Author: spnfans

Author/Editor of 'There'll Be Peace When You Are Done: Actors and Fans Celebrate the Legacy of Supernatural', 'Family Don't End With Blood', 'Fangasm Supernatural Fangirls' and many others
Last Supernatural Con of 2023 – Nashville!

Last Supernatural Con of 2023 – Nashville!

spnfans

The last con of the year is always emotional. I am filled with gratitude that we still have these conventions to celebrate a show that’s been off the air for three years, but that I still love dearly. I used to think that for sure they’d be done by now, so every year that we still get to have these fandom reunions with fellow Supernatural fans and the cast feels like a gift. They’ve expanded now to include the actors’ other projects, but the core of the cons is still Supernatural, and I’m thankful.

My friend (and talented photographer) Kim Prior was supposed to come with me, but was sick unfortunately, so I staffed the vendor table mostly by myself – and thus missed a lot of panels that I would have loved to see. On the plus side, this was the first con with Supes Ain’t Always Heroes, our new book on The Boys, so that was exciting to share. And, as is usually the case, there were many friends to catch up with and toast the holiday season and the New Year.

I met up with my friend Sadie on Friday at an amazing little restaurant called Rosemary and The Queen. One of the best things about cons in Nashville is that the food and drink are AMAZING!

All the ambience (their playlist even included some classic Lou Reed!), great drinks and food, and an outdoor patio twinkling with multicolored lights. Some good conversation and what more could you ask? (Stay tuned for more on season 2 of Sadie’s ‘In Defense of Fandom’ podcast coming up)

On Saturday I finally caught a panel – Misha Collins, whose panels I never ever miss. Misha is following the post-SPN tradition of being long-haired and bearded and it’s working well on him just like it is for Jared and Jensen. (Though I’m probably in the minority of being ready for the beards to be gone. Luckily it is not at all up to me!)

Misha’s panel started late, but he promised to pack a lot into a slightly shorter panel – and he did!

He kicked it off with a hug for Rob. Awwww.

As for what’s keeping him busy right now, Misha let us know that he’s writing – something that might be a novel, in fact! (I like to think I kick started his return to writing when he wrote a chapter for ‘Fan Phenomena Supernatural’ almost a decade ago. He also has a heartfelt chapter on fandom in ‘Family Don’t End With Blood’ and of course his beautiful book of poetry and his cookbook.

It was nice to have the strike over and the actors able to talk about their work, past and present.

Misha: Now I can say SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL!

Read more →

Supernatural Does A Little Objectifying – Red Sky at Morning

Supernatural Does A Little Objectifying – Red Sky at Morning

spnfans

The sixth episode of Season 3 isn’t one of my favorite episodes, but it has its moments. It’s not as bad as Kripke sometimes fears it is, as one of the maligned episodes that even Chuck disparages in canon, and it does have some great bits. It’s written and directed not by ‘regulars’, which is unusual for Supernatural – written by Laurence Andries and directed by Cliff Bole, who didn’t return to do more SPN. I wonder what their experience was, and what the cast and crew’s experience of them was too. Season 3 was a weird season, what can I say?

From my perspective as a VERY passionate fan at the time, we were constantly afraid the show would be cancelled (and so were the people making the show). The fandom was alot more unified than it is now, as I write this in December 2023, though there were rifts and arguments about being a “Sam girl or a Dean girl” even then. But the show itself constantly being in jeopardy brought us together to keep it on the air, and that was a good thing. By the time the sixth episode aired, the network was also trying to keep the show on the air, which for them meant trying to counteract the testosterone-heavy cast by bringing in more attractive young women as series regulars – Lauren Cohan as Bela and Katie Cassidy as Ruby. It’s true that most of the fandom wasn’t on board with having Ruby and Bela riding around in the backseat of the Impala, but most of the fandom could also tell the difference between real life and fiction and were welcoming of the two actresses who did a fabulous job portraying them. This is, imho, the best of the Bela episodes – Lauren does a fabulous job, and of course she would go on to more great roles too.

So, let’s dig into this episode, which with 15 years of hindsight, is actually pretty damn good! (And has Sam and Dean in tuxes, so what’s not to like?) In the ‘Then’ we get a reminder of who Bela Talbot is and that she shot Sam. And that Sam tried to make a deal with a Crossroads demon to save Dean, but it didn’t work. In other words, the Winchesters are in a bad place.

The episode opens with a woman running on the docks – she looks towards the ocean and sees a creepy old ghost ship, and then poof, it’s not there. Lightning flashes in the dark and she runs away – but of course she can’t escape whatever this is. As she showers later that night (a little Psycho homage which is ingrained in all of our psyches so it’s always extra scary), we see a shadowy figure moving outside her transparent shower door. Ahhhhhh! SPN early seasons can be so damn scary!

We see a hand on the glass, and she opens the door, but of course doesn’t see anything. But back in the shower, someone grabs her from behind. We see her head slamming against the frosted glass, and her hand scrapes down it as she falls.

Seriously, scary.

And…title card.

Supernatural

And then we get one of those great moments, the boys driving in the Impala at night, roaring over a hill. (Yes, CW, it’s testosterone heavy, but times like this we don’t really mind).

Dean is pissed, asking if Sam has something to tell him.

Sam plays dumb, making jokes that it’s not Dean’s birthday, maybe it’s Purim…

Dean finally asks right out why a bullet is missing from the Colt, and accuses Sam of going after the crossroads demon after he told him not to, obviously pissed.

Sam doesn’t deny it.

Dean: You could’ve gotten yourself killed!

Sam: I didn’t.

Dean: And you shot her!

Sam: She was a smartass!

Dean still trying to protect Sam, Sam desperate to save Dean. My Show.

Dean sounds heartbreakingly hopeful when he asks if that got him out of his deal, and Sam sadly and angrily says he probably would’ve mentioned that little fact. Dean can be so cold this season, single minded about not doing anything that might get Sam dead all over again, reminding Sam that they need to find out who holds the contract.

Dean (sarcastically): And the crossroads demon is our best shot at finding out, but oh wait…

He reiterates that Sam shouldn’t have done it, that it was a stupid freaking risk, but Sam has had enough.

Sam: I shouldn’t have done it?? You’re my brother, Dean – and no matter what you do, I’m gonna try and save you. And I’m sure as hell not gonna apologize for it, all right?!

Dean doesn’t answer.

Poor Sam, so frustrated and scared. And poor Dean, so determined. And scared.

Dean still doesn’t quite understand that Sam needs him as much as he needs Sam; that he too will go to almost any lengths to save his brother. We, the viewers, know it at this point, but Dean’s insecurity about their relationship keeps convincing him that Sam will be fine and dandy without him around. Maybe even better off. The guilt he’s been carrying about pulling Sam back into the life, back on the road with him, distorts his ability to see Sam’s loyalty clearly – something he’ll struggle with for much of the show’s run, but something we’ll see has changed by the time the series finale airs. (One of the reasons I love it)

Read more →

New Book on ‘The Boys’!  ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ Now Available!

New Book on ‘The Boys’!  ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ Now Available!

spnfans

The long wait is finally over – the new book, ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes: Inside the Complex Characters and Twisted Psychology of The Boys’ released on December 5! We delayed the release in solidarity with the writers’ and actors’ strikes, but now the book is ready for reading just in time for us to all lose our collective you know what over the teaser trailer for The Boys Season 4, coming in 2024. And tease us it did…

Showdown between Annie and Homelander?

Robert Singer and Victoria Neuman leading in the polls?

Rob Benedict joining the fun – and feeling really “torn” about it?

Karl Urban and Jeffrey Dean Morgan the duo we never knew we absolutely needed onscreen?

Also, I have missed you JDM!

Oh, and was that Black Noir???

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

If you haven’t watched the trailer yet, what are you waiting for?

The Boys S4 Teaser Trailer

And now there’s a book that delves deep into all the amazing characters and provocative story lines that make The Boys universe so incredible – just in time for more! (And for holidays, birthdays, etc. if you or someone you love is a fan of The Boys)

Supes Ain’t Always Heroes is the perfect way to catch up on everything that’s happened so far and gain a deeper understanding of all the complicated characters. There are chapters that take deep dives into all your favorites, from Homelander to Soldier Boy, Butcher to Black Noir, Starlight to Stormfront, Hughie to A Train and many more. What makes your favorite character tick? Let psychologists and sociologists help you explore everything you love about them – or everything you love to hate. If you love the show’s biting social commentary, media experts and journalists take an insightful look at the issues the show tackles – from racism to sexism, toxic masculinity to social media, and how it all fits into Hollywood and corporate America.

The book doesn’t forget the brilliance of the show’s actors or the comics creators. Sometimes it’s the cast who bring these complex characters to life that have some of the most fascinating insights into who they are. There are exclusive in-depth interviews with Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy), Aya Cash (Stormfront),  Nate Mitchell (Black Noir), Jim Beaver (Robert Singer) as well as co-creator Darick Robertson, and additional comments from many of the other cast on this show we’ve all come to love.

I love what Jensen Ackles has to say about Soldier Boy and the decisions he made in portraying him. That’s a Soldier Boy smirk if I ever saw one! And we’re all counting on him being back, right???

Eric Kripke has said that ultimately he sees ‘The Boys’ as hopeful – and we do too. We put this book together because the show sparked so much thought and discussion with the way it reflects things we might wish we didn’t see in the real world around us. We believe in changing the world just like ‘The Boys’ ultimately does, so every copy of Supes Ain’t Always Heroes purchased benefits the Venice Family Clinic and their life saving work in this real world.

We hope you love Supes as much as we all do – Here are some of our awesome contributors celebrating the book’s release!

courtesy Tina Charles
courtesy Kaela Joseph
courtesy Hansi Oppenheimer
courtesy Tanya Cook

If you love ‘The Boys’, don’t be afraid to go deeper (Deeper?). Just be careful not to sneeze!

All the info and links to order here:

https://smartpopbooks.com/book/supes-aint-always-heroes/

(Special appearance by Soldier Boy supporter Mr. Jared Padalecki, who I think was impressed by that impressive bicep…)

Here’s the link for info and to buy, wherever you prefer to get your books – Supes Ain’t Always Heroes

Happy reading!

– Lynn and Matt

 

 

 

Hawaii Supernatural Style – Honolulu Con 2023!

Hawaii Supernatural Style – Honolulu Con 2023!

spnfans

The first time there was a Supernatural convention in Hawaii I decided to be financially responsible and did not go. I’m on the East coast, it’s a long and expensive flight, I’ve been there a few times and while I loved it, I couldn’t use having never been there as a reason to go. So I stayed home, while some of my good friends went.

It was a long weekend of FOMO overload, with my friends – and several of the Supernatural actors too, to my great dismay – texting me to tell me what I was missing. I vowed that if there was ever a con in Hawaii again, I’d start saving my pennies and find a way to make it work. So I was full of anticipation for this convention and to finally return to Hawaii after many years. I was last there on my honeymoon, that should tell you something!

It was also the first convention I’ve gone to in a long time that I wasn’t a vendor, which meant I got to have an actual vacation and spend time with my friends! I love being at cons with the books and meeting people who’ve read Family Don’t End With Blood and There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done and Fangasm who tell me the books have been important to them and an inspiration. I love being a vendor with all the other amazing people in the con “vendor squad”. But I miss the days of being able to just hang out with fellow fans and talk about the shows we love and the cast we appreciate and ooh and ahh over everyone’s photo ops. Some of my favorite things about this con were hanging out in the outdoor space next to the elevators where people congregated in between panels or at the restaurant that was right on the beach and enjoying some delicious food and drink with some of my favorite people. Grateful!

That also meant I didn’t actually catch many panels, so this con report will be briefer than usual. I stopped in California on the way because I can’t fly OVER my daughter’s house without actually visiting her, so I didn’t get there until Friday. Hibachi style dinner at Aoki Teppanyaki Waikiki with friends and then fireworks on the beach at the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel – perfection!

The hotel itself was gorgeous, with swimming pools and wildlife hanging around the mini habitats, ponds filled with colorful fish and palm trees overhead. It’s the kind of place that makes you never want to leave, which is a feeling I’ve experienced every time I’ve been in Hawaii, no matter how young (or not young) I was at the time.

Some things never change.

And then it was Saturday, which looked like this from my lanai, and like this from the beach.

I couldn’t miss Misha’s panel, so that kicked off panels for me. He wore a beautiful lei and a shirt that he got at a thrift shoppe because it had feathers on it and reminded him of Castiel.

This was the first convention where the cast could talk about their characters and shows again since the strike is over, which made Misha happy.

Misha: OMG we can talk about our shows!!

Misha auctioned off some custom made shoes from the Gotham Knights costume designer to raise funds for Maui.

When that didn’t quite do it, he offered up the shirt on his back to the highest bidder – he then teasingly took it off, only to reveal he had another shirt on under it lol.

Read more →

Three Days to Pre-Order ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ and Get Free Original ‘The Boys’ Art!

Three Days to Pre-Order ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ and Get Free Original ‘The Boys’ Art!

spnfans

The long wait is finally over – the new book, ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes: Inside the Complex Characters and Twisted Psychology of The Boys’, is about to be released on Tuesday December 5 – which means you have three more days to preorder it and get some gorgeous free Soldier Boy and Kimiko artwork for preordering! We delayed the release in solidarity with the writers’ and actors’ strikes, but now the book is ready for reading just in time for the teaser trailer for The Boys Season 4 to drop. Who’s excited?????? (That would be us, and we’re already anticipating all the awesomeness that is sure to come in Season 5 too).

Supes Ain’t Always Heroes is the perfect way to catch up on everything that’s happened so far in the provocative universe of The Boys – there are chapters that are deep dives into all the complicated characters, ones that examine the show’s biting social commentary and how it fits into real world corporate America and Hollywood, a look at the issues the show tackles from racism to sexism, toxic masculinity to social media. And there are exclusive interviews with the show’s cast (including Jensen Ackles, Aya Cash, Nate Mitchell and Jim Beaver, plus co-creator Darick Robertson) that shed light on their experience bringing these complex characters to life and their own love of the show. Psychologists, sociologists, media experts, actors and journalists all contribute their perspectives – and give you plenty to think about as we await Season 4!

If you pre-order before the release on December 5, you’ll get some beautiful artwork for free – of Soldier Boy and Kimiko. I’ve seen them and they’re gorgeous! So if you’re a fan of The Boys universe, preorder now and enjoy the artwork. (Make sure to enter your preorder proof on the preorder site at smartpopbooks.com/theboys/ for the freebies – the page will only be up until Monday Dec 4)

We believe in changing the world just like ‘The Boys’ ultimately does, so every copy purchased benefits the Venice Family Clinic and their life saving work.

If you love ‘The Boys’, don’t be afraid to go deeper (Deeper?). Just be careful not to sneeze!

– Lynn and Matt, co-editors

Preorder here:

Preorder Supes Ain’t Always Heroes

 

 

Gen V Finale Ends With a Shocker – And A Link to The Boys Season 4!

Gen V Finale Ends With a Shocker – And A Link to The Boys Season 4!

spnfans

‘The Guardians of Godolkin’ doesn’t refer to who you think it does. And that’s not the only twist and turn in the season finale of Gen V. Alliances break and are formed, the ever-present question of who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy and is there anything that is NOT a shade of gray at this point still not solved. Am I complaining? Hell no.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SEASON 1 OF GEN V!

The Question of Right and Wrong

We pick up where we left off. Everyone is shocked that Cate killed Shetty, but she insists she did it for all of them, that she’s being a hero. Surprisingly, Sam agrees, saying Shetty sucked, that he’s not an experiment – that he wants to be a hero too. He tells himself that he’s doing it for Emma, echoing Hughie in The Boys – after Emma saved him, he thinks maybe it’s time for him to save her. He tells himself it’s for the right reasons, partly to keep Emma and the others from being tortured the way he was if they’re found out.

It’s the question that the entire The Boys universe poses again and again. Is doing something terrible okay if you’re doing it for the “right” reasons? If that isn’t a relevant question right now in the real world, I don’t know what is!

I think Sam does want to do the right thing. But Sam is angry too – and free for the first time to make his own decisions. This show is all about the choices we make, especially when we’re young and able to direct our own lives for the first time. Most of us don’t get through all that without some regrets.

Jordan, on the other hand, isn’t so sure that freeing the kids trapped in the Woods is a good idea, wanting to call campus Security instead (which unfortunately is not a good idea either). There’s always that temptation, when everything is falling down around you, to fall back on what has always been the status quo, trust whoever you thought you were able to. Marie knows that’s a mistake, though.

The Price of Power

Meanwhile, Andre watches over his father, ignoring Marie’s phone calls.  He gets the bad news from the doc that every time his dad uses his powers, a micro tear occurs in the neural pathways, damaging his brain. (Asking if Andre himself has had any symptoms lets us know it’s not only his dad who’s being destroyed by using his powers). What can they do? Unfortunately he just recommends physical therapy, which sounds like what everyone with a chronic condition hears over and over again. How does this show always get it so right?

Doc: And no more using powers.

They always come with a price on this show, in this universe.

Read more →

Ready for The Gen V Season Finale Tonight? Here’s Where we Are After Episode 7!

Ready for The Gen V Season Finale Tonight? Here’s Where we Are After Episode 7!

spnfans

We reached the penultimate episode of Gen V last week, and things are ramping up as of course we knew they would. And there are twists and turns, which of course we knew there would be. But everything in the universe of The Boys does those expected things in an unexpected way – this show is no exception.

So, as we get ready for the season finale to air tonight at midnight, let’s see where we are at the end of last week’s wild ride.

SPOILERS FOR GEN V EPISODES ONE THROUGH SEVEN AHEAD!

Into The Woods

In a scene that’s way too terrifying in a lingering pandemic, Episode 7 (aptly named “Sick”) begins as a guy gets thrown into a cell where one of the other students in there warns him not to breathe – because his friend Andy is being consumed by the horrible engineered virus and coughing up his lungs, threatening to infect the rest of them who are trapped in there.

Dr. Cardoza says it will take a while since it’s spread through contact, and of course the diabolical Dean Shetty asks the most chilling question possible right now.

Dean Shetty: Can’t we make it airborne, so it’s more contagious?

Seriously, this hits a little close to home, GenV!

Cardoza warns that if an airborne virus gets into the super-abled population, it could spread like wildfire. He wants out, but it’s his word against hers and she’s ready to tell Vought that he’s the one who invented a virus that can kill Supes if he doesn’t go along with her.

Cardoza: FUCK.

Everyone: Accurate.

Cate, however, has decided she’s had enough of being manipulated by Dean Shetty, who keeps reminding her to take her pills. Cate has had enough of that too, realizing they’ve been keeping a cap on her powers. She tells the others she’ll make the Dean admit to everything she’s done, hoping to make it up to them, but she can hear all their thoughts of how much they don’t trust her (which they do not appreciate at all, understandably).

Ships and More Ships

The Marie/Jordan shippers got a treat as the two share a tender kiss, though Marie does call them out about buying into gender stereotypes.

Marie: And you’ve gotta stop turning into a dude every time you wanna make a point to us!

Jordan wants to find proof of what’s happening in the woods but Marie is a realist.

Marie: You think they’re gonna believe a black girl and a bi-gender Asian supe over Vought? No, they’ll just twist it like they twist everything else. Unless we get it to someone they will listen to…

A Singer and Neuman poster, graffitied over, is on the wall right behind them.

Uh oh.

Things go better for the Marie/Jordan shippers than the Sam/Emma shippers in this episode, though we do get some nice moments. She helps clean up after Sam’s murderous rampage, Sam reminding her that he ripped an entire guy in half – though he was a puppet at the time.

I love Emma. She’s undeterred by Sam’s occasional murderous outbursts.

Emma: I’d be so messed up if I were you, but you’re so sweet. When you’re not slaughtering a bunch of dudes.

I mean, she’s right.

Sam explores her sex toy collection, impressed.

Emma: That is a normal amount of sex toys. I like options.

She goes to get rid of the evidence and get Sam a Vought A Burger, which he hasn’t had since he went with his brother Luke (ouch), which is clearly a big mistake. Sam hides in the closet, looking like a wide eyed scared kid, then acts out little plays with his fingers, one hand wearing Emma’s tiny panties. A noise in the hall makes him open the door, afraid Emma is in trouble, but it’s a bunch of Supe kids laughing as they make some snow in the hall and sled through it, saying ‘we’re supes, we can do whatever we want.’

Mini Homelanders in the making? Which may be one of the scariest things I’ve ever written…

Read more →

Supernatural Gets Creepy (and Poignant) with Season 3’s Bedtime Stories

Supernatural Gets Creepy (and Poignant) with Season 3’s Bedtime Stories

spnfans

Season 3 was a memorable season of Supernatural for many reasons. I was well and truly down the rabbit hole of being head over heels in love with the show, and the fandom was busy trying to get enough people to watch it that we could keep it on the air. It was constantly touch and go, and yet I was continually struck by how amazing the show was – why didn’t everyone else see it??

It was extra scary by the middle of the season because there was a writers’ strike, and while the fandom overwhelmingly supported the strike and our beloved writers, that made it even less certain the Show would survive. Looking back, the strike changed the trajectory of the season, but of course we didn’t know that at the time.

‘Bedtime Stories’ was in the Show’s early seasons tradition, creepy and scary but at the same time able to rip your heart out with unexpected emotionality. The episode was written by Cathryn Humphris, who I was so sad to lose early on, and directed by Mike Rohl, who directed quite a few episodes and includes some gorgeous shots in this one.

The ‘THEN’ reminds us of the history of the Colt, Dean’s deal to save Sam and his insistence that he’s not scared, and just how worried Dean is about whether what he brought back is “100% pure Sam” – the story line that was so intriguing and didn’t really go anywhere…

And NOW…

Three guys bicker like brothers (which it turns out they are) next to a billboard advertising new home construction with the tempting “ONCE UPON A TIME… All homes were built this well.”

One announces that he’s the “brick guy” and the other is the “wood guy” while the third warns that if a good gust of wind comes up the whole place is gonna blow over. (Sound familiar?)

As they argue, we see that something is watching them, the feeling of the scene ominous.

There’s a growl and one brother asks the others, did you hear that?

For some unknown reason he goes off to investigate on his own, dramatic music playing, but finds nothing. (Of course, because this is a horror show, the first time someone checks it’s gonna be nothing, so that we’re falsely reassured…).  One of the brothers goes to warm up their truck and suddenly something attacks brother no. 1 and drags him away as he screams. Brother no. 2 runs and hides while something attacks brother no. 3, blood spraying all over the truck and splattering on the dirt. Brother no. 2 hunkers down, terrified, breathing hard.

He finally dares to look around the cinder blocks and sees his dead brother lying on the ground. He hears another growl and then footsteps, and then he’s screaming too.

‘SUPERNATURAL’

A giant toad sitting in the middle of the road almost gets run over by the Impala as it roars by, spraying water from a puddle in the road.

Sam and Dean are not exactly getting along at this point in the series. In fact, they are having a quintessential brothers spat. Dean is determined that his going to hell to save Sam will stick, because otherwise Sam won’t survive. Sam is determined to save his brother. Both are hard headed and just as invested in their codependent relationship at this point. I am not complaining about this – it’s one of the things I love so much about this show.

Sam: I don’t understand, Dean – why not??

Dean: Because I said so!!

Sam: But we’ve got the Colt now.

Dean is resolute, warning his brother with a terse “Sam…”

Sam wants to summon the crossroads demon to try to get Dean out of his deal by holding her at gunpoint and forcing her.  Dean insists that they’re not summoning anything, that they don’t even know if it will work. Sam retorts that they can just shoot her anyway and the deal will go away, but Dean insists they don’t know if that’s even true.

Dean: You’re pitching me a bunch of ifs and maybes and that’s not good enough because if we screw with this deal, you die!

Sam: And if we don’t screw with it, you die!!

Talk about quintessential Supernatural. Dean will save Sam no matter what, and Sam will save Dean no matter what. And good luck trying to talk either of them out of it!

Sam finally demands, why, because you said so?

Dean: YES, because I said so!

Sam: Yeah well you’re not Dad.

Dean: (yelling) No but I am the oldest, and I’m doing what’s best. And you’re gonna let this go, you understand me?

If that isn’t the face of determination, I don’t know what is.

Sam finally subsides. He sits silent and sullen, staring out the window.

Dean tries to draw him back in, bring the conversation back to something normal (for them).

Read more →

Soldier Boy Returns (Sort of) in Gen V – And Inspires A Million Priceless Gifs!

Soldier Boy Returns (Sort of) in Gen V – And Inspires A Million Priceless Gifs!

spnfans

With two more episodes to go in its first season, Episode 6 of Gen V is a standout for more reasons than one.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EPISODES ONE THROUGH SIX OF GEN V!

We pick up in the sixth episode (“Jumanji”) with a repentant Cate restoring all her friends’ memories. They’re shocked, pissed, betrayed, everything you’d expect. Emma immediately heads out to find Sam, but not without a parting shot.

Emma: Also? You’re a cunt.

Cate insists she thought she was doing the right thing. Andre is especially furious, wondering if Cate’s manipulations were what made Luke kill himself and afraid to even consider that what she did was okay because then he’d just forgive her. His feelings for her make her betrayal a personal one.

They all feel (understandably) mind raped. Marie is the voice of reason though, saying it’s God U who is fucking them over, not Cate – that Cate was fucked over just like the rest of them.

The strain on Cate from restoring their memories and the trauma of realizing how she’s betrayed them makes her collapse, her heart rate slowing dangerously. Marie manages to save her (since apparently none of the others learned CPR at superhero school).  Marie slowly learning to use her formerly horrifically destructive powers for good is a nice little story arc running beneath the surface, though it will certainly not go smoothly. This is The Boys universe, after all.

At times this show reminds me of Buffy (which I loved) as it uses metaphor to tell stories about real life issues, in this case one of the challenges of growing up. We all have to learn how to harness our destructive impulses, how to recognize our own power but not mis-use it. We all have missteps we feel guilty about along the way, that can keep us afraid of speaking up or calling out injustice when we see it. That’s been part of Marie’s journey all along.

She does manage to save Cate, who wakes up and then abruptly bursts through the wall of the house they’re hiding at.

They follow, but when they all go through the break in the wall, what’s outside is…the woods. Well, not THE woods, but actual woods. Suddenly everything has gone surreal, and I love it, not knowing what’s actually happening and what isn’t.

They see a hysterical woman, sobbing and calling for Caleb and realize that’s Cate’s little brother who disappeared – we see young Cate distraught, telling her mother she didn’t mean it, not understanding what’s happening. Her mother looks at Cate not with love or concern but with terror, telling the cop she doesn’t feel safe with her daughter.  Bits and pieces of the landscape start to come apart in some truly eerie special effects…

They’re in Cate’s head, they realize.

The Boys universe excels at finding ways to get into its characters’ heads (often literally) so we can truly understand their back stories in a way that makes them very real and very compelling. We often don’t just hear about it, we see it. It makes all the characters a lot more sympathetic, as the scenes of Cate’s past do in this episode.

*             *             *

And then I admit to gasping out loud, because even though I knew it was coming, seeing Soldier Boy striding out of the woods took my breath away.

I know it’s wrong, but I’ve missed him! Welcome back to my screen, Jensen Ackles!!

And then begins a scene that will go down in history for both The Boys and Gen V fans – and Jensen Ackles and Supernatural fans too. Holy shit, what a scene!

Soldier Boy: What are you greasy sack of fucknuts doing in here?

Yep, that’s our disgusting uncensored murder grampa kitten, being just as gross as ever. Ahhhhh, I’ve missed him!

Read more →

A Special Supernatural DC Con – #KristaCon 2023

A Special Supernatural DC Con – #KristaCon 2023

spnfans

DC Con is one of the two conventions that are local for me – that I can drive to. I set out early Friday morning down I95 to DC, or rather to Crystal City, where this con is usually held. On the way, I thought a lot about my good friend and co-author of ‘Fangasm’ and several of my other books on fandom and Supernatural, Kathy Larsen. We fell in love with the show together way back when it began, and fell into fan studies as a result, both of us changing the trajectory of our professional careers to focus on what fandom is all about and why it’s so often wonderful. I needed tissues as I drove, the route familiar because of all the days I drove down to Kathy’s house just outside of DC – to work on research, to go to a convention, to just hang out and watch episodes of Supernatural and squee together. I miss those days. I miss my friend.

So I was already emotional before I even got there. Another fandom friend had experienced a great loss shortly before the con, a tragic accident that took her husband’s life. I was looking forward to hugging her and hoping that she’d find solace at the con and being with her fandom family. I remember when my dad passed away seven years ago – I got the news just as I arrived at a Supernatural convention in San Francisco, and while I was in shock for some of it, there was no better or more supportive place to be. I felt cared for, and loved, and consoled, by both my fellow fans and by the actors, who went out of their way to comfort me. I didn’t even tell them, but somehow they knew. It’s the best part of fandom – especially the SPNFamily – the outpouring of love and support when you need it. I’ve felt it myself, and I hope I’ve helped give it to others who’ve needed it.

This con was about that, about an outpouring of love and support — for my friend and fellow Supernatural fan Krista, who has terminal brain cancer. The con and the SNS were dedicated to her, the actors and the fans expressing their love and gratitude, and saying an emotional goodbye. I still find it hard to believe that she won’t still be sitting there in front of me at the cons, video camera rolling. I’m so grateful we all had a chance to show her how much she’s meant to so many of us.

I first met Krista in 2009 when she started going to Supernatural cons. Over the years, I often sat right behind her, my voice sometimes (unfortunately) in her con videos as I laughed too hard or sang too loud. She contributed some of  her beautiful photos to Family Don’t End With Blood. We shared some fun times over the many years – trips to the original Starbucks and the fish market in Seattle, where Krista showed she knew how to order a fish.

Fun times in Rome at the only JIB I’ve been able to go to.

Dinners out on con evenings.

 

Krista was kind enough to emcee the book release party for Family Don’t End With Blood in LA, helping make that night incredibly special.

We’ve shared a lot of fun times. And lots and lots of laughs.

So this con, for me, was about celebrating the people I’ve been on this journey with, both from the start and along the way, and feeling incredibly grateful to have them in my life. It was a reminder of how truly special fandom – and especially this fandom – can be. Forget the stupid polls of which ship is better or the purposely inflammatory posts about how the show should have ended. This is what it’s all about.

I was on my own in the vendor room for most of Friday so I didn’t make it into the theater, which was sad because a lot of awesome people were there – Gil McKinney, David Haydn-Jones, Kim Rhodes, Briana Buckmaster, DJ Qualls, Julian Richings to name a few.  Friday night I went to karaoke, which has been reinvigorated by DJ Qualls and his themed nights. This one was ‘The British Are Coming’, and DJ was dressed perfectly on a stage complete with Big Ben, the Yellow Submarine, and even the lanterns for one if by land two if by sea! Some of the fans’ cosplay was perfection too – and some of the performances!

Saturday and Sunday some lovely friends were able to sit at the vendor table for me sometimes, so I was able to catch some panels – including Misha Collins on Saturday. Like most of the actors, Misha wore his green #KristaCon shirt in honor of Krista. Rob gave him a supportive pat when he came onstage, all of them feeling emotional.

Misha to Krista: Thank you for being such a force of joy and optimism over the years.

That is so very very true.

Read more →