Airing out a Grudge: “Supernatural” – Season 6 and 7

So recently I have gotten into the television show “Supernatural”. For those who don’t know it, “Supernatural” is one of those shows that came on around the same time as others, focusing on writing and drama of a group or duo. In this case, it focused on the Winchesters, a pair of brothers who were hunting demons, ghosts, and legends of both the older and urban variety. The mix of legends, the travels across America and the various little points about the two are interesting to see. The story behind the two boys, as well as their reasons for doing it and how others look at them, makes the whole thing often worth watching, as does the dialogue. Oh, the dialogue is AWESOME.

So as I tend to, I started from the beginning and worked my way to what was supposed to be the end. The writers had planned on a 5-season show, meaning the natural story arc, character development, and general plot of it all was in season 1 to season 5, and when I started watching it, season 6 was just ending.

I enjoyed the story, though I was a bit saddened by the end, mostly as a writer. I didn’t feel the ending given to Dean would be truthful or even helpful to the character. Dean is a family-oriented person, but at the same time has not been ‘normal’ since he was four…relearning that is hard. From my own experience, going from one type of lifestyle or way of living to another can be depressing and a bit hard to deal with, and so going into something that can easily be depressing or hard to change, right after something that had caused him to effectively commit suicide the last time it happened.

And he’s left alone. With a group of people who don’t know anything about the supernatural, or what he’s gone through, or who he can talk to about what he’s feeling, going through, has gone through, or anything else. In fact, if he did tell anyone, including a psychologist, he might be considered a bit insane, or at least mentally unbalanced.

So I started watching season 6, and was a bit…underwhelmed by it. I felt that the storyline was a bit thrown together, with someone randomly pulling ideas from a dart-board. First: Sam is back! So is Skinner – sorry, Samuel – the grandpa! And they’ve been back for a year, Bobby knew, and somehow they were totally sure that Dean was well-adjusted and not about to be attacked by the numerous evils they’ve fought or those that realize Dean is open and ready to kill, AND he has a family to try and protect!

Ok, you can get a whole series, or even half a series, off Dean dealing with his friend’s idiocy, returning to being a Hunter and trying to not instantly become like his dad, and having to learn more about his mother’s side of the family.

But that gets scrapped pretty soon, and now we learn there’s a war in Heaven, and Heaven is pretty messy right now. Another good story, Castiel and his group working to try and save Heaven and not start the Apocalypse while also having others besides Balthazar as Angels that left and are now hedonistic, or vengeful, or something similar. This would work well as Dean has to deal with his–oh, this isn’t even a secondary story but a reason to have Cas not be around that often…

OH, the Alphas!

You see my problem. There was a great deal of ideas, all of them good, but too many of them shoved into the season to really work. It was a bit messy, with good ideas and bad ones, and the final part just felt like something that should’ve been the focus and instead was pushed to be the huge SURPRISE for the ending.

So if season 6 was a bit of a cluster, season 7 was…also clustered.

The storyline went from both dealing with Sam dealing with hallucinations, Dean dealing with Castiel and all of that, and a new big-bad from before even the Angels. Yet only a few of the story-lines dealt with the new Leviathans, and within about two of them, I knew what they were going to do ultimately. I knew EXACTLY what was going on.

Things didn’t get interesting AGAIN until the last few episodes, and even then, some of it wasn’t all that interesting. It was a basic “last chance stand” story.

So I had problems with the last two seasons. The first five were obviously written to be a group, with the rest feeling like they’d been tacked on and, hopefully, season 8 will be better and bring back our guys instead of the angst-buckets we have now.

Mandatory Theme Month October: “Grimm”

Welcome to Tea ‘n History with your hostess, Felicia Angel.

 

So recently, a show was started called “Grimm”, dealing with the idea that the stories of old, especially those associated with the Brothers Grimm, are real and a part of the real world, even today. Those who fight against the evil beings are known as Grimms, which are as much the bogeyman in the world of monsters as they are to us. The show itself is interesting, for having only the pilot, and offers enough suspense and fear to work.

 

The story behind the Brothers and their work is just as interesting as the show. During their lives, the influence of the Napoleonic era created a movement known as Romanticism. Yes, I know, considering the tales the two brothers found, things don’t seem that romantic, but the movement itself was one that comes up during the pendulum that history is. Because the Napoleonic Era and much of the various revolutions at the time were based on reason and science, the push back was to invoke emotions and symbolism into the new area, and the rise of Nationalism after the expansion of France into areas like Italy, Spain, and Germany that we have today and that wasn’t really around during this time.

The idea of nationalism rose at the time from a shared history or language, but was often fought by others, including a Pope, who felt threatened in some way or by those who didn’t want to give up the rule over various people. However, the push by Napoleon into the regions and his men’s talk of French Nationalism, which was to mean those nations who were “free” of kings and queens and like France, often had a different reaction, especially among the German and Spanish, who bonded of shared languages and the “us vs. them” mentality.

So with the fall of Napoleon and the rise of what is called the Age of Metternich, romanticism built and the idea of nationalism also came up. One, Gottfried von Herder, built up the idea of German nationalism, feeling that each nation had a patter of growth as well as specific cultural markers and artifacts that made up the nation. He also didn’t feel this was only in Germany – every nation had their own set of these and to create a nation, one needed to understand the shared culture or to create “modern artifacts”.

So why is von Herder important in the tale of the Brothers Grimm? Well, mostly that his idea was to send out his students to gather the tales, ballads, stories and folklore of their people, and the two Grimms were his most famous students.

Granted, even they “Disneyfied” their story, as the first-edition version of Rapunzel has a very different way of the witch learned about the Prince then the second-edition (hint: first edition involves PREGNANCY as a way of finding out the prince was in with Rapunzel). But beyond that, they were able to save and record a great deal of stories and folktales that have been passed on from generation to generation and which are…well, the old version of “Red Riding Hood” is a bit freakier then even the newer, cleaner, safe version we tell our kids.

So for Halloween, pull out the original text (if you can find it) and scare the kids and perhaps yourself with original tales of horror and morals from the Brothers Grimm.

A Bit Overrun with Symbolism: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There

Welcome to Tea ‘n History, with your hostess, Felicia Angel

 

Recently out for play is a game by American McGee titled “Alice: The Madness Returns”, a sequel to the original game of “American McGee’s Alice”. The stories in both are based after Alice’s original adventures in Wonderland, where a fire has destroyed Alice’s house and, sadly, her sanity. She is called into Wonderland to save it, and thus save herself. The new one is very much rinse-repeat with new types of levels and, in general, if you want a good look at the two games (along with decent commentary and somewhat annoying lack of sense of direction), find the various Let’s Play by Lotus Prince (http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/blogger/listings/lotus-prince), as he does a wonderful job and many of his games are on the dark side but also very fun to watch.

Granted, I get a bit tired of him looking at all the shiny stuff and things, but he does an alright job and does try to read off some of the stuff about some of the enemies or if something is based of one thing or another.

The original story by Lewis Carroll appears to be cause of a long line of things about Alice to be used in various areas, be it for talking about dreams, imaginary numbers, drugs, or worlds as little children view them.

Originally published in 1865, with many of the characters being caricatures of either the writer or others that he knew (or disliked in politics) the original manuscript was written up after the author, a colleague, and three daughters of another colleague, Henry Liddell (none were over the age of 13, one was named Alice, and your mind needs to get out of the gutter NOW) went on a boat ride and he entertained the children by telling them a story about a bored girl named Alice. Another trip added to the manuscripts, and soon two books were published, one with references to card games (the Queen of Hearts is only in one book – in the other, a similar woman is known as the Red Queen) and the second dealing with chess (which is why there was a Red Queen). Much of the symbolism in the books is based on the college and church nearby (Oxford and Christ, respectively of course) and Carroll’s own background in mathematics. At the time, the idea of imaginary numbers was coming up, and…well, read the books and think of it along the lines of math instead of just a kid’s book or someone taking drugs. Seriously.

In general, whenever movies or games (or references) to Alice are done, they usually have a mix of both the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the second Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. Much of it includes parody and nonsense poems, two of which that remain with us for a good while being The Walrus and the Carpenter and The Jabberwocky. An example is the use of Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum (second book), calling the Red Queen and Queen of Hearts the same thing, adding in anything about the Walrus and the Carpenter or the Jabberwocky, and such.

Alice in popular culture is either a curious child or a lot of various things, including mad, imaginative, or having had something she shouldn’t have. A few times when it’s referenced is for the huge cry of SYMBOLISM but in general it also has to do with uncovering secrets or dealing with a dream world, where familiar faces can appear in very different settings. As everyone sees the characters differently, it can easily take on any part that someone wants or can be used to help drive any of the characters, though naming someone Alice and putting them in such a place is a bit cliche (Resident Evil movies).

The long list of those influenced or having some connection to the story is long, and many are worth looking into, just as the original books are. Alice has worked her way into our imaginations and we still are happy to follow her down that rabbit hole, no matter what lies beyond.

That’s Not My Mythology: Comparison of “Clash of the Titans” (1981 vs 2010)

Hello and welcome to Tea ‘n History, with your hostess, Felicia Angel.

Now, I’m a major Greek mythology geek. I got into it when I was in 2nd grade and it’s never really left me. The stories are interesting, the gods are fairly cool and recognizable if you grew up in any of Western Civilization, and some of it is romantic while the rest is…well, you need a flow-chart to figure some of the lineages out.

One of my favorite movies to watch when I was younger was Clash of the Titans, a 1981 movie with creatures done by Ray Harryhausen and fairly good effects. It was one of two that he did with Greek Myths, the other being Jason and the Argonauts, and both being well-received and still having a good fanbase.

So in 2010, when I learned a remake of Clash of the Titans was going to be made, I was happy. The fact that I”m also a Liam Neeson fangirl also helped. Him as Zeus and Aslan? WIN!

Then I saw the movie.

At which point I disowned it.

Then burned it.

Then threw it into the deepest part of the Underworld and hoped it stayed there.

However, having rediscovered my love for all things Harryhausen (and a $5 Walmart bin version of Clash of the Titans -1981), I felt it was my duty to point out the good and bad parts of them…not completely a la the Nostalgia Critic’s “Old vs. New”, but in my own way.

…which mostly includes destroy the new one after…rewatching…it…

This may hurt a bit.

So, first, backstory:

Both films have a (general) idea of the history of Perseus, a demi-god who goes to find Medusa and cut off her head. Reasons for it, in the original, mostly are given as “I don’t have anything to give my mom on her wedding day and the douche who’s marrying her said he wanted it”. With that, and because as the son of Zeus he instantly gets cheat codes, Perseus is given Hades’ helm (a cap of invisibility), a very reflective shield, Hermes’ sandals (fly anywhere) and a sword made out of something that sounds like the metal that went into Wolverine’s claws. He’s told to go find the Graece, sisters of the Gorgons (there is more then one) to find out where they’re hiding, and to kill the only mortal one, Medusa. He does so, and on the way back, spots a princess about to be sacrificed because her mother said something about her being as pretty as goddess of the sea, which pissed off the sea god enough he’s going to cause them problems and demand the daughter, Andromeda, be sacrificed to a sea-monster, Cetus.

As Medusa’s head gives Perseus enough to be in God Cheat Mode, he kills the monster, frees Andromeda, and heads home to free his mother as well. He also, at one point or earlier, learned that he was fathered by Zeus due to his mother being locked into a tower after his grandfather, the king of Argos, found out that if his daughter gave birth, he wasn’t long for this world. So, lock her in a tall tower were only the gods, who are known for changing forms and shapes and randomly seducing/raping/sexing up women, can see her.

…Brilliant idea.

Zeus comes down in a beam of golden light and, 9 months later, Perseus is born. At which point the king of Argos shows how much in common with a Bond villain he has by locking Perseus and his mother in a box and dumping it into the ocean.

As the first few paragraphs detailed Perseus and his mother being alive, that worked out really well, didn’t it?

Now, the movies:

Both movies take…liberties…with the original story of Perseus, but that’s to be expected as what I gave you also demands a lot of backstory for some parts, like who certain gods are in relation to Perseus (half-siblings, mostly, or uncles/aunts), Medusa (angry at her for doing another god in their temple), and some of the mythological beasts that appear. However, the 2010 version does it’s best to not only not tell the stories well, but to really mess it up as far as motivations go.

The original Clash of the Titans had Perseus growing up on an idyllic island with his mother, her dying before the film begins, and generally not being messed with until the goddess Thetis, angry at her son’s deformity after he’d done a few too many things to piss off Zeus, sets him down in Jota, the kingdom where her son is currently tormenting his old fiancee, Andromeda. Perseus is given special items by the goddesses Aphrodite, Thetis (she’s not really playing one side or the other, just hoping her son does what he can to redeem himself), Hera, and Athena, which mostly have a magical helmet of invisibility (except for footprints), a sword, and a shield, as well as told where to find Pegasus, the last winged horse, for his steed. He figures out how to free Andromeda from Thetis’ son, then has to defeat the Kraken because…well, Andromeda’s mother is a bit of an idiot and went around saying her daughter was prettier then the patron goddess.

In front of said patron goddess’ statue.

So to save his beloved, Perseus travels to the Stygian witches (evil version of the Graece) and then to near the underworld to defeat Medusa and bring back her head so he can defeat the Kraken. He does so, and the two live happily ever after and are put in the stars.

Yays happy endings!

 

The remake Clash of the Titans has Perseus growing up doubting who he is because he was found with a dead mother in a box out at sea. His family is somewhat divided on if thanking or cursing the gods is in order for failed harvest of fish, and end up dying when Hades attacks some men for being dicks and throwing down a statue dedicated to Zeus. Hades, still pissed for his lot after helping win the war against the Titans, decides to play both sides by having men start to doubt the gods, as well as having the gods kill the humans. Perseus, as a demi-god, is not easily killed and, with Andromeda’s mother saying something stupid (because it’s her lot in the story, though in this one the father joins in as well), Perseus must head out to kill Medusa and save the kingdom from the evil Kraken…after being beaten up because he has god-blood in him (seriously, what the hell?). Along the way, he is offered up a winged horse, and all the other cool things by his dad, Zeus, but says ‘no’ to them because he is a man and can do it himself.

He also meet Io who has nothing to do with the story but to show how much of a player and a dick Zeus can be while hiding his affairs from a very vengeful wife.

Finally accepting that he’s part god and deserves a winged horse, Perseus rides back and saves both Olympus from Hades’ schemes and Andromeda from being eaten. Then thinks about running off from being a king to find adventures with his love-forever, Io.

….yays?

 

You see the problem. The story itself doesn’t really have a ‘bad guy’ but both try to create one: the original created Calibos, Thetis son who is punished and becomes vengeful, but that you feel a bit for (just a tiny, tiny bit) when he speaks to Andromeda’s spirit. Afterwards, his actions are just that of a straight-up villain who wants things his way and the story doesn’t really suffer him being in the story or not, save for the times he makes things go from dull to action.

Hades as the antagonist is…well, seriously, I’ve never seen him as an antagonist. The two movies I’ve known of him as the major antagonist (Disney’s Hercules and this remake) just make him come off as a very one-dimensional and jealous character, as well as not that much of a threat. Kingdom Hearts makes him a better antagonist!

In both movies, Perseus’ lineage becomes important to his ultimate purpose. In the original, it’s because he’s the son of Zeus and getting some special-treatment that Thetis sends him to Jota, and later it’s what earns him a mechanical all-knowing owl, special equipment, and in general added special treatment, but it’s never quite hand-holding either. He’s put in situations where he has to figure things out for himself or have someone with him help figure it out, but he’s ready to ask for help and take what’s given to him, or to do what seems impossible so he can get things done. He’s a bit optimistic but not to the point of being annoying, and in general is also likable. In the remake, Perseus has a good reason for disliking a god, but not all of them, and is obviously not one who wants to get into trouble, despite the fact that his lineage demands it, though the people of Argos are a bit…annoying when it comes to treatment of one person who might be able to save them (believing himself to be a demi-god or not). Perseus’ backstory is also a mix of his and that of Hercules (which makes a better story, I guess, then “Zeus went to sex up a lady in a tower because she was alone and pretty”) along with a continued line of “men challenging the gods and the gods saying ‘really?'”. Io is also given a story that isn’t her own (she didn’t deny the love to a god and become cursed with everlasting life…she went with a god and was turned into a cow to be hidden from a jealous goddess), and in general the only person in this movie that I even like a bit is Andromeda, and only because she at least shows SENSE. Perseus attempting to be Kratos doesn’t quite work, them being all “we can do this for we are men…right up until those particular monsters, then we’re screwed” doesn’t quite work, and Perseus isn’t really a good example for a hero or even someone I’d follow in the story.

 

The base comparison is: the newer Clash of the Titans isn’t that good of a movie. It attempts to have some parts of the old and show it off, but in general is a worst movie for being the ‘gritty revisit’. 300 and the God of War games have more in common with Greek mythology then this does, and in God of War, you spend most of it killing the gods. The addition of Io as the ‘wise woman’ and love-interest for sake of a triangle doesn’t help, and neither does Perseus’ stigma for being a demi-god to a group of people who just had most of their men killed except that guy and he wasn’t even fighting. If you have someone who’s purpose in life is to actually be able to defeat or become a god, you take their help and don’t torture them. Even Hercules: The Legendary Journey got this right!

Originally I thought it was nostalgia creeping up and telling me that this wasn’t that good of a movie compared to the old one, bathed in the light of childhood and Greek Mythology geekdom, but after rewatching the two, I must say that I know where my annoyance lies. There are good points to the new one – the way they make the Gods, Neeson not seeming to be there and phoning in a few lines like Sir Lawrence Olivier was doing, slightly better special effects (which is probably the worst thing to think of…they’re only slightly better after nearly 30 years? FAIL), but as far as telling the story and having characters that, even with little backstory you care about, the 1981 version is far superior.

So is Percy Jackson and the Olympians. So is God of War…and Hercules: The Legendary Journey.

Because even they didn’t give up winged horses.