Happy Birthday Jensen Ackles – 2023 Edition!

It’s kind of a tradition to wish one of my favorite actors a happy birthday here. For many years, this was a good time to thank Jensen Ackles for bringing to life my favorite fictional character, Dean Winchester – and I am still and forever grateful for that and always will be. Over the past year, he’s brought to life not one but two other characters, and voiced Dean again, released his third record, and had his first live Radio Company show. Not to mention a worldwide publicity tour for ‘The Boys’ and tons of conventions. It’s been a busy year for Mr. Ackles!

I will always wish for Supernatural to still be on my TV or streaming screen, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed those other characters he’s made so memorable. So I think a little celebration of Mr. Ackles’ past (very productive) year is in order this year for his birthday post.

First up? Soldier Boy. Soldier Boy was a revelation – I had already been a big fan of ‘The Boys’, so having Jensen join a show I already loved felt almost too good to be true. To have him portray a character as nuanced and unhinged as Soldier Boy? Utopia!

Wakes from a deep slumber indeed – we were all wide awake when that happened!

We got to see a whole other side of Jensen on ‘The Boys’ (no, I’m not talking about that first very naked introduction) – Prime Video allowed Soldier Boy to curse the way Dean Winchester probably would have, and to indulge in all sorts of things we didn’t get to see Dean do either.  I will also be forever grateful for that amazing super suit and the fact that Kripke thought that long hair would help differentiate Soldier Boy from Dean. Please, universe, let the long hair stay forever!

I half fell in love with Soldier Boy despite the truly awful things he says and does thanks to Ackles showing us his vulnerability and trauma alongside his being an asshole. (So much so that my next book will be a deep dive into that show).

Soldier Boy is not dead and will be back at some point, so we all have something to look forward to when that happens!

I’ve had the privilege of talking to Jensen in depth over the past year about his experience on The Boys, and I’m thrilled that it was a challenge (which he welcomes) professionally. I’m also thrilled that it gave him exposure (no, not that scene again…) beyond what even a wildly popular show on the CW could provide. He shone on the press tours for The Boys, and I loved watching people discover him and his talent for the first time!

Photos: karlsen manuela scarpa

Then we got another intriguing character in Sheriff Beau Arlen in ‘Big Sky’ – and more of the long hair I’d like to stay around forever! (I happen to know that Danneel loves it too, so come on Jensen, listen to us!)

I’d watched a little of Big Sky in the first season and enjoyed it, but wasn’t as excited about it as The Boys. Sheriff Beau really grew on me, though – along with the fascinating character of Donno – and I found myself missing the show when it wrapped, still not knowing if it will get another season.

Beau was the character who I think was closest to Jensen himself, especially since he got to play a father (Soldier Boy’s biological son didn’t really make him a father) for the first time. It was interesting to watch him portray that, knowing what an important role that is for Jensen in real life. It brought out a softness and at the same time a fierce protectiveness in Beau that made the character so much more interesting than I expected him to be – and I feel like there was still a lot more to find out about him when the season wrapped!

Kudos on making us all fall a little in love with yet another character, Jensen!

We also get to hear Dean Winchester (and see him every now and then) on The Winchesters. It doesn’t feel like having him back in the same way as it would if Sam and Dean were truly back and it was Supernatural, but I’m interested in what that show is setting up and hoping it paves the way for just that, without changing any of the canon I so cherish. Fingers crossed.

(And it’s been a bonus to watch that show’s young stars come into their own – watching Drake Rodger and JoJo Fleites experience Jus In Bello con last weekend was joyous).

I got to chat with the cast and EPs Jensen and Danneel Ackles and showrunner Robbie Thompson at New York Comic Con last summer, which was extra wonderful because I hadn’t had a Danneel or a Robbie hug in way too long. It was wonderful to have a chance to ask some questions about the prequel, and it was lovely to meet Drake and Meg for the first time.

And that velvety suit was lovely too. And soft.

And that’s not even all – there have been other acting projects too, and Chaos Machine has been out there pitching new deals. But it’s not just acting and producing that have made the past year stand out for Jensen.

The past year has been a pivotal one for Ackles in terms of one of his other talents (is there anything he can’t do??) – I don’t think he can really say anymore, in his self deprecating way, “Oh I’m not really a musician.”  Pretty sure that ship has sailed, Jensen! I was incredibly fortunate to be at Radio Company’s first live concert in Nashville in December and it was crystal clear that Radio Company can be stacked up against all the other successful bands out there and hold their own. Ackles was a rockstar, truly, and I don’t think I stopped grinning the entire show. Actually I’m pretty sure no one did.

Photo: Paleonut

I was at that long ago convention when Jensen sat onstage with a guitar after the ballroom had mostly emptied out and played a song for us, a little haltingly, as we sat on the floor, rapt. I was at the first little meet and greet/concert with Jensen and Steve at the Nashville convention when they played for twenty or so people – he told me how nervous he was after and asked how it had been. Seeing him blossom into a bona fide rockstar had me so emotional at the Analog show that I’m surprised I didn’t just sob my way through it.

Radio Company’s new album dropped last week and has already been at the top of the country charts. I’m not even a huge country music fan, but its smooth harmonies and catchy tunes get stuck in my head in the best of ways. And Jensen’s voice will never not be addictive. Congrats on crossing over into true musician category, Jensen.

The year has also seen tons of conventions. I wondered, when Supernatural ended (still sobbing…), if the conventions would continue for only a short time – I feel so lucky that they have kept going! Whether I’m fortunate enough to be there or watching from afar like I did with JIB last weekend, it’s wonderful to be able to ‘see’ them and hear their thoughts so frequently throughout the year.

Yes, it’s a job for them, but it’s also something they clearly enjoy and I’ve written many times about how it’s made the relationship between the actors and the fans a little bit more reciprocal in the Supernatural fandom than in others. That has carried over to Walker and The Winchesters (and soon to Gotham Knights I’m guessing), because these actors know their fans so much better than most actors do.

Photos: Alana King

Jensen and Jared and Misha and the gang were in Rome last weekend (in their coordinating jackets) and will be headed to Atlanta shortly – I won’t be able to be there to celebrate with them unfortunately, but I’m sure the fans who are there will make it a special con weekend for the birthday boy. Somebody give him a birthday hug from me!

Photo: eeecat
Photo: SomerInTheWind

Sometimes he still looks about ten years old.

Happy birthday, Mr. Ackles.

May the next year be as exciting for you as this one was – and here’s hoping for more of all three characters you brought to life this past year – and more of whatever other exciting new things you have planned!

gifs: abordelimpala, justjensenanddean, jensenandtheboys, sensitiveham

– Lynn

You can read Jensen’s personal thoughts on

fandom and Supernatural in his chapters in

Family Don’t End With Blood and There’ll

Be Peace When You Are Done – info and links at:

Jensen Ackles’ Beau Arlen Makes Us All Cry in the Season Finale of ‘Big Sky’

The season finale of Big Sky was both what I expected and not at all what I expected – and doesn’t that just sum up the show perfectly? Season 3 was the season that Sheriff Beau Arlen came to town, which is why I started doing these recap/reviews after watching the show sporadically during its first two seasons.

Will he be back in Season 4? Will the show be back in Season 4? We don’t know. And I guess that’s not a bad way to leave it! But after the tour de force that was Ackles’ portrayal of the Sheriff in the finale, many fans are sure hoping we get to see him again.

The episode picks up right where we left off, crazy Buck ditching the van he’s got Emily and Denise in. He stops at a bar to find another vehicle and some hapless guy hears the women screaming and assures them he’ll help them.

So of course Buck kills him and steals his truck, stopping to wave at Emily and Denise with a smile after he drops the poor guy to the ground by snapping his neck. SO creepy.

Carla shows up at the rendezvous site as they’re taking Avery’s body out, distraught and calling for Beau.

Also? Extreme bowlegs there.

He comforts her, and shows himself to be the better man by telling her that in the end, he needs her to know that Avery did everything he could trying to save Emily.

Unfortunately, he says, they think that Buck Barnes has her, which makes Carla even more distraught and who can blame her? Beau reassures her.

Beau: Listen to me, I’m gonna find her and bring her back. Okay?

God knows it’s clear he desperately wants to, more than he wants anything in the universe.

I know I’m in the minority, but I really liked the evolution of Beau and Carla’s relationship in this season. Ackles has said that he played Beau as still in love with Carla, and to me that came through – he’s gentle and protective with her, reassuring her with his touch and with the intense eye contact that shows her how much he cares. And I think she realized that as the season went on, turning to him more and more and forgiving him – or perhaps understanding just how much his partner’s death damaged him – so that they could respect each other again. As co-parents definitely, but maybe as human beings too.

They figure out that Denise and Emily are still alive at least, and call Cassie to help.

Meanwhile, Sunny packs a bag, including her gun, when there’s a noise in her house. It’s Walter, who’s snuck in without the cops seeing him because, as he tells his mother, you didn’t raise a fool. He’s changed his mind about not wanting to see her anymore because Buck is alive. Sunny says she has a plan to set everything right. Sunny and Walter team up? What could go wrong?

Poppernak tells Sunny to sit tight and not go anywhere, the Sheriff is on his way and she can’t leave. Then the smoke alarm goes off in Sunny’s house and when he comes in to see what’s happening, crafty Sunny drives away.

Oops.

Back at the office, Beau, Jenny and Cassie watch the surveillance footage of Buck and see that he drops something, so they investigate, Cassie suggesting that maybe Cormac will recognize it.

Cormac does – it’s a keychain made of bone and it opens a gate that he thinks he might recognize, so he and Cassie go off to investigate.

Before she leaves, Cassie too reassures Beau that they’re going to get Emily and Denise back. Beau looks increasingly distraught – I cannot imagine what it’s like to have to wait and try to stay calm when you know your child is in such danger.

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Big Sky Nears the End of Season 3 with the Emotional ‘Are You Mad?’

The answer: Hell yes! Just about everyone is mad in this episode, especially Sheriff Beau Arlen. And with good reason!

(And it turns out, some people fit the alternate definition of that question too…)

Here’s a recap of the penultimate episode and all things Beau Arlen as we head into the season 3 finale! The episode is a tension-filled roller coaster from the very first moment. Sunny comes home to find bloody handprints on the wall, calling for Buck – but it’s Paige who responds, carrying a big knife. She accuses Sunny of siccing her psychotic husband on her.

Paige: I killed him, and I’m gonna do the same to you.

Sunny holds her off, then Jenny and Cassie show up and tell Paige to drop the knife, it’s over.

Meanwhile, our favorite sheriff is in his office, looking at a framed photo of Emily as a baby in a ‘Daddy’s Girl’ frame.

He calls to check on her and she answers as she comes back from the coffee shop, juggling coffees and banana bread.

Emily: Consider me checked. Talk later?

A typical father and teenage daughter interaction, but I love how nothing discourages Beau from being protective of his “little girl”.

Poppernak says they found out who the guy from the hotel was that Beau shot, and Beau expresses his anger at Avery for this whole mess, saying  “that smug sonofabitch saw an opportunity to steal $15 million” without thinking about the consequences. Officer Madge interrupts them, and Beau asks hopefully if it’s breakfast burrito time?

Madge: I stopped serving men in 1999.

Beau: Okay…

I love Madge. The quirky characters in this show are a big part of what makes it so good.

She tells them the news that Paige is alive, and Sunny is currently being held for questioning.

Jenny questions Paige in her hospital bed. She says Buck took her somewhere underground in the woods but she doesn’t’ know where. Paige insists Sunny was in on it, that’s why she went after her. When Jenny doesn’t seem to be taking it seriously enough, Paige gets upset.

Paige: That psycho tortured me! He had hearts in jars, human trophies!

That gets Jenny’s attention for sure. We knew it!!

Beau questions Sunny, saying she’d better start talking. She insists she doesn’t know anything about the bleeding heart killer no matter what Paige says, that she was trying to keep Paige safe from the people she took the money from. Beau advises her to get out in front of all this, that this is her one chance, but Sunny is more concerned about Walter – now that Paige was found alive, he should be released. Maybe, she says, he could help them find Buck.

Beau considers.

I love that Jensen gets to do scenes with Reba McEntire. And though Sunny has been complicit in some not okay things, I can’t help but feel bad for her and relate to her love for her kids (even if she totally screwed that up too…)

Also, I may be entirely enthralled with Ackles in that faux fur collared jacket, especially in screencaps like that one. He looks like he maybe belongs in Game of Thrones and I would be here for that too.

Anyway, it’s more than a little unexpected that I’ve ended up sympathizing with Walter (and even with Paige a little), but I was happy to see that Walter is indeed released from prison. Sunny arrives to pick him up and he reluctantly gets in the car with her. She says he was right about Buck and she should have listened to him, but Walter is angry and hurt that she didn’t and I don’t blame him. Of course that fire wasn’t okay, but the guy was abused and then lived in the woods his whole life so I’ve got a soft spot for him.

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Big Sky – Mid Season Finale!

I think we all expected the mid season finale of Big Sky to be creepy, scary and shocking – and it was! It was also unexpectedly tender and touching if you’re a Beau Arlen fan (which I am. Obviously.) So let’s recap all things Beau Arlen for this latest episode, as we head into a winter hiatus for the show.

We pick up where we left off (I love that this show does that), with Paige and Sunny uneasily figuring out what each other are up to. Paige says that Walter helped her and that she knows he’s Sunny’s son, and asks for her help finding her bag and her journal.  Sunny says she knows Paige was after a big sum of money and she thinks she knows who took the journal before the cops could. Paige offers to help get Walter out of jail if Sunny helps her find that journal. Who thinks this will go well? Exactly no one.

Beau and Jenny ask Walter more questions, telling him they’ve figured out his secret from the newspaper clippings Cassie found – that he murdered his parents in a house fire.

Walter: They weren’t my parents.

They ask him if he also killed the other child who was in the house, who was never found. Walter insists he was protecting her, that they hurt her even worse than they did him.

Walter: I set her free.

Beau: Meaning you killed her? The same damn thing.

They don’t believe Walter was able to survive on his own, and ask who helped him, mentioning Sunny and Buck.

Walter: Leave Sunny out of this.

Hmmmm.

Beau and Jenny confer with Cassie, who wonder if maybe Buck was his accomplice – and if the other kid (Meredith) is maybe still alive, though they haven’t been able to find any information on her.

Jenny gets a call from Pop. He’s at a friend’s daughter’s wedding, where he meets a pretty lady and has some fancy food, and then immediately it gets turned into a crime scene when the groom-to-be is killed. Poor Pop.

Jenny: There was a murder at the wedding.

Beau: Oh, come on! Hey, does this mean you’re Pop’s plus one for the wedding?

Jenny: Jealous?

Beau: Yeah, I wanna be Pop’s plus one!

So cute.

Jenny goes off to help Pop, and Denise and Emily pitch in to help find Meredith in the system. Denise calls him Bobo.

Emily: Bobo???

Cassie: Yeah, it’s the cringiest of all time.

Beau: It’s a harmless term of endearment. What you got, Denise-ie-poo?

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Protective Dad Beau Arlen to the Rescue – Big Sky Goes ‘Duck Hunting’

Last week’s episode of Big Sky was so action packed and full of twists and turns that I could barely live tweet it – there just was no down time! Here’s an update of what happened to our favorite Sheriff, Beau Arlen, last week – and where we leave the rest of our Big Sky inhabitants…

The episode picks up right where we left off, with clueless Luke at first thinking it’s a good thing that he’s run into ex-girlfriend Paige in the woods, but she knows he picked up that rock to kill her – and so does Walter, who “gives him a head start to make it more sporting.” Uh oh, Luke.

Beau finally arrives at the murder camp and Emily throws herself into his arms with “Daddy!” and awwww he finally gets to hold his little girl, reassuring her “I gotcha, I gotcha”.

She’s distraught, telling him how she found Mary and thought she was hurt until she saw her eyes. Poor Emily – at least her dad is here now.

Love seeing this protective Dad side of Sheriff Beau, and Jensen Ackles channels his own protective dad reality to make this scene full of tenderness.

Em tells her dad that she doesn’t think Luke could have killed Mary, but admits that’s just a feeling she has.

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