You Can Find it in the Most Unlikely Places

My love for the CW’s show Supernatural comes and goes. So I didn’t make a huge effort to watch the show when it aired on December 13th. But I’ve since watched that episode, and I am grateful that I did. Wikipedia.org says that the episode, entitled “A Very Supernatural Christmas” received 3.02 million viewers. Not too shabby. We certainly don’t want this show to be canceled, since it’s one of the few good ones around.

Though this show is in its’ third season, I’ve never previously formed an attachment to it or either of the main characters. Those characters are brothers Dean and Sam Winchester, played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, respectively. The brothers travel across the country in Dean’s black Chevy Impala (which he calls his baby), hunting demons, investigating paranormal occurrences, and fighting various supernatural creatures.

To sum up the show, I can tell you that aside from the obvious supernatural elements, the show combines drama/mystery/horror/comedy/and a little romance in one package to deliver a show that can entertain at a high level without being too intense in one genre. The show also has a very strong point in featuring the brothers and all the things that come with a brotherly bond – especially the great material for brothers who were estranged for a long time. Along that family track, there is also a whole background storyline that has played out involving their parents.

We may not be living in an Amish society anymore but family is still an important aspect in several people’s lives, and I really like shows that bring in a family concept without making it hokey.

The plot of this episode was decent enough, but it was the flashbacks to Sam and Dean’s childhood, and the final scene of the episode, that really got to me. In the flashbacks, we saw Dean covering up for his dad who wasn’t ever around (he was hunting demons) – not even for Christmas. Dean tried to make Christmas for Sam by stealing some gifts from another house (normally I’d frown on this but this was just so touching…) but sadly the gifts were for girls and Sam knew what Dean was doing.

At the end of this episode, in a tiny motel room, Dean walked in to find that Sam had made Christmas for him with a shabby tree, some spiked eggnog (is it called ’spiked’ if you know that it’s spiked?) and some borderline tacky decorations. The gesture was much more powerful than the actual decorations.

The brothers exchanged gifts. Neither having much money, the gifts were nothing too special, and weren’t wrapped well, but it truly, seriously, was the thought that counted here.

And here was my thought – it is the spirit of people that will light up a room, and that will ‘make Christmas’. Because it was the brothers that made Christmas good, it wasn’t the presents or the decorations or anything else.

This is a show about demons that eat flesh and…all sorts of things like that. And yet, this is the show this season that spoke to me the most about the Christmas spirit. As my title says, you can find it in the most unlikely of places. Of course, for loyal fans of this show who have missed almost no episodes, they could have probably told you to expect something like this. (For those that have been reading me, you know that I am a fan of Buffyverse shows so I do know that shows about demons can still tell a strong story about the human condition, I just didn’t know that there were any shows on TV doing it anymore, on any level.)

In terms of the most emotionally strong male TV characters that are on TV this season, these brothers both get my votes. Tune in to the CW on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST to see why.

Yes, I think I have an attachment, now.

I dedicate this entry to my friend Dave, who is always telling me how great this show is.

Wishing you happy holidays.

- Jessica

For more on this show, check out: Sirlinksalot.net: Supernatural links

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