#get me in that writer’s room so i can save the deep from kripke

[squidprinceofwinterfell]

One of my least favorite tropes is when a character says “I’ve never liked/always hated you” to a villainous character but they used to bully that character before they turned bad. And for some reason neither character brings this up during the scene.

[missjackil]

SPN and Subtext

First, let’s establish what subtext is really, for anyone who may not know. It is unspoken, unacted, non-canonical, images a writer wants you to think about. It’s not some hidden secret that the author wants only a select few to know about, its just something to provoke thought. A way to make some people anticipate something that may or may not become canon at some point, and Supernatural has a lot of it.  The very first hints of subtext, were naturallly between Sam and Dean. Supernatural, at its very core is “The epic love story between two brothers” as quoted by Erik Kripke. “Wncest” was the very first, organically grown ships that developed from the show’ subtext, and still continues 12 years later. Canonically however, Sam and Dean are not sexual with each other, and they never will be, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the subtext, like, how they stand/sit so close together, how theyre gorgeous single men in their 30s that insist on living together and still share motel rooms even though they could each get their own. The lengths they’ll go to save each other, the way they look at each other and so on.  This subtext is subtle, nothing that would make anyone think the show promotes incest, but provocative enough to make some people wonder exactly how far they could go for each other. How deep is that love really? In our world, anyone with this level of love, would probably be having sex too, but we don’t know this level of love in our real lives. Sure, we all have people we love deeply, more than our own lives, that we wouldnt think about having sex with, but none of us have sold our soul for that person, condemning ourselves to Hell for eternity, for just 1 more year with that person, and so they wont die yet. None of us have overpowered the Devil himself so he wouldnt kill them (and then of course save the world in the process) and hardly any of us have ever killed to save this one person. So a person who may be intrigued with the idea that Sam and Dean may have, or could have sex at some point, isnt necessarily in favor of incest (for most wincest shippers anyway) but more or less wondering how it hasnt happened yet, considering this level of love. 

Now most WIncest shippers know, and understand, Sam and Dean wont ever have sex on the show, and most of them don’t even want them to, and would rather it be left to their imagination, and fan fic. When the show piles on the subtext though, with the bro hugs, and deep meaningful confessions of feelings, such as “Dont you dare think that theres anything, past or present that I would put in front of you! I need you to see that... Im begging you!” Our little wincest hearts grow 10 sizes even if we dont ship it.  Now there has been subext (homoerotic) put between Sam, Dean and other characters. Also, not to be a secret message that either Sam or Dean are gay or bi, or that either will be in a same sex relationship to anyone, but its put there just to provoke thoughts. Writers have used this since there have been characters to write about. Even in the Bible, there is subtext between King David and his best friend Jonathan that he “loved like a brother”. Its never written that they were in love with each other, or that they had sex, but it does make the reader wonder if it happened.  Subtext between Cas and Dean started early when Cas came to the show, but it also happened between Cas and Sam though less people noticed it, simply because Dean had more interaction with Cas than Sam did, but Sam and Cas always had their own subtext since they met. Sam went a little fan boy upon meeting an angel, and Cas, though pointing out Sam had demon blood, gave him a warm, affectionate, 2 handed hand shake. However, Cas was more active with Dean, and a lot more angry and violent with him, as well as Dean was angry and disrespectful to Cas for most of S4 and 5, which has me wondering how Destiel even became a popular ship, given how brutal they have been with each other.

The subtext doesnt end with these 3 though. There was subtext between Dean and Benny, Crowley and Sam, Crowley and Dean, Crowley and Cas, Sam and Mick, Dean and Mr Ketch, but again, these are not secret messages that any of them are gay or bi or that any will become a romantic couple. In fact, I am beyond sure, none of them ever will.  SPN isnt that kind of show. The lives of the Winchesters are tragic. They can’t have normal relationships with people, even with each other. The show is, and always will be about Sam and Dean, not their significant others, if they ever venture to give them girlfriends again, we can be sure, they wont get married and have children. They certainly wont give them boyfriends, if they were going to establish that either of them were anything besides straight, that would have come out a long time ago. Changing their sexuality this far into the series, would change the series itself to something it never was.  I wont lie and say its not fun to fantasize and read fan fic because it sure is! But if I expect the show to change Sam and Dean’s sexuality, Im going to end up very disappointed. Like so many Destiel fans are going to be when it comes to the end and Sam and Dean end up together, whether living or dead, it will still just be them together.  I havent been on Tumblr very long, less than a year, and Im shocked to see how bad some people are about their ships. I cant believe that a big portion of Destiel shippers believe ludicris things like the show is pushing Sam out to make room for Cas as Dean’s #1, Jensen doesnt know or care about Dean if he doesnt believe Dean is 100% in love with Cas, Sam and Gabriel would make a lovely couple, or maybe even Sam and Lucifer, Dean is bisexual and the paint color on the wall proves it...I could go on forever but Ill make myself sick probably. Theres gonna be some really disappointed people when/if Cas isnt back next season, which is very likely, since Misha’s contract is up this year and he hasnt been acting like someone who is interested in staying on this particular show, has been given billing after Mark Sheppard if they’re in the same episode, and now the show has gone and made Cas so unredeemable to the boys, I wouldnt be shocked if it’s Dean that kills him,  but I am about 90% sure, Cas is done after this season.  So even though there is a ton of homoerotic subtext in this show, none of us should take it as anything more than it is. Just thoughts implanted to make the show more interesting, but not insite of whats to come. Just write and read fan fic, and appreciate the show for what it is, The Epic PLATONIC love story between Sam and Dean and some random monsters, demons, angels, God and Baby :)