I'm just so depressed today after hearing about Kim Manners' passing. I've been a big fan of his work for years, and it's hard to imagine a world (let alone my favorite TV show) without his creative genius. My heart and deepest sympathy goes out to his family and the entire Supernatural family and all my fellow fans around the world. Mr. Manners, you will most certainly be missed.

OK, so I just got back from a 2-day trip to Vancouver (which hey, fun), to find near pandemonium in the fandom over the CW's proposed post-strike schedule. Admittedly, I was (and still am not) as freaked out about this as some might expect (especially after my hell-raising bit over the whole mixed messages/lack of PR fiasco over last summer's hiatus), but let's just say, I was expecting this. It sucks, but by now, my standards are lowered enough to not expect any love from the CW. That being said, it is potentially worisome to catestrophic not to mention just a bit of a slight (how come WE can't have our reruns aired?) It would get "Supernatural" some new exposure, help the existing fans re-connect with their favorite program, attract new viewers, provide a great alternative to endless game shows and reality shows; in short, it would be a great money-making opportunity for the CW. So far, I haven't seen any opinions/direction/"the sky is falling" comments coming from the "Supernatural" brass, so until I do, I'm sitting back in a sort of hyper-alert, warry, information-collecting mode.

But clearly, huge chunks of the fandom are already up in arms. In the 2 hours I've been back online since returning from "Supernatural's" homeland I've seen multiple mentions of the "C" word (the one that means non-renewal), rants against the network (and it's president), petitions, mentions of letter writing campagns, salt-sending campaigns (cool idea, by the way), and some other folks in the wait-and-see boat. I'm concerned, I'm on pins and needles, but I'm not completely freaking out yet. However, I DO want to know what all of you think and have heard. What is your take on the situation? What sources (URLs are our friends!) have you found and what have they said? What are you planning to do? What would you LIKE the CW to do, and what are you prepared to ask for? Do you know of any activities/actions/campaigns being planned by fans at other fansites and communities?

Why do I ask? Well, we're SN fans, and we're all in this together. For example, this coming fall, no less than a dozen (I think the tally is actually a bit higher now) SFU (Supernatural Fans United--the fan club started by members of the tv.com "Supernatural" community) from all over the world will be attending the Creation convention in Chicago. Our fandom is usually one big happy family... unfortunately we do hang out in little cliques and don't all communicate with each other all the time. So, whatever we do, we should coordnate, communicate, and conspire. Whether we take action NOW or a week from now or never, it would work best if we did it together. So, I'd love to get us all on the same page (or at least be on the same page) as everyone else. The question is, how do we get there?

So, if you've got a minute, a tidbit of information, or a thought you want to send my way, PLEASE leave me a comment or send me a PM! I hope to hear from all y'all soon!

P.S., Nope, I haven't forgotten that I still owe blog recap/reviews for episodes 3.07 and 3.08. They will be forthcoming... I've just been a little overwhelmed by those episodes and have been suffering from writers' block recently, so I'll get them up there sooner or later! (Hopefully sooner!)

Yeah, there will be spoilers, so look away if you don't want to be spoiled!

So, about a month ago I said I was going to try to blog on "Supernatural" episodes every week. That happened... for about a week. Then, well, I don't know if it was anxiety over the WGA strike (go writers!!I support you), disappointment over not being able to go to the convention in Chicago (law school exam/study timing really sucks), general writers' block, or what, but I just could not seem to get anything posted.

And it's not that I didn't like the episodes. In fact, "Bedtime Stories" was by far my favorite episode of season 3 so far. And while I thought "Red Sky at Morning" was mediocre on first viewing, on subsequent viewings it really grew on me a lot. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those episodes that pops up on my radar from time to time as one with very interesting scenarios that I really want to watch. So, why the trouble writing? Maybe it's because I have so much to say about the episodes, and the task of spitting it all out just seems daunting.

But since I promised, as much to myself (since I'm terribly horrible when it comes to doing things on time or consistently) I'm going to take the advice my best friend always gives me when I'm having trouble writing fiction... just get it out, you can go back and fix it later. I probably won't come back and fix it, but at least I can give my overall impressions.

"Bedtime Stories" (episode 3.05, US airdate November 1, 2007):
In all honesty, I have trouble finding anything I don't like with this episode. I had been looking forward to seeing it ever since I read the sides ages ago (and this was a particular treat since much of the nuance, humor, double and triple entendres just did not translate to the script summary), and I was nothing shot of floored by what actually aired.

"Bedtime Stories" is unique in that it seems to simultaneously capture the mood or vibe if you will of each of the seasons without it being awkward or ungainly. The pacing is superb. We get plenty of time with Sam and Dean together (including some c l a s s i c brotherly banter and humor), various different PIPs (people in peril), and a couple of major guest characters, whose stories all intertwine and intercut like a ballet. Even the appearance of the CRD in the coda (something many of us were scratching our heads about when the sides came out in the "how the hell is that going to fit in with all of this?" sense) isn't jarring. In fact, if you've been paying attention it's perfectly expected. The opening conversation between Sam and Dean in the Impala is foreshadowing that both colors and influences both the viewer and the characters' interpretations of various statements and conversations throughout the episode and shows the planting of the seed of determination in Sam Winchester's mind. The only reason he hadn't tried summoning the CRD and killing her sooner is because he didn't have a surefire way to kill her. While the instinct to kill, and the disregard (necessary or not) for the life of the human host the CRD possesses may be hints at the new, more sinister, darkside-sliding Sam, the stubborn, undeterrable, steadfast determination to finish something once he puts his mind to it is c l a s s i c Sam, and calls up memories of his reaction to Dean's electrocution in "Faith" and even his exile to Stanford from the Pilot.

But back to capturing the mood from each of the seasons, "Bedtime Stories" has a bit of the "monster of the week" sensibility from Season 1, combined with an emphasis on the drifting/searching/uncertain elements of the plot from Season 3 (which of course, ties the present story into the feel of Sam and Dean searching for their father in Season 1). This overall mood/episode structure is mixed with a heaping portion of the fearful, angsty, burdened, conflicted, secret-keeping,ennui from Season 2... only this time of course, the doomsday deadline is fixed instead of uncertain and the consequences are more definite. Of course, Dean is asking Sam to do something in season 3 (let him go, survive, be OK, have a life) equally impossible as what Sam made Dean promise (kill him to save him) in Season 2. And all the while, the episode manages to tie into the ongoing desperation, churning, gruesome, bloody, get-the-job-done sense of war that has permeated season 3 so far.

I love the use of fairytales. The three little pigs were hilarious, as was Sam's horrible attempts at sketch artistry (and the nod to "Hookman" with Dean's quips about Sam's artistic skills was priceless).

Of course three aspects of this episode strike me more than anything else. First, we see Dean once again, seeming to identify with a supernatural entity. He's very curious, gentle, and sympathetic in his interactions with Snow White. Granted, she appears as a small child, and Dean's always been great with kids, but he really seems to relate to her on the same "no one will listen to me, I'm ready to go, please let me go" level. They're both there, but not. Even now, Dean is feeling the separation, not just from Sam, but from humanity as a whole. Having no future may be liberating, but it also means that Dean has that much less in common with the entire human race, the people he's supposed to be fighting to protect. In "Sin City" we saw Dean actually relating to Casey, a demon. Here we see him relating to Callie, a vengeful spirit who's body is still being forcibly kept alive (and I must note, stuck in a very similar situation to that of Dean in IMTOD), and just last season, Dean was still operating on the very knee jerk supernatural = bad scheme. A few deals and a little time change a lot.

Second, the conversations between Dean and Sam and Dr. Garrison are multi-layered and applicable to the Winchesters on the levels the characters recognize (Dean is the most important person in Sam's life and without him Sam will be all alone, but maybe it's time to let Dean go), but they are also applicable in the reverse. Which, for some reason, Dean and Sam seem to conveniently forget. Namely, Sam is the most important person in Dean's world, and when faced with losing Sam and being alone, rather than letting go, Dean went ahead and made the deal that got them into this mess in the first place... but then again, you can flip it all on its head again and trace this all back to the first time Dean asked Sam to let him go and Sam refused ("Faith" in Season 1), and you start to wonder if maybe Dean's got a point. Best of all of this was Dean walking away rather than answering Sam when Sam asked him if it's really what he wants. Dean can't answer honestly, because it might slip too close to triggering the "no weaseling" clause, but he also can't bring himself to lie to Sam (because if there's one thing we can confidently say about Dean it's that he's always hated lying to Sam), so he walks away and leaves that for whatever interpretation Sam will make of it.

Third and finally, like so many other episodes this season ("The Kids are Alright," "Bad Day at Black Rock," and "Sin City") "Bedtime Stories" does not close with the boys together (of those TKAAr, and SC both ended, like BS focusing on Sam with him separate from Dean and doing something related to his destiny/getting Dean out of the deal while BDaBR ends with Gordon and Kubrick chatting over the prison phone and of course, focusing on Sam and his destiny), but instead with Sam killing the Crossroads demon, the look on his face much like that after killing Jake and killing Casey and the priest in "Sin City." While this serves to put the focus on the "is he or isn't he 100% Sam" question (or alternatively the "did Dean really save him, or is Sam just on the express to meeting his destiny?" question) it also serves to emphasize the growing distance and separation between Sam and Dean. While Season 1 had the boys growing closer and "becoming brothers again" with every episode, and Season 2 focused on their alternating efforts to save each other from getting lost in their own little personal hells, Season 3 seems to be operating in reverse. Dean creates the distance to try to make it easier on Sam when he's gone. Sam takes distance so that he can pursue saving Dean from his Deal without Dean knowing too much and accidentally actively participating and knocking down the whole house of cards. In effect with each episode, while they speak more, they say less, the secrets between them grow, and the actions they take bring them farther apart from their understanding of each other.

Red Sky at Morning (episode 3.06; US airdate November 8, 2007):

The first time through, I was just mostly unimpressed with "Red Sky at Morning." Not to say that it didn't have it's moments (Bela having the Impala towed and seeing Dean's reaction, oh god, that itself was better than some entire television series) and the ending, of course, kicked my ass (I went from being moderately interested to completely engaged and crying in about two seconds flat when Sam and Dean had their last little Impala chat). But in between I was just kind of meh about it. Then I rewatched it, and while it's still not on my favorite's list, I definitely liked it a lot more and found a lot more potential points and questions in it.

On the whole, the villain was very intriguing. The ghost in question and the scenario around it, seemed to combine elements of the Pilot, DITW, "Bloody Mary," "Hookman," Provenance," and a few other episodes (which I managed to list out in a very long post on the TV.com boards, but alas, cannot at present recall). Bela's interaction/interference with the Winchesters was definitely interesting to watch, as were the questions raised about her origin. (Anyone wonder if whatever family death she was responsible for is somehow tied to both her familiarity with the supernatural and her hatred for hunters?) Yes, Dean in a tuxedo doing the whole James Bond thing was pretty entertaining (as was the whole Sam/Gert interaction--which hey, that Sam was a lot lighter than we've seen him this season). Dean's reaction to Bela's "angry sex" line was a showcase of Jensen Ackles' extraordinary acting talents (I didn't realize that it was actually possible to express that many distinct emotions in such a short span of time). But the pacing was all off. Things seemed, jerky, choppy, and almost rushed at times. There was a little too much exposition in some places (sometimes Dean saying "what's the lore on it" is a little too obvious) and not enough in others (when/where/why/how did Sam and Dean figure out the tidbit about the ghost's murderer being his brother?and why wasn't a bigger deal made of that? I did enjoy seeing Sam and Dean squatting (and I was totally wondering if that was indeed what was happening until Bela said it, so that worked out well). And Bela screwing herself and getting into a real bind (and then trying to solve it with barked orders and money) was very entertaining. But while all these questions about Bela's back-story were raised, it felt like a lot of other stuff just kind of slid. For example, we know for a fact that the whole "Winchesters don't spill their own blood" thing is kind of not true. After all, Sam did shoot John when John was possessed (and would have killed him for the greater good but for Dean's pleas) and John did order Dean to kill Sam if he couldn't save him, so it's not like the Winchesters have such a peachy keen history with the whole family killing bit. That reaction just seemed a little too knee-jerk judgmental for Dean and Sam, at least the way it was presented; we know that Sam and Dean have issues about this, the reaction would have made more sense if we had seen a little more conversation/discussion/bickering, etc. about it. Also, it might have been nice to see Sam whip out John's Journal (or is he not using it anymore) for some research prior to pulling it out of a hat to use to save Bela. Granted, it makes sense that they would have been researching alternative solutions once Bela made off with the hand of glory (which, BTW, keeps making me think of Harry Potter and *sigh* that's not helping any), but it would have been nice if we'd been let in on the research a little. I guess it's that the POV on the episode felt a little strained at times, like the viewer wasn't privy to parts of Sam and Dean's research and experience that would have actually made sense given the way that the rest of the episode was relayed.

Also, it seems very significant that both the ghost and his murderous brother were BROTHERS as were the two patricidal victims. Is this foreshadowing? Something that could come between Sam and Dean farther on down the road? Will one wind up potentially killing the other? Will they be on other sides of the war? OK, so maybe they don't want to call those questions out too blatantly, but the whole "brothers" aspect of things just didn't seem to rattle Sam and Dean as much as one might expect. Also, for a program that usually plays up the parallels and similarities between the main characters' actions as they pertain to the overall story arc with the identical actions of the minor/supporting characters as they pertain to the episode plot (as happened extensively in "Bedtime Stories"), the attempted unwanted apology "I'm sorry" that was shared both by the murderous brother to his ghost brother and later by Dean to Sam was striking, yet almost entirely missable at least on first viewing. Which is really too bad, because that seems to bevery big/important statement, and it just gets a tad lost in the shuffle.

Still, the ending was quite possibly the most powerfulImpala chat we've seen thus far in all of Supernatural (or at least since the first season), theone-liners and a lotof Dean and Bela's exchanges were quite memorable,and the opening follow up on the CRD's demise wasvery nice continuity and contextualization, something that some season 1 and 2 episodes occasionally lacked. (Actually, in general, I just have to give an A++ to the writers for their efforts to blend in the more stand-alone s t y l e episodes with the overall mytharc and especially tying the events of one episode to the next.)

One final question? Where's the c l a s s i c rock? I'm really missing it right now, and I hope it will be back soon. After starting off the season with "Hell's Bells" I'm feeling a wee bit let down. But mostly I'm just thrilled to be able to watch "Supernatural" every week.