The Light on Spoilers, Heavy on Squee Preview of Supernatural 10x17 "Inside Man"

Hi! I'm so sorry I haven't been here and I missed last week's review! I've been horribly busy with life stuff. I will try and do better though...but until the end of May, I'm HORRIBLY BUSY! But I will still try and do better :D

Anyhoooooooo another week...another new episode! Weeee! It's getting scary close to the end of the season and the Js are scaring the shit out of us all by telling us that this will be the most intense finale ever!

They really need to stop that. It won't help me prepare and it just means I'm stressed for longer!

But I'll be okay...I will....

Remind me to tell them off when I see them in May! And by tell them off, I mean hug them like crazy! HUGGGGGG!

But I'm getting ahead of myself! We have 7 episodes left in season 10, including this week's ep! So where are we?

THEN

Dean doesn't want to die

Sam wants Dean to believe there's a way to be saved

Dean just might want to believe Sam

Sam's not sure if Dean does want to believe or is just trying to shut Sam up

Fandom cries buckets of tears because these brothers are too beautiful

NOW

Sam's trying to save Dean without telling Dean. This is bound to end well.
(Dudes, dudes, secrets are bad)

Okay, so this week's synopsis gives us virtually nothing. Seriously, it's the shortest synopsis I've ever seen! Not only that, the synopsis also doesn't mention THAT guest star appearance that was popped by Laura at Variety. We pretty much all know who it is right? He's in the damn promo. I must admit I wished they'd kept it a secret. When I found out I thought, BALLS!

But now to the synopsis! YES...IT'S VERY SHORT! But this episode is written by Andrew Dabb, which is awesome. Andrew Dabb is awesome. And the director is a first timer for Supernatural!

SUPERNATURAL “Inside Man” 

DEAN AND ROWENA FACE OFF AGAINST EACH OTHER — Sam and Castiel follow up on a lead about the Mark of Cain. Dean and Rowena (guest star Ruth Connell) meet. Rashaad Ernesto Green directed this episode written by Andrew Dabb (#1017). 

Dean and Rowena "meet".  I have a feeling it's more than meet! Sam and Cas follow up on a lead. HUMPF! I mean, could this synopsis be any more vague? Purposely so I would say.

I do love, like A LOT, that Sam and Cas are banding together to help save Dean. I love Sam and Cas' friendship. It's been a delight to watch it grow and blossom. Their love for Dean and overwhelming need to help him may have been what brought them together in the past, but I feel like their understanding of each other, each others mistakes and a genuine empathy for each other has bonded them as buddies. I like it.

Okie dokie, let's check out promo one, with the epic spoiler...

So there you go. Bobby. Well we all hoped he was in Heaven and would somehow be able to help out the brothers from beyond! What he's going to help with I'm not sure. Something to do with Metatron Watching out for Dean? Or does he help with the lead on the MoC? Maybe something only a spirit/soul can help with? What are your thoughts?

Here is the extended version of this promo with added worry...

Everyone is in this ep! Even Metatron. Who is out again! How? Why! Shoot him, Sam! Not that shooting him will kill him...but it might smart a little!

I'm intrigued by Rowena's comment that the MoC is just a curse, it can be removed. IS THAT TRUE? Certainly none of the research the brothers have been doing has suggested this, or at least they haven't found anything to suggest this. So does she know something? Or is it a ruse? And I wonder what's with all the sigils she's painted all over herself? What the hell is she up to? Is it a spell? I'm looking forward to seeing Rowena and Dean go at it. To be honest...full disclosure...he could kill her and I'd probably be cool with it. Though now her story is intersecting with the Winchesters, via The Men of Letters and their contact with the witches, her story is becoming intriguing...in a, what that story means to Sam and Dean kind of way. I'm also invested in Crowley, and I'd like to see him kick her to the curb!

I wonder what Dean's been doing for Sam to say he's getting worse? We haven't seem Dean losing it and getting killy since "The Executioner's Song". He seems to be pretty under control and holding it together...at least on the surface. He is wearing a red coloured shirt with a dark t-shirt in this episode though. It's not THE red shirt, but I swear this coloured shirt with that coloured t-shirt is purposeful. It's the Dean's having MoC or demony vibes ensemble. I'd love to ask wardrobe about that!

Okay, here's the sneak peek...

I really love this sneak peek. Even though Sam is lying liar who lies (badly) (but for good reason so I'm cool with it), this clip is so damn adorable I can't even. And I know two things... Dean's going to be pissed with Sam when he finds out the truth, and he's SO going into Sam's room! "Stay out of my room", good grief Sam, red rag to a bull! Also Dean's face when he thinks it's a nudie French movie and then his face when he has no idea what the hell the movie is that Sam is talking about! That little look, with the confused blinking! GAH! ADORABLE! Jensen is masterful at saying so much with that damn beautiful face of his.

I love these domestic Winchester scenes in the bunker. I want a whole episode like this. Of the boys chatting. Watching TV. Cooking. Doing shooting practise in their personal shooting range. Maybe Dean could go polish the car and they could have a water fight with the hose... OKAY I WENT TOO FAR! But I do love these bunker scenes.

So basically, in this episode we have, Sam, Dean, Cas, Crowley, Rowena, Metatron and BOBBY! Blimey! I think it's going to be a good one!

What are your thoughts? He me up in the comments!

-sweetondean


HOLD THE PRESSES!

There's an exclusive preview from EW that makes me yearn for Bobby.

Clickety click on the photo...then come straight back, 'kay?

Damn, I wasn't missing Bobby anymore...at least not chronically. But now I am again! Doesn't this make you miss him? I'd forgotten how much I adore that cranky old hunter. Damn it!

And "with Dean the way he is",  man...we're starting down the slippery slope with Dean, aren't we. A-WAHHHHHH! All of Jensen's warnings about Dean sliding back towards demonyish, carelessly, violent behaviour and not realising/acknowledging, all the Dean's not going to want help, starting to push Sam away stuff, is pounding in my ears! AND POUNDING IN MY HEART!

I'm just going to sit here and think about Dean being an adorable, annoying big brother, and sneaking into Sam's room while he's out instead. Maybe short sheeting Sam's bed? Yeah I'm going to think about that instead...

Or maybe this...

Wait. This makes me happy and sad all in one! Oh Supernatural...

-sweetondean (again)

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Here's a sneak peek with The Carver, which gives me worries and feels and makes me gasp for this episode! Everything about this looks scary and fantastic and I want to hug Dean (and not just because of his sexy, extended, sweaty neck) and tell him it's okay and hug Sam and tell him he's awesome. I think I'm already in love with this episode! Plus we get an answer on the eyes. Oh, poor Dean. This season end is going to destroy me I know it!

- sweetondean (again, again)

Inside: Inside Man
Heaven or Hell, the boys will always need their Bobby. Executive Producer Jeremy Carver talks TOMORROW'S all new #Supernatural!
Posted by Supernatural on Tuesday, 31 March 2015

The Light on Spoilers, Heavy on Squee Preview of Supernatural 10x16 "Paint it Black"

I'll let you in on a little secret....I nearly forgot to write my preview! I'm obviously not in the groove after hellatus! But I'm here now...so....

THEN

There was these Khan worms taking control of people and turning them into killers, which was a metaphor for what's happening to Dean. And Sam couldn't save the guy and he had to kill him, which was a metaphor for what Sam's terrified will happen with Dean. And it was all really tense and really, really, REALLY gross.

NOW

It's gonna get witchy again! Or nunny! Or both!

So we haven't seen Rowena since "The Executioner's Song", where she was trying to lay down plans with her boy Crowley to take down the top witch, and get her position and power back. Oddly, she doesn't appear in any of the promo photos. Obviously Ruth wasn't on set the day they were doing the shots! Anyhooo... Let's look at the synopsis.

SUPERNATURAL “Paint it Black” 

ROWENA MAKES PLANS TO RECLAIM HER MAGIC  

Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate a string of suicides committed by people with little in common other than the identical, grisly method of death – slow, self-administered disembowelment. All of the victims were members of a Catholic church and had recently given confession, leading the brothers to suspect the priest (guest star Stephen Daniel Curtis) is somehow involved. Meanwhile, when Crowley (Mark Sheppard) captures Olivette (guest star Teryl Rothery), the leader of the Grand Coven, Rowena (guest star Ruth Connell) pleads her case to be allowed to practice magic freely again. John Showalter directed this episode written by Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming (#1016). 

DISEMBOWELMENT! Lovely. That's something to look forward to!

It sounds very much like we have two stories this week - the brothers with the churchy, disembowelment stuff and the Rowena and Crowley stuff. That's very much and Buckner/Ross-Leming thing I think, they seem to like to do multiple stories in their episodes.

Let's take a look at the promo

I feel like that nun might not be a nun! And Dean's right, she is kind of hot! I'll admit I'm fascinated by the concept of Dean in the confessional. I'd like to hear that confession! Awww maybe I wouldn't, it'd probably be sad. Or sexy, it might be sexy... I vote for sexy.

Sneak peek!

I love it so much when they bicker. I wonder if Dean sent nude selfies to any of those women he was talking to on the dating app. NOW LOOK AT HOW MY BRAIN WORKS! HOW DID I GET FROM HERE TO THERE?

I need to ruffle Sam's hair. A LOT. Geesh, he's looking like Mary Tyler Moore. SAY NO TO BOB. (but not Mark's Bobs...you know.)

They really are so cute when they bicker though aren't they? I just love that they are working together and getting on and being all bromenty. It sure beats the hell out of hating on each other!

Okay, obviously I don't have a lot to say! The promo makes this look quite monster of the weekish, but with Rowena and Crowley in the episode too, I have a feeling that it's going to be more than that and that there'll be some kind of tie in to their story, especially as next week the synopsis says that Dean faces off against Rowena...makes you think maybe something starts brewing this week to get us to that point!

Hey...do you think the nun is SISTER CHRISTIAN!? SEE WHAT I DID THERE!

Enjoy the episode! Pretty boys and a good ol' disembowelment! Woohoo! Party time!

-sweetondean

Review - Supernatural 10x15 "The Things They Carried" - Facing The Truth

So I'm back from Vegascon and back at it! Sorry for a prolonged absence. I really did mean to post some guest writer articles, but I got sick and rest between convention stuff became a priority to get me to Sunday in one piece! More about Vegascon later, when I write up something that tries to capture the awesome!

The one thing about getting so sick on my holiday (yes, I was sick for nearly the whole time) was that I was still sick when I got home and couldn’t go back to work! Which meant on Thursday I was able to watch Supernatural as Jared and co. live tweeted it! And Jensen live tweeted that he couldn’t live tweet. GUH! I came home more in love with him than ever, FYI. Damn his Ackleswesomeness.

Do you sometimes forget that Supernatural is a horror show? I do. I mean, I’m pretty in to horror so I think over the years I’ve been somewhat desensitised. And I tend to be distracted by Supernatural’s boy melodrama. Oh how I love a good broment! But every so often, Supernatural cracks out a totally disturbing and totally gross episode that reminds me this show’s roots are well and truly in horror! I still can’t watch “Metamorphosis” – that eating the raw meat…ewww. Or how about “My Bloody Valentine”, when the dating couple chow down on each other…geesh! Or at the end of “Hammer of the Gods” when Pestilence comes into town with all that snot and phlegm (actually, that’s pretty much me since the beginning of Vegascon, damn it).

“The Things They Carried” started out helluva gross and stayed that way! That opening scene was a humdinger! Surely it pushed the censorship boundaries? Supernatural goes to air at 8.30 in Australia, so I’m interested to see if tomorrow night, when this episode airs on Aussie TV, if that scene is at all cut. The sense of menace and horror was pretty high – speaking in censorship language! Then there were the Khan worms, wiggling out of one mouth into another. Good grief. Weren’t they disgusting little bastards. I loved it all!

Coming off hiatus and off the back of the remarkable “The Executioner’s Song” I think we were all rather concerned where we were now headed. Dean was broken down after seeing that Cain couldn’t in fact control the Mark of Cain, and try as he might, he could no longer hide that fear from Sam, who was left worried sick for his big bro.

All Dean had wanted was to believe he could live with that thing on his arm, all he had wanted was for Cain to tell him that he could, that he could control the violence, that he could overcome the Mark. But instead he got the complete opposite. Dean got Cain telling him that Cain would always keep killing, that he could never stop and not only that, Dean received a prophecy about his own future, which aligned him with Cain’s past, full of blood and murder, and of course culminating in the death of his brother at his own hands.

At Vegascon in Jensen’s meet and greet, I heard Jensen talk about how all this has totally devastated Dean, that all the hope he had was in that moment stripped away from him, and all he has left is the knowledge that the thing on his arm will eventually destroy him and those he loves. Dean feels hopeless. Supernatural is going to get dark people, very dark if Jensen’s spoilers were anything to go by.

Of course, Dean being Dean, when we first see him, he’s full of quips and bravado. Continuing on his mission to keep moving forward, staying true to his promise to keep doing the work until he can’t anymore. And Sam being Sam is quietly trying to research on the sly, trying to find something, anything, to help his big brother and stop what is starting to look like the inevitable.

The thing with Sam is, when he gets like this, especially about Dean, when he gets this focused and obsessed, he tends to go dark as well! So on one side, we have Dean being dragged down by the Mark of Cain, and on the other side with have Sam being dragged down by his desire to do anything to help. Of course that’s not happening just yet, but is it just me, or does it look like we could be heading that way. I have to let you in on a secret; I’m shit scared as to where this season is going to end...

“The Things They Carried” saw the return of Cole. I like Cole. I only recently discovered that a lot of people don’t and I was shocked! I’ve enjoyed the introduction of his character and witnessing his rocky journey to kinda understanding. I particularly enjoy seeing the boys through his eyes. It’s always one of my favourite things to see the Winchester brothers through the eyes of those around them. It shines back to us the good and the bad, and shines those things back to the Winchesters as well. Their world can become quite insular and that’s why it’s important to have other characters coming into their crazy circle. Hearing Cole call them the machete brothers, and then hearing him praise Dean as an unsung hero, he really was expressing the two sides of the Winchesters and what they do. They’ve become quite pragmatic about killing, so to have someone come in and say, no we’re going to try and do this different, well I think that’s a good thing.

I like the relationship that has developed between Dean and Cole. Over the years it’s become obvious that Dean Winchester can get along with most anyone. A bond has now formed between Dean and Cole, built around their weird history. I’m hoping that Cole becomes one of those people that just pops up every once in a while in the Winchester’s lives. Now he knows the drill, maybe if he sees anything squirrelly, he’ll call them!

The overarching theme of this episode, beyond the things we carry with us, was that Cole and Kit both had something they couldn’t control living inside them, slowly turning them into a monster. This is why Dean was not going to give up on Cole, because to give up on Cole would be another indicator that there is no hope for Dean. Sure Dean was doing the job that gives him peace, saving people, hunting things, but he was also saving someone from a situation that mirrored his own. Even if on the outside Dean’s saying he’s resigned to his destiny, fighting to save a man from becoming a monster is also fighting for himself. There was no way he was losing Cole and no way he was letting him give up.

“That road? That means giving up. If you think that’s where you’re headed, then you got it ass backwards. You’re gonna fight, harder than you ever have. Understand?”

Who exactly is Dean talking about here?

And though I think Dean feels some responsibility for Cole and the man he’s turned out to be, as Dean was the one who took Cole’s dad, for me, saving Cole was as much about saving Dean as anything else.

Which is also exactly why not being able to save Kit hit Sam so hard. The brothers have had to kill humans who have become monsters before, what Sam did was nothing new. But in this situation, he couldn’t save a man who had something dark growing inside of him, something supernatural changing him. He couldn’t stop this thing from taking over the man and so he couldn’t save the man from becoming the monster.

When Sam was lamenting that he tried, but he couldn’t save this one, you just know all Sam as thinking about was Dean.

Then Dean reminds Sam, “You know you can do everything right, and even still, sometimes the guy still dies.” We all know what Dean’s saying here. Sam knows what Dean is saying here. Cue Sam’s deeply disturbed face and my shattering heart.

Remember when Dean was going to Hell how on the outside he put up the appearance that he was resigned to the fact? And remember how Sam was willing to try anything, trust anyone to stop his brother from meeting that horrific fate? Like I said earlier, is it just me, or does this feel like we’re heading down a similarly terrifying road.

There was also the side theme of killing someone to save them, going on in this episode, which freaks me the hell out. Cole asked Dean to kill him if he went down that road. He was ready to die if he couldn’t be saved. Dean would surely rather die than become the demon he once was. Even though Sam couldn’t technically save Kit, he did in someway save him, because it stopped Kit from killing his own wife. All of this trying to save, not being able to save, having to kill to save stuff is giving me cold sweats! I really felt like this episode was telegraphing what’s to come. It was foreshadowing the shit out of things. ARGH!

I really am scared, guys! Hold me!

I doubt Dean will go full blown demon again (though Jensen indicated he’s going that way in how he’s reacting to things), which leaves the horror of Cain’s words hanging over my head, and horror of one brother killing the other.

From the beginning of season 2 that has been a threat the show has dangled in front of us. Whether Dean was going to have to kill Sam before he went darkside, or because he was soulless, or whether Sam is going to have to kill Dean to stop him becoming a demonic murdering machine. (DAMN YOU TO HELL SHOW IF YOU DO ANY OF THESE THINGS.) Dean never told Sam what Cain said, I feel like he needs to. Even though this season has been full of remarkable honesty, as usual when it gets to the pointy end of things, there are some secrets brewing, and like Charlie said, “Hey Dudes. Dudes. Secrets are bad.”

But our one saving grace is the brothers are so in tune with each other, so caring for each other, so watching out for each other... That’s gotta mean something, right? RIGHT? Just say yes because I’m quietly freaking out over here! And even if Dean says that sometimes they have to face the truth, (Dean, you’re so obvious!), I don’t want to! OH WHO AM I TRYING TO KID, THIS IS SUPERNATURAL, WHICH MEANS PAIN! And Ackles talking about Dean’s path didn’t help me none! Not a jot!

I still believe as it was Cain who killed Abel because of love (in Supernatural’s twist), it’s got to be the love the Winchesters feel for each other that will save Dean. It’s going to be their belief in each other. It’s going to be their trust in each other. Somehow, their love with save the day. Again. Eeep!

It couldn’t be worse that 9x23 could it? (Oh God, it’s going to be worse, isn’t it!)

Where do you think we’re going? Give me your theories!

-sweetondean

Supernatural VegasCon 2015 - Day 1 Report

Hi everyone!

Well here I am as day 2 of Vegascon kicks off, I thought I'd give you a quick report on the shenanigans so far!

Hazel and I drove in to Vegas on Wednesday - we'd spent the previous day at the other happiest place on earth, Disneyland! The schedule was very late to go up, but we did know that registration for Gold commenced at 9pm. OMG...SO LATE! Last year it was about 7pm! Anyhoooo...we checked into the hotel, running into a few pals on the way to our room. The thing about doing a bunch of these things is that you get to know so many people, it really is like this big family reunion atmosphere!

We headed down to registration about 7.30, we'd seen via the wonders of the Vegascon hashtag on twitter that people were queueing from about 6! We didn't need a low reupping number (for next year), as we wanted to keep our seats. (They're good seats, C33, 32. Pretty central and nice and close.) I gotta tell you though, I was so happy that we got down there early! Because the line became like Crowley's Hell before too long. 

We sat in the queue chatting to friends, meeting new friends and hugging friends passing by. I got to meet Viv, who I've been talking to on twitter for 5 years at least! She was one of the first Supernatural fans that I connected with and we finally met! Awesome.

About 9.30 rego finally kicked off and we got through it all pretty quickly, hit the vendors room and then hit the sack! It had been a long day!

Day 1 of the convention kicked off Thursday at 1230, with the wonderful sounds of Louden Swain, followed on stage by the host with the most, Mr Richard Speight Jr.! 

I suggest if you're coming to a con, you do not miss the opening. Rob and Rich are such good mates. They riff off each other and are damn funny. They could take that show on the road! Rich is an amazing ad libber - his sassy comebacks are the best. They tease each other, they tease us. They really are a great opening act! The Rules and Regulations song has become a highlight. Every time Richard tells us the rules they're a little different (but the same), all to the musical back up of Louden Swain. And of course being Thursday people (as opposed to Friday people), we also got our very own song! I will say that the turn out for Thursday was one of the best I've ever seen. It was a big crowd for the first day!

Our first guest out was Tyler Johnston. Tyler of course played 2 characters in Supernatural, Matt Pike in season one's "Bugs" and then the ill fated Weiner Hut angel Alfie/Samandriel.

Tyler was a lovely story teller and had a great sense of  humour, very dry. He talked about some of his other projects that he's done over the years, how he looks 10 years old (he looks about 18 and he's 28), and how he can't grow a beard! He told a very funny story about having to wear a "cock sock" for a nude scene on the second day of shooting a series he was working on. They gave him something resembling a baby sock and he had to ask the wardrobe person for assistance to squeeze everything into it! Then everything kind of fell out of it during the scene - yes these are the things we talk about at conventions! He told us that the head gear Samandriel had to wear during the Crowley torture scene was super painful and was like actual torture! It pressed into his head and what with all the screaming he had to do, he was extremely uncomfortable. He told us that when he did the first episode of Supernatural, he asked the boys for an autograph for "his sister", but it was actually for him, and he had that signed photo on his bedroom wall for what sounds like an awkward amount of years (he said until he was 24, but I think he was joking...I think)! He finally took it down, but he still has it.

Next on stage was Travis Aaron Wade - AKA Cole. This was Travis' first convention, but you'd never know it. He was like a pro. Super charming, super funny, brilliant stories. I think everyone left the room totally enamoured (as you could tell by the instant queue to go buy tickets for a photo op with him!)

Travis talked a lot about his animal charity, Arm The Animals, how that came about and the work they do. He also told us how he ended up with three chihuahuas, known as the tan mafia! He was encouraged to rescue one (by his then girlfriend who turned out to be engaged to someone in Chicago...a story for another convention, he said!), and then when he picked up the one he decided to take home, that chihuahua was holding on to another tiny chihuahua, who was the runt of the litter. So he took both, because the little one wouldn't survive without the care of its sibling. It turned out the little one had a form of doggy Downs Syndrome and needed some expensive vet treatment...which being an animal lover, he just had to do. His third chihuahua came to him as a stray. He tried to find the owner, but to no avail, so he ended up keeping him. He calls that one the runner, because no matter what, if you leave a door or a gate open, he'll run! He obviously adores his pooches and all animals.

Travis also talked about those brilliant fight scenes and how big a role the stuntmen played in them, and Jensen - who he says is an amazing camera fighter. (I've got to say, I believe that every man or woman who comes in contact with Jensen seems to walk away with hearts in their eyes!) He also talked about how he originally auditioned for the role of Dean and that ten years later he found himself getting beat up by the actor who got the part! Then he spoke a little bit about the Js extraordinary friendship, about how someone once told him about how the boys don't like each other and he laughed because it's so far from the truth. And like so many others before him, he discussed how the boys lead the way on set, how they have no egos at all, and that the Supernatural set has a family atmosphere and that all comes down from the way the boys are with each other and everyone who comes in contact with them. Bless. We love hearing stories like that.

I had to take a little break while Lauren was on, so I missed her panel, only catching the very end, but I caught up with her in the autographs and she was lovely as usual.

The last panel of the day was Osric. He'd come on dressed as Lauren's Futurama character, Amy during Lauren's panel, but for his panel he was just Osric.

Osric talked about cosplaying about how he could pretty much do that full time and how he has to remind himself that he is an actor not a professional cosplayer! He answered a fans questions about convention and how best to enjoy them, and talked about how at his first Supernatural convention he made a point to stay for the whole con and watch it as a fan and audience member so he could understand what we got to experience. He sneak peeked us a trailer for a movie he's done called "Killing Poe". He talked about what inspires him and keeps him going - the SPNFamily keeps him going when he's having a rough time - and about how he reaches out to fandom because he knows that just a little message from him can totally change someones day and if he can do that, he will.

Pretty much, Osric spent 45 minutes being totally adorable. He's such a sweetie. I'm so glad he's part of our crazy family!

And that was the end of the day. I got autographs with Lauren and Travis and then headed to a lovely dinner with Fangasm's Lynn. We always threaten to have dinner together but never seem to squeeze it in. This time we decided we'd do it hell or high water on the Thursday night. So we sat for a couple of hours talking all things Supernatural. How we came to the show, the fandom. How it's changed both our lives. We talked a lot about a certain boy we both adore and that character he plays. We talked fandom and fan fiction and everything in between. We always call ourselves "Brain Twins" because of a certain train of thought we both have that so often ends up revolving around Jensen or Dean! It was a really great way to finish up the first day, talking our passion for our show and our love for our cast and our dedication to our fandom.

Then I scurried off to bed...I skipped the Gold cocktail party - even though I'm pretty sure it will be the last one ever - to get some much needed rest. Gotta grab your sleep when you can at a con!

So today is day 2 and we have Tim Omundson, Curtis Armstrong, Gil and Osric and Samantha Smith. I'll try my hardest to keep you updated on proceedings and keep an eye on my twitter for photos!

-sweetondean 

SPOILERS SWEETIES! Promotional Photos Supernatural 10x15 "The Things They Carried"

Now I know I'm a little tardy with these, but I'm on route to Vegascon at the moment (squeeeee) and I'm currently in Venice Beach chillaxing (did I really just write chillaxing???) and getting tattoos and stuffs. BUT THAT'S NO EXCUSE! BECAUSE I'M A FANGIRL AND THAT'S A 24/7 JOB! Heh.

So without further a doo doo (she said doo doo) here are the promo photos for our next episode, 10x15 "The Things They Carried" accompanied by *random commentary.

*random commentary may be random

"Hello, yeah, can I get a pizza with the lot, and extra cheese and peperoni." #PeperoniDreaming

(The above may not honestly represent the contents of this scene)

Oh and, heys Green Cooler! 

This photo makes me think that there's a possibility that I've read too much fanfiction....

I'll just leave this here.

Okay so, this is a Khan worm ep, Cole has the Khan worm, Cole and Dean have many batteries and some jumper leads...so either they're curing Cole or this is some weird BDSM scene.... OKAY I KNOW IT'S NOT! BUT DON'T PRETEND YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT TOO!

Um.

Um.

Cole, did you forget your safe word?

(sorry, not sorry)

#justsayin'

 In all seriousness, WHO'S CABIN IS THIS. No that's not what I was being all serious about. In all seriousness (this time for sure), I hope that these pictures mean that they cure Cole and don't kill Cole. Because I like that character, which probably does not bode well for him...

Meanwhile....

I guess, while Dean sorts out Cole (or something), Sam works the case from a different angle? Is this the wife of one of the crazed infected-by-Khan-worm husbands?

Hero Sammy to the rescue! Yay!

The lighting on this shot is gorgeous.

Also Sam and a gun is gorgeous.

Also Sam is gorgeous.

Crusty guest bad guy is crusty! Eeewwwwwwwwww.

So, Sam and Dean are apart for a bit in this episode. Boo. But it looks like they're attacking the same case. Yay! But there's still 2 weeks to wait until we see it. BOOOOOOOO!

-sweetondean

*sweetondean would like to apologise to Supernatural for wilfully misinterpreting these promo pics

**sweetondean is not sorry

FROM STAR TREK TO SUPERNATURAL - HOW A FANGIRL'S LIFE CAME FULL CIRCLE.

- by spnmom

Like many of us, spnmom was deeply saddened by the death of Leonard Nimoy. He was family. A SciFi icon. Someone who had always been a part of our broader fannish community. spnmom was a Star Trek fan before she was a Supernatural fan, and felt the need express what that show meant to her and how that has translated into what our show means to her. The two are intricately interwoven. She is a fangirl after all. I hope you enjoy this personal story of crossing fandoms. It made me cry. I love fandom. 

Please let spnmom know your thoughts or your own stories in the comments.

-sweetondean

First, I would like to thank sweetondean for allowing me this indulgence and to use her forum. To boldly go where I have not gone before.  Because there is nowhere else I would feel safe to express my deepest thoughts and feelings about how Star Trek, Supernatural, and how their cast have impacted my life.  I thought about posting something on Facebook, but my sons most likely would’ve been embarrassed and/or mortified. :\

I can distinctly remember the moment, at age 11, when Star Trek stopped being a TV show for me and became so much more.  I watched many sci-fi shows in the 60’s on our black and white TV, but I found Star Trek much more fascinating for some reason.  Sorry, I couldn’t resist using one of Spock’s favourite words.  

It was March 1967 when The Devil in the Dark aired.  I went to watch it at the neighbor’s home on their colour TV, my first time seeing the show in colour! To use Supernatural lingo, it was a MOTW episode.  A rock like monster, the Horta, was killing miners. Spock did a mind meld, as shown in the Hallmark ornament above and came to find out, the miners were killing it’s babies, these big silicon spheres!  When Spock revealed this I recall having what I think was my first empathetic moment for a character in a TV show.  And it happened to be an alien!  It immediately made me feel sad and I felt a deeper meaning.

Now mind you, I don’t think most of us at age 11 were looking for deep things while watching TV.  I know I wasn’t.  And I probably didn’t have the vocabulary to even describe what I was feeling at the time.  But I know I shed a tear for a TV show and that surprised me.

That is when my lifelong Star Trek connection began.  Because somehow I knew it was speaking to me personally.  Like I said, I couldn’t put words to what I felt back then, but later I would understand it had so much more to say than to just entertain me.  There were moral dilemmas, choices and consequences, life and death decisions, underlying social statements, hidden meanings, parallels to the turbulent 60’s issues like civil rights and of course the prime directive.  Should they intervene, share what they knew, let an outsider in on the ‘secrets’ (tell others about supernatural stuff?)

By now you must have realised how those same things I just mentioned are prevalent in Supernatural as well.  I'll discuss more of that and other parallels of the shows later.

After hearing of Leonard Nimoy’s passing I dug out my Star Trek S1 DVD’s my son gave me awhile back, which I had never finished.  By chance I had stopped on a disc that had a great piece from one of Mr Nimoy's interviews in 2003 about Star Trek.  He was discussing the same episode I just mentioned and revealed that it was a particularly important episode for him personally, because it was “about something important to me.  How we tend to demonise the things we don’t understand, or the people we don’t understand”.

His words spoke to me again, only this time not Spock’s words, but Leonard’s.  And the introspection began in earnest.  I realised that episode was my first real connection to a TV character and listening more closely to what they were telling or teaching me. I think I knew even then that I was watching the show after that with a different perspective. I couldn't share this with my friends.  If I did say anything they gave me weird looks and thought I was acting odd!  There was no ‘fangirl’ acceptance back then!  So as others watched for pure entertainment, I buried my geek girl thoughts so as to be accepted by my friends.

But as I aged I did find myself analysing many other TV shows and movies (much to the annoyance of my family and friends I might add), being careful not to share too much. Then when I went to college, Star Trek was on in the late afternoons after class.  I got reacquainted with my fangirl inside, but again, I didn't say too much.  I mean come on.  This was college in the 70’s.  If I had gone on and on about how a sci-fi show episode with two enemy guys having black and white faces, but opposite halves reflected a social issue, my friends probably would’ve accused me of eating some ‘special’ brownies.

However, my secret was let out of the bag when James "Scotty" Doohan made an appearance at my college.  I couldn’t contain myself and I turned into a total fan girl.  I was a nervous wreck before his appearance, wondering what to wear, etc.  He brought outtakes which were hilarious and gave me a sneak peak into the show behind the scenes.  Afterwards I got his autograph and a kiss on the cheek!!!  Or I kissed him.  I really can’t remember which it was! A brain fart.  (I’m sure anyone who has been to a SPN convention can totally relate!)

For the next several years my fangirl was subdued, occasionally making an appearance when there was a Star Trek movie.  I did get goose bumps and indeed stood and let out a yelp in the full theatre when Kirk saw the Enterprise in space dock in the first movie.  My husband just rolled his eyes and slunk in his seat.  Then there was my total meltdown in the Wrath of Khan.  I sobbed buckets and had to cover my face as I left the theatre.  My husband said, “It’s just a movie!”

Spock’s famous quote, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” still gets me today.  Can you say Supernatural parallel?  How many times have Sam and Dean put others’ needs before their own?  How many times have they saved the world or risked their life for mankind or humanity?

So more years pass and along comes Supernatural.  At first I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what drew me to the show.  Initially it was because Bobby was from my hometown, which I found fascinating.  Oops, did it again.  But soon I had an epiphany.  OMG.  Supernatural had the same undercurrents of social injustice, hidden messages and lessons, life questions that I had loved about Star Trek so long ago.  Belief in saving mankind and a belief that things could be better.

There was true character development and interaction and humour between the characters, just like in Star Trek.  There were humorous episodes and playful episodes.  Remember Trouble with Tribbles? There was the Sam and Dean bond, reminiscent of Kirk and Spock’s relationship.  And of course Bobby, their Dr. McCoy.  And men who couldn’t say I love you or verbalise how much they cared about each other, just like on Star Trek.  But wait, there were also episodes where Sam and Dean were under a spell or possession when true feelings, although sometimes warped a bit, were shared. Just like in Naked Time when the Star Trek crew was infected with a virus and Spock’s emotions came hurtling to the surface.  Lest I leave this one out.  How many times have Dean or Sam died and come back?  How can one not think of Spock dying and returning, albeit via the movies.

Plus, duh, the obvious Star Trek references in many Supernatural episodes.  Dean saying “let’s Star Trek 4 this bitch”, the Khan worm and young John Winchester telling Dean he could probably get reception on the Enterprise!  I know Dean has mentioned the Vulcan mind meld. (There were others I can’t think of at the moment.)

Both shows had period and time travel episodes.  Some of those are my favourite Supernatural episodes and City on the Edge of Forever with Joan Collins is a fabulous Star Trek episode.  Another favourite of Leonard Nimoy’s.  He said he thought it may have been the best episode of the series.

On that same DVD a snippet of an interview with William Shatner talked about how the show tangled with creatures more intelligent than they were so the show would use brawn to overcome them.  The reverse was true also.  When the crew came upon an alien with more brawn they used clever ideas to show human’s intellect to outwit their enemy.  How many times have Sam and Dean had to do the same?

Through video clips and interviews I have come to understand that the set of Star Trek had some wonderful cast camaraderie, as does the Supernatural set.  There were pranks and fun was had much of the time.  The Star Trek family atmosphere grew stronger through the years, including cast from other Star Trek series because of conventions.  How many past cast members of Supernatural are now best friends because of the conventions, even though they never acted together or met until a convention.

Finally, the lead actors.  William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy developed a deep friendship over the years as have Jensen and Jared.  William Shatner posted this after Leonard’s passing, “I loved him like a brother”.  Sound like any other guys we know?  Leonard was also quoted in the past as saying they were ‘like brothers’.

Shatner and Nimoy realised as the years passed how much their characters impacted others lives. They heard countless times how people became scientists, engineers or astronauts because they had watched Star Trek as a child.  These people became the future!  They listened to fans and there was a beautiful letter Leonard Nimoy wrote in response to a young girl’s question in a fan magazine back in 1968.  She was bi-racial and had trouble fitting in.   She wanted to know how Spock did it.  His response is still relevant today in that he told her to be true to herself, whether that was popular or not.  You can find the response at www.celebrity.yahoo.com

That reminded me of how Jared and Jensen both have said so many encouraging things to fans who’ve been struggling with depression or other issues.  Jared especially has addressed this topic often.  

Of course they all have done many, many conventions while breaking down the barrier between fan and cast by developing friendships.  Not only stepping into our living rooms via a TV screen, but now entering the same room with those lucky enough to attend a convention.  Giving of themselves in time and sacrificing family time to be with fans.

I fantasised about attending a Star Trek convention for years.  But those early conventions had kind of a reputation of having crazy fans and they weren’t always treated with much respect by mainstream TV watchers.  I didn’t have the guts, or anyone to go with for that matter.  If I ever brought it up I again got a strange look in response.  I simply couldn’t risk the condemnation from family and friends.

Then along came Supernatural.  I began going to fan web sites, reading blogs and watching videos of conventions.  Supernatural fandom encouraged and allowed me to release that inner fangirl that I had suppressed for so long.  I made the leap and went to the first VegasCon.  It was everything I’d hoped it would be and more.  I regretted never going to a Star Trek convention, but by now they've grown so big I don't think I could get the same feel.  Plus, some of the original cast is forever gone.  But enjoy VegasCon I did.  I even won a trivia contest!  I guess binge watching 7 seasons of Supernatural on DVD and TNT for a a year helped, as I had only been watching about a year at the time I attended!

I believe Supernatural fandom and all fandoms owe a debt to Star Trek and the Trekkies/Trekkers. Without them going where no (wo)man had gone before, we might not be able to enjoy the SPN conventions and fan experience as we do now.  The early Trekkies endured criticism, judgement and pretty much everything awful, but kept going in spite of it.  Now multi-generations attend Star Trek conventions together.  They cosplay together, plan family vacations around conventions and enjoy the company of an extended Star Trek family.  They have created a legacy over almost 60 years.  

Supernatural is in the infant stage of their legacy, but I have a feeling it will last long after the show is gone. The cast will stay connected, the fans will continue to converge on conventions, continue to write fan fiction and watch DVD’s or whatever future media brings.  The SPNfamily is already multi-generational, and I have no doubt, it will continue to grow.

And crossover fandoms are growing.  This can’t be more evident than when William Shatner started interacting with Supernatural and other fandoms.  Live tweeting, messing with Misha ("Cupcake") and supporting many other Sci-Fi shows.  

My life has truly come full circle!!!!  So surreal that after nearly 50 years, my first deep encounter and connection to a TV show, Star Trek, should somehow now be interwoven with another show I've become deeply connected to, Supernatural.  One led to the other, but now they're on the same plane!  Mind boggling.

Thank you Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, for the life lessons you showed me so many years ago, even though the impact took years for me to discover.  They will live long in me and I feel they have helped me prosper.  Possibly in ways I am still unaware of.  I am trying at my age to live out Leonard’s advice to that young girl from the 60’s. To be true to myself.  It’s not always easy, even at my ‘mature’ age.  There are still incredulous looks, ridicule and a lack of understanding from some close to me.  Not only regarding my selection in TV shows, obsessions (er… hobbies) but with career choices I have made.  But that moment back in 1967 may well have been the beginning of a journey in life that I am just now understanding.  It may have been what led me away from a medical career, eventually to social work and now working with the homeless.

I want to thank Supernatural cast, crew and fans for creating a medium that allowed me to be true to me and awaken those distant memories, while creating new ones.  What a great meld it is becoming. 

LLAP

spnmom3

PS.  By total happenstance I chose this to wear on the day of Leonard Nimoy’s passing before I heard about it.