Dear Supernatural Crew,
Enrolling in my university’s Supernatural: TV as Literature course has transformed the manner in
which I view and love the show. I came into this class as a casual observer of
the show, intrigued and invested in the relationship between the Winchester
brothers and the individuals who comprise their “family don’t end in blood”
posse. The characters’ development throughout the various trials of life,
especially on inter- and intra-personal levels, was the particular element that
drew me to the show. I was afraid of the horror and suspense scenes, but the
action-packed, adventurous nature of the show overrode my scaredy-cat
tendencies to avoid the thriller aspects.
While I still jump at these types of scenes, I have gained a
new level of appreciation for the genre and style of the show itself. I still
have my critiques and dislikes of various plots or characters within the
writing, amongst other aspects, certainly. (A crucial note for you, too: please
understand and respect your fandom. Please. No more Becky characters. Ever.) However,
I have obtained a deeper understanding and love for the show and its creation
as well. A substantial aspect of this is the craft of creating and producing
the show. Previously, it was so rare of me to focus in on the cinematography,
the decoration of the sets, or the use of various mediums to tell a story. As a
musician myself, I would note the compositions or songs utilized in the shows,
but had hardly focused on their relationship outside of themselves and the specific
role that they play, outside of just being beautiful pieces that might encourage
within an individual a certain emotion, such as that of suspense or love. The
use of non-rock music scores and even silence in season 7 in particular exemplified
the manner in which compositions could be used to demonstrate the loss of self
that a character, in this case, Dean, is undergoing at a certain point in the
story, amongst other scenarios.
I additionally have so much love for the post-production
team especially after recognizing how much more comes down to them than I had
ever imagined in regards to an episode’s content or message. Before this class,
I had attributed many major aspects of the storytelling simply to the storywriters
of each episode. While they play an obviously integral role to the show, there
are other writers, too—not of the pen, but rather of camera angles, of songs
chosen, and of set or costume design, amongst so many others. These individuals
of various departments all collaborate to make each episode into the entity
that it is. Each part comes together in a manner that affects the ultimate
story as it is being displayed on the TVs of fans watching. Each of these
entities make the show what it is, and, when paired with the loveable actors,
are the reason why the show has been so successful. Many stunning moments on
the show in particular have been produced through this process, such as that of
one of my favorite episodes, “Bitten.” (I love you especially for this episode,
post-production team who chose the music, Robbie Thompson, and cinematographers!)
The production of a series is truly an art in not only its craft, but its
collaboration.
I am grateful to Supernatural
for providing an entertaining, dynamic show and to this class for plunging
me into both the craft and the fandom of the series. I come out of this course
enjoying the show more than I have ever before, as well as a deep respect for
the production as a whole, even when I have my critiques. Thank you, Supernatural!
Sincerely,
AngelAndImpala
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