retro_eidas | (no subject)

I'm half-awake, so I'm going to blame the codine if this sounds stupid or weird.

I was having a depressing discussion with

luminare_ardua earlier on how well SPN's S5 stands up when critiquing it from an apocalyptic fiction standpoint. Bottom line: Not particularly well.

It got me thinking how different S5 would have unfolded if they made a bigger statement with Lucifer in 5x01. Really big. Like maybe Luci persuaded some of those in control of the Big Red Buttons O' Doom and start, but not fully complete, MAD. Basically made the season like "The Road Warrior" with monster fighting meets "Jericho". Which, tbh, this season as it currently is (hence, the budget) wouldn't have needed that much tweaking to make it that way. It would be pretty much as it is now (though likely less funny eps), except the people they meet more panicky/upset/desperate due to immediate problems like avoiding fallout and communication breakdown. Topped off with whatever supernatural crisis the victims were facing. Gave a deeper personal emotional resonance to the story, even if the victims are strangers. Then increased the tension of every place they go until it hit boiling point in the finale (when food, meds, gas and *le gasp* toilet paper start getting scarce) and they're about to make that final showdown with Lucifer. Though - due to that considerably increased conflict - every case would have had to have a more direct connection to the Apocalypse/stopping Lucifer and as soon as possible, most likely. Which... would have been really welcomed, actually.

I'm not as versed on apocalyptic fiction as some folks I know, but I always thought that the core of most apocalyptic storylines is the human condition. How does one survive in such a horrific situation. The journey either being tragic, an agonizingly slow collapse until the inevitable dark end (Threads or Level 7) or hopeful in the face of incredible adversity (Alas, Babylon), sometimes a jarring mix of both (Children of Men). SPN's S5 is still about the human condition, but, to me, in not a particularly different way than it has been since Kripke had realized the humanistic story is where this show's strength lies (way back at the end of S1). So, for a basic SPN season, S5 hasn't been terrible, but as an apocalyptic story, something that I thought should have considerably upped the ante on the humanistic story already in place? Eh.

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While watching War Games recently, the thought occurred to me... what if the demons took over NORAD? Take us to DEFCON 5! (That's on my To Fic list.)

I believe that the writers are going more for a classic Biblical apocalypse, which was supposed to take years. It does make a lot of sense that Lucifer would want to use our greatest weapon against us, I think, but they've decided to go with only Biblical and demonic monsters instead of man-made threats. It does make for a slow Apocalypse, one that can last an entire season, heheh.

While watching War Games recently, the thought occurred to me... what if the demons took over NORAD? Take us to DEFCON 5! (That's on my To Fic list.)

Oh, that would be deliciously creepy. Could you imagine that whole war room with black-eyed smirky people? *cringes* SAVE THE WORLD WITH TIC-TAC-TOE DEAN!! YOU CAN DO EEET!! I'm not being facetious either, that whole tic-tac-toe sequence at the end is nail-biting... and it's computer playing tic-tac-toe. It's genius. heeee

It does make a lot of sense that Lucifer would want to use our greatest weapon against us, I think, but they've decided to go with only Biblical and demonic monsters instead of man-made threats.

Part of me does sort of wish they jumped ahead a bit in Revelation. There's molasses in January (most seasons of SPN, how quickly the mytharc moved along), but then there's like waiting for trees to petrify. Lucifer is also sort of feeling like the James Bondian apocalypse starter. Then again, maybe he just thinks if he got near the Big Red Buttons O' Doom, the angels would just stop him? Not that they seem to be doing gangbusters of a job of that so far, as most of them want the Apocalypse to happen.

It does make for a slow Apocalypse, one that can last an entire season, heheh.

With the occasional fan convention and Paris Hilton intermission. Not that I didn't enjoy the fan convention ep (the Paris Hilton ep though? Eh), but it just doesn't seem like there's an Apocalypse going on, but then I suppose that's why it's supposed to be creepy. The unknown Apocalypse going on under the populace's noses, but you'd think Dean and Sam, being the ones in the know (the ones who started it, even), would see just a little more of it then the hapless rabble.

Edited 2010-01-30 13:27 (UTC)

I know you weren't being facetious. :) I love that whole end sequence from the movie.

Personally, I think that the writers just don't have enough Apocalypse-related ideas to sustain 22 episodes. That's why we're getting con eps and Paris Hilton. :)

I've always liked the idea of the apocalypse going down in the "not a bang but a whimper" style. While one part of me wishes they would move the apocalypse storyline a teensy bit faster, I'm glad we're not dealing with nuclear bombs and World War III.

I guess part of me keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it doesn't. I know that SPN is generally slow as molasses with how it proceeds the mytharc, but the momentum feels like it's getting broken too often this season.

However, with how Armageddon has been happening so far, I almost wonder if a (50-megaton angelic) shoe will be dropped in the finale. Like the big rig that crashes into the Impala in "Devil's Trap". The one thing - usually the big thing in the context of the greater plot - they usually try to prevent all season, it happens anyway and voila, conflict for another season (Azazel escaping, the demon horde let loose, Dean goes to Hell, Lucifer gets out, etc). However, the more personal story (usually involving Dean & Sam's relationship) ends happier. Sort of. S3 being the big exception. Since it seems likely SPN will get renewed. What's the conflict of S6? Send the hell unleashed on Earth back where it belongs and rebuilding?

'Since it seems likely SPN will get renewed.'
It already has been.

Great thoughts, hon! I agree with you, and really I've been sitting here wishing for more of an apocalyptic SPN all season.

I just thought, with the general running, jumping, climbing trees kind of show SPN has always been, it would better suited to a sort of Apocalypse with a much harder, resonant punch than what we've gotten. Dean and Sam are fighters, they're survivors, we should be allowed to see them really and truly be both. I don't think this type of apocalyptic story is giving us that, at least not anymore than last season, even earlier. I can appreciate the slow deterioration (or salvation) story too, but I'm not even sure that's what we're getting here. It just seems like Average SPN Season, oh btw, Apocalypse over there. Somewhere. Where Bad Things are happening. None of which we're really seeing and Dean & Sam aren't really experiencing nor is their 4 seasons worth of mettle truly being tested. Except for one really bad ep, then it's back to business as usual with body swap eps and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Not maligning those eps, because where SPN eps in general go, they were good/entertaining but...it's just not what I, personally, expected when it came to Apocalpyse + SPN. I almost keep expecting Johnston Green, Riddley Walker or Lauren Olamina to stride in, call Dean, Sam and Cas pansies and suck it up, then stride out because they had real problems to deal with.

'Not maligning those eps, because where SPN eps in general go, they were good/entertaining but...it's just not what I, personally, expected when it came to Apocalpyse + SPN.'
Agreed. I didn't think season five was going to be all Apocalpyse all the time, but I at least thought they do a better job of tying it into their stand alone episodes if anything else.

I wish it had gone this way!