe, in LA they were lovely!) there are some people who in my opinion take it too far. The girl who has had plastic surgery to look like Jensen’s girlfriend or the girl who threw herself at him down a stairwell and attacked the security guard who tried to stop her (he went to the hospital with a nasty burn) – too far!It’s Kripkes world (and what a fantastic one) I put my faith in him and his team because it just keeps getting more and more breathtaking. So we should respect him, his team and his vision – has he led us wrong yet?
I’ve been watching the show with my best friend on DVD, (she won’t watch it alone too scary!) she’s currently mid-season 3 and that I haven’t managed to give away anything – she still doesn’t know if Dean is going to hell or not! or about Castiel – is a mini-miracle I’m dying to tell her but I don’t want to ruin Lazerus rising. While watching it with her I’ve noticed that there were things I didn’t like first few times but on reflection I must admit Kripke & co knew best!
I don’t really go on forums, I check the occasional site like here or winchesterbros.com for news (and airing times, the CW has me confused!). I can’t give you the boys date of birth, deans cell number or the car number plate. But I love the show, enjoy it and watch my DVD’s regularly – does this make me any less of a fan because my existence doesn’t really depend on it? (As I was told by some fans in LA). I don’t think it does. I love this show, I love the story and the relationships, the humour and the heartbreak, I even love the way kripke seems to be on a mission to make me think twice about using anything in my kitchen (sink, garbage disposal, fridge, knife draw, blender, microwave).
I think a true fan is someone who loves the show and the story and how they express that, through writing fanfic, creating some beautiful artwork, helping with fundrasing etc is ultimately up to them. All I ask is that you respect the creators, respect the boys, and respect the story. Because, and this might sound hokey, it’s a gift – a wonderful story told in interesting, fun innovative and moving ways. And a good story is something special to be cherished – ok chickflick moment over!
Bethany
I am a very passionate fan and I discovered the show a year ago. I simply was swept away by the Supernatural world and I wasn’t really prepared for it. I am still amazed by what I did in such a short time since I discovered it.
My story kind of ressemble yours, you know, it’s funny and strange. In just a couple of months I became very involved in the fandom, started to read fanfictions (I didn’t even knew they existed till Spn) and commented on sites. I spent the hole summer searching for infos and spoilers about the show and I became a supernatural encyclopedia. But that was also the period I started to see that indeed some fans behave not so well and I cut off some sites/forums, etc. I prefer not to listen to some called fans bashing my fave show.
I love that show for the same reasons you do and I don’t let anyone to change my opinion. I am mature and can make my own opinion and I like to speak with people who share my passion. I respect the work of Kripke and his team too much and I don’t freak out so easily when I found about a spoiler. I trust Kripke and I learned that he never dissapoint me. He always has a logical explanation for everything he does. As for the characters, I love Dean and I am a Dean!girl but I never bashed Sammy or his fans. I mean the two brothers/actors and the chemistry on/offscreen is the main reason why I became a fan so how could I now bash one of the brothers? Love them both but Dean has my soul.
I find out about the actors personal life, it’s kind of impossible not to find out since the fans post it everywhere but I get that their personal life is personal and should stay that way. I am scared of celebrity and frankly I think I could never be a public person, seems so freakin scary 🙁 . So I admire more the boys for being so private, it’s kind of difficult to do it but they succeed it.
Anyway, I was telling you about the transformations the show made into my life. Just like you, I wrote an article about the show (I am proud to say that your first article was the one that convinced me to give the show a chance, and also a few episodes that I saw late in the night on a tv station), a romanian blog published my article and since september 2008 I write every week about the show. I am doing reviews, articles and everything that cross my mind about the show. They let me do everything I want for Supernatural, and they even gave me the possibility to write for any other show I want. I wrote for Kyle xy too, and now for Cupid (don’t ask 🙂 ) but no other show has the passion I put in Spn. Also I am gratefull ti this show for something very important: I became friend with a couple of fans and we started to collaborate, having an only purpose: promoting the show. But we also found time to really talk about our lives outside the fandom and that’s how a great friendship started 🙂 .
I hope you will continue to write because you do a really great work and you have a way with words that amaze me. I really admire you for your opinion. It’s one of the more healthiest I read.
bye 🙂
Hi Alice
I first discovered the show in late 2006. I’m a long-time horror fan and a friend of mine actually gave me the Season 1 DVDss thinking I would enjoy the show. (I live in New Zealand where Season 1 did not start airing till 2007 so I hadn’t even heard of it). I was hooked from the opening scenes in the Pilot ending in Mary’s very disturbing death. But they really reeled me in with the “Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole” scene. That scene, plus AC/DC and of course, that beautiful car – still gives me warm fuzzies!
Surprisingly enough, I didn’t even notice how cute the two leads were until a couple of episodes in (I know,what was I doing paying attention to the storyline?). But I did love the relationship between Sam and Dean from Day 1 and it was their relationship that held my interest through what I found to be some very painful episodes (Bloody Mary, Hookman, Bugs). By Scarecrow and Faith I was absolutely smitten. And I now have to write the air date of each new episode into my diary because I don’t want to have any other plans on those evenings!
I can quite safely say that I’m obsessed with this show. I’m completing a thesis at the moment and I’m sure that I would have finished it a lot sooner if it weren’t for Supernatural (and the time I spend re-watching episodes and reading reviews). I have never been so invested in a show and am proud to say that I’ve gotten a lot of people to watch it. I enjoy reading good reviews and meta-analyses of the show but I tend to avoid forums – I hate the bickering. I read some fanfic by certain authors that I like but I’m not into slash – seriously, they are brothers people!
I like the actors and would see Jared and Jensen’s other projects because I like them as actors but I don’t give a crap who they go out with or what their favourite cereal is. I check out spoilers and I only look at certain sites – including yours (which I look forward to every week). I am relatively normal, have never been involved in a fandom before (didn’t know what it was before Supernatural) and have a life including a full-time job and a hectic study schedule. How you find the time to write with a busy schedule amazes me – thanks so much for your efforts!
Hi Alice
I’m a spn fan since episode 1. When season 1 was over there in US it started here in Portugal. I always like supernatural and horror movies and when I found out the show name it captured my atention. I liked the 1st episode, so I continued to watch and I faled in love with it 😀 , and still do (with all the others shows I see I always get bored and end up stop watching it).
I love the brothers relatinship, love the great acting (in season 1 Jared and Jensen were good but now in season 4 they are awesome), love the fantastic writing(getting better every week), love the music… basicaly I love everything on the show! It made me cry, made me laugh, made me scare, and above all made me care like if I were a family member.
I’ve never went to the internet to search things about the show but this last December (blame the hiatus) I made some search and found out your site and the fanfic site and I fall in love again! I’ve read everything you had write in a couple of days and then I had to buy the 3 seasons dvd’s becouse while I was reading I realise I had miss a lot of things about the show (well I was just enjoying a very god show, not analysing it, shame on me!).
As for the fandom never went there, and to be honest (after all I’ve been reading about it) I’m not very interested, and I don’t have the time or the patiente for that.
So I’m gonna stick with you and your fantastic recaps and opinions (and Elle2), and with the fanfic at supernaturalville (great writers there) and this summer will past in no time.
And just so you know how much I love your writing about spn, I always read your recaps before I see the episode (Yes I like spoilers, and yes I’m crazy). So keep up the good work and never mind what people say because life is to short and where here to enjoy the ride.
Dany
I started watching with the very first episode. I have a soft spot for stuff filmed in my area (yes, I live near Vancouver) and have always been a fan of the genre so when the local TV Week magazine started doing it’s new season shows for 2005, Supernatural was on the list and I made sure to tune in.
Right away I was hooked, but superficially you might say. Due to “real life” I ended up missing about 6 episodes from season 1 including the finale. However, it was always on my radar and I was ready when season 2 started. Half way through season 2 the addiction set in and I became a junkie. This was when I really started talking about it to my friends. It took me until season 3 to get them really hooked but I did it.
I have all the books, the comics, a subscription to the magazine and own the first 3 seasons on DVD. Oh and I’m going to my first ever convention in Vancouver in August.
I am also like many others here in that when my obsession/addiction with the show kept getting fed by visiting websites, blogs, etc. Everyone seemed to be very reasonable at first but then it started to cycle into insanity and that is when I started to pull back. Now I have a couple of sites I visit (like yours Alice) and although I did follow fan fiction for a while and YouTube videos I have backed off on that too. I still like to check for interviews and clips from conventions because Jared and Jensen are really very funny guys and I enjoy the stories but a bit from an interview I just read recently quoted Jared as saying “I’m getting sick of talking about myself.”
I thought about that quite a bit. And I agree with him. There really isn’t alot for them to tell. Those of us who have followed them pretty closely know all the stories that they are willing to tell us already. How many times can we listen to Jensen talk about Eye of the Tiger? Or Jared and his dogs.
They get asked about pranks over and over again. There is nothing new for them to tell. It’s like the whole blue steel look – how many times do we need to see it (especially since they do it in the bloopers so much!)
I love the characters and I love the actors, et. al. but really, I only want to hear something new.
Where my person level of fandom has taken me is into their other projects. I didn’t go back and check out Jensen on Days but I do have both seasons of Dark Angel, Devour, have seen some episodes of Smallville and went and saw My Bloody Valentine 3D. I have also seen Jared in Friday the 13th and intend to check out Thomas Kinkade’s Home for Christmas as well as any future project either of the boys are in.
I also happen to be watching Harper’s Island while I write this.
But it’s not just about the actors. I am immensley proud of the work that comes out of Vancouver. I have friends who work in the industry and can actually find some of them listed in the Internet Movie Data Base.
I am also very proud of the low key attitude towards famous folk that people here in BC have. That affords Jared and Jensen some amount of a personal life that many celebrities do not have. And as much as I want the show to get the recognition it deserves (as well as wanting the same for it’s actors) I am aware that more exposure means a greater chance the boys loose some of their freedom when they are not working.
As much as Sam and Dean try to protect each other – I feel the urge to try to protect Jared and Jensen from the insanity I see happening to A-list celebs. They are just people and just because their jobs make us aware of them, doesn’t mean they have to forfeit their personal lives to us.
Am I a true fan? I’d like to think so.
…
I forgot to mention how I found Supernatural.
[no, I did not forget, it’s just very long story, but I’m making it shorter here.]
This is the short version, where the moment, when I found [my favorite book] American Gods/Supernatural crossover fanfiction, is not described or mentioned:
Few years ago a 15-years old boy, who is my fellow game-partner in ADD, stopped our game in the middle of the session to watch TV.
He NEVER stops the session. Never. He is the one, who always says: “Hey, come on, let’s play a little, you can do those other things any time else!” (Yes, I’m still playing with this same party.)
But this time he said we have to pause and as he _never_ asks this kind of thing, we did. We all watched TV with him.
It was the Supernatural episode “Shadow” he needed to see so bad he stopped our own adventure.
“Well, not bad. And boys are gorgeous and this blood looks real!” was my opinion. “Not wasted time at all.”
But I did not start watching it. I was a busy woman and TV is only mindless time-eater and no, I did not even had a TV in my home.
You know :”Avoid all the temptations, if you can, don’t buy chocolate or TV!”
But few years before _that_ I pretty much watched Gilmore Girls. Not every time, but when I had time, always.
Then I moved out from my parents place, went to university, had 2 kids and decided that I don’t need TV in my home, spoiling my kids and myself, and so I missed 2-3 last seasons of GG totally.
And then, a bit less than 1 year ago, I was bored and thought: “Hey! What the hell happened in GG finally? Is Lorelai pregnant and what about Rory and…” and I went and checked out from youtube.
Did not found out much (no new little Gilmore girls, unfortunately), but there was this weird comment under one video.
“OMG, is Jared’s character’s name DEAN? He look’s so young here! I’ve never watched Gilmore Girls, but I’m huge fan of Sam and Dean…” and some blah-blah-blah more.
What the heck?
Sam and Dean?
Wait!
Waitwaitwaitwait! Sam and Dean? These… supernatural-or-something-like-that-brothers I saw once in TV? OMG, this cutest guy ever in GG is the same guy in Supernatural, whom I liked at first sight (even as the show was kind of hinting that the other one is hotter)?!
Well, let’s check it out.
So, there was some more surfing in youtube. And…
“THEY KILLED SAM?! This show in fact killed one of it’s leads?! OMG! THEY SENT THE OTHER ONE IN THE HELL AFTER?! There were tears and screams! Oh, Dean!!! THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER BEEN IN TV! MUST SEE THIS!”
And then it started.
I love season 3 the most until now, probably because it was the season 3 stuff that hooked me up, all this mutual pain and tragedy.
But I loved
every
episode
I saw.
Ok, the plot and time-flow in Bugs was idiotic and there were some episodes, where thing went… akward.
But still.
I
loved
all
of them.
Since Pilot until No Rest for the Wicked, I loved all of them.
Honestly, I was not very impressed watching first episodes in season 4. Why aren’t they treating the tragedy like it deserves to be treated? Where are tears and screams and stuff? Guy was dead for 4 months! HEY!
But then I saw this, slow building of tension, like before. The only difference is, I had season 1, season 2 and season 3 all in my hand together and I could watch them without 1 week pause between episodes. This way I could see what’s going on so easily, that’s why it was so easy to follow the big story.
Now I have to watch the show only one episode in time, and think about all of them separately. But as all the seasons before, season 4 seems to be one big story, when finally whole, and bloody good story too.
But… oops, that’s another theme already.
I just wanted to share the way how I became the Supernatural-fan. The short version. 😐
Thanks for reading!
Hey Alice,
Brazilian fan here speaking… I never comment, but I always read your blog and feel this heartfelt fan moment needs commenting on! (sorry, it’s become quite long!)
I was sucked into the Supernatural world early on (had read about it somewhere already, saw the first eps on french TV while living there) and immediately became obssessed. Then and there I understood I had never been a real fan of anything before that and the intensity of it still scares me! I don’t think I could handle being this big a fan of more than one thing at a time, it truly is quite a lot of work getting to know a show so well, watching everything a hundred times and all! 😉
I didn’t know anyone else who watched it (still don’t, in flesh and blood), so I just kept it to myself (also so no one would notice the obssessive freak I really am and this show brings out), watched it every week, thought about it every single day, bought all the DVDs for crazy alone rerun sessions, drove my husband crazy talking about it all the time but that was it.
Last year I finally figured out there was this whole fandom thing out there (the word and concept being new to me), much to my delight discovered fanfic (which I read every night), heard about a con of anything other than Star Trek for the first time ever and found a few sites where I like to lurk, mostly for the reviews and metas. And also, of course, to feel like I’m not alone in my freakiness, which is comforting, and in my undying love for this unexplainably underapreciated show (HOW CAN IT BE SO UNDER APPRECIATED? WHY AREN’T THE BOYS GETTING EMMYS?!?!).
I can read the forums for a while and laugh at all the crazy there, but I mostly avoid that, it just doesn’t interest me all that much, the intrigue, the who’s who in the fandom, the spoilers, the reading about the actors’ life’s or anything other than just focusing on the story and the characters I love so much.
For me it’s just a pleasure making myself sick with anticipation from one week to another, thinking about Supernatural “now airing in the US” before going to bed every thursday night, waking up extra early on friday mornings so I can download and watch the eps before going to work, and being surprised every time. I ALWAYS love it, even when I don’t love the eps, if that makes sense…
I made one very good friend in/because of the fandom, and I’m grateful for that. And I’m sure my poor husband is thankful I now have someone to talk to about the show every week! (although I’m aware I still tell him about every eps in excruciating detail :s)
I feel I could have made other great friends to talk about the show to but I’m mostly shy on the blogs and LJs, so that never happened, and it’s ok too…
I am considering going all the way to the US for a con this year (where I’d meet my one spn friend!), although part of me still thinks this is such a silly idea and what do I expect to get from this geeky fan experience anyways? (I particularly dread the idea of getting authographs and photos, I’ll feel embarassed and intrusive, I don’t know! Also, from what I’ve seen, the questions are mostly silly and I feel like I’ll be embarassed of being part of that or something like that). But then maybe doing something so out of character for myself is part of the interest of it too…
I definetely consider myself a crazy crazy fan because of the almost unhealthy space the show takes up in my life, and the hole it will leave once it is finished. Supernatural truly is present in my mind every day, and I probably think about Sam and Dean and what they’d do, think, feel etc, way more than I think about most real people in my life! But I’m a crazy fan of THE SHOW, not of anything else around it…
So… that’s it! Not sure what the point of writing all this was, I guess just letting you know there’s people reading your stuff and appreciating your approach of things!
Clarice
Throughout the first two seasons on German TV I considered myself just a normal fan watching SPN on a weekly basis. But after “All hell breaks loose” I was so hooked up that I couldn’t wait a whole year and bought the Season 3 DVD box. From then it was like Hannibal Lecter said: ‘We begin be coveting what we see every day’. I was thrilled to be able to watch an episode a day. I was so enthusastiac when I first listened to the original voices of the cast that I had to rewatch the first two seasons without the dubbing as well. Now I’m eagerly finding ways to watch season 4. I read transcripts and Alice’s recaps to fill in the details and in-jokes I missed. I started lurking on forums carefully dodging around bashing fans. I plunged right into the fandom with all the fanart, fanfic and fanvids, doing some of my own too. Supernatural makes us really creative.
Am I a diehard fan? Probably not, because family comes first (well we all should have learned by now). I think of myself as a true fan.
Of course I love the boys and I really appreciate Eric Kripke. He takes me to places I so not want to go – and enjoy it.
Thank you Alice (and Elle) for your recaps and articles. It’s the only place I gain kinda objective insight into my favorite show and I will keep coming back for more.
Alice. Dear Alice. I want more fans like you, not only a woman of my own heart but a vocal one at that who seems to say it all perfectly and gets such intelligent and fasinating replies in response.
Like kmb316, I am a kiwi SPN fan.
These brothers are the ones I love. Period. I don’t care how fugly they are (it’s a nice plus that they’re not:mrgreen:-), for me it’s just Sam and Dean. That’s it. Not Jared and Jensen and their girlfriends and their other projects. Not guest stars and special effects, cars and gore. Just Sam and Dean. The superb quality of those other things is a HUGE draw point and I have to admit, I’m a bit smitten with Castiel, but take that brotherly relationship out of the equation and, awesome music or not, I probably wouldn’t be watching.
Yet SPN isn’t well known in NZ so maybe I’m a product of my surroundings. My DVD’s can only be borrowed one at a time, it’s not on TV at a normal human hour so I don’t have any friends who watch or are up to date with me. It’s hard to buy merchandise here, there are no conventions. So maybe if it was more accessible, I would become one of those OTT fans also.
Plot bashing and character bashing, all that, is incomprehensionable to me. Kripke and the team have given this gift to us, so shut up and be greatful, yeah? Jeez. If I have an issue with something within the show, I back it up with evidence. I reserve judgement. I only disliked the third brother plot after I watched the episode, lol. But that’s my personal opinion, I’m not going to shove it down everyone else’s throats. I liked Jo, I liked S3 Ruby. And I freely admit it.
This show has taken over my life, true, but I’m careful not to let it bog me down. I enjoy it for what it is. I enjoy the debate about it, the fanfic, the fanvids, the convention stories I hear, the friends I make through it, then, of course, rewatching episodes and key scenes for the hundreth time.
But then I turn the comupter off, turn the TV off, and go join my family for dinner.
I believe in this show, I respect it. I feel so strongly about it that I spent twenty minutes typing this. Alice, I don’t doubt your love for this show. A lackluster fan wouldn’t have written what you just wrote. To be frank, I think this show needs more fans like us. So, here, here to us all!! 🙂 😀 😉
(Oh, and P.S…stuff like this makes me worship the ground you walk on Alice, if its not too creepy to say. Brava!)
Okay, now I’m finished.
I have no idea what kind of fan I am, but you my friend are one of the most enthusiastic, supportive Supernatural fans I know! It is blog sites like yours that really gave Supernatural a huge ratings surge this year. Good on you, Alice! 😛
I imagine your blog in a mere 3 weeks might sound different. Can you believe we only have 3 more new episodes this season? If you were hoping for things to slow down, well they will very soon…not sure if I’m ready for that yet though!
Greetings Alice, I like your website! I’m a new fan, and I’m catching up on the show but so far I love it! I started watching every week after the 2nd season when my cousin wouldn’t stop telling me about it. 😀
You are so right, most of the fans are awesome! I love reading your reviews. You notice things that I miss sometimes and it’s nice to read reviews and go back and watch the show again for the newer perspective.
I agree I have seen a lot of people asking in the chatting sites for money for this and that and they claim to be doing this in the name of Jared and Jensen. I am tired of that too and doubt they are legit and I doubt that Jared and Jensen are supporting what these people are doing. I’m not interested in the silly poll questions or giving all of my money away to those characters. 👿 I’m like other people here. I just want to make new friends and talk about the show!
I hope that you keep writing your reviews and I hope that people will come here and read all of the interesting articles. I really enjoy it!
I have no idea how to describe myself as fan. I would probably be described as slightly obsessed by my family or friends. Getting up at 6.00 on Friday morning to watch a new episode before work (I live in the Netherlands) or reading fanfic till 4.00 in the night perhaps…
A friend introduced me to Supernatural in September and since then I have come to love it. I have always loved many forms of sci fi and fantasy and things like the bond between the two brothers and their development absolutely had me hooked. And it certainly helped to keep me sane while trying to finish my master thesis.
I visit a few sites and I visit one or two forums, but that is mostly to follow interviews and spoilers and stuff. And different websites research for potential fanfic…
So maybe the definition of a slighty obsessed fan fits…
I’m the Editor from “The Monster at the End of the Book” the best parts are when they cry
I’ve been a fan since the pilot, but in my country the show ended in season 2. That roughly 2 months from date-Local station, watch it in AXN-cable TV in 2006. I don’t know whether it will continue or not. :-?: Hopefully they will continue to air it. To many reality shows.
What I love about this show is the brothers(family), monster of the week and the CARS.
The brothers dynamics makes me thinks about my relationship with my sister (got 4). Even though it just a TV shows the basic is still human relationship. How it endure hardship, survive it and flourish.
Just love the shows until it ends. Coz every story has it ending.
I’ve been watching the show since January this year. I live under a rock. I don’t have a TV, and didn’t even know about online fiction until someone recced some fiction (not fanfiction) on LJ last summer. By the autumn I had found (and dismissed as not interesting) that there is such a thing as fanfiction. By December it was inescapable that there was a show called SPN which generated this weird fanfiction, so I checked pictures of Jared and Jensen to see what the fuss was about – OK, pretty, but so what? Then in January I came across the pilot on YouTube, and then the next few episodes, and then bought the 3 season DVD box set, and watched the lot in under 4 weeks.
I’m hooked by the storytelling, pure and simple. (OK, the music helps. And yes, after about the first half of the first season I decided that Jensen Ackles probably is one of the prettiest people on the planet. But for me it’s the storytelling.)
I don’t understand this urge people have to rewrite the story for themselves. I’ll stick to cannon, thanks, and to intelligent and constructive comment on cannon, such as yours, which I found this week via the Supernaturaltv site. (I did buy, and mostly liked, “In The Hunt”.) The idea of “Wincest” squicked me out even before seeing the show, and having now seen the show I just can’t understand how such a strongly portrayed sibling relationship could be perverted in that way. I stay away from all fanfiction. I stay away from the actor’s personal lives, and while I would love to go to a convention which had intelligent discussion about the show, if there is such a thing, the idea of going to one in order to line up for autographs and photographs with the stars amidst all the squealing is just excruciating.
Faellie
Dear Alice I went through the same ‘journey’ in the summer of 2007. I was trying to figure out how characters in a television series had embodied a whole new vision that has changed the way I perceived everything in my life. It was a mystery to me. How could two fictional characters do that?
But, you know – I finally got it. Why this show is THE ONE. Why Sam and Dean have struck such a chord in my heart. Those two brothers made their lives a testament to commitment. A commitment to family – a commitment specifically to one another – enduring obstacles that would cripple or destroy anyone else. But together, they kept one another strong. More powerful because love overcomes all obstacles. Makes impossible odds winnable. They KNOW that one can ALWAYS depend on the other. Nothing is more empowering than that. Their fight – together- is a fight on the side of the angels. And for them – together – right makes might. There is nothing in their way that can cause them to falter when they are each others protector.
‘Supernatural’ has opened my eyes to the wonders of what television can really be when everyone works together to create something wonderful. There have been many times while watching that I’ve had to stop, put the show on pause and take a breath. Incredible. The interaction of the two brothers with their love-hate relationship. Their total commitment to one another in life-and-death situations. And their unconditional love for one another leaves me wondering how on earth a single show could have such an impact on my heart and soul. It truly does leave me breathless. Sam and Dean have almost made as much an impression on my psyche as my own kids have.
Many times I’ve pondered why this is so. In all honesty, it kinda drove me a bit crazy, too. I’ll just say this. ‘Supernatural’ has heart. Despite everything those boys go through (and they’ve been through a helluva lot) in the end, they will never give up on one another.
Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki breathe life into the ‘Dean’ and ‘Sam’ characters. So much so that you get drawn in with them every minute they’re on the screen. My son said it best when he offered his two cents worth about the appeal of ‘Supernatural’ –
‘Sam and Dean interact with one another as true brothers should. Holding nothing back even if it lays bare the wounds they’ve suffered in their lives, spiritual and mental wounds they’ve inflicted on themselves and one another.’ Okay, I’m paraphrasing here but you get the picture.
So, as I see it, Jensen and Jared as Dean and Sam are the meat and potatoes of this sumptuous meal. For the desert we get…evil creatures, bad guys, innocent (and not-so innocent) victims that Sam and Dean are always ready, willing and able to help – both guns blazing – and angels and demons – angels and demons that are not only after Sam and Dean’s bodies but their souls as well. Makes for very compelling watching. And I, for one, have pulled myself up to the table, knife and fork at the ready.
will i am so much in love with the show and all the careters that i cant what tell i can see them agan. i milt when i see dean and sam and now that tay or not on untell selp i have been :cry::because i mis the show and my boys. but i no thay will be back and i am whating paisunt lee tell then love u dean and sam allways and forever.
I just came across the site, and it’s good to know that there are people out there who are just as crazy as I am about this show! I’ve been watching the show since day 1. It was on after Smallville, which I already watched and had two smoking hot guys. The fact that it was about the paranormal was icing on the cake.
From the first time I saw this show I was hooked. Two brothers who have been killing supernatural beings their entire lives while innocent people remain clueless as to what they are being protected from? I’ve loved how the story has grown in complexity as the brothers argue over what they do is right, try to save the world from destruction and ultimately just try to survive.
I’ve sung its praises from the beginning and can’t wait for the season to begin again so that I can have my weekly fix of Jared and Jensen.
I got into the show after my uncle bought season 1. I watched a few episodes and I was hooked. My sister and I are totaly obsessed. We are in Canada and watch it every wednesday on Space. I can’t wait to see how the series unfolds.I know the Supernatural crew won’t disapoint.
I have loved the show since the very first episode! It is an amazing show that deals with the supernatural and family…Jared and Jensen do so well together…the show is one of the best I have seen…and I am sad to see it go. Eric Kripke really outdid himself. The acting and storyline are just awesome…
Supernatural is the best,there isn’t another show like it…keep up the good work 😉