30 September 2012

SPECIAL EDITION - Supernatural Season 7 Awards [Part Two]


I hope everyone enjoys reading PART ONE of our season seven awards where we revealed our winners for Favourite Filler, Writer, Director and more. So here we go folks, may we present PART TWO to your reading pleasure.

FAVOURITE VILLAIN

AMY: Dick Roman. I like Dick. Yes I went there. I’d kind of forgotten how fabulous he was until I started rewatching the season when my DVD arrived. His humour. His delivery. His smarmy grin. Oh he’s wonderful. How he tore Crowley down with a withering look and a smart retort totally awesome. He was a pretty cool baddie!   

TINY: I love the return of Mark Pellegrino. I confess, I have a huge crush on Pellegrino. I have loved him more since Lost where he plays Jacobs, and I love Jacobs. I love him. Only if I could hug him at a convention, my life will be complete. I really love how Lucifer is written in season seven. This is the devil he should have been playing all this time. I think he really plays the devil who toys with Sam’s damaged soul, it is really torturing for Sam. His ‘personality’ really shines through as the devil on Sam’s shoulder. Season seven’s Lucifer is different from season’s five because the writing team really have fun writing the different side of Lucifer, he is always meant to be the devil who tricks you to do wrongs and give in to him. Lucifer loves to win, and he always wins.   

Honorable mention: Death! Pickle chips anyone? And Oh Crowley!!

FAVOURITE GOOD GUY (OR LADY)

AMY: Outside of Dean? Eliot Ness. Now this is probably because of a mix of reasons. 1. Alex Krycek – yes I was a fan of Nicholas Lea in The X Files. 2. The Untouchables – yes I really love that movie. But beyond that, I liked Eliot’s style. I liked his take on hunting. I liked what he said to Dean. And he looked great in a suit!  

TINY: Supernatural has always been great when bringing in great guest stars. Charlie (played by Felicia Day) is awesome as Charlie. I love the way she is introduced as the IT nerd who loves her life. Charlie is the Merry and Pippin in The Lord of the Rings, their lives are so fun and they love their lives, simple things in live make them happy. But when evil strikes, like Merry and Pippin, Charlie steps up, be a hero and fight evil alongside with Dean and Sam in the epic quest. Good woman!!! I hope Felicia Day will have time and make a return to season eight!

MOST UNDER-USED CHARACTER  

AMY: The Impala! Ha! That is all.   

TINY: The Impala! BABY doesn’t get enough credit for being the love of Dean’s life and one of the most awesome cars in popular culture. I am not sure if I like the fact that BABY is locked down for most part of the season. I get why the decision is made to do so because season seven is about taking everything and everyone away from Dean and Sam. I love how BABY is introduced back to the season in the season finale, and BABY deserves to be treated like the way it is written and shot. I wish I get to see Dean’s face while he drives BABY. While I am ok with the fact that Meg is seen to be the first one to step out of BABY, it should have been Dean, but I can live with it ☺ I want to see more BABY in season eight!!

BEST CONFRONTATION  

AMY: I really loved the confrontation between Sam and Dean in The Mentalists. It was the confrontation that needed to happen. What was said needed to be said and I was glad Dean did it. I also thought he was right. He did do what had to be done and he did it because Sam couldn’t. If Amy had gone on another murdering spree, Sam would never have forgiven himself. She was a monster, she’d killed to protect her son, if put in the same situation, she would have done it again. Sam needed to hear that. He thought he was angry with Dean because Dean had killed Sam’s friend, but I think this helped Sam realise, he was angry with Dean, because Dean had lied. I thought this was a fantastic scene. It’s one of my favourites of the season.  

TINY: The Sam and Lucifer confrontations through out season seven have been intense and the writing of it has been very consistent. The storyarc/ unfinished business/ and the whole messing with Sam’s mind have been very well executed. And through the storytelling, I think Lucifer’s true personality really comes through – the devil on Sam’s shoulder, and see how far he can push Sam before he gives up. I think it is the best way to address Sam’s damaged soul. Stuff like this doesn’t just go away. Sam does everything he can to confront Lucifer, he really tries and struggles. But human souls are fragile. Poor Sammy.

FAVOURITE GUEST STAR  

AMY: Nicholas Lea. Yeah, I was pretty damn excited that Nic Lea was going to be on the show. Supernatural gets great guest stars and I totally love it when they’re genre guest stars too. I really hope they find a way to bring Ness into the present so we get to see Nic again!  

TINY: Is it redundant to name Misha my Favourite Guest Star? Seeing Misha is a ‘guest star’ in season seven, I have to go with Misha!!! But apart from Misha, this season invited many of iconic names in the business The X Files, Buffy, Dr Horrible and Pirates of the Caribbean. And if I have to pick another one, it would have to be Felicia Day (aka Charlie).  

Honorable mention: DJ Qualls (aka Garth).

BIGGEST ‘I KNEW IT’ MOMENT

AMY: Probably Cas being alive, or maybe Bobby being a ghost. I loved how they revealed both of these. The Bobby ghost reveal was particularly great. I think we all figured it was Bobby and we all assumed Cas was still kicking, but you still yell out I KNEW IT when the big secret is popped!  

TINY: Cas is not dead! HE IS ALIVE! HE IS ALIVE!! I can’t say I am surprised, but I am just glad he isn’t dead! He is a friggin angel and he is alive!!!

BEST CHARACTER MOMENT  

AMY: It’s almost like the entirety of Death’s Door. The character moments for Bobby were stunning. My favourite being when he said, “Well, as fate would have it, I adopted two boys, and they grew up great. They grew up heroes.” It said so much about Bobby and it sort of made me sad. It made me feel a little lonely for him. But it also made it crystal clear how much he loved those boys. They were HIS boys. The fact that he chose them bickering and making fun of each other as his final memory. Oh yeah, the whole episode, but in particular, these two moments were my favourite. They really gave us insight into who Bobby was, not as a hunter, but as a man.  

TINY: The Dean and Castiel garage scene in Survival of the Fittest illustrates forgiveness and maturity. I don’t know about you, but I am relieved after watching that scene. I feel the weight on my shoulder as a viewer has been lifted off, imagine how Dean and Cas feel! Dean has a big heart and he will never walk away from his family and friends, including Cas. Dean may not be able to forgive Cas completely, but this is Dean’s version of forgiveness, and that’s big! There is a great dialogue exchange between Dean and Cas in Survival of the Fittest. Cas has been trying to understand humans and their emotions/ behaviors ever since his arrival in season four. Some of the events he has experienced really have brought out emotions he doesn’t know they exist before. 

FAVOURITE SAM AND DEAN MOMENT  

AMY: Oh the end of Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie. It’s such a wonderful scene. To see Dean laugh and to see Sam enjoy Dean’s laughter. Dean’s apology for psychologically scarring Sam, Sam’s smart-assed “Which time”, the giant slinky. THE GIANT SLINKY! The whole scene makes my face hurt from the grinning! I love moments like these between the boys. Here’s to a few in season 8!  

TINY: My favourite Sam and Dean moment is actually from the end of Plucky. That’s just good times! That scene reminds me of the end of season one’s Hell House when Dean and Sam prank Ed and Harry. We haven’t seen Dean and Sam having fun for a long time and it is such a great way to see the brothers having fun and a good laugh. Good times. I love that brotherly moment.

BIGGEST WTF MOMENT  

AMY: I think it was when Dean and Cas disappeared and left Sam standing alone and then we cut to Purgatory and I was all “WTF??! WHAT’S HAPPENING? I HAVE TO WAIT HOW LONG TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENING?!” Yeah, it kind of took me by surprise.  

TINY: Dean having a daughter and Sam marrying Becky…! Like WTF?!

FAVOURITE COMEDIC MOMENT IN AN EPISODE

AMY: It’s from Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie:  

DEAN:  Cops have a theory? 
SAM: Yeah, they think the ball washer did it. 
DEAN: The what? 
SAM: The... ball washer. 
DEAN: *Smirks* The what? 
SAM: The ball – *throws hands in the air*  

Heeeee!  

TINY: I am greedy. I am going to name two comedic moments, one for Sam and one for Dean. I love seeing Sam so scared of clowns in Plucky. LOVE IT! And the more he hides it, the funnier it gets. It’s been awhile since I find Sam funny! For Dean, I love his comedic side in Time After Time. I love how Dean just gets so into being an Untouchable. Who is that sexy dude in the fedora – Winchester. Dean Winchester!

BEST EPISODE 

AMY: This is by far the trickiest of categories. When Supernatural shines, it dazzles. There were several episodes this season that were particularly strong. Strong in creative, structure, story and performance. But the best?  

Death’s Door! This is a beautifully made hour of television. The script was perfection. It was complex, the way it shifted through realities, yet it never felt convoluted or cumbersome. It covered a lot of ground, in the waking world and the world inside Bobby’s head. We got a glimpse into who Bobby really was and what had happened to him in the past that affected everything for him in his future and we discovered the two things most important to him, Sam and Dean. The performances were spectacular. Jim, Steven, Jensen, Jared. The lighting was beautiful, the different worlds having different tones and the glow to Bobby’s favourite memory as all else faded around him. It was smart and heart wrenching, but didn’t rely on sacrine moments to tug at the emotions, because that wouldn’t be the Winchesters and that wouldn’t be Bobby. It felt true to all of them, while completely destroying all of us. Sera’s words, Bob Singer’s direction, Serge’s lighting and the cast’s powerful yet understated performances all mix together to create one of finest moments in Supernatural.

TINY: What constitutes the Best Episode of Supernatural? It should be an episode with a great written script, great character-driven story, great plot, great twist, great direction, great pace and great performance. Everything has to be flawless executed. And seeing this is Supernatural, it should also have the class brotherly moments, Dean’s one-liners, Sam’s puppy eyes, the Impala, the gore, the suspense and the classic rock. While the show proves us over the years that a single episode of Supernatural can contain all the above elements without overwhelming the audience, Supernatural is very very good with the way their characters are constructed and written, Dean and Sam are given, but when it comes to other characters such as Bobby and Cas, the writing team does not do lazy. It is episode such as Death’s Door reminds me how integral Bobby is to the overall story and how important Bobby is as a father figure to the boys. It is characters such as Bobby give Dean and Sam the meaning of ‘family don’t end with blood’. 

Death's Door gets my vote for being the Best Episode for season seven. This episode is written by Sera Gamble and directed by Robert Singer. What I love about this episode is that the way Bobby is written – he is the son, the hunter and a father figure. The episode is packed with backstory about Bobby’s childhood, his fear, angst, darkness, frustration.. everything that makes Bobby who he is as a person and as a hunter. Despite having a very dark childhood and loosing his wife Karen over a demonic possession, Bobby turns out to be a great hunter who helps people and he is a father figure to Dean and Sam. Perhaps it is the ‘family don’t end with blood’ mentality that keeps Bobby going because, subconsciously, he does have someone to ‘come home’ to – his two adopted sons -- so to speak. He truly loves the boys, he truly cares about the boys. Death’s Door shows us the Bobby we haven’t seen before. We’ve known Bobby since season one but only until season seven we get to know Bobby’s past in depth. Death’s Door treats Bobby with respect and this is no doubt in my mind the best episode of season seven of Supernatural.    

So there you have it!!! Thank you for letting us share our thoughts. Do let us know what you think.

A special shout out to AmyInSydney. Thank you for your passion and enthusiasm. The fandom needs your voice. 

Season eight...we are ready for you!

28 September 2012

SPECIAL EDITION - Supernatural Season 7 Awards [Part 1]


There is saying: you’ve never done anything good or bad because you’ve never been challenged. I think Supernatural is really about that and the story is told brilliantly by focusing on the brother’s relationship in good times and in the worst of times. They are consistently being challenged and through dramas, as the First Lady would say, it reveals who they really are. As for Dean and Sam, they love each other too much they can never walk away from each other. Season seven is another brilliant season, the team never cease to blow my socks off.

In the past few years, my friends and I have been presenting a list of awards at the end of each season to name our favourite episodes, best director and writer, and best brotherly moment, just to name a few. So, fangirls and fanboys, without further ado, here is PART ONE of our thoughts on season seven. PART TWO will be released on Sunday (Australian Eastern Standard Time). Watch this space!


FAVORITE FILLER

AMY: I always get squirrely about what constitutes a ‘filler’. Does the episode have to be completely void of mythology? Or does it have to in no way progress the story? Whatever, I’m saying Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie. I like this episode a lot. I like the brother’s dynamic in this one. I love that Sam’s phobia throws Dean right into teasing big brother mode. It was nice to see a bit of lightness in his mood…even if it was at Sam’s expense. I also loved Sam dropping into little brother mode as he chanted what Dean told him, “If it bleeds you can kill it”. It had fantastic throwbacks to season two with the rainbow farting Unicorn and Sam’s fear of clowns and then that wonderful scene between the brothers at the end, complete with laughter, apologies and giant slinkies. Yeah, it was a super fun episode.


Very Honourable Mention: Time After Time.

TINY: Time After Time is no doubt my favorite filler of season seven. Written by Robbie Thompson and directed by Philip Sgriccia, Time After Time is hands down one of the coolest Supernatural episodes of all time.

Personally, I love time travel and alternate reality stories in pop culture – Back to the Future, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Somewhere in Time (that’s right!), Lost, Stargate SG1, just to name a few. And I love it when Supernatural does time travel/ alternative reality episodes such as What Is And What Should Never Be, In The Beginning, The Song Remains The Same, Frontierland, The French Mistake, Changing Channels, and in season seven, we have Time After Time – they are all bloody brilliant! Not only that, I love it whenever Supernatural reveals a different side of Dean – the fanboy Dean. It’s wonderful to see him gets to play doctor, cowboy and the Untouchable. I also love the fact that the writing team of Supernatural is so in tune with the pop culture and create their own version of a mash-up of Eliot Ness, Untouchable and supernatural hunting. Just like Elizabeth Bennett as the zombie hunter and Lincoln as the vampire hunter, it’s just so much fun! Brilliant stuff! All I want now is Ben Edlund writing a ninja episode with Ben as the ninja. Just saying.

LEAST FAVOURITE FILLER

AMY: This is kind of an easy one for me, Season 7, Time For A Wedding. I really didn’t care for this episode. I didn’t find it funny. I’d liked Becky the couple of times we’d met her previously and this episode tore all that down. It made me actively dislike Becky and I didn’t like that at all! I thought it was hideous what she did to Sam and then hideous how she allowed Sam to pretty much crush Dean’s heart. He’d never, ever be so cruel to his brother, ever. I didn’t see it as a poke at the fans initially and but after a pretty good conversation with one of my fellow Supernatural bloggers, I saw that maybe they were having a bit of a go at a certain section of the fandom. As my friend said, you open that gate you can’t expect the fans not to flood through. You can’t do episodes where you’re playful with the fans by ripping down that fourth wall and then slap their hands away. But that’s not why it’s my least favourite filler, I wasn’t offended or anything...it was just disappointing. Strangely my favourite and least favourite fillers were written by Dabb and Loflin. They had a very patchy season.

TINY: My least favorite filler is definitely Defending Your Life. I get why Dean is put on trial, and I understand a hero sometimes needs to show self-doubt, it is part of the hero’s journey, but the story is poorly executed and the writing isn’t at its best. Perhaps it’s the fact that I hate it when people-killing monsters judge Dean like he is crap. He is a hero! We should all know by now, monsters are just monsters, even when they are posted as ‘gods’. That’s the way Dean should see this case rather than going along with the whole trial. May be it is just the way it’s written? Dean doesn’t feel guilty at all, but it is written as if he feels guilty. Dean does not feel guilty for killing Amy Pond, not once. It is the secret he is keeping from Sam that drives him into destruction. The only thing I love about this episode, apart from the boys’ good look, is the return of Jo. I miss her!


FAVOURITE EPISODE

AMY: Tricky one. I have a few favourites in season seven, but the one I’ve watched the most is probably Slash Fiction. It’s an episode I randomly pop on. I think one of the things I like about it is seeing Jensen and Jared do different versions of Sam and Dean. It’s good to see them stretch like that. I also really like Chet, the Leviathan in Bobby’s basement and the introduction of Frank Devereaux. This is the episode we lost Baby for the remainder of the season, which was a bummer but as compensation, we had Dean singing All Out Of Love. We also got a little romance with Bobby and Sheriff Mills. I like the story, the script, the guest stars, the use of recurring characters and Leviathan Sam and Dean. It’s a goodie.

TINY: This is a super hard one to pick! But my winner is The Born-Again Identity for a few reasons. It is one of the most anticipated episodes of the season. Cas’ death and return are one of the most debated topics this season. Cas’ disappearance and re-appearance have almost defined a certain timeline in season seven. Cas’ disappearance marks the beginning of the Leviathans’ domination over Dean and Sam. Never before have the boys been so stripped down, no thanks to the Leviathans. Cas reappears just in time for the battle against the Leviathans. His reappearance also marks the beginning of forgiveness – not only forgiveness from Dean but Cas also learns how to deal with his guilt despite the fact that he can never forgive himself for what he does. Cas as a character has been very symbolic and philosophical this season. Sera Gamble skillfully writes a remarkable episode to mark the beginning of the born-again Cas.

LEAST FAVOURITE EPISODE

AMY: It’s Season 7, Time For A Wedding, for all of the reasons I said earlier. It just doesn’t do it for me at all.  If I had to pick another, it would be Defending Your Life – which was written by Adam Glass, another patchy writer on the show. This was simply a weak story that had great potential to go deep into Dean Winchester’s damaged psyche, but took so long to set up the monster of the week, that we glossed over the elements of the episode that threatened to have any substance. It also misconstrued Dean’s guilt as being about killing Amy behind Sam’s back, when it was the fact that he was lying to Sam that was eating him up alive. Add to it another pussy of a God who was not even remotely threatening or interesting and yeah, just ordinary on every level. Maybe this is my least favourite episode actually. Seriously, it’s a toss-up.  

TINY: Defending Your Life…NEXT…

FAVOURITE WRITER

AMY: Ben Edlund is my favourite writer forever and he did some very nice work in season seven. Hello, Cruel Word, How To Win Friends And Influence Monsters (HTWFAIM), Repo Man, which I think is overlooked but has some really fantastic elements and Reading Is Fundamental, which is a bit of a masterpiece of the obtuse reference and layered script. I watched HTWFAIM just yesterday and marvelled at the wonderful dialogue. Ben has a skill at balancing the humour and pathos of the story that only the very senior writers on Supernatural seem to be able to do. I love Ben. I think he’s a fabulously creative writer, director and human being. He’s one of my heroes and an inspiration. My second favourite writer of the season is a newbie to the show, Robbie Thomas. Robbie wrote, Slash Fiction, Time After Time and The Girl With The Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo. What a stellar start to his tenure at Supernatural. When the show was signed for season eight, he was one of the writers that I was hoping and praying would be back and apparently he will be. I’m looking forward to seeing some lovely work from him soon.

TINY: Once again, Ben Edlund is my favorite writer this season. I kind of miss the Ghostfacers Ben, but I am really digging his profound and complex writing. Ben’s ideas are getting deeper and more philosophical. As an aspiring writer, I really learn a lot from Ben’s episodes. On paper, it may not seem a lot, but if you deconstruct the story and the characters into layers, there are actually a lot of juicy stuff there. I think Supernatural needs Ben’s voice and I am glad he is back for season eight.

FAVOURITE DIRECTOR

AMY: In a couple more seasons I might say Jensen Ackles, because he’s showing great skill and he’s my favourite everything…but until I’ve seen a bit more of his directing prowess, I will say Phil Sgriccia. Phil’s done some lovely work this season, including the season opener Meet The New Boss and the fantastic time travel piece Time After Time. The thing I find with Phil’s episodes is that he tries different shots and angles and sometimes shot transitions. I think this probably comes from being an editor in his previous life, so it gives him that dual eye. But really, the quality of direction on Supernatural is so high, it’s very difficult to pin point the best of the best! But if I must, I’m saying Phil.  

TINY: Philip Sgriccia for directing Time After Time! I think the way the story depicts Dean and Sam investigating the case in a different time and space, is exceptionally well executed, kudos not only to the writing but also to Phil’s direction in storytelling and editing. The episode is also shot as a period film -- the sceneries, the costumes and the big band jazz really give the episode a sense of time. Time After Time is definitely done the Chicago way!  

BEST USE OF SONG

AMY: All Out Of Love. I really can’t go past that. It’s a fantastic scene. It reveals, once again, that Dean is nowhere near as cool as he likes to think he is. It showcases Jensen’s goofiness. I love that he really goes for it when it comes to the comedy. He’s lovely at comedy. I’m baffled how Jared kept a straight face. It’s a wonderful scene. Special mention goes to Walking On The Sunshine with Charlie having an alone moment and dancing up a storm in the glass elevator and Starry, Starry Night, which was perfect for the scene between Cass and Dean. Oh hang on…I think my favourite music cue might be…Black Water when the boys and Bobby were walking away from the reservoir after Levi!Cass disappeared under the surface and the Leviathan were seeping out into the water supply. That was pretty cool. So can I have four?  

TINY: Supernatural is known for the use of classic rock. But I love the fact that the show thinks outside the square and doesn’t use classic rock just for the sake of it. It is about choosing the most appropriate song to tell a story or reflect the emotional state of a character. So to me, the best use of song is Don McLean’s Vincent (Starry Starry Night) for Cas. This is very close to becoming the WTF moment of the season, but this is the best song to illustrate Cas’ ‘off the rocket’ state of mind. I can’t think of a better song than Vincent to reflect ‘Cas-gone-nuts’. If you listen to the lyrics, perhaps Cas can be associated with Van Gogh’s state of mind when he took his own life. A very sad song indeed. 

Honourable mention: Dean/ Jensen singing Air Supply’s All Out of Love; and Katrina and the Waves’s Walking on Sunshine.

BEST QUOTE  

AMY: I loved Dean’s “…Is the Chicago Way” in Time After Time followed by his pouty “Never watch that movie again.” Poor Dean. I also loved his “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”. Oh Dean, you are such a nerd.  

Honourable mentions: 
Dick Roman: “Don’t roofie me and call it romance.” 
Dude in café: “You’re a virile manifestation of the divine.” 

TINY: Best quote has got to be something Dean says. It is just how my mind works!! Sorry Sam, you are good but Dean is the King of Quotes: “The Chicago Way.”

MOST HEART BREAKING MOMENT

AMY: Bobby. Bobby. Bobby. Bobby. Death’s Door had me bawling. Still does. That moment when Bobby says “Idjits” and dies and leaves the boys just standing there. Then we pull back to replicate the closing scene of In My Time Of Dying when the brothers watched John die. Losing two dads…so sad. Then we go into Bobby’s melon and see what was the memory he decided was his best, the one he saved to last, his boys, goofing off calling each other jerk-face and ass-hat and then fading away…A-Wahhhhhh! The whole thing is so damn heart wrenching. Probably the saddest episode ever.

TINY: I feel like we have created this category for Bobby. This category is previously known as Best Death. Bobby’s death is a much-debated topic for the season. We have always sensed death is near. Every time when spoilers say ‘there will be a death of a much loved character’, we go ‘please, not Bobby’. But his time has come! Bobby is taken away from us. Death’s Door is the perfect send-off for a character like Bobby. But after his first death, he returns to the show as Ghost!Bobby, which is another much debated topic. Ghost!Bobby works for awhile but when the idea of Bobby becoming an angry spirit, that’s pretty heart breaking too. And then he is gone, again. Triple the sadness! Whatever happens, both occasions have very emotional scenes and we really experience the sadness of Dean, Sam and Cas for losing the same friend twice.   

Jim appeared at Comic Con back in July, surely he didn’t invite himself!! So…will Bobby be back in season eight? Just because your character is dead, it doesn’t mean we won’t see you again. It is Supernatural afterall.

COOLEST MONSTER DEATH

AMY: How To Win Friends And Influence Monsters when Dr. Gaines got 'bibbed'. Okay, we didn’t see it…but the concept of 'bibbed' is just brilliant! Every time I watch this episode my mind goes crazy with how you can eat your whole body! How, how did he eat his own head? Did his mouth just kind of bend all the way back around on itself and then he disappeared into nothing…leaving just a black oil slick? What?! I want to see! I want to see 'bibbed' real bad. Conceptually, this might be the coolest monster death ever!  

TINY: Dick Roman! His death scene isn’t as dramatic as the death of YED, Lucifer or Michael. But the build up of his death is really good, the way he dies doesn’t disappoint. Dick is a good villain, he somehow reminds me of the Luthors in Smallville. While Dick doesn’t go down as one of the best villains ever on the show, he is good at screwing the boys, causing disruption. James Patrick Stuart has done a fantastic job as Dick. Thanks for sticking around. 

BEST FIGHT  


AMY: I’m taking this to mean a fistfight, or physical fight, so I’m going to say the Clowns vs. Sam. It was pretty funny and pretty full on. I remember Jared saying he ached for days after it. I love that it ended in a shower of glitter! Only on Supernatural!  

TINY: OK so, I am not going to pick a physical fight. But I will pick a emotional ‘fight’ between Sam and Dean. At the end of The Mentalists when Dean flips and tells Sam to quit being a bitch for Amy Pond’s death. Dean isn’t feeling guilty about killing Amy Pond, he has to kill a monster who kills people. That’s what they do as hunters. That’s what family does, do each other’s dirty work! It is a dialogue the brothers have to have. I am glad it happens as I don’t want see this to drag on any longer. And I think this fight is important. I feel that after this fight, the dark cloud is gone…no more secret. And I think the brothers are somehow bonded over this incident and trust is rebuild. 

So there you have it!! Thank you for letting us share our thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment or two. 

PART TWO will be released on Sunday. Watch this space as we reveal our Favourite Villain, Favourite Good Guy, Most Under-rated Character, Best Episode and more! 

Want to know our winners for previous seasons? We are doing more retro awards for other seasons. This is usually our hiatus project. So, again, watch this space.

Season One – Part One & Two
Season Five -- Part One (there is only one part)
Season Six -- Part One, Two and Three

A special shout out to Kara, who couldn’t participate this time round due to study, but she will return sooner than you think. Best of luck, Kara. You are always welcome here and we love you very much.

Jensen Ackles - new interview & set visit photos

Source: Wetpaint
The media is invited by WBTV to visit various TV sets in Vancouver this week. Therefore, CW fans can expect to see new interviews with the cast of Supernatural, Arrow and Emily Owen MD in coming days. For now, you can visit Wetpaint for more photos of the guys.

There is a video interview on the Examiner in which Jensen talks about season eight. If you don't want spoiler, forget it. If you want to look at Jensen, turn off the audio. 

Supernatural season eight premiers next Wednesday October 3rd on the CW.
The hiatus is almost over!!!

25 September 2012

Emmys Best Dress - Zooey Deschanel, Emilia Clarke & Ginnifer Goodwin

I don't normally do this because, first and foremost, I don't like awards shows, I get why there are a gazillion of them, but perhaps my favorite shows and actors are never there, so what's the point? But it is the night of nights for not only actors but the behind the scene people who work so hard. Awards could be a dull affair, as some would say, but things like this mean a lot to these people. So, I respect that.

I only watch awards shows (thank you YouTube) if my favorite people appear the shows and depends on who host the shows. I always love watching the opening (musical) numbers and monologue. I gotta say, one of my favorite hosts is David Letterman when he hosted the Oscar in 1995. Despite what the 'critics' said, I like the fact that Dave made it into his own show by including his Top Ten List segment. That was quite entertaining to me. Apart from Dave, I always love hosts such as Billy Crystal and Neil Patrick Harris and I always love a talk show hosts hosting the Emmys or something. 

I can be a sucker for late night talk shows. I don't know what is it, but we don't get them in Australia, and watching late night talk shows remind me of being away from home. I like that because I love traveling. I remember last year when I get to LA and NY, I was like -- can I be back at the hotel for Jimmy Fallon? I am not admitting I love the guy, I am saying I like the idea of watching late night talk shows. Anyway, I apologise for not making any sense because I am having a food-hangover. 

So, I have decided to blog about the Emmys this year. Not that I care about who wins what, I am sure they all deserve it. But what I love, sometimes, is the red carpet. Dresses speak personalities sometimes and a few dresses caught my eyes this year. I just love their dresses and I want them NOW! They are not the traditional boring dresses and these dresses show character! Good on them for making great choices about their dresses and the colours. They look absolutely stunning!!! Their dress choice is very close to my personal taste. Here are my selections...

Emilia Clarke
I love Emilia. I think she is so pretty and she is awesome as Dany in A Game of Thrones. I love her British accent. And I love her dress! LOVE! I WANT THAT DRESS!!! You can watch her red carpet interview with Pop Sugar here.


Source

Zooey Deschanel
I love Zooey. I just love how adorkable she is, I love her creativity, her attitude, her work (singing, acting and her Hello Giggle). Despite my attempt in getting her hairdo fails, I love her hair! I love her Oliver Peoples glasses in New Girl. And I love this shot of Jim Parson and Zooey. I want them to do a movie together! I love her dress, it's so classy, so Zooey! She is just gorgeous!


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Ginnifer Goodwin
Not many women look good with short hair, but I am really digging Ginnifer's short hair, she looks so beautiful and classy. I love the colour of her dress. Not many actresses can walk the red carpet with that kind of vibrant colour and look beautiful at the same time. LOVE THE ORANGE! That's my kind of pattern too! I want to touch it!


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22 September 2012

Supernatural - 'Tiger Mama' Description & Promo Pics

Can you feel it? Can you feel it? We are a little over a week away from the season premiere of Supernatural. Season eight is going to be epic, I CAN FEEL IT! 

Can You Feel It (Single Version)
Dude, you came back for the iPhone 5?
Here is the description of episode two -- What's Up, Tiger Mama? If you don't want spoilers, skip this section and look at the photos. Oh wait.. they are equally spoilery.. Oh well...

"MRS. TRAN JOINS SAM AND DEAN ON THE ROAD — Kevin (guest star Osric Chau) talks Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) into checking in on his mother (guest star Lauren Tom). When they arrive, they see that Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) has surrounded her with demons so they rescue her and take her along on their quest to find the tablet. However, they soon discover Kevin wasn’t kidding when he said his mother was a strong-willed woman after she tries to take on Crowley. John Showalter directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin." Source KSiteTV

Crowley: I have the iPad 5. Dean (Off camera): There is no such thing, yet.
This shot is just beautiful!!
Can you get me the iPhone 5 or not?
The downside of being stuck in Purgatory -- I can't get my hands on the iPhone 5
So, we all agree that we need to get out for the iPhone 5.
For a complete set of What's Up, Tiger Mama's promo photos, visit KSiteTV
 

21 September 2012

Supernatural Season Eight Premiere Preview Clip; Jensen Ackles Talks About Directing

The season premiere preview clip of Supernatural is floating on the internet everywhere! Which means, I am officially going into lockdown -- I will not watching any video clips to avoid spoilers. If you are brave and love spoilers, you can watch the preview clip here.



On another note, here is one of the season seven DVD features in which Jensen and other Supernatural directors talk about directing. HOT stuff! Ben Edlund is also in it. 

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

Source: EW

Pellegrino, Ford and Stashwick To Join Revolution


Is Kripke doing a Joss Whedon by casting actors he's worked with previously? YES! Kripke has cast not one but three actors Supernatural fans are familiar with -- Mark Pellegrino, Colin Ford and Todd Stashwick. OH MY GOD! 

Mark Pellegrino is no stranger to television fans, this guy is an in-demand actor, he has appeared on show such as Supernatural, Lost, Chuck, Dexter, Being Human, Castle and Closer, to name a few. And of course, Pellegrino is one of my favourite actors. I love him as Lucifer (Supernatural) and Jacob (Lost). LOVE! And now he is going to be on Revolution. I am literally shaking with excitement. And of course, the excitement doesn't stop with Pellegrino, young Sammy Colin Ford and Funny Dracular Todd Stashwick are also joining Revolution

According to sources, we know little about Pellegrino's role. Ford will play a kid who's been taken by the militia and Stashwick will play a drug lord. I don't know if they will be in the same episode, but I am guessing they may not. Watch this space for more details.

19 September 2012

Jensen Ackles Sings - 'Angeles' Releases Today!


This is the moment Jensen Ackles's fans have been waiting for -- a full length music video featuring Jensen singing and playing the acoustic. The new song, Angeles, is written by Elliott Smith and produced by Steve Carlson, with Jensen on the vocal and playing the acoustic with Steve. Angeles is one of the songs in Steve's brand new album Sharing the Covers, which is available for purchase on Amazon and iTune now.


Are we dying from hottness? 






OH.MY.GOD!

SG1's Amanda Tapping Joins Supernatural

I am geeking out right friggin now! 


As I was preparing for bed last night after somewhat an excruciating double episode of Smash, I was glad I went to bed happy. The news was in, Stargate SG1/ Atlantis (SGA) 'Colonel Samantha Carter' Amanda Tapping is set to join Supernatural in a major recurring role. I am going to drop a spoiler, it's public information, that she will play an angel. I love the word 'recurring'! 

For those who haven't watched SG1 and SGA, Amanda's role as Carter is iconic in the eye of sci-fi fans. The kind of smart, strong female that is a role model for all. She is no stranger to sci-fi fans and convention goers. I love her and miss her work! I suggest you watch it. SG1 has only ten seasons, it's not really that much. Amanda was in SGA for season four and five, and appeared a few times before that. 

A number of SG1 and SGA actors were cast in Supernatural previously -- Michael Shanks (aka SG1's Dr Daniel Jackson) scored a guest star role in 99 Problems; Michael's wife Lexa Doig (aka SG1's Dr Lam) was Risa in The End; Jewel Staite (SGA's Dr Keller) was Amy Pond in The Girl Next Door; Corin Nemec (SG1's Jonas) was Christian Campbell and Mitch Pileggi (SGA's Caldwell) was Grandpa Samuel. I am still waiting for Richard Dean Anderson, Chris Judge and Ben Browder to be on Supernatural. May as well!! 

According to various sources, Jeremy Carver has recently revealed that the angels are returning to the show in a big way this season. You can expect Amanda's character Naomi will play a major role in the angel's return to the story. Amanda is tentatively set to make her first appearance in episode 8.07 A Little Slice of KevinThe cast will have so much fun with Amanda. You can read the announcement about her role via Zap2It.

This is really fantastic news for fans of these franchises, Amanda is huge in the fandom and loved by many. There isn't one fan of SG1/ SGA who doesn't love her. So I am really looking forward to her appearance. May be we can have a mini SG1/ SGA sub session at Supernatural conventions? Just saying! 

CANNOT WAIT!!!!!! 

18 September 2012

Eric Kripke's Revolution - The Premiere Review


Revolution is a brand new drama created by Eric Kripke, who also serves as an Executive Producer with J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and Jon Favreau. The premiere is written by Kripke and directed by Favreau. The story takes place in the post-apocalyptic world without electricity. Revolution definitely reminds me of a number of recent dramas such as Jericho, Terra Nova, Falling Skies, Lost and Terminator Salvation. I have also previously blogged about the documentary Life After People which may or may not have inspired the theme and the landscape of the story. Despite the familiar elements, Revolution shows great promise and I will definitely keep tuning in. 

The premiere sets up a great journey for our group of heroes including the series stars Billy Burke as Uncle Miles, Tracy Spiridakos as Charlie, Graham Rogers as Charlie's brother Danny and Zak Orth as Arron. We then have the Militia soldiers Giancarlo Esposito as Neville and David Lyons as Monroe. We also have the 'not sure if they are the good guys or the bad guys' including Maria Howell as Grace and J. D. Pardo as a militia solider Nate. The cast is not as big as Lost, but there are enough there to build a great plot. A few characters definitely have some prior history between them, the story is set to give it a reasonable attention. The premiere raises a lot of questions which will be answered through out the season. Kripke is the kind of writer who doesn't just throw questions without answering them. He doesn't just create characters who serve no purpose to the bigger picture.


Revolution focuses on the 'WHAT IF' story -- What if the electricity is turned off? What kind of world would we be living in? And what kind of human beings would we become? How do we pick ourselves up after the apocalypse? The last scene of the episode contains one of the biggest questions of all "WHAT NOW?" which in itself contains a lot of other questions -- What causes the blackout? Who is behind the blackout? What is their agenda? What happen in the past 15 years? What is the relationship between Ben (Charlie's father), Uncle Milies and Monroe? What's with the amulet? What's the deal with Grace and her Dharma Initiative-like workstation? Who is on the other side of the communication? What happens to Charlie's mum Rachel? Played by Elizabeth Mitchell, Rachel is said to have died, but I seriously doubt that she is dead. Clearly, Rachel is aware of the big 'problem' and I can't wait to see Mitchell's return to the show. Of course, these are just some of the questions to be answered by Kripke and the team this season. No way I am letting this show off my radar.

In an recent interview, Kripke speaks of some of the similarities between Revolution and Supernatural, and everything else that influences hi such as Lords of the Rings, Star Wars and Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey. While Favreau reckons Kripke's work goes beyond these influences, it is a post-apocalyptic version A Game of Thrones. I can only assume he is referring to the epicness and the complexity of the hero's journey, and relationship between characters, and how everything intertwines in the grand scheme of things. 



The premiere ticks a lot of boxes. The story is very well paced, well directed, well written and well performed. I enjoy the dialogues and the interactions between characters, there is a lot of good chemistry. The main characters are well defined and I think this show will be very heavy on character development. I love the fact that Charlie is this female version of Luke Skywalker or simply Arya Stark in A Game of Thrones, and Uncle Miles is the 'older version of Dean Winchester and Han Solo'. The way he takes down the entire team of Militia soldiers all by himself is like John McClane in Die Hard or Lara Croft in Tomb Raider or MacGyver. The post-apocalyptic landscape is believable and beautiful. The sword and bow fighting scenes are quite awesome. We are in the future but our tools are back to basic. The music is composed by Christopher Lennertz, who also did Supernatural. Revolution's soundtrack is not overpowering the main plot and it is very subtle. The closing credit music is definitely in the spirit of A Game of Throne

There are a few scenes which remind me of Lost -- the airplane Charlie and co discover in the field trip; the turned over bus that Charlie and Danny investigate at the beginning of the episode is like the hatch; the computer Grace uses in the last scene looks just like the one used by the Dharma Initiative; the journey across towns is very Lost-like. There are also a few scenes remind me of Supernatural -- the muscle car and AD/DC at the beginning of the episode is a treat for Kripke's fans, and the amulet in Supernatural went to the bin but the one in Revolution is established as an important piece of power source or a key. And then there is the family theme -- Ben is like John Winchester and Rachel is like Mary Winchester; the sibling relationship of Charlie and Danny is like Dean and Sam; and the whole "You're supposed to look after him" speech between Ben and Charlie reminds me of John Winchester and Dean. 



There is something for everyone. Personally, I love the post-apocalyptic kind of stories. I think Revolution is intriguing, it's mysterious, it has a lot of questions, it is character driven, it is about family, and it is about the near future we could find ourselves in. What would Apple and Google do?

Overall, I am very happy with Revolution. Having comparing the show with Lost and SupernaturalRevolution deserves to be viewed independently from the previous work of Kripke and Abrams. I think the show will prove its worth to fans and critics. I am a big fan of Eric Kripke's work and I will definitely keep watching it. There is so much there to keep me coming back for more. What do you think of Revolution

PS: Seeing Supernatural is the priority of this blog, I will review Revolution every few weeks rather than giving an in depth review every week. I hope you can come back and let me share my thoughts with you. 

17 September 2012

My Thoughts on Smash - And I Don't Mean To Compare It With Glee

Do I like Smash so far? I guess I like it enough to keep watching it. My friend recommended this show to me awhile ago. "If you love Glee, you are going to love Smash." Her words. 



I got really excited when I saw the TV commercial of Smash on television. Since I've heard so much about it, I really wanted to check it out! The ad campaign of the show ran for a long time. I find that TV networks in Australia would run the ad for a few weeks without telling you the air date and then when they finally tell you the air date, you still have to wait for a few more weeks. The ad featured the audition scene with the series star Katharine McPhee performing Beautiful, it was repeatedly advertised pretty much every second commercial break during prime time. And now that I know it was the audition scene for the series' Marilyn The Musical, I thought to myself what an odd song choice for such audition?! That audition has American Idol written all over it, may be it was intentionally? Anyway... 

My expectation for Smash was certainly high. My impression is that this show is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, it is a show about a star-in-the-making, it is her journey to stardom -- the typical inspirational kind of story set in Broadway. It has the buzz. It has all the right elements. It cannot go wrong! I wasn't disappointed with the Pilot. In fact, I thought it was good. Good enough for me to keep watching. But there is something that is not quite right about Smash. It took me weeks to figure it out. 

I know there are people who compare Smash with Glee, and there are those who don't want to compare because they are two different shows. To me, as a viewer, they are not too different. They both depict the behind the scene journey of a group of very talented performers who sing and dance, and dream to be become a star. It comes down to the characterisation, the focus, the pace, the story and, most importantly, the way music is incorporated into each episode. Without the musical influences and the musical numbers, Glee is another high school dramas like 90210 or Hellcats or Dead Poet Society; and Smash is The Devil Wears Prada without the Broadway stuff.



I may be in the minority when I say this, but one of the things I love about Glee is Mr Schuester because he is the kids' constant, he is their mentor and he is the unsung hero of the story. Without Mr Schuester, there is no unity, there is no GleeSure, we have a group of extremely talented kids who perform great musical numbers weeks in weeks out, and they are more than capable in carrying the show on their own. But what holds the Glee club together is Mr Schuester, who also has his own Broadway dream. Another thing I love about Glee is that there is always something inspiring or something heart warming about it. The story of Kurt inspires many viewers; Rachel is true star-in-the-making who nails every song from Broadway to Pop; the Kurt and Rachel Wicked performances are one of the best things ever on TV; even Finn's dance move is inspiring because he really tries even though he is really bad at dancing. I think each character is given a good song to perform when the timing is right. Like Santana, she is awesome as Anita (West Side Story); there is no better person than Artie to do Thriller and Blaine to do Wanna Be Starting Something

Television viewing can be personal, and sometimes it is that personal connection viewers are looking for. I was in a school choir and we were going to something similar to a sectional. I had so much fun, those were the best days of my high school years! So to me, Glee reminded me of good times, and there is a connection there between me as a viewer and the show. Glee is written to inspire, I think. There is a 'feel good' element to it, and I like that. When real life is not so inspiring, when real life people shoot down every single idea you propose and when you have no where or no one to turn to, you turn to popular culture to be inspired. Stuff like this is part of your journey to be something greater. 

What about Smash? I know Smash is supposed to be this huge Broadway-inspired show that is executive produced by Spielberg, the script and performances are supposed and expected to be great. Some even call it the grown-up version of Glee. But what Smash is missing is the inspirational factor. I know it is a different show with different stories and characters, but I think Karen is no Rachel or Kurt, Julia is no Mr Schuester and Eileen is no Figgins (wait.. what??). The musical numbers haven't given me the goose bumps, the bitchiness of Ivy is pure annoyance and not as entertaining as Santana, and I am sure sooner or later everyone will be sleeping with everyone. The positive thing is, the musical numbers have been fine, and they are more polished and more grant. But you don't really expect anything less. 

But I want more from Smash, starting from the heroine's journey of Karen. If Karen is written to remind me of someone, it is Andrea Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada, I can't help but think Smash is the Broadway version of The Devil Wears Prada. But that's fine, right? Karen is this stereotype star-in-the-making character, she is talented but I don't think she has been the centre of the story and she should be the centre of all things in Smash. I want more first person point of view, I want the story to focus on this character more. I don't think she has been given the opportunity to shine, and I think McPhee can be a bit wooden when she sings. It doesn't matter what songs she sings, she always has the same expression on her face and her voice is not as powerful as it should be. She shouldn't be singing as McPhee, but she should be singing as Karen. 

When you see a character, even before she becomes a star in the story, you can see the star quality in her, you know she is going to have a well deserved epic ending. Like Rachel, her big voice delivers every song whether it is a Wicked or Bonnie Tyler's song, and she gives a powerful vocal performance week in week out, you know she is a star even before she becomes one. But with Karen, I know the story is steering towards her stardom, but you know Ivy is a better choice as Marilyn, despite sleeping with the director. I don't feel that Karen deserves the role because I, as a viewer, is not convinced that she is Marilyn. Her voice is not as powerful as Ivy, her performance as Marilyn is not convincing, and her life as a waitress with a decent boyfriend and a supportive family is not that interesting. You don't just want to feel sorry for her, you want her to nail it, you want her to kick ass. But she hasn't. 

There is enough there for me to keep watching Smash. I hope the story and characterisation will get better. I am still hoping to be inspired. I am still hoping to see that Defying Gravity moment that every Broadway star-in-the-making deserves. I am looking for this one moment where the character, Karen, really shows us what she's made of. Defying Gravity is the moment for Rachel and Kurt. It is the unofficial theme for these characters and this song is the symbol of hope and stardom. This scene defines their characters and what they are made of. I am still looking for similar moment that belongs to Karen. I am still waiting for Smash to be a smashing hit.

Related post: Teachers in Popular Culture