ChiCon 2012: A Very Supernatural Convention Experience - Part One

What a weekend that was! The Creation Entertainment -- Salute to Supernatural was truly over two weeks ago in Chicago. But I don't want to close this chapter and move on, not yet. Instead, I am revisiting the highlight and re-living the excitement. You have already seen my photos on Flickr. And I am sure you have watched clips on YouTube, read tweets and summaries from other fans. Me, myself and I have been watching the J2 main panel every night! And every night I remind myself, I was squeezed between the two men who are the best things since Shack Stack! 

For those who have been to a Supernatural convention, you know how I am feeling right now -- a little sad and may be depressed, but happy, very happy. Strange things do happen to your body and your soul, my friends. If you haven't been to a Supernatural convention, the following may help you to understand the magnitude of it. If you have been to a Supernatural convention, this may remind you of your own experience. 

Fan conventions are a strange territory, separating from the reality. Fan conventions reside in some intergalactic distance. It's not Tatooine and you cannot travel via a Stargate. But you may want to change your ringtone from R2D2 to a classic rock tune like Carry On Wayward Son. A Supernatural convention puts you under a spell -- it makes you forget who you are, what you do and where you are from; it makes you forget your definition of sanity and insanity; and it changes the way you think, speak and do things. But for some reasons, you feel pure because you are more than a number on the Neilson TV rating system. You are a dedicated fan. You know what you are watching and why you are watching it. You know crap TV and you don't accept crap TV. You are passionate enough to travel from afar to see your favourite celebrities live on stage. You get to sing with them, hug them and talk to them. As you travel to the convention, you keep asking yourself "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" And then BOOM! It hits you! Before you know it, your transport is here to pick you up. And you ask yourself "Why can't I have super power to stop time?" It's a very surreal experience.

You may find yourself surprisingly organised months before the convention, even you can't believe it -- from the moment you purchase your tickets for seating, photo ops and autograph, to the moment you book your accommodation and travel. You receive all your PDF confirmations, you look at them, you pinch yourself -- you are not dreaming. You may have a check list for a check list. You don't want to miss anything and you have to make sure you read every word on the program. You highlight stuff and make notes. You may or may not bother to get a good camera to take awesome photos. You're a fan, it's your obligation! Know your settings! Practice! Practice! Practice! You may even allocate all ten of your SD cards to sessions. Number each card if you can. One or two weeks before you travel, you pick your outfits and you go to your hair dresser. You pack and repack your bags for three days and nights. Don't forget your toothbrush! 
 

The cast of Supernatural is 99 kinds of awesome! They are talented, funny, polite, professional, friendly, kind, sweet, unpredictable, accommodating, smart, articulate, well spoken, hot, sexy and exceptional good looking. They are here for a good time. We are here for a good time. Fans ask great questions and you'll be surprised how well the cast answer them. Each panel is so entertaining you have not yawned once! Is that even possible? Is that healthy?

You try to concentrate during each panel. You try to not to cry and do embarrassing things when you stand in front of Jensen, Jared and friends at photo ops and autograph sessions. Your heart stops as the MC says their names. You gasp as they appear from behind the curtain. You scream and may even cry when you see them on stage live in person. You appreciate how beautiful the world can be now that Jensen and Jared are here. And then you remind yourself, "I get to hug them."

Even the Westin O'Hare turns into Planet Supernatural. Fans occupy the hotel lobby, restaurant, bathroom and Starbucks, Supernatural fans are on every floor. Those mathematicians at the conference next door are out-numbered and out-dressed by us. You flash your convention Pass, you get 20% off your total bill at the restaurant. Staff may even remember you and give you the same comfy booth three times you eat there. There is nothing better than seeing a Supernatural marathon on TV during a Supernatural convention. (Thank you TNT!) One minute you see them on TV and then you see them live in person. Jensen shared this story -- he was at the gym in the morning and he turned on the TV, and BOOM -- his face! The woman in the gym was confused!

Wait a second...can we go back to the bit where Jensen was in the gym?! It was highly possibly that he was in shorts or at least in a single layer. Sweat! He is so distracting! Quit looking so so hot.. oh wait...actually...don't! I dare you out-hot yourself Jensen Ackles!

"Out-hot myself huh? I'll see what I can do."

The whole time you ask yourself, "Am I dreaming? Am I really here?" You take a moment and listen to the ambient sound in the ballroom. You take a moment to observe people's behaviour and expression. You take a moment to smell the roses, or Jensen. You remind yourself to remember every second you spend at the convention.

Convention days are usually long. There are multiple long queues, so make sure you drink enough water. You sit with strangers while you wait patiently for your row to be called for photo ops and autographs. You sing Dead or Alive together. You don't know what gets into you, but you channel your inner Sammy as you sing the chorus "...want it! Dean or alive.." Wait.. that's a typo..."Dead or alive.. Dead or alive.. Dead or alive.." Bon Jovi rocks on this occasion.

Every second is a photo perfect opportunity, so make sure your camera is charged up and take three extra batteries! You never know who's gonna show up at the lobby, like Richard walks in with Maccas and Rob drops by to say "hi" to the crowd. Oh, did I mention I think Rob's room was on my floor? Misha may hang out with the crowd for a bit after his panel. And don't forget, when someone ask you if you've been hugged by Matt, say no, because you will get one. 

 

The excitement is too overwhelming, some may cry, some may laugh like crazy, some may just squeeze the day light out of the person next to you because Jensen and Jared are a piece of art, like Michelangelo's DAVID. They look exceptional hot on TV, they look exceptional hot live in person. For this reason, I am actually surprised how well behaved fans are at conventions. What's wrong with us? 

Even when you go alone, you are never alone. The person standing in front of you or behind you is always happy to give you fashion or any advice. You trade stories about convention experiences. You discuss Supernatural episodes. You talk about driving in the snow. You realise you are not far from Milwaukee, and all of a sudden you want to go there for no reason. People tell you they too have planned the weekend so that they know when to put on the trenchcoat and transform into Castiel. You may even find out the 'beard' on her face was just mascara. And you reply by saying "That's a genius idea!" You meet your Twitter buddies. You hug and you find out James Patrice Stewart visits The Art Institute of Chicago that morning. You have breakfast and cocktail with strangers, but are they? We are family -- the Supernatural family. 

Photo ops can scare the crap out of you. But you need to be awesome. We need you to be awesome! The queue is supernaturally long but you don't want it to move too fast because one step closer to hugging Jensen is one step walking away from him. People walk out of photo ops crying and shaking because they are just too happy. Jensen's touch and hug can heal your soul. You feel more alive than ever. It costs you $129 for one hug, but the two seconds of heaven is worth it because of this -- if Michelangelo is still alive, he would want to build a JENSEN and you want to touch him. He is hotter in person than you can process. 

After the convention, you find yourself in my position -- the post-convention depression. It takes awhile to recover. The best thing about post-convention is that you get to sort the amazing photos you've taken from the panels, karaoke and breakfast. You get to blog about it and share your experience with others. You take your time to sort out the merchandise, autographs and photo op prints. You may not have the space in your room to put your treasures, but you put your interior designer hat on and redecorate your room. You may even clean your room before you do that, making your parents proud. 

At a Supernatural convention, I feel pure. I forget who I am, I forget my problems, I forget where I come from. I am a Supernatural fan. That is my identity. That's all you need to know. I may have an addiction problem, but I don't care. I can only be healed by returning to another Supernatural convention. So, (super)naturally I will go again. I pray to Chuck Shirley that Creation Entertainment will announce VegasCon 2014. This is my therapy. I need multiple hugs from Jensen. I want to chase UFOs I don't care if they are fake.

This has been A Very Supernatural Convention Experience -- Part One. In coming days, I will post another entry about my photo ops and autograph experience. Can I be dismissed and watch A Little Slice of Kevin the 3rd time today?

The Creation Entertainment -- Salute to Supernatural took place at the Westin O'Hare in Chicago on 26th to 28th of November, 2012 at the Westin O'Hare in Chicago. Guests include Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, Richard Speight Jr, Matt Cohen, Rachel Miner, James Patrick Stewart, Kim Rhodes, Gabriel Tigerman, DJ Qualls, Rob Benedict and Emily Perkins.

Related Posts:
-- My ChiCon Photo Album on Flickr
-- ChiCon 2012 Photo Set -- Misha and Jim
-- ChiCon 2012 Photo Set -- Jensen and Jared 

Jim Beaver First Look On 'Dexter'

Oh hey! Jim Beaver is on an upcoming episode of Dexter. This is a show I rarely watch because I don't have FOX8 (Cable). In Australia, Free-to-air TV networks don't get the first rights to broadcast shows such as Revolution, Gossip Girl, 666 Park Avenue, The Vampire Diaries, Hart of Dixie, Boardwalk Empire S3 and Dexter. Free-to-air TV networks may or may not broadcast these shows later. And shows such as A Game Of Thrones will never make it to free-to-air!! Anyway, I try to watch Dexter whenever it's on TV, I think Michael C Hall is as creepy and hot as Mark Pellegrino.  

One of my favourite actresses Yvonne Strahovsk is on Dexter this season. Jim Beaver, our Bobby, will also guest star in an up-coming episode. We assume he will play Yvonne's character's father. Source: TVOvermind

Six degrees of Heaven Bacon!! Check this out! 

-- Yvonne was on Chuck with Zach Levi, who is Jarpad's good buddy. 
-- Bother Jensen and Jarpad are/were on the same show as Jim Beaver, Supernatural.  
-- Julie Benz was on both Dexter and Supernatural.
-- Mark Pellegrino was on both Dexter and Supernatural.
-- Jim, Jensen and Jared also worked with Mark Pellegrino.
-- Jensen and Yvonne voiced the animation, The 3rd Birthday. 

Did I miss anyone? I am sure I have.

ChiCon 2012 Photo Set - Misha and Jim

My photos of Misha and Jim from their ChiCon panel are live. On Day 2, Jim was on stage for 20 minutes, and then Misha joined him for another 20 minutes. Misha also had another 20 minutes solo after Jim left. Jim was also on stage on Day 3.

Enjoy! Here is the link to the Misha and Jim photo set.

As a reminder, this is the link to the entire ChiCon 2012 collection. I have already uploaded the photos of Jensen and Jared from their panel and breakfast. I will add the photos of Richard, Rob, Matt, Rachel, Kim, James and Emily a bit later on. I need a break from editing the photos! There are so many, my ass hurt! Hehe..

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.

Supernatural Convention - This Weekend in Vancouver

Let the squeeze-fair begin! 

Some of my best tweeps are there having the best time in Vancouver. I am jealous. I really am! But I will watching their live tweets and all the craziness from #VanCon on Twitter. 

Mark your diary and check your time zone. Get yourself a Twitter account and save search #VanCon and names of guests. I don't know about you but I won't miss a second of it! 

Creation Entertainment's Salute to Supernatural will take place this week August 24-26, 2012. The final schedule is posted. Jensen and Jared will once again appear on Sunday only. And according to the website, there are still tickets available. If you are in town or change your mind and don't mind the back of house kinda seats, do it! 

Apart from J2, other guests include (first name basis unless they have the same first names) -- Misha, Jim, Matt, Richard, Pellegrino, Sheppard, Julie and Julian. Steve Carlson will appear on Friday during the day as well as the evening concert. Russ Hamilton (Supernatural's Location Manager) will also be there. I am kinda hoping some additional crew member to be there, like Jim Michaels or Guy Bee. 

Finally, something exciting is happening! Jensen and Jared's next convention will be at home in Dallas, and then Chicago! 

Comic Con - Supernatural panel round up; photos

"The strength of the show is the bond between the two brothers and their humanity." -- Jeremy Carver reminded fans what Supernatural is all about and this definition adds strength to the meaning of the 'brother dynamic'.

Supernatural packed Hall H on Sunday at Comic Con. New co-show runner Jeremy Carver was joined by Robert Singer, Ben Edlund, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Jim Beaver and Mark Shappard.

The panel kicked off with screaming fans screaming (including Jensen who went all fangirlie on Jarpad). Jarpad couldn't help to tweet a picture from where he was on stage. I love this panel.. it has got to be one of my favourites if not the favourite. Why? This is what was revealed to us during the panel:

Jeremy Carver hinted the major themes in season eight -- "Purgatory makes strange bedfellows." In the strangest hours, supernatural brings together our characters who might not usually be allies. The whole Raiders of the Lost Ark theme is continued to be intriguing. Dean and Sam will kick off the season on offense rather than waiting for things to happen. I love this angle, because it means, Dean and Sam will play Indiana Jones, they know what they are after, and they may not be in the dark as they were in season seven. Here is a plug to my previous post regarding my theories and wishlist.

While the Winchesters are in the centre of our universe, it looks like Crowley and Kevin are very much involved to drive the mythoarc this season. Everyone is looking for the same 'thing'. Jeremy won't tell us what this 'thing' is of course. But my guess (a very wild guess is...and you can't stop me...the Ark!) 'Crowley happens' when you don't pay attention and like I said on a number of occasions, there is still something we don't know about Crowley (like.. why haven't we seen his eyes turned yellow, black or read?). What about Castiel? Well.. he is having a beer and will return shortly. It's almost like he really needs beer after his not-so-bright years involving the Leviathans. But he is the Gandalf of Supernatural and he will continue to help the hobbits (who are really giants) on way or another. 

I am sensing the reunion of the brothers will be much better than season six when soullest Sam and semi-retired Dean reunited. Carver said "Each has gone a very separate way and they will each carry with them what happened in their summer away from each other. Well, it's more than a summer. The relationships that they've made in the time away from each other will be very important in their lives. They're going to have to come to terms, like any partnership, with dealing with new relationships in each others' lives." This is the second time Dean left Sam alone and went to another dimension -- Hell, and Dean returned with a bag of secrets and Dean's departure had a profound affect on Sam, who ended up with Ruby. Sam wasn't coping well at all. And the last time Sam went to Hell and left Dean alone with she-who-must-not-be-mention, Dean was out of place, the whole mysterious lane thing just didn't work for him. Both times, it tested their bond and challenged their strength and their role as big brother and little brother. I love the character stuff! 

I cannot describe how excited I am for season eight. I know it's a bit of a boy's club, and I do miss Sera (and Kripke) dearly. But it is what it is, and we have to move on. So.. I am super excited about how Dean and Sam will deal with the major arcs, bad big and I can't wait to find out what 'thing' our characters will be looking for in season eight. Also, I am sensing the return of Gabriel and Chuck.. they must return! Come on!

HOT HOT HOT photos are hot! ! I LOVE them. Hope you love them too.

When am I going to ever get a ninja episode? Ben? (Oh, your hair inspires me!)

Rob Benedict, Richard Speight Jr, Osric Chau, Sebastian Roach and writer Robbie Thompson were audiences during the panel to show their support. 

News and photo sources: WB, EW, Zap2It and other unknown sources from Twitter. Whoever you are, I love you. Thanks for sharing.

Until next year for season nine.. later Hall H!! You're been epic in biblical proportions.

Twitter: @jarpad

Oh.. and have we mentioned you will see a shirtless Jensen on the season seven DVD gag reel.. just a tiny little insignificant detail I guess.