THE ROAD SO FAR
The boys are entering their final ride. An angry deity has emptied all the souls of hell, and the Winchesters need all the help they can get to put them back where they belong. Spoilers ahead.
meta
We’re reaching the end of the road, SPN fam. In just a few days, the fifteenth–and final–season of Supernatural will premiere. I, for one, will have a hard time saying goodbye, so I’m beginning my farewell tour…now. If you’re like me and feeling a little blue this Monday, or are just needed a reminder of a few important life truths, look no further.
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The women of NBC’s Hannibal are strong, brave and not easily duped. They live in a world of violence and uncertainty, and have no qualms about staking claim to their own piece of morality. There’s no denying that characters on this show are complex. Let’s take a look at the ladies of Hannibal and see what makes them tick.
Spoilers ahead, Sweetie…
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If you missed the first part of our SPN DePaul interviews, check out the post here.
On May 9-11, DePaul University in Chicago hosted an academic conference celebrating ten years of Supernatural, welcoming attendees from all corners of fandom, including Keynote Speaker and writer on the show, Robbie Thompson. Unfortunately, Chicago is a bit out of the way for either of the Collective gals, so we asked our friends KT Torre, plus Katherine Larsen and Lynn Zubernis, the Fangasm girls, to keep us abreast of the goings-on at the conference. We sat down to ask them a few questions, and here’s part II of our SPN DePaul interview.
The Collective: How does the academic study of Supernatural affect the views of nonfans on the fandom?
KT Torrey: I think the biggest impact is that it makes SPN fandom visible to a much broader and more diverse body of critics. But you could argue that the creatives’ decision to introduce fandom into the show’s canon did the same thing. Taken together, I think there are lots of people outside of SPN fan culture that know of us, or about us, in a way that’s out of proportion with the size of our fandom and the number of people who watch the show.
Lynn Zubernis: Speaking about our own work in particular, I hope that it helps nonfans to understand why fans are as passionate as we are. Understanding and familiarity are the only things that make a dent in stigmatizing and prejudice, so it’s essential that the inaccurate stereotypes and misunderstandings get challenged. That’s what we tried to do with all of our books on Supernatural and fandom.
Another important outcome of the academic study of Supernatural is making the healthy and positive aspects of fandom in general, and Supernatural fandom in particular, more visible to nonfans. Fandom has traditionally been a community of activists, working to support not just other fans but humanity in general. Charity drives, involvement in social justice work, and a strong norm of giving make fandom a community very different from much of our culture. There has been both academic and mainstream media coverage of Misha Collins’ work with Random Acts and Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles’ ‘Always Keep Fighting’ campaign for mental health issues, which is illustrative of what fandom has always been about.
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If you’re a fan of the show, you know that the academic side of the Supernatural fandom is quite strong. There have been scholarly journal articles, books and meta-discussions about Supernatural ever since the show premiered back in 2005. Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls, written by Lynn Zubernis and Katherine Larsen, is a cult classic and has brought an air of legitimacy to the work of Supernatural scholars who love the show and work to connect it to the academic study of popular cultural, the definition of an aca-fan. On May 9-11, DePaul University in Chicago hosted an academic conference celebrating ten years of Supernatural, welcoming attendees from all corners of fandom, including Keynote Speaker and writer on the show, Robbie Thompson. Unfortunately, Chicago is a bit out of the way for either of the Collective gals, so we asked our friends KT Torrey and the Fangasm girls to keep us abreast of the goings-on at the conference. We sat down to ask them a few questions, and here’s what they had to say about SPN DePaul.
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Friend of the blog, Jeremy Caesar, has worked with the Collective before, but never like this. As a contributing podcaster, photographer and now, writer for the Collective, Jeremy is a renaissance man who has talent and opinion on geek culture to spare. Below is a thoughtful, insightful look into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse mythology and the history of Ragnarök.
xoxo
Diva
We’re two years away from Ragnarök, Thor’s next big screen adventure, but if Age of Ultron’s got you impatient, then the comics have got you covered. published Thor #80-85 in 2004 during Avengers Disassembled, a crossover event that put our band of heroes through the ringer. These Avengers weren’t so dissimilar from their cinematic counterparts. Iron Man, Captain America, and Hawkeye were present, along with Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Ant-Man, whom we’re just now getting to know. I want to talk about the Norse god though, but I should warn you that to discuss Ragnarök is to discuss spoilers. Beyond this point there is only doom.
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Episode 10×16 or “The One With The Nuns”
So far this season: Dean’s been cured from demonism; Crowley was his BFF; Cas was losing his grace until Crowley saved him; and Sam has done his best to reign in Dean’s homicidal tendencies. Claire Novak has also reappeared and swears she doesn’t need a father figure. Cain has confirmed that there is no cure for the Mark. And Crowley has a mother? Spoilers ahead.
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S05xE14: “Spend”
When and if society attempts to rebuild in a post-apocalyptic world, the living will most likely become our own worst adversaries. While the necessity of loyalty and the importance of protecting your own may seem obvious to Rick’s Tribe, the Alexandrians have allowed petty differences and fears to dictate their choices. Behind the wall, the group has become idle and weak, falling back on bad habits and cowardice. After weeks of doubting the Tribe’s intentions, it seems that they actually may be exactly what the city of Alexandria needs.
Spoilers ahead, Sweetie!
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S05xE12: “Remember”
After spending so much time out in the wilderness, fighting for their lives against walkers and the living, the Tribe has finally come across a civilized town that may allow for them to settle down, establish roots and create a home. Alexandria has potential to be a safe haven for Rick and his group, and yet, they are not just on the defensive, but on the offensive; already thinking ahead to what they may have to do if the people of Alexandria and the Tribe do not share the same values. In a post-apocalyptic world where survival is the only thing that matters, will these two very different factions learn to work together?
Spoilers ahead, Sweetie…
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