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Supernatural Summary – Season 3

Welcome back to the overview of Eric Kripke’s Supernatural; the monster-of-the-week mystery drama series about the Winchester brothers Sam and Dean.

We last saw them closing a Hell Gate and killing their longtime foe in Season Two; now let’s take a look at what’s in store for them in:

Season Three

Storyline

With thousands of Demons up and about on Earth and their only weapon being a Colt with no bullets left, the Winchesters and their friends/colleagues/surrogate family Bobby, Ellen and Jo don’t really stand a chance against them. This is until the Demon Ruby decides to switch sides and help them by not just using a Demon killing Knife, but also by helping Bobby to make more bullets. However, the Colt gets stolen by con-artist Bela Talbot, who is more then a thorn in the eyes of the brothers. They soon discover  she has a similar problem as Dean: A Hellhound is on her heels to collect her debt for a deal she made. Resentful of her actions they, however, refuse to help her, even though she reveals to them who holds Hell’s contracts. Finally able to track down that Demon, Lilith, Dean’s time runs out and he meets his demise at the claws and fangs of the invisible beast, while she tries and fails to kill Sam.

The Monsters

For a Season after the release of thousands of Demons one would think the brothers’ cases this Season would mostly deal with them, but far from it. Right in the first episode they jump into a case where we meet seven Demons representing the Seven Deadly Sins and learn about the Knife. Other than that are they mostly figuring out and looking for demonic signs (cattle death, freak weather), but are faced with lots of other stuff instead, as this Season has a variety of foes.

They reprise the appearance of vampires with a turned Hunter set on killing Sam, that uses his new abilities to attack them. Needless to say he fails.

But there are also some new additions.

We have energy sucking Changelings, name calling Crocotta and the first appearance of – easy to kill – Pagan Gods, though they don’t say which ones. Even Spirits get a twist, as the spirit of a dying girl causes Fairy Tales to come true.
There also is a Witch coven out for blood and the Trickster from last Season returns for a time-loop episode and of course the return of the (to humans invisible) Hellhounds.

Plot Points

From this Season forward the Colt is more or less shelved and the Winchesters use the Demon killing Knife instead, after they take it from Ruby that is. Relevant for the following Seasons is the introduction of Lilith, whose powers do not work against Sam and it is a bit foreshadowing of what is to come of his abilities.

One of the themes of this Season was: What should one do with the knowledge of the supernatural? So besides monsters we can also see the results of using mythical artifacts. With Bela we have someone selling those to the highest bidder. Twice the Winchersters thwart her plans, once with a Lucky Rabbits Foot, that is not so lucky once you lose it – and you will lose it – and the other a Hand of Glory, where you drown after seeing its original owners’ ship. It shows that these things are not to be messed with.

Not addressed for the first time, is the fact that one brother cannot be without the other.

Mystery Spot” plays with the thought: What if Dean died before his time is up and Sam cannot do a thing to stop it.  It gives us a look at how Sam would cope and it shows that he has the same narrow-minded tendency as his father, when it comes to tracking down the one that killed a family member. It is discussed more than once this Season that the brothers are each other’s weakness and this theme will continue to be explored throughout the series.

Minor plot points are the introduction of the Ghostfacers and the re-appearance of the Trickster. One is a parody of the Ghost hunting part of the Winchester’s life, where they bring back two guys that created a creature called a Tulpa through the common belief of their website followers last Season and now attempt to turn their Ghost hunts into a reality TV show – all with hand camera filming. The other likes fooling the brothers and teaching them lessons. In Season Two the Trickster showed them how easy it is to pit them against each other. This time around his illusion lays out another theme – and problem: You can’t escape fate.  The Trickster traps Sam in a time loop and makes him witness Deans’ death over and over again to get his point across. Though seemingly his work and all their struggling is in vein as the Winchesters do everything to escape their destiny either way. Though in this Season this is shown as a failure, as Dean does indeed die in the finale and Sam is left on his own.

Pro’s and Con’s

Season Three was a better one in regards to the variety of topics covered. While there was only a small continuation of the Demon story line, the things that were explored were quite interesting.

The episodes never drifted into repetition and some new and funny concepts were added. I cannot say if this was thanks to the briefness of the Season (only 16 episodes, due to the strikes of the Writers Guild of America back then), but I clearly enjoy the result.

As for the funny concepts: I like it when a show doesn’t take itself too seriously and with the episodes “Bad Day at Black Rock” and “Ghostfacers” we get some comedic relief from the seriousness of the overall Season. I believe the Christmas special (“A very Supernatural Christmas”) can be included in this count as well, as some things were rather ridiculous.
It is also nice to see some repercussions again, as one of the Hunters they had worked with and got into jail last Season is now on their heels to kill Sam, as he considers him an abomination due to his powers.

In contrast to this did we also get some questionable choices. With Bela an interesting and different character is introduced. She uses her knowledge of the supernatural for profit instead of becoming a hunter herself. But instead of expanding on her characterization, of her crossing paths with the Winchesters more often, she is reduced to just another deal victim with barely any background info and killed off within the Season.

An entirely different thing is the introduction of the Pagan Gods. This Season it is shown that they can be killed quite easily by using – in their case – an evergreen branch as stake. It is said that they lost the majority of their powers when people stopped worshipping them, but I still think this is way too easy.

Another thing that isn’t understandable is the introduction of Dean’s ex-girlfriend Lisa and her son Ben(,who is implied but denied to be Dean’s). It’s nice in a what-he-could-have-had-perspective, but in regards to the story line this Season it makes little sense.

In conclusion: Thanks/Due to its briefness this Season didn’t have much time to toy around, so it focused on the important things. Some of those turned out to be fun diversions (Ghostfacers), some disappointing (Pagan Gods) and others not quite clear (Ben).

All in all is this an enjoyable Season.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Until next time

PoiSonPaiNter

Originally Posted on The EXTREMIS REVIEWS: Carry on our Wayward Sons: Supernatural Season 3 – Poison Breaks Down The One Where Dean Gets Bitten

Supernatural Summary – Season 2

Welcome back to the overview of Eric Kripke’s Supernatural; the monster-of-the-week mystery drama series about the Winchester brothers Sam and Dean.
We met them on their first journey in Season One and continue right away with:

Season Two

Storyline

The sustained injuries from the crash in the Season 1 finale are fatal in Dean’s case so John saves him by making a deal with Yellow Eyes to trade his own life for that of his son. After John’s death the boys carry own with The Family Business and soon discover that there is more to their mother’s death than they initially thought. Azazel – not the mutant, the Demon – has a plan for certain children and Sam is one of them. When the kids he had chosen were exactly six months old, he would come to their crib and leave a little present: his blood. This endows the children with special abilities, including mind control, premonitions, and super strength. Sam and others like him are forced to battle each other for the survival of the fittest, unfortunately that isn’t him. Following his father’s footsteps Dean makes a deal to bring him back in exchange for his life a year later. The chosen one is given the task to use the Colt to open up a Hell Gate to release an armada of Demons into the world. The Winchesters and their gang are able to close it, after far too many have been freed. The only upside of the ordeal is that Dean manages to kill Azazel with the last of the Colt’s bullets.

The Monsters

The majority of monsters appearing in this Season are the same as before: Vengeful Spirits await the viewer in every other episode and with Azazel’s plan unfolding Demons come more and more into the focus.
Through Dean’s short death we also learn about the existence of Reapers that collect the souls for their journey to the afterlife. Another new addition are the Djinns who instead of granting you three wishes, trap you in a dream world and drink your blood.

Plot Points

The review-intro into an episode features Dean repeating their goal and pretty much their family motto:

“Dad would have wanted us to carry on. Saving People. Hunting Things. The family business.”

On the one hand is it a reminder to the audience of John’s passing, on the other hand does this emphasize the monster-of-the-week theme.
A major plot point of this Season are Sam’s abilities. He starts getting premonitions and as luck would have it they meet up with other people having similar powers and backgrounds as him.
 We also get glimpses of the other children that gave into the darkness of their powers by misusing them and/or siding with the Demons.
When in Season One we met Bobby Singer (a namesake of producer Robert Singer), we learned that he is an experienced hunter and willing to aid others in their Cases. With the Season opener we also meet Allen and Jo Harvelle, who run a bar in the middle of nowhere that is frequented by many Hunters. At first suspicious of the Winchesters do they soon become part of the team and help them in the final battle at the Hell Gate.
Re-appearing from Season One is also the Demon Meg, though she is soon sent back to Hell. With her and Azazel – who claims to be her father – out of the way, the playfield is about to change towards the new escapees.

Pro’s and Con’s

The regular appearance of Vengeful Spirits plot is repetitive, yet it serves as distraction from the actual battle – both for the watchers and the brothers – to have something nice and simple admits the chaos. 
Just like the previous Season are the brothers splitting up again for no other reason than to reunite later on. With the big bad lurking in the background one might think it wiser to stay close in case of an attack. Yet, the stubbornness of the characters play against this.
The plot line with the gifted children was an interesting aspect, both in means of diversity of powers, but also in the way they were used. 
Sadly this whole ordeal felt rather rushed and was handled in a few episodes only.
For the first time, we also get a glimpse at the police side of their investigations, when a real officer of the law starts looking closer into the brothers frauds and false identities. 
But this as well only gets little screen time and the full extent of their meddling with actual police business is not shown.
All in all this Season had some more interesting turns than Season One and it certainly gained a better footing. Some things felt unnecessary, others should have been explored some more, but still an enjoyable Season.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Until next time
PoiSonPaiNter
Season Three: Supernatural Summary – Season 3
Originally Posted on EXTREMIS REVIEWS: Carry On Our Wayward Sons: Season Two – The One In Which Dean Gets That Bastard Azazel

Supernatural Summary – Season 1

Usually a review on [The EXTREMIS REVIEWS] is for a Comic Book volume, detailing what is happening and how the overall storyline is coming along. This one is instead about a TV series and also a bit different.

Supernatural by Eric Kripke is more or less a monster-of-the-week mystery drama show that started into its tenth season in the beginning of October. Because (nearly) every episode follows a certain pattern a proper review – episode by episode – would be rather redundant. Therefore I’ll give an overview of the storyline and a few important plot points so far, so that you will be well prepared for catching up.

Season One

Storyline

The brothers Sam and Dean Winchester set off to find their father John, who hasn’t returned from a hunting trip. Though, unlike normal families the Winchesters do not hunt game, but monsters; especially an yellow eyed Demon that killed their mother by pinning her on the ceiling and burning her alive. While not able to defeat the Demon, the boys at least manage to meet up with their father. He tells them of a weapon – a Colt, whose bullets can kill Demons – which he wants to use on their mutual enemy. Playing cat and mouse with the fiend, the three of them end up badly injured, after a Demon-possessed driver sends his truck crashing into their Impala.

The Monsters

From this short storyline you can see that the first Season focused on gaining its footing and showing off the vast collection of monsters the two protagonists would be facing. The term monster-of-the-week-show can be used here as each week there is a different foe, with the big bad lurking in the background.
For the first time we meet Ghosts – or rather Vengeful Spirits -, Vampires, Werwolves and of course Demons and many others. Without much explanation as to the why and how, the ways to deal with these creatures are simply thrown at us:
A Ghost’s remains need to be salted and burned; Vampires have to be beheaded and Silver Bullets do the trick with the Big Bad Wolfs.
With the Colt there is also a way to get permanently rid of Demons, whereas exorcising them would send them simply back to Hell.

Plot Points

In this Season we are not only introduced to the key characters – Sam and Dean, and to some extent John and the yellow eyed Demon – but also to some of the key elements of the show.
As mentioned before is most notably the monster-of-the-week theme. While a (version of a) monster might return, it is rarely the same creature two weeks in a row. These encounters aren’t by chance, but instead sought out by the boys. In newspapers and other media they look for strange sightings or freak accidents and then dress up as police, FBI or whatever necessary to pursue their so-called cases.
We also learn about the Colt and John Winchesters Journal, the latter holding information about all the monsters he had encountered in his time. 
Both items are frequently referred to or used after their first appearance. 
The Journal even seems to be like a Wikipedia for everything monster-related as it provides an answer to all the questions the boys have whilst searching for a way to defeat their foes.
Another big topic besides the search for their father is the search for revenge. I have not mentioned this in the summary, but Sam’s reason for joining his brother wasn’t to find his/their father. He wanted to kill the Demon that not just took his mother, but in the pilot also took his girlfriend.
 Driven by revenge he feels their cases to be bothersome instead of a good/the right thing to do for the people suffering from the monsters.
In this Season we see Dean as the boy/man who would follow his father’s words to the letter and Sam as the rebellious kid that rarely agrees with either of them.
 Their arguments are petty and childish and don’t always seem genuinely motivated.

Pro’s and Con’s

While it is unsatisfying that most of the plot is carried by dialogue of the brothers at the end of the episode – usually in or around the Impala -, it still isn’t that bad a reoccurring pattern. Though this is what makes it difficult to review it properly.
A plus point goes to the diverse range of monsters.
When I first watched the show during its original run on television (back in 2007), I was quite afflicted by it. A scene from the episode “Wendingo“, never left my memory. But when I re-watched it, it wasn’t as exciting any more. Though, I cannot tell if this was due to the show or my changed point of view. But I do believe it has a lot to do with the latter as seven years is quite some time (It would be ten if I had watched it on American television).
You need a magnifier to see the plot in this Season and the initial thrill of meeting new different monsters is soon replaced by the predictability of the episodes’ outcome. Still, it is an interesting concept, with some surprises and it has a finale cliff-hanger, where you simply want to know what happens next.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Until next time.
PoiSonPaiNter
Season Two: Supernatural Summary – Season 2
Originally posted on EXTREMIS REVIEWS: Carry On Our Wayward Sons: Supernatural Season One – The One In Which the Winchesters Become a Pair

Webcomics – An Introduction

The first thing people think of when they talk about Comics are thin books full of colourful pictures that tell the story of different Superheros.
 What they usually forget is that it all originated from mere monochrome, one panel Comics – alternatively called Cartoons or Comic Strips – in newspapers.

With the rise of the Internet these kinds of Comics have become a rarity in print, but more and more available online. The format changed greatly, as Comics were no longer bound to size and the two achromatic colours. They now have up to three or more colourful panels to tell the joke (though there are still newer Comics following the old pattern). Depending on the series the panels and Strips are now also used for continuing story lines instead of trying to simply reach a punch line each Strip.

I never bought a classic Comic Book (the thin ones); though I do own a few issues from Free Comic Book Day, a couple of Graphic Novels and Comic Anthologies/Trade Paperbacks, as well as quite a bunch of Manga.

Still, my interest in Cartoons and Anime – Comics’ moving cousins so to speak – are what first drew me to its immobile counterparts.

An unfunny tale

I can’t really remember how it happened, but I think that on one of my trips to the Book Store to buy a new Manga, I discovered a book-like collection of Comic Strips that I just had to look at.

But who wouldn’t do that with a bright red book that had a clown on the cover, who had just cut off his own leg with an axe, while its titled claimed the content of the “book” to be “Notfunny“?

I certainly couldn’t resist picking it up and I still do not regret that I did.

Notfunny  or Nichtlustig as it is originally called, are one panel Comics by German Cartoonist Joscha Sauer, telling the stories of his various characters. These include a Professor, his assistant and their strange experiments (check out one of my favourites: Cat & Jam); Yetis; suicidal Lemmings, a killer-robot aspiring to become a kindergarten teacher, Mr. Riebmann, who lives in the wall beside his constantly annoyed neighbour and of course Death and his Poodle, who are the not so secret stars of the Comics. Each Comic portrays a different situation and manages to tell you with just a few words and gestures what exactly is going on and this without having to give you an actual punch line most of the times. If you like strange Humour this series does not live up to its name and is on the contrary quite hilarious.

This series was my entrance into the world of Comics and I haven’t started looking for the exit yet. Quite the opposite. Since I started using the Internet more frequently, I discovered many more Comics to enjoy (Including new Notfunny-Comics posted on Sauer’s Website).

Webcomics for everyone!

(c) Bastian MelnykThe more popular the Internet became, the more common was it for artists to start their own Comic series online, thus creating Webcomics. By now the list of the ones I read on a regular basis is relatively long, though it could be longer if I continued reading some of the stories I’ve already bookmarked.

But this is the good thing about Webcomics: You can start from the get-go, see the first steps the artist took (and some of them were quite horrible to be honest), take a break from reading and continue where you left off without fear of the old Comics falling out of print and the whole series being rebooted with different content – though a few artists do re-draws after the story is finished.

One of the first Webcomics I ever came across was about a philosophical, and frankly adorable, bat, with a rather long alliteration in his name, which reads: Fledermaus Fürst Frederick Fon Flatter (Prince/Fürst of Bats Frederick of Flutter) or short: Fred  (English versions can be found on Tumblr.)

On a daily basis [Note: By now the rhythm has changed to Monday-Wednesday-Friday] German Comic artist Bastian Melnyk presents up to four panel stories starring the round bat and his friends. Each Comic is dedicated to a random every day topic and always includes a quip or pun. If you understand what is being said, the silliness of the Comic just leaves you with a smile, as the message of the Comic is always positive. Besides his “filosophizing” (philosophizing) about all kinds of things Fred loves eating cookies. On occasion he dresses up as “Batfred” to rescue his friends from different situations and even more seldom he does indeed break the Fourth Wall and talks about “The Creator”.

I guess I could keep going all day, but I stop with this minuscule look into the vast amount of Webcomics that I myself have yet to explore completely.

If you have any recommendations feel free to let me know, as I enjoy checking out new stories.

PoiSonPaiNter

© For the portrayed picture belongs to Bastian Melnyk and was simply used as example.

Originally posted on THE EXTREMIS REVIEWS: A Couple Webcomics You Should Try Out

Writing for The Extremis Review

As I wrote in the introduction to my post Thor: Movie vs. Myth was the topic given to me by The Extremis Review to see if my writing is good enough for them.
What can I say?

As of today I am officially in the roster for The Extremis Review. 🙂

On a monthly basis I will be providing a short post to a given topic, though I am also able to make suggestions as to what I would like to write about. My first post is due at the end of May, so you will have to continue reading my work here for now, until a post of mine will be published there.
Before you start wondering: Yes, I decided to use both my usual nickname (PoiSonPaiNter) and my Jesterdeer (my avatar that looks like a donkey with a jester-hat, yet calling it Jesterdonkey sounds stupid), even though everyone else uses a name that at least sounds like it could be a real one; but I already mentioned why I prefer the nickname.
I’m curious which topics I will be able to cover and what their readers will think of my contributions. Though probably the hardest thing for me will be the word count as my posts are supposed to be around 500 words and as you might have noticed I am rarely able to keep things short, even though I did have a few goes at it recently.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to this new challenge and am now off to rest a bit before Walpurgis Night tomorrow. 🙂
PoiSonPaiNter