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Below are the 18 most recent journal entries recorded in
Heavy Meta Poisoning's InsaneJournal:
| Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 | |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #5 (Final) Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the final section of my rewatch review of "Faith" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.  Back at their motel, Sam shows Dean the book he found at the house. (By the by, the walls of this room have always troubled me. It strikes me they have the texture and colour of congealed blood . . . not unlike the colour of Dean’s lucky red shirt, in fact. I can’t help feeling this is all very meaningful. Maybe they reflect the state of Dean’s mind because he feels tainted by the blood of Marshall Hall and now, perhaps, Layla’s as well.) Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #5 (Final)Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost). |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #4 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Faith" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.  As the next scene opens, the brothers are researching reaper lore. It’s an interesting camera angle that suggests the boys are being watched over from above. God moving in his mysterious ways, perhaps? Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #4Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #3 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Faith" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.  Two doctors appear in this episode. One is played by a black actor, the other by a woman. Supernatural has often been accused of lacking representation but I feel, in the first season at least, it made more effort than many other shows of its time. I’m probably opening a can of worms by raising this subject, but it’s important and will become an especially big issue next episode, so I’d really appreciate hearing other people’s thoughts on the matter. Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #3Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost). |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #2 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Faith" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.  The next scene opens with a panning shot over Sam’s research: chakra maps, medical journals, diagrams and photos of hearts and cardiac anatomy. Again, I’m reminded of John’s motel wall. Now, more than ever, we see John’s obsessive search for answers after Mary’s death reflected in his son’s behaviour now that Dean’s life is on the line. Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #2Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost). |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Faith #1 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the first section of my rewatch review of "Faith" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion. This episode marked another major turning point for the show, both dramatically and for many viewers. “Faith” quickly established itself as a fan favourite, and Eric Kripke himself named it as his favourite episode from the first season. "It's when I first realized what the show was capable of,” he said. “Is there a god? What's meant to be? And is there free will? And is your life worth the cost of someone else's life? It's a metaphysical and moral study of the boys' universe.” From Nicholas Knight’s Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 1 For those still sitting on the fence about the series, this episode would see them finally and thoroughly hooked and ensure that they were committed for the long haul. While the metaphysical and moral elements Kripke mentions certainly played their part in that, for many the ingredient that turned casual viewing into obsession distilled down to something much more personal:   And so, it begins. |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #5 (final) Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Scarecrow" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.  "This episode is picking up the political theme that was first introduced in "Phantom Traveler": as the townsfolk of Burkitsville leave the victims tied in the orchard as an offering to the scarecrow god, Dean yells after them “I hope your apple pie is freakin’ worth it!” and that, in a nutshell, is the political message behind the episode and, ultimately, the whole of Kripke’s story." Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #5 (final)Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #4 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Scarecrow" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion. "Despite the young couple’s reservations, and the townsfolk’s machinations, Dean rescues the prospective victims from death by scarecrow and the next scene opens with Sam at the bus stop, and a phone call between the brothers is already in progress."  Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #4Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost). |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #3 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Scarecrow" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion. "As Dean attempts to engage the couple in conversation, we get another brilliantly filmed and edited scene. Manners is a master of using facial close ups to create atmosphere and tone, and here we get an increasing sense of unease as we focus on Dean.  As he tries to convey a warning about the impending threat, the closeups are too close. They reflect how he appears to the young couple and imply that, from their pov, he is forcing himself into their personal space. It’s clear that he seems creepy and makes them feel uncomfortable." . Read more at Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #3Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #2 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Scarecrow" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion. And so we have the introduction of Meg, SPN’s longest running female character.  Read more at Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #2Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #1 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the first section of my rewatch review of "Scarecrow" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion. Like “Phantom Traveler”, “Scarecrow” is a season arc episode masquerading as a standard monster of the week. John’s appearance early in the episode should have been a clue since he has had some form of presence in each of the demon arc stories so far, even if only as a voicemail . . .  but the episode’s status is only fully confirmed in the final scene when Meg Masters is revealed to be more than a chance meeting for Sam, and actually a part of some sinister plot against the brothers. Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Scarecrow #1
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| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #6 (Conclusion) Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the final section of my rewatch review of "Asylum" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion. A typical episode would normally end with the brothers getting into the car and driving on to the next stop along the never-ending road, but this time we get an extra scene that shows them sleeping in a random hotel somewhere. Well, Dean’s sleeping, at least.  I’ve always loved this iconic shot of Dean. I can’t imagine why. Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #6 (Conclusion)Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #5 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Asylum" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.  For Sam, Ellicott’s spell works in a similar fashion to the way the shape shifter did for Dean in “Skin”: it’s a truth-telling device that reveals the darker thoughts that Sam would never normally express out loud. Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #5Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #4 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Asylum" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.  The supernatural forces this week are targeting Sam’s brain. Similar to the regular throttlings that mark Sam as the soul part of the soul/heart partnership, this marks him as the mind part of the mind/body partnership. As I’ve mentioned before, historically our culture has tended to privilege mind over body. Classical literature often equates mind with soul and sees it as the source of all that elevates the human spirit, while the body with all its sensual needs and demands is represented as a burden, the source of all the impure urges that drag us down to Hell. This mindset is relevant to the upcoming confrontation that takes place between the brothers. Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #4Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #3 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Asylum" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion. "Sam seems uncomfortable about being in a shrink’s office. “Thanks for seeing me at the last minute” he tells the doctor but, when Ellicott asks him how he is, he replies “things are good”, which begs the question, why did he need to see a psychiatrist so urgently then? You’d think he’d at least have come in with a pre-prepared neurosis to talk about. Luckily, he isn’t short of personal material to draw on. The doctor asks him what he’s been doing and Sam fishes for something to say. “Just been on a road trip with my brother,” he reveals. “And was that fun?” Ellicott asks. Sam hesitates.  Read more at: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #3Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #2 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the next section of my rewatch review of "Asylum" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion.
Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #2Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #1 Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to the first section of my rewatch review of "Asylum" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion: Supernatural, Season 1 Episode 10, “Asylum” Written by Richard Hatem Directed by Guy Bee We open with a spooky shot of the asylum that will become the main focus of the action.  The episode was actually filmed in an abandoned mental health facility in Vancouver, though the building looks a lot more attractive in real life, at least in broad daylight: The building became a favourite location, used several times over the show’s run, and it’s easy to see why. It certainly provided a chillingly atmospheric backdrop for the action in this episode. I don’t know if they filmed all the scenes in the facility, or whether we’re sometimes seeing studio sets; either way the settings for the episode are super creepy. Read more at Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Asylum #1Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost). |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About "Skin" - Postscript  The other day I was reading from Joseph Campbell, and I came across this intriguing passage: "Art holds the mirror up to nature. The mirror motif is very important and through all these forms,which are simply reflected in the mirror, something beyond the form speaks. There's a Tibetan mediation called 'the mirror meditation' in which one looks at the mirror and sees oneself in the mirror then smashes the mirror and knows that nothing has happened, One's body is as where the mirror reflects of one's eternal aspect." Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine (2013), p, 217 It seemed pertinent to my recent posts about "Skin" (see below), in the light of the influence of Campbell on the show (acknowledged by Kripke) and the thematic importance of mirrors and reflection in the episode. It struck me that Dean's killing of the shifter could be likened to the Tibetan ritual. When he shoots the shape shifter, it's like he's smashing the negative reflection of himself that it represents while Dean, his essential self, remains. Just a thought :) Things I Love About Season 1: Skin (Part 1)Things I Love About Season 1: Skin (Part 2)Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Skin (Part 3) |
| 1:53 pm | Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Home (Part 2) Continuing my series examining the themes, tropes and meta of Supernatural season one, here is a link to part 2 of my rewatch review of "Home" at my journal, in case anyone here is interested in sharing my celebration of the early episodes with me. And also to a masterpost I've created for the collection. I welcome comments and discussion: Things I Love About SPN Season 1: Home (Part 2)Next, we see the boys sitting in Missouri’s waiting room just as she emerges with a client. “Don’t you worry about a thing,” she assures him as he leaves. “Your wife is crazy about you.” But as soon as she closes the door on him, she turns round to the brothers and reveals “poor bastard, his woman is cold bangin’ the gardener.”  Seems like that might be an important point to remember. (Continues at my LJ) Things I Love About SPN Season 1 (Masterpost). |
