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why isnt supernatural scary?

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    supernaturalFTW

    [1]Jul 14, 2012
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    I just recently watched the ghostbusters web series, and for a mini series aimed at being comical, it was somewhat scary at points and it occurred to me how lacking supernatural has become in the horror department. Supernatural used to be scary in season 1-3. Back when it was season 1, I used to have nightmares after watching it - granted i was 11 at the time but still. It used to be exciting but now its way more about drama than actual action and horror. I actually just rewatched a season 1 episode, Skins, and that common shapeshifter put up more of a fight than Dick did this entire season. I just hope season 8 gives us at least some frightening moments since Dean is trapped in Purgatory with like millions of monsters. I mean isn't supernatural suppose to be a horror genre?

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    lachlan_j_g

    [2]Jul 14, 2012
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    supernaturalFTW wrote:


    I just recently watched the ghostbusters web series, and for a mini series aimed at being comical, it was somewhat scary at points and it occurred to me how lacking supernatural has become in the horror department. Supernatural used to be scary in season 1-3. Back when it was season 1, I used to have nightmares after watching it - granted i was 11 at the time but still. It used to be exciting but now its way more about drama than actual action and horror. I actually just rewatched a season 1 episode, Skins, and that common shapeshifter put up more of a fight than Dick did this entire season. I just hope season 8 gives us at least some frightening moments since Dean is trapped in Purgatory with like millions of monsters. I mean isn't supernatural suppose to be a horror genre?


    I agree with you, some of the early episodes were pretty scary - Hook Man, the Scarecrow god one, Bloody Mary etc. Seeing as how seasons 4 and 5 were the end of the storyline arc and they were counting down to the big title fight (Dean vs Sam) it did start to focus on their relationship a bit more than in previous seasons because that's how the comparison with Michael and Lucifer was to be portrayed.


    as for the comparison between Dick Roman and the shapeshifter - I would like to point out that they had the means to kill the shapeshifter, but not Dick until the end of the season. Dick is like the Lex Luthor of Supernatural, he doesn't have to do much himselfto be a badass, but his schemes are what make him a badass. Plus, he was cocky and arrogant - he thought he was invincible, and had taken steps to ensure him so. even at the end, when he knew he was dying, he also knew what would happen to Dean and Cas upon his death so he was smiling the entire time.

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    libra113

    [3]Jul 15, 2012
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    The scary ones are the urban legend stories. When it gets into the core story it's more about action and less about chills. It's a trade off.

    Good comparison Dick is the Lex Luther of the show. He has billions, underlings and uses them to carry out his agenda rather than being 'hands on'.
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    CharmedOneP391

    [4]Jul 21, 2012
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    I'd say the Lex Luthor of Supernatural if there's going to be one would be Crowley. They just can't seem to get rid of him. And even though they had plenty of chances to, they never did because it served them better to leave him alive. & what happens? He screws them over, of course.


    But yeah..Supernatural hasn't been that scary recently, Although season six had it's moment or two with Caged Heat (not so much scary as...bizarre)

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    libra113

    [5]Jul 21, 2012
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    CharmedOneP391 wrote:


    I'd say the Lex Luthor of Supernatural if there's going to be one would be Crowley. They just can't seem to get rid of him. And even though they had plenty of chances to, they never did because it served them better to leave him alive. & what happens? He screws them over, of course.


    But yeah..Supernatural hasn't been that scary recently, Although season six had it's moment or two with Caged Heat (not so much scary as...bizarre)
    Well, when I was talking about Lex Luthor I was talking more about someone with a major company and billions of dollars who works behind the scenes through flunkies and rarely gets his own hands dirty. That was Dick Roman all over.

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    supernaturalFTW

    [6]Aug 5, 2012
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    libra113 wrote:
    The scary ones are the urban legend stories. When it gets into the core story it's more about action and less about chills. It's a trade off. Good comparison Dick is the Lex Luther of the show. He has billions, underlings and uses them to carry out his agenda rather than being 'hands on'.


    I'd like to point out the first part of this statement isnt really true. Yeah in recent seasons, that did seem to be the case. But think back to season one. The last few episodes leading to the season finale WAS SCARY and they were as "core story" as it got for season one as the two brothers reunited with their missing father and made an attempt to kill YED. oh and sorry for a bit of necro bump

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    libra113

    [7]Aug 6, 2012
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    supernaturalFTW wrote:

    libra113 wrote:
    The scary ones are the urban legend stories. When it gets into the core story it's more about action and less about chills. It's a trade off. Good comparison Dick is the Lex Luther of the show. He has billions, underlings and uses them to carry out his agenda rather than being 'hands on'.


    I'd like to point out the first part of this statement isnt really true. Yeah in recent seasons, that did seem to be the case. But think back to season one. The last few episodes leading to the season finale WAS SCARY and they were as "core story" as it got for season one as the two brothers reunited with their missing father and made an attempt to kill YED. oh and sorry for a bit of necro bump
    Well, given that I don't really find anything scary anymore its hard for me judge.
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    tvtome_xena321

    [8]Aug 7, 2012
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    I get where your coming from, but I look at it this way, the early seasons have that scary feel, because the show is still finding its ground, so things seem mysterious and all, but once the show has ran for 6 years, the scary/mysterious feel passes.

    I never found anything scary, but I guess season one did have alot of demons of the week that were scary because they didn't look human, maybe thats why. But I do miss the old supernatural creepy music they used whenever they were researching cases. I do miss the old score from early season one.
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    libra113

    [9]Aug 8, 2012
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    tvtome_xena321 wrote:
    I get where your coming from, but I look at it this way, the early seasons have that scary feel, because the show is still finding its ground, so things seem mysterious and all, but once the show has ran for 6 years, the scary/mysterious feel passes. I never found anything scary, but I guess season one did have alot of demons of the week that were scary because they didn't look human, maybe thats why. But I do miss the old supernatural creepy music they used whenever they were researching cases. I do miss the old score from early season one.
    They've never had demons that don't look human.

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    Tyrathius

    [10]Aug 11, 2012
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    The show's creators have basically said in the past that they're not going to be doing any monsters they can't make (mostly) human, because they tried it in Wendigo and it didn't turn out well. Personally I always enjoyed the bad CGI and cheesy special effects on monsters in Buffy, but that show isn't as dark and gritty as Supernatural so I guess it just works better there.


    But I think a lot of it has to do with how the characters are never in any danger. Most viewers are familiar enough with how TV works to know that Sam and Dean aren't going to get mauled by some random monster of the week. They're only ever going to be in danger of dying (for good, at least) in the series finale, or if one of the actors leaves the show before it gets cancelled. Even recurring character deaths tend to be saved for plot episodes (John Winchester in IMTOD, the Harvelles in AAH, etc.) so it's hard for generic baddie #117 to appear threatening when the worst he's ever going to accomplish is kill some random one-shot character nobody really cares about.


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    libra113

    [11]Aug 12, 2012
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    I don't know, I've recently seen bits ofpiecesof the "Buffy" spin off "Angel" and the monster effects really hurt the show. Anyway how could theexistenceof monsters be secret if such obvious monsters are running around in plain sight?


    That's just the nature of the best.

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    supernaturalFTW

    [12]Aug 12, 2012
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    libra113 wrote:


    tvtome_xena321 wrote:
    I get where your coming from, but I look at it this way, the early seasons have that scary feel, because the show is still finding its ground, so things seem mysterious and all, but once the show has ran for 6 years, the scary/mysterious feel passes. I never found anything scary, but I guess season one did have alot of demons of the week that were scary because they didn't look human, maybe thats why. But I do miss the old supernatural creepy music they used whenever they were researching cases. I do miss the old score from early season one.
    They've never had demons that don't look human.


    wow thats actually a really good point that i had not thought of. death has become a joke and its not even a threat to the characters anymore.

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    Tyrathius

    [13]Aug 12, 2012
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    libra113 wrote:


    I don't know, I've recently seen bits ofpiecesof the "Buffy" spin off "Angel" and the monster effects really hurt the show. Anyway how could theexistenceof monsters be secret if such obvious monsters are running around in plain sight?


    That's just the nature of the best.


    Well, in the Buffyverse the supernatural was a bit of an open secret -Most of the residents in Sunnydale were aware there was something strange going on, even if they weren't exactly sure what. But most monsters could assume human form, and the ones that couldn't either stayed out of sight or were so powerful that being seen by humans wasn't much concern to them. There was also a plot in season 4 about a secret sect of the US Government creating super soldiers to fight the supernatural, and characters like the Mayor or the lawyer firm Wolfram and Hart from Angel presumably covered up some of the more outrageous incidents other monsters caused.


    Anyway, my point is that while Buffy and Angel's effects weren't always perfect, they at least tried. Lack of special effects can hurt a show just as much as bad special effects -While I can accept that a vampire is a human with bad teeth or a wraith is a human with a spike in their wrist, a dragon who is just a human with glowy hands is pushing it.

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    libra113

    [14]Aug 16, 2012
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    Tyrathius wrote:


    libra113 wrote:


    I don't know, I've recently seen bits ofpiecesof the "Buffy" spin off "Angel" and the monster effects really hurt the show. Anyway how could theexistenceof monsters be secret if such obvious monsters are running around in plain sight?


    That's just the nature of the best.


    Well, in the Buffyverse the supernatural was a bit of an open secret -Most of the residents in Sunnydale were aware there was something strange going on, even if they weren't exactly sure what. But most monsters could assume human form, and the ones that couldn't either stayed out of sight or were so powerful that being seen by humans wasn't much concern to them. There was also a plot in season 4 about a secret sect of the US Government creating super soldiers to fight the supernatural, and characters like the Mayor or the lawyer firm Wolfram and Hart from Angel presumably covered up some of the more outrageous incidents other monsters caused.


    Anyway, my point is that while Buffy and Angel's effects weren't always perfect, they at least tried. Lack of special effects can hurt a show just as much as bad special effects -While I can accept that a vampire is a human with bad teeth or a wraith is a human with a spike in their wrist, a dragon who is just a human with glowy hands is pushing it.
    Less is more

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    PhoebeHalliwell

    [15]Sep 8, 2012
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    I agree, it use to be so scary, the bloody mary episode is the scariest in my opinion

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    tvtome_xena321

    [16]Oct 5, 2012
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    Actually I think the music they used in season 1 is what made it have that scary/mysterious feel, I truly miss the old background score from season 1.
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    libra113

    [17]Oct 14, 2012
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    Well, a lot of it may be we're just too used to their world now. We know what to expect from them so it's much harder.
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    Ukonius

    [18]Nov 26, 2012
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    I'll take entertaining and discussion provoking over scary anytime. I am afraid they are dragging things out over too many episodes in the newest season. The flair isnt there like it was in the first 5 season but I still tune in every week and will continue to do so.

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    libra113

    [19]Nov 29, 2012
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    Yesterday's episode was classic comedy episode and I loved it.
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    dpebbleson

    [20]Dec 2, 2012
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    libra113 wrote:
    Yesterday's episode was classic comedy episode and I loved it.


    I thought it was brilliant as well, I laughed when the cat commented on Castiel
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