#dean is NOT 22 hes more like oh 19 or 20 but john loves to lie about his age

[serpentmessmer]

good morning king, happy DFF. we talk all the time about in superpeaks, john taking photos of dean and sending them in to flesh world. challenge: write the ad, and write a response they might get to it ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY I HAVE BEEN SAVING THIS FOR RN LMAO

Eager young (22) man seeking dominant mentors for discreet meetings. Men preferred, but open to all types. Clean, athletic, and willing to try anything, definitely not a stranger to a little pain. 5’10, 160 lbs. Phone # required for meet-up

Response of choice: Howdy there partner, would love to meet up for a great time. You’ve got a gorgeus mouth, and body to match. I think showing you all the ways you could put that to use would make for a fine start to an adventurus evening. Call me and lets set up a playdate, baby, and get you broken in. 6’3” man, 45, 250 lbs [PHONE NUMBER REDACTED FOR PRIVACY]

[satanisnotapogostick]

sam playlist liner notes

1. jesse got trapped in a coal mine – goodnight, texas

dean picking sam up from stanford in the pilot: jesse getting trapped in the coal mine

(he never DID marry his girl)

2. me and bobby mcgee – kris kristofferson

to me, me and bobby mcgee is about when sam runs away from dean and hangs out with meg before she outs herself as a demon

3. dorothy - mewithoutYou

“one turned into sr. Margaret, and I said "if you can change your shape that easily can you take the form of my dead father?”… then last night I was somewhere near virginia rebuking satan with ironic faithfulness. and satan turned to me: have you thought much about that cry?"

lucifer AND john themes???? yes.

4. life during wartime – talking heads

this song is sam adjusting to being a hunter and being at war, where he’ll stay for the rest of his life <3

5. this is how we do things in the country – slim cessna’s auto club

ok so this song is about sam killing madison. when you murder the girl you’re sweet on but it’s righteous and everyone thanks you for it. this is how it’s always been! this is how we do things in the country! (and also getting amy killed, a little bit, but that hasn’t happened yet. this is still early seasons)

6. clampdown – the clamp

“the voices in your head are calling. stop wasting your time, there's nothing coming, only a fool would think someone could save you… but you grow up and you calm down, and you're working for the clampdown.”

damn maybe we’re not the good guys. anyway!!

7. smith & jones forever – silver jews

smith & jones (salmondean) together!! forever!!

8. everything you did – steely dan

oh bro you slutted around with a demon and let satan out. what have you done

9. tortoises all the way down - mewithoutYou

“everybody knows, son. everybody knows what you've done!!”

just crazyass guilt song

10. up jumped the devil – nick cave

the tiger. he destroyed his cage. yes. YES. the tiger is out.

11. (ghost) riders in the sky – marty robbins

“then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride. tryin’ to catch the devil herd across these endless skies”

just s5 endless chase vibes

12. needle in the hay – elliott smith

demon blood detox time baby

13. emperor – mark lanegan

“why can’t I get right? all these demons to enslave me. who’s left to fight? oh, just the emperor.” the emperor being lucifer. obviously.

14. skating away (on the thin ice of a new day) – jethro tull

they have the horseman rings!! sam’s about to jump into the cage!! your world is about to end, but it’s okay!! you’ve done it!!

15. the passenger – iggy pop

and lol now he’s possessed by lucifer

16. the mercy seat – nick cave

okay now we’re at stull and he’s REALLY going to the gallows (jumping in)

17. when you die - MGMT

I imagine this song happening during the fall itself from stull into the cage. honestly this is a weaker entry but like. haha tfw you die

18. fifteen feet of pure white snow – nick cave

thee cage song.

“I waved to my neighbot, my neighbor waved to me. but my neighbor is my enemy. I kept waving my arms til I could not see, under fifteen feet of pure white snow. is anyone out there please? it’s too quiet in here and I’ve beginning to freeze. I’ve got icicles hanging from my knees, under fifteen feet of pure white snow”

you’ve even got icy temperature themes!

19. loverman – nick cave

yeah <3

“there’s a devil waiting outside your door (how much longer?) there’s a devil waiting outside your door and he’s bucking and braying and pawing at the floor and he’s howling with pain and crawling up the walls…. loverman!!! till the bitter end!!! while empires burn down forever and ever and ever and ever amen”

nick cave count: 4

20. satan it’s you – jett screams

@polishnatural recommendation. cellmates (and bunk buddies) with the devil in hell type vibes

21. relax, take it easy - mika

the war has already been won and nothing that happens in here has any effect on the real world. why not relax into the simplicity of it all!! (sometimes it’s just better when things are bad type vibes)

22. don’t lose your temper - xtc

we’re out of the cage! and starting strong with a mocking song bc he already lost his temper and grew mild and that’s why he’s too tired to fight. so this is the only hallucifer era song on the playlist

23. first wave intact – secret machines

war metaphors. extended wars. unwinnable wars.

“I wonder what you're waiting for. I wonder what you're working for. I wonder what you're living for. I wonder what you're dying for”

same king

24. mexican war streets - mewithoutYou

“but how long before our tails are caught by our "free" thought?” INDEED

“nature had another plan (& failed to run it by me!) nature had another plan, some other surrogate self to live in the sediment of so many somebody elses' innumerable lives and you were right: it's not a person who dies but worlds die inside us”

SO TRUE. we’re fully breaking into late seasons here

mwY count: 3

25. screen shot - swans

these are all sam’s meditation mantras. he’s offering a course: how to become okay with really horrible situations that you are also complicit in. “love! now! breathe! now! love! now! breathe! now!”

26. god’s away on business – tom waits

IT WASN’T GOD IN YOUR HEAD SAM

27. when the lights come on – they might be giants

when the lights come on (when lucifer brings you back to life)

28. light’s on

TWO songs about sam’s resurrection at lucifer’s hands??? yeah ;)

“the lights are on, you don’t know just who your friends are. the lights are on, and it’s light you’ll never know”

29. devil’s resting place – laura marling

I mean. yeah. his time in the cage with the devil coming back to haunt him

30. failure - swans

see my edit that I won’t link bc I can’t find. but anyway yeah. this guy fails a lot

31. last song about satan – slim cessna’s auto club

ding dong the devil is dead!!

32. president – max frost

@girlkingsam recommendation. late seasons sam vibes for sure. plus this song can be read as being about hell politics which is fun. I don’t give a damn who’s president (of hell)!

33. the road goes on forever – the highwayen

cycles of violence, etc. the road goes on forever, nothing ever (really) changes. (also yes sonny is dean and sherry is sam. I guess)

34. careers in combat – parquet courts

the namesake of my little fanfiction.

“there are no more summer lifeguard jobs, there are no more art museums to guard. the lab is out of white lab coats cause there are no more slides and microscopes. but there are still careers in combat my son!!!”

king of hell ending please please you’re nothing. anyway he’s been at war his whole life and war is his legacy. anyway.

[deantransgressions2]

13x02 the rising son

21 transgressions. enjoy.

#1: dean criticized sam for wanting to protect jack, and then devalued jack’s entire existence to an “it”.

sam: “look… losing mom and cas, that’s a lot to process, dean, especially on no sleep. and the kid...”

dean: “the “kid”? come on, man, you know how this plays out. kook, when we try to bend the rules, pretend that the bad guys aren’t so bad or that things will get fixed, that’s when people that we care about get hurt. and then we end up doing what we should’ve done in the first place, which is end the problem. so this time, let’s start with the obvious. soon as i find a way to take care of… it.”

time tag: 3:17

#2: after sam failed again to make dean see jack as a child, he tried to make dean see jack as an asset. dean refused to listen or consider any of sam’s insights, and admitted that he is giving up on family, which is something he claims he would never ever ever ever ever do. 

sam: “dean, “the problem” might be our only shot at saving mom.”

dean: “mom’s gone. there’s no fixing that.”

time tag: 3:44

#3: jack was happily watching scooby doo and bothering nobody, so of course dean walked over and scolded him, then turned the tv off. apparently watching tv is illegal now yall!! 

time tag: 9:03

#4: told jack to take the couch and threw a bible at him. luckily, sam isn’t a child murderer and made sure jack felt welcome. sam = good dad. but, dean winchester is already worse of a father than john was. you hate to see it. 

time tag: 9:11

#5: dean criticized jack for eating the exact same way he does. mocking a 3 day old child just for the sake of it, just to make himself feel better. he is pathetic. idk why jack and sam put up with him these next 3 seasons. 

dean: “you can slow down, you know. that’s stuff’s not gonna disappear.”

sam: “ever seen you eat, dean?”

time tag: 10:02

#6: yells at jack for copying his movements. he’s 3 days old...3 days old. 3. 

time tag: 11:35

#7: sam has been rooting for jack to not be evil. he is focusing on WHO jack is not what he is. dean, however, is counting on jack being evil so he can murder him. the confirmation bias is real here. any instance of jack showing humanity dean just tunes it out. this conversation should remind you of dean’s view of sam in s4/5

donatello: “yes, well, not so much anymore. but, uh…look at you. the waves of power… so intense.”

dean: “maybe less human than we thought.”

donatello: “fascinating. you know, i’ve met your father. your power’s nothing like his. not dark, not toxic.”

sam: “that so?”

dean: “not yet.”

time tag: whole time but 15:58

#8: he was a dick to the tattoo artist for no reason expect that he loves to take his anger out on others. 

time tag: 16:44

#9: when in doubt blame sam! when in doubt accuse sam! when in doubt manipulate sam! wooohooo!!!

sam: “so you heard donatello. no evil vibes from jack.”

dean: “proves nothing, except that you’re way too attached to this kid. you need to see this for what it is, okay?”

time tag: 16:54

#10: lessons from our sexist macho man icon:

jack: “it hurt.”

dean: “okay, see, sometimes, things hurt, so you just man up and deal with it.”

time tag: 17:21

#11: some more of dean refusing to listen to other’s correct observations of jack, because there is no changing his mind that jack is evil. he doesn’t need proof that jack is evil, because he doesn’t want it. he wants to murder jack regardless of who he is. dean only cares about WHAT jack is. sigh. 2x03 i miss you. 

time tag: 18:43

#12: dean claimed that since cas loved jack, jack is therefore responsible for his murder. even though it was literally lucifer that murdered cas, not jack. so, using dean’s logic: sam and john killed mary, sam killed jess, dean killed john, sam killed dean, sam and dean and bobby killed jo and ellen, dean killed sam, dean and sam killed cas multiple times, sam and dean killed kevin....etc etc. do you see how fucking stupid dean is being rn?

sam: “okay, look, yeah, jack is on lucifer’s family tree. but we don’t know if that dna is stronger than Kelly’s, or his connection with cas.”

dean: “oh, you mean the connection that got cas killed?”

sam: “i’m just saying, jack doesn’t have to be evil. we can teach him not to be.”

time tag: 18:53

#13: dean called jack ‘the devil’ which made jack so upset he ran away. this is a transgression obviously towards jack, but also towards sam. dean said that a 3 day old child (who literally hasn’t done anything wrong) is the devil. he said it in front of his brother who was tortured by the ACTUAL devil (and michael) for centuries. it’s insensitive and fucked up beyond belief for dean to use his brother’s abuser to try and manipulate him to conform to his beliefs on jack.

NOT TO MENTION that dean is the only member of team free will with absolutely no supernatural abilities at all. he does not understand jack. he does not understand lucifer. dean is the LAST person who should have a say in if jack is good or evil. 

time tag: 19:25

#14: this is a abuse apology. many victims of abuse are manipulated to apologize for them and sympathize with them. this is a prime example of that:

sam: “dean doesn’t hate you. it… look, sometimes the wires in dan’s head get crossed and...and he gets frustrated, and then he mixes frustration with anger, and...and fear.”

jack: “why would he be afraid?”

sam: “because dean feels like it’s his job to protect everyone.”

time tag: 20:45

#15: did the writers include this scene to emphasize that dean is john (but worse)....because that’s exactly what it did. 

bartender: “i hated my old man. I ran away myself. see, my mom would never stick up for me. but…you know kids. no matter what, they still want the old man’s approval. well, that’s how it was with me, just…”

dean: “you know, that’s, uh, that’s how it was with me, too.” 

i’m not sure what dean is referring to here because based on what the bartender is saying, sam would relate more to her story than dean but ok! sure! pity party time needs no logic

time tag: 22:17

#16: sam had to seperate jack and dean in order to protect jack. sam felt that jack was safer with a man that had no soul (donatello), over his own brother. and he was right!

time tag: 23:11

#17: dean made fun of sam and jack by calling jack sam’s “new pal” as a way to not only degrade jack, but also ridicule sam. 

time tag: 27:08

#18: dean is angry that sam isn’t blindly following along with his plans for jack’s death. and everything sam tried to say to get dean out of his child murdering mindset goes in one ear and out the other. 

sam: “point is…if you and i are gonna do this, keep jack on the right side of things, then...then we have to be on the same page.”

dean: “okay. well, that’s the problem, though, sam, ‘cause we’re not on the same page. like, at all.”

sam: “all right. you know what? i know what’s going on here.”

dean: “oh. okay. well, please, tell me, what’s going on here?”

sam: “you thinking mom is gone and cas is gone, and that jack can’t be saved. dean, after everything we’ve gone through… we just lost people we love, people who have been in our lives for a long time. everything’s upside-down. i get it. but we’ve been down before. i mean, rock bottom. and we find a way. We fix it because that’s what we do. and jack w-wants to do the right thing. jack’s scared to death of who he is, and he’s scared of you.” 

you know who else was scared of their father figure? dean. and sam. and now jack. dean stans can hate john all they want but the truth is dean is far worse. they both deserve a special place in hell together

time tag: 27:19

#19: the mental gymnastics it takes to come to this conclusion about jack. to ignore any and all proof that jack isn’t evil. it’s shocking how strongly dean holds onto hate and his need to kill. 

sam: “dean, wait a second. the kid came through for us today. jack saved us.” dean: “no. no, whatever that was, that was a reflex. it was a sneeze. maybe next time he sneezes, he kills us. goodnight.”

time tag: 39:32

#20: dean drove jack to self harm. dean then proceeded to angrily tell him off and call him names for doing so. 

dean: “okay. what the hell? give me that. you...don’t be an idiot. look, a, this is not gonna do anything to you, okay? and b, you… what the hell?”

time tag: 40:35

#21: this is psychological abuse. this is child abuse. this scene is as bad as the panic room of s4. disgusting. and some people actually ship this man with this child’s father (castiel). get help. 

dean: “you know, my brother thinks you can be saved.” jack: “you don’t believe that.” dean: “no, i don’t.”

jack: “so… if you’re right?”

dean: “if i’m right… and it comes to killing you… i’ll be the one to do it.”

time tag: 41:07

[archivingspn]

WildStorm Productions: “Supernatural Rising Son #6 (pg 19-22)″

Context: This satirical comic was co-written by Eric Kripke. The term “beast with two backs” dates back to Shakespeare’s Othello, and is a metaphor for two people having sex. It is unclear if the monster is a conjoined Jared and Jensen or Sam and Dean demon crab monster.

[Panel 1 pg19: 1990 John, Sam, and Dean Winchester in a suburban area]

John: BOYS. I WISH I COULD GIVE YOU NORMAL LIVES. I DO. BUT I JUST CAN'T. WE GOT WORK TO DO...

Dean: OH HERE WE GO AGAIN, WITH THE WORK, AND THE SADNESS,AND THE--

Sam: HEY, STOP IT! I'M SAD,TOO...

[Panel 2 pg19: 1990 John, Sam, and Dean Winchester in a suburban area but the image is distorting]

Dean: NOT AS SAD AS ME! I GOT MORE ANGST THAN I CAN SHOVEL!

Sam: PLEASE! I DEFINE "MOPEY."

[Panel 3 pg19: Distorted image of Harry Spangler and Ed Zeddmore]

Ed: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS COMIC. WE ARE CONTROLLING THE TRANSMISSION.

Harry: WE WILL CONTROL THE HORIZONTAL. WE WILL CONTROL THE VERTICAL.

FOR YOU ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE THE AWE AND MYSTERY OF--

[Panel 4 pg19: Clearer picture of Harry and Ed]

Harry: THE GHOSTFACERS!

Ed: I'M ED, THAT'S HARRY. AND YOU, PAL, WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF READING ONE PANSY-ASS, WEEPY-EYED, BRO-MANCE. A REAL D**K FLICK, YOU ASK ME.

[Panel 5 pg19: Harry and Ed in a comic studio with a comic artist]

Harry: WHICH IS WHY WE'VE HIRED THE FINEST ARTIST IN SOUTHEASTERN MILWAUKEE, TO SHOW YOU WHAT A "REAL MAN'S COMIC" LOOKS LIKE.

Ed: A STORY FROM OUR LIFE. RED BLOODED, TWO FISTED, EXTRA CHUNKY, AND 1000%TRUE.

Artist: YOU GUYS PROMISED ME TWENTY BUCKS.

Ed: SHUT YOUR GOB OR NO MORE SCHLITZ,RUMMY!

[Panel 6 pg19: the title card panel with a single speech bubble]

GHOSTFACERS IN: THE BEAST WITH TWO BACKS

(Off screen) Harry or Ed: SO LOCK THAT BASEMENT DOOR, AND DON'T LET MOM IN... 'CAUSE YOU'RE IN FOR THE GREATEST RIDE IN THE HISTORY OF YOUR LIFE!

Written by Eric Kripke & Peter Johnson Art by Dan Hipp Colors by Jonny Rench Letters by Wes Abbott Kristy Quinn - Assistant Editor Ben Abernathy - Editor

[Panel 1 pg 20: an establishing shot of a riverside hanger in an urban setting]

Story bubble: IT WAS JUST ANOTHER DAY AT GFHQ.

[Panel 2 pg 20: Scantily clad Maggie watching shirtless, muscular, and sweaty Harry and Ed lifting weights in a control panel room]

Ed: DUDE. I'M TOTALLY BLASTING MY DELTS.

Harry: NICE CLEAN AND JERK, ED!

Maggie: GET A ROOM, YOU GUYS.

Harry: WE HAVE ONE. WE SLEEP IN BUNK BEDS,YOU KNOW THAT.

[Panel 3 pg 20: Chimp!Kenny Spruce interacting with the control panel]

Chimp!Spruce: EEP, EEP, IP, CHEEP, URP, IP, IP!

[Panel 4 pg 20: Close up of shirtless and sweaty Harry and Ed]

Ed: WHAT'S THAT, SPRUCE? A CLASS-IV DEMON SIGHTING? WHERE?

(Off screen) Chimp!Spruce: EEP, IP, URP, CHEEP

Harry: OKAY, LET'S WATCH THE TONE, SPRUCE. NO ONE LIKES A SMARTASS.

[Panel 4 pg 20: Ed in the front with a sword wearing a sleeveless uniform with the logo GF on it. Harry, wearing the same uniform, in the back holding a big gun in each hand. Maggie is next to them holding a beeping device in one hand and gun in the other with Chimp!Spruce riding on top of her head. The background looks like an underground dungeon with mechanical attributes mixed in.]

Maggie: IT SHOULD BE CLOSE.

[Panel 5 pg 20: Close up on Harry]

Harry: YOU HEAR WE'RE SO THAT?

The Beast: PRETTYYYY. WE'RE THE PRETTIEST BOYS IN ALL THE WORLD.

[Panel 1 pg 21: A wide shot of The Beast With Two Backs holding a girl with big boobs, big eyes, and heels hostage in their arms. Sam/Jared’s head is on the right. Dean/Jensen’s head is on the left.]

Sam/Jared head:  YOU'RE VERY BEAUTIFUL... WHICH IS WHY YOU MUST DIE!

Dean/Jensen head: NO ONE CAN HAVE FULLER, POUTIER LIPS THAN US! NO ONE!

[Panel 2 pg 21: Wide shot of Ed, Maggie, Chimp!Spruce, and Harry battle ready]

Harry: IT'S OUR ARCH-NEMESIS!! NEMESI? WHAT'S PLURAL?

Ed: NOW WE FINISH IT!

[Panel 3 pg 21: Close up of the Beast and Hostage Lady]

Sam/Jared Head: WITNESS THE TERRIBLE FURY OF OUR PERFECT BONE STRUCTURE!

Dean/Jensen Head: BOW BEFORE OUR HIGH CHEEK BONES!

[Panel 1 pg 22: A wide shot of Harry shooting a big gun and hitting The Beast With Two Backs shoulder making the sound effect “Whamm-o.”]

[Panel 2 pg 22: Ed in the middle of a swinging his sword at the Beast in the foreground.]

Ed: HOW'S THAT FOR THE POWER OF GRAY SKULL?!

[Panel 3 pg 22: A close up on the Beast with Two Backs. Smoke is coming out from their mouths and their eyes have been censored with black boxes]

(Off screen) Ed or Harry: NOT SO PRETTY ANYMORE,ARE YOU??!

[Panel 4 pg 22: The Beast lies defeated in the background among the smoke. The Hostage Lady is caressing Ed’s Pecs, while Maggie is caressing Harry’s. Chip!Spruce is riding on Harry’s back.]

Hostage Lady: HOW CAN I EVER REPAY YOU?

Ed: TWO WORDS: REVERSE COWGIRL.

Harry: HEY, SOMETHING'S WRONG. I FEEL WET...STICKY...

Maggie: EWWW! HARRY!

Harry: THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN...

[Panel 5 pg 22: Back in the comic room the artist is passed out on the desk, and beer has been knocked over on the comic. Harry and Ed are in the foreground wearing their regular clothes and bodies]

Harry: DUDE, HE SPILLED BEER ALL OVER THE COMIC!

Ed: SO THERE YOU GO. OUR LIVES. LAUGHS, LOVE, TEARS, DARE I SAY, ENLIGHTENMENT. YOU'RE WELCOME.

[Panel 6 pg 22: A distorted close up on Harry and Ed]

Harry: YOU MUST BE SPENT. TAKE THE REST OF THE DAY FOR QUIET REFLECTION, WE OUT.

Ed: AND DON'T FORGET-- THE MOVIE RIGHTS FOR THIS BAD BOY ARE WIDE OPEN!

Story box: THE END

[nerianasims]

Billboards #1 1961

Under the cut.

Bert Kaempfert – “Wonderland By Night” -- January 9, 1961

It's an instrumental, but it's a sexy one. It makes me think of being alone at night in a big city hoping to find someone to go home with, if just for a night. It definitely sounds of its time, but it's still very good.

The Shirelles – “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” -- January 30, 1961

For all the innocent-sounding music and beat, this is a straightforward song about sex. In 1961. Also a great song.

Lawrence Welk – “Calcutta” -- February 13, 1961

Blargh. Lawrence Welk's music gives me a pain. To say this sounds like a German music hall song is an insult to German music halls. Whatever music hall this plays in, they have a strict no-alcohol policy and don't serve caffeinated drinks either because they're opposed to every kind of drug. You get skim milk or nothing. There is nothing Calcutta-ish about it.

Chubby Checker – “Pony Time” -- February 27, 1961

An attempt to recapture The Twist. But that was lightning in a bottle. This is some dead fireflies in a jar. Unlike the Twist, the dance is sort of complicated. More importantly, the song doesn't make me want to dance at all. Sadly, not good.

Elvis Presley – “Surrender” -- March 20, 1961

I don't feel like Elvis really connected with this song. I certainly don't. It sounds like it belongs in one of his movies. He ramps up the belting, there's a background chorus that sounds like it’s from a Disney movie of the time, and the mariachi band overwhelms it all. How do you overwhelm Elvis? He's trying to sing to someone to seduce them, and he's failing with me. An embarrassing song.

The Marcels – “Blue Moon” -- April 3, 1961

This version of Blue Moon deeply annoys me. It's like they'd be embarrassed to sing a heartfelt love song, so they sped it up and threw a bunch of silly noises in instead. Go for the one Obsidian was smart enough to put in Fallout: New Vegas instead, by Frank Sinatra. Or the Mel Tormé version. Or the Chris Isaak version. Not this one.

Del Shannon – “Runaway” -- April 24, 1961

It's about a breakup, not a runaway. He doesn't get why his girlfriend ran away from him. And it is pure melodramatic cheese, yet it works. Del Shannon commits. Also is that a slide whistle? I can't really say it's a good song, but I kinda like it anyway.

Ernie K-Doe – “Mother-In-Law” -- May 22, 1961

Hah hah aren't mothers-in-law awful. That's it, that's the song. It's a bad sitcom joke. And musically it sounds like a commercial jingle. Yuck.

Ricky Nelson – “Travelin’ Man” -- May 29, 1961

The "every woman in an area is exactly the same" subgenre is one I hate. Yes, this means I hate The Beach Boys' "California Girls." The Beatles were absolutely right to send up this kind of bilge with "Back in the USSR." So, I hate this song. The narrator travels around the world and has a girlfriend everywhere, including a "senorita" in Mexico, an "Eskimo" in Alaska, and a "China doll" in China. Really, really bad.

Roy Orbison – “Running Scared” -- June 5, 1961

I think I just don't get Roy Orbison. In this song, he's afraid his wife (probably) will go back to her ex. At the end, she tells her ex to go away and chooses the narrator. The beat is repetitive and insistent as all hell and gives me a headache. I dunno, other people seem to like it. The lyrics are fine. Orbison's singing is fine. I cannot deal with the beat.

Pat Boone – “Moody River” -- June 19, 1961

Listening to Pat Boone is like putting mayonnaise in your ears. And not good mayonnaise. The narrator's girlfriend drowned herself because she felt oh so guilty about cheating on him, and he sounds awful cheery about it. I have another theory as to how she died. But someone like Pat Boone couldn't get convicted if he tried, especially in 1961. Now, how does one get mayonnaise out of one's ears? Probably vinegar, that's the solution to everything.

Gary U.S. Bonds – “Quarter To Three” -- June 26, 1961

What an odd name. The song sounds like an impromptu recording of a band at a club. It does make me want to dance. Gary shouts the song, sounding like he's had a few Red Bulls. I kinda dig it. It slaps.

Bobby Lewis – “Tossin’ And Turnin'” -- July 10, 1961

The narrator couldn't sleep because he couldn't stop thinking about you. He's got an awful lot of energy, considering that. But I understand that kind of nervous energy. Great saxophone solo too. It's a fun dance song about romantic desperation.

Joe Dowell – “Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn)” -- August 28, 1961

The narrator says not to leave him because he doesn't have a wooden heart and he might die. The way Joe sings the song though, I think he is lying. He's made of wood and will never be a real boy.

The Highwaymen – “Michael” -- September 4, 1961

So this is a version of "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore." Sung by the most comfortable and privileged people imaginable, who may also be on valium. I'm sure the members of The Highwaymen had some kind of pain in their lives; everyone does. But you'd never know it from their rendition. They seem to have had all emotion surgically removed. Absolutely terrible. It belongs in a Twilight Zone episode. I had to listen to the Harry Belafonte version afterward to cleanse my brain.

Bobby Vee – “Take Good Care Of My Baby” -- September 18, 1961

The narrator lost his girlfriend because he cheated on her, and he regrets it. He's telling her new boyfriend to take care of her. It's fine. I think maybe it's too fast. Too much snare drum.

Ray Charles – “Hit The Road Jack” -- October 9, 1961

Ray, I love you. Also Margie Hendrix, the lead backup singer here. I hope Ray worked the same magic he did in 1960, and the rest of 1961 will be good.

Dion – “Runaround Sue” -- October 23, 1961

Not only does Sue cheat all over the place, but also "she'll love you and she'll put you down." I like the song. It's upbeat and yet the singer sounds appropriately bitter. It's obviously no "Hit the Road Jack", but it's good.

Jimmy Dean – “Big Bad John” -- November 6, 1961

Yep, Jimmy Dean the sausage guy. It's one of those baritone spoken story things. I do not like those at all. So I'm not the audience for this. As a simple folk tale about a guy everyone's afraid of because he's so big, but then saves a bunch of lives at the cost of his own, it's fine. I wish it were sung though.

The Marvelettes – “Please Mr. Postman” -- December 11, 1961

An early Motown girl group song. The narrator is waiting for a letter from her boyfriend, which isn't there and clearly hasn't been there in a long time. Not one of my favorites, as the background singers sound weirdly like beeps to me. But still good.

The Tokens – “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” -- December 18, 1961

The saga of this song seems to be a convoluted semi-accidental stealing thing, and I'm not qualified to get into it. I do like it, but I liked it more as a child; I think it's a child's song. But the song it originated from is much more interesting. Look up Zulu singer Soloman Linda's "Mbube."

BEST OF 1961: "Hit the Road Jack"    WORST OF 1961: A lot to choose from again, but I'm going with "Michael"

[percussiongirl2017]

Review of SFTB Products

This is a complete review of all of the scents I have from @scentsfromthebunker. I will have a separate list for the Marvel scents. I was going to link all of these, but it would crash the Tumblr post and break the links. Just go to the SFTB blog and follow the link in her bio! I’m going to put this under the cut because it’s super long.

1. AKF- Water, Witch Hazel, Lavender, Chamomile ~This was the very first scent I bought from SFTB and I think it’s the only one that’s still mostly full. I mainly use it when I’m having a really bad day. It’s not too strong and it’s perfect when you just want to relax.~

2. Angel Grace- Spearmint, Water, Witch Hazel ~Angel Grace is one of my all time favorites. I wear it to work a lot and it makes everyone think I have gum. I occasionally mix it with Jack and the perfect combination. It definitely puts me in a better mood.~

3. Baby- Water, Witch Hazel, Leather, Cinnamon, Coffee, Vanilla, White Lily, Sandalwood, Musk ~There are 3 bottles of Baby in my house currently. One of them is mine and the other two belong to my brother. He has to test all of the scents I buy because he’s nosy. He fell in love with Baby and instantly asked for 2 for Christmas. I think he keeps one in his truck and his friends can’t figure out why his truck smells so nice.~

4. Billie- Water, Witch Hazel, Cranberry, Vanilla, Lemon ~ I can’t even describe how amazing Billie smells. I love the smell of lemon because it makes me think of things that are clean. Billie reminds me of drinking lemonade in a graveyard, if that make any sense.~

5. Castiel- Cinnamon, Caramel, Sandalwood ~Cas smells safe. The cinnamon gives it a slight spice smell, but it’s balanced out enough that you want to smell more. It’s like a long hug after a bad day. It’s like being wrapped in his trenchcoat and falling asleep in the Impala.~

6. Captivated- Sandalwood, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Clove, Cedar, Amber ~Okay this one almost caused a fight in my house. This one has all of my Mom’s favorite scents so she was really excited when I opened it. I have to order another one so she doesn’t steal mine. It’s almost intoxicating how great this one smells.~

7. Charlie- Water, Witch Hazel, Rose, Orange, Strawberry, Musk, Coconut ~ I love the strawberry and rose combination in Charlie. It makes me think of sunshine and summertime. Charlie just smells happy. Like you wanna put your headphones on and dance around the house kind of happy.~

8. Chuck- Wintergreen, Vanilla, Tobacco, Frangipani ~We all want to smell like God. This one also passed my brother’s approval so he wants one for his birthday. I normally don’t like the tobacco smell, but this one is an exception. It’s balanced just right with the other oils.~

9. Claire- Rose, Apple, Jasmine ~ Claire’s scent is interesting to me. The rose and apple mix well together and the jasmine is just pronounced enough for you to smell. It’s really nice and smells amazing.~

10. Crowley- Water, Witch Hazel, Cinnamon, Apple, Vanilla, Tobacco ~ Like Chuck, I don't normally like the tobacco smell, but this one blends well with the cinnamon and vanilla. It smells like apple pie at a bonfire. I really really like Crowley.~

11. Dean- Water, Witch Hazel, Vanilla, Cinnamon, White Lily, Clove ~AMAZING! I love vanilla and cinnamon so getting Dean was a must. I wear Dean (or Sam) when I know the corporate office is going to be at work. I need a Winchester to have my back.~

12. Demon! Dean- Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange, Eucalyptus, White Lily ~So take Dean and imagine a darker scent. To me, the cinnamon is a little more pronounced in this one. It’s definitely one I like wearing when I’m writing angst.~

13. Donna- Water, Witch Hazel, Rose, Musk, Lily, Strawberry, Pear, Pineapple ~ A fruit salad with a shot of whiskey. That is the best way I can describe Donna. It has the musk scent, but it’s not super heavy. The rose and lily balance it out nicely. It’s like the perfect balance of happy and determined.~

14. Eileen- Hydrangea, Musk ~ Eileen smells like a walk in the garden. I can’t help but smile when I spray Eileen. I also like to pair Eileen with Sam because they balance each other out.~

15. Gabriel- Water, Witch Hazel, Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Gardenia, Musk ~ I love the orange and vanilla scent of Gabriel. It makes me think of baking with my Dad. It’s like spending all day baking and then going outside and sitting on the porch.~

16. Heaven- Gardenia, Magnolia ~Heaven reminds me of fresh laundry hanging on the line. It’s a spring morning in a hammock with a good book. It’s relaxing.~

17. Hell- Orange, Cinnamon ~ Hell smells amazing. If Hell really smells like this then sign me up! The scent lasts for hours and it goes great with Sam or Dean.~

18. Jack- Peppermint, Vanilla ~Oh my gosh, this precious nougat child smells amazing. It reminds me of Christmas and I wear it with Angel Grace. I like wearing it when writing fluff because it just puts you in a good mood.~

19. Jamie- Sandalwood, Rose, Vanilla, Pine ~Kilts. I swear to Chuck that’s all I think of when I wear Jamie. I need to watch Outlander so I can get the full experience. I like the outdoorsy scent and I use it around the house a lot.~

20. Jared’s Empathy- Vanilla, Sandalwood, Pear, Pineapple, Musk, Rose, Lily, Cinnamon ~Look, I’ve met Jared, I’ve hugged Jared, and I’ve almost passed out in front of Jared. I swear this is very close to what Jared smells like. I’m currently out of Jared and I need to send my bottle back. I used to wear Jared to work, but I think I ran out during the Black Friday/Thanksgiving/Christmas rush at work. It kept me calm during all that craziness.~

21. Jensen’s Warmth- Vanilla, Cinnamon, White Lily, Rose, Coffee ~So, (as weird as it sounds) Jensen feels safe to me. I was terrified of him at Nashcon last year, but he just has this warmth about him that feels safe. I wear Jensen when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’m a little low on Jensen because I shared him with my manager at work.~

22. Jody- Gardenia, Cinnamon ~Jody is such a Mom scent in my opinion. Like when you have those days where you just need to go to your Mom. It’s a protective and nurturing scent that makes you feel good.~

23. John- Water, Witch Hazel, Sandalwood, Musk, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Patchouli ~The sandalwood, musk, and cinnamon combination is freaking amazing. The vanilla and patchouli balance it out perfectly. It’s almost like Dean, but it has more of a aged smell to it. It reminds me of leather jackets for some reason.~

24. Love Yourself First- Ylang Ylang ~ I love using this one with my AKF and YANA scents. It’s perfect when I’ve had a rough day at work or school. Plus it helps me sleep at night.~

25. Lucifer- Apple, Orange, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Vanilla ~ Lucifer makes me think of cookies for some reason. Like spiced snickerdoodle cookies. That probably sounds weird, but I really like Lucifer.~

26. Lucifer!Sam- Amber, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Apple, Sandalwood, Clove ~Lucifer!Sam gives off a warm and almost protective vibe to me. I’ve started wearing it to work and it lasts my whole 9 hour shift. I am in love with Lucifer!Sam~

27. Mary- Jasmine, Rose, Honeysuckle ~ Mary is another one that reminds me of spring and fresh laundry. Mary makes me wanna curl up with a good book and just relax. I love honeysuckle and it just makes this scent perfect.~

28. Meg- Water Witch Hazel, Violet, Lavender, Chamomile, Cinnamon ~One of my all time favorites. I use Meg around the house because of the lavender scent. It’s one of my Mom’s favorite and I also use it in my room when I’m doing homework.~

29. Michael!Dean- Cinnamon, Vanilla, White Lily, Sweet Tobacco, Musk ~ It’s exactly how I imagined he would smell. It’s like Dean but with more mystery behind him. I currently use this one at work and I share it with one of the girls in electronics. It helps on stressful days when customers are yelling at me.~

30. Misha’s Kindness- Coconut, Vanilla, Gardenia, Cinnamon ~Misha never fails to make me smile and that’s why I really like this scent. It always puts me in a good mood especially after a bad day at work. I sprayed one of my shirts with it before throwing it in the dryer and it smelled like Misha all day.~

31. Negan- Amber, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Patchouli ~ Kicking butt and taking names! Negan smells like determination and gives off an air of authority. The cinnamon gives it just enough spice to make you wanna come back for more.~

32. Pie- Apple, Cinnamon, Vanilla ~Smells good enough to eat! I love wearing Pie with Dean or Demon!Dean. It’s sweet, but not overpowering.~

33. Purgatory- Orange, Cedar ~ This one reminds me of the forest and the orange lightens the scent some. It’s like going down a walking trial and coming into a clearing. It smells wonderful and amazing.~

34. Rowena- Water, Witch Hazel, Raspberry, Rose, Orange, Musk, Coconut, Patchouli ~ I forgot how much I loved the smell of Rowena. It almost reminds me of raspberry tea. It’s light and fruity and I really like it.~

35. Ruby- Water, Witch Hazel, Rose, Musk, Orange, Coconut, Violet, Patchouli, Vanilla ~ Ruby is one of my newest additions and I am in love with it! This is literally how I imagined Ruby would smell. It’s a darker smell, but the orange gives it a kick. The rose and violet are subtle, but not overpowering. It’s just freaking amazing and I can’t wait to use it more.~

36. Sam- Water, Witch Hazel, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Coffee ~My Sam bottle is almost empty! It’s great to use when I’m studying and I can’t focus. I also use it on my pillow and I sleep so much better. The coffee scent is great for when I going to work and I’m still tired. Everyone at work really likes Sam.~

37. Soulless!Sam- Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange, Coconut, Patchouli ~ This is honestly how I imagined Soulless!Sam would smell. It’s like spicy Sam honestly. It’s amazing. I wore this one a lot last semester because I had to deal with some difficult people in class. I occasionally mixed this one with Demon!Dean and it’s really nice.~

38. Wayward Sisters- Azalea, Apple, Jasmine, Musk ~ This one smells wonderful. I love the mix of jasmine and musk. The azalea is just enough not to be overpowering. The apple adds a sweet scent. It’s just amazing.~

39. Winchester Bros- Vanilla, Sandalwood, Musk, Cinnamon, White Lily, Rose ~Take Sam and Dean and travel with them in the Impala for a few days. It’s borrowing a flannel and you’re not sure which brother it belongs to. It’s falling asleep in the Impala and one of the boys carrying you into the Bunker. It smells like Winchester and I love it so much.~

40. You Are Not Alone- Orange, Rose ~ I love the smell of orange, okay? The rose scent tones down the orange and gives it a more floral scent. I like wearing this one with Jared or Jensen. It’s perfect to wear after a stressful day at work.~

Go and show @scentsfromthebunker some love! I’ll have a Marvel review up soon!

[our-mrlangdon]

will you please answer all the ahs questions? thanks ✨✨

damn ok!

1. What is your favoriteseason?

Asylum!

2. What is your leastfavorite season?

Hotel.

3. All time favoritecharacter?

Dad Tristan Duffy for looks, .

4. All time least favoritecharacter?

The Countess. She’s the typical “Bella Swan” character.

5. Favorite Murder Housecharacter?

Hayden McClaine and Tate Langdon, legit the most interesting characters in that season.

6. Favorite Asylumcharacter?

Oliver Thredson and Sister Mary Eunice.

7. Favorite Covencharacter?

Fiona Goode and Madison Montgomery.

8. Favorite Freak Showcharacter?

Dandy Mott.

9. Favorite Hotelcharacter?

Tristan Duffy and Will Drake.

10. Favorite Roanokecharacter?

Audrey Tindall and Sidney Aaron James.

11. Favorite Cultcharacter?

The Andersons. All three of them.

12. Favorite Apocalypsecharacter?

Michael Langdon, Wilhemina Venable and John Henry Moore.

13. If you could choose aseason theme, what would you choose? (Ex: Ghost Town, Brothel, etc.)

Cruise or Space. Orphanage would be cool, but it’d be a lot like Asylum in terms of plot and it’d be repetitive.

14. If you could give oneseason a sequel, which season would it be?

Answered here.

15. If you could bring onecharacter back to life, who would it be?

Answered here.

16. Favorite quote?

I’ve got one for each season so here it goes:1- “The Devil is real and he's not a little red man with horns and a tail. He can be beautiful because he's a fallen angel and he used to be God's favourite.” (Leah)2- “You were a very naughty girl last night. You tried to fly away, so I had to clip your wings.” (Dr. Arden)3- “I am a millennial. Generation Y. Born between the birth of AIDS and 9/11, give or take. They call us the Global Generation. We are known for our entitlement and narcissism. Some say it's because we're the first generation where a kid gets a trophy just for showing up. Others think it's because social media allows us to post every time we fart or have a sandwich for all the world to see. But it seems that our one defining trait is a numbness to the world, an indifference to suffering.” (Madison Montgomery)4- “I was destined to be the greatest actor of all time.Monty Clift? If I had been in A Place in the Sun, George Stevens would have had me do the walk to the electric chair shirtless.I mailed away for one of those Charles Atlas exercise routines they advertise in the back of the Superman comics.And I practiced acting faces in front of the mirror-- sad, happy, moody.But mother wouldn't let me.I hate her! But she can't keep my greatness in the slips.One door closes, another opens.And this body is America, strong, violent and full of limitless potential.My arms will hold them down when they struggle.My legs will run them down when they flee.I will be the U.S.Steel of murder.My body holds a heart that cannot love.When Dora died, she looked right into my eyes, and I felt nothing.The clown was put on earth to show me the way.To introduce me to the sweet language of murder.But I am no clown.I am perfection.I am greatness.I am the future, and the future starts tonight.” (Dandy Mott)5- “Darling... even my blood is high fashion. Cut me and I bleed Dior.” (Liz Taylor)6- “Oh, leave me alone! I’m not American, I’m not used to all this carnage!” (Audrey Tindall)7- “There’s nothing more dangerous in this world than a humilliated man.” (Kai Anderson)8- “I've been assigned to evaluate the people here and select the ones most worthy of survival. I could take all of you, or none of you. Those who make it live. Those who don't, end up like my horses.” (Michael Langdon)

17. Favorite characterdeath?

Sister Mary Eunice and Dr. Arden’s. Also Monsignor Timothy’s.

18. Favorite Sarah Paulsoncharacter?

Billie Dean Howard and Wilhemina Venable.

19. Favorite Evan Peterscharacter?

Kai Anderson.

20. Favorite Lily Rabecharacter?

Sister Mary Eunice.

21. Favorite Denis O’ Harecharacter?

My heart forever beats for Stanley and Liz Taylor.

22. If you could haveanyone guest star on AHS, who would it be?

Oh Christ. Zachary Quinto and Kate Mara.

23. Favorite ship?

All AHS ships are either problematic or DUMB. Well, except Liz x Tristan.

24. Tate Langdon or MichaelLangdon?

LOL as if. Michael, obviously.

25. Who is the bestSupreme? Fiona or Cordelia?

Fiona will always be better than Cordelia. Everything Cordelia does is impulsive and causes unnecessary deaths.

26. If you could be in anyseason, which season would you be in?

I would be in Hotel, so I could tell Liz Taylor to fuck oFF and let me have Tristan all to myself. Better yet: I’d just join their relationship.

27. Favorite villain?

Oliver Thredson.

28. Favorite musicalnumber?

The Name Game.

29. Favorite episode?

Answered here.

30. Favorite scene?

Lana and Oliver’s r*pe scene.

[maggyme13]

YAY 300 Followers!Let´s Celebrate :)

To celebrate that, I am going to do 2 Things:

1.       I will open my Ask- Box for prompts for Oneshots or drabbles to      write

I may write for any Character of the MCU- Movies, Hobbit, Witcher (game) series, Stargate Atlantis, SOA 

for almost any situation- as long as I feel comfortable with it-

Want another character? Just ask;)

NO smut for underaged characters or asks about actors..

2.  I will host a writing challenge for YOU to participate in

You find prompts under the cut.

Please tag me in your work and use the #maggies300challenge tag

Deadline is the 1st of June

You don´t need to follow me to participate, it is appreciated though.

Please reblog this so others can get informed as well.

Just send an ASK with the prompt(s) you choose and the character(s) it is for (see 1.).

There may be prompts chosen by more than one person, should the characters be different.

AU´s are allowed :)

NO smut for underaged and no actors, and please tag accordingly your theme.

Don´t find a fitting prompt? Send in your own suggestion.

I will read every story and put it in a Masterlist and don´t fret to send me a message shouldt I reblock it after a day or two.

(1)    “I shall claim full amends for every fall and stubbed toe, if you do not lead us well.”

(2)    "Keep breathing, that’s the key"

(3)    "You could’ve picked a better spot."

(4)    “I guess that concludes negotiations.”

(5)    “That still count as one”

(6)    “Certainty of death, small chance of success- what are we waiting for?"

(7)    “Not bad. But I prefer this.”

(8)    “So what is the best way to a man's heart?”

(9)    “Between the fourth and fifth rib. That's where I usually go. I'll put a twist at the end if I wanna make sure.”

(10)“There are bad days, and then there are legendary bad days”

(11)“Really? And you plan on killing me with what, your mouth?”

(12)“You're not afraid of the dark, are you?” @sweetness47

(13)“And kid, leave God out of this. He wants no part of what happens next.”

(14)“Three down, eight left. Now, normally I'd just keep going. Six down... Nine down... You get where I'm going with this.”

(15)“I'll kill you with my teacup.”

(16)“If I owned this place and Hell, I'd rent this place out and live in Hell.”

(17)“Me? I'm just passin' through.”

(18)“Remember that favourite game of yours”

(19) "Who's the Better Killer?"

(20)“We all began as something else.”

(21)“I shoulda taken the money”

(22)“Sister, they don't know what to do with just one of me.”

(23)“Get that ASS MOVING!“

(24)“Lesson Learned. No such word as "friend"”

(25)“Join him, or join me.”

@legion1993(John Winchester x Reader X Dean Winchester)

(26)“Where's ….?” “ Which half?”

(27)“Strong survival instinct. I admire that in a woman.”

(28) “It's the winner of the look alike contest.”

(29)“Amazing how you can do without the essentials of life, so long as you have the little luxuries.”

(30)“People, just a suggestion. Perhaps you should *flee*!”

(31)“Is anybody else having trouble breathing?”

(32)“Don't touch it! Don't- Don't you touch that handle!”

(33)“So... I guess something went wrong.”

(34)“You know who I am. You don’t know where I am. And you’ll never see me coming.” @sweetness47

(35)"I hope you’re ready bro, because I’m just getting started."

(36)"I may be as pretty as an angel, but I sure as hell ain't one”

(37)“You keep using that word. I don´t think it means what you think it means.”

(38)“My insurance doesn´t cover PMS.”

(39)“I'm here in case you succeed”

(40)„[nods] I can't.“

(41)“I was with the Navy. Not the Navajo“

(42)“Uh, I have a boyfriend.”

(43)“What kind of diet doesn't allow tequila?”

(44)“It's Central America. It's hot.”

(45)“It's white. You never told me it was white.”

(46)“You ever wonder why there was a job opening?”

(47)“What do you think? Want to take one home?”

(48)“You'll last two minutes in there. Less in those ridiculous shoes.”

(49)“Boys, let's do this!“ @sweetness47

(50)“Oh, like I said. I'm busy anyway, so give this job to my friend here. He loves playing in the jungle. Right?“

(51)“He said we're dead with an accent.”

(52)“You don't ask, I don't tell”

(53)“You know, you're gonna be dead anyway. So I'm gonna shut up”

(54)“Are you crazy? You could've killed me!”

(55)“So you're just gonna lie there and whimper?”

(56)“Fuck, you're old.“

(57)“I'd go with you, but... I don't want to.“

(58)“Language, please.“

(59)“There's no easy way to say this... I'm pregnant..“ @sweetness47

(60)“Have you decided what you're gonna say to her/him?”

(61)“Kinda lonesome back here.“

(62)“Do you have an off switch?”

(63)“Hey, hands off the merchandise.”

(64)“Which ones?” “ALL OF THEM!”

(65)“Hang in there, baby! I gotcha!” @sweetness47

People I think would have fun to participate:

@scarletraine @true-queen-of-mischief @lady-loki-ren @emmii4

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 26/12/2020 (LadBaby, Boris Johnson, Ed Sheeran)

It’s Boxing Day in the UK as I write this and I’m pretty tired but we still have to review those charts regardless, especially this chart as this is the Christmas chart – at least it’s being paraded around as such – and hence we have a Christmas #1. For the third year in a row, family vlogger, pseudo-comedian and amateur musician, not to be confused with DaBaby, Mark Ian Hoyle – more commonly known as “LadBaby”, has bagged the #1 for the holiday season. Every time I’ve covered the Christmas #1 it has been this guy and, yeah, I’m tired of it. At least this year he felt some stiff competition, and hey, the songs’ proceeds do go to charity. Oh, yeah, and this guy is the third act to have three Christmas #1s in a row, putting this nobody from Nottingham with a barebones Wikipedia page and a couple million YouTube subscribers on the level of the Beatles and Spice Girls. God, the UK Singles Chart never fails to amaze me. Anyway, that’s arguably not even the biggest story here so let’s start REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

As I said before, this is the “Christmas week” so throughout the UK Top 75 there are a lot of holiday songs re-peaking or reaching new peaks, before dropping off entirely the next week. Let’s start as we always do by listing the drop-outs from the chart, of which there are quite a few notable ones. Most of our top 40 debuts from last week are gone, like Taylor Swift’s “champagne problems” and “no body, no crime” featuring HAIM, as well as “Show Out” by Kid Cudi, the late Pop Smoke and Skepta. We can also say goodbye to “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” by Post Malone and Swae Lee, finally after 54 weeks and a surprise return earlier this month, in addition to other top 10 hits like “you broke me first” by Tate McRae, “See Nobody” by Wes Nelson and Hardy Caprio and “What You Know Bout Love” also by Pop Smoke, as well as some more minor hits like “Wonder” by Shawn Mendes, “Lonely” by Justin Bieber and benny blanco, “Train Wreck” by James Arthur, “Golden” by Harry Styles and “Plugged in Freestyle” by A92 and Fumez the Engineer, but I can see almost all of these rebounding hard next week so I don’t think there’s much to worry about here. For fallers, since Christmas has really consumed everything about this chart this week, we have some big ones that’ll find themselves back in the top 10 or at least top 20 next week like “positions” by Ariana Grande at #19 (the first non-Christmas non-debut song to appear on the chart, by the way), “Sweet Melody” by Little Mix at #20, “Whoopty” by CJ at #22, “34+35” by Ariana Grande at #28, “WITHOUT YOU” by The Kid LAROI at #31, “Prisoner” by Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa at #35 alongside “Midnight Sky” also by Miley at #36, “willow” by Taylor Swift off the debut to #37, “Get Out My Head” by Shane Codd at #38 and “Paradise” by MEDUZA and Dermot Kennedy. We also have “Therefore I Am” by Billie Eilish at #43, “Really Love” by KSI featuring Craig David and Digital Farm Animals at #45, even “HOLIDAY” by Lil Nas X at #49, “Mood” by 24kGoldn featuring iann dior at #54, “Loading” by Central Cee at #59, “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK at #60, “Monster” by Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber at #64, “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd at #66, “Dynamite” by BTS at #67, “Lemonade” by Internet Money and Gunna featuring Don Toliver and NAV at #72, “Levitating” by Dua Lipa with the biggest fall down to #73 and finally “No Time for Tears” by Nathan Dawe and Little Mix at #74. To put the dominance of holiday music on the charts in perspective, if we take the songs that are not either explicitly Christmas-related or a clear Christmas #1 campaign (i.e. LadBaby), the song at #38 would be at #10 and our #1 would be “positions” by Ariana Grande at #19. “Whoopty” by CJ, that entered the top 10 last week and dropped to #22 this week, would be at #3. There are 11 songs in the top 40 that never made an effort to take advantage of the holiday season. When we get into some of our debuts, it’ll be even clearer how big Christmas is in British pop music. Anyway, let’s skim through our gains and returning entries, most of which are Christmas or Christmas-related. For returning entries, we have the comically awful “Lonely this Christmas” by Mud at #71, last year’s scam attempt at a Christmas #1, “River” by Ellie Goulding at #69, “The Christmas Song (A Merry Christmas to You)” by Nat King Cole at #63 (which I’d appreciate more in the top 20 like it is in the US every year – this is a classic), “2000 Miles” by the Pretenders at #62 (again, incredible song that deserves a higher holiday peak each year), “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love at #58, “Santa’s Coming for Us” by Sia at #55, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith at #53 and for whatever reason, “Holy” by Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper at #41. In terms of notable gains – and I stress notable, since a lot of higher-up Christmas songs had small gains but still good performance - we have “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by the Jackson 5 at #57, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” by Frank Sinatra at #56, “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby at #52, “Baby it’s Cold Outside” by Brett Eldredge and Meghan Trainor at #51, “Forever Young” by Becky Hill at #50 (both off of the debut), “Baby it’s Cold Outside” AGAIN by Michael Bublé and Idina Menzel at #47, “Love is a Compass” by Griff at #46, “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano at #44, “Cozy Little Christmas” by Katy Perry at #42, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” AGAIN by Dean Martin at #39, “Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes at #34, “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay at #33, “Santa Baby” by Kylie Minogue at #32, “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber at #29, “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms at #27, “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney at #26, “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Michael Bublé at #25, “All You’re Dreaming Of” by Liam Gallagher at #24 (thanks to a Christmas #1 campaign that crashed and failed), “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams at #23, “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band featuring the Harlem Community Choir at #21, “One More Sleep” by Leona Lewis at #18, “Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade at #17, “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson at #15, and finally, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Justin Bieber illegitimately notching a spot in the top 10 at #8. Finally, we can get onto the new arrivals, although something about this next one tells me that we won’t be in line for anything all that good.

NEW ARRIVALS

#70 – “I’ll be Home” – Meghan Trainor

Produced by Meghan Trainor

...for Christmas. She’ll be home for Christmas. I guess she just can’t finish sentences, even though her cover art has the full title. Anyway, this is a 2014 original Christmas song that went nowhere except Sweden. It’s not anything like the Bing Crosby and wasn’t nearly as successful, mostly because it’s a jingly, inoffensive ballad tacked onto a silly Christmas EP that also features Fifth Harmony and Fiona Apple of all people – who probably should have charted her track instead – as well as the deluxe edition of that debut record Title that nobody liked. At least in this, she’s not going for a faux-retro style, or at least one that I can find the inspiration for, and is just singing over this oddly jaunty piano melody – which sounds pretty albeit bland – as well as some swells of strings and acoustic guitar that do work sonically. The content implies that Meghan Trainor is in contact with Santa Claus personally, and that he gave her the advice to be home with her lover this Christmas and... that’s why this charted, isn’t it? Well, it’s not her fault – it’s not a “stuck with u” moment, but it is dodgy that she decided to put this on her own Christmas record that was released in October of this year, which can’t seem unintentional. I’d be lying to say this isn’t a pretty little tune from Trainor and her voice does fit this instrumental, but a jazzy rendition from someone with a deeper, smoother voice, would work wonders with the content. Oh, and that Christmas record features guest appearances from both Earth, Wind & Fire and Seth MacFarlane, as well as her dad, because, you know, sure, 2020.

#65 – “Gnat” – Eminem

Produced by d.a. got that dope

I can’t tell if I’m underestimating Christmas or overestimating Eminem when I say I expected an album bomb – or whatever that equivalent would be in the UK and our land of silly chart rules – from the deluxe edition of his pretty damn terrible album, Music to be Murdered By. This 3/10 trainwreck consists of two hours I’ll never get back of either great beats wasted by Eminem’s corny, stiff flows and painfully unlikeable delivery or obnoxious, unlistenable beats that are dated enough for Eminem to start going on his Relapse “killing women in funny accents” shtick, which was awful then and even worse now when he tries to replicate it. Marshall, you’re 48, and I know that you’re just “messing around” but if you’re going to treat the album as a cinematic masterpiece within the album and its thematic Alfred Hitchcock interludes, you have to understand that the audience will see it as that way as well, so you having fun and being painfully unfunny in the process over cutting-room-floor trap instrumentals cannot slide. At least Kamikaze had some genuine anger and dare I say some actual balls in how it tackled controversy and dissed everyone he could think of off the top of his head. The last record was angry and bitter, this one’s just tired and lazy, and that’s before we get into some of the ugliest bars, instrumentals and cadences Slim Shady’s ever put on record, which is especially present on “Gnat”, a lightweight trap banger with some acoustic guitars not dissimilar to those that would appear on a Lil Baby mixtape, complete with questionable bass mixing and really bad hooks. On the verses, he sends a death threat to Mike Pence, but on the chorus, his bars are “like COVID” because “you get them right off the bat”. I don’t know about you, but in 2020, I don’t want to hear Eminem harmonising with producer tags, making topical and insensitive pandemic references, or spitting sex bars with coughing ad-libs. Before the beat switch, his flows are some of the sloppiest and drawn-out he’s ever used, and yes, I’ll admit, that second beat is a lot better and Em kills it over that instrumental – but only for a brief moment before we have a third beat, which Eminem is pretty great over, especially with that sax and sweet piano keys overlaid with hard 808s and Eminem’s rapid-pace, quick fire flow... and then he raps the chorus again and I want the song to end as quickly as it started – thankfully, it does end rather abruptly. Just wasted potential all throughout – if that beat switch and flow was a guest verse on damn near anyone else’s record (Em has made tracks with Don Toliver of all people, and he could work), this could be great. For now, Em, you know Kris Kristofferson? I think you should Piss Pissofferson. Forever. Look that up, by the way, that’s a lyric on the record because of course it is.

#61 – “In the Bleak Midwinter” – Jamie Cullum

Produced by ???

I had only briefly heard the name “Jamie Cullum” before this, but he is an English jazz-pop singer and pianist who’s basically useless and uninteresting but, hey, at least he has a radio show on BBC Radio 2. Sure, I mean that might have been the reason that Amazon Music picked him up for an exclusive project for which this is the biggest single. It’s not on Spotify, it’s not even on Genius, and it’s barely on YouTube but since it is, I should tell you that this is his first charting single since 2009 and it’s a remarkably uninteresting rendition of a Christmas carol done a lot better by Jacob Collier – and that one’s on Spotify – so yeah, your sleepy piano arrangement and tone that makes you sound like Robbie Williams half the time and Beck the other, doesn’t interest me. Goodbye.

#30 – “Afterglow” – Ed Sheeran

Produced by PARISI, Fred Again and Ed Sheeran

If we inexplicably remove everything Christmas-related on the chart, Eminem’s “Gnat” would have debuted at #20, and this new track from Ed Sheeran, already stunted from being released on an unconventional day, would have hit #5. Regardless of chart position, Ed Sheeran’s back with his first solo single since Divide. Yes, I’m purposefully ignoring that collaborative project he put out in 2019 because as far as I know, it doesn’t exist. At the end of the year, when things are looking as if he could start touring again, Sheeran predictably releases his lead-off single. This song in particular is a heartfelt ballad from Ed to his wife, who he wishes to be there forever and even if they aren’t together at any moment, whether he’s touring or they separate for whatever reason, he’ll “hold on to the afterglow”. I won’t lie, it’s a really sweet and convincingly sold love song from Ed, even if it’s not anything new, it does feel like a different approach since he’s a newly-wed man now. Although I’m not a fan of this somewhat muddy mixing that somehow messes up just a guy and his acoustic guitar, making what should be a really pretty, ethereal and mellow track sound almost ugly, which doesn’t flatter Ed and his limited delivery at all, especially when he starts getting multi-tracked in the second verse and whooshing sound effects of strings pop up in the mix, and, yeah, it just sounds cheap and gross at this point, which is really a waste of incredible content and a great performance from Ed, who sells everything as well as he can. I understand how this is supposed to be down to Earth, so a perfect mix wouldn’t make sense, but if you’re going to make him harmonise with his own background vocals and even show signs of belting, give him some more grandiosity and go full out instead of restraining him so that it just sounds jarring. With a different mix this could be one of Ed’s best tracks since the melodies are on point, the song feels really heart-warming and sincere, especially coming from Ed to his wife, but we won’t get a remaster anytime soon, I imagine, so for now this is just pretty damn good. I love the cover art as well, painted by Ed himself, and released alongside the single as a bit of a Christmas gift to fans, as well as the start of what I’m pretty sure will be a promo cycle. If this is a good peek into what that album will sound like, it’s safe to say I’m more than excited than ever to hear from Ed Sheeran.

#5 – “Boris Johnson is a Fricking Jerk” – Kool & the Gang

Produced by ???

Okay, so the song’s calling Boris Johnson something stronger than a “fricking jerk”, and the song is decidedly not by soul legends Kool & the Gang, although I’d love for that to happen sometime. This is a family show, of course, so we have to take some liberties. This track originates from a comedian from Basildon, Essex of all places, and whilst we don’t know his name, the songwriting credit on Spotify is given to contemporary British poet Wayne Clements so maybe he’s behind this, who knows? Whether he is or not, I can tell you the history behind this comedian’s music, as he has been making crude short singles about controversial topics in British society and politics for a while, including some about Nick Clegg that charted, although never higher than #63. He retired in 2016 but after writing an autobiography, the guy’s back and he released a compilation of punk rock tracks, all of which are small and profane, with a “band” of puppets that I also can’t name. State-controlled Russian television networks – because, sure, again, it’s 2020 – say that he will start touring in 2021, mostly because he’s finally reached that mainstream audience with this family-friendly tune about Boris Johnson. Here’s how Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton introduced it live on air during the mid-week chart reveal.

Now at #19, we've got a track about Boris Johnson that has so many bad words in it, we can't play it on daytime Radio 1.

Ah, you cowards. Wait... Anyway, I’m pretty happy that the British public can stick it to Boris and the heartless Tories that follow him and currently rule the country, even if it is all a bloody stupid joke from an anonymous punk rocker. We can dig into Boris for his failures on Brexit, mishandling of the pandemic, disgraceful reality-star-esque personal life, that he wasn’t even born in the UK yet is basically a nationalist, his history of Islamophobic commentary, his crap excuses for journalism back in the 2000s or even his clown-nose, blonde bowl-cut “hair style” he adopts whilst addressing us on live television feeding us lies and misleading statements that turn into retcons the next time he has to address the nation, whether it be on Brexit or COVID-19 tiers and regulations, both of which are a confusing mess to both sides of Europe that exist to drift us away from where we should be going as a nation, and further into the realm of political party tribalism that we know absolutely does not work in the States and that we mock the Yanks for. We’re more than the sick man of Europe, we are the America of Europe. I guess you could say Ireland is our Canada, but we don’t even have a Mexico to make us look better, we just have other western, central and northern European countries that may be flawed but are far ahead of whatever the hell this shell of a union is in 2020, less than 80 years after the creation of our National Health Service. People will look to pundits and newsreaders like Piers Morgan, entertainers like Phillip Schofield, war veterans and charity-givers like Captain Tom Moore, and even politicians like Boris Johnson, as the “heroes” of Britain’s 2020 but it’s increasingly clear that absolutely no-one is a hero, and it’s the people’s right to be upset. Hence, nearly exactly a year after Boris Johnson cheated his way into power by smear campaigns and elitism, we have this song debuting at #5. Unfortunately, the song doesn’t go into any of that. It just repeats the title in an anthemic – and considerably agreeable – refrain that is an undeniable punk hook. The riffs and guitar work here isn’t of any interest, but the guy’s delivery is powerful and furious, so I’ll give the song credit: it’s not just correct but it’s really good, especially for a one minute runtime. He also released some satirical MIDI-level synth-pop remix with gross Christmas sleigh bells and hi-hat skitters, because, say it with me, it’s 2020. I wouldn’t recommend the album though, it overstays its welcome by the time you get to “Jesus Died of a Stranglewank”.

#1 – “Don’t Stop Me Eatin’” – LadBaby

Produced by who cares?

I can’t get mad at this lazy “parody” of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” about sausage rolls, or even its Ronan Keating remix, which is LadBaby doing a favour to Ronan Keating, if anything. Sure, my blood boils with the idea that this incompetent Internet personality from the East Midlands – which I think I’m sadly also able to describe myself as – got the #1 over Mariah Carey, or even that Boris Johnson diss track, but it’s going to the Trussell Trust and it’s ultimately an inoffensive, vaguely happy track that even gets the vegans involved. I, for one, prefer “Boris Johnson is a Sausage Roll”, a version of our #5 you can – and should – play on the radio even after Christmas. I don’t have anything more to say about this guy so piss off, LadBaby, you can’t even get the album cover right to the song you’re parodying, thrice in a row.

Conclusion

Best of the Week is definitely going to the Somethings for “Boris Johnson is a Something Something”, with an Honourable Mention to Ed Sheeran’s “Afterglow”. I can’t bring myself to give a charity single Worst of the Week so I’ll spare LadBaby the honour and grant it to Jamie Cullum for his greedy Amazon exclusive trite, with a Dishonourable Mention for “Gnat” by Eminem, for just being wasted potential all across the board. Next week, everything Christmas-related will be gone and we’ll get a bunch of returns and hopefully some new, interesting returning entries. We might even get the impact of Playboi Carti’s long-anticipated album – and I hope so because it’s fantastic – but that’s wishful thinking. Anyways, I hope everyone had a happy holiday season. Here’s our top 10:

Thank you for reading. You can follow me @cactusinthebank for more rambling about pop music and occasionally politics, and I’ll see you next year.

[aion-rsa]

Supernatural: The Best Episodes

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This Supernatural feature contains MAJOR spoilers up to and including the series finale.

Over the course of 15 years, Supernatural aired an extraordinary 327 episodes, every single one of them starring the same two people, a quite incredible achievement (there were two attempts at backdoor pilots, but both featured Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles at least briefly).

In 327 episodes, of course, there have been some stinkers, and there have been moments of brilliance. Supernatural did scary episodes, gross-out episodes, funny episodes, tragic episodes, tragically funny episodes and episodes set on its own soundstage. Here are 25 of the very best.

25/327*. Carry On (Season 15, Episode 20)

*delete according to preference, and see “Dishonorable mentions” below

We’re being controversial right off the bat, as the series finale has fans split right down the middle between feeling pretty pleased with it and absolutely hating it. And for the many fans that hate it, they really, really hate it. If that’s you, we understand your issues with it – see our ‘Dishonorable Mentions’ list.

But for others, while this ending was somewhat marred by coronavirus restrictions (which are surely to blame for Sam’s wife being blurred in the background instead of clearly shown to be Eileen, and possibly for the absence of Castiel as well), there were also moments of emotional catharsis and beauty. Heaven has undergone some drastic improvements since we last saw it and the afterlife is no longer strangely lonely and depressing. The music choices for the episode are perfectly on point – it almost seems strange we haven’t heard ‘Brothers in Arms’ before – and finally the promise of ‘Carry On, Wayward Son’ is fulfilled, as “surely Heaven waits for you”.

Best moment: Hearing the voice of Original Bobby (not Apocalypse World Bobby) for the first time since Season 11.

Quotable: “Always keep fighting” (Dean, to Sam)

Watch if you like: Tragic melodrama, great music, Bobby

24. Devil’s Trap (Season 1, Episode 22)

Supernatural’s very first season finale set the tone for many more finales to come. The arc plot kicked up a gear, Winchesters pointed guns at each other, and the whole thing ended in a nail-biting cliff-hanger. This episode sets up much of how the show will work, including the important detail that demons possess innocent humans, which led to our heroes spending some years trying to avoid killing them where possible (before they eventually gave up on that one). Most important of all, though, this is the episode that introduces Jim Beaver’s Bobby Singer, who would become the Winchesters’ surrogate father, and whose particular brand of caring, with a hefty dose of calling them idjits, was always entertaining with a warmth underneath the humour.

Best moment: Sam refuses to kill his father – the first of many times this sort of decision will be forced on the brothers.

Quotable: “The storm’s coming, and you boys, your Daddy – you are smack in the middle of it” (Bobby)

Watch if you like: Family melodrama, demon arc plots, Bobby

23. All Along The Watchtower (Season 12, Episode 22)

Death and life have always gone hand in hand in Supernatural, and nowhere is that clearer than in this game-changing season finale. We lose one of the show’s few regular characters, Mark Sheppard’s Crowley, along with a newer, highly likeable, recurring character, Courtney Ford’s Kelly Kline, both in moving self-sacrifices that honor the characters and their development. (Oh, and Castiel dies again too, but of course that doesn’t stick). On the other hand, we gain two new characters. We meet Apocalypse World Bobby, and while he can never really replace the Bobby the boys knew and loved, he brings some essential Bobby-ness back into the show. And Jack is born, Castiel’s (and later the Winchesters’) adoptive son, whom Cas is convinced will create a paradise in the future. This episode is full of great character work featuring numerous fan favourites, along with genuinely exciting plot developments that left viewers itching for the next season to start.

Best moment: Castiel took an online doula class in preparation for Kelly going into labour, but it didn’t cover quasi-celestial beings.

Quotable: “Whenever there is a world ending crisis at hand, I know where to place my bets. It’s on you, you big beautiful lumbering piles of flannel” (Crowley)

Watch if you like: Alternate universes, self-sacrifices, Bobby

22. Don’t Call Me Shurley (Season 11, Episode 20)

This episode has shifted down the list since we last ranked it, as the plot developments of season 15 have robbed it of some of its joy, but the episode itself still stands up. It’s well known that Supernatural is often kind of a grim show, and one of the pleasures of watching it is that, however crappy your life is at that moment, it’s not as crappy as Sam and Dean’s. There are occasional moments of satisfaction (like the killing of Azazel in “All Hell Breaks Loose”) and there’s certainly plenty of humour, but real, honest to Chuck, joy? That’s rare, and the best example (Dean’s Heaven) required both main characters to be dead. So there’s something really special about this Season 11 episode, in which God finally comes back (and reveals that He has, in fact, been helping out on the odd occasion all along). The rest of the episode, in which Metatron makes the case for humankind to God, is a philosophical and meta-fictional treat as well, but it’s that conclusion that really makes it something to remember.

Best moment: Dean pulls his old amulet out of Sam’s pocket – signalling that God has returned.

Quotable: “You know what humanity’s greatest creation has been? Music. That, and nacho cheese” (Chuck)

Watch if you like: Philosophy, happy endings

21. Lebanon (Season 14, Episode 13)

Supernatural’s 100th episode (“The Point Of No Return”) was an arc-plot heavy drama; it’s 200th (‘Fan Fiction’) was a delightful and comedic take on the show. For this, the 300th episode, the series went in a different direction again, and focused on the Winchester family unit, bringing Jeffrey Dean Morgan back as John Winchester for the first time since the season 2 finale. Sam and Dean’s whole story has been driven by their broken family life, and before this the closest they’d come to being together as a family was a brief car ride with their parents’ unknowing younger selves while time travelling. Here, they get to spend some proper time together as a family, before it’s inevitably cut short – and as a bonus, we get to see Zachariah (not seen since the 100th episode) and Scary Castiel again as well.

Best moment: All four Winchesters, all alive at the same time, have dinner together. It’s lovely.

Quotable: “Now you live in a secret bunker with an angel and Lucifer’s kid” (John)

Watch if you like: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, family dinners, anniversary episodes

20. Roadkill (Season 2, Episode 16)

Many of the episodes on this list are major arc plot-related episodes, or hilariously funny format-bending episodes, or both. But it’s also worth celebrating episodes that offer just a really good Monster of the Week, and this is one of them. Supernatural was inspired early on by urban legends, and this episode is a sad, scary and effective take on a classic, the Vanishing Hitchhiker. Guest star Tricia Helfer does a great job as Molly, whose perspective we follow throughout the story, keeping her true predicament from both her and the audience until the twist ending. The episode’s conclusion was also the first time we saw a suggestion of something potentially positive waiting for human souls after death, giving all the many, many dead characters on the show a glimmer of hope.

Best moment: The reveal of Molly’s true nature isn’t really a surprise if you’ve ever read a ghost story, but it’s very well done.

Quotable: “Follow the creepy brick road” (Dean)

Watch if you like: urban legends, scary ghost stories, plot twists

19. Scoobynatural (Season 13, Episode 16)

By Season 13, inevitably some viewers had drifted away from the show, as people will when something runs as long as Supernatural has. “Scoobynatural” had a concept so enticing, it brought some of those viewers back (only out-performed in the ratings that year by the season opener). Not only was the idea of Sam and Dean in a Scooby Doo cartoon too good to miss, Supernatural also has an excellent track record in comedy episodes. These can be hit and miss on most shows, but Supernatural’s comedy misses are few and the hits are plentiful enough that six of them are on this list. Viewers trusted the show to make this work, and that trust paid off – the episode is both very funny and touching, as all the show’s best comedy episodes are.

Best moment: Sam and Dean trying to explain to the Scooby Gang that no really, ghosts are real.

Quotable: “We’ve been stopping real estate developers when we could have been hunting Dracula? Are you kidding me?! My life is meaningless!” (Fred)

Watch if you like: Scooby-Doo, crossovers

18. No Rest For The Wicked (Season 3, Episode 16)

The writers’ strike cut Season 3 short (yes, Supernatural has been going that long), which meant the planned story arc, in which Sam and Dean desperately tried to find a way to get Dean out of the deal he made with a Crossroads demon, also had to be wrapped up in fewer episodes than anticipated. The solution was truly shocking – they failed. Dean was sent to Hell and viewers were left with an image of him being tortured and screaming out Sam’s name. OK, no one really thought he was going to stay there for ever, but it was still a bold move.

Best moment: Sam joining along in a singalong to Bon Jovi’s “Wanted” with his brother, knowing they only had a few hours left.

Quotable: “Family don’t end with blood, boy” (Bobby)

Watch if you like: Dante’s Inferno, soft rock anthems

17. All Hell Breaks Loose, Parts 1&2 (Season 2, Episodes 21&22)

Like “No Rest For The Wicked,” this was a real watershed moment for the show. Sam’s death and the deal Dean makes to bring him back set in motion just about every major storyline since. But these episodes don’t make the list just for that reason. The “only one can live” set up Sam is dropped into is always an intriguing premise, and these two episodes make up a dramatic, satisfying season finale in which the bad guy of two years is dispatched, the Winchester men get some closure, and the mythology gets a bit more development.

Best moment: Sam’s first death. The regularity with which the Winchester boys die and come back to life is a long-running joke and has even been the focus of more than one episode over the years, so it’s easy to forget just what a huge, horrifying moment that first death is, back when they used to take it seriously.

Quotable: “That was for our mom, you sunnnuvabitch” (Dean, to Azazel’s dead body)

Watch if you like: The Hunger Games, Jensen Ackles emoting

16. Abandon All Hope… (Season 5, Episode 10)

Season 5 was Supernatural creator Eric Kripke’s final season as show-runner, and it was written to be the final season of the show. The story arc followed the boys’ attempts to stop the oncoming Apocalypse and recapture the Devil himself, with the stakes getting higher and higher as the season wore on. “Abandon All Hope…” is a turning point, hammering home the seriousness of the situation by killing off half the regular supporting cast, after which the story became increasingly grim until our heroes faced an impossible choice in the season finale. It’s also the episode that introduces Mark Sheppard as Crowley, King of the Crossroads Demons, who immediately cements himself as much more fun than your average demon.

Best moment: Ellen staying with a mortally injured Jo as they sacrifice themselves to save the boys.

Quotable: “Your choice. You can cling to six decades of deep-seated homophobia, or give it up and get a complete bailout for your ban’s ridiculous incompetence” (Crowley)

Watch if you like: Mark Sheppard as Crowley, tear-jerkers

15. Nightshifter (Season 2, Episode 12)

Sam and Dean spent much of the first few years of the series on the run from the law, despite having several police officers in their debt. This would continue until the police thought they were dead, only for the pair of them to turn up again, and the threat of jail time if they were ever caught and identified never quite went away. This episode, in which a shape-shifter is carrying out bank robberies, really notches up the tension as they come to the attention of the FBI in the worst possible way, as well as observing the tragedy of a well meaning civilian caught up in something he doesn’t understand.

Best moment: The brothers escape to the tune of “Renegade,” by Styx.

Quotable: “We’re not working for the Mandroid!” (Sam, to Ronald)

Watch if you like: Bonnie and Clyde, The Lone Gunmen

14. Death’s Door (Season 7, Episode 10)

The decision to kill off Bobby permanently in season 7 was controversial, to say the least, but it’s hard to deny his final episode as a living member of the team is a great one. Poor Bobby’s backstory is revealed to be even more tragic than we already knew it was, but more importantly, his bond with the boys and the reasons their relationship is so important both to them and to him are explored. It also prompts the show to explore a fairly obvious question – we’ve seen plenty of ghosts on the series whose bodies were burned, so even with hunters’ funerals, how is it we haven’t seen more beloved deceased characters return after death?

Best moment: Bobby giving his alcoholic father a proper telling off in his imagination.

Quotable: “As fate would have it, I adopted two boys, and they grew up great. They grew up heroes” (Bobby)

Watch if you like: Bobby and Rufus, daddy issues

13. Dark Side Of The Moon (Season 5, Episode 16)

The earliest episode to acknowledge how often the boys have died and come back to life, “Dark Side Of The Moon” sets its cards on the table by abruptly killing them both in the first few minutes. We finally get to see what happens when you go to Heaven in the world of Supernatural, and it’s a little weird and oddly lonely (with the exception of “soulmates”, everyone is off in their own little worlds – thankfully this is eventually rectified) but it’s a satisfying journey nonetheless. Not that Dean or Castiel would agree, as this is the episode in which they give up on searching for God, having been told He isn’t interested.

Best moment: Dean’s Heaven – playing with fireworks with Young Sam. It’s a truly joyful sequence.

Quotable: “Gentlemen, I don’t mean to be a downer, but I’m sure I’ll see you again soon” (Ash)

Watch if you like: Family drama, nihilism

12. Baby (Season 11, Episode 4)

The Supernatural team have always been clear that the Impala is the third main character on the show (sorry, Castiel) so this Season 11 episode shifts focus to tell a story entirely from the car’s point of view. No, this isn’t a Herbie or Transformers situation – rather, the entire episode is shot from inside the car. What this means for the story is that we get to see different parts of Sam and Dean’s day – while they’re off investigating, we see the Impala get taken for a joy ride by a car park attendant, and Sam and Dean’s traditional emotionally-charged conversations are given a little more space to breathe. This is how you shake a show up while keeping its unique feel after eleven years.

Best moment: All of Castiel’s hilarious phone calls.

Quotable: “Never use Swayze’s name in vain, OK? Ever” (Dean) 

Watch if you like: Classic cars, Bob Seger’s “Night Moves”

11. What Is And What Should Never Be (Season 2, Episode 20)

Towards the end of season 2, as the series started to grow in confidence, Supernatural started to do slightly more experimental episodes that took us away from the straightforward “Sam and Dean hunt a monster” set-up. The first meta-fictional episode was the fun “Hollywood Babylon,” while this was an early glimpse of an alternative timeline – or, rather, an hallucination of Dean’s under the influence of a djinn. The result was a fun “what if” scenario and a lovely penultimate appearance from Adrianne Palicki as Jessica, but it culminated in a truly heart-breaking moment for Dean as he confronts everything he, Sam, and their father have had to sacrifice in their attempts to help others, and is forced to choose life at the expense of happiness.

Best moment: Dean breaks down at his father’s grave.

Quotable: “Look, whatever stupid thing you’re about to do, you’re not doing it alone. And that’s that” (Sam)

Watch if you like: Alternate timelines, wishes gone wrong

10. The French Mistake (Season 6, Episode 15)

In this episode, Sam and Dean are pulled into a parallel universe where they are the actors Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, the stars of the TV show Supernatural. The story takes the highest of high concepts and makes it work beautifully, including an appearance from Padalecki’s real life wife and former co-star Genevieve Padalecki and Misha Collins sending himself up gloriously. There’s even a clip of a much younger Jensen Ackles on Days Of Our Lives thrown in. A joy from start to finish.

Best moment: Sam and Dean trying to act. They are not good at it.

Quotable: “You married fake Ruby?!” (Dean)

Watch if you like: High concept comedy, Misha Collins

9. The End (Season 5, Episode 4)

What better way to raise the stakes early in the season than to flash forward five years and reveal what the world will look like after the Apocalypse has come about? Funny and heartfelt in equal measure, this is a classic alternate timeline story with a twist. It is also a really important episode in the development of Lucifer as a character, here played with squirming intensity by Jared Padalecki, who gets to sit out most of the story while Jensen Ackles pulls double, only to come and steal the show at the end. It also features some advice from Chuck (i.e. God) to hoard toilet paper, which turned out to be remarkably prescient.

Best moment: The reveal of Hippie Future Castiel, who has taken a surprising attitude towards the end of the world.

Quotable: “When you get back there, you hoard toilet paper. You understand me? Hoard it like it’s made of gold. Cause it is” (Chuck – some people clearly took this advice too much to heart in 2020)

Watch if you like: Dystopias, toilet paper

8. Fan Fiction (Season 10, Episode 5)

The show’s 100th episode was an important moment in its then-current story arc, but it was the 200th that really celebrated in style. Watching a girls’ school put on a musical version of the Supernatural story (the Kripke years) sounds like a terrible idea but they pull it off brilliantly, making an episode that is both funny and sweet. Most of all, though, this is just a treat for long-term fans, full of call-backs, references, and in-jokes, and that finally ties up a loose end from “Dark Side Of The Moon” in an emotionally satisfying way.

Best moment: The lovely cover of “Carry On, Wayward Son” at the end of the show.

Quotable: “That is some of the worst fan fiction I ever heard!” (Marie, on hearing what happened after the end of Season 5 – a popular take on just about everything that’s happened since then in some quarters)

Watch if you like: Musicals, subtext

7. The Monster At The End Of This Book (Season 4, Episode 18)

Neither “Don’t Call Me Shurley” nor “Fan Fiction” would have been possible without the episode that introduced Chuck in the first place, though back then he was nothing more than a cowardly writer and (apparently) reluctant prophet. Supernatural had done a few meta-fictional episodes by this point but “The Monster At The End Of This Book” was the moment they took it to new places, creating the fictional Supernatural universe within the Supernatural universe and allowing the show to explore fandom, fan fiction, fan conventions and fan musicals further down the line. The whole concept is a real treat for the show’s real life fans.

Best moment: Sam and Dean discover online fandom and slash fiction.

Quotable: “They do know we’re brothers, right?!” (Dean)

Watch if you like: Fan fiction, meta fiction

6. Faith (Season 1, Episode 12)

This low-key Season 1 episode may seem like an odd choice for the sixth best episode ever out of 327. But there are two reasons for singling out “Faith” here. One is to highlight just how good Supernatural’s early ghost stories were. We could fill a whole list with classic examples of spooky tales done really well from the show’s early years (“Dead In The Water,” “Bloody Mary,” “No Exit,” “Playthings”). “Faith,” though not strictly about a ghost, centres around a faith healer’s wife controlling a reaper. But “Faith” is more than a good yarn done well. It’s also the episode that showed what the series could be, as it started to deal with the deep and complex philosophical themes the show would later explore in more obvious, explosive ways. There’s also a great guest performance from Angel: The Series’ and Dexter’s Julie Benz, and poor Dean finds himself dying from something fairly mundane – not for the last time.

Best moment: “Don’t Fear The Reaper” is put to great use here as the reaper hunts down a jogger.

Quotable: “You better take care of that car, or I swear, I’ll haunt your ass” (Dean)

Watch if you like: Theology, Blue Oyster Cult

5. Mystery Spot (Season 3, Episode 11)

The best comedy episodes of Supernatural are not only side-splittingly funny (and they are), they also have a dramatic punch, an element of real drama behind the comedy. “Mystery Spot” is based around a twist on the Groundhog Day concept, in which Sam has to relive a day on which Dean seems doomed to die over and over and over again, unable to prevent it. Dean’s many, many deaths caused by all manner of strange things (just how did he manage fatally to slip in the shower?) are very funny, but Sam’s increasing difficulty in dealing with the situation, and then his terrible three months without Dean (this was the first time that had happened since the series began) bring sincere emotions to the table as well. 

Best moment: Sam working out that the Trickster is behind everything.

Quotable: “OK, look. Yesterday was Tuesday, right? But today is Tuesday too” (Sam)

Watch if you like: Groundhog Day, Final Destination

4. Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)

Not too many shows can claim their pilot as one of their best episodes. But Supernatural’s Pilot really is a great episode of the show. It kicks off the series’ major plot arc, of course, but it also introduces the show’s humor and heart. On top of all that, the Pilot also features a classic Ghost of the Week that’s spooky and sad and ghoulish, as all good ghost stories should be.

Best moment: Our introduction to Dean’s “mullet rock” music collection, including two classics from AC/DC (“Back In Black” and “Highway To Hell,” of course).

Quotable: “We got work to do” (Sam)

Watch if you like: Mullet rock, ghost stories

“Swan Song” – Jared Padalecki as Sam, Jake Abel as Adam Milligan, Jensen Ackles as Dean in SUPERNATURAL on The CW. Photo: Jack Rowand/The CW ©2010 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

3. Swan Song (Season 5, Episode 22)

The episode that would have been the series finale, if the show hadn’t been renewed and taken over (first by Sera Gamble, then Jeremy Carver, and finally Andrew Dabb and Robert Singer). “Swan Song” would have made a great finale as well – it’s thrilling, satisfying, tragic and funny all at once. The main reason it’s not higher on this list is that it is a little bit of a downer – if the series had actually ended there, there would have been a lot of Fix Fic out there online, sorting it out. Granted, that’s true of the series’ actual finale as well, but honestly, think about it, and take out the sequel hook shot of a resurrected Sam at the end of “Swan Song” which presumably wouldn’t have been there – this one is even more depressing.

Best moment: The opening narration, describing how the Impala has always been the boys’ real home.

Quotable: “Hey! Assbutt!” (Castiel, to Lucifer)

Watch if you like: Supernatural. Honestly, this one is the conclusion to five years’ story-telling – don’t start here!

2. Changing Channels (Season 5, Episode 8)

Is this the funniest comedy episode of Supernatural? It’s a tough contest, but the genital herpes commercial Sam is forced to star in might just give it the win. But “Changing Channels” is more than comedy. The reveal that the Trickster is actually the Archangel Gabriel in disguise really shouldn’t work, but somehow it does, and it brings a new dimension to the Trickster’s previous appearances (especially “Mystery Spot”) as well as a solid conclusion to this one. But really, the episode’s greatness lies in the fact that it’s just. so. funny.

Best moment: The Impala/Sam as KITT from Knight Rider.

Quotable: “Should I honk?” (Sam/the Impala)

Watch if you like: Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, Knight Rider, cheesy sitcoms, Japanese game shows, adverts for genital herpes treatments

1. Lazarus Rising (Season 4, Episode 1)

What with running for 15 years, Supernatural went through a fair few major upheavals and shifts that sent the show in a new direction, and several of them are on this list. Nothing, though, beats the appearance of real, possessing-someone-else’s-flesh-and-blood angels on the show. This was the episode that made Supernatural what it has become, for better or for worse.

But that alone isn’t the reason we’ve put it at Number 1 of 327 episodes. The episode is hugely emotionally satisfying – although Sam and Dean had both come back from the dead before by this point (Dean technically dozens of times) Dean coming back from being buried for months is undeniably huge. The series needed to show how much of a big deal this was, and they did. We immediately learn that angels are terrifying and that wherever they go, collateral damage follows (it’s easy to forget that the first thing Castiel does on this show is burn out an innocent woman’s eyes).

And then, we finally get to meet an angel face to face. Castiel, in his first appearance, is genuinely something to behold. The deep voice, before it became the subject of in jokes and deadpan comedy, was originally intended to convey gravitas and power, and it works. This is a force like nothing the boys have encountered before, and it is awesome in the classic sense of word – full of awe.

Later, of course, Castiel would become the third member of Team Free Will and one of the most important characters on the show, next only to Sam and Dean. Misha Collins has made the character funny and loveable and awkward and generally indispensable. We wouldn’t change Castiel for the world and certainly don’t mean to suggest that it’s all downhill from his first appearance. Indeed, that later legacy is part of what makes this episode so special.

But really, it’s that entrance we can’t get enough of. We get shivers every time.

Best moment: Castiel’s entrance, of course. Though the rest of the episode is very good as well.

Quotable: “I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition” (Castiel’s first line)

Watch if you like: Castiel, angels

Honorable mentions

There were so many great episodes we didn’t have room for here – “My Bloody Valentine” (gory and funny in equal measure), “It’s A Terrible Life” (a classic Angel Shenanigans of the Week story), ‘The Born-Again Identity’ (Castiel’s return after it looked like they really had killed him off this time), “Houses Of The Holy” (the first references to angels on the show), “Everybody Hates Hitler” (a solid adventure during the course of which the boys discover the Bunker that has become their home), and “LARP And The Real Girl” (probably the best and most fun episode featuring fan favorite Charlie, played by Felicia Day) are just a few of the other greats.

Dishonorable mentions

We don’t want to spend too much time focusing on the negative, but we should probably acknowledge that, in 327 episodes, the show has occasionally got it wrong. Generally speaking, any time the show decides to feature dogs (the domesticated variety, not werewolves) the results tend to be less than excellent – “Man’s Best Friend With Benefits” is a real low point, and while many fans love “Dog Dean Afternoon,” we find it cringe-worthy. “Bugs” and “Route 666” (the one about the racist truck) are the two most often picked on by the writers themselves as examples of terrible episodes, though since both are from Season 1, they’ve long receded into most viewers’ long-term memories.

And of course, there’s “Carry On.” For every fan who found it a flawed but satisfying ending, there’s another who ranks it somewhere up there with Game Of Thrones’ and How I Met Your Mother’s finales in the All Time Terrible Series Finales Hall of Fame. There were too many people missing (largely the fault of COVID-19, but that doesn’t really help), especially Castiel and Eileen, whose absences were palpably felt. To leave Misha Collins and Castiel out all together after years of him sharing show-leading duties with Padalecki and Ackles seems very wrong, and many fans were disappointed that we never really see Dean react to Cas’s confession of love for him in ‘Despair’. Dean’s abrupt death felt anti-climactic to many, and the fact he was robbed of the chance to live a life free of Chuck was frustrating. And on top of all that, Sam’s grey-haired wig really was quite terrible. So all in all, while we would still say that for us it felt like a fairly well played conclusion to the story, we can understand that for many, it belongs at the top of the list of Dishonorable Mentions.

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Did your favorite episode of Supernatural make the list? Let us know in the comments below…

The post Supernatural: The Best Episodes appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[junker-town]

10 takeaways from college basketball’s first full weekend of conference play

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The conference grind portion of the 2019-20 college basketball season has arrived.

Conference play is here, which means the beautiful nine-week journey that carries us through the otherwise depressing as hell depth of winter has begun. Let’s talk about the 10 biggest things that happened during the first weekend of the grind.

1. Cassius Winston and Michigan State are “back”

In the middle of a season that has been largely defined by the disappointing performances of the teams that were supposed to be the best in the sport, Michigan State exists in its own category. The Spartans were a near-unanimous preseason No. 1 team that lost three of its first eight games and began the New Year without a single victory over a team in the current AP top 25 poll.

Tom Izzo’s team has now won seven straight, a run capped by Sunday’s 87-69 torching of arch-rival and 12th-ranked Michigan. That decisive win came just three days after Sparty put a 76-56 beatdown on an Illinois team with NCAA tournament aspirations.

At the heart of this turnaround (if you want to call it that) has been senior star Cassius Winston, who has now scored 21 or more points and dished out six or more assists in each of his last four games. He gave one of the best performances of his college career on Sunday, lighting up Michigan to the tune of 32 points and nine assists over 38 minutes of floor time.

While Winston and Michigan State were struggling in November and the first half of December, no other player really stepped up and established himself as the early front-runner to win national Player of the Year. Oregon’s Payton Pritchard, Dayton’s Obi Toppin and Duke’s Vernon Carey Jr. have all received their fair share of love, but it’s been more “if you had to pick someone today” love as opposed to “he’s clearly been the best player in the sport” love.

Despite everything that happened in the season’s first eight weeks, Michigan State still seems like a team that is going to be among the three or four trendiest national title picks come March. And now suddenly, it seems like every postseason national Player of the Year award may wind up going to the same guy who picked up each and every preseason honor.

2. The Big East will be the most competitive conference to follow all winter

The “best” conference debate is always a subjective one, but I don’t think there is going to be much pushback this winter against the notion that the Big East title race is going to be the most competitive in college basketball. Of the 10 teams in the conference, there isn’t one at the moment with a fan base that doesn’t have at least mild hope that their team will wind up hearing its name called on Selection Sunday.

No one doubts the legitimacy of teams like Butler, Villanova and Seton Hall, but it’s the bottom half of the league that sets it apart this season. The Big East team with the worst overall record, 9-6 Providence, suddenly has life after reeling off consecutive wins over Texas, Georgetown and DePaul. The three 0-2 teams at the bottom of the league standings — DePaul, Georgetown and St. John’s — all won 10 or more games during the non-conference portions of their season.

After just one week of league play, it’s already apparent how intense every night of Big East play is going to be for the next two months.

Mac McClung has some words for Quincy McKnight and Quincy proceeds to show him the scoreboard, leading to a little fight by the Seton Hall huddle. pic.twitter.com/Hcjln3LaBs

— CBB Talk (@CBBSuperFan) January 4, 2020

If every Big East Friday night winds up being like the first one, they’re going to be worth canceling plans for.

3. San Diego State is still undefeated and is absolutely for real

One of the most well-known active streaks of futility in college hoops is that no team from the Western United States has won the national championship since Arizona last cut down the nets back in 1997. The program most likely to end this drought has always been one of the top tier teams from the Pac-12 or, in recent years, Gonzaga. While the Bulldogs are the current No. 1 team in America and Pac-12 squads like Oregon and Arizona certainly seem capable of playing deep into March, there’s a new legitimate West Coast challenger in 2019-20.

San Diego State is 15-0 and one of just two unbeaten teams remaining in college basketball. The Aztecs have been at their best when the lights have been the brightest this season, smashing Creighton by 31, beating Iowa by 10, blasting Utah by 28, and most recently going on the road and handling preseason Mountain West favorite Utah State with relative ease.

So how did the Aztecs go from a team no one was talking about two months ago to one that now has people asking whether or not they can enter the NCAA tournament without a loss?

For starters, Washington State transfer Malachi Flynn has been one of the best guards in the country. The junior is averaging career-bests in points (15.9 ppg) and assists (5.1 apg), saved SDSU with a shot at the buzzer against San Jose State, and just lit up Utah State All-American candidate Sam Merrill to the tune of 22 points, five rebounds and four assists.

With Utah State going through a little bit of a 2018-19 Nevada funk, San Diego State has emerged as the Mountain West team most worthy of fear from the rest of the country. The Aztecs play the type of team defense — No. 12 in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings — that can carry a squad without an obvious draft pick to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. They’ve also built a solid first half of the year resume that includes five Quadrant 1 wins, which is currently tied for the most in the country. Oh, and the Aztecs are also No. 1 in the NET Rankings at the moment.

The basketball world scrambling to CBS Sports Net to see whether or not Brian Dutcher’s team can keep the dream of an undefeated season alive has the potential to be one of the more fun (and unforeseeable) storylines of the weeks to come.

4. Penn State appears to be (finally) tournament bound

Pat Chambers is the only power conference coach in America to have gone at least eight seasons at a school without a single trip to the NCAA tournament and to still be employed by said school.

It’s looking more and more like the ninth time is going to be the charm for Chambers at Penn State.

Playing a home game at The Palestra in Philly on Saturday, the Nittany Lions notched a significant early Big Ten victory with a thrilling 89-86 take down of No. 23 Iowa. Penn State also knocked off then-No. 4 Maryland last month, giving them two wins over ranked conference foes less than a week into the new year.

Lamar Stevens (16.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) has been as good as expected for Penn State, but the difference between this year has been the elevated support the senior guard has received. Sophomore Myreon Jones has taken a massive step forward, St. Bonaventure transfer IZaiah Brockington is also averaging double figures, and senior forward Mike Watkins is nearly averaging a double-double and has clearly saved the best basketball for the end of his college career.

Unless something goes horribly awry over these next two months, it appears Penn State’s patience with Chambers is going to be (finally) be rewarded.

5. North Carolina does not

A disaster season for North Carolina found a new bottom on Saturday when the Tar Heels allowed Georgia Tech to come into the Dean Dome and roll to a 96-83 victory. Considering the fact that the Yellow Jackets led 27-4 at the under eight timeout of the first half, Carolina finding a way to score 83 points may have been the most impressive takeaway from the contest.

That note was small consolation to Roy Williams, who didn’t hold back in his postgame press conference.

“I want to apologize to all the North Carolina fans, the people that care about our basketball program, former players, everyone that cares about us,” Williams said. “We stunk it up tonight, and it’s got to me my responsibility. It’s the most negative I’ve ever felt about myself. The most negative I’ve ever felt about any team. We weren’t ready to play.

“If I had any idea what caused that I would have already changed it. It’s the most disappointed and most upset I’ve ever been in my life coaching a basketball game, and it’s not even close.”

Williams need just one victory to pass UNC icon Dean Smith on the career wins list, a monumental event in Chapel Hill that suddenly seems difficult to predict.

While rumors continue to swirl about Cole Anthony’s immediate future, it’s important to remember that the Tar Heels weren’t overly impressive when Anthony was fully healthy and engaged. Even if that soon to be millionaire chooses to come back and finish his one season of college hoops on the court, it may not be enough to keep UNC from missing out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010.

6. Pacific and Saint Mary’s played the best game nobody saw

The best game of the weekend took place well after most of the Eastern half of the United States had gone to bed.

Damon Stoudamire’s Pacific Tigers outlasted visiting Saint Mary’s in a quadruple overtime thriller that featured a massive second half comeback and a banked in three at the buzzer of overtime No. 2 that extended the game.

In what became the most amazing basketball game I have ever seen in person, the Pacific men recorded their biggest win in years vs St Mary’s 107-99 in 4 OT’s! Here is Gary Chivichyan at the buzzer bank a 3 to send it to Triple OT and the crowd into a frenzy. @PacificMensBB pic.twitter.com/F9NMycdt2k

— kurtriveratv (@kurtriveratv) January 5, 2020

“I don’t think I’ve played in a game like that before and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game like that before,” said Pacific’s Gary Chivichyan, who hit the memorable shot at the end of the second overtime. “That was probably one of the best basketball games I have ever witnessed in my life.”

While Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and BYU are once again the class of the West Coast Conference, the middle of the league has evolved to a point where games like this one (as well as Pepperdine pushing the Zags to the brink on the same night) are going to become more of the norm.

If the first two months of this season has taught us anything, it’s that West Coast action from the Pac-12, Mountain West and WCC is going to be worth losing sleep for this winter. Not, like, a ton of sleep, but definitely “oh man, I’m moving a little slower than I should be this morning but watching Herb Sendek coach basketball at 1 a.m. was awesome” sleep.

7. Speaking of that ...

As mentioned, Pepperdine pushed No. 1 Gonzaga to the brink late Saturday night. And even when the Zags got things under control, the Waves were able to respond with arguably the best dunk of the weekend.

I did not expect the best dunk of the day in CBB to come from a Pepperdine player, but here we are! pic.twitter.com/KOlrYz7Pft

— Kyle Boone (@Kyle__Boone) January 5, 2020

That’s senior forward Kameron Edwards punching one in right on the head of Corey Kispert. Edwards scored 14 points and snagged 10 boards in the 75-70 loss.

8. This should be the year Duke wins the ACC

One of the more staggering current college basketball facts is that Duke hasn’t even won a share of the ACC’s regular season title since all the way back in 2010. The Blue Devils have been the preseason favorites to win the conference seven times since then and now.

Despite the embarrassing loss to Stephen F. Austin still being relatively fresh in the collective mind of the basketball world, Duke looks a clear cut above the rest of the ACC as we shift into the heart of conference play. The Blue Devils have won their first three league games by a combined 86 points, and two of those contests have been away from Cameron Indoor. They shouldn’t face another significant challenge until Louisville — which looks like less of a threat in the league after it was manhandled at home by Florida State on Saturday — comes to Durham on the 18th.

9. If you’re going to take a bad loss, take it on Friday

The most significant conference upset of the weekend is one that hasn’t warranted a ton of discussion on this Monday. That’s because pretty much nobody was watching it. The lesson, of course, is that if you’re a Big Ten or Big East (or whatever) team looking to bury a woeful performance this winter, make sure it happens on one of those awkward Friday night games on the schedule.

On this most Friday night of the season, Ohio State allowed what had been a super average Wisconsin team to come into the The Schottenstein Center and walk out with a 61-57 upset of the No. 5 team in the country. Buckeye big man Kaleb Wesson was phenomenal (22 points and 13 rebounds), but when Wisconsin committed two or three defenders to shutting Wesson down, no one else for OSU was able to step up as a reliable second scoring option.

Suddenly, an Ohio State team that seemed as rock solid as any squad in the country just a few weeks ago has turned into something of an enigma. They’ll have a chance to answer some of these newly unearthed questions Tuesday night when they hit the road to take on Maryland.

10. The tales of Wichita State’s demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated

After an uncharacteristically subpar 2018-19, Wichita State appears to be back with a vengeance this season. The Shockers destroyed Ole Miss 74-54 on Saturday to improve to 13-1 on the year. Their lone loss is a 12-point defeat at the hands of West Virginia that looks much better now than it did at the time.

With Cincinnati struggling mightily in year one under John Brannen and Memphis losing at home to Georgia and still adjusting to the realization that James Wiseman isn’t coming back, the AAC really needed Wichita State to regain its footing this year. The Shockers are not only stabilized, but they appear to be the class of the conference at the moment.

[deansdirtylittlesecretsblog]

Mimi’s RomCom Fluff Challenge

I just reached 16,000 followers! Yay! 

I have decided to host another writing challenge to celebrate.

I love me a good romantic comedy (aka the romcom). Love them. I also love some good fluff fics, the fluffier the better. I decided to combine the two and the end result is Mimi’s RomCom Fluff Challenge!

Below, you will find a list of some of my favorite romantic comedies, along with quotes from those movies. Your challenge, should you accept it, is to write a fluffy fic including the quote from the movie.

The Rules and Regulations:

Female reader inserts with Sam, Dean, or John Winchester only. No ships (no hate meant, it’s just easier this way).

Your fic can be as many words as you want; I do ask that you please try to make it at least 500 words. Please add a “keep reading” for fics over 500 words. If it doesn’t have a “keep reading” I will not reblog it.

Please make it a one shot or the first part of a series. AU’s are also okay.

Please tag me, @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog and use the hashtag #mimi’s romcom fluff challenge. Make sure the hashtag is in the first 5 tags. If I don’t like it within in 48 hours, I didn’t see it. If that happens, please send me a message.

Please mention somewhere in your author’s notes that it is for @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog RomCom Fluff Challenge and which prompt you had.

The most important rule, it MUST contain fluff. No angst (side-eyes a couple of my writer friends - you know who you are). I want the fluff. It can have smut, but it doesn’t have to. But, there must be fluff.

How to sign up:

Send me an ASK. Not a reply, reblog or IM, it needs to be an ask. Also, don’t send it on anon, I need to know who is participating. If it’s from your side blog, please mention the name of your side blog.

In the ask please tell me:

The number you want and whether you will be writing Sam, Dean or John Winchester. Please send at least one alternative in case your first choice is taken.

If you are writing from your sideblog, please give me the name of the blog.

One prompt per writer (for now).

Fics are due by Saturday, September 2nd. That is about two and a half months. If you can’t make the due date, send me a message to ask for an extension. I won’t be mad or upset. Life happens, I get it. I do ask that if you sign up and can’t finish the fic for whatever reason, please let me know. I may be able to find someone who would like to take your place.

Movies and quotes are below the cut:

10 Things I Hate About You 1.  What is it with this chick? She got beer-flavored nipples? 2.  Don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want.

13 Going on 30: 3.  I don't wanna be beautiful in my own way. I wanna look like these people! 4.  We need to remember what used to be good. If we don't, we won't recognize it even if it hits us between the eyes.

America’s Sweethearts 5.  Love is a bridge built between two people. We want what exists between them to be real. 6.  Except for the part about my penis. That's true. It's bigger than coins. 7.  How can you be in love with someone and not even like them at the same time? 8.  Your pillow's better than mine.   9.  He's a dead man. No, I'm serious. I know a guy, I'll make a call, and... he's dead. 

A Walk to Remember 10.  You have to promise not to fall in love with me. 11.   What's there to talk about? She's the best person I've ever known. 12.  I'm trying here, OK? Maybe... maybe I miss spending time with you. Maybe you inspire me. 13.  I'm scared of not being with you. 

Breakfast at Tiffany’s 14.  A girl can't read that sort of thing without her lipstick. 15.  Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot. 16.  You could always tell what kind of a person a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you. I must say, the mind reels. 17.  I'll never get used to anything. Anybody that does, they might as well be dead.

Clueless 18.  Anything happens to my daughter, I got a .45 and a shovel, I doubt anybody would miss you. 19.  Anything you can do to draw attention to your mouth is good. 20.  If I'm too good for him, then how come I'm not with him? 21.  So, this flannel thing. Is that a nod to the crispy Seattle weather, or are you just trying to stay warm in front of the refrigerator?

Crazy, Stupid Love 22.  Will you take off your shirt... fuck! Seriously? It's like you're Photoshopped!  23.  I will never stop trying. Because when you find the one... you never give up. 24.  I'm wildly unhappy, and I'm trying to buy it, and it's not working.

Ever After 25.  She came to tell you the truth, and you fed her to the wolves! 26.  You have found my weakness but I have yet to learn yours. 27.  Besides, you claimed it was a matter of life and death. 28.  Are you putting me under house arrest? 

Failure to Launch 29.  And believe me, I did not want that because I had a good life before you. Well, not good... but... it was okay. Well, it... it was empty, actually, but at least I was blissfully unaware of how miserable I was. Whereas now... because of you... I am acutely aware of how completely and totally unhappy I am. Thank you for that. 30.  Guys who drink Kahlua and cream are not power guys, honey. 31.  Actually, it's... it's quite simple. You just have to decide. Do you want to spend the rest of your life having fun or do you want to spend it with me? 32.  Nothing like the threat of decapitation to make it a little more interesting. 

Friends with Benefits 33.  Why do women think the only way to get a man to do what they want, is to manipulate them? 34.  If you tell anyone about this, I will rip your ears off and staple them to your neck. 35.  It’s not you. Nothing is wrong with you. He’s a guy. You gave him a five date challenge, he got you and cut out. Forget the douche! He’s a dick. He’s a dick douche. 

Hope Floats 36.  Childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome. 37.  Oh, I like all of God's creatures; I just like some of them better stuffed. And he's one of them. 38. Why does everybody keep asking me if I've been drinking? What? Is there like a coaster stuck to my... butt or something? 39.  People fall in love. They fall right back out. It happens all the time. 40.  I would have stayed with you forever. I would have turned myself inside out for you. 

How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days 41. You can't lose something you never had. 42.  Guys, a woman's purse, alright, it's her secret source of power. Alright? There are many dark and dangerous things in there, that we, the male species, should know nothing about. 43.  You see, the key to this game is being able to read people. 44.  Look, just give me back the necklace, then you guys can go on and kill each other. 45. Drunk and tone-deaf. Never a good combination. 

Leap Year 46.  Why don't you stop trying to control everything in the known universe. It's dinner. Have a little faith that it will all work out. 47.  Well, when my 60 seconds came around, I realized I had everything I ever wanted, but nothing I really needed. And I think that what I need is here. And I came all this way to see if maybe you might think so too. 

Moulin Rouge 48.  The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. 49.  He's got a huge... talent. 50.  You're going to be bad for business. I can tell. 51.  It's not that I'm not a jealous man. I just don't like other people touching my things.

Never Been Kissed 52.  That thing, that moment, when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person and you realize that that person is the only person that you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life, and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you want to laugh and you want to cry because you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that that it will go away all at the same time. 53.  The right guy, he's out there. I'm just not gonna go kiss a whole bunch of losers to get to him. 

Notting Hill 54.  I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. 55.  It's as if I've taken love heroin, and now I can't ever have it again. 56.  I don't know. It just got to the point where I couldn't remember any of the reasons why we were together. 57.  Oh God, this is one of those key moments in life, when it's possible you can be really, genuinely cool - and I'm failing 100%. 58.  Right, no one. I mean, I'll tell myself sometimes but - don't worry - I won't believe it.

Say Anything 59.  She gave me a pen.  I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen. 60.  The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don’t be a guy.  61.  One question: are you here because you need someone, or you need me? Forget it, I don’t care. 62.  So I’m single now, and everything’s changed. I hate it. 

Sixteen Candles 63.  I can't believe this. They fucking forgot my birthday. 64.  Would you guys please hurry up, I'm breaking like 30 major laws here. 65.  When you don't have anything, you don't have anything to lose. Right? 

Someone Like You 66.  There are few things sadder in this life than watching someone walk away after they've left you, watching the distance between your bodies expand until there's nothing... but empty space and silence. 67.  Wow, there's the cynical bitch we know and love. 68.  This is key to understanding the myth of male shyness. For while you think he is flattering you, he is actually flattering himself. Showing how open and honest and sensitive he is. 

Sweet Home Alabama 69.  I can't control her any more than I can control the weather. 70.  So I can kiss you anytime I want. 71.  The girl I knew used to be fearless. 

The Notebook 72.  I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me...everyday. 73.  Stay with you? What for? Look at us, we're already fightin'. 

The Princess Bride 74.  Have fun stormin’ the castle. 75.  There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. 76.  No more rhymes now, I mean it! 77.  You keep using that word, I don't think you know what it means. 78.  That does put a damper on our relationship. 

This Means War 79.  Don't worry. If you're going to hell, I'll just come pick you up. 80.  Don't choose the better man, choose the man who makes you a better woman.

When Harry Met Sally 81.  I'll have what she's having. 82.  No one has ever quoted me back to me before. 

When in Rome 83.  This real enough for you? 84.  The whole point of love is to put someone else's needs above your own. 85.  Now, you could get your heart broken or you could have the greatest love affair the world has ever known, but you're not going to know unless you try. 

While You Were Sleeping 86.  $45 for a Christmas tree and they don't deliver? You order $10 worth of chow mein from Mr. Wong´s, they bring it to your door. 87.  Ugh! I don't want any flowers, I'm not wearing my black underwear and I definitely don't want to move in with you! 

You’ve Got Mail 88.  But the truth is, I'm heart broken. 89.  You were spying on me, weren't you?

[zalrb]

It’s Finally Written! {TVD 1x22 Review}

1.  I find it kind funny that Caroline essentially becomes Carol Lockwood. I’m saying this because Carol is organizing the various floats/participants in the Miss Mystic parade and it reminds me of Caroline in 4x07 and pretty much any event after that.

2. “I’m here to eat cotton candy and steal your girl.” “Don’t start with me, Damon.” “Oh you started it with you ‘I’m insecure, leave Elena alone’ speech.” Damon, honey, you are the picture of insecurity when your time comes to be with Elena.

3. “You’re worried that now that Katherine is out of the picture, I’m going to turn all of my attention to Elena” basically what happens Damon because or obsession just needed somewhere to go. You guys watch Supernatural? You know what Dean and Sam expel a demon from someone and the black smoke goes searching for a new vessel? That’s Damon’s obsession.

4. Anna and Jeremy’s conversation is actually cringe-worthy mostly because of the acting but Jeremy, her mother is dead and you are not comforting at all. Maybe its a Gilbert thing.

5. Anna telling Jeremy to turn because he can shut off his emotions as a vampire is ridiculous because her emotions aren’t shut off, that’s how she can love Jeremy, if Jeremy shut off his emotions who is to say hat he would want to be with her, he would have no emotion! It’s so illogical.

6. “My whole life I never liked this man” ,--- Elena about John when Stefan tells her he could be his father. Remember that anon who tried to tell me that Elena hated John because he tried to kill Damon? LOL 

7. I like how Caroline tells Matt to hide his cast because it’s not era appropriate but there is a yellow school bus in the backdrop.

8. Elena isn’t even trying to make a case for herself with  Jeremy is the thing, she’s just like Jer, please” say something else, Elena.

9. Elena, Stefan, Tyler, Matt, Caroline and Jeremy are all in this parade in some capacity but Bonnie is on the sidelines? OK.

10. “I like you better like this. The period look, it didn’t suit you” because it reminded you too much of Katherine, Damon? But DE fans say Stefan is the one who had a problem separating the two of them?

11. “Don’t make me regret being your friend.” I mean, he raped your best friend and tried to kill your other one, Elena, you should’ve regretted this friendship from the jump. 

12. I remember when Damon mocked Jeremy and his teen angst I thought it was hilarious the first time I watched it because Jeremy was being so extra but it’s actually in terrible taste because Jeremy’s pain is all Damon's fault, seriously, the dude is trash. And I hate Bamon now but I remember I shipped them before because Damon’s appreciation for what he thought Bonnie did was genuine and there was respect there but with Elena, it was more like a conquest. And him roughing up Jeremy “for” Elena is ridiculous.

13. And Stefan being Stefan is honest and humble and sincere and you see that he’s getting through to Jeremy even if he’s still upset.

14. “Oh there’s only room for one do-gooder, I get it.” Damon, you threatened to turn Jeremy unconscious so when Stefan says “get over yourself” it’s the most appropriate response.

15. Liz, what do you actually do as a sheriff?

16. How would Liz override the mayor?

17. Honestly, what reason would Damon have to be at the MF parade until nightfall? Like does he not have anything better to do with his time? Skulker.

18. Also this is a terribly coordinated plan for the tomb vampires, I thought that once the fireworks started then everyone would be getting merked, not that when the fireworks started, they move to get in position to kill the people they wanted to murder.

19. OK. So here’s my thing. These vampires are in a crowded place in a small town and no one is seeing these people getting round up by the cops and injected with a substance? No one is going to question it? 

20. It makes no sense to me that John would stake Anna as a personal fuck you but not stake Damon when he and Isobel agreed to keep Elena safe from Damon and Stefan and Damon had actually tried to kill him.

21. I also find it interesting that when Damon is supposed to show some form of growth it isn’t related to Elena at all. He thanks Bonnie because he knows she hates vampires and him specifically but helped them anyway and when he wants to help Anna it’s because Stefan explains it him what selflessness is.

22. Elena being indignant that John tried to kill Damon doesn’t make sense unless she’s indignant that all of the vampires are being set on fire.

23. And Elena being indignant about Bonnie is also like ... Elena, look at who you run with though? Damon legit tried to kill her and he was responsible for her grandmother’s death if you can be like”oh Damon rapes and kills and manipulates people because he’s sad over Katherine” then you have to understand why Bonnie lied about the device. Compassion doesn’t just work for Damon, writers.

24. Hey Damon, remember when Stefan risked his life to save yours and then you try to kiss Elena? Stay classy.

25. Jeremy is all, I know you think you took away my suffering but I still feel empty and alone,OK, but you felt that way even when Vicki was alive though so I need the show to understand the difference between Jeremy’s pain about Vicki and his general teenage emo angst.

26. Jeremy, those don’t even look like enough pills to overdose on.

27. Kat’s eyes are beautifully big.

28. Damon, don’t play yourself, Bonnie legit said that she couldn’t let Stefan or Damon die because Elena loves Stefan that implies that because Stefan loves Damon and Elena loves Stefan, Damon’s well being is in Elena’s best interest.

29. Lol Ian is eating Nina’s face.

30. So Jenna glaring at Damon after catching him kiss who she thinks is Elena and then closing the door is not enough for me. Jenna was legit flirting with Damon at the bar like 6 episodes ago because they’re age appropriate for each other, if that man was kissing my underage niece, we would have some fucking words.

31. And then Katherine’s entrance. I don’t know why she couldn’t just snap John’s neck but whatever.

Thanks for reading!

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 05/12/2020

Earlier this week, I finished and released by end-of-year list of the Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020, which, for once, was on time, being released on the 1st – or 2nd – of December, depending on your time zone. That means I’ve already spent hours discussing music, and to be honest, I have a pretty bad headache in addition to this, so you know, I’m not really in that chart-reviewing spirit. Thankfully, we have very few songs to review here, and a lot of it should be pretty inoffensive. Now, before that, let’s talk about the actual state of the charts because it is looking ridiculous. Ariana Grande’s “positions” spend its sixth week at #1, and welcome to REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

Much like last week, it was an absolute bloodbath for any non-Christmas song this week, and this especially affects the hip hop and R&B on the chart. In the UK Top 75, which I cover every week, there’s a drastic difference to the US Billboard Hot 100, and that is the lack of radio. Radio impressions or plays have never been counted on the UK Singles Chart, and whilst in the States, I understand that a lot of Christmas songs rely on the radio, this is not true at all across the pond, because, for whatever reason, Christmas songs are streamed and bought a lot here even 60 years after the song’s original release. This is likely due to a smaller, arguably less diverse population and the immense amount of streaming service-curated playlists, which serve the same purpose as radio and often have the exact same label gimmickry and payola. Regardless, there is a stupid amount of drop-outs and fallers this week, for pretty big tracks as well. Now as I said I only cover the top 75 of the UK Singles Chart because it’s just easier and really, who cares about those last 25 songs? On the UK Singles Chart proper, Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved”, one of the biggest hits of 2019 and 2020, just spent its 100th week on the chart, which is insane, especially for a modern song. I think the song is dreadful but it is one of the biggest songs of all time here on the Isles, and since we’re going by my measures, it just dropped out (after spending seven weeks at #1, mind you). Of course, that’s not the only notable drop-out – and to be notable, you have to have spent five weeks on the chart or peaked in the top 40 – this week. Let’s list them, shall we? We have “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, which spent 40 weeks on the chart, as well as #1 hit “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” by Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo, “Giants” by Dermot Kennedy, “Mood Swings” by the late Pop Smoke featuring Lil Tjay, “Lighter” by Nathan Dawe and KSI, “Take You Dancing” by Jason Derulo, “Holiday” by Little Mix, “Tick Tock” by Clean Bandit featuring Mabel and 24kGoldn, “Come Over” by Rudimental featuring Anne-Marie and Tion Wayne, “Lasting Lover” by Sigala and James Arthur, “Holy” by Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper, “One Too Many” by Keith Urban and P!nk, “Papi Chulo” by Octavian and Skepta, “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals, “Deluded” by Tion Wayne and MIST, “Confetti” by Little Mix, “pov” by Ariana Grande (to make way for another one of her songs we’ll get to – also probably the only actually good song that dropped out this week) and finally, “Life Goes On” by BTS off of the debut at #10. On the chart proper, this is one of the biggest free-fall drops of all time, and honestly, who wasn’t expecting this? Speaking of falls, we have a lot of those too. Whilst these are fallers, you should consider how impressive they are for even trying to survive the holiday season, which just can’t be done for a lot of these songs, even the biggest hits of the year, some of which we just mentioned. One of the funniest parts of this to me is that KSI of all people survived the overload of Christmas songs through his Craig David chorus on “Really Love” with Digital Farm Animals down to #17. For a former YouTuber, he has an immense amount of star-power and it’s kind of worrying. Otherwise, our notable fallers include “Paradise” by MEDUZA and Dermot Kennedy at #24, “Train Wreck” by James Arthur at #25 (not a good week for either of these guys – or anyone), “Monster” by Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber at #26 off of the top 10 debut, “Mood” by 24kGoldn featuring iann dior at #27, “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK at #29, “Get Out My Head” by Shane Codd stripped of all of its gains at #31 (seriously, whilst most of these songs were fading naturally prior, this is worrying), “Lemonade” by Internet Money and Gunna featuring NAV and Don Toliver at #34, “Lonely” by Justin Bieber and benny blanco at #42 (giving him four songs as a lead artist on the chart – OCC, that’s not how your dumb rules work; be consistent), “See Nobody” by Wes Nelson and Hardy Caprio really having the most intense combination of streaming cuts and Christmas music at #44, “Wonder” by Shawn Mendes flailing at #45 (it will probably rebound next week), “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd at #46 (same here), “Golden” by Harry Styles at #47, “Loading” by Central Cee at #48, “What You Know Bout Love” by the late Pop Smoke at #49, “i miss u” by Jax Jones and Au/Ra at #50, “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” by Post Malone and Swae Lee at #52, “UFO” by D-Block Europe and Aitch at #55, “Plugged in Freestyle” by A92 and Fumez the Engineer at #56, “Princess Cuts” by Headie One featuring Young T & Bugsey at #60 (which happened to play as I was writing this), “Looking for Me” by Paul Woodford, Diplo and Kareen Lomax at #61, “WAP” by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion at #62, “Diamonds” by Sam Smith having the biggest fall to #63, “Ain’t it Different” by Headie One featuring AJ Tracey and Stormzy at #65, “Chingy (It’s Whatever)” by Digga D at #69, “Come Over” by Jorja Smith and Popcaan at #70, “SO DONE” by The Kid LAROI at #71 and finally, “Flavour” by Loski and Stormzy at #74. A YouTube comment on the video version of this chart read, “RIP to hip hop and R&B in the UK, 2020-2020”, and, I mean, it’s a fair assessment. That’s not all though, folks, as we have the returning entries, most of which are very explicitly Christmas songs. Let’s start with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith at #75, and continue up the chart with “Cozy Little Christmas” by Katy Perry at #73, “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay at #72 (always the best song on the entire chart whenever it returns), “A Little Love” by Celeste from the John Lewis advert at #64, “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano at #54, “Santa Baby” by Kylie Minogue at #57, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” by the late Dean Martin at #54, “Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes at #52, “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber at #43, “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by the late John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band featuring the Harlem Community Choir at #40 (always the worst song on the chart whenever it returns), “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney at #39 (this is an accurate ranking of the Beatles), “Jingle Bell Rock” by the late Bobby Helms at #38, “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Michael Bublé at #37 and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by the late Andy Williams at #36. Yes, that’s five consecutive Christmas songs returning to the top 40, made all the more ridiculous when you realise it’s topped off by “HOLIDAY” by Lil Nas X... at #41 – and it actually gained this week! Oh, and we don’t stop there either as not only do we have “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande returning to #16 as well, but we also have all of the gains this week. All of our notable gains are in the top 40 and all but one are Christmas songs, so let’s start with “One More Sleep” by Leona Lewis up to #33 (our greatest gain this week) and continue up the chart with “Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade at #32, “This Christmas” by Jess Glynne at #28, “I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday” by Wizzard at #23, “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rea at #22, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Justin Bieber and Brenda Lee at #21 and #19 respectively, “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson at #20, “Step into Christmas” by Elton John at #18, “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” by Band Aid at #15 (looking at this chart, I think we ALL know exactly what time it is), “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens at #14, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Bublé at #13, “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues featuring the late Kirsty MacColl at #9, “Last Christmas” by Wham! at #3, and finally, “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey at #2. I don’t know if I’ll be happier if a 1994 classic hits #1 for the first time this Christmas, or an Ariana Grande song about sex positions takes the Christmas #1, given, of course, that LadBaby doesn’t pull something out of his ass last minute. Christmas also actually lands on a Friday this week, so there’s potentially two Christmas #1s: the #1 on Christmas Day and the #1 that includes Christmas Day. I mean, there’s this issue every year but since the chart week literally starts and ends on the day this year, I guess we’ll just have to see what the Official Charts Company decides. For now, after not-so-swiftly covering all of that garbage – and there’s three weeks more of it to come, folks – let’s discuss some of our new arrivals, none of which I imagine will be all that interesting but, hey, at least they’re not Christmas songs. In fact...

NEW ARRIVALS

#68 – “Body” – Megan Thee Stallion

Produced by LilJuMadeThatBeat

...It’s the antithesis of what it means to be wholesome, commercial and festive. You all know and love Megan Thee Stallion by now, and whilst I didn’t listen to that debut record yet – it is 17 songs after all – I have heard pretty positive reception so I will check out Good News at some point. Rico Nasty did release a record that’s only one less track and 13 full minutes shorter, so to be honest, I’m a lot more excited to check out that album, even if it won’t have any impact here. I did laugh at the track list when I saw “Intercourse (feat. Popcaan & Mustard)” though, which is one of the few times I have genuinely laughed at just a track list. “Shots Fired” is a pretty great Tory Lanez diss track though, so I’ll say that. “Body” is relatively deep into the track listing, yet seems to be the biggest hit, mostly because of that polarising earworm hook and the music video. Oh, yeah, and it straight-up samples a woman having an orgasm, so don’t expect this to stick around. In fact, that’s the only melody behind this dirty South bounce-adjacent track, and even with that, it only comes in on that chorus, which is less annoying to me as it is just catchy. It’s not like men haven’t done the same thing, though, I mean, Dr. Dre famously – or infamously – “paused 4 porno” on his album 2001, and just in 2018, Kanye released “XTCY”, a song that is hilariously lacking in any kind of moral compass, let alone born-again Christianity. It did the same thing that “Body” does with the moaning yet it also covers it in this really eerie sample, as well as spare 808s and a drum beat that doesn’t feel like it gets in the way of whatever the hell Kanye’s doing on this track. It also helps that the moaning doesn’t just come in on the chorus, instead we have a string swell to distinguish it, and that Kanye has more of a comical lyrical nature on “XTCY”. This comparison is only fair when looking at the production, though, as whilst Kanye has “sick thoughts”, Megan is just bragging about her own body-ody-ody-ody-ody, etc. over a pretty mainstream, accessible beat, even if it has really ugly, loud 808s that kind of do get in the way of the rapping here. Thankfully, Megan rides this beat forcefully – no pun intended – and with some really great wordplay, even if there are a few immediately dated references here and there. That third verse is also pretty funny, and whilst I don’t want to focus too much on this song – it’s a family show after all – this is pretty lively and whilst I’m not a fan of this beat, Megan makes it worth sitting through and honestly, the song sounds a lot shorter than it is. Check it out.

#67 – “Love is a Compass” – Griff

Produced by PARKWILD

I didn’t say the word “compass” on purpose knowing this song would be next, although perhaps I subconsciously snuck the word in. Maybe I should have made it seem like I foreshadowed this song, but honestly what about this warrants foreshadowing? I don’t mind Disney music at all. In fact, a lot of the films are full of really classic compositions that have aged incredibly, including the Renaissance era of their films, especially. In fact, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan – the original – is one of the few soundtrack songs that is directly related to and featured in the film yet I can still listen to outside of that context. I’ve not even watched either Mulan – or have Disney+ - so it’s not like I’m a big fan, but I can appreciate the music when I find it, even if I mostly despise everything Disney stands for as a company. The issue with this is that it cannot apply to “Love is a Compass”. I’m sure Griff and her producer PARKWILD are talented musicians, but this is purely a product. This wasn’t even made for an original animated feature, or a painfully weak adaptation of one of their original animated features starring Will Smith as the Genie. This is a generic piano ballad made for an advert, because just like literal shops and manufacturing companies like John Lewis, Disney has a Christmas advert. There’s nothing artistic about this. This “emotional” piano ballad is layered in reverb and egregious Auto-Tune that drains Griff of whatever emotion her delivery could have had. It doesn’t sound good in this context at all and it is so obvious, which is unfortunate because her voice, Auto-Tuned in a similar way, could easily work over more lo-fi and interesting production. As it is, this is repulsive, sonically and on every other level beyond that.

#66 – “Angels Like You” – Miley Cyrus

Produced by Louis Bell and watt

So, Miley Cyrus dropped her album, Plastic Hearts, last week and I expected more impact on the chart but the two singles are really THAT big that not any of the album cuts had much of a chance, even if “Prisoner” dropped a few spaces. Other than that, “Midnight Sky” is still in the top five and near the end of the chart, we have a debut: “Angels Like You”. It’s clear why this charted because this isn’t just a highlight from the album or a personal favourite of mine, but it’s a fan favourite honestly, a career highlight – which may not be hard to make, I mean, it’s Miley Cyrus we’re talking about – but it still impresses me with how much I really love this song. This is more of a mellow ballad than many of the tracks surrounding it on the record, with Cyrus’ raspy country twang finally met with a fitting blend of acoustic guitars and a genuine orchestral swell in the chorus, even if at times it decides to start clipping. The shift in guitar tone to a dirtier, aggressive one after the first chorus is a genius touch, and even the pretty stiff drum machine here feels like it adds a lot to the power of this song, especially when it starts kicking behind the screeching guitar solo, leading into an admittedly anti-climactic final chorus... that might even be fitting for the content, which is a break-up song but not one that decides to deflect blame or even focus entirely on the break-up, rather being an acknowledgement of what both parties here did wrong, and why they ended up in the relationship to begin with. Both Cyrus and her ex-girlfriend Kaitlynn Carter were in rough spots coming off of previous relationships in late 2019 and those dark spots are what Cyrus understands lead to the collapse of this relationship. She discusses the lack of connection between the two in the first verse, leading to a literally nameless relationship where it was full of romantic gestures but not any depth. The chorus is a complex look at how Cyrus knew she would look back on the relationship as little more than a fling, but how she regrets that this is her only view of the relationship. She didn’t want anything more and split after things started getting too serious, and feels genuine guilt for using Carter to heal her own depression, because “misery needs company”. She uses the biblical metaphor to demonstrate how she feels she tugged down her girlfriend, described here as an “angel”, to the hell Cyrus thinks she resides in, which may be melodramatic, sure, but I’d be lying if I said Cyrus doesn’t completely sell it here, with some of her best vocals to date, backed up by gorgeous production and really well-written lyrics. This is a genuinely brilliant ballad, give it a listen.

#58 – “Naughty List” – Liam Payne and Dixie D’Amelio

Produced by TMS

I’ve been writing these producers as “TM5” for so long without realising it’s an abbreviation for “The Music Shed”. Anyway, I hope we can all agree that Liam Payne is probably the worst off when comparing the One Direction boys and their solo careers so far. Harry Styles is one of the biggest stars in the world, making a twist on 70s classic rock that I don’t like at all but he IS making headlines and having massive chart success. Niall Horan is having mild success making rock and folk albums that are honestly alright, ZAYN has two albums under his belt that may not be listenable but at least the first one was a success and he did go into a more mature R&B direction, and Louis Tomlinson might not have been met with any success from his album earlier this year but at least there’s some quality there. Liam Payne, however, has been releasing straight garbage to no fanfare for the past three years, dating back to “Strip that Down” with Quavo, and continuing down the path of feigning maturity and development with music clearly not backing it up, demonstrated by the bisexual fetishism on his delayed debut album and how his collaborations went from relying on Zedd to relying on J Balvin to relying on TikTok stars on a sexually-charged Christmas single that couldn’t even crack the top 50. I have no idea who Dixie D’Amelio is other than seeing her sister’s controversies on Twitter in passing, but it is depressing that a major-label pop star needs D’Amelio to chart this high – and no, given his most recent singles with bigger features like A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Cheat Codes, as well as the shoddy performance of his last Christmas song, I’m not even considering that it’s the other way around. This immediately, in its first 15 seconds, makes sure you know this will be awful, with its tedious acoustic guitar strumming fused with cheap sounding sleigh bells and dated trap percussion, even with little “hey!” gang vocals straight out of 2014 that make this sound a lot less new and fresh than I think Payne thought it did. Also, something about these lyrics sounds really odd when you consider the age gap between the two vocalists. I mean, D’Amelio’s 19 years old, so it’s not like this is illegal in any way (and they didn’t have any chemistry to begin with), but the childlike imagery in the chorus just makes this gross. “Santa saw the things we did and put us on the naughty list”? This has less subtlety than 3OH!3’s Christmas song they released this year. Yes, that happened, and somehow the two washed-up early 2010s pop stars made a “dirty” Christmas song that is miles better than Liam Payne’s, probably because of the more interesting lyrical detail, and that, you know, it isn’t a duet. Check out “KISSELTOE” if you’re interested, it’s really good. I liked their comeback single with 100 gecs too so I’m pretty excited for whatever comes out of 3OH!3’s recent productivity. This song, on the other hand, as well as the upcoming joke, is just Payne-full.

#53 – “No Time for Tears” – Nathan Dawe and Little Mix

Produced by Tré Jean-Marie and Nathan Dawe

Okay, so, I understand the marketing of releasing a single after a long time of not releasing a single and after your singles have all dropped out of the chart, but Little Mix are just being managed horribly here. Why would you release a single in the Christmas season that you want to be big? This isn’t a holiday song in any way and doesn’t even sound like one, so releasing it this early into the Christmas season is just begging for it to be forgotten and eventually flop. Nathan Dawe is an EDM DJ so he doesn’t need this type of promotion as long as he can tour next year and he’s got big features, and Little Mix don’t need any extra singles because they’re still in the top 10 and they’ve branched out to reality television. Just let the girls breathe for a second and enjoy their success. Oh, and this song isn’t just logistically unnecessary, it’s sonically unnecessary, acting as a house-pop club banger with that standard piano sound reminiscent of 90s house that has been adopted recently by DJs, with any of the infectious melodies and genuine drive sucked out of it, especially if Dawe is going to add a Goddamn trap breakdown in the second verse with the most pathetic set of percussion I’ve heard in years on a house track. It’s not like Little Mix are saving this either because the lyrical content is re-tread and their performances are largely unrecognisable from each other and songs they’ve made before. Yeah, this isn’t offensive, but it isn’t interesting, outside of that bridge, but even then it builds up perfectly to a chorus that’s interrupted by a pointless, repetitious interlude. This song isn’t just uninteresting, it’s inherently unnecessary on all fronts, which if anything, is just kind of sad.

#35 – “All You’re Dreaming Of” – Liam Gallagher

Produced by Simon Aldred and Andrew Wyatt

Surely out of all of these songs, I’d have the most to say about our top 40 debut, with Liam Gallagher, former frontman of legendary rock band Oasis,  and his new lead single, right? Well, no, because here are some unfortunate truths: Oasis made two good albums, and they’re not as good as you remember. Liam Gallagher is an awful person who continued to rip off his own band with his new one, without the songwriting ability his brother Noel had. Liam continues to be persistent in his making of enemies for no other reason than publicity. Noel’s reaching out to Liam for the sake of at least reconciliation goes completely unnoticed, ignored or criticised by Liam for no discernable reason other than an on-and-off again facade that’s been going on for more than a decade. Noel wasn’t even that great of a songwriter, relying mostly on musicianship and other people’s melodies he liked to co-opt for his own tracks. None of their solo work has been listenable yet still gathers attention that I imagine is to the dismay of those other band members in Oasis who, ultimately, made those classic albums as much as the Gallaghers. Where’s the praise for Bonehead, Guigsy or even Gem Archer, who stuck it out despite decreasing popularity, utter lack of musical quality and increasing tensions between the people who kept the band afloat until they decided to break up? Both Noel and Liam look at Oasis with regret or admiration depending on how they feel that day but when you look at who REALLY won that Britpop battle tabloids liked to hype up in the 1990s, you realise how far away Oasis was from Blur or even Pulp in terms of not only their songs but having their stuff together. This new song is complete garbage as well, with a pretty awful mixing job, Liam being as distinctively nasal and infuriating as he is with any of his songs let alone his uninteresting ballads, and the COVID-19 charity pandering that comes off as really false, especially since even after Noel released an Oasis track this year as a result of the lockdown – and Liam whining about how he wants to bring the band together to help the NHS – he criticised the honest release of the demo, which Noel wrote and sang himself. It’s also especially telling how the proceeds are only going to benefit charity for its first month of release. Afterwards, Liam and the label can scrape up whatever leftover streams they get from diehard fans. I don’t like Band Aid at all, in fact the song is pretty damn rancid, but at least they keep on recording updated versions to give to modern charities. Liam, you’ve got a bank account the average Manchurian would dream of. This charity single is a fraud, and a pretty hypocritical, immoral one at that.

Conclusion

I think on principle on how fake it is and how awful the song is, I have to give Worst of the Week to Gallagher... but I have a rule against crowning any kind of charity single with that title. At the end of the day, at least something at some point is going to the people who need it. Worst of the Week in that case goes to “Naughty List” by Liam Payne and Dixie D’Amelio, with a Dishonourable Mention to the product that is Griff’s “Love is a Compass”. Best of the Week should be obvious as it’s going to Miley Cyrus for “Angels Like You”, with an Honourable Mention to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Body”. Here’s this week’s top 10:

May I remind you this is the first week of December? Anyway, I doubt Shawn Mendes will make anything through the barrage of holiday tracks, but if he does, that’s next week. Thank you for reading and follow me at @cactusinthebank for more ramblings of this sort, I suppose. See you next week!

[runtosleepdreamer]

Supernatural Survey 😊

Got tagged by @cas-watches-over-you - dude thanks so much for tagging me this was pretty darn fun and awesome!! 😘 1. What season did you start watching Supernatural? 
I actually have no idea… I don’t even remember the proper story anymore cuz despite it not being several years it was still quite a few years ago when I was still in.. middle school perhaps? That my school mates were talking about it and I asked my elder sibling who showed me random episodes, going by the least violent ones so I wouldn’t get nightmares.. so yeah I have no idea what season I first saw or what season was out exactly when I began watching random episodes. I only stared watching properly since last year 2. Who was the first character you fell in love with? 
Sam… he’s such a goddamn puppy that it’s hard not to like him!!! 3. Who was a character that you hated at first but grew to love?: 
Omg so many. I remember making a post about how the writers kill iff characters that were initially annoying but right as they started growing on us - bam. Dead
But ok maybe the first example was Bela… she actually was of course starting to grow o me by the time she died.. but the character that comes most immediately to mind because of how strongly I hated them… was Rowena. God she had been simply infuriating - I hated her so much for manipulating Crowley and threatening whatever good relationship he had with the Winchesters, that I wished she would die… but then come season 11 I fell absolutely I love with the woman 4. Which character would you most want to be in a long-term relationship with? 
Eep I have no fucking idea… fuck idk.. mm I never during my daydreams imagine myself with my fictional characters but if I had to choose… ugh maybe. Ok Dean is loyal and Sam is a puppy but idk it feels weird coming in between them… Cass is pretty amazing but… ugh fuck it maybe oh ok why not.. Charlie? Yeah. Charlie for sure, she’s amazing, pretty damn amazing with technology, I sure as hell wouldn’t mind her teaching me how to hack or everything about Star Trek or whatnot, seeing as I’ve never watched them (le gasp, the outrage! I know I know) Or hell maybe even Sam cuz he’s pretty soft and everything (but also great in bed obviously) idk I can’t imagine myself with Dean cuz he would be more awesome with someone who can actually take care of themselves for real you know? Whereas Sam has always paired nicely with women in a domestic life - though they did end up dying… gah idk 🤷‍♀️ 5. If you could go on a date with just one character, which one would you choose?:
Dean. Easily Dean there, cuz even if it’s one date, I’m sure he’ll make it worth it, sexy or not because he’s a damn attentive guy.. 6. What would you do on that date? 
A first date or like after a few? Cuz if it’s after a few I wouldn’t mind a nature hike cuz goddamn do I love those… but for a first Idk I’d feel too self conscious. Maybe a good movie… maybe the beach… some cuddles and some good food and talking quietly to each other in the night under the moon and stars with a soft breeze 😊 7. Which character would you most want to be like?: 
Hm. Any strong female roles out there? Yeah that seriously narrows it down but real talk.. I’m torn between Charlie and Rowena.. ugh maybe Charlie. She’s pretty amazing and nice and fun… though I honest to god can’t imagine myself ever LARPing… 8. Which character would you most want to see brought back from the dead?: 
Right now, Castiel. But since (SPOILERS duh) we already know he’s coming back… Crowley!!!! 9. Which character would you most like to punch?: 
Oh that’s a long list there buddy. Uh. Lucifer? Yeah. As of the season 12 finale.. definitely Lucifer. 10. Who is your absolute favorite character?: 
Dean 😁😍😘 11. Which “Big Bad” do you think was the worst?: 
uh torn between Amara and Metatron. God I kinda hated season 11 because of her, it was a bit of a drag to get through but god Metatron was so. Damn. Annoying. 12. Which character are you most like?: 
Oh god I have no idea, they’re all way too amazing people for me to compare with them. Uhhh maybe… eep Idk Lisa? 😕 idk I’m not even sure if I’m brave much tbh but if not her then.. idk maybe Chuck before the end of season 5? 😐 idk 13. What death hit you the hardest? 
Honestly because I kinda already knew about everyone who was going to die until season 12, because like I had to catch up with the show and that meant big watching 11 seasons before the 12th came out. So that means 11 seasons f knowing who already dies for the most part… but I guess.. ok Charlie, idr if I knew she died but it hurt me a lot because I hated the fact that she died, and even more so what it did to the boys. And then every time Dean died, mainly seasons 3 and 9’s finale, and goddamn how broken up Sam got about it at those times… fuck those killed me but I guess they were more of the heart wrenching scenes then death specifically that hurt me. 
But of course. Cass. Cuz I had obviously. So. Not. Seen. It. Coming. I barely managed I avoid screaming and after… it took me a couple of hours to even remotely get to mouth shut 14. What season finale hit you the hardest?: 
Season 9 and 12, reasons stated above^^^ especially 12 cuz hiatus!!!!! 15. What are your ten all-time favorite episodes?: 
well fuck me cuz now I gotta most likely look up the names of the episodes
Mm. 
First one easily is season 9 episode 13 the purge (thanks google) because of how it ended. Ok Ima stop there cause season 9 was an emotional turmoil that I’d rank as love cuz of the angst. But the case itself was pretty neat. 
Uh god I can only remember specific scenes. Ok uh
“A very supernatural Christmas”(?) “Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie” “Hell House” “Ghost Facers” “Fanfiction” “Jus in Bello” “Bad day at Black Rock” is that ten yet.. “Alex Annie Alexis Ann” idek I just really love some scenes specially “Free to be you and me” and of course “Changing Channels” god this was so damn hard 16. What’s been your favorite season?: 
9!!! Aaaangst! 17. Who is your favorite angel? 
Cass easily 18. Who is your favorite demon? Crowley :) 19. Who’s your favorite evil character? 
Favorite? Then Ima go with Crowley again 20. Do you have any Supernatural ships?: 
Mm this blog I try to keep ship free but if you wanna check out my side blog for the answers, I’ll be happy to message you on this one ;) 21. Who’s your favorite supporting actor?: 
Can’t remember any right now but they’re all amazing… oh how about Garth!!! God he’s such a sweetheart - and still alive! But oh Jody is amazing too…! 22. What’s your favorite quote from the show?:
“I’m proud of us” it’s the main one at the top of my head but there are so many other brilliant ones. I have a tendency to lean towards the emotional ones made to each other (Dean, Sam, Cass) such as above from Dean to Sam, his ending speech in season 8’s finale “There ain’t no me if there ain’t no you!” 😭😪 and Cass’s - what he thought was his - dying speech to Sam and Dean mostly as well as Mary to an extent in 12x12 23. If you could cast one famous actor in an episode of SPN, who would you choose? 
Katie McGrath? She was - and is - my woman crush 😉 lol she’d be an awesome witch or hell even huntress or screw it even another Bela 🤷‍♀️ 24. If you could write your own episode, what kind of creatures would you like to see included?: 
Unicorns. Interacting with Dean. Idk.. uh honestly what have we not seen? Cuz I wouldn’t mind just another case that stumps the boys because it’s an almost unheard f monster, those are fun and new 🤷‍♀️ but maybe… omg some version of the Loch Ness monster. Idk it’d be interesting to see to have to deal with that.. or maybe what was it.. tree nymph and… what are the creatures who reside in the water called? 25. Who’s your favorite girl that Dean’s hooked up with?: 
Omg um… ok that girl that he sorta shacked up with when he was a demon in season 10..? …Yeah probably her So I checked and her name is Anne Marie!… 26. Who’s your favorite girl that Sam’s hooked up with?: 
Eileen - she was a huntress, so could take of herself, and Dean as just an absolutely amazingly (supportive) teasing elder bro about it 27. What are some of your favorite convention moments?: 
Omg I don’t think I’ve seen enough to decide but… I think whenever J2M comfort each other. Those are just so soft and sweet and give us an insight to their friendship that just 🤤😍 28. If you were going to guest star (or be a recurring guest star) on SPN, how would you want your character to be described?: 
Well fuck me I’d love to be a badass huntress cuz it’s something I’m obviously not IRL… or maybe someone who isn’t aware of the Supernatural world until the boys come along and then I prove really useful for heir research because of something and then somehow I get dragged into the world and I’m actually pretty good? Yeah, there’s a pattern there isn’t it 29. What do you hope to see in the next season?: 
Apart from Castiel and Rowena and Crowley alive? Idk Jack not being the next big bad, hopefully a break from big bads for the boys and after they get Cass and Mary back and hopefully just leave Lucifer to rot in the alternate universe, just go on some cases and take some time to cool down you know? 30. - 40. If you had to choose… Bobby or John?: 
Bobby!!!!! I mean hell yeah I would seriously love to see how the boys would react if John came back, but that would probably ensure that a lot of drama and fights would be quick to ensue as well, so yeah. Bobby Bela or Ruby? 
Well ok I liked the first Ruby because as Katie Cassidy went, we didn’t know for sure Ruby was not to be trusted. But overall Ruby was pure evil.. and I actually felt bad when Bela died while I didn’t for Ruby - felt relieved when Ruby died actually -so yeah. Bela Jess or Madison?: 
erm… Madison, maybe? Jo or Lisa?: 
Jo… I actually shipped her with Dean more than I ever will with Lisa, truth be told Charlie or Kevin? 
Ergh both but.. Charlie first? Balthazar or Ash?: 
oooh they were both good.. but.. maybe Ash? Cas or Crowley? 
Ooh Cass but ugh Crowley is definitely a close second! Ben or Claire? 
Claire Jody or Donna? 
Jody :) Sam or Dean?: 
Mm Dean first, but of course Sam next immediately I'ma tag: @deanwinbean @thewincestfeels @atmaandauraofdean @doctor–idiot @deanandcastrash @all-i-need-is-destiel And y'all don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, it’s totally cool 🙂

[captainj2]

85 Statements about Hannah

1. Drink? Water, Wine, Martini

2. Phone Call? Hmm not so much. trying to get better at it.

3. Text Message? Yes please! but I may forget to answer.

4. Song you listened to? How Do You Do - Mouth and Mcneil

5. Last time you cried? I can’t remember. I must be due. 

6. Dated someone twice? Nope.

7. Ever kissed someone and regretted it? Not really. I’ve only ever kissed one person. No regrets though.

8. Been Cheated On? No

9. Lost Someone Special? So far just my grandpa at the age of 94 so he had a great life. But its never easy to say good bye.

10. Been Depressed? Yes. A few years back at this point.

11. Gotten drunk and thrown up? Yup. Twice.

Favorite Color:

12. Green

13. Red

14. Turquoise

In the last year have you

15. Made new friends? Yes. Most recent ones are the best one too! :) 

16. Fallen in love? Not yet. Still waiting for my Dean.

17. Laughed until you cried? Oh shit yes.

18. Found out someone was talking about you? Hmm no. I don't know what they’d be saying. 

19. Met someone that changed your life? Absolutely! 

20. Found out who your friends are? Ya for the most part.

21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list? No. There’s one I wish though...

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life? I’d say 2/3 ( And I only have 178)

23. Do you have any pets? ya. A beta fish named Rowena ( I’d have a cat but I am wayyy to allergic)

24. Do you want to change your name? Nope. Happy with what my parents gave me.

25. What did you do for your last Birthday? Bowling and supper with friends.

26. What time do you wake up? 6:30am work days. 8:00 am weekend/vacation

27. What were you doing last night at midnight? Watching Supernatural

28. Name something you can’t wait for? TorCon 2017 and my friends wedding in Florida in April

29. When was the last time you saw your mom? Last Sunday. Dropped her off at the airport

30. What are you listening to right now? Dear John (background noise people)

31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? Yes. My uncle.

32. Something that is getting on your nerves? The rain/weather

33. Most visited website? Tumblr, instagram

34. Hair color? Brown

35. Long or short hair? Longish

36. Do you have a crush on someone? Yes. Best friends brother. AND best friends fiance’s brother. Its apparently a brother thing LOL

37. What do you like about yourself? My honesty and self confidence.

38. Piercings? Ears only. 

39. Blood type? B+ I think....

40. Nicknames? Hanman, Hanner, Han, Banana

41. Relationship status? Single af

42. Zodiac? Sagittarius  

43. Pronouns? She/her

44. Favorite TV Show(s)? Supernatural, Arrow, the Office, Game of Thrones, Master Chef, Amazing race, Ultimate Survival Alaska

45. Tattoos? Two. Ribs and Thigh

46. Right or left handed? Right

47. Surgeries? No

48. Kids? That I love with all my heart yes. That are actually mine. No. 

49. Sport? Hockey to watch. Soccer to play ( but it has been a while)

50. Vacation? New Zealand, Russia, Peru

51. Pair of trainers? If you mean sneakers then yes. I have running shoes

52. Eating? Just finished a grilled cheese

53. Drinking? water ( always)

54. I’m about to? Do dishes

55. Waiting for? My friends to get back to town

56. Want? For life to keep being kind to me

57. Get married? Hopefully. But I gotta find a guy first.

58. Career? Little people teacher. ( Grade 1-2)

59. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

60. Lips or eyes? Eyes

61. Shorter or taller? Taller

62. Older or younger? Older or younger. As long as it doesn't get weird 

63. Nice arms or nice stomach? Arms.

64. Hook up or relationship? Relationship for sure

65. Troublemaker or hesitant? Hesitant but willing to cause trouble if its moral. 

66. Kissed a stranger? No

67. Drank hard liquor? yup 

68. Lost glasses/contacts? Don't have either

69. Turned someone down? Yes

70. Sex on the first date? Nope! I like old-fashioned courting. But I don't think i can wait till marriage....

71. Broken someone’s heart? I hope not, but its possible.

72. Had your heart broken? No

73. Been arrested? No

74. Cried when someone died? All the time. But for those who lost the person.

75. Fallen for a friend? Yes

Do you believe in

76. Yourself? Yes. Quite confident

77. Miracles? Yes

78. Love at first sight? Yes

79. Santa Claus? I believe in the spirit of Santa Claus and the joy he brings, but not an actual person

80. Kiss on the first date? Yes, if it really feels right.

81. Angels?  Hmmm no. 

Other

82. Current best friends name? Shelly (AKA my mom) Bethany ( my sister and my best friend) and newest is Carly.

83. Eye color? Hazel/Green

84. Favorite Movie? The Departed

85. Favorite book? Hawkes Harbour by S.E. Hinton

@amanda-teaches  I finally got around to it!

@the-mrs-deanwinchester @friends-call-me-meg2-0 @mrsdeanfuckingwinchester  

If you ladies want to give it a go I’d love to get to know you more! No pressure though!