Supernatural Fans and the Series’ Female Characters: A Love-Hate Relationship
By lyric, WinchesterBros.com Staff

NOTE: The following article contains Season 3 casting news spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read.

With Season 3 casting news hitting the internet, announcing that two new female characters will be added to Supernatural as possible series’ regulars, the fandom reacted immediately. The majority of fans objected. It didn’t matter that we knew almost nothing about these new characters. That we still don’t. It didn’t, and doesn’t, matter that no one knows who’s going to play Bela and Ruby. The reactions were almost unanimously: NO.

Almost, because there were, and are, fans who want to wait and see how the new casting plays out.

Perhaps the strong reaction stems from the possibility that the new additions to the show are being brought in as regular cast members, positions that only Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki held. Well, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and the Impala, that is. Not even Jeffrey Dean Morgan got to be a regular cast member. And he’s John Winchester. So… newcomers?

But then again it may be something else. Or perhaps something more. Maybe it is not so much as Supernatural getting new characters or even new regular cast members, as it is getting two new female characters.

The fandom adores John. In a recent interview with Jim Beaver, Winchester Journals brought attention to the amount of love fans have for Bobby, as opposed to the treatment that Ellen and Jo are getting. Fans who watched Season 1 may recall the welcome Cassie got, before anyone even knew anything about her, except for her being ‘Dean’s ex-girlfriend’.

On the other hand, fans seem to like Jess, Sarah and Madison. But then Jess died. Taylor Cole (Sarah) was, at the time, clearly there for a guest-star role. And Madison…Yeah, well we all know what happened to her.

Or do we?

So what is it with the fandom? Why do so many of us treat some of the female characters in the show as if they were the Yellow-Eyed-Demon’s accomplices, while others not only receive the get-out-of-jail-free card, but are also liked by fans?

My opinion? The latter weren’t seen as a threat. They didn’t threat to change the dynamics. Jess’ death, which is an important ongoing factor in the series’ dynamics, took her out of the picture. Well, in Supernatural ‘out-of-the-picture’ terms. After all, we all know that being dead on this series doesn’t mean one won’t be back again and again and again.

Got to love this show!

Sarah, as lovable a character as she was, was merely an instrument which allowed Sam to take the first step in moving on past Jess. Once he took this step, she was no longer needed. Though it doesn’t mean we won’t get to see her again. Kripke?

Madison was another tool used by the writers to bring out the brothers’ inner world. And in fulfilling this role, her fate was predetermined.

But that isn’t necessarily the case with Cassie, Ellen or Jo. Cassie represents a part of Dean’s life that we know of, but never actually see. She gave us the Dean who wants a normal life. And if we are so used to seeing the older Winchester brother hitting on almost any woman with a pulse, never looking for anything other than the here and now, Cassie was a different story.

And she broke his heart. An unforgivable act in the eyes of many Supernatural fans. No one hurts our boys and gets away with it. No one.

Ellen is a mystery; with more that we don’t know about her than that which we do. Along with John and Bobby, Ellen holds the position of the responsible adult: she gives the boys what may be seen as tough love. She’s there for them, but doesn’t let them get away with anything. And as mentioned before, no one hurts our boys and gets away with it. Even if it’s being done with good intention.

And then there’s Jo. The second the rumors that Dean was getting a love-interest hit the fandom, all hell broke loose. Alona Tal didn’t even get a chance to be seen onscreen when Jo was flagged down on many fans’ Most Wanted lists. Others waited until we actually saw her.

This is a generalization, of course. While some fans hate Jo and dislike Alona, others distinguish between the character and the actress. A lot of other fans like Jo, and are divided between seeing her as Dean’s love-interest and the Winchesters’ surrogate sister.

And then there are those who are indifferent to her.

The writers didn’t make it easy on anyone, and different interviews supplied ammunition for all sides. Everyone found what they were looking for.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the male characters escaped this fate. Maybe it has to do with what Kripke said at the Paley Q&A session when he spoke about the way guys talk: "the way they communicate without ever really communicating anything". In other words, having male characters doesn’t change the Winchesters’ (male) dynamics of the show.

But it could possibly be about something else all together. Something trivial. After all, sometimes the answer tends to be the most obvious one. And in the case of Supernatural, the answer is relationships. With the relationship between Dean and Sam being the heart of Supernatural, can the series sustain one, or the two of them, being in a romantic relationship? Can fans sustain it?

And can fans sustain one of the boys, or both, being taken off of the market?

Let’s face it, Dean and Sam staying single leaves room to fantasize. You don’t fantasize about a taken man, even if he is only a fictional character. Do we, in the name of fantasy, condemn our beloved Winchesters to a lonely life?

What is it that we, the fans, want? When we call on The CW executives to leave Eric Kripke’s vision alone, do we even know what Kripke’s vision is? And if Supernatural’s creative minds were told to bring in the new characters against their better judgment, can’t we trust them to make the best out of it? After all, they were the ones who brought Supernatural to life.

Isn’t it possible that we, by demanding to see what we want to see, are actually the ones who interfere with Kripke’s vision? Aren’t we doing the exact same thing we’re accusing the network of doing?

As fans, we can let our imagination fill the blanks; add information; take storylines to different directions they didn’t take on the show. We can read and write fanfiction, we can create video clips and arts, and we can appreciate all of those. But do we have the right to demand all of that from Supernatural’s creators? If Jo-haters have their way, is it fair to Jo-lovers, and vice-versa? Do the series’ writers have an obligation to us, or to the series? As Sera Gamble said in an interview: “it’s my job to take risks and move the story in unexpected directions. If I’m thinking about how my idea’s going to sit with critics while I’m writing it, it’s toast. The line between a brilliant idea and a stupid one is paper thin. Some of what I try is going to work, and some isn’t. I’m doing my job properly if the fandom occasionally wants to marry me—and occasionally hates my guts.”

They are telling their story. Not ours.

There’s a saying in the world of sport: The team is above anything else. Nothing and no one are more important than it.

Supernatural is that team.

When you look at your television, you’ll notice the “Off” button. You don’t like what you see? Press the button. Turn it off.


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