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gwaevalarin) wrote2011-08-05 11:11 am
gwaevalarin) wrote2011-08-05 11:11 am
Supernatural
I think some people may be getting a wrong impression regarding my feelings towards Supernatural at the moment. I think some people may be getting a wrong impression regarding the entire Castiel (and Cas/Dean) part of the fandom, but I can only speak for myself, and I want to make a few things clear here:
Most importantly: I love this show.
I may be ranting and worrying and complaining a lot lately. I wouldn't do that if I didn't care.
Equally important: I still love Sam and Dean. Maybe not as much as I love Cas and Balthazar and Gabriel and (hate-love) Crowley, but of course I love them. I don't think it's possible to watch this show if you don't.
I also firmly believe that this show, in its core, has always been, will always be, and should always be about these two brothers. They are the heart and soul of Supernatural, and I don't think anyone could possibly doubt that.
BUT it can't be only about them. These two characters need other characters to interact with, to make their universe come to life. The two most important other characters - John and Mary aside - who form their family, are Bobby and Castiel. These two are, in my eyes, an integral part of the show. They are important to the boys and to the show. And they deserve to be treated that way.
I've read several times on tumblr how "the Castiel fandom wants this show to be just about him". This is complete and utter nonsense, as far as I'm concerned. What I want is the show to treat Castiel as the important character, and the important part of the boys' life that he has proven to be over the last three years. What I want is the show to acknowledge him as this important character and not use him as a cheap plot devise.
And here is another very important thing: The way Castiel's storyline is going right now - and no, we don't know for sure what is going to happen, but we are getting quite a few hints, and this theme already started very early in season 6 - doesn't only affect Cas, it also reflects on Sam and Dean.
Sam and Dean love each other more than anything and I wouldn't have it any other way. They are also both broken, and fucked up and co-dependent to a more than unhealthy degree, and again, I wouldn't really have it any other way, because that's what makes them interesting. But underneath all this, they have always been heroes in their own way. They made mistakes, they sometimes chose questionable paths, they lost people, but they cared. That's what always made them sympathetic characters, that they tried and that they cared. And then season 6 came along, and Cas was fighting his civil war in Heaven, trying to stop Raphael from restarting the Apocalypse - and yes, Cas too made mistakes and very questionable decisions, but he cared - and to me it felt like everytime Dean called him, the general tenor was:
Cas: "I'm fighting a civil war in Heaven trying to save what we - you and me - fought for."
Dean: "Fuck that, I don't care! There is something wrong with Sam. That's more important."
It's okay that Dean worried about Sam, and wanted him fixed more than anything. But he did it at the potential cost of the entire world burning, and he acted like that didn't matter - until it was too late. And that is not the Winchester boys I love. The Winchester boys I love would do everything for each other and sacrifice themselves for each other, but not at the cost of other people suffering the consequences.
Another thing I feel needs to be said: Characters, even important ones sometimes leave a story for the sake of the story and their own storyline. They might continue their own story somewhere else, in Supernatural it usually means that they die - and when I say "die" I mean the ones who die and do not just come back. And when I say "important characters", I mean the ones who have been in more than one episode, who stole our hearts, and left their signature on the show and Sam and Dean's life.
The important thing is how they leave.
Take Gabriel for example. I love him, and I hated to see him go. But I also feel that he got the ending he deserved. He stood up for what he believed in and died tragically but heroically, and true to his character. And while I miss him terribly, that is the reason why I don't think I want him to return. Because I'm afraid it would ruin his perfect exit. Same goes for Ellen and Jo.
Then there are character deaths that weren't exceptional, but still acceptable and true to the characters, like Bela - who, in case you don't know, I liked a lot - or Andy.
And then there are character deaths that are unnecessary and just nowhere near what the character deserved, like what happened to Balthazar. Had he died trying to save Cas, I would have been a sobbing mess, but it would have been okay in the end. I can even come up with scenarios where Castiel kills Balthazar that would have been acceptable. But not the way it was done, and certainly not without showing us his burnt wings, and without giving Castiel at least a moment to really grieve the death of the angel who was his best friend for millennia. Not without Balthazar's death having at least some impact on Castiel's storyline, and if it's only a moment of hesitation before opening Purgatory. Not like this.
And what I'm afraid of most right now, is that Castiel will leave the show in a way that is even worse than the way I lost Balthazar.
And last but not least: I pretty much only talk about how I want Castiel to be okay and Balthazar to come back because they are the characters I care most about, but I understand every other part of this fandom who is fighting for their beloved characters, whether I like them or not.
Even though I personally am in two minds about this, l feel for the Gabriel fandom who want their angel back - and who were given false hope at the beginning of season 6.
I feel most for those people in the fandom who love Adam. Sam and Dean might not have known him too long but he is their brother. And while family doesn't end with blood, blood is still family. Not to mention that he is an innocent who was dragged into this fight, and who is now locked into the deepest pits of hell with Lucifer and Michael, suffering the same way Sam did down there, but for so much longer. And Sam and Dean don't even so much as mention him, let alone try to save him, which reflects on them in a similar way their treatment of Cas and the situation in Heaven does.
I'm not fighting the fights for these characters, but what I won't ever do is tell the people who do that their favourite characters don't matter, or that they aren't "real fans". All these characters are important parts of Sam and Dean's world in their own way. And if there are people out there who love them then they have every right to fight for them just like I fight for my angels.
And here is another very important reason why - despite everything - I won't leave anytime soon: I love this fandom and I love the cast (and, most of the time, the crew)
This fandom, with all its wank and fighting, still is a big family. An most of the people I know support each other, and respect each other's opinion. There are quite a few black sheep, and that can hurt, but at the end of the day, most of you - and certainly everyone on my flist - are the most insane-in-a-good-way, creative, passionate, kind, unique bunch of people I've ever met. And even if the show should go downhill completely, I wouldn't leave because I don't want to leave YOU.
And this crazy, big family includes a lot of the actors, and quite a few of the writers, directors and other people working on the show. I don't think there is any other fandom where the actors are that involved and care that much. Be it Twitter, or cons, or insiders they send our way in interviews. They are just as completely insane as we are, and they never fail to brighten up my day.
I feel like I have found my home. Maybe we will move on one day, maybe we will go our separate ways at some point, maybe we will meet again in a different fandom. But for now, you are my family and this show is my home.
And this is exactly why I still love this show with all my heart. And this is equally why I worry and complain so much when I feel that things go terribly wrong. Because I care.
See a theme here?
ETA: Spoilers in the comments. You've been warned
Most importantly: I love this show.
I may be ranting and worrying and complaining a lot lately. I wouldn't do that if I didn't care.
Equally important: I still love Sam and Dean. Maybe not as much as I love Cas and Balthazar and Gabriel and (hate-love) Crowley, but of course I love them. I don't think it's possible to watch this show if you don't.
I also firmly believe that this show, in its core, has always been, will always be, and should always be about these two brothers. They are the heart and soul of Supernatural, and I don't think anyone could possibly doubt that.
BUT it can't be only about them. These two characters need other characters to interact with, to make their universe come to life. The two most important other characters - John and Mary aside - who form their family, are Bobby and Castiel. These two are, in my eyes, an integral part of the show. They are important to the boys and to the show. And they deserve to be treated that way.
I've read several times on tumblr how "the Castiel fandom wants this show to be just about him". This is complete and utter nonsense, as far as I'm concerned. What I want is the show to treat Castiel as the important character, and the important part of the boys' life that he has proven to be over the last three years. What I want is the show to acknowledge him as this important character and not use him as a cheap plot devise.
And here is another very important thing: The way Castiel's storyline is going right now - and no, we don't know for sure what is going to happen, but we are getting quite a few hints, and this theme already started very early in season 6 - doesn't only affect Cas, it also reflects on Sam and Dean.
Sam and Dean love each other more than anything and I wouldn't have it any other way. They are also both broken, and fucked up and co-dependent to a more than unhealthy degree, and again, I wouldn't really have it any other way, because that's what makes them interesting. But underneath all this, they have always been heroes in their own way. They made mistakes, they sometimes chose questionable paths, they lost people, but they cared. That's what always made them sympathetic characters, that they tried and that they cared. And then season 6 came along, and Cas was fighting his civil war in Heaven, trying to stop Raphael from restarting the Apocalypse - and yes, Cas too made mistakes and very questionable decisions, but he cared - and to me it felt like everytime Dean called him, the general tenor was:
Cas: "I'm fighting a civil war in Heaven trying to save what we - you and me - fought for."
Dean: "Fuck that, I don't care! There is something wrong with Sam. That's more important."
It's okay that Dean worried about Sam, and wanted him fixed more than anything. But he did it at the potential cost of the entire world burning, and he acted like that didn't matter - until it was too late. And that is not the Winchester boys I love. The Winchester boys I love would do everything for each other and sacrifice themselves for each other, but not at the cost of other people suffering the consequences.
Another thing I feel needs to be said: Characters, even important ones sometimes leave a story for the sake of the story and their own storyline. They might continue their own story somewhere else, in Supernatural it usually means that they die - and when I say "die" I mean the ones who die and do not just come back. And when I say "important characters", I mean the ones who have been in more than one episode, who stole our hearts, and left their signature on the show and Sam and Dean's life.
The important thing is how they leave.
Take Gabriel for example. I love him, and I hated to see him go. But I also feel that he got the ending he deserved. He stood up for what he believed in and died tragically but heroically, and true to his character. And while I miss him terribly, that is the reason why I don't think I want him to return. Because I'm afraid it would ruin his perfect exit. Same goes for Ellen and Jo.
Then there are character deaths that weren't exceptional, but still acceptable and true to the characters, like Bela - who, in case you don't know, I liked a lot - or Andy.
And then there are character deaths that are unnecessary and just nowhere near what the character deserved, like what happened to Balthazar. Had he died trying to save Cas, I would have been a sobbing mess, but it would have been okay in the end. I can even come up with scenarios where Castiel kills Balthazar that would have been acceptable. But not the way it was done, and certainly not without showing us his burnt wings, and without giving Castiel at least a moment to really grieve the death of the angel who was his best friend for millennia. Not without Balthazar's death having at least some impact on Castiel's storyline, and if it's only a moment of hesitation before opening Purgatory. Not like this.
And what I'm afraid of most right now, is that Castiel will leave the show in a way that is even worse than the way I lost Balthazar.
And last but not least: I pretty much only talk about how I want Castiel to be okay and Balthazar to come back because they are the characters I care most about, but I understand every other part of this fandom who is fighting for their beloved characters, whether I like them or not.
Even though I personally am in two minds about this, l feel for the Gabriel fandom who want their angel back - and who were given false hope at the beginning of season 6.
I feel most for those people in the fandom who love Adam. Sam and Dean might not have known him too long but he is their brother. And while family doesn't end with blood, blood is still family. Not to mention that he is an innocent who was dragged into this fight, and who is now locked into the deepest pits of hell with Lucifer and Michael, suffering the same way Sam did down there, but for so much longer. And Sam and Dean don't even so much as mention him, let alone try to save him, which reflects on them in a similar way their treatment of Cas and the situation in Heaven does.
I'm not fighting the fights for these characters, but what I won't ever do is tell the people who do that their favourite characters don't matter, or that they aren't "real fans". All these characters are important parts of Sam and Dean's world in their own way. And if there are people out there who love them then they have every right to fight for them just like I fight for my angels.
And here is another very important reason why - despite everything - I won't leave anytime soon: I love this fandom and I love the cast (and, most of the time, the crew)
This fandom, with all its wank and fighting, still is a big family. An most of the people I know support each other, and respect each other's opinion. There are quite a few black sheep, and that can hurt, but at the end of the day, most of you - and certainly everyone on my flist - are the most insane-in-a-good-way, creative, passionate, kind, unique bunch of people I've ever met. And even if the show should go downhill completely, I wouldn't leave because I don't want to leave YOU.
And this crazy, big family includes a lot of the actors, and quite a few of the writers, directors and other people working on the show. I don't think there is any other fandom where the actors are that involved and care that much. Be it Twitter, or cons, or insiders they send our way in interviews. They are just as completely insane as we are, and they never fail to brighten up my day.
I feel like I have found my home. Maybe we will move on one day, maybe we will go our separate ways at some point, maybe we will meet again in a different fandom. But for now, you are my family and this show is my home.
And this is exactly why I still love this show with all my heart. And this is equally why I worry and complain so much when I feel that things go terribly wrong. Because I care.
See a theme here?
ETA: Spoilers in the comments. You've been warned
no subject
He always wanted to be the big cheese, he always wanted power.
And as far as the apocolypse, well the boys had already been there done that. Why should they help the Angels yet again. Why can't he save his brother. Why should he and his brother live like this. He should fight for Sam, that is family that is also for him. Its not selfish, its the fight he should of been fighting imo.
Why should Dean fight in an angel civil war. What has that got to do with him. Can't the angels handle it for once without using humans to do it for them. Especially Sam and Dean who have been through enough. And then we find out that Castiel did this too both of the boys in his 'fight' to do what the boys have been fighting for the last 5 years.
Sam and Dean have a right to not fight someone elses war for a change. It would be horrible for him to ignore Sam for Castiels problem. Castiel was on a path to eat monster souls. That was his story now. He used the boys to work with Crowley, he lied to them, manipulated them, blamed Dean for nearly killing his brother just because he wanted his brother to have his soul back no matter what.
As much as you think that castiel is an integral part of the show, he isn't. He IS a plot device. He is there to helpo tell the Sam and Dean story and now this could be over. The show isn't about Castiel, its about how the boys are getting through this life of theres.
And its time to open up that world because if there is anything that is unhealthy and co-dependant it would have to be the realationship with Castiel.
This story didn't start as an angels story or anything to do with angels so it surely can go back to being about the boys and what their part in the mytharc is about. Personal to them. Not Castiel. The fact is that family is blood and the boys are soul mates and its unfair to try to take that away from them and make everyone family like the two of them are together.
no subject
He always wanted to be the big cheese, he always wanted power.
I honestly don't know where you're taking that from. Before the season 6 finale, when was it ever as much as hinted that Castiel wanted power?
About the angelic civil war, I think you're missing my point. I never expected Sam and Dean to join the war, or for Dean to choose this war over Sam. Neither did Cas, apparently, which, ironically enough, is one of the things Dean is blaming him for in 6x20.
I also don't deny that Castiel did some questionable things, but he did them in a desperate situation. He did them, because it was the only possible option he saw to win this war, and keep the people he loved safe.
But all that aside, like Castiel, don't like him, approve of what he did, or don't, how is Castiel taking away from the relatonship between Sam and Dean? How does the two of them having friends - or God forbid family - other than each other make their bond any less important?
Like I said in my post, I completely agree that Sam and Dean are the heart of this show, and that they won't ever love anyone more than they love each other.
But if that means that they can never truly care about another character, if that means that no other character can ever be important enough so (s)he can't just be tossed aside, then that's a truly lonely and hopeless world they are living in.