Supernatural Season One

[Mr Light]

I had only seen bits and pieces of Supernatural and never cared for it in the past, but starting around Season Four I finally started to enjoy it, and by the time S5-6 came around I truly liked the show and looked forward to new episodes.

So I've gone back and watched Season One... and it's pretty crappy...

The trademark humor that I love so much about the show is just not there. Also, Dean doesn't even get his Batman voice until towards the end of the season! And there's basically no storyline whatsoever, just a handful of "arc" episodes.

And after hearing about the Dad so much for all those later seasons, he's pretty disappointing. I like the actor, but he's just kinda there, he doesn't really have a personality. Bobby is a much better mentor character.

Do things get better in Season Two?

When does Castiel first appear? He's my favorite character

 

[Skywalker]

Things start getting much better in Season Two. I don't think Season One is awful, but they were clearly still finding their footing and figuring out what worked and what didn't. I thought the second half of the season was much stronger than the first.

Castiel first appears in "Lazarus Rising," the Season Four premiere.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Ben Edlund didn't join the writing staff until season two. It's a startling improvement on season one as a whole. The characters of the brothers have really grown and changed during the seasons, which is what I appreciate, that they're allowed to do so. The premiere of season two is an outstanding episode.

 

[Skywalker]

The Season Two premiere is what got me into the show.

 

[DS9Continuing]

I've just started my re-watch of season 1, and I do agree it's a bit weak as compared to later seasons, but as said, that's just because they're just starting off and figuring out what they want to be.

The arc of "let's find dad" - well, God Himself (aka Chuck, aka, Kripke) said that he specifically made it a fairly light arc in order to get us into the show easily. It's mostly standalones, some good some bad some average, but even then the trademark tie-the-monster-of-the-week-into-the-boys'-personal-issues was there right from the beginning.

I'm still in the Urban Legends phase of the show right now, before the arc proper has started to kick in. But like Babylon 5, I'm finding that a lot of stuff was set up even this early that ends up being vital later on. In retrospect it's clear that Lucifer's plan was already in action as of the pre-credits sequence of the very first episode. With what we know by "Swan Song," it's possible to see the connections all the way back to "Woman in White."

And the little things - the first demon possession happens in "Phantom Traveller," episode 4. The first hints of Sam's supernatural abilities come in "Bloody Mary," episode 5. Both of those things obviously become much more apparent as the show prgresses, but I like that it's all right there from the start.

Oh, and yes, "In My Time of Dying" is one f'ing awesome season premier.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Mary's reaction to both of her sons in "Home" makes absolutely perfect sense in light of one certain much later episode. Not just her reaction to Sam, her reaction to Dean as well. Watch it again.

 

[Mr Light]

I'm up to 2X08 "Crossroads Blues" now. Season Two is MUCH better than One. It's definitely a lot closer to the show I know. I was pretty surprised that the daddy died so soon in the show; so far Bobby has only appeared once (in 1X22), I love that guy. A lot more interesting than the dad was!

Looking back on it, I think I basically started watching the show in Season Four, because I don't think I saw episodes before Castiel appeared. I might have seen the occasional tidbit before that.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Bobby was intended to be a one time only character appearance. Didn't quite work out that way. He'll start to become more of a presence in the latter part of season two.

 

[timothy]

the main thing I miss that was really great from the first three seasons was rock sound track in the best part of the action.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Unfortunately, that's because of the CW budget cuts every year.

 

[Roshi]

I've watched last night's episode of Breaking Bad and Bobby was in the opening sequence. I had no idea he used a fake acccent! I only knew him through Deadwood and SPN.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Mary's reaction to both of her sons in "Home" makes absolutely perfect sense in light of one certain much later episode. Not just her reaction to Sam, her reaction to Dean as well. Watch it again.

Interesting... I'm not there yet, but I'll keep an eye out when I get there.

 

[AliciaD496]

*sighs* I've pretty much given up on Supernatural, which is sad because I REALLY liked the show in the first three seasons. I just don't get the love for Castiel and the whole heaven/hell focus that the show's taken in the last three seasons. While I understand character growth has to happen, I REALLY HATE the direction they've gone with Sam. The whole "I'm not that guy any more" line he's repeated over and over...just because he's not 'college boy' any more doesn't mean he has to be so heartless and cold. I hate it, and it's turned me off the show as well. Sam Winchester used to be one of my favorite characters...and they've contorted him so much I don't recognize him anymore and made him SO unlikeable it's hard to watch. The writers have pushed the narrative that Dean is the 'good' one, heaven's favored, after how he was presented as such a womanizing, violent all around jerk in the earlier seasons...it makes my head spin. Sam deserved to have a 'real life' too...Dean had JUST AS MUCH to do with the start of the apocalypse as Sam, yet Sam was the one who got bashed for it OVER AND OVER AND OVER, Sam repents and feels bad yet Dean is the one rewarded with a 'year of normal'??!! The writers seem to hate Sam and it's the main reason I stopped watching the show last season and won't be tuning in for season 7.

I can't say every episode of season one was great, but I between season one and two I think they contain a majority of my favorite episodes. At least there was an air of...optimism in a way. That the bad days would end when YED was gone, they COULD have normal non-hunting lives when it was all over if they wanted. These days it's just so...doom and gloom, one world ending crisis after another it's just too much.

I have SO MUCH hate for John Winchester and the way he twisted his sons and played exactly into the demon's hands by training them to be 'warriors' it also makes it difficult for me to watch as well. Sure it's sweet to see two really close brothers like the Winchesters, and it is one of the best depictions of brothers on TV, but the way the writers have made them so dependent on each other and the way their father forced Dean into raising Sam while ignoring his younger son aside from what he could do as a hunter just makes me ILL. They both had so much potential to do more than hunting yet frickin' John Winchester never saw beyond his nose and his pursuit of revenge.

Sorry for the rant...I'm just so mad whenever i think about the show beyond season 2.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Mary's reaction to both of her sons in "Home" makes absolutely perfect sense in light of one certain much later episode. Not just her reaction to Sam, her reaction to Dean as well. Watch it again.

Interesting... I'm not there yet, but I'll keep an eye out when I get there.

Okay, I just watched this last night, and... I don't really get what you're saying here. I didn't see anything especially noteworthy. She looks at both her sons, says their names in what seemed like the same way (basically, "my boys! look how you've grown up! I miss you"), and yes she says "I'm sorry" to Sam, which in retrospect is about his connection with Azazel and what will happen to Sam in the future. But I didn't catch anything particularly about Dean.

As a side note, I noticed how Sam's superpowers aren't very consistent either.

Starting right from the beginning, Sam's superpower is prophetic dreams and premonitions. He also apparently psychically senses the presence of a spirit in the house. That's all well and good, and is maintained consistently through the first two seasons. In one ep of season 2, if I recall correctly (not up to that point yet in the rewatch), he also displays a hint of telekinetic ability. Again, all well and good - it demonstrates growing powers, which is exactly what Azazel wants so that he can contain Lucifer.

Then in season three, there's no mention of superpowers at all. It's forgotten about in favour of other concerns. But then in season 4, suddenly his superpowers have grown to the point where he can forcibly remove demons from a host body and destroy them. I guess I can see that building out of the brief hint of telekinesis we saw in season 2, especially enhanced by Ruby's demon blood. But what does it have to do with prophetic dreams? Nothing as far as I can see. So why was that the first manifestiation of his abilities?

It kind of reminds me of Chiana's ever changing powers in Farscape. Each one made sense in the context it was used in at the time, but then why start off with something different, only to have to change it later on? I guess I understand that these things happen in TV production, but what would be the in-show explanation?

 

[mswood]

Sam's powers.

It's fueled by demons blood. Once YED was killed Sam powers became latent, he needed a fuel supply. With Ruby feeding him demon blood Sam got juiced back up and actively took instruction on how to harness his abilities. Focused I would assume on abilities designed to keep him alive and offensive abilities to kill the current king of hell (Lilith).

So why no death visions, well first all Sam's original visions were tied to YED, with no more YED no push for painful visions. And with nothing to jump start that power, its certainly not an offensive power that I can see Ruby teaching Sam.

Previously we only saw other children who learned on their own through either normal life or from death matches. Where we see Ava for example go from the same power Sam started with to the ability to control low level demons.


As early as the first season we see Sam having the potential for more then one ability, near the start of the 2nd we learn that abilities can be harnessed and improved upon (some thing Sam never really tried), and we learn in the last two episodes that once truly embraced the powers lead to many many other abilities including demon control. It was also at this time we learn that demonblood is the catalyst for the abilities.

After the death of Azazel Sam had nothing to power his ability. It took him agreeing to work with Ruby (between seasons 3 and 4) for Sam to start drinking the blood that powered his ability.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Hmmm... I hadn't made that connection - that the powers are mystically tied to the demon who engendered them - but I guess it makes sense in retrospect. Likewise no more demon-killing powers once Ruby died at the end of season 4. Okay, I guess I can get behind that.

It's my first re-watch since original broadcast, so it's entirely possible I'm rusty on some details.

.

 

[Mr Light]

I just finished Season Two. That was a really epic season finale! Did they think they were being canceled, because they basically resolved the entire storyline there.

Also, they haven't named the Yellow Eyed Demon on the show at this point, yet the websites call him Azazel. Do they only name him after the fact? I always thought it was really dumb that the main series villain didn't even have a damn name.

I had no idea how often they pulled the "one brother dies and someone resurrects him" schtick, though. Jeez it happens like once every season.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Dawn Ostroff wanted to cancel Supernatural at the end of season two, yes. She wanted to focus on the Gossip Girls and Melrose Place 2.0s of the network. The studio execs at Warner actually intervened, because SPN brings in a shitload of revenue from overseas markets for the studio. Warners owns half the CW. Ergo, the reprieve, but Kripke acknowledged that they wrote the season two finale that way for a reason.

 

[mswood]

Well in fairness to Dawn, Since she works for the Cw (and is considered with revenue earned for the CW) and not for either Warner Brothers (Supernatural) or CBS television (the other production partner). SPN earned the least amount for ads of any show that did survive for another season. We had huge declines in both adults 18-49 and even worse for this network adults 18-34, the largest declines of any show that season that survived the worst general adults 18-34 of any show that got renewed.

Now after that SPN has been renewed early each season and not surprisingly there is solid ratings reasons for it, smaller year to year declines during season 3-6 of any show on the CW, some actual increases in adults 18-34, ect.

Since Dawn job doesn't cover things like DVD sales 9SPN does great), overseas rights (SPN used to do quite good there but its been years since we had solid numbers so who knows now).

And as much as total viewers for the female driven shows generally (TM and VD excluded) sucked they still have historically earned more due to their stronger adults 18-34 performance.

This is the first year where are adults 18-34 numbers have equalled some of the female driven shows.

It will be very curious to see how Nikita impacts are ratings as they are the oldest age (or viewer) for the CW, and the older you are the less money you bring in for the network from ads.

 

[mswood]

Hmmm... I hadn't made that connection - that the powers are mystically tied to the demon who engendered them - but I guess it makes sense in retrospect. Likewise no more demon-killing powers once Ruby died at the end of season 4. Okay, I guess I can get behind that.

It's my first re-watch since original broadcast, so it's entirely possible I'm rusty on some details.

.

Not quite.

Sam's ability to harness powers were seeded by Azazel (not Ruby), and his normal random vision induced power seemed directly keyed to Azazel (each and every use) and seemed fueled by the living blood of Azazel.

Once Azazel died, no generic abilities. And unlike all most of the other "Special" kids Sam never tried to master those visions. The only exception was in Salvation where he tries to dig deeper into the vision. But he never initiated them.

Ruby taught Sam two things. That his powers are fueled by blood. And that means consumption of normal demonic blood (Which is like putting gas in his fuel tank) it seemed to stay there until he used it all up (or that blood was drained from him).

But the normal demons Sam feed off of didn't seem to have any connection on when that demon died. Azazel seems to be the only one that occurs with and frankly since Azazel is a vastly different or more powerful demon then the generic black eyed ones that makes sense to have it having a different impact.

The other thing Ruby taught him is how to harness that power into specific skill sets. And she seemed to focus on ones that had very real specific uses in both getting Sam ready to kill Lilith and the ability to protect himself from demons who want to kill him.

Ruby's life had no direct impact on Sam's ability to harness power. Her death simply cut off his most available source of demon blood.