by Catherine Wignall
Dear Supernatural,
We need to talk. Putting it bluntly, it’s not us: it’s you.
Dear Supernatural,
We need to talk. Putting it bluntly, it’s not us: it’s you.
You’ve had a long history of killing off women and minority characters, of focusing all your stories on white guys with daddy issues. It’s okay. That’s our fault. We knew what we were getting in to when we started watching you. Manpain galore, fridging from the pilot, and brothers who built their family out of the ash and blood they stood in, carving out a space for themselves and their ragtag bunch of adopted family. Except, that’s not quite true anymore. You’ve still got the manpain and the fridging, but the family’s gone.
First you killed Bobby. Season Seven was poor and Death’s Door was possibly the highlight of the year, as devastating as it was. Okay, we were angry but it felt like it meant something. The boys were moving forward and this gave them a new dynamic. Then you killed Meg. Meg. Everybody’s favourite demon. Her death never felt essential, or even the death she deserved, but at least it was on screen and as an honourary though perhaps reluctant part of Team Free Will.
Kevin was a hard one. The Winchesters had rebuilt a family for themselves. They had a home base. Since Season Eight, it felt like you had new life. There was new energy to your episodes and it felt like we were moving forwards. Kevin was an important part of that.
And now Charlie. Charlie Bradbury, Queen of the Nerds and Queen of our Hearts. Did you have to kill Charlie? Have you actually killed Charlie? We loved Charlie. She didn’t get the hero’s death she deserved. You didn’t even show it on screen. Doesn’t she deserve more? Doesn’t she deserve better?
First you killed Bobby. Season Seven was poor and Death’s Door was possibly the highlight of the year, as devastating as it was. Okay, we were angry but it felt like it meant something. The boys were moving forward and this gave them a new dynamic. Then you killed Meg. Meg. Everybody’s favourite demon. Her death never felt essential, or even the death she deserved, but at least it was on screen and as an honourary though perhaps reluctant part of Team Free Will.
Kevin was a hard one. The Winchesters had rebuilt a family for themselves. They had a home base. Since Season Eight, it felt like you had new life. There was new energy to your episodes and it felt like we were moving forwards. Kevin was an important part of that.
And now Charlie. Charlie Bradbury, Queen of the Nerds and Queen of our Hearts. Did you have to kill Charlie? Have you actually killed Charlie? We loved Charlie. She didn’t get the hero’s death she deserved. You didn’t even show it on screen. Doesn’t she deserve more? Doesn’t she deserve better?
You’ve given us a small sliver of hope in her inadequate send off. We didn’t see her death. Maybe it’s a ruse. Maybe she’ll be back. For your sake, we hope she is. You killed her off for manpain. The Winchester’s can get manpain from anywhere. It’s a form of currency on your show. Charlie didn’t have to die for it. That was lazy and compounds the problems you’ve been developing this season.
Once we watched the boys save the world and lose each other. Now we watch the boys lose the world for each other. It doesn’t matter what they risk as long as they keep the other one alive. We’ve talked about this over past weeks, but when will it become too much? When will you realise the sacrifices are too big?
You might argue Charlie’s death is the catalyst to this realisation. If she truly is gone then yes, this will have deep ramifications to the show, but they should have come sooner. Her death shouldn’t have been needed for this, not when she’s one of the few positive women you have.
Your structural problems and sloppy stories are the problem here. Charlie shouldn’t have had to die for them. Dean could have been pushed over the edge some other way. Some way that didn’t involve fridging. It’s lazy. We thought you were better than that. Apparently we were wrong.
We’re keeping with you, Supernatural, but for how long?
Once we watched the boys save the world and lose each other. Now we watch the boys lose the world for each other. It doesn’t matter what they risk as long as they keep the other one alive. We’ve talked about this over past weeks, but when will it become too much? When will you realise the sacrifices are too big?
You might argue Charlie’s death is the catalyst to this realisation. If she truly is gone then yes, this will have deep ramifications to the show, but they should have come sooner. Her death shouldn’t have been needed for this, not when she’s one of the few positive women you have.
Your structural problems and sloppy stories are the problem here. Charlie shouldn’t have had to die for them. Dean could have been pushed over the edge some other way. Some way that didn’t involve fridging. It’s lazy. We thought you were better than that. Apparently we were wrong.
We’re keeping with you, Supernatural, but for how long?
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