A 100 Episode Journey Through the Supernatural Fandom
Welcome to hiatus – a time when we get a break from the show, but in reality, none of us want it. Some fans have been around the show all 307 episodes, and some have only been around for a relative minute.
With #SPN300 having happened, it means that I’ve been watching Supernatural for almost 100 episodes. I started watching while the end of Season 10 was still airing, and finished the summer after Season 10 aired. Season 11 was the first season I watched live on TV, so I’ve been watching live or almost live for five-ish years. I thought I would write about my journey over the last 100 episodes of Supernatural, because I want to share my journey with all of you, and to reflect on my journey through this fandom and its ins and outs.
I don’t remember how I heard about Supernatural. I think I heard about it from a friend, looked up J2 on YouTube, and then I began watching. I’ve never been a fan of horror/scary things in general, and I am the most easily startled person around. Everything scares me, and Supernatural should be the last thing I’m into, but I watched it for the story, not really for the scary elements. I breezed through the first 10 seasons within three months, and I was hooked. I was into the show in a way that I hadn’t been into anything before.
I finished Season 10 right in time for San Diego Comic-Con. If I wasn’t totally hooked on the show from just watching it, the Comic-Con panel with the hamster bit by Rob and Rich, and the beautiful AKF lights would have convinced me. Add in the Nerd HQ panel that year and everything convinced me that this fandom was worth it and that it would add something wonderful to my life. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. Earlier this year, I finally cracked open and finished in one night, Lynn Zubernis’s book Family Don’t End with Blood. I’d had a copy for over a year but I hadn’t opened it. I don’t know if it was because I was nervous, or because I was just waiting for the right moment, but I finally read it, and it was just as wonderful as I imagined. Hearing from other fans in the community was something that I didn’t really know I needed, but it honestly was so validating for me. It made me realize that this fandom really is lightning in a bottle and that I am not the only person who was so deeply impacted by watching Sam and Dean’s journey over the years. Reading stories from the cast made me realize that the effect of the fandom is so much wider than I thought. I think I knew that, but seeing it written down for me, on paper, made it hit me in a whole new way. I tweeted after I finished the book, but I must say again, thank you to all of the contributors. Your stories are amazing and they inspire me. In reality, FDEWB was what actually brought me to writing for The WFB. Because of Nightsky’s writing, I found that I could use my own platform and words to share my experience with this show and with the fandom. Again, big thank you to Lynn, and to Nightsky and all of the people at The WFB for not only giving me permission to share myself with the world but for also allowing me to share my opinions on a show I love.
Before Season 11 started airing, I moved back home to Northern California from SoCal. I wasn’t active in the fandom really, but it helped me to find my place when I felt like everything was falling apart around me. Seeing how much the fandom loved each other showed me that there was somewhere out there where I could be myself and be true to that person. As Season 11 aired, I was rolling with the things I was handed. I went from depressed and in a horrible place, to happier than I’d ever been and feeling like things were finally working out. That summer, I was in Israel for a trip, and so I was watching Comic-Con from a 10-hour time difference. It was horrible, but I managed. I got to see that wonderful proposal at the con panel and Jensen’s beautiful laugh when Misha was telling his fart story at the Nerd HQ panel.
By the time Season 12 started airing, I had moved back down to SoCal to continue school, and I was watching the show live, as in not recorded via DVR or something of the like, for the first time. It was wonderful. I was able to see the reactions to the episodes as they happened and it was incredible. Being able to interact with everyone via social media made watching the episode that much more fun and that much more interesting. Seeing all of the reactions made me see the show in a whole new way. Comic-Con that year was weird for me because J2M were there for the entire weekend. It got to be a little overwhelming, so I don’t really remember details. I remember that incredible kegstand, but that’s about it.
Season 13 was hard for me. When the first episode aired, I was working backstage on a theatre production, so I missed the first several episodes but caught up the next day or when I got back home. Watching Supernatural as I did was wonderful. I could see the reactions, and I could watch the show and form my own opinions about things. It was hard having to miss the episode as it aired, but thanks to the internet, I didn’t miss them for long. I was getting closer to watching almost 100 episodes live, but I hadn’t really realized it yet. Comic-Con came and went, and it was kind of weird. I felt like we were missing something and I didn’t like it. Jared was not feeling well one of the days, so we didn’t see him for most of the con, which made me sick to my stomach. It didn’t feel good not having J2 together, but we got through it and made it work.
When Season 14 started airing, I didn’t have cable, so I started watching on the CW app. It was weird and hard because I had to wait almost a full 12 hours to watch the episode. But I’m doing okay with it. This season has been interesting because I’ve been interacting more with people on Twitter, following more people from the fandom on twitter and being more open. It’s made the fandom so much more fun for me because I feel like I’m getting to know people and understanding this fandom more.
As the 300th episode has passed, I’m so thankful for my journey with this fandom, and I’m so grateful for this fandom for finding me and making me a better person.
I’d love to hear about your own journey with fandoms in general or with the Supernatural fandom specifically. I love sharing my stories and would love to learn more about the people who read this content.
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