SDCC 2013 -- Supernatural

Source: TheWB

This year's SDCC went out with a bang! I mean, there wasn't a dull moment since Day 1. The past few days were intense! Those who slept outside Hall H and got in, you're epic! A fan sleep out is always fun! I hope I get to go next year. 

Source: Somewhere on Tumblr

The last day of Comic Con has always been my favorite because of Supernatural. This is a massive opportunity to add pretty photos to my library and to start thinking about season nine based on the information the panel gave us. I think if I have to use one word to describe this year's Comic Con, it'd be 'surprise'. There were plenty of surprises that blew fans pants off.

Source: TheWB

The biggest surprise is the appearance of Felicia Day (aka Charlie) on the panel. I love her character. Felicia has this smile that makes you smile, she is super cute! She is clearly a fan favorite. While it has been announced that season nine has big plan for Charlie, I think (and I hope) she will get more and more air time, just like how Crowley progresses on the show. I think she really adds great value to the show. I don't think her character was written to last in the first place, I am not so sure. But she is adding something different to the show, and I hope she will be more integral in season nine. Someone pointed out that Felicia was the first female appeared on the Supernatural panel in SDCC. That's awesome, bitches!

Source: TheWB

Another surprise is the announcement of a spin-off series based on a new character who will be introduced in or around episode 20. That episode will be served as a backdoor pilot to the new show. Pick up is not guaranteed, of course. The CW has this thing about creating spin-off, for example, The Originals -- The Vampire Diaries spin-off. But The Originals is different because Klaus and co have been around for a few seasons, they were established characters. 

Source: TheWB

With the Supernatural spin-off, I am happy about the spin-off, but very surprised about the fact that it will be based on a new character. I would rather see a Garth, Charlie or Kevin spin-off, or Henry Winchester/ Men of Letters spin-off, or better, a John and Mary spin-off. This new character has to work in order for the spin-off to take off. It has to be a super epic character. I am very intrigued to see who this character is. It is certainly a very very interesting move. According to Huffington Post, episode 20 will be written by Andrew Dabb, and it will be more urban than on the cross country road trip feel. 

Source: TheWB

Source: TheWB

I can't help but think about the idea -- Eric Kripke once had this idea for Supernatural, it was about a tabloid journalist traveling around the country fighting for the truth, rather than about two brothers. Perhaps the writers will go back to this idea? The other hot idea I have in mind is the Men of Letters spin-off, but I guess Jeremy and Bob would want to keep this for Supernatural. I can't wait to hear more about this new spin-off -- who is in it, what it is called, who will be the showrunner etc. This is a weird piece of surprise, but I really want to know more!

Source: TheWB

Source: TheWB

The panel itself was as fun as usual. Jensen and Jared were so hot, it's out of this world! Jeremy Carver was as careful as always. The cast was as playful as always. It was great to see Bob to be on the panel for the first time. It was rather sad not to have Ben Edlund on the panel. 

Jensen and Jared were on the Nerd Machine panel. I haven't watched the video, but I will!!! I am not handling the hottness too well. I am having a 'melt down.' Haha.. Not to mention all the toys debate at SDCC. Shit! I need at least two weekends to go through everything I want to see from this epic geek fest! 

For a full wrap up on the Supernatural panel, check out stuff from IGN, Zap2IT and TVGuide.

Credit: @redteekal

Source: TheWB

Once I have watched the panel a few times, and as more news surfaced, I'll be writing my thoughts and my wish list for season nine. I will also aim to get the season eight awards out before October with a few Twitter friends. Watch this space!

Last but not least, congrats to Jarpad and Gen on their second baby! They've been busy! Congrats! xoxo

SDCC 2013 -- The EW Star Portraits Gallery

The Entertainment Weekly Star Portraits Gallery is something I always look forward when it comes to SDCC. I really like their photos. If they release a printed version, like a coffee table book, I'd so buy it! Here are few of my favourite photos from this year's portraits. 

Zachary Levi

Felicia Day

Nick Frost and Simon Pegg

Rob Benedict and Richard Speight Jr

Karl Urban and Michael Ealy

Review: Supernatural 'Pac Man Fever'

After a mini hiatus, Supernatural is back with a super solid filler episode with a high count of hugs. Not many shows in its eighth season can still kickass. Supernatural takes advantage of the opportunity to connect past elements and stories together, while introducing new things and characters to excite us. One of these things is Charlie. Supernatural rarely uses the same song twice, unless it's Carry On Wayward Son. How often do we get a happy song to accompany a feel-good episode with the sweetest hug? Thanks to 'Her Highness' Charlie (guest star Felicia Day), even in the darkest hours, a moment of sweetness is not impossible. 

8.20 Pac Man Fever is the sweetest and most adorable episode. I don't think I have used those words before to describe an overall episode. It was such a great written episode by Robbie Thompson and a well directed episode by Robert Singer. Robbie also wrote all Felicia Day's episodes -- The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo and LARP and the Real Girl. So good! Just so good! 

There are many things I love about this episode. Where to begin? I think Charlie's personality breaks pattern. Charlie is different from people Dean and Sam have met before, including hunters and non hunters. Charlie isn't a hunter, she is a civilian, a geek and she is into LARPing. Her social profile almost doesn't belong to the supernatural world. But there are some similarities between Charlie and the Winchester brothers, as presented in this episode -- Charlie's mum was taken away from her when she was little, she blamed herself, she got into trouble, she has been on the run forever, and her aliases were as good as Dean's and Sam's. 

I think Charlie has raised to the challenge before and she's done it again in this episode. If Pac Man Fever indicates anything, I am sold as to why she is one of the best people to help Dean and Sam right now -- she is tech savvy, she doesn't have an agenda, she is smart and she is resourceful. She is a Woman of Letters!

What's interesting to me is that Charlie, in a way, presents normality. I love that Charlie is written as a friend and as a sister figure. Dean and Sam are obsessed with saving the world and people from supernatural crap. But every now and then, it's sweet to see how they deal with other people -- the way they accept Garth, worry about Kevin and care about Charlie. Episodes like Pac Man Fever definitely highlights a different quality of the Winchesters which differentiates themselves from other hunters. I also love the fact that Charlie has read the Supernatural books by Carver Edlund and she has so much faith in Dean and Sam. 

I think the onscreen chemistry between Jensen and Felicia is getting better! Last time when Dean was putting his knight costume on in LARP and the Real Girl, he gave Charlie the full Wiki on what's been happening. In this episode, while Charlie had a montage of wardrobe change, Dean did the same thing and told her stuff. I think it was great to see Dean actually got a chance to 'chat' to a friend about their supernatural crap. It's not like Dean has many friends that he can talk to. I just love the chemistry between Dean and Charlie! The scene where Dean and Charlie had a 'I-love-you-I-know' Star Wars moment, that's my favourite scene!!!

I think this is a very Dean POV centric episode. It's like Dean having a bird eye view of things. Dean saw how things turned out. He helped Charlie to overcome her fear and help her to find clarity in her mother's situation. Through the 'letting things go' theme, it enlightened Dean about his relationship with Sam. Dean being Dean, of course he wanted to 'save' his little brother, look after him -- "I may not be able to carry the burden that comes with these trials, but I can carry you." The theme of 'letting things go' means different things to Charlie and Dean. Charlie made a difficult decision to let go of her mother. This experience reminded Dean that the only thing that would make Sam better was to find the prophet and finish the last trial. Dean wasn't pissed at Sam. Sam thought he was in trouble and attempted to justify why he was out there working a case, when Dean specifically told him not to. But I am glad Sam helped, they were stronger as a team and hunting has always been a two people job. Thank you Robbie Thompson for showing us the sweet Dean, who gave many hugs to many people in this season, and I think that's a great character progress. Dean just gave Sam a hug, and then he told him, "let's find the prophet'. There is no getting better until the trial is completed.

This season reminds me how much crap Sam's been through. We know how it went down with the whole Lucifer hallucination storyarc. Sam had a complete breakdown and went to the mental hospital. It was painful for Sam, and it was painful for Dean to see his little brother like this. I think Sam has been through a lot, and I mean a lot! From the moment he found out about being one of the special children' to drinking demon blood; from being locked up in hell with Lucifer and Michael to coming back soulless, and then the 'wall' crumbled. I get why he just wanted a normal life. Now he is back, he is going through the trials and he is hurting again. I really feel his pain, my heart really breaks for Sam. I hate to see him suffer, again! Dean feels that same, every bloody year his little brother has some crap going on with him and it breaks his heart to see his little brother suffers, and it kills Dean not to be able to save Sam. 

When will they stop caring for each other? NEVER! I think that's why Supernatural is so good to watch because of the brother relationship. On one hand, it's different from the past because they're more mature now. On the other hand, it remains the same because they are still Dean and Sam, the big brother and the little brother.

A few other things that I love:

Dean in uniform -- Seriously! Give Jensen Ackles a bathrobe and he can still look good in it. SUPER HOT! Wait… what? The whole uniform look reminds me of Captain America/ Captain Steve Rogers. I will never get tired of this, so sue me!

The video game -- I was waiting for a Resident Evil Leon Kennedy reference, because of some hot Jensen related casting rumour about this a few years back.

The montage -- Walking on Sunshine is a signature song for Charlie. That scene was awesome! It weirdly reminded me of Natalie Portman in Leon.

Pac Man Reference -- I played Pac Man before on my cousin's thing, but I was never a gamer. But I can see some fans are happy to see that reference. It's also a treat for Felicia Day's fans because she was a gamer. Nice!

Something completely random -- Is it just me that I want to see Wil Wheaton on the show? I just had a moment.

MoL HQ -- It's official. It's HOME for the boys! I just love the idea the boys have a home now. I know Kripke used to say, the Impala is home for the boys. It still is, but the idea of having a HQ as a home where they can use the resources and to regroup. The MoL bunker as their home is a welcoming idea. And I love it! You know I do! I just LOVE IT! SO MUCH!!

Sam's hair -- Like… OMG! Too cute!!!! Thank you Sam! Thank you Jared. I had a great laugh. And Sam wasn't able to catch the beer from Dean was hilarious. Sorry Sam, I know you're hurting but you gotta laugh a little sometimes.

Dean in uniform -- Wait a second! Have I mentioned how much I love Dean in uniform?  

Pac Mac Fever is packed with stuff and food for thoughts. This is the kind of filler episode that audience and Dean and Sam need before the final trial. The final three episodes are here! Brace yourself for an emotional ride! I see nothing but epicness!

Next episode is 8.21: The Great Escapist

When Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) receive a distressing video message from Kevin Tran (guest star Osric Chau), they set about trying to uncover the Third Trial. The boys make a discovery that sends them to a casino in Colorado, to find a mysterious recluse (guest star Curtis Armstrong) who may be able to fill in the holes in Kevin's research. Meanwhile, Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) is on a winning streak. Castiel (Misha Collins) tries to elude Naomi (guest star Amanda Tapping) and the angels hunting him.

Supernatural Returns - Pac Man Fever

Life does suck big time whenever Supernatural is on hiatus. But thank goodness my life is back in supernatural order! Supernatural returns this week (April, 24) with all new episodes, Pac Man Fever.

DEAN INTRODUCES CHARLIE TO CHEAP PANTSUITS — Concerned about the physical toll the second trial took on Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) benches his brother from hunting until he heals up. So, when geektastic hacker Charlie (guest star Felicia Day) stumbles upon a case and finds the boys, Dean decides it’s time to teach Charlie how to be a hunter-in-training. While happy to see 'her highness', the boys suspect Charlie is hiding something; a secret that could get her killed. Robert Singer directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson. Source: KSiteTV 

Here is the preview clip for the episode. Charlie is AWESOME! I hope she sticks around! She is perfect to be the Chloe O'Brien of the MoL Bunker!!

Supernatural 'LARP And The Real Girl': OMG! What Have They Done To Dean; Crossover Ideas

OMG! Right?1 I thought it was a fan-made photoshop thing.. But NO! It's real! Dean Winchester! You! You!!! Move over King Arthur and Robin Hood! Dean Winchester is taking over your territory!

In case you miss it, here is the description of episode 8.11 LARP And The Real Girl. More pics can be found on KSiteTV
 
FELICIA DAY RETURNS! — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate the mysterious deaths of two LARPers (Live Action Role Playing) who were playing a game entitled Moondoor. The guys are thrilled to discover the Queen of Moondoor is none other than Charlie (guest star Felicia Day). The three learn that a fairy (guest star Tiffany Dupont) has been commandeered to harm people and the only way to stop her is to find her master. Jeannot Szwarc directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson. 

LARP And The Real Girl airs on January 23. 

What's up bitches?

Episode like this really provides a great opportunity to do crossover. While I am at it, what crossover do you want to see? I want to see Supernatural to cross over with Smallville, OUAT, The Avengers, The X Files, Super Mario Bros or The Simpsons. AWESOME! 

What else do I want Jensen to be dressed as? CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!!!!

Whoever did this, is AWESOME!

Supernatural 'LARP and the Real Girl' Description; Episode Titles Update

The episode description episode 8.11 LARP and the Real Girl is released by the CW. This episode is scheduled for January 23. Yay! Felicia Day returns as Charlie! 

"I'm back, bitches!"

FELICIA DAY RETURNS! — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate the mysterious deaths of two LARPers (Live Action Role Playing) who were playing a game entitled Moondoor. The guys are thrilled to discover the Queen of Moondoor is none other than Charlie (guest star Felicia Day). The three learn that a fairy (guest star Tiffany Dupont) has been commandeered to harm people and the only way to stop her is to find her master. Jeannot Szwarc directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson. Source: KSiteTV

Robbie Thompson wrote this episode. Yes! Robbie has become one of my favourite writers. I cannot wait to see his episode featuring Felicia Day! Yay!! 

Here is an update of the episode titles:

8.01  We Need to Talk About Kevin 

8.02  What's Up, Tiger Mommy? 

8.03  Heartache 

8.04  Bitten 

8.05  Blood Brother

8.06  Southern Comfort 

8.07  A Little Slice of Kevin

8.08  Hunteri Heroici 
8.09 Citizen Fang

8.10 Torn and Frayed (16 Jan)

8.11 LARP and the Real Girl (23 Jan)

8:12 As Time Goes By
8.13 Everyone Hates
8.14 Trial And Error (previously known as Black Dog)
8.15 Man's Best Friend With Benefits
8.16 Remember The Titans
8.17 Goodbye Stranger 

Source: KSiteTV 

Supernatural: DJ Qualls, Felicia Day, Amanda Tapping, 'A Little Slice of Kevin' Description

I am back, and so are a few guest stars.

*Applaud*

A few announcements first..

Do I miss home? Not really. It's America I miss. That's right. If anyone wants to swap with me, contact me immediately! Australia is great -- sunshine, great coffee, you got New Zealand as your friendly neighbor. 

The only thing I miss about home is my hairdryer. It's the one thing I cannot live without, apart from Jensen Ackles and Supernatural of course. Happiness!

So I was in the Creation Entertainment's Salute to Supernatural -- Chicago 2012 last week. It was epic! I cannot begin to use word to describe my feelings. I might be suffering from a pro-convention depression, but I will overcome this by sharing with you my photos and experience. I have taken approximately 2,000 photos during the convention, I am pretty sure 50% of them were Jensen Ackles related! Can you blame me? This guy CANNOT look ugly. So anyway, I will leave my thoughts and experience to the dedicated posts. Please watch this space or follow me on Twitter @tinybeanie for update. 

I am also in the process of creating another blog which is travel and food related. Since I have just returned from New York and Chicago, I will be sharing my photos and experience in that new blog. Again, please watch this space or follow me on Twitter @tinybeanie for update. 

I was lucky to leave New York before Super Storm Sandy hit New York. It is very sad to see all the images of effected areas. Especially the streets of New York, I had just literally walked through a few days before the storm hit. My thoughts are with those who have been effected. I know many convention fans were stuck in Chicago, I hope they got home ok. 

I have the pleasure meeting DJ Qualls last week and MAN he is a natural speaker and a genuine nice guy! Very funny and friendly. I hugged him and I want to hug him again! It's no secret that he is returning and he will be on next week's episode Southern Comfort. Can Garth be the new Bobby? Bobby is irreplaceable, but Garth is awesome. Give him a chance! New chemistry can mean new perspective, and I welcome fresh blood to the show. More pics can be seen via KSiteTV

Felicia Day will also return as Charlie. I love her. Do you? What's there not to love? Can Creation Entertainment invites her to a convention already?! Please!! Felicia is already back on set as per her tweet. Felicia will return for 8.11 LARP and the Real Girl. This episode will focus on LARPing in fandom, obviously, which is always fun. The last time we come across LARPing was Monster At The End Of The Book and The Real Ghostbusters, which I love! Can't wait to see how this episode will look like! Source: Zap2It

The photos of Amanda Tapping in the up-coming episode are released! She will join the cast in 8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin. I love Amanda! She is one of my favorite characters on one of my favorite TV shows -- Stargate SG1 and Atlantis. This is really personal, because there is nothing better than seeing my favorite actors to guest star on my favorite show. There is more to the A Little Slice of Kevin, we will see [spoilers] the official return of Castiel. It's about bloody time!!! I miss Misha Collins!!! We will also see Kevin, Mrs Tran and Mark Sheppard. I love this episode already!!! 

Here is the official description of 8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin:

CASTIEL ESCAPES PURGATORY — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are stunned when Castiel (Misha Collins) suddenly appears back on Earth with no memory of how he escaped from Purgatory. Meanwhile, Mrs. Tran (guest star Lauren Tom) enlists a witch (guest star Cyrina Fiallo) to concoct a demon bomb, but the witch double crosses Mrs. Tran and turns her and Kevin (guest star Osric Chau) over to Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard). Charlie Carner directed the episode written by Eugenie Ross–Leming & Brad Buckner. Source: KSiteTV


Here is an update on the episode titles:

8.01   We Need to Talk About Kevin 

8.02   What's Up, Tiger Mommy? 

8.03   Heartache 

8.04   Bitten 

8.05   Blood Brother

8.06   Southern Comfort 

8.07   A Little Slice of Kevin

8.08   Hunteri Heroici (previously known as Dean Amuck)
8.09  Citizen Fang

8.10  Torn and Frayed (previously known as Don’t Stop Believing)

8.11  LARP and the Real Girl

8:12 As Time Goes By (previously known as Out Of Time)

SPECIAL EDITION - Supernatural Season 7 Awards [Part Two]

I hope everyone enjoys reading PART ONE of our season seven awards where we revealed our winners for Favourite Filler, Writer, Director and more. So here we go folks, may we present PART TWO to your reading pleasure.

FAVOURITE VILLAIN

AMY: Dick Roman. I like Dick. Yes I went there. I’d kind of forgotten how fabulous he was until I started rewatching the season when my DVD arrived. His humour. His delivery. His smarmy grin. Oh he’s wonderful. How he tore Crowley down with a withering look and a smart retort totally awesome. He was a pretty cool baddie!   

TINY: I love the return of Mark Pellegrino. I confess, I have a huge crush on Pellegrino. I have loved him more since Lost where he plays Jacobs, and I love Jacobs. I love him. Only if I could hug him at a convention, my life will be complete. I really love how Lucifer is written in season seven. This is the devil he should have been playing all this time. I think he really plays the devil who toys with Sam’s damaged soul, it is really torturing for Sam. His ‘personality’ really shines through as the devil on Sam’s shoulder. Season seven’s Lucifer is different from season’s five because the writing team really have fun writing the different side of Lucifer, he is always meant to be the devil who tricks you to do wrongs and give in to him. Lucifer loves to win, and he always wins.   

Honorable mention: Death! Pickle chips anyone? And Oh Crowley!!

FAVOURITE GOOD GUY (OR LADY)

AMY: Outside of Dean? Eliot Ness. Now this is probably because of a mix of reasons. 1. Alex Krycek – yes I was a fan of Nicholas Lea in The X Files. 2. The Untouchables – yes I really love that movie. But beyond that, I liked Eliot’s style. I liked his take on hunting. I liked what he said to Dean. And he looked great in a suit!  

TINY: Supernatural has always been great when bringing in great guest stars. Charlie (played by Felicia Day) is awesome as Charlie. I love the way she is introduced as the IT nerd who loves her life. Charlie is the Merry and Pippin in The Lord of the Rings, their lives are so fun and they love their lives, simple things in live make them happy. But when evil strikes, like Merry and Pippin, Charlie steps up, be a hero and fight evil alongside with Dean and Sam in the epic quest. Good woman!!! I hope Felicia Day will have time and make a return to season eight!

MOST UNDER-USED CHARACTER  

AMY: The Impala! Ha! That is all.   

TINY: The Impala! BABY doesn’t get enough credit for being the love of Dean’s life and one of the most awesome cars in popular culture. I am not sure if I like the fact that BABY is locked down for most part of the season. I get why the decision is made to do so because season seven is about taking everything and everyone away from Dean and Sam. I love how BABY is introduced back to the season in the season finale, and BABY deserves to be treated like the way it is written and shot. I wish I get to see Dean’s face while he drives BABY. While I am ok with the fact that Meg is seen to be the first one to step out of BABY, it should have been Dean, but I can live with it ☺ I want to see more BABY in season eight!!

BEST CONFRONTATION  

AMY: I really loved the confrontation between Sam and Dean in The Mentalists. It was the confrontation that needed to happen. What was said needed to be said and I was glad Dean did it. I also thought he was right. He did do what had to be done and he did it because Sam couldn’t. If Amy had gone on another murdering spree, Sam would never have forgiven himself. She was a monster, she’d killed to protect her son, if put in the same situation, she would have done it again. Sam needed to hear that. He thought he was angry with Dean because Dean had killed Sam’s friend, but I think this helped Sam realise, he was angry with Dean, because Dean had lied. I thought this was a fantastic scene. It’s one of my favourites of the season.  

TINY: The Sam and Lucifer confrontations through out season seven have been intense and the writing of it has been very consistent. The storyarc/ unfinished business/ and the whole messing with Sam’s mind have been very well executed. And through the storytelling, I think Lucifer’s true personality really comes through – the devil on Sam’s shoulder, and see how far he can push Sam before he gives up. I think it is the best way to address Sam’s damaged soul. Stuff like this doesn’t just go away. Sam does everything he can to confront Lucifer, he really tries and struggles. But human souls are fragile. Poor Sammy.

FAVOURITE GUEST STAR  

AMY: Nicholas Lea. Yeah, I was pretty damn excited that Nic Lea was going to be on the show. Supernatural gets great guest stars and I totally love it when they’re genre guest stars too. I really hope they find a way to bring Ness into the present so we get to see Nic again!  

TINY: Is it redundant to name Misha my Favourite Guest Star? Seeing Misha is a ‘guest star’ in season seven, I have to go with Misha!!! But apart from Misha, this season invited many of iconic names in the business The X Files, Buffy, Dr Horrible and Pirates of the Caribbean. And if I have to pick another one, it would have to be Felicia Day (aka Charlie).  

Honorable mention: DJ Qualls (aka Garth).

BIGGEST ‘I KNEW IT’ MOMENT

AMY: Probably Cas being alive, or maybe Bobby being a ghost. I loved how they revealed both of these. The Bobby ghost reveal was particularly great. I think we all figured it was Bobby and we all assumed Cas was still kicking, but you still yell out I KNEW IT when the big secret is popped!  

TINY: Cas is not dead! HE IS ALIVE! HE IS ALIVE!! I can’t say I am surprised, but I am just glad he isn’t dead! He is a friggin angel and he is alive!!!

BEST CHARACTER MOMENT  

AMY: It’s almost like the entirety of Death’s Door. The character moments for Bobby were stunning. My favourite being when he said, “Well, as fate would have it, I adopted two boys, and they grew up great. They grew up heroes.” It said so much about Bobby and it sort of made me sad. It made me feel a little lonely for him. But it also made it crystal clear how much he loved those boys. They were HIS boys. The fact that he chose them bickering and making fun of each other as his final memory. Oh yeah, the whole episode, but in particular, these two moments were my favourite. They really gave us insight into who Bobby was, not as a hunter, but as a man.  

TINY: The Dean and Castiel garage scene in Survival of the Fittest illustrates forgiveness and maturity. I don’t know about you, but I am relieved after watching that scene. I feel the weight on my shoulder as a viewer has been lifted off, imagine how Dean and Cas feel! Dean has a big heart and he will never walk away from his family and friends, including Cas. Dean may not be able to forgive Cas completely, but this is Dean’s version of forgiveness, and that’s big! There is a great dialogue exchange between Dean and Cas in Survival of the Fittest. Cas has been trying to understand humans and their emotions/ behaviors ever since his arrival in season four. Some of the events he has experienced really have brought out emotions he doesn’t know they exist before. 

FAVOURITE SAM AND DEAN MOMENT  

AMY: Oh the end of Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie. It’s such a wonderful scene. To see Dean laugh and to see Sam enjoy Dean’s laughter. Dean’s apology for psychologically scarring Sam, Sam’s smart-assed “Which time”, the giant slinky. THE GIANT SLINKY! The whole scene makes my face hurt from the grinning! I love moments like these between the boys. Here’s to a few in season 8!  

TINY: My favourite Sam and Dean moment is actually from the end of Plucky. That’s just good times! That scene reminds me of the end of season one’s Hell House when Dean and Sam prank Ed and Harry. We haven’t seen Dean and Sam having fun for a long time and it is such a great way to see the brothers having fun and a good laugh. Good times. I love that brotherly moment.

BIGGEST WTF MOMENT  

AMY: I think it was when Dean and Cas disappeared and left Sam standing alone and then we cut to Purgatory and I was all “WTF??! WHAT’S HAPPENING? I HAVE TO WAIT HOW LONG TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENING?!” Yeah, it kind of took me by surprise.  

TINY: Dean having a daughter and Sam marrying Becky…! Like WTF?!

FAVOURITE COMEDIC MOMENT IN AN EPISODE

AMY: It’s from Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie:  

DEAN:  Cops have a theory? 
SAM: Yeah, they think the ball washer did it. 
DEAN: The what? 
SAM: The... ball washer. 
DEAN: *Smirks* The what? 
SAM: The ball – *throws hands in the air*  

Heeeee!  

TINY: I am greedy. I am going to name two comedic moments, one for Sam and one for Dean. I love seeing Sam so scared of clowns in Plucky. LOVE IT! And the more he hides it, the funnier it gets. It’s been awhile since I find Sam funny! For Dean, I love his comedic side in Time After Time. I love how Dean just gets so into being an Untouchable. Who is that sexy dude in the fedora – Winchester. Dean Winchester!

BEST EPISODE 

AMY: This is by far the trickiest of categories. When Supernatural shines, it dazzles. There were several episodes this season that were particularly strong. Strong in creative, structure, story and performance. But the best?  

Death’s Door! This is a beautifully made hour of television. The script was perfection. It was complex, the way it shifted through realities, yet it never felt convoluted or cumbersome. It covered a lot of ground, in the waking world and the world inside Bobby’s head. We got a glimpse into who Bobby really was and what had happened to him in the past that affected everything for him in his future and we discovered the two things most important to him, Sam and Dean. The performances were spectacular. Jim, Steven, Jensen, Jared. The lighting was beautiful, the different worlds having different tones and the glow to Bobby’s favourite memory as all else faded around him. It was smart and heart wrenching, but didn’t rely on sacrine moments to tug at the emotions, because that wouldn’t be the Winchesters and that wouldn’t be Bobby. It felt true to all of them, while completely destroying all of us. Sera’s words, Bob Singer’s direction, Serge’s lighting and the cast’s powerful yet understated performances all mix together to create one of finest moments in Supernatural.

TINY: What constitutes the Best Episode of Supernatural? It should be an episode with a great written script, great character-driven story, great plot, great twist, great direction, great pace and great performance. Everything has to be flawless executed. And seeing this is Supernatural, it should also have the class brotherly moments, Dean’s one-liners, Sam’s puppy eyes, the Impala, the gore, the suspense and the classic rock. While the show proves us over the years that a single episode of Supernatural can contain all the above elements without overwhelming the audience, Supernatural is very very good with the way their characters are constructed and written, Dean and Sam are given, but when it comes to other characters such as Bobby and Cas, the writing team does not do lazy. It is episode such as Death’s Door reminds me how integral Bobby is to the overall story and how important Bobby is as a father figure to the boys. It is characters such as Bobby give Dean and Sam the meaning of ‘family don’t end with blood’. 

Death's Door gets my vote for being the Best Episode for season seven. This episode is written by Sera Gamble and directed by Robert Singer. What I love about this episode is that the way Bobby is written – he is the son, the hunter and a father figure. The episode is packed with backstory about Bobby’s childhood, his fear, angst, darkness, frustration.. everything that makes Bobby who he is as a person and as a hunter. Despite having a very dark childhood and loosing his wife Karen over a demonic possession, Bobby turns out to be a great hunter who helps people and he is a father figure to Dean and Sam. Perhaps it is the ‘family don’t end with blood’ mentality that keeps Bobby going because, subconsciously, he does have someone to ‘come home’ to – his two adopted sons -- so to speak. He truly loves the boys, he truly cares about the boys. Death’s Door shows us the Bobby we haven’t seen before. We’ve known Bobby since season one but only until season seven we get to know Bobby’s past in depth. Death’s Door treats Bobby with respect and this is no doubt in my mind the best episode of season seven of Supernatural.    

So there you have it!!! Thank you for letting us share our thoughts. Do let us know what you think.

A special shout out to AmyInSydney. Thank you for your passion and enthusiasm. The fandom needs your voice. 

Season eight...we are ready for you!

SPECIAL EDITION - Supernatural Season 7 Awards [Part 1]

There is saying: you’ve never done anything good or bad because you’ve never been challenged. I think Supernatural is really about that and the story is told brilliantly by focusing on the brother’s relationship in good times and in the worst of times. They are consistently being challenged and through dramas, as the First Lady would say, it reveals who they really are. As for Dean and Sam, they love each other too much they can never walk away from each other. Season seven is another brilliant season, the team never cease to blow my socks off.

In the past few years, my friends and I have been presenting a list of awards at the end of each season to name our favourite episodes, best director and writer, and best brotherly moment, just to name a few. So, fangirls and fanboys, without further ado, here is PART ONE of our thoughts on season seven. PART TWO will be released on Sunday (Australian Eastern Standard Time). Watch this space!

FAVORITE FILLER

AMY: I always get squirrely about what constitutes a ‘filler’. Does the episode have to be completely void of mythology? Or does it have to in no way progress the story? Whatever, I’m saying Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie. I like this episode a lot. I like the brother’s dynamic in this one. I love that Sam’s phobia throws Dean right into teasing big brother mode. It was nice to see a bit of lightness in his mood…even if it was at Sam’s expense. I also loved Sam dropping into little brother mode as he chanted what Dean told him, “If it bleeds you can kill it”. It had fantastic throwbacks to season two with the rainbow farting Unicorn and Sam’s fear of clowns and then that wonderful scene between the brothers at the end, complete with laughter, apologies and giant slinkies. Yeah, it was a super fun episode.

Very Honourable Mention: Time After Time.

TINY: Time After Time is no doubt my favorite filler of season seven. Written by Robbie Thompson and directed by Philip Sgriccia, Time After Time is hands down one of the coolest Supernatural episodes of all time.

Personally, I love time travel and alternate reality stories in pop culture – Back to the Future, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Somewhere in Time (that’s right!), Lost, Stargate SG1, just to name a few. And I love it when Supernatural does time travel/ alternative reality episodes such as What Is And What Should Never Be, In The Beginning, The Song Remains The Same, Frontierland, The French Mistake, Changing Channels, and in season seven, we have Time After Time – they are all bloody brilliant! Not only that, I love it whenever Supernatural reveals a different side of Dean – the fanboy Dean. It’s wonderful to see him gets to play doctor, cowboy and the Untouchable. I also love the fact that the writing team of Supernatural is so in tune with the pop culture and create their own version of a mash-up of Eliot Ness, Untouchable and supernatural hunting. Just like Elizabeth Bennett as the zombie hunter and Lincoln as the vampire hunter, it’s just so much fun! Brilliant stuff! All I want now is Ben Edlund writing a ninja episode with Ben as the ninja. Just saying.

LEAST FAVOURITE FILLER

AMY: This is kind of an easy one for me, Season 7, Time For A Wedding. I really didn’t care for this episode. I didn’t find it funny. I’d liked Becky the couple of times we’d met her previously and this episode tore all that down. It made me actively dislike Becky and I didn’t like that at all! I thought it was hideous what she did to Sam and then hideous how she allowed Sam to pretty much crush Dean’s heart. He’d never, ever be so cruel to his brother, ever. I didn’t see it as a poke at the fans initially and but after a pretty good conversation with one of my fellow Supernatural bloggers, I saw that maybe they were having a bit of a go at a certain section of the fandom. As my friend said, you open that gate you can’t expect the fans not to flood through. You can’t do episodes where you’re playful with the fans by ripping down that fourth wall and then slap their hands away. But that’s not why it’s my least favourite filler, I wasn’t offended or anything...it was just disappointing. Strangely my favourite and least favourite fillers were written by Dabb and Loflin. They had a very patchy season.

TINY: My least favorite filler is definitely Defending Your Life. I get why Dean is put on trial, and I understand a hero sometimes needs to show self-doubt, it is part of the hero’s journey, but the story is poorly executed and the writing isn’t at its best. Perhaps it’s the fact that I hate it when people-killing monsters judge Dean like he is crap. He is a hero! We should all know by now, monsters are just monsters, even when they are posted as ‘gods’. That’s the way Dean should see this case rather than going along with the whole trial. May be it is just the way it’s written? Dean doesn’t feel guilty at all, but it is written as if he feels guilty. Dean does not feel guilty for killing Amy Pond, not once. It is the secret he is keeping from Sam that drives him into destruction. The only thing I love about this episode, apart from the boys’ good look, is the return of Jo. I miss her!

FAVOURITE EPISODE

AMY: Tricky one. I have a few favourites in season seven, but the one I’ve watched the most is probably Slash Fiction. It’s an episode I randomly pop on. I think one of the things I like about it is seeing Jensen and Jared do different versions of Sam and Dean. It’s good to see them stretch like that. I also really like Chet, the Leviathan in Bobby’s basement and the introduction of Frank Devereaux. This is the episode we lost Baby for the remainder of the season, which was a bummer but as compensation, we had Dean singing All Out Of Love. We also got a little romance with Bobby and Sheriff Mills. I like the story, the script, the guest stars, the use of recurring characters and Leviathan Sam and Dean. It’s a goodie.

TINY: This is a super hard one to pick! But my winner is The Born-Again Identity for a few reasons. It is one of the most anticipated episodes of the season. Cas’ death and return are one of the most debated topics this season. Cas’ disappearance and re-appearance have almost defined a certain timeline in season seven. Cas’ disappearance marks the beginning of the Leviathans’ domination over Dean and Sam. Never before have the boys been so stripped down, no thanks to the Leviathans. Cas reappears just in time for the battle against the Leviathans. His reappearance also marks the beginning of forgiveness – not only forgiveness from Dean but Cas also learns how to deal with his guilt despite the fact that he can never forgive himself for what he does. Cas as a character has been very symbolic and philosophical this season. Sera Gamble skillfully writes a remarkable episode to mark the beginning of the born-again Cas.

LEAST FAVOURITE EPISODE

AMY: It’s Season 7, Time For A Wedding, for all of the reasons I said earlier. It just doesn’t do it for me at all.  If I had to pick another, it would be Defending Your Life – which was written by Adam Glass, another patchy writer on the show. This was simply a weak story that had great potential to go deep into Dean Winchester’s damaged psyche, but took so long to set up the monster of the week, that we glossed over the elements of the episode that threatened to have any substance. It also misconstrued Dean’s guilt as being about killing Amy behind Sam’s back, when it was the fact that he was lying to Sam that was eating him up alive. Add to it another pussy of a God who was not even remotely threatening or interesting and yeah, just ordinary on every level. Maybe this is my least favourite episode actually. Seriously, it’s a toss-up.  

TINY: Defending Your Life…NEXT…

FAVOURITE WRITER

AMY: Ben Edlund is my favourite writer forever and he did some very nice work in season seven. Hello, Cruel Word, How To Win Friends And Influence Monsters (HTWFAIM), Repo Man, which I think is overlooked but has some really fantastic elements and Reading Is Fundamental, which is a bit of a masterpiece of the obtuse reference and layered script. I watched HTWFAIM just yesterday and marvelled at the wonderful dialogue. Ben has a skill at balancing the humour and pathos of the story that only the very senior writers on Supernatural seem to be able to do. I love Ben. I think he’s a fabulously creative writer, director and human being. He’s one of my heroes and an inspiration. My second favourite writer of the season is a newbie to the show, Robbie Thomas. Robbie wrote, Slash Fiction, Time After Time and The Girl With The Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo. What a stellar start to his tenure at Supernatural. When the show was signed for season eight, he was one of the writers that I was hoping and praying would be back and apparently he will be. I’m looking forward to seeing some lovely work from him soon.

TINY: Once again, Ben Edlund is my favorite writer this season. I kind of miss the Ghostfacers Ben, but I am really digging his profound and complex writing. Ben’s ideas are getting deeper and more philosophical. As an aspiring writer, I really learn a lot from Ben’s episodes. On paper, it may not seem a lot, but if you deconstruct the story and the characters into layers, there are actually a lot of juicy stuff there. I think Supernatural needs Ben’s voice and I am glad he is back for season eight.

FAVOURITE DIRECTOR

AMY: In a couple more seasons I might say Jensen Ackles, because he’s showing great skill and he’s my favourite everything…but until I’ve seen a bit more of his directing prowess, I will say Phil Sgriccia. Phil’s done some lovely work this season, including the season opener Meet The New Boss and the fantastic time travel piece Time After Time. The thing I find with Phil’s episodes is that he tries different shots and angles and sometimes shot transitions. I think this probably comes from being an editor in his previous life, so it gives him that dual eye. But really, the quality of direction on Supernatural is so high, it’s very difficult to pin point the best of the best! But if I must, I’m saying Phil.  

TINY: Philip Sgriccia for directing Time After Time! I think the way the story depicts Dean and Sam investigating the case in a different time and space, is exceptionally well executed, kudos not only to the writing but also to Phil’s direction in storytelling and editing. The episode is also shot as a period film -- the sceneries, the costumes and the big band jazz really give the episode a sense of time. Time After Time is definitely done the Chicago way!  

BEST USE OF SONG

AMY: All Out Of Love. I really can’t go past that. It’s a fantastic scene. It reveals, once again, that Dean is nowhere near as cool as he likes to think he is. It showcases Jensen’s goofiness. I love that he really goes for it when it comes to the comedy. He’s lovely at comedy. I’m baffled how Jared kept a straight face. It’s a wonderful scene. Special mention goes to Walking On The Sunshine with Charlie having an alone moment and dancing up a storm in the glass elevator and Starry, Starry Night, which was perfect for the scene between Cass and Dean. Oh hang on…I think my favourite music cue might be…Black Water when the boys and Bobby were walking away from the reservoir after Levi!Cass disappeared under the surface and the Leviathan were seeping out into the water supply. That was pretty cool. So can I have four?  

TINY: Supernatural is known for the use of classic rock. But I love the fact that the show thinks outside the square and doesn’t use classic rock just for the sake of it. It is about choosing the most appropriate song to tell a story or reflect the emotional state of a character. So to me, the best use of song is Don McLean’s Vincent (Starry Starry Night) for Cas. This is very close to becoming the WTF moment of the season, but this is the best song to illustrate Cas’ ‘off the rocket’ state of mind. I can’t think of a better song than Vincent to reflect ‘Cas-gone-nuts’. If you listen to the lyrics, perhaps Cas can be associated with Van Gogh’s state of mind when he took his own life. A very sad song indeed. 

Honourable mention: Dean/ Jensen singing Air Supply’s All Out of Love; and Katrina and the Waves’s Walking on Sunshine.

BEST QUOTE  

AMY: I loved Dean’s “…Is the Chicago Way” in Time After Time followed by his pouty “Never watch that movie again.” Poor Dean. I also loved his “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”. Oh Dean, you are such a nerd.  

Honourable mentions: 
Dick Roman: “Don’t roofie me and call it romance.” 
Dude in café: “You’re a virile manifestation of the divine.” 

TINY: Best quote has got to be something Dean says. It is just how my mind works!! Sorry Sam, you are good but Dean is the King of Quotes: “The Chicago Way.”

MOST HEART BREAKING MOMENT

AMY: Bobby. Bobby. Bobby. Bobby. Death’s Door had me bawling. Still does. That moment when Bobby says “Idjits” and dies and leaves the boys just standing there. Then we pull back to replicate the closing scene of In My Time Of Dying when the brothers watched John die. Losing two dads…so sad. Then we go into Bobby’s melon and see what was the memory he decided was his best, the one he saved to last, his boys, goofing off calling each other jerk-face and ass-hat and then fading away…A-Wahhhhhh! The whole thing is so damn heart wrenching. Probably the saddest episode ever.

TINY: I feel like we have created this category for Bobby. This category is previously known as Best Death. Bobby’s death is a much-debated topic for the season. We have always sensed death is near. Every time when spoilers say ‘there will be a death of a much loved character’, we go ‘please, not Bobby’. But his time has come! Bobby is taken away from us. Death’s Door is the perfect send-off for a character like Bobby. But after his first death, he returns to the show as Ghost!Bobby, which is another much debated topic. Ghost!Bobby works for awhile but when the idea of Bobby becoming an angry spirit, that’s pretty heart breaking too. And then he is gone, again. Triple the sadness! Whatever happens, both occasions have very emotional scenes and we really experience the sadness of Dean, Sam and Cas for losing the same friend twice.   

Jim appeared at Comic Con back in July, surely he didn’t invite himself!! So…will Bobby be back in season eight? Just because your character is dead, it doesn’t mean we won’t see you again. It is Supernatural afterall.

COOLEST MONSTER DEATH

AMY: How To Win Friends And Influence Monsters when Dr. Gaines got 'bibbed'. Okay, we didn’t see it…but the concept of 'bibbed' is just brilliant! Every time I watch this episode my mind goes crazy with how you can eat your whole body! How, how did he eat his own head? Did his mouth just kind of bend all the way back around on itself and then he disappeared into nothing…leaving just a black oil slick? What?! I want to see! I want to see 'bibbed' real bad. Conceptually, this might be the coolest monster death ever!  

TINY: Dick Roman! His death scene isn’t as dramatic as the death of YED, Lucifer or Michael. But the build up of his death is really good, the way he dies doesn’t disappoint. Dick is a good villain, he somehow reminds me of the Luthors in Smallville. While Dick doesn’t go down as one of the best villains ever on the show, he is good at screwing the boys, causing disruption. James Patrick Stuart has done a fantastic job as Dick. Thanks for sticking around. 

BEST FIGHT  

AMY: I’m taking this to mean a fistfight, or physical fight, so I’m going to say the Clowns vs. Sam. It was pretty funny and pretty full on. I remember Jared saying he ached for days after it. I love that it ended in a shower of glitter! Only on Supernatural!  

TINY: OK so, I am not going to pick a physical fight. But I will pick a emotional ‘fight’ between Sam and Dean. At the end of The Mentalists when Dean flips and tells Sam to quit being a bitch for Amy Pond’s death. Dean isn’t feeling guilty about killing Amy Pond, he has to kill a monster who kills people. That’s what they do as hunters. That’s what family does, do each other’s dirty work! It is a dialogue the brothers have to have. I am glad it happens as I don’t want see this to drag on any longer. And I think this fight is important. I feel that after this fight, the dark cloud is gone…no more secret. And I think the brothers are somehow bonded over this incident and trust is rebuild. 

So there you have it!! Thank you for letting us share our thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment or two. 

PART TWO will be released on Sunday. Watch this space as we reveal our Favourite Villain, Favourite Good Guy, Most Under-rated Character, Best Episode and more! 

Want to know our winners for previous seasons? We are doing more retro awards for other seasons. This is usually our hiatus project. So, again, watch this space.

Season One – Part One & Two
Season Five -- Part One (there is only one part)
Season Six -- Part One, Two and Three

A special shout out to Kara, who couldn’t participate this time round due to study, but she will return sooner than you think. Best of luck, Kara. You are always welcome here and we love you very much.