Supernatural is a show that's been on air for twelve years this year and has been recently picked up for a season 13 which doesn't happen very often. To do that, this show needs a large following and it had to have come from somewhere; Season 1. We all remember the opening scene with the Winchester family, how it winds up with a drop of blood falling on baby Sammy's face and the mother, Mary burning on the ceiling. The father, John then scoops up Sam and shoves him into the arms of the older brother, Dean and delivers the first of many famous (among fans) lines "Take your brother outside as fast as you can and don't look back! Now, Dean, Go!" This is where the magic started, right there. From then on we know this show is dark, thrilling and family orientated.
Season one although had a season story arc to play out, every week was something new, 'the monster a week.' The monster a week was anything from the more familiar ghosts and vampires to the more obscure creatures such as wendigos and shtrigas, somehow leaving enough room to squeeze in urban legends. The show's format was similar to The X-Files in that aspect but less about conspiracy and more about the hunt. Supernatural always had something new to deliver us. Always the same brothers and the '67 Impala but always a new location, case and colourful characters. The fun from these creatures come from watching the Winchester's learn the lore of what they're up against and how to defeat it. The people behind the scenes of Supernatural always researched the lore of the monsters they were using, putting time in to make the fiction feel believable. With an array of creatures to display throughout, Supernatural never failed to make each one seem unique. The show has a blend of prosthetic and CGI to develop their monsters, mostly resulting with a movie quality finish. Twelve years later, some of these effects don't hold up as well as others but it still delivers on the horror for new comers to the show. The locations play a major game in the show as the Winchester's are on the road, traveling from case to case across America. Filmed in Vancouver, Supernatural managed to create the feeling we were somewhere different. We see the same environments such as small towns and houses yet it never feels the same place. Even down to the vast selection of motel room these boys stay in, it feels new. The location scouts on this show are probably some of the best in the business from the challengers posted by this show. Always being dark, lighting is very important to Supernatural. Too much, removes the scare from these creatures; too little we're not seeing the right information to create the fear. Supernatural gets the balance right and knows when to be brighter and where to be darker, it's always perfectly lit for the scene requirements. It knows to be bright when we see the brothers on the road at day and it knows to be dark when they're on the hunt. Although, that remains obvious, it's how dark and how bright they go that this show gets right. Even in the daylight scenes it is not as bright as you would find on other shows, just reminding us of the fears to come. The show is unique in having only two lead characters, the brothers; Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester. These characters are not truly larger than life like you find in most fantasy shows, they're very human and grounded. The Winchester's are defined as almost opposites in personality, sharing the common interest of the hunt and finding their father. Their brotherly bond feels real, the onscreen chemistry is unreal. This is most likely cemented through the friendship forged between the actors. Jared and Jensen do a fantastic job pulling up the vulnerable emotions of two strong characters. The roles of Sam and Dean are not just TV action heroes, they're similar to the old school action heroes of the '80's in the way they can throw witty lines through the fight scenes. This adds a layer of humour, bringing a lightheartedness to the show keeping it from becoming morbidly dark. The writers of Supernatural do a superb job of integrating so many elements through an episode. Incorporating the creatures lore into the script, the drama, the horror and the humour. An episode never felt crammed or convoluted through so much being in there. The dialogue never felt untrue to the characters and was always organic whether it be a quip or a line of deep drama. A key aspect of this Supernatural is the music, classic rock. Classic rock is a big part of this show as it plays in nearly, if not every episode. Unlike many other popukar shows, Supernatural refused to play more modern/mainstream music. This means the music will not date, music not dating allows the scenes not to age. This classic rock genre isn't just a soundtrack, it is part of our characters persona. The show isn't just unique for containing only two lead characters but also unique for having two composers, Jay Gruska and Christopher Lennertz. Taking turns to score each episode so they evenly share the work load throughout the season. Alternating their work on episodes has given Supernatural something else unique, it has given the show two end credit themes. Gruska and Lennertz although working separately on episodes, they worked together to create an overall sound. Amalgamating a conventional score with a classic rock vibe, Supernatural can slip between score and soundtrack with ease. Lastly this show wouldn't be anywhere without the shows creator Eric Kripke. This show was his idea and he wanted this show to have the classic rock soundtrack and a signature car. Kripke achieved both of those and now they are not just elements of Supernatural, a show loved by many but they've become more. The soundtrack to the show has become the soundtrack to the fans and the Impala isn't just a car from a show, it's an icon. Mr. Cynic rates this a 9/10
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Welcome CynicsI am to remain anonymous and will be known as Mr Cynic. Want to know more about me, check out the About page. Categories
All
Archives
March 2018
|