Spoilery chat...

[ash48]

So. For a change, I thought I'd talk about Supernatural - because, you know, I CAN'T HELP MYSELF!

I've been checking out all the spoilers because I NEEDS to know stuff!

To be honest there hasn't really been anything that earth shattering or (too!) controversial. Nothing quite like last year's..."Sam doesn't look for Dean because...you know...he finally had a chance at a normal life..." (whaaaaaa!!!)

Instead we've got...



Confirmation that the boys will be on the same page - that they'll be working together. The brothers chose each other at the end of S8 and that's where it'll be picked up. But not without serious consequences.

I gotta say I'm pretty happy about this - mostly that we won't be leaping ahead 4 months (or a year!) and we see that Sam somehow is healed and the trials (the effect they had on Sam and that the Winchesters failed to do something that would have potentially benefitted the world) meant nothing. Instead it'll not only mean something it will be driving the beginning of the season. \o/

Something that did create a bit of a stir (from what I've seen) is the reveal that Dean will be keeping a secret from Sam. It seems like it will be a pretty big secret and one that may cause issues down the track for them.

I'm not worried about this I have to say. There's always been something going on between them. I know "secrets" can be a little frustrating and surely the brothers have learned that it's not a good idea to keep them - but they usually exist because one is protecting the other in some way. Or one doesn't what the other to know their true feelings - it would mean exposing a weakness. Until we actually know what this secret is I don't think we can spend too much time complaining about it. I am so damn curious though! I hope it's awesome! (can it beat Dean having to kill Sam from S2?!)

I admit that the main reason I'm trolling spoilers is to know what they plan to do with Cas. I fluctuate between being a little bit excited about the possibilities of him being human and being terrified that I'm going to hate what they do with him.

I am working really (really!!) hard to just accept that he'll be around a lot in S9 (and probably until the end of the series) and trying to not let that get me down. I desperately want to like him and I know that so much of that will depend on what direction they'll take this season. From what I've heard I think he'll be the comic relief for a bit (discovering eating and toilets and washing etc) and that might be fun - as long as they don't drag the joke on for too long. I actually really love to see him develop into a solid 3 dimensional character - a strong, independent character who maybe starts to discover something in him that will one day make him a better angel.

No doubt the Winchesters will have a hand in helping him be human, but I hope that he doesn't end up following them around like a lost puppy. I dunno. TBH, I'm not sure exactly what I really want to see (except some more Sam and Cas moments would be kinda nice and maybe Cas discovering what it means to be love is. I really liked the Meg and Cas moments in the past so I think Cas finding earthly love would be interesting. And why do I think that Cas will reeeeaally like sex?! ;) (do we have issues with Jimmy being trapped inside Cas? If Cas has sex is that non consensual use of Jimmy's body?...*sore head*)

I read that it will be more character driven this season. That's both good and...er worrying. I really don't watch the show for major character story lines (I has enough of the soap at the beginning of last season). I like that it's a genre show and I want it to continue to be driven by MoTW stories. I still want action, mysteries and adventure (and blood splatters!), interwoven with some small (but strong!) character scenes.

That's not to say that I don't want strong character arcs (and not just from Sam and Dean) that carry through the whole season. I want something that they do in the beginning of the season to mean something by the end (compared to S8 where we had two separate halves). I wants lessons to be learned and discoveries to be made, but not at the expense of good story telling.

We'll learn more about the Men of Letters (yay!) and see some old characters return.

The return of Bobby puzzles me I have to admit. I'm not unhappy about it, but it feels like some sort of reset. A bit like...ooh, we really didn't mean (or want) to get rid of Bobby, we only did that for the emotional drama. We did that, so now let's bring him back. Seems strange so I hope they do it well.

Everybody interviewed seems pretty pumped and excited about the season - Jared particularly. He was practically jumping out of his seat wanting to give us information about what's going on with Sam. He keeps saying the fans are going to love it. This will either mean Jared knows what fans love (and I have no idea how, considering how different we all are!) or he only thinks he knows what we like seeing (not Sam as "other" pleeeasse...).

The only other thing I'm hoping for is something interesting to be happening for (or to) Dean. Perhaps something outside Cas or Sam. I'm not sure what, but just something. Something that tests Dean (and Jensen!).



Only 2 more months to wait! The fact that that seems like a long time means I still damn invested in this damn show.

Comments

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I seem to remember Jared being all pumped about either last season or the one before - he said a lot of stuff that turned out to be totally or partially wrong in the end. I think it's just in his nature to be all excited about everything, like the huge enthusiastic puppy that he is. Bless his little cotton socks. So I'm taking everything he says with a Jared-sized pinch of salt...

Otherwise, I'm pretty much sitting alongside you in my feelings about Season 9 - I like Cas but want something more than him being a hapless idiot abroad, while not wanting too much of the season to be about Castiel at all. I think it's a case of wanting my cake and eating it too.

[ficwriter1966.livejournal.com]

One quick drive-by comment...

My take on the Cas-Jimmy situation is that Cas has been "put back together" enough times that we can safely assume that:
1) It's not Jimmy's body, but a re-creation; and
2) Jimmy left the building a long time ago.

So, no drama there for me!

[cassiopeia7.livejournal.com]

Agreed 1000% with everything.

Confirmation that the boys will be on the same page - that they'll be working together. The brothers chose each other at the end of S8 and that's where it'll be picked up. But not without serious consequences.

"The brothers chose each other." Oooh, YES. Not the rest of the world, not Amelia or Benny or Castiel, but each other. Which is really why we watch the darn show, isn't it? They'll deal with the "serious consequences" because they're Sam and Dean and that's what they do.

the reveal that Dean will be keeping a secret from Sam. It seems like it will be a pretty big secret and one that may cause issues down the track for them.

Something to do with Sam's "cure," maybe? Dean perhaps did something he shouldn't have to get his baby brother healthy again? Or perhaps a Purgatory after-effect surfacing in Dean? (Wishful thinking on my part, as I haven't yet forgiven them for not following through on that.) I only hope that the issues caused aren't TOO big, and that they don't end up (however temporarily) separating after the truth comes out.

love to see him develop into a solid 3 dimensional character - a strong, independent character who maybe starts to discover something in him that will one day make him a better angel.

OMG, THIS. He started out as a brilliant character -- if they're just going to keep him around for stupid human tricks like S8's egg-breaking scene -- jesus, just kill him off and be done with it. Castiel was a badass soldier who commanded respect. Dump the comic relief & "profound bond" crap and give him back the level of awesome he had when he walked through those barn doors in 4.01.

I want it to continue to be driven by MoTW stories. I still want action, mysteries and adventure (and blood splatters!), interwoven with some small (but strong!) character scenes.

This. SPN has had some awesome mytharc episodes, but its heart lies within the MoTW stories. Saving people, hunting things -- it's what they DO. Also, BRING BACK ABADDON -- in the same meatsuit, thank you very much. Alaina Huffman was awesome.

Perhaps something outside Cas or Sam. I'm not sure what, but just something. Something that tests Dean (and Jensen!).

This, right here. Dean hasn't really been put to the test for a long, long time. Sam and Cas aren't the only people in Dean's life. (Sam is definitely the most important person, but he's not the only one. I would LOVE to see Dean interacting with Benny again.) And yeah, give Jensen a chance to stretch his acting wings instead of the same old same old.

. . . ooo. Sorry for the tl;dr! I get a little . . . passionate about my show. ;)

[galwithglasses.livejournal.com]

I gave up on entirely avoiding spoilers. I spend too much time looking a tumblr to avoid them. I'm glad Jared thinks we'll like what's going on with Sam. He seems to have a pretty good feel for what's good for Sam. I want to see the wrecked fallout of Sam quitting the trials.

So Dean has a secret from Sam. It's as much a part of SPN as rock salt and the Impala. I hope they give Jensen something to reach for too.

I hope they do more with Cas than just comic relief, especially if their idea of funny is him trying to buy pie for Dean like in one of the last S8 episodes. I just hope they get a handle on what they want the character to be. Some sort of logical character progression would be nice.

I really want Crowley to stay his crafty, snarky self. I like him as a more ambiguous character like S5 - S7 where we don't know exactly where his loyalties lie.

I have really mixed feelings about a return of Bobby. Have I mentioned I really miss Bobby? I've really missed him but it feels weird for him to come back for anything other than a flashback. Maybe he escaped Heaven when Metatron gave the angels the boot. If they do bring him back, I hope we're not expected to suspend disbelief on the disbelief we've already suspended.

Mostly I hope the writers can get some agreement on where the plot is going and who the characters are. Last season seemed to be all over the map with both. I am totally geeked about the batcave and hope we get some more cool motels. I'm so ready for S9.

[jessm78.livejournal.com]

I gotta say I'm pretty happy about this - mostly that we won't be leaping ahead 4 months (or a year!) and we see that Sam somehow is healed and the trials (the effect they had on Sam and that the Winchesters failed to do something that would have potentially benefitted the world) meant nothing. Instead it'll not only mean something it will be driving the beginning of the season. \o/

YES. This is one thing I'm really happy about, too. I was getting tired of the time jumps - they almost seem like a copout to me. But more importantly, I'm glad that they're not just sweeping Sam's illness under the rug. Sure, it sounds like he'll get better pretty quickly, but at least it will be addressed... and, from what it sounds, in a big way.

Honestly, as much as some fans have been carping about it already, I'm not too bothered by the whole "brothers keeping secrets from each other" thing either.

I'm trying to think positive about what they'll do with Cas. Hopefully it won't just be a ton of fanservice to please certain factions of fandom and it won't be all played up for jokes or mess with canon. *crossing fingers*

I feel the same way about the return of Bobby. Really hope it won't be a big reset button!

[de-nugis.livejournal.com]

I think I've sort of shifted my relationship with canon to the point where I look on it more like a jumble sale where you sort through eight tables and come up with an interesting lamp and a series of books by a novelist you read a mention of once who turns out to be really cool, and you just pick those things out of the sea of butter dishes and count it as profit. Based on s8, I just don't find Carver very impressive as a storyteller -- the bits that I found interesting, like the dynamics of Dean, Cas, and Benny in purgatory and Sam and Amelia's relationship, tended to be undermined rather than strengthened by the narrative use they were put to, the frankly silly Don plot and letting Benny go from a potentially interesting factor in plot and worldbuilding to his dull, emo, tropey earth self. But some of the character stuff is still interesting, though I find I have to tune out Carver's take on it in interviews.

The thing I'm most worried will be a complete washout for me in s9 is Cas, because I dig alien, different morality, dangerously powerful angel Cas, and it seems my chances of getting that side of him are about zero. But I actually like the Dean lying to Sam spoiler, because I think there are issues they need to work out with the ways Dean lies to people he loves when trying to protect them and ends up undermining them (I've given up on their ever resolving this re: Lisa and Ben, but a nod in that direction would be nice), and I like what Jared seems to be hinting about Sam's story -- it sounds like it could be weird but not woobie, and I'd be very up for that. Other than that, I hope they will use the batcave in some plotty way as well as for a research resource, and I'd like to see Dean doing more interacting with Death, though I guess Death is one of those characters most effective used sparingly. I hope the Bobby return is temporary; I don't think Sam and Dean need a father figure or a hunting mentor at this point, and I don't think the worldbuilding needs any more softening. I'd love to see Aaron and the golem again, but I'm afraid Edlund's departure makes that less likely.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I am trying to muster up some enthusiasm for S9, but it's just not happening. I find most of the spoilers (and theories) I've heard about so far pretty discouraging. It's either repetitive or boring, and since I lost any trust in the writers, even things that could potentially be interesting only seem to hold the promise of more screw-ups by the creative team. Sorry, that I am so negative. I hope things'll get better when I actually see the final product.

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

It was reported on a few gossip coms that Jared *was* unhappy with the Amelia/Sam didn't look for Dean story line, and that he determined to look on it as an acting challenge more than anything. There's no doubt he was waaaaay more enthusiastic about the whole trial arc at cons, and I am personally choosing to give Jared's enthusiasm for season 9 the benefit of the doubt this time around and join in!

I love that we're starting off right after the end of season 8, and like you the secret does not really bother me this time around. I'm sure it's going to be something Dean does in protective big brother mode to make Sam well again. Since Sam is supposedly going to be still sick in episode 1, yet looks fine in stills from episode 2.

Also, like you I am wary of Castile's involvement. It's going to be a lot and I just wish I wasn't as done with the angels as I am.

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

The fact that we're actually getting a poop scene for Cas makes me wary of pretty much his entire storyline in S9 lol. Of course, my expectations of Carver/Singer and their rather light writing bench are so low, that I'm in it for J2's faces and the LOLs at this point :P

[cassiopeia7.livejournal.com]

*politely butts in*

we're actually getting a poop scene for Cas

WAT. O_o

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

A confirmed "bathroom scene" for Cas. I'm sure it will be scintillating.

[de-nugis.livejournal.com]

Maybe its a clever, meta allegory.

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

Yes, from the people who brought us whoopie cushions, confusion about eggs, horny dog-people, and Brock Kelly. I think you're on to something LOL.

[cassiopeia7.livejournal.com]

Then they'd damned well better balance Cas's "bathroom scene" with shower scenes for Sam and Dean. Slow-motion shower scenes with Dean's wet shoulder freckles on blatant display and lots of wet hair-tossing in Sam's scene, because those are the ONLY things that will make up for a Castiel poop scene. (WTF. Seriously, WTF?)

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

And you know Dean will probably help him flush, "for the fans" LOL.

[de-nugis.livejournal.com]

Well, eggs are traditionally symbols of resurrection. I'm having a little trouble putting my medievalist training to use on the whoopie cushion, though.

[cassiopeia7.livejournal.com]

I . . . don't know whether to laugh madly or cry hysterically.

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

It's S9, bb. Just laugh. About everything. Mute and just look at faces if you have to :D

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see what your training would do with Brock Kelly :P

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was last season. Even Jared seemed subdued by the idea that Sam didn't look for Dean. He was positive about Amelia, but he is an optimist and maybe he thought it would play out better than it did. I think he was excited about season seven, but so was I at first. Sam actually not being sane and suffering from the broken Hell wall had great potential. I don't think anyone, Jared included, expected it to turn into a season of squeezing his hand.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

No I think you are right, it must have been 7 because last year I largely managed to stay spoiler free.

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

I too would like to like Cas. However, comic relief Cas is my LEAST favorite Cas. And the projected "now I have to eat and poop" story is just embarrassing. I do think that there has been a continuing problem of not knowing what to do with Cas. SG had the best idea by making him an antagonist, but then that got taken away and JC made him a woobie antagonist. If they allow Cas to actually talk to Sam it would help immensely, but that would upset the part of the fandom that sees Cas as belonging to Dean, so I'm not holding my breath.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Oh Aaron and the Golem - I'd love more of them, and Kevin and Crowley - but yeah, I was forgetting no more Edlund... :(

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

[electricmonk333.livejournal.com]

ROFL.