It was only recently that I’d even heard of the show Supernatural. It popped up a few times on TV blogs and articles, and I gathered that it had a strong fan base. Without probing too deeply (trying to avoid spoilers!), I learned that two brothers, trained by their dad after the death of their mom, hunt all sorts of supernatural baddies.
The pilot introduces the Winchester brothers, Dean and Sam (played by Jared Padalecki, who I knew as Dean from Gilmore Girls, which made things a bit confusing). The entire episode was quite creepy, something I wasn’t expecting. Most of the speculative shows I watch involve vampires or superheroes, and fighting them means physical battles. As such, they tend to be more scary/suspenseful than creepy, but Supernatural’s pilot ranks right up there with the handful of episodes that were creepy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Hush” and Angel’s “Room w/a Vu” come to mind).
The pilot featured Life and Fairly Legal’s Sarah Shahi. The acting and effects were above par, and it contained enough of a hook to make me want to watch the second episode. The only thing that didn’t ring true was Dean’s comment to Sam that they made a great team. Their teamwork wasn’t impressive at all in this episode – they seemed to just stumble onto things individually. (A bunch of shows come to mind that have much better teamwork in the pilot episode that ultimately brings the characters together to form the show – Leverage, Bones, White Collar, Burn Notice . . .) But I’m guessing this improves with future episodes. I’m looking forward to what a regular episode will bring.
Sam and Dean have been estranged for four years at the time of the pilot, and Dean’s comment is indicative of how badly he wants Sam abck by his side more than anything else. As time wears on, you see exactly how close they are, practically telepathic, and indeed, they are widely recognized as the most kick-ass evil-fighting team on the planet. But “team” doesn’t even begin to cover it, as evidenced by the extreme lengths they will both go to to save and rescue the other. Their “co-dependency” is also widely recognized, including one hilarious moment when a shrink insists on splitting them up for group therapy, saying “Well, to be frank, uh, the relationship that you have with your brother seems dangerously codependent. I think a little time apart will do you both good.”
Season 1 was indeed very creepy. There is less emphasis on the horror aspects and more emphasis on comedy, drama and action starting in season 2 (and that’s also when they really hit their stride.)
I particularly love the gallows humour and comic relief parts, and Supernatural has some of the wildest and wachiest humour of any tv show. I wouldn’t even try to describe any of it because it would sound insanely crazy, but somehow they make it really work.
Mostly though, I love Supernatural because it made me care about fictional characters more than I have ever cared about any other fictional characters. And because I care about them so much, I care about the story of what happens to them, so the show elicits more intense emotions and reactions out of me than any other show ever, from crying to laughing to gripping the edge of my seat to literally feeling like I have just been kicked in the chest. There’s nothing else like it.