Sera Gamble Season 5

We’ve gone through four seasons together, and we have only two left after this post! I know that I have had a difficult time being consistent with timing and there’s been no real monthly, weekly, or daily thing; for that, I apologize. It’s hard not having a computer. Amyway, here it goes with Sera Gamble’s contributions to season five of Supernatural:

Good God Y’all:
This is not the first time our guys have introduced the notion of God, but it is the first time that we are faced with the fierce determination from anyone to find Him. Cas, in all his humanity, has sacrificed everything and still lost. In his refusal to accept defeat, he turns to Dean and Sam to let them know he will be looking for God. But he needs something: who knew that Dean’s necklace would be so important? It’s amazing how difficult it is for him to part with it, even after all the difficulty he and Sammy have had. (If you don’t know what I’ve talking about, now would be a good time to go watch the episode, A Very Supernatural Christmas.)

“That’s how I’d roll.” -Dean

Moving on to the meat of the episode, we cannot ignore the fact that Gamble has introduced us to the four horsemen. “The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star was Womrwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water because it had been made bitter.” Revelation 8:10-11
“And out came another horse, bright red. And its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth. so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.” Revelation 6:4
It is very stealthy how they introduce us to War, too. Our first horseman is actually the focal point of the shot when we first enter the room where Ellen has half the town hiding out. Once you are watching it the second time, you can more intellectually appreciate the editing choice made upon their entrance.An important thing to note in the editing and CGI choices is the time still leading up to the reveal of the horseman, when we think that the town are filled with demons. The boys go out for a supply run and Sam kills a couple of ‘demons’ at the convenient store. One problem (besides his obsession with their blood on his knife), there is no electronic pulse indicating the death of a demon, only the spill of blood and the fall of the boys. Of course Sam is freaking out more by the end of this episode, he not only has to deal with the fact that he killed those kids, he has to deal with it now knowing that they weren’t even possessed!

Finally, as we close the episode, Sam decides that he is in no shape to hunt, it’s time to go their separate ways… Only to be reunited again in an episode or two. This is huge, however, they haven’t been separated since Sam walked out and followed Ruby to go kill Lilith!

The Curious Case of Dean Winchester:
“You want years? Play me for ’em.” This episode is just so well done and has a couple of great lines. Chad Everett does a great job aging Dean’s personality, it is just so well played. Some beautiful elements to this story line are the developments in Bobby’s psyche. He is not dealing very well with his condition, but we finally see him doing something about it. It’s quite obvious that Bobby’s starting to develop this sense of worthlessness and depression, this is the first time the boys are able to reach him on any level about it.

“I see you’ve met John McCain, here.” -Bobby

Another development here is Sam. He’s just come back to the job, he’s got a heavy emotional hot button, and he comes flying out of left field to save the day! It’s just written so beautifully, and plays so well into the he-witch’s ego, it’s hard to overlook.

The Song Remains the Same:
During “The Road So Far” portion of this episode, we watch Cas tell Dean, again, “Destiny can’t be changed.” Every show that has ever used a ‘previously on’ session, uses it to correlate to the episode with which the editor works in. This may be obvious for some, but others need a little reminder that it is not simply a “let’s catch up on the general idea” time.

Having noted this obvious peice of information, this statement that is somewhat hidden in this portion is a very important piece of what we are about to watch Sam and Dean face: their parents’ past. In this episode, we find out what is going on with Anna- she has gone rogue! In her efforts to kill Sam, Cas fights to destroy her efforts. When he picks up on her plan, she runs back into the past to stop Sam from ever being born. Obviously, her plan fails and Michael (Dean’s bff) ends up destroying her.

Angels are Watching Over You

This is an incredible twist that Gamble throws in to the mix: Dean finally meets Michael! “…this conversation is long overdue…” Michael tells Dean as they face off with one another. After their little chat, Michael decides to keep things the way they were meant to be, he wipes their parents’ memories so they still do not know about the angels, John continues in ignorance of his wife’s past and the boys still cannot keep Mary from going into that nursery. Everything plays out as it was meant to and would no matter what happens.

On a related note, when the boys try to convince Mary to leave John before anything at all can happen, it’s a beautiful, show stopping moment when Mary tells them, “…it’s too late, I’m pregnant.” Take some time to ponder what that may be like. To go back in time and talk to your mother while she was pregnant with you.

Two Minutes to Midnight:
Here we are introduced to the final horsemen, Pestilence and War. I am quite surprised at how quickly into the episode that the boys acquire the ring, but Gamble writes it in a way where I can buy it. It is necessary in order to address Death in the same episode, though.

Gamble also does a beautiful job in keeping elements of former stories, such as the Croatoan virus, forcing that connection and making the virus the door to destruction, genius. It is a great lead into Bobby, Sam and Cas’s story, as well. Cas is overcoming the loss of his angelic powers, Bobby is jumping back into the fullness of his hunting game having just got back the use of his legs, and Sam is proving his worth as a hunter as Bobby watches his deep need to continue to save people.

Incredibly Human

While the rest are on their Croatoan adventure, Crowley leads Dean to meet up with Death. Meeting Death was a different experience from every other monster the boys have encountered up to this point. Death brings Dean to him and hand his ring right over, with a big fat catch: Sam’s mental stability and, overall, his life. Death forces Dean to “allow” Sam to say “Yes” to Lucifer so he can put him back in the box.

This brings us to the end of the episode where Bobby and Dean debrief their hunt. Bobby suggests that Sam is still a hunter, knows what his job is and is determined to help people. Dean is still a little shaky as to what he should do about his brother decision. Finally, Bobby confronts him, “What is it you’re afraid of: losin’ or losin’ your brother?” Dean and Sam have gone through all of these struggles before: Should Sam be hunting? Can Dean treat him like an adult? This goes beyond them now and Gamble gives us open story lines we might not even know about when we get to the season finale.

Losin? or losin’ your brother?

Sera Gamble’s Supernatural: Season 4

I know I am about a week late in this post, and I do apologize. The week just snuck up on me preparing for the Holiday weekend and working retail on Black Friday! Anyway, I am finally back and so excited for this post! Not only because it should keep pretty short, but because one of my favorite episodes was written by Gamble for this season! Call it comedic relief if you will, but we definitely see the deeper meaning here.

It’s a Terrible Life & When the Levee Breaks

Though Gamble only directly authors two episodes for season four, her work does not come without great influence on our boys. It’s a Terrible Life is a breath of fresh air in the midst of difficult character developments: such as Sam’s addiction to demon blood and the intensity of Dean’s facing himself after breaking the first seal. This is a fun little experiment to see what hot shot Dean would be like as a Corporate Dueche Bag and how Goliath-looking Sam would be in a little IT cubical! Hilarious! Not to mention the little details around our guys here: Smith & Wesson (you get it if you know guns), Bobby & Ellen as Dean’s parents, Madison (the warewolf) as Sam’s ex-fiance (her number putting him through to an animal hospital)… These are all witty little touches that would obviously bring bits of reminders and dreams back for them while their memories weren’t quite there.

I’m gonna do a public service and let you know…that, uh, you overshare.

The best “old-life” flash we get, though, is Dean’s pop culture references-
Sam: I feel like we’ve done this before…
Dean: Like, Shirley McClain before?
Classic Dean.

The “lesson,” if you will, that the brothers need to get while they’re here is this: recognizing their desitinies and playing the roles they were born to fill. Yes, this is when we meet everyone’s favorite angel, Zechariah; the Alistair of Heaven, as I call him.

How’s that for a Bonus?

Just as Corporate Dean tells his boss that he’s giving his notice to do some other type of “work,” we meet Zechariah and Dean gets his actual notice: “the path you’re on is truly in your blood. You’ll find your way to it in the dark every time.” The lights come on and Dean has a hard time facing facts: there are not too many more arguments for him to justify his hell-bent determination to fight against “destiny.”

Moving on to When the Levee Breaks, Gamble gives us brilliant writing in a desperate situation. I am not going to comment as much on the story as on the setting for this episode, as over 80% of it takes place in Bobby’s Panic Room. If you’re not a theatre geek or film nut or really into acting/directing, this wasn’t a huge moment for you to watch (beyond the hallucianations), but director Robert Singer did some incredible work alongside Jerod Padalecki (and others) with this very small space.

While watching this episode along with commentary and behind the scenes features, the smallness of this space truly hit me: it’s a panic room meant to simply keep demons and other monsters out, and a very large portion of the episode dealt with some heavy moments in here: hallucinations of torture from a dead Alistair; conversations with Sam’s past self and the desperation to be normal, and with his mother, and what he would grievously hope she might say; loss of bodily control just before Dean and Bobby have to tie him down; and the final sizeable thing that festers in the back of Sam’s mind, what his brother truly thinks of him.

How can you run away from what you really are?

The demon detox is a beautiful piece of drama and horror that is very different than other moments that occur within this show- it’s all in Sam’s mind. Gamble’s writing gave talented actors and director amazing dialogue to work within the smallness of this space.The grief comes, though, at the end of this episode when Castiel lets Sam loose. When Sam escapes and finds Ruby to feast his addictive appetite. When Sam gives in to his anger and tries to kill Dean. When Dean just lets his brother go, unable fight against him anymore because Sam won’t trust him. It’s heartbreaking and Gamble’s ending makes a perfect path for the season’s finale.

Sera Gamble Season 3

Sorry about the time lapses, you guys; got a lot of big life changes going on. But here we go with Gamble’s contribution to Supernatural in:

Season 3

The Kids are Alright, Fresh Blood, Jus in Bello, and Time is On My Side

I am continuing my “expose” on Sera Gamble’s contributions to Supernatural. Her influence has granted impeccable story arch and ability for character growth. Season three is where it really picks up and throws a lot of curve balls. Starting with one of my favorite personal stories in The Kids are Alright. 

First of all, the episode continues with Sam’s ruthless endeavor to prevent Dean’s death from the deal that he made. There’s a deeper level of co-dependency ensuing that will bring a much stronger sense of vengeance than we can fathom in Sam when Dean finally does die.

Secondly, and this is one of the main reasons I decided to write these articles, we are introduced to Lisa and Ben. Dean just wants to ride into town and have a good time with an old fling, but much more has happened since he left this town eight years ago: his old fling has a kid that he thinks may or may not be his own. Even when Lisa tells him that this is not his son, but a biker guy she met at a bar, he still steps in to be a father-figure that is absent from Ben’s life.

From the first point, Sam meets Ruby again, not that he yet knows who- or what- she is, but she saved him once and now she shows up again. She knows what he is doing and she plants herself in a vulnerable spot before she tells him who she really is. Gamble gives us just a quick taste of Ruby’s manipulative ammo through her convincing Sam to research his mother’s family and friends.

Sam finds out that everyone his mother had a connection with is gone. We have established, already, how Sam found out that Mary knew exactly who Azazel was when she was killed in the nursery. Now he is following up. Here is where Ruby begins her snide, elaborate plans to develop Sam into the devil’s puppet. She gives him this first choice, to look into his mom’s past, and find even more of a reason for revenge.
“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re special… I’m thinkin’ you’re still a pretty big deal.” Ruby to Sam.

When Sam finally does find out what she is, her claws of manipulative ‘compassion’ are already sunk deep and he is willing to trust Ruby when she tells him that she can help him save Dean.

Meanwhile, we’re finding out that Dean is not Ben’s dad, though they are both very attached in just a few conversations. The resemblance in personality are incredible and I love how Sera writes Ben’s character. He has spunk and he has this quality about him that looks to be a protector, just like Dean.

Fresh Blood gets a little heavy on us right from the beginning. Our favorite hunter is back, yes that’s right, Gordon Walker… I thought you might enjoy that; and oh yes, I cannot forget, we also have Bella and her intensively ridiculous ways. All she does is make a phone call for Gordon and it is enough to make this vampire job a living hell for Sam and Dean.

An interesting thing Gamble does here is to expand the profile for Vampires in this supernatural world. We already knew that lights were too bright for them and that sunshine hurt their skin like a nasty sunburn. Now we learn that they can hear blood pumping and hearts pumping from a mile away. This burdens the level of intensity of Gordon Walker’s becoming a vampire, and his first kill after he is turned.

A heavy element betwixt the boys here is Dean’s growing fear of exactly what happened to Sam between his death and his own deal. He was already a bit shaky when Azazel confronted him and he had to really think about Sam’s lack of hesitancy to kill when he opened the Devil’s Gate. Now, however, he has growing distress over Sammy and his weakening compassion. It shows when Dean asks him if he understands what they need to do to Gordon, “Yeah, kill him.” (paraphrase). 
Dean: Really? I thought you were gonna be all, ‘No, we can’t, he’s a human, it’s wrong…’

Truly, he wishes Sam would say that. On the flip-side, though, Sam just wants Dean to open up to him about his own fate, but he keeps putting on a show that Sam sees right through. Finally, they have a moment, just one, where Dean says, ‘Okay, we’ll do this your way and work together; I will not go on a crazy hunt alone just because I’m already dead.’

Sam is still fighting for his own flesh: just because you have the power to DO evil does not mean that you HAVE to. It is, in fact, a matter of choice. It is not a requirement that we give in to the temptation before us.

My favorite moment in this episode, however, is not Gordon’s death; although it is a pretty epic moment. It is when Dean takes on another element of the ‘dad’ role by showing Sam how to work on the car. They have another moment. Say, “Awwwe!”

Jus in Bello is one of my FAVORITE episodes. I know, I seem to say that a lot, but this episode holds a heavy link in the Supernatural chain. We get to hang out with Special Agent Hendrickson, we’ve got a small spot on Bella, we have a little more Ruby, we are introduced to Lilith for the first time; we have a heavy demon storm rolling, there’s some Law and Order vibes going, AND Dean gets to tell Hendrickson, ‘Told you so.’

That pretty much sums up the episode, but I think it is important to note Dean’s smug attitude through the feds and the demon attack, “It’s like they’re comin’ right for us, they’ve never done that before. It’s like we got a contract on us. You think it’s ’cause we’re so awesome? I think it’s ’cause we’re so awesome.”

One interesting moment here, though, is Ruby’s speech and seeming willingness to sacrifice herself and the virgin, to save them. Dean and Ruby show an obvious display of their war over Sam’s soul. Ruby gives Sam the choice to work the spell and save them now and Dean presents his plan to just fight. Dean is pleading for Sam to choose everyone’s life and not just the lesser of two evils. As time goes on, there is more and more development of Sam’s attitude for the shorter, “easier,” route.

The Face of Immortality

Time is on My Side is an unique demonstration of Sam’s devotion to Dean’s life and his own spiral into poorly justified habits which take up residence in moral “gray” areas.  He begins by baiting Dean into a case in which he plans on chasing immortality then refrains from helping Dean go find Bella when they get a lead. To Dean, this is a little more important- finding Bella, questioning her about the colt, killing her. Sam wants to use a 100+ year-old-man for advise on how to keep them both alive past the contract date.

We do get to finally find out that Lilith holds the contract, not only Dean’s, but Bella’s as well. And who had not seen this coming? She was far to smart and too rich for her own good. If only she had come to the guys in the first place.

In short, I believe that the two greatest things Sera Gamble gives us in her writing through season 3 are Lisa and Ben as well as Lilith and her ownership of the contract. Lisa and Ben provide for a lot of twists over the next few seasons. Lilith’s ownership of Dean’s contract gives us heavy support for Sam’s one-track mind when Dean goes to hell.

Come back soon for a look at Gamble’s contributions to Supernatural season 4:

 

Tom Levitt and Sam Stickland

Disclaimers:
*This post is intended to question the portrayal and market of this particular couple on the show. I’ve been wanting to blog on this issue since Tom and Sam first got together because it is a very sensitive issue and one I intend to handle with care.
**You should know that I am coming from a Christian perspective; but my views might surprise you, since I am also a person who has several friends who have chosen to live a homosexual lifestyle. I also know active members in my church who chose have made the decision to stop living a homosexual lifestyle.
***Although this is a heavy issue, and I have tons to say about it, I’m going to do my best to focus solely on Tom, Sam and Smash.

First of all, Christian Borle (Tom) and Leslie Odem Jr. (Sam) do an incredible job in their roles. Tom as the sensitive composer tries to love on his writing partner, be devoted to the show, while falling for his chorus crush; and Sam as the passionate dancer who is willing to give up every ounce of security for the sake of art that he finds beautiful as he falls for an artist he deeply admires. This is one of the reasons that Tom and Sam are so great together in the show- they’re balanced.

As we remember, for a while, people did not even realize that Sam was gay;  he was so interested in sports and he was not hitting on every other ensamble guy. Sam is very intentional. His very intentionality is where we find his decision to ‘wait.’ On their first date, Tom takes Sam back to his place and makes a move. Sam stops him and tells him that he goes “to church and [believes] in God and stuff…” Tom’s fearful response: “Are you a republican?” The tension is broken with a semi-serious mild joke about Tom’s perspective on the political party. This is where Sam calls him out, and we are given the first element of their functional relationship: communication.

The element of communication alone makes them the most functional relationship on the show, as of yet. We thought Dev and Karen might have that, until he stopped talking to her about work, then it went downhill, fast, from there- to the point where he cheated on her with… Ivy?! We knew that Derek and Ivy were not going to go well for long; and then he messed them up by sleeping with Rebecca because she “need[ed his] attention.” They were clearly on different pages as to what their relationship was intended to be. All these could be analyzed in their own entries, including Julia and Michael’s relationship, including both of them waiting (or having no intention) to tell their spouses about the affair.

Sex, or a lack thereof, is another element that makes their relationship functional. Without taking it to that level, making the choice to wait affects the dynamics because instead of being physically focused, they are emotionally and logically intentional.

Overall, Sam is good for Tom because he calls him out, forces him to communicate, and does not allow the physical elements other couples depend on to hinder their connection. There are other elements of their careers that make this work better than other relationships on the show, but this also can be put in it’s own post.

Overall, although this couple helped me to understand more realistically the dynamics of a gay relationship, I still don’t find it to be Biblically based. The sure flow of how well Tom and Sam’s relationship works is a fictional one. This is not to say that this relationship is easy for the characters, but the writers of the show are clearly trying to portray validity in a God-focused homosexual lifestyle; which I understand to be a paradoxical intention. 

The show itself, however, flows well with the relationship and this post is not intended to invalidate its affects on the dynamics of the characters. I can see the writers’ use of a gay couple in order to make the functionality stand out.

Supernatural’s Sera Gamble: Season 2

Season 2:

Bloodlust, Crossroad Blues, Houses of the Holy, and All Hell Breaks Loose Part I

Season two ties up a few loose ends, explains a few phenomenal aspects of supernatural life on earth, and asks more questions… big shocker, right? We begin with Bloodlust where we meet, for the first time, the (very-quickly-to-become) infamous Gordon Walker. Let’s start with the basics, though, shall we?

The arch for this episode is really ironic. A fellow hunter is the reason for Sam and Dean’s arrival into Red Lodge, Montana. They go to check out what would have decapitated an innocent victim; they find that the victim was, in fact, a vampire.

The authenticity of this arch, however, is the perspectives of why hunters do what they do. Gordon has his beliefs nailed, “You know why I love this life? It’s all black and white…find the bad thing- kill it…”

“No shades of gray.”

Dean is a little hesitant at this notion, but he’s having a difficult time facing a lot, having just lost John. He’s even trying to use work to numb the feelings of it, “…I’ve been itchin’ for a hunt.”

Killing makes Sammy a little more than uneasy in opposition to the others. He’s convinced that the job is hunting evil not simply anything that is supernatural. “Our job is hunting evil. If they’re not killing people, they’re not evil.

Thus, we get a closer look at what “the life” means to each hunter. OH! And this cannot be emphasized enough: the real importance of this episode is bringing back Dean’s Impala. We all know that the boys really aren’t the same without it; and we see the extant of the personality changes later on…

Listen to Her Purr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KoWMZAQgfU&feature=related

Crossroad Blues is definitely a noteworthy episode by any standard. This is where we learn about making deals with the devil- well, with demons. The boys finally get the absolute answer as to whether or not John actually took this kind of deal, and we get the scoop on Robert Johnson, popular blues singer:

Robert Johnson

“…There’s occult references all over his lyrics: Crossroad Blues, Mean Devil Blues, Hellhound on My Trail…” –Dean

When the boys learn that the Crossroads Demon is hanging out in one joint making deals like a car salesman, another moral “gray area” starts to creep in. Sam is determined to get to the bottom of the deal and renegotiate with the demon; Dean is not convinced that they should.
Paraphrase: Do we save lives that were voluntarily sold? The compromised answer: Depends on what they’re sold for. 

Sam keeps dragging Dean to the other self-inflicted victims to see if there is anyone that can be saved who wants to be saved after speaking with the first of many deals, George. “Sometimes a person makes their bed and they just got to lie down in it.”

I was Desperate

The person they end up saving and coming to terms with the Crossroads Demon for is Evan. When Dean learns that he sold his soul to save his wife’s, he starts to change his tune… He still has a hard time with it, though; “I think you did this for yourself, so you wouldn’t have to live without her. Well, guess what? She’s gonna have to live without you now.” –Dean

This is where it all starts to blow up- in Sam’s face and in Dean’s. Dean plans to summon the demon in order to exercise it; but even when it shows up and he starts to try to save Evan, that little demon on his shoulder starts sweet-talkin’ him, and his own will power is questioned: “Forget Evan, think of your dad.”  

He still holds out, fighting every fiber of his being. Who wouldn’t be? What I do love about the writing in the last moments of this episode is Dean’s brush off of the question: “…you weren’t actually thinking of making that deal…” –Sam

From there, he just turns up the music and keeps driving. Granted, it’s the skills of Padalecki and Ackles that bring this to life, but Gamble truly captures the psychological banter going on in their minds; fighting self, sacrificing every temptation for the sake of others and still dealing with- or not dealing with- the heavy loss of their dad. This is how the show continues to build with every episode.

Houses of the Holy really deals with its own set of issues: questioning, again, the element of religion and how it fits into “the life.” When the boys investigate the homicidal act of a town hooker, they learn that her actions were instructed by an ‘Angel of the Lord.’ Dean, as always, plays our skeptic, while Sammy reaches out, desperately, for something bigger.

When the town drunk claims that he was also instructed by an angel to kill somebody, the boys go digging further into the victims “extracurricular” activities. In the process, they discover that both of the victims went to the same church. They dig a little deeper.

Come to find out, a priest at the Catholic Church had recently died. Both of their theories tie one to another: A) the vengeful spirit of Father Gregory (who knew things about the perishoners- victims- that no one else did) is driving people to murder B) Father Reynolds started praying for God’s help to protect the neighborhood from violence and bloodshed when Father Gregory was shot.

“Come on… from the get go, you’ve been willing to buy this whole angel thing. What’s next, you gonna start prayin’ every day?” –Dean
“I do pray every day.” –Sam
And even in this moment, Dean brushes off the intense emotion of the moment, and moves forward with the job.

When they find Father Gregory’s grave, the first thing that Dean shoots for is to perform a séance to summon his spirit to see if the presumed “Angel of the Lord” is actually him. Sam is hesitant, maybe because he wants and hopes it is something bigger that exists over them; but Dean is adamant: “It’s one of the perks of the job…we don’t have to operate on faith; we can know for sure… Don’t you wanna know for sure?” –Dean
Sam agrees.

Sam goes to perform the séance while Dean follows the man that Sam was instructed by the ‘angel’ to kill. When Dean comes back from his trip, he finds Sammy, discouraged that it was Father Gregory’s spirit offering ‘redemption’ for murdering the wicked. He tries to go back and encourage his little brother in his own way:

This cuts off sooner than I would prefer, but it was the only clip I found with this moment- 

Just to brush one particular moment in this episode, there is an incredible moment of foreshadowing that happens with Father Reynolds when the boys go chat with him about the deaths. Sam, in an underlying hope to convince Dean of the Warrior spirits of angelic creatures, points to a painting of the Arch Angel Michael.

Every time I come back to this episode, I get chills at how well the writing team put this together and how this moment traces itself directly in line with Dean’s destiny. When Sam points out the painting, Father Reynolds describes just who Michael is: “…With a flaming sword, fighter of demons, holy force against evil…” Oooh, so crazy.
We have already established in Bloodlust that Sam and Dean have agreed that their job is hunting evil; Dean fights demons, and sends them back to Hell every chance he can (okay, that’s the obvious one…); and, to emphasize, Holy means “Set apart”; Sam and Dean are told (later on) how important their lives are to the apocalypse, and other things. How amazing it is to look back at this and think how awesome this writing team did with this moment! But, more on all of that later.

Finally, we arrive at part one of the two-part season finale: All Hell Breaks Loose. And finally, we begin to get pieces of the first puzzle: why Azazol wanted to bleed in Sam’s (and other babies’) mouths and turn them into ‘psychic’ wonders; and Azazol himself finally dies- well, that’s part two… Sorry, getting ahead of myself. Let me go ahead and back up…

Sam meets up with a few of the other ‘psychics’ that he’s met over the last few months, and meets a couple more. Not that he called them up and tried to convince a few people that there was something insane going on; Azazol brought them there, to the “Miss America Pageant.”

One particular interesting element, besides driving a bunch of messed up, demon-stalked, twenty-somethings to a haunted “frontier land;” the demon following them around is something Sam refers to as an “A-cheery” or “demon that disguises itself as a little girl.” It might not be completely out there that this was, in fact, Lilith… Wait, just kidding, we were informed that opening the actual gate is what allowed her to crawl out of hell. I guess we can simply allow this to be another awesome moment of foreshadowing Lilith- that is still a heavy prophetic moment, considering what she will bring to the story arch later.

Another intense moment that we connect with is when Mary Winchester dies, and Yellow Eyes takes Sam to his high definition, instant replay:

MARY: It’s you…
            SAM: She knew you!!!!

Well, how about that!!!! One of those heavy duty, what-are-we-supposed-to-do-with-this-information moments… The revelation is not even shown for another season, if I remember correctly. Wait maybe 2? Yeah, it’s in season 4 or 5 somewhere because it’s when Castiel sends Dean back to “stop it.” Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself again…

I will admit a moment of disappointment in this episode: Yellow Eyes tells Sam that there are other generations, “but let’s just worry about yours.” Unless I am out right forgetting something, this passing revelation has still not been answered, right? I guess we have at least one more year to find out.

Ava’s real self, as revealed in killing Andy, is a heartbreaking moment. “I just stopped fighting…who we are, Sam.

“It’s me or them… After a while it was even kinda fun.”(paraphrase). Her killing so many innocent people for something she would never fully understand or accept. The words coming out of her mouth in this dialogue with Sam seem ignorant of how Azazol, or any other demon, would actually operate. The truth is though, Sam’s mind will eventually use similar logic to control demons in exorcisms, and ‘dating’ Ruby. Oops! I just have a really bad habit 😉

And of course, no referral to Supernatural season 2 and her ending episodes would be complete without a reference to Sam’s first death, so here you go!

Sera Gamble’s contributions to this second season are irreplaceable!

She establishes a firm set of beliefs from Sam and Dean as to murder versus saving people. These beliefs are heavily presented and give us greater build in the story arches later on.

She introduces us to Gordon walker. Do I really have to explain this one?

She really rooted Dean’s “caregiver” instinct on a more intense, psychological level. This will give us, again, better build, and somewhere to take the character(s) over the next few years. Particularly when we hit the end of season five and Dean has to let Sam go make his own decision without being ‘okay’ with it.

Gamble gives us the Crossroads!!!!!!!! This will bring Sam back, drive Sammy to despair when Dean’s deal hits, AND bring us the King of the Crossroads. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, what would this show be right now without Crowley?

And finally, we get further controversy in faith, which will soon bring us the heavy influence of angels.

Now gear up, because soon I’ll be posting about season three! Here’s a little preview:

Gamble Season 1

Season 1:

Dead in the Water, Faith, Nightmare, and Salvation

Gamble truly helped establish the roots of Sam and Dean’s relationship; particularly in conjunction with their father, John Winchester. Dean’s personality is clearly depicted as the one who has to hold it all together. Dean goes after cases from his unseen dad because it’s the only connection he has with him. He tries to be John because that’s all he knows- take care of Sam and get the job done. That’s it.

Sam is the youngest. He needs to be free. He wants to make his own decisions and mistakes, but he needs to know that his dad’s okay, “People don’t just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them.” –Sam, Dead in the Water

Which leads me to my next point, Gamble is amazing at really foreshadowing and connecting the episode with the arch. Dead in the Water could be brushed off as an out-there case that just distracts viewers from the big picture, but the search for people disappearing in the lake quickly gets the brothers on the same page when Sam links them with their own dad’s disappearance.

As far as foreshadowing goes, this episode really reaches Dean’s “dad” mode. He connects so easily with Lucas when no one else can, and he dives without hesitation into the lake to save him. It gave me chills when Dean said: “I just don’t wanna leave this town until I know that kid’s alright.” And he would do anything for him to talk; partially because they needed Lucas’ testimony to get any further on the case; but also, Dean knew that this kid could only move on if he was able to let out the horror.

I don’t think I need to detail the foreshadowing happening with Dean and Lucas if you know this show even just a little.

Faith is one of my favorite episodes. Maybe it’s because I’m a Christian and was excited to see the religious element brought in; especially since the show’s arching focus is about demons (and later, angels).

At the end of season 1, I watched an interview with Sera Gamble and Kim Manners about Faith, and found out how nervous they were to show it to the producers- because of its controversial nature. The response to that made me that much more excited about the show and the direction it was heading: they all loved bringing in this controversial element. Creator, Eric Kripke even said that he was really excited about the story when he first read the episode.

There is a lack of fear in this show to go too far. It’s not even about taking it too far just because they can, but to explore other questions and create from those questions.

This show addresses the questions that were being brought up by viewers and other crewmembers and then puts a twist one might not expect to see. The writers truly understand what it is to create new life and put it on the screen.

Gamble and Manners mention that they spent hours a day on Google looking for lures and stories. However, they never go along with the tradition of them, they put their own twist on everything: vampires, werewolves, demons, angels, wendigos, shape-shifters, and any other supernatural being displayed in this show.

Faith really heavily foreshadows Dean and Sam’s connection with heaven. When Dean goes back to see the Reverend Roy after he is healed, he asked why he was chosen.

R.R: I didn’t choose you Dean, the Lord did. (This is said when they are in the tent, just before Dean is healed).
I just looked into your heart.
Dean: What did you see…?
R.R: A young man with an important purpose.

Gives me chills just writing it. The first thing that comes to mind is the Archangel Michael in John’s body talking to Dean…

Sam’s ironic connection to angels and demons is also established here. Like I said before, he’s the younger, and he does see things in a different light. Dean will mention when they meet Gordon that their job is to kill anything Supernatural and Sam will argue that it’s killing evil- which doesn’t necessarily describe everything that is Supernatural. Sam is desperate to believe that this is another side to evil.

When he takes Dean to the faith healer, Dean is obviously angered and doesn’t want to go in. Sam can’t understand it, “But if you know there’s evil out there, how can you not believe there’s good out there, too?”-Sam. Dean has the same response most people do, “Because I’ve seen what evil does to good people.”

This episode is chalk-full of profound quotes and moments. I’m not going to get into crazy theological debates on this particular entry. Mostly because I have found that if you just want to argue, neither of us wins and no one listens to the other side. I’m just going to state that I understand why so many people sneer at the word Christian: “God, save us from half the people who think they’re doing God’s work.” –Dean

I’m still going to throw this clip in, because I think it plants a deep seed in Dean’s brain so much he admits to have trouble understanding: http://youtu.be/iru4YSay1To

Next up is Nightmare, which does a lot for Sam’s development. His prophetic dreams become more vivid and, almost, real. The pain is becoming excruciating, and I think that there would have been no other more appropriate title for this episode. It may be obvious, but it doesn’t make it any less true to the story.

The intensity of Sam’s psychic abilities connect him more and more to a Supernatural level, and deepen his need to prove that just because something has the ability to do evil does not mean it will- or he will, “We’re not gonna kill Max…he’s a human.” –Sam

This is where Sam starts making the connection as to why he and Max have special abilities. Azazol. As soon as Sam realizes this connection, he goes overboard on the details with Max. “You and I were chosen,” –Sam; this means that there are other people like them too? This is the beginning of how the boys begin trying to solve the mystery puzzle that leads us to All Hell Breaks Loose Parts I and II.

Salvation is incredible because it’s one of the first episodes where we see John (Jeffery Dean Morgan), Dean and Sam all together. The reality of what they’re all hunting for becomes clear. Dean is after his family and John and Sam are out to avenge Jess (Adrianne Palicki) and Mary (Samantha Smith).

Dean’s frustration with both of them becomes evident, and he begins to realize just how alike they really are; which is later why he realizes the reason John and Sam couldn’t get along. Family quickly surfaces itself as a thematic tool in the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JcNWow8RxI

So, Gamble’s contributions to season one are necessary and begin an incredible journey for the growing television series. The episodes she wrote influence and intensify the root of vengeance and family; but they do so in a way that places an incredible grey area of right and wrong. The psychological roots of the boys and their upbringing will help develop not only their own characters, but the influences in their lives that they don’t even realize as of yet.

Executive Producer: Sera Gamble

Supernatural’s Sera Gamble has decided to leave the show now that this seventh season has ended. She has been with the television series since its first season in 2005. Maybe I’m a biased aspiring female Producer/Director, but she has been my favorite on the production team.

She has just been such an inspiration to me. So, you can imagine that I got pretty heated after reading THIS ARTICLE. And perhaps I did overreact. I am not saying that his points are completely invalid, but I am simply going to take the time to counter the argument that she has done little to nothing the last few seasons. I do agree that it has been slow going; however, I also believe, strongly, that her influence and written episodes have been fundamental parts to Dean (Jenson Ackles) and Sam’s (Jarod Padalecki) character development.

I will preface my opinions and comments with the fact that I have spent the last 2 months watching all of the episodes Sera Gamble has written from Season 1-7 and am completely caught up on the show as a viewer, analyst and aspiring Production member in film/television and theatre.

This project will be broken up by season so as not to write somewhat of a novel in one post. But be ready.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

In my directing class we have to choose two scenes to direct and have our fellow actors in the theatre program volunteer for us. For my second scene I chose a scene from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead because A.J, one of the guys who agreed to be in my scene, had asked me to. I had to read it over my Spring Break, and told him that I would let him know. I was nervous because I was having a difficult time following it. However, I found it quite amusing when I thought of him and his roommate, Sam, doing a couple of the scenes; the thought was just so hilarious.

We do two showings per scene, one on our own, then after the first showings our professor (theatre director) gives us suggestions and pointers, then we do them again. This play has been fun to read and I was so excited for my first showing. I was not expecting much of a response from KJ, our director, but I was pleasantly surprised by her encouraging words. She told me that I did a good job with it and that she was impressed by the way that I handled the scene.

We did “The Questions Game;” I will be posting a video of it after we do final showings after April 19^th, and you will see why I was so excited bout this scene. My challenge and notes for our next showing is to really capture the Postmodern worldview that this play was born out of. There is a place where the game is “paused” and Guil asks, “Where’s it all going to end?” We were playing it as a casual question to his friend, Ros. However, KJ told me that I should not be afraid to flip; though this is a comedy, there are places to turn the tone. That is one of them.

In between tech week for Macbeth (ironically enough, all of us are already involved with Shakespeare this semester), classes and full work schedules this week, we are going to work this scene. I am not worried; actually, I am still quite excited to see where this scene will go. I hope that I remember to record it and post the video for you in a couple of weeks!