#so much subtext

[chlochette-sunde]

As an introduction to Tumblr, I wanted to share my thoughts on Supernatural so far.

I started watching the series earlier this year. It had been recommended by a friend of mine, who insisted that "it was so cool! And all the characters are great! And the music!"

I confirm the first seasons were cool. I could feel there was a certain... subtext but I couldn't really discern it at the time.

Then came season 4 and Castiel. And a whole new world (or "trashcan" as some of you call it) opened to me.

I haven't finished watching the whole serie yet (I just started season 14) but I can already say that watching Supernatural is draining me. Because its subtext is just so dense and heavy. It is exhausting to notice all these clues and innuendos that they regularly insert and never resolve.

And I'm not even a queer looking for these clues and innuendos. I'm just an ally with eyes, sensitized to these topics and tropes.

If it's exhausting for me, I can't even imagine how it's been for some of you who were looking for glints of recognition of your everyday realities, orientations or battles.

I am a Destiel believer and had been before spoiling myself with the serie's ending. I do believe Destiel is Cockles' fault. And I also believe Dean is a closeted bi.

I strongly believe Supernatural would have been drastically different if it had been host on another network. I mean: thousands, or maybe even millions, of us are aware that Supernatural is/can be queer coded. Jensen & Misha won an award for best chemistry and Destiel is still the ship that inspires the greatest number of fanfictions on AO3, by far. And I believe it happened for a reason.

Sure, Cockles helped. A lot. But what we acknowledged as clues and innuendos weren't just the happy accident of the chemistry between Jensen and Misha. It was how the episodes were scripted, how they were directed, how they were edited, even how the music was added sometimes.

I have to believe that the whole crew knew exactly what they were doing, that they shared as many ideas as they could through subtext. And if it is indeed the case, I also feel for them because it must have been straining to tiptoe on this thin line for 15 years.

Now that this have been expressed, I can go back to season 14.

I'm counting on you for a warm welcome!

Cheers from France 🇲🇫

[aheathen-conceivably]

Gio you piece of shit. WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO THE WOMAN YOU LOVE???? I'm going to go insane what is wrong with him (joking. Kind of) - LGL

Oh, LGL, however did I know this little wrinkle with Grocery Boy would bring you out of the woodworks…

I could literally write a mini essay on this so I’ll try and overview it as fast as I know how because we have some toxic dynamics building up right now, and without seeing that clearly the story may go off the rails very quickly.

Let’s go back to the 1920s. I admit I did not show this dynamic as explicitly as I would have liked, but you can see it in this post. Josephine in some ways delights in knowing that Giorgio is “below” her, in feeling like she’s the one with the power in their relationship. She gives him just enough emotionally but never all that she knows he needs and craves (see this post too).

Despite this (and perhaps because of it), Giorgio is hooked on her. He’ll never admit it (not even to himself), but in doing this he’s trying to reverse that power dynamic. Now she is the one who needs him, and that’s all he’s ever wanted. At first this was just a desire for his partner to need and rely on him emotionally (again, here), but the more Josephine manipulated that and put him down, the more this evolved into a larger complex.

Of course the reasoning that he gives is not totally fabricated, and Giorgio knows better than any of them just how bad the economic situation is. His father is a mafia leader (which has been alluded to), and it’s clear that he has intel into the larger issues in this era. It’s important to note that while we see this clearly in hindsight, it’s perhaps not as clear to those living it day to day. So when he says that he’s doing it for them, he means it. New Orleans in the 1930s is in horrible economic straights, and he was offering the lifeline he has to his friends and the woman he loves. As we’ve now learned, this lifeline is far from perfect (looking at you barren soil and home loan), but when you consider the alternatives and the value of a home itself, it is at least a base to weather the storms of the decade.

However, he knows that Jo would not accept a lifeline, because it would make her dependent and indebted to that person, therefore giving them power over her (which she admits to herself here). So he told himself that he was obscuring part of the truth for her sake, not his own. But then we’re right back to Gio’s underlying, more manipulative reasons, which now color this new dynamic and put Josephine in a situation that while “safer”, ultimately robs her of making an informed choice and meeting Giorgio on equal footing if she had chosen this on her own.

[amuseoffyre]

"You can't catch a fish, unless the fish wants to be caught." "And you're the fish?" "...we're the fish. I think."

[emmalily]

So where's all the fic about the blind hermit healing Frankenstein's monster and teaching him how to speak English?

[winc-heron-dore19]

If you rearrange the word ‘Subtext’ you get ‘butt sex’. Soooo, Supernatural writers-

[antlerx-art]

OK BUT MAKE IT LESS OBVIOUS MOFFTISS

we know Sherlock’s father is John’s mirror and Sherlock’s mother is Sherlock’s mirror, but DAMN

Srsly they’re basically there with a sign saying “I AM HERE TO MAKE A JOHNLOCK MIRROR DON’T MIND ME”

[ali-rose]

This is an amazing confirmation of subtext

[zunavalkyrie]

I remember almost screaming the first time I saw this scene. 

THEY ASK IF SHE’S DATING ANYONE AND SHE LITERALLY TALKS ABOUT FAITH!!!

If your friends ask if you’re dating someone, and you say you’re going out with someone, that means there’s something more than friendship going on there. Plus, if you have to clarify that you’re “just good friends” then you’re clearly more than that.

[tutselutse]

Okay but the Tenderness (TM) when Arthur signed ‘I’m happy to see you’ to Noée

[skamiverse]

I've watched 3 seasons of Skam so far and one of my absolute favorite parts is just when Noora wants William to call the Yakuza guy and she starts the convo by saying "You know Vilde?" and that look that William gives her when he replies "Yea... I know Vilde" is so fucking great like yes I know Vilde... I slept with Vilde... Vilde was obsessed with me... I used Vilde to blackmail you into dating me... Yes I fucking know Vilde

[iidigestive-readerii]

What I love about Clone Wars and Rebels

Subtext. Subtext everywhere. It's buried so deep, or it's so blanant you wonder how they got away with it.

Examples?

Ventress. Her entire character.

The Slaver Arc. It's just...well, not so blanant on Obi-Wan's part and Ahsoka's - but Anakin's? What did he have to do during that arc to ensure the survival of his friends?

The alcoholism of Kanan and Obi-Wan. Subtle - sort of. If you know Legends or the current canon you know it's not. But onscreen it is.

That scene in the seventh season reel, where Anakin sees the pin-up of Padmé on the clones ship - okay, not subtle, but it would fly over kids heads.

Clovis' intentions towards Padmé, and Anakin's reaction. Honestly I side with Anakin during this arc. Padmé...not so much. Anakin saw his wife about to kissed (and what else?) without her consent? What else was he supposed to do?

Satine's line during the Lawless arc to Obi-Wan before he reveals himself: "Come to do more of your master's bidding?" I was about sixteen when I watched that episode - my jaw just dropped like - they fucking went there?!? Oh my God.

Obi-Wan's bottled up grief during Ahsoka's trial. Of course he's not thinking straight!

Whenever anyone is tortured - it's even worse when you hear it offscreen.

Luminara's corpse in Rebels. I got a bit ill when I saw that.

That one time when you see Kanan not in his bunk on Rebels, but we know everyone is asleep ;)

That Padmé manipluates people to her own gain. And she can shoot with a blaster with ease.

(Not about the cartoons but it'll lead into the next one) Everything Shmi had to go through. It's so sad why did she have to die?

The Council's stupid ass choice to allow Anakin back on Tattooine during the Clone Wars movie. How long had it been since Shmi's passing? Six months, at the least?

The clones - poor babies all of suffering from PTSD and knowing they are expendable in most peoples eyes.

The fact that Cut Lawquane - the clone farmer on Saleucami - probably couldn't explain the undesirable urge to kill Jedi after Order 66 was issued. It makes me sad to think he could have been abusive without realizing why.

The fact that the Jedi Council has shit healthcare and ignored metal health problems to the extreme and did anyone realize their best Jedi had very unhealthy coping mechanisms?!?

How Kanan recognizes this, and is thus a better master to Ezra.

The fact that Satine (though I love her) probably undersaw the geneocide of warrior Mandalorians who refused to go to Concordia.

Speaking of Satine - the sexual tension in the first Mandalore arc. Hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. Anakin and the martini.

(This will lead into the next one - sort of?) the age-gap between Aayla and Kit. Yeah yeah, not TECHNICALLY a couple, but SW thrives on subtext so... It's one of the only healthy couples in Star Wars.

The rascism in Star Wars, and the realization that many of the Jedi (and others Wookies come to mind, same with Twi'Leks. I know there are others) probably had to face alot of shit on different planets throughout the Galaxy.

The Republic's waning trust in the Jedi. It hurts.

What else did I miss?

[kajaono]

When the pool scene happens and Chloe asks: Boys or Girls?” i really hoped for the option: BOTH!”. Because that would made the scene perfect. 

[gay-ghostwriter]

There is no heterosexual explanation for this

[existentiallygay-blog]

supercorp is basically the modern day xena and gabrielle

[gotomytwitter-blog]

 Since I din’t really have any social life anyway I thought what the heck, I might as well. So I looked it up, and the first thing I saw was this adorable little shit staring down from my screen and then I knew my life was ruined. Fucking Supernatural made me watch twelve years work of television in less than two months. And don’t even get me started on season 4 when the fucking most savage and amazing angel was introduced.

And from that season forward the only thing I thought about 24 hours/day was fucking Destiel and how it could not yet be canon. I mean, WTF screenwriters. So much subtext. 

[itsfunnierinenochian]

Actually me.

😅