For the past 3 1/2 years, I have been a major follower of the exploits of Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers that are involved in a quest to eliminate the country of demons, werewolves, malevolent ghosts, and an assortment of things that "go bump in the night" on the CW television show Supernatural. The pair have been "hunters" since the death of their mother at the hands of the "yellow-eyed" man. Spurned into action by their father, Dean and Sam do battle weekly as they prepare for, what appears to be, Armageddon with the forces of good against the forces of evil.The show, a combination of Route 66, Friday the 13th - The Series, and The X-Files, stars Jensen Ackles as older brother "Dean" and Jared Padalecki as "Sam."
One might say that the third member of the cast is Dean's black and powerful 1967 Impala that carries the duo from place to place.
Other actors with recurring parts include Jim Beaver as hunter-of-all-trades "Bobby," Katie Cassidy and Genevieve Cortese, each having had turns as good demon "Ruby," Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the boys' father, "John," Misha Collins as the "Castiel" the angel, and Fredric Lehne as "the yellow-eyed demon."
Now in its fourth season, the show has developed a large cult following of which I am a member...but what is it about this show that so enthralls me and so many others?
First off, the premise is most engaging, as the brothers go from one state to the other in their never-ending search to rid the country of hell's minions. They encounter the stuff of legend and lore, both traditional and urban, armed with their wits and an arsenal of weaponry, designed to maximum destruction. The writers deftly craft scripts that occasionally mix the horrific elements with commentary on family dysfunction - the brothers are sometimes at odds with each other - and, at times, they throw in references to pop culture. For example, at the conclusion of a second season episode, featuring guest star Linda Blair, Dean asks his brother if she reminds him of someone. His last statement involves having the desire to eat "pea soup," a not-so-subtle reference to Blair's appearance in the classic The Exorcist.
Another feather in the show's cap is the casting and the fine performances by Padalecki and Ackles. Both young men play well off each, making one believe that they could actually be brothers. The writers have developed each character into a unique individual, with Dean being the hot-headed, sarcastic one and Sam as a little more level-headed and compassionate.
Supernatural is also one of the few network or cable shows that promotes the existence of God. The fact that an angel is a recurring character, Sam's revelation that he prays daily, and the coming battle are just three story elements that distinguish the drama from most television fare.
Because it is filmed in and around Vancouver, there are times when the Canadian location doesn't quite come across as mid-America or New England, destinations that the brothers find themselves headed toward. However, for some reason, the Canadian countryside and cloudy skies sometimes add to the menace and terror of the stories.
The final plus for the show is its score, sometimes combining familiar rock tunes with traditional incidental scoring from the likes of Jay Gruska and Christopher Lennertz. Even on occasion, Ackles gets to sing, with somewhat "spooky" results.
I'm not sure that the show would be a hit on ABC, NBC, or CBS, because of its rather avant-garde, off-the-wall, and scary situations...being not quite as "conservative" as the usual fare on those networks.
The pairing on Thursday night with Smallville, another genre favorite, gives me, and others, two hours of fine viewing, something that I don't have any other night of the week.
Now, if the producers could just find a role for a fifty-something-year-old, 6'6" tall, black man, I'd be in demonic heaven.
