Supernatural: Season 8 Discussion

Yes I like hurting myself so im in for at least one more season. I just watched the promo and read an article and I must say it does at least appear to be really promising. Promo and article below, but there are what seem like really biggish SPOILERS so be warned.

http://tvline.com/2012/10/01/supernatural-season-8-preview-carver/

I'm in. I didn't care much for this past season, but I still find it 100x better than 90% of the drek on TV.

Despite the recent downs, I have been a solid supporter of this show.

Unfortunately I can't watch it now because my cable provider (Cablevision) is fighting with Pix11 so they are blocking it. I hate you all.

Hmmm....I dug it, but I'm cautious about where they're going. I don't buy Sam not looking for Dean. Actually, I don't buy the explanation they gave for Sam not looking for Dean - at least as presented in the premiere, but I also don't particularly care that he didn't really look, and I don't think that, other than a couple of barbs, it's going to be a big deal.

I did dislike the "brothers being apart and fighting about it" bits in the premiere because they've never ever been able to nail that sort of storyline (and they've gone to that well too many times), but on the other hand, I'm hopeful that whatever Dean had to do to get out of Purgatory will be good. I really hope he had to screw over Cas in someway - (1) cause it would be the meatiest material, and (2) because the fan girls would lose their minds, and it would be hilarious. The new Vamp didn't make too much of an impression, so I'll give him a few more eps to settle in, especially if they're going to tell the story over the course of the season / Fall.

Hopefully they find a right balance between the prophet kid being an all powerful deus ex machina (a la Bobby / Castiel / the other Prophet who just disappeared), and actually have Sam and Dean do some detective work (although, Sam just saying "I found him," and spouting off techno babble might be the show's version of detective work, in which case -no).

I liked it, Dean has his own Ruby now so that should be interesting.

I'm curious if they're using the "close Hell forever" idea as an endgame setup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernel 

I'm curious if they're using the "close Hell forever" idea as an endgame setup.

I certainly hope so. The show was at its strongest when it had a multi-year arc and this one has a lot of potential.

By the way, Dean has now been to (if even a brief visit) Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.  Dude get's around.

Sigh.

They sure used the shit out of the old "dude stares pensively while having a flashback" set up. I'm giving this two more episodes.

Alright that was actually a good start. It feels different but it feels SUPERNATURAL. I hope they can keep it up. But hey........now the brothers are fighting with each other AGAIN so.....yeah still Supernatural. 

The brothers always fight, this time it's Dean who's being an ass and taking up with a baddy and keeping it to himself.  I think it serves Ackles a little bit better as an actor.  What did he do to get out of Purgatory?

Quote:

Originally Posted by stelios 

Sigh.

 

They sure used the shit out of the old "dude stares pensively while having a flashback" set up. I'm giving this two more episodes.

Dammit Stelios.  I was totally cool with the episode until you brought this up.  Now I hate it.

The show gets really great around the second season and stays that way through the fifth. I'd imagine the best seasons are considered to be 3-5.

I'd love to sit down and write a list of the greatest/ most story mythology heavy episodes of seasons 1 and 2 and then send you on your way with season 3.    Although as a big fan of this show I really have to insist on watching the first two seasons.  There's so many funny memorable little moments between the brothers that it's kind of worth it. 

Wasn't really over all impressed with the premier. Yes, it didn't suck out loud and there were a couple of things the piqued my interest slightly but at this point me and the wife are treating it like a new tv show. It has four episodes to show us something.

I'm hoping Mjölnir wasn't just a one-off joke and that it comes into play later in the season. I can't imagine Sam and Dean just leaving something as powerful as that behind. I'd be great if the next time the brothers open the Impala's trunk it's lying there among their other weapons. Perhaps Ben Edlund could write an episode in which Thor (special guest star Vincent D'Onofrio), who has let himself go after losing his prized hammer, attempts to get it back.

The episode was alright; hopefully is is setting up what happens the rest of the season. I do want to see how and why Dean screwed over Cas. It did make sense that the god of greed looks like a wanna be Tony Soprano.

"How did you get 5/8 of a virgin?"

I enjoyed this episode mainly because of the dynamic between the brothers.  Last week's angsty relationship stuff seems to have faded and the camaraderie was back, which is how I like them.  They can have beef and troubles with pretty much anyone as long as the dynamic between the leads is clicking.

By the way, has anyone noticed a new sound effect this season?  I honestly can't tell if it me/my DVR or something they added to the show, but it's damn annoying.  It seems almost non-stop, sort of a scraping sound, and it's grating as hell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernel 
By the way, has anyone noticed a new sound effect this season?  I honestly can't tell if it me/my DVR or something they added to the show, but it's damn annoying.  It seems almost non-stop, sort of a scraping sound, and it's grating as hell.

That's the sound of the bottom of the barrel.

Alright that actually was a good episode. This and the pilot both pretty good..........but I don't want to get my hopes up that Supernatural is back. After 2 seasons of pain interrupted briefly by an episode of pleasure here and there, I have to be cautious. 

If the next one is at this level I'm staying for the season. 

Maybe I've just reached my limit on this show after 8 seasons, but these two episodes...meh.  Of course, if you asked me how they should start the season, having the brothers be reunited again after one of them has spent the year in a hell-like dimension and is keeping secrets again and the other tried to make a "normal" life work again would be pretty much at the bottom of the list.  And I call bullshit on Sam not even leaving his phone on without knowing for sure if his brother's alive or dead.  Way to make one of your characters into a raging asshole for the sake of the plot.

With that said, I guess it's something that I didn't out-right hate the episodes.  Dean's vampire buddy seems interesting and the Trans turned out to be pretty awesome as well.  And I like that they've given Crowley some teeth again.  But I hope the new showrunner's got something unexpected up his sleeve because right now this feels like the laziest season yet, which is saying something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grace 

Maybe I've just reached my limit on this show after 8 seasons, but these two episodes...meh.  Of course, if you asked me how they should start the season, having the brothers be reunited again after one of them has spent the year in a hell-like dimension and is keeping secrets again and the other tried to make a "normal" life work again would be pretty much at the bottom of the list.  And I call bullshit on Sam not even leaving his phone on without knowing for sure if his brother's alive or dead.  Way to make one of your characters into a raging asshole for the sake of the plot.

With that said, I guess it's something that I didn't out-right hate the episodes.  Dean's vampire buddy seems interesting and the Trans turned out to be pretty awesome as well.  And I like that they've given Crowley some teeth again.  But I hope the new showrunner's got something unexpected up his sleeve because right now this feels like the laziest season yet, which is saying something.

Well I can't exactly disagree with any of this either.....

Also something struck me about last night's episode. They killed an innocent woman for no reason. The demon was trying to escape, Sam stuffed her back in and knifed her. I know it was so the demon couldn't tell Crowley where they were but....well they were going to take her and run anyway. And later Crowley ran right into them. Also it would be nice if they explained that trick a little better. Did Sam just try the incantation backwards on a whim or did he figure it out while Dean was away? Ehh I think I just want to see a season with Sam with his powers back throwing demons around.

Show feels invigorated to me. A bit early to tell but at the moment it's leagues above the previous 2 seasons. 

Sam + Mjölnir = Fucking awesome!

He seriously should have kept hold of that for the rest of the season.

Guys...  I adore Supernatural.  I love the classic rock, I love Dean and his womanizing, I love Sam and his puppy face, and I love the two brothers together.  But two seasons ago, this thing that I love felt kind of over and done with, but it kept going on any way.  In fact, it was kind of awful and bad.  What I'm wondering is if it's safe to jump back into Season 8, or if I'll feel like this is a different beast now. 

  I did give up for awhile in season 6, and that is why I still haven't seen all of the French Mistake. While 7 did get off to a slow start, the rest of season was really good. It did give us The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo. I'm sticking with the show.

   If they do close the Gates of Hell, that would make a good end game for the show. Speaking of the Gates of Hell, urban myth has it, that there is a sewer in New Jersey, that if you go deep enough into there are vast chambers that are used by a Satanic cult. Maybe that will be worked into the show. Since it is in Jersey, that could work with the show's sense of humor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freeman 

Guys...  I adore Supernatural.  I love the classic rock, I love Dean and his womanizing, I love Sam and his puppy face, and I love the two brothers together.  But two seasons ago, this thing that I love felt kind of over and done with, but it kept going on any way.  In fact, it was kind of awful and bad.  What I'm wondering is if it's safe to jump back into Season 8, or if I'll feel like this is a different beast now. 

it is definitely a different beast now. If you want the "purity" of season 1-5, don't come back. All that stuff you mentioned you adore doesn't show up that often anymore. That being said, I'm interested in where this season is going, and if it's successful, it could result in a decent second wind.

Season 8 has a clear cut objective that is at the very least more interesting than what season 6 and 7 were, and it's going to come down to a matter of execution (which they've been iffy on in the past few years). I'm really hoping they cut the Castiel ties once and for all, and really (and I mean REALLY) get down to just having the brothers together with minimal angst and separation, just killing shit week after week.

In a perfect world this show would be a monster version of Strike Back (maybe I just really really love Strike Back), but I don't think they have the budget or the talent to do that.

I watched this episode of television last night, and the only thing I remember about it was that one of the demons was named Cacao. Every time they mentioned the demon's name, I thought of Portlandia and laughed.

This show needs to end.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mangy 

I watched this episode of television last night, and the only thing I remember about it was that one of the demons was named Cacao. Every time they mentioned the demon's name, I thought of Portlandia and laughed.

 

This show needs to end.

If they are trying to earn back some goodwill, a MotW episode this soon is not the best way to go about it.  Personally, after a couple of strong first episodes, this was horribly bland and boring.  But hope is not lost.  Just a stumble :)

I'm not bit on the monster of the week episodes, I feel this show is at its best when it's building a long-term story arc.  Sadly, the last couple of seasons did just that, but poorly. I want to love this show again, I really do.  There's still hope that they can turn this ship around and take it to interesting places.... but for whatever reason the showrunners have an unhealthy obsession with making Dean and Sam constantly be at odds and/or hiding secrets from each other.  After all they've been through together, the constant bickering seems forced and completely unearned to me. 

I've stuck with it this long, though... so I'll likely see it through until the bitter end.  Same as Dexter.  I'm foolish that way.

So........how did the girl that got the heart know to..............find Betsy? I mean was he controlling her or......why didn't they just find the god and kill it? Gods go down pretty easy on this show afterall. Yeah that wasn't great. Still the first 2 episodes give me some hope. Even the good seasons had their bad eps so there is still a little hope left. I don't think it will ever match seasons 3-5 but if they can tread water and end it all with closing hell this season I can at least close the book on Supernatural as being a good show rather than a sad show that limped around the track before we had to put it down.

I found it pretty standard for an MotW episode. Strong setup, lousy payoff.

WOW was that terrible. Honest question: Was this episode designed to be a backdoor pilot for the girl in the main story? I was completely disengaged with this one, although I'm not a fan of found footage horror to begin with.

There were some things I found interesting and like about this episode, but yeah, I hate the found footage crapstain of a genre.  I am kinda surprised they avoided this little cliche as long as they did though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernel 

There were some things I found interesting and like about this episode, but yeah, I hate the found footage crapstain of a genre.  I am kinda surprised they avoided this little cliche as long as they did though.

They did an episode in Season 3 that was a parody of Ghost Hunters, which was funny and effective. Like I said above, this almost felt like a pilot for a spin-off, especially with the credits playing at the end, and the blonde gal walking off into the sunset.

This better be a pilot because otherwise it is completely pointless. The truth is there was some things to like but that weird love triangle power struggle thing needed to take place over several episodes, where we get to know the characters. Basically we are talking about Chronicle. So yes it better be a spinoff. Although you have to love Supernatural. They actually found a way to go even cheaper. In the past their werewolves looked terrible. Now they created a "new pure blood strain" to make them even more simple. It's pretty much eyes, teeth and fake fingernails. It's not even remotely wolf like in appearance. And they are just finding out about this now? Was that their father's journal? Weird they just came across that factoid. We never did get to meet the Alpha werewolf though, maybe this will lead us back to that. Or did they explain that the vampire alpha was the last alpha? I know they have to run into him again this season.

I think that is the last we ever see of any of that story.  Just a bad idea.  Too late to the game.  Far too contrived.  Remarkably convenient.  Too little Sam and Dean.

The problem is, when the opening credits began to scroll at the end, I felt like the director of this episode thought he had just produced something profound.

It had an interesting idea or two, but what a bad episode overall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waaaaaaaalt 

Basically we are talking about Chronicle. 

My thoughts exactly!

Still, the one good thing about this episode (a friend of mine only made it eleven minutes into the episode - I watched the whole thing!) is that it introduced me to Milo Greene. Might have to buy their album now.

Was it just me, or was this episode longer than usual?  I mean, the runtime was definitely dragged out because of what a slog it was.  However, I am certain it ran a good 50 minutes.

Hey gang, heads up, next episode is written by Ben Edlund. So, y'know... it'll be good and stuff.

This will be dramatic, big episode Edlund; not comedy format-buster Edlund.

Boy that episode was uhhh.......who cares? It wasn't bad but I guess but I couldn't make myself care. Not to mention he didn't take that much time when trying to convince her to walk the straight and narrow. And I really don't give a fuck about Sam and this girl. This needs to be the final season in a big bad way.

Ugh. If the next episode wasn't an Endlund one I'd be out. This one was shitty.

That one WAS the Edlund episode, dude. Don't badmouth the Edlund. I really liked it. Apart from the Janitor Sam stuff.

Even TV Club gave it a high mark

http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/tvshow/supernatural,86/

That was by Endlund? I'm out then. There's no saving this show. It's been fun though.

It's only from reading these comments that I've realised I've *missed* an episode (the found footage one). And I don't even care. Damn this show.

I'm too invested now to just walk away, but this show really needs to wind up gracefully.

Huh... I thought the stuff with Benny was pretty strong and find him to be a nice addition to the cast. 

I'm still in agreement that this show should just wind up and pack it in now. It really should have ended after season 5.  If they insist on going on for several more seasons, they really need to shake things up in a big way, and by that I mean that one of the brothers needs to die (for reals)