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'''Supernatural''' is an ongoing TV series that began in 2005.
'''''Supernatural''''' is an ongoing TV series that began in 2005.


It follows two 20-something brothers, who, following in their missing father's footsteps, travel across the United States to fight monsters and other supernatural villains, while trying to avenge their mother, who was killed by a demon when the younger of the two brothers was still an infant.
It follows two 20-something brothers, who, following in their missing father's footsteps, travel across the United States to fight monsters and other supernatural villains, while trying to avenge their mother, who was killed by a demon when the younger of the two brothers was an infant. The series' developing family drama and the emotional connection between the two brothers hides under a tough, roadtrip-and-rock'n'roll macho exterior.


It is something of the anti-[[Buffy]], where the men fight the monsters and dead women serve as their motivation (the heroes' mother, Sam's girlfriend) or living women act as their support (Ellen and Jo Harvelle). Although the series makes a few attempts at avoiding the [[damsel-in-distress]] cliché in its weekly storytelling, it is unabashedly patriarchal in its premise, and male-centered throughout the series. (There was even an episode that openly mocked Buffy fandom, by including clueless male geeks who wondered what Buffy would do in a given situation.)
; Season summaries
* Season 1 - The guys reunite, looking for their father; Sam starts having visions, connected to the death of his mother / girlfriend via the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
* Season 2 - Sam's visions are getting more intense; it turns out that a lot of other kids in the same circumstances are also developing powers. The season culminates in a face-off engineered by the Yellow-Eyed Demon, and Sam's death; Dean makes a crossroads deal to bring his brother back to life.
* Season 3 - Sam & Dean try to thwart Dean's deal with the Devil, to no avail.
* Season 4 - Dean is brought back from Hell by the Angels, in order to fight against Lilith's effort to bring Lucifer back to Earth.
* Season 5 - The [[Apocalypse]] is on.
* Season 6 - Soulless!Sam, and then Eve, and Castiel's mysterious behavior ....
* Season 7 - the Leviathan ...  


The series's developing family drama and the emotional connection between the two brothers hides under a tough, roadtrip-and-rock'n'roll macho exterior.
== Premise & Treatment of Female Characters ==
The show's premise is unabashedly patriarchal: two guys on a roadtrip solving supernatural crimes, while they try to avenge their loved ones' deaths, and dealing with their father-son/brother relationships. The historical founding motivation for the series was the deaths of the boys' mother, triggering their father's quest and their own unusual upbringing. This was "bookended" by the death of the younger brother's girlfriend, triggering the brothers' reunification on a related quest.  "One of the original ideas was for Sam's girlfriend Jessica being revealed as a demon, which prompts him to join Dean on the road; however, [creator Eric] Kripke felt it was more appropriate for Sam's motivation to be Jessica's death, so he had her killed in the same manner as Sam's mother, making them the "right bookends"."<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Supernatural_(TV_series)&oldid=447587668 "Supernatural (TV series)"], Wikipedia entry, visited 2011/08/31 ... citing Nicholas Knight, (Season 1 Companion), p.13.</ref> This is an exemplar of the sexist trope, identified and named "[[women in refrigerators]]" by [[Gail Simone]].  


Several fan writers have taken to [[slash]]ing the two brothers, who are played by very handsome actors and share an intense relationship onscreen.
In execution, the show is something of the anti-[[Buffy]], where the men fight the monsters and women are motivators or support.  (There was even an episode that openly mocked Buffy fandom, by including clueless male geeks who wondered what Buffy would do in a given situation.)  The major living female characters are supporting characters: [[Ellen Harvelle]] and her daughter, [[Jo Harvelle]]. The series makes a few attempts at avoiding the [[damsel-in-distress]] cliché in its weekly storytelling, but has also been significantly critiqued for use of misogynistic language ("bitch" is routinely used by the brothers both to insult female antagonists and within playful banter with each other) and graphic violence against women, often sexualized women.  The show's focus is on male-male bonding -- brothers, on a roadtrip, often dealing with their father-son issues, while they try to avenge or solve crimes relating to female loved ones.


== Fan-Fiction / Slash / Vidding ==
Several fan writers have taken to [[slash]]ing the two brothers, who are played by very handsome actors and share an intense relationship onscreen -- a slash fandom known as "Wincest" (Winchester / incest).  Fandom of the two as children is known as [http://fanlore.org/wiki/Weechester weechester] (wee / Winchester).
At least two significant vids have focused on gender issues, including the frequent use of misogynistic slurs, violence against women, and sexualization of women. These include:
* ''[[Women's Work (Supernatural fanvid)|Women's Work]]'' (2007) by Luminosity and sisabet
* ''[[Still Alive (Supernatural fanvid)|Still Alive]]'' (2008) by Counteragent; see [http://fanlore.org/wiki/Still_Alive_-_Counteragent  "Still Alive"] at fanlore
== Women in Production Roles ==
While a significant proportion of episodes (8/22; 11/22; 7/16; 9/22; 8/22; 7/22 - total, 50/126 or 39.6%) have been written or co-written by women, the producers have done a much poorer job of hiring women directors -- only two women, [[Rachel Talalay]] and [[Jan Eliasberg]], have ever been hired to direct an episode of ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'', in all 126 episodes.  Executive producer [[Sera Gamble]] took over as showrunner beginning with the sixth season, and stepped down after the end of the seventh season.
* See [[List of Supernatural episodes]] to see women writers & directors linked & highlighted.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==


=== Regulars ===
; Regulars
* Sam Winchester, the younger brother, played by Jared Paladecki
* Sam Winchester (b. May 2, 1983), the younger brother, played by Jared Paladecki
* Dean Winchester, the older brother, played by Jensen Ackles
* Dean Winchester (b. Jan. 24, 1979), the older brother, played by Jensen Ackles (previously from ''[[Dark Angel]]'')
 
 
; Recurring family
* John Winchester, the father, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Season 1 primarily; recurrent in other seasons)
* Mary Winchester (d. Nov. 2, 1983) (in dreams & flashbacks mostly)
* Jessica Moore (Sam's girlfriend; in episode 1, and then occasionally in dreams & flashbacks)
 
 
; Recurring demons, spirits, supernatural characters, etc.
* [[Meg Masters]] - a female demon, the daughter of [[Azazel]] (Season 1 primarily; occasional in seasons 2, 4, 5)
* Azazel, the "yellow-eyed demon" responsible for death of Winchesters' mom, and others
* Trickster (see [http://www.supernatural-fan-wiki.com/page/Trickster supernatural-fan-wiki.com])
* Crossroads Demon - appeared as a woman in most episodes (Seasons 2 & 3) until Sam shoots her in the head.
* [[Ruby (demon)]] - demon / former witch (Season 3 & Season 4)
* [[Lilith]] - demon (seasons 3-4)
* Castiel - angel (beginning with Season 4)
* Uriel - angel (season 4, 5)
* [[Anna Milton]] - fallen angel (season 4-5)
* Zachariah - angel (season 4-5)
* Lucifer - fallen angel (season 5)
 
 
; Recurring hunters, associates, allies
* [[Ellen Harvelle]] - owner of the "Harvelle's Roadhouse", a gathering spot for Hunters (Season 2 primarily; also 5)
* [[Jo Harvelle]] - daughter of Ellen Harvelle (Season 2 primarily; also 5)
* Ash (Season 2)
* Bobby Singer (beginning with Season 2)
* Gordon Walker (hunter; season 2-3)
* [[Pamela Barnes]] (psychic; introsued season 4 episode 1)
 
 
 
; Recurring other characters
* Texas "ghostfacers"
* FBI / killed S3
* [[Bela Talbot]] - thief (Season 3)
* Lisa Braeden - a former liaison, yoga teacher, mother of Ben; appears in flashbacks, memories, etc., Season 3, after ''[[The Kids Are Alright (Supernatural episode)|The Kids Are Alright]]''
 
==notes==
{{reflist}}
 
 
==Further reading==
* [[List of Supernatural episodes]]


=== Recurring ===
* John Winchester, the father, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
* Meg Masters
* Ellen Harvelle
* Jo Harvelle
* Ash
* Bobby Singer
* Gordon Walker


; Feminist discussion
* [http://spn-feminist.livejournal.com/ Supernatural Feminist Fans] ([[LiveJournal]])
* [[Scholarship and criticism on Supernatural]]


== Episodes directed by or written by women ==


; Season 1
* 1x03 - "[[Dead in the Water (Supernatural episode)|Dead in the Water]]", directed by Kim Manners and written by [[Sera Gamble]] or [[Raelle Tucker]] (Sept. 27, 2005)
* 1x05 "[[Bloody Mary (Supernatural episode)|Bloody Mary]]", directed by Peter Ellis; story by Eric Kripke; teleplay by Ron Milbauer and [[Terri Hughes Burton]] (maybe female?) (Oct. 11, 2005)
* 1x08 "[[Bugs (Supernatural episode)|Bugs]]", directed by Kim Manners, written by [[Rachel Nave]] & Bill Coakley (Nov. 8, 2005)
* 1x12 "[[Faith (Supernatural episode)|Faith]]", directed by Allan Kroeger, written by [[Sera Gamble]] & [[Raelle Tucker]] (Jan. 17, 2006)
* 1x13 "[[Route 666]]", directed by Paul Shapiro; written by [[Eugenie Ross-Leming]] & Brad Buckner (Jan. 31, 2006)
* 1x14 "[[Nightmare (Supernatural episode)|Nightmare]]", directed by Phil Sgriccia; written by [[Sera Gamble]] & [[Raelle Tucker]] (Feb. 7, 2006)
* 1x20 "[[Dead Man's Blood]]", directed by Tony Wharmby; written by [[Cathryn Humphris]] & John Shiban (April 20, 2006)
* 1x21 "[[Salvation (Supernatural episode)|Supernatural]]", directed by Robert Singer; written by [[Sera Gamble]] & [[Raelle Tucker]] (April 27, 2006)


; Entries in reference databases
* [http://fanlore.org/wiki/Supernatural "Supernatural"] at FanLore.org wiki
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernatural_(TV_series) "Supernatural (TV series)"] at Wikipedia




; Supernatural wikis
* http://SupernaturalWiki.com
* [http://www.supernatural-fan-wiki.com/ supernatural-fan-wiki.com]
* [http://supernatural.wikia.com/ Supernatural Wiki] @ Wikia.com






[[Category:TV series]]
[[Category:TV series]]
[[category:Lists of TV episodes]]
[[category:Series first published in 2005]]
[[category:Supernatural| ]]

Latest revision as of 18:17, 22 August 2012

Supernatural is an ongoing TV series that began in 2005.

It follows two 20-something brothers, who, following in their missing father's footsteps, travel across the United States to fight monsters and other supernatural villains, while trying to avenge their mother, who was killed by a demon when the younger of the two brothers was an infant. The series' developing family drama and the emotional connection between the two brothers hides under a tough, roadtrip-and-rock'n'roll macho exterior.

Season summaries
  • Season 1 - The guys reunite, looking for their father; Sam starts having visions, connected to the death of his mother / girlfriend via the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
  • Season 2 - Sam's visions are getting more intense; it turns out that a lot of other kids in the same circumstances are also developing powers. The season culminates in a face-off engineered by the Yellow-Eyed Demon, and Sam's death; Dean makes a crossroads deal to bring his brother back to life.
  • Season 3 - Sam & Dean try to thwart Dean's deal with the Devil, to no avail.
  • Season 4 - Dean is brought back from Hell by the Angels, in order to fight against Lilith's effort to bring Lucifer back to Earth.
  • Season 5 - The Apocalypse is on.
  • Season 6 - Soulless!Sam, and then Eve, and Castiel's mysterious behavior ....
  • Season 7 - the Leviathan ...

Premise & Treatment of Female Characters

The show's premise is unabashedly patriarchal: two guys on a roadtrip solving supernatural crimes, while they try to avenge their loved ones' deaths, and dealing with their father-son/brother relationships. The historical founding motivation for the series was the deaths of the boys' mother, triggering their father's quest and their own unusual upbringing. This was "bookended" by the death of the younger brother's girlfriend, triggering the brothers' reunification on a related quest. "One of the original ideas was for Sam's girlfriend Jessica being revealed as a demon, which prompts him to join Dean on the road; however, [creator Eric] Kripke felt it was more appropriate for Sam's motivation to be Jessica's death, so he had her killed in the same manner as Sam's mother, making them the "right bookends"."[1] This is an exemplar of the sexist trope, identified and named "women in refrigerators" by Gail Simone.

In execution, the show is something of the anti-Buffy, where the men fight the monsters and women are motivators or support. (There was even an episode that openly mocked Buffy fandom, by including clueless male geeks who wondered what Buffy would do in a given situation.) The major living female characters are supporting characters: Ellen Harvelle and her daughter, Jo Harvelle. The series makes a few attempts at avoiding the damsel-in-distress cliché in its weekly storytelling, but has also been significantly critiqued for use of misogynistic language ("bitch" is routinely used by the brothers both to insult female antagonists and within playful banter with each other) and graphic violence against women, often sexualized women. The show's focus is on male-male bonding -- brothers, on a roadtrip, often dealing with their father-son issues, while they try to avenge or solve crimes relating to female loved ones.

Fan-Fiction / Slash / Vidding

Several fan writers have taken to slashing the two brothers, who are played by very handsome actors and share an intense relationship onscreen -- a slash fandom known as "Wincest" (Winchester / incest). Fandom of the two as children is known as weechester (wee / Winchester).

At least two significant vids have focused on gender issues, including the frequent use of misogynistic slurs, violence against women, and sexualization of women. These include:


Women in Production Roles

While a significant proportion of episodes (8/22; 11/22; 7/16; 9/22; 8/22; 7/22 - total, 50/126 or 39.6%) have been written or co-written by women, the producers have done a much poorer job of hiring women directors -- only two women, Rachel Talalay and Jan Eliasberg, have ever been hired to direct an episode of Supernatural, in all 126 episodes. Executive producer Sera Gamble took over as showrunner beginning with the sixth season, and stepped down after the end of the seventh season.

Characters

Regulars
  • Sam Winchester (b. May 2, 1983), the younger brother, played by Jared Paladecki
  • Dean Winchester (b. Jan. 24, 1979), the older brother, played by Jensen Ackles (previously from Dark Angel)


Recurring family
  • John Winchester, the father, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Season 1 primarily; recurrent in other seasons)
  • Mary Winchester (d. Nov. 2, 1983) (in dreams & flashbacks mostly)
  • Jessica Moore (Sam's girlfriend; in episode 1, and then occasionally in dreams & flashbacks)


Recurring demons, spirits, supernatural characters, etc.
  • Meg Masters - a female demon, the daughter of Azazel (Season 1 primarily; occasional in seasons 2, 4, 5)
  • Azazel, the "yellow-eyed demon" responsible for death of Winchesters' mom, and others
  • Trickster (see supernatural-fan-wiki.com)
  • Crossroads Demon - appeared as a woman in most episodes (Seasons 2 & 3) until Sam shoots her in the head.
  • Ruby (demon) - demon / former witch (Season 3 & Season 4)
  • Lilith - demon (seasons 3-4)
  • Castiel - angel (beginning with Season 4)
  • Uriel - angel (season 4, 5)
  • Anna Milton - fallen angel (season 4-5)
  • Zachariah - angel (season 4-5)
  • Lucifer - fallen angel (season 5)


Recurring hunters, associates, allies
  • Ellen Harvelle - owner of the "Harvelle's Roadhouse", a gathering spot for Hunters (Season 2 primarily; also 5)
  • Jo Harvelle - daughter of Ellen Harvelle (Season 2 primarily; also 5)
  • Ash (Season 2)
  • Bobby Singer (beginning with Season 2)
  • Gordon Walker (hunter; season 2-3)
  • Pamela Barnes (psychic; introsued season 4 episode 1)


Recurring other characters
  • Texas "ghostfacers"
  • FBI / killed S3
  • Bela Talbot - thief (Season 3)
  • Lisa Braeden - a former liaison, yoga teacher, mother of Ben; appears in flashbacks, memories, etc., Season 3, after The Kids Are Alright

notes

  1. ↑ "Supernatural (TV series)", Wikipedia entry, visited 2011/08/31 ... citing Nicholas Knight, (Season 1 Companion), p.13.


Further reading


Feminist discussion


Entries in reference databases


Supernatural wikis
Retrieved from "https://wiki.feministsf.net/index.php?title=Supernatural_(TV_series)&oldid=47921"