#word of honor episode 35
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sirenofthegreenbanks · 10 months ago
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it FUCKS ME UP that THE ONE THING that displays GROWTH and a better life and a reaching of a dream for these characters is ALSO THE VERY SAME THING that MAKES THE RED WEDDING POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!! how dare!!!!!!!!! like, zzs started out wanting to make better decisions if he has the opportunity and to give people second chances if within his power, do good over more violence (result: a-xiang and cwn die, the valley is massacred). wkx wants nice things for his sister after finally reaching a point in his life where he can safely display his affection and invest in a good future (result: his sister dies in his arms trying and failing to avenge her would-be husband, in her bridal clothes, and the place he wanted to transform is massacred). a-xiang spends most of the show jumpy and prickly, accusing people of the worst. in truth, she wants a life where she can trust that someone has her best interest at heart, even if things are uncertain. (result: her husband gets killed in front of her, she avenges him in a suicide mission and fails, her family get massacred with wkx almost killing himself over achieving her last wish). i mean, theyve all fought so badly for love and hope, to reach a point where they can put the worst behind them! and its exactly this wish to make a change, do smth different than before, that KILLS THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! its evil
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sweet-shinobi-fangirl · 1 year ago
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Word of honor why did you make me suffer ? 😭😭😭
I was expecting happy ending and everything to end up well and instead you give trauma and depression ! My heart is broken 😭💔💔
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themolluscasometimes · 10 days ago
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desperately need to get my planned list of fanart for demon slayer and mxtx out of the way so i can draw my feelings about word of honour and fangs of fortune away. word of honour bc wenzhou are fucking funny and unhinged but also bc episode 35 made me nearly cry in the car unprompted today bc i heard a romance song abt a guy who rlly likes his girl and fanga of fortune bc. fans of fortune.
i started watching it with @crisisaegyl YESTERDAY and am already BRAINROTTED AND OBSESSED listen to me
listen.
theyre so shiny.
the zhuxiao lavender marriage plot while they both have the GAYEST interactions with the second male and female leads. the child doctor and his stupid voice cracks and his zhuo-gege. monkey man himbo wants to cook for you. the SHINY COSTUMES with BEADS AND SHINY EMBROIDERYOAHDJSOASKJ
there has not been a single moment on this day that i wasnt thinking about wenzhou, caoxiang (?), zhuzhuo (?) and wensiu/peixiao (?) idk what the ship names are except wenzhou
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barbaric-yawp8 · 1 month ago
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i thought we were getting a wedding! they were all happy! and now he’s laid their corpses side by side I’m devasted screaming crying I will never recover
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momzawa-5 · 1 year ago
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Hey, Word of Honor…what the actual fuck WHY WOULD YOU RIP MY HEART OUT LIKE THIS!? 😭😭😭
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fourseasonsfigs · 1 year ago
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Catching Light
We've seen this scene in fig form before - in official fig form before, no less...but I think this is the cutest rendition yet!
There's just something about the way the fig maker modeled Wen Kexing - it's pretty spot on, isn't it? And the little bloody hand reaching up is just perfection.
Here of course is the inspiration for this scene - Episode 35. I took a screenshot and zoomed in on our two favorites here. Pretty spot on, if you ask me.
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Episode 35 was something else, wasn't it?
It's very infrequent now that I get figs with box art, and this was so cute I decided to take a few unboxing-type pics.
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I really love these type of boxes! I guess it's just as well I don't get them very often any more, since my stack of flattened boxes is teetering towards unmanageable proportions anyway, but I still wouldn't mind adding to the pile.
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Me tearing into the boxes with gusto!
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The innards. You can see here that the figs came with a rock to prop Lao Wen up on, and with a bonus of red and blue trashcans. These trashcans of course refer to Youku's viewer contest during airing, where some enterprising viewer recreated this scene with red and blue trashcans:
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I still giggle whenever I see this picture!
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All the goods, unwrapped!
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...and the back of the goods. You can see how Lao Wen's hair is kind of curved out and up in the back - that's room to tuck the rock up under his hair to prop him up.
Alright, before we take a spin around the figs, I do want to add a few more screenshots of Lao Wen and A-Xu's faces during this scene, so you can see how close the figs are to the originals:
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So great. I love these figs so much!
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Ah, the iconic angle! As you can see here, Lao Wen is propped up by the included rock, and his hair just drapes over it. I just literally put the fig on, and he was steady and secure. No messing around with which side or anything, either way works. I could rotate him around pretty easily too with the rock - just pick up the whole thing and move him. I didn't bother gluing him down to the rock or even using museum putty or anything, since he hangs out on it just fine by himself.
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A-Xu also stands up just fine...no issues here. This is a really well designed set of figs all the way around.
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This is a good view of Lao Wen's hairpin in A-Xu's half bun hairstyle.
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I love the detail of the very slight train in the back of A-Xu's beautiful blue robe. This is a nice angle to see some of the drape of Lao Wen's red robes from the back.
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Another good angle to see how Lao Wen is resting on that rock. I was going to say, that can't be comfortable, but it's sure a lot more comfortable than say, a sword through the chest.
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The faces on these two, I can't even!
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This is a good angle to see the details of their robes, and a fantastic view of Lao Wen's golden guan. Please also note the smudge of dirt on the side of Lao Wen's mouth (to our right of his mouth, right past the smear of blood), that is definitely a detail in the original:
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I'm just so pleased with these figs! I don't like to compare fan figs, but I am always happy to compare to the official ones:
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(Speaking of, here's my blog post on this set if you want to read it)
I like the official ones too, don't get me wrong, but I will say this fan set has personality in spades. We also get all the beautiful leaf embroidery on the costumes on the fan set, which the official versions never have (still weird to me), and of course all the very accurate blood and dirt, especially on that tiny little reaching hand! I just love this set, I can't even tell you.
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We saw the bottoms-up pictures earlier in this post, so here's the top-down angle. Speaking of cute hands, this is a great angle to see them both!
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The fig cards are lovely - double sided, with the quote on the back, "there's light on you, I want to catch it and see".
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Here we have the flattened boxes that you've seen before. THANK YOU fig maker for having their hands touch on the art. I love this set!
Material: PVC
Fig Count: 465
Scene Count: 31
Rating: Iconic!
[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]
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destroy-some-evil · 8 months ago
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Yo, what the fuck! It was my girl's wedding day and she was going to marry the sweetest guy in the world!
I'm crying rivers of tears right now.
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youve-always-had-me-cas · 2 years ago
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i... wish to undiscover word of honor
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hualianisms · 1 year ago
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Not father & son, not master & disciple, but a secret third thing
First of all, let me preface this by being clear that everyone is free to headcanon anything they want and like/dislike anything they like/dislike! That being said, sometimes I see international fans interpret FDB as LLH's son, or their dynamic as parent-child or otherwise familial, and as a native chinese speaker, I just wanted to share some reasons why I personally did not interpret them as familial.
Granted, at the start of the show, FDB is kept in the dark and also not up to LLH's level of skill in solving cases. However, FDB quickly catches up in crime-solving skills, intellect and maturity by the 2nd half of the show, after a well-written growth arc. I think the beauty of the characters and relationships in this show is that they grow & evolve, and are meant to do so. The dynamic that LLH & FDB had in episode 1 is quite different from their dynamic at the end of the show. By the later episodes, they are 2 adults who are very much equals.
Why I don't read them as father & son:
LLH & FDB act and speak in a manner that is far too informal & familiar with one another, which would be extremely inappropriate for any kind of parent & child, even a surrogate one. Several times, FDB calls LLH by just his first name "Lianhua", and sometimes even calls him "Damn Lianhua" when he is angry/upset at LLH. This would be extremely rude for a disciple to call a master, or a son to call a father. No son talks to his father the way FDB talks to LLH, and no disciple talks to their master like that. Unless the son/disciple hates the father/master, and is outright rejecting his father/master altogether. As we see in the show, not only does FDB not hate LLH at all, he instead cares deeply for LLH and would do anything to save him. Why, then would someone scold/curse someone they care about? Does the trope of the upset spouse/partner sound familiar?
For comparison, see FDB's interactions with He Xiaohui, who he is close to - he is informal & affectionate with her, but never calls her anything other than "娘 niang" ("mother"). I can't emphasize enough how taboo it is in Chinese culture to ever call your parent or parental figure by their name under any circumstance.
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2. In ep 31, FDB himself explicitly rejects the idea of LLH as his shifu and himself as LLH's disciple, responding that he is too old to be LLH's disciple and it was merely a joke. He clearly sees LLH as an equal, and rejects the notion of their relationship being anything other than that of 2 adult equals. LLH also tells his shiniang that FDB is not his disciple, and a few episodes ago LLH told FDB that he has never understimated FDB.
Coding/hints as something other than platonic:
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Zhiji/zhijiao - FDB calls LLH his 知交 zhijiao in ep 19, and 知己 zhiji in ep 34. "In this life, I, Fang Duobing, recognize you as my only zhiji." is practically a love declaration. And this bond is reciprocated by LLH, bc in a deleted line in ep 19, translated by forayuarchive on twitter, LLH is the one who first calls FDB his zhijiao.
To clarify, Zhiji is not specifically a romantic term, but it's what was used in both The Untamed and Word of Honor - both dramas based on danmei novels with canon gay main pairings - to bypass censorship, to code the bond between the main duo as deeper than your typical platonic male friendship. (See this post for a detailed explanation of the significance/history behind the term zhiji, and see this twitter thread for an explanation of the meaning of zhijiao in MLC - especially how zhijiao is specifically mutual, reciprocated).
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2. Married bickering - forayuarchive on twitter has discussed in these twitter threads how the tone of many of LLH & FDB's interactions (especially FDB) is similar to how married couples or romantic partners speak to one another bc of the level of familiarity, tone and language. For my fav example, see this note (translation by forayuarchive) that FDB left LLH in ep 35, which reads pretty much like a note that a spouse/partner might write when leaving their shared house in a hurry.
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3. "Xiaobao" - Personally as a native Chinese speaker, LLH calling FDB "xiaobao" in front of everyone is a level of intimacy that genuinely would make me feel embarrassed to hear as a third party. 小宝 xiao bao (literal meaning = "little treasure") is usually something you call actual babies/children AND is FDB's family nickname for him, so if you're calling a grown man that in front of everyone including his colleagues, family and even strangers, then one might assume he is likely either your biological family or your romantic partner. (For comparison, just imagine calling your s/o their parent's special childhood nickname for them at work.)
4. Deleted lines where FDB calls LLH "xiaohua'er". 小花儿 Xiaohua'er ("little flower") is very intimate and feels like something someone might call a lover. Or, at least, definitely not a platonic shifu, even less so a parental figure. (For meta on the names that LLH & FDB use for one another, see forayuarchive's twitter thread.)
5. More deleted scenes (translated by forayuarchive on twitter), perhaps cut due to censorship, which make apparent LLH's high regard and deep care for FDB. For e.g., a line of internal monologue by LLH in ep 40, translated here by forhenjun, shows that LLH thinks of FDB as the only person in his two lifetimes who has always treated him as a human being rather than putting him on an unfair pedestal.
6. Official MLC accounts act like as if they ship them.
As murderedbyhomework mentioned, there is a song in the official soundtrack of MLC called "Fanghua's Day-to-Day Life" (yes, the exact same words as their ship name). Sounds like a couple's daily domestic life, doesn't it?
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The official iQiYi Romance youtube channel lists clips of LLH & FDB under the romance category.
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The official MLC douyin account posts MVs with emotional captions (e.g. this one translated here by forayuarchive) that emphasize how much both LLH and FDB mean to one another. Another official MLC douyin calls LLH & FDB the person each other trusts the most.
The MLC clips posted by the official Guangdong TV weibo account also has captions such as these (translated by rice_jpg) that straight up describe FDB's feelings towards LLH as "when you like someone" (very similar CN phrasing as the phrasing used to describe romantic crushes).
7. They are subtly paralleled with a canon straight romantic couple (see fanqxiaobao's twitter thread on the parallels btwn LXY/QWM scenes and certain LLH/FDB scenes). MLC also made a distinct change from the novel by not having FDB get married to Princess Zhaoling, even though the drama could have easily given FDB a romance with her.
8. If you're familiar with chinese romantic tropes or the danmei genre, LLH & FDB fit many common romantic tropes e.g. sharing a drink on the rooftop under the moonlight, forgotten first meeting in childhood (and then meeting again properly as adults), power couple fighting side by side (they even held hands!), nianxia, protective younger ml, sickly older mc - just to name a few. Danmei even has many stories of shizun/shifu & disciple pairings who fall in love as adult equals.
There's honestly lots more but these are just some off the top of my head. Again everyone is free to interpret anything! This is just me explaining why as a native chinese speaker I personally did not read their dynamic as that of a father and son.
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usertoxicyaoi · 2 years ago
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“The thing you desired for more than twenty years ... fell into my hands ... in just a flash.” Li Dai Kun As Xie Wang. WORD OF HONOR (2021) - Episode 35.
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sgiandubh · 1 year ago
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Labor of love
I was very interested to see what S told Mark Gillespie on the last episode of the latter's WhiskyCast podcast, @bat-cat-reader immediately shared with us.
It was a most instructive 35 minutes. I listened to all of it, because I wanted to also hear Gillespie's tasting notes forThe Sassenach. And I regret nothing: once you get past the traditional (and a bit obnoxious) 'why The Sassenach?' question, you're in for some interesting news.
You can listen to it here, by the way:
Before anything, who is Mark Gillespie?
One of the most respected professionals in the very small world of alcohol specialized podcasters, with a 37 years work experience in media and broadcasting, spanning household names such as CNN, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Gallup and MSNBC. But also, and this I found very interesting, given the current context, the owner of CaskMedia, a firm specialized not only in media production, but also marketing and PR.
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The podcast was recorded at The Metropolitan Club's library, moments before the Keepers of the Quaich dinner, where S was a keynote speaker. So not 'just there for the Haggis Ceremony ' - a 'guest of honor' is never invited just for the show, people should have known better, eh?
S's 7 minutes interview starts at the 09:32 mark. Comments in brackets are mine.
Gillespie surely doesn't like to beat around the bush and after the customary niceties, asks a million-dollar question:
MG: 'I have to ask: did you have the troubles (problems?) in Germany straightened up?'
SH: ' Ha, ha, ha [not an organic giggle, but hey - gotta do what you gotta do, eh?]. Well, I am not entirely sure I should talk about it [speaks very quickly and through his teeth - visibly annoyed/nervous; not entirely sure I got it all correctly, so feel free to amend in comments], ah... ummm... not as yet... not as yet...ummm...we did fall into an issue with the name Sassenach, which was similar to a big brand in the US... ah!... in Germany, sorry... of a beer brand... I...I personally don't see the similarity [neither do I, S...neither do I], but I am sure once people taste our whisky, they'll know what it is, whatever the name is on it.'
Yes, this interview was probably rehearsed. Yes, Gillespie might have sent the questions to S/his people in advance for reviewing. No, he could not speak about a legally complicated situation before the final settlement with that Schoppingen beer brewer (penalties are probably still to be fixed and paid, but I will check that, so don't take my word for Gospel truth, yet). I will write separately about this whole thing, because I still think that was a very questionable decision of the EUIPO. Not because it royally pisses me off (so fucking unfair!), but because I really fail to see the proper legal reasoning and basis for it. His answer was perfect, under the circumstances. Absolutely perfect.
Anyways, FWIW, it would seem some sort of solution has already been found ('whatever the name is on it') and that most probably would be to rebrand it. And sell it on the German/EU market under a new name.
Lallybroch (https://trademarks.justia.com/981/67/lallybroch-98167525.html), perhaps? Time will tell, but that could explain this recent trademark application I didn't have time to properly look into, yet:
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Further ahead (and fast forward through the cask version release, these things bore me to death), we land on another (as yet) unexploded ordnance:
MG: 'I have to mention your show MIK that you do with Graham McTavish, you visited a bunch of distilleries during that one... any visit in particular stands out?'
Now I am not very sure if that question was the best possible one, since that SAG-AFTRA strike is still an ongoing situation. And his answer was quite clever, changing the focus on their visit to Laphroaig's distillery on Islay and waxing lyrical about the casks, the peat, the landscape, etc. But other than a perfunctory and logical 'we', I heard absolutely nothing about McTavish, and it could have been so damn easy to further change the subject and mention his bourbon, with a few kind words. Therefore, I think things are pretty obviously not exactly on the sunny side, between the two. And I guess we all know why.
To end this long post on a cheerful note, I almost forgot to mention something very important. Answering a listener's question about Sassenach not being available in Rhode Island/part of New Jersey, S said something very interesting: 'obviously you can get it online, (...) we've just signed a deal with Southern Glazer's, so we're rolling it out. It is a limited batch, so you know, every year we do do a release and it is very limited, so it does tend to sell out pretty quick. But yes, it is available (...), but obviously you're not gonna see it in every bar, restaurant or retailer, because we just don't have enough of it. But online you can get it and great delivery service, it's very quick.'
I am taking two things home from this last answer: demand exceeds supply, which is both a blessing (solid yield, room for expansion) and a curse (lackadaisical market presence). On short to mid term, distribution will concentrate on the online market, with the help of Southern Glazer's superb infrastructure.
Remember the older guy he had lunch with in MIA, in May? You should, if you didn't focus on Mordor's inept babble about shirts, ballerinas and the like. That guy was instrumental into arranging the deal with Southern Glazer's. Just the biggest wine and spirits distributor on the US market, mind you.
Don't believe me? Check this out:
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That company was founded in Florida. Its HQ is still in MIA. He didn't go there because he was looking for ballerinas at his birthday dinner. He went there because when these people are available to meet you, well: you leave everything aside and you damn GO.
Now who the hell is writing fanfiction, eh? You really should be ashamed, madam.
I rest my case.
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luvvwins · 3 months ago
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Episode 35 of word of honor. I'll never trust a TV show again. There is no recovering.
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androdetective · 1 year ago
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I really feel like Juanín likes to ignore the bad parts of people around him/his life. He barely complains when he's very justified to do so. He prefers to pay attention to the good instead of the bad, which leads to unhealthy behaviors. Such as letting himself get taken advantage of. Even when people point out (oftentimes in very mean direct ways) he's getting taken advantage of.
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Instead, he denies he is. He especially denies being taken advantage of by Tulio.
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Translation: "What would you say to people who say Tulio is exploiting you?
I'd tell them that they wouldn't know what friendship is because Tulio, alongside being my boss, is my best friend and even if he doesn't pay me or let's me have free days, he honors me with words of encouragement and noble gestures like when... Eh... or that one time he... or when... Anyways, Tulio is a grand person (my phone rings). Aló (hello) Tulio, sorry, I forgot to make you the bread, I needed to go to the doctor.... My apologies... never again... (cuts) Ah... friendship"
Juanín is very aware of Tulio's flaws. He's gotten annoyed with Tulio many times because of his unprofessionalism and being a jackass. In Juanín's daily schedule, he puts in to go over Tulio's mistakes to correct them later. Which they don't as far as the audience can see.
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Juanín isn't dumb and he doesn't enjoy going unappreciated or mistreated. And yet, he still endures it. The time this changed was in the episode where Juanín quit because he finally had enough. At the time, he couldn't ignore the bad of his friends. And this was an impulsive decision he came to regret. Because he missed his friends and what I assume to be habit. He's become used to being taken advantage of. That's what he expects from his friends. It really seems like this is how he views friendships. He has to offer his friends something to be useful to them. He has a canon fear of being left by his friends. I'm assuming his way of thinking is, "If I'm not useful, then my friends will leave me." Which exacerbates his existing workaholism. His workaholism is so bad that he refuses to take vacations (the few ones he does have) and spends a lot of his time at the studio. He spends most of the day working and only sleeps for 35 minutes a day.
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Translation: "It's calculated Juanín sleeps 35 minutes daily, which generated an amount of sleep equivalent to a trip to the moon and back"
Juanín gets underestimated and infantilized too often when he's just a very anxious and mentally questionable guy. He's a grown adult who's way more responsible than Tulio and Bodoque combined. Workaholism is caused by excessive anxiety. It is an unhealthy behavior created to distract/calm the person from the anxiety. He prefers to ignore the bad and focus on the positive. Almost with rose tinted glasses. Especially towards Tulio, who for whatever reason he admires deeply.
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j2spntranscripts · 9 months ago
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★ 2006 Paley Television Fest
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Official name: 23rd William S. Paley Television Festival Location: The Museum of Television & Radio (The Paley Media Center), John H. Mitchell Theatre, Los Angeles, California Time: Saturday, March 4, 2006, 7:00pm (GMT-7) Panelists: David Bushman, Peter Johnson, Kim Manners, John Shiban, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Robert Singer, Eric Kripke Last episode: 1x16 “Shadow”- 2/28/2006 Next episode: 1x17 “Hell House”- 3/30/2006
Question Index: 1- (10:37) SPN Origins (Kripke) 2- (12:28) Sam and Dean Motivation (Kripke) 3- (14:18) Firsts Impressions "J2," Auditioning Sam and Dean (Kripke) 4A- (16:11) Auditioning for Sam and Dean (Jared) 4Aa- (17:01) SPN Appeal (Jared) 4B- (19:24) Auditioning for Sam and Dean (Jensen) 5A- (22:13) SPN Start (Manners) 5B- (26:07) SPN Start (Shiban) 5C- (27:38) SPN Start (Singer) 6- (31:05) SPN Mythology/Formula (Shiban, Kripke) 7- (34:18) Pre-Finale Thoughts (Kripke) 8A- (35:38) Location Significance- John in Sacramento (Shiban) 8B- (36:13) Location Significance- Lawrence Kansas (Kripke) 9- (36:59) Fear "Paranormal"- (Manners, Shiban, J2, Kripke) 10- (38:55) Continuity Mistake "4 years vs 2 years at Standford" (Kripke) 11- (40:40) Network Censorship "Gore"- (J2, Kripke, Singer) 12- (43:57) Paranormal on Set (J2) 13- (46:10) Network Censorship “Sex” (Kripke) 14- (47:20) Pre-series Sam and Dean (Kripke) 15- (49:07) Samulet (Jensen, Kripke) 16- (49:55) Special effects, Gag Reels (Jensen, Jared, Manners) 17- (53:17) Religion “Jensen,” Dean Winchester cellphone # (Jared, Jensen) 18- (55:39) Impala 67 (Jensen, Manners) 19- (56:16) SPN Music (Kripke, Singer) 20A- (58:42) Acting Advice “Start” (Jared) 20B- (1:00:09) Acting Advice “Start” (Jensen) 21- (1:01:03) Props "Alcohol" (Jared, Jensen) 22A- (1:02:15) Favorite Scene (Manners) 22Aa- (1:04:13) Acting Challenges “Shadow” (Jensen) 22B- (1:05:01) Favorite Scene (Shiban) 22C- (1:06:15) Favorite Scene (Jensen) 22D- (1:07:35) Favorite Scene (Jared) 22E- (1:09:19) Favorite Scene (Singer) 22F- (1:10:19) Favorite Scene (Kripke)
(transcript below the cut)
(*if you notice any mistakes in the video transcripts please point them out thanks*👍)
◘Supernatural Season 1 - Museum of Television & Radio's Paley Television Festival Q&A by Supernatural Insider◘
(0:08)
David Bushman is standing alone on stage in front of a mic reading off a script.
Bushman: Um, hi, everyone. My name is David Bushman. I'm television curator at the Museum of Television and Radio. And I want to welcome all of you to the museum's 23rd am-annual William Paley television festival. (thumbs to his right)
That clip that you just saw is from “Route 66,” which is one of the shows that, um, the creator Eric Kripke of, um, of “Supernatural,” um, often cites is one of his influences and that explains why we picked it. (thumbs to his right) That's part of our collection. We have 120,000 television and radio, uh, programs in our collection. And I would encourage all of you to visit the Museum in Beverly Hills, and in New York w-when you're there.
Um, tonight we're really excited to be honoring “Supernatural” which was named one of the top five new series of 2005 by Entertainment Weekly. “Supernatural” is aaa- a vibrant fresh exciting show that combines all sorts of genre elements: family drama, comedy, suspense, and on top of that it just scares the hell out of you. (audience laughs) I really want to thank Warner Brothers for all they did in helping make this night happen, particularly the PR department Holly Ollis and Winson Seto. Thank- thank you very much.
Um, what we're gonna do tonight is we're gonna, um, introduce right up front the cast and the creative team, our panels for the evening. Introduce them very briefly. Um, Eric is going to say a few words about what you're going to see. Then we're gonna.. watch an episode of the program, which Eric will talk about. Then we'll bring the panelists back up. I'll ask some questions and then you guys are on. So, start thinking of questions now. Okay?
(1:42)- first introductions
Bushman: Um, so, let me start with the panelists’ intros. First, uh, one of the producers of “Supernatural,” please welcome Peter Johnson.
Audience claps and cheers. Bushman looks to his left. Johnson walks on to the stage. Bushman meets him and shakes his hand. Johnson waves then goes down the stages stairs to sit in the front row. Bushman returns to the mic.
Bushman: Uh, next we have co-executive producer and director Kim Manners.
Audience claps and cheers. Bushman walks away from the mic. Manners enters on stage with his hands fiddling with his pants’ pockets and walks off the stages stairs to sit in the front row.
Bushman: Next we have co-executive producer and writer John Shiban.
Audience claps. Shiban walks out on stage waves to the audience and goes down the stairs to sit on the front row.
Bushman: Next, he plays Dean Winchester. Please welcome Jensen Ackles.
Audience screams and claps. Jensen walks out on stage and waves. He then jogs down the stage stairs to sit in the front row.
Bushman: Next, Sam Winchester. Please welcome Jared Padalecki.
Audience screams and claps. Jared speed walks out on stage, but walks passed the stairs a bit. He grimaces then bends down to look for the stairs while laughing a little, and then jogs down the stairs to sit in the front row.
Bushman: Next, the executive producer and director, Robert Singer.
Audience claps. Singer comes out on stage and waves to Bushman. Then he walks down the stairs to sit in the front row.
Bushman: Finally, the man whose vision, uh, created “Supernatural,” is the creator, executive producer, and writer. Please welcome Eric Kripke.
Audience cheers and claps. Kripke walks out on stage. He waves to the audience then walks to Bushman and shakes his hand. Bushman walks off stage and Kripke takes over the mic.
Kripke: Hey everybody. (audience responds back) Thank you so much, uh, for coming. Uhhh, it's a little, uh, overwhelming and- and amazing, uh, quite frankly.
This is to my knowledge, I mean, the first gathering of any “Supernatural” fans anywhere. So, thank you to you and give yourself (audience cheers and claps) a round of applause.
Uhm, just quick story from the set of “Supernatural” ‘cause it just happened last night. Uh, which is they were, uh, they shoot up in Vancouver. And, uh, they were shooting up at Stanley Park or about to begin production which is a-a public park up in Vancouver. Um, and, uh- uh, we're about to start filming when they got a call that, uh, there was a man about 100-200 yards from the film company, uh, with a handgun and, uh, they called, you know, Jared and Jensen. Said, you know, “Don't come to set. There's a man with a handgun.” And- and they shut down the whole production for two hours. They called in the police. They called in the SWAT team. Uh, they stormed-
This is all true. (laughs) (audience laughs) Very true. This all just happened last night. Uh, they all stormed Stanley- you know, SWAT teams storm Stanley Park, uh, looking for this man with a gun. Uh, and it turned out to be a, uh, member of our special-effects crew. (audience laughs) (laughs) So, good times from the set of “Supernatural.”
Ehahm, anyway. So, uh, I'm supposed to introduce the episode. So, let me- let me do that. Uh, the episode we're showing tonight is, uh, “Scarecrow.” Uum. (audience claps) (nods) All right, “Scarecrow” fans in the house. Uh, “Scarecrow,” uh, was written by the, uh, very brilliant, uh, John Shiban. Uh, (audience claps) so, round of applause for John. And it was directed by the very brilliant Kim Manners. (audience claps) (clears throat) Um, and so the reason, uh, we chose “Scarecrow” is we sort of felt it was, uh, just a good mix of sort of everything that the show is about.
Um, you know we think there's really some good drama between the brothers. We think there's some good comedy. Uh, we think there's, you know, good mythology about Dad and this is the char- is the episode that introduces Meg which people online had problems with (audience laughs) I seem to remember.
Um.. and, uh- And it's, you know, just, we think a-a scary, uh, damn good episode and- and- and based on a-a good series of, uh, you know, very fun urban legends about scarecrows. And so, I'll stop rattling on. Enjoy “Scarecrow.” We'll talk after. Thank you (audience claps)
Kripke goes off stage. Video fads to black.
(6:05)- second introductions
Visual comes back. Audience is clapping while Bushman walks on a lit stage with seven empty chairs and three round coffee tables each with bottle waters on top.
Bushman: Um, are there any ���X-File”fans out there in the audience right now? (audience cheers and claps) It’s, uh- Every time I see this episode I feel like shaking Dean and saying, “What are you doing trusting the cigarette-smoking manager.” (audience laughs) (looks down to read his script)
Um, I'm going to bring our panelists back up on stage. Um, our first panelist is co-executive producer and director on “Supernatural.” He's directed nearly 300 hours of television, including 53 episodes of the “X-Files” which he also produced. Please welcome Kim Manners. (audience claps and cheers)
Manners walks on stage from the front row. Bushman shakes his hand and directs him to “move all the way down, please.” Manners follows the direction and sits on the farthest chair from the stairs.
Bushman: Our next panelist is a co-executive producer and writer on “Supernatural.” He began his career as a staff writer on the “X-files,” writing or co-writing over 20 episodes, and eventually serving as executive producer. He was also co-creator and executive producer of the “Lone Gunman” and supervising producer of “Harsh Realm” and is written for and produced “Star Trek Enterprise,” “Threat Matrix,” and “USA Network's Frankenstein.” Please welcome John Shiban. (audience claps)
Shiban walks on stage from the front row. He nods at Bushman and briefly holds a hand out to the audience and then walks to sit beside Manners. A stage assistant stands behind his chair to help Shiban with his clip-on mic. The footage then switches goes back to Bushman reading his script.
Bushman: Our next panelist portrays Dean, (audience squeals and claps) (laughs) wisecracking older Winchester brother. Before “Supernatural” (laughs at audience still chuckling) (one audience member briefly screams) Before- (laughs) Before “Supernatural” he was familiar to WB viewers is Jason Teague on “Smallville.” (audience squeals and claps) I don't know if I'm going to get through these intros. (audience laughs) He had a recurring role on “Dawson's Creek” and was a regular on “Dark Angel.” He- (audience claps and cheers) (smiles and laughs) He received three Daytime Emmy nominations for his role on Days- (audience cheer) (briefly laughs, lowers his script and then looks audience) Pl-please welcome Jensen Ackles. (Audience screams, cheers, and claps.)
Jensen waves at the audience as he walks on stage. He shakes Bushman’s hand and then goes to sit beside Shiban. He shrugs at Shiban and Manners. Before he sits down he takes off his leather jacket and says, “For you Jared.” The audience laughs. Bushman laughs and then looks back down at his script.
Bushman: Um, our next panelist portrays Sam, the rebellious- (audience screams) (Bushman and the audience laugh) rebellious younger Winchester brother. Before “Supernatural” he was best known as Rory's boyfriend Dean on Gilmore Girls. (audience screams) His- (laughs) His- (laughs) (audience laughs) His film credits include-
Audience member: I love you! (audience laughs and Bushman smiles)
Jared: (from his seat) I love you!
Bushman: (increases dialogue speed) His film credits include: “House of Wax,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Flight of the Phoenix.” Please welcome Jared Padalecki.
Jared walks on stage and shakes Bushman’s hand. And goes to sit beside Jensen. Jensen holds out his hand to Jared, which claps it before he sits down. The audience laughs. Jensen shakes his head and then thumbs at Jared, who’s scratching his head. The camera goes back to Bushman.
Bushman: Our next panelist executive produces “Supernatural” and directs episodes of this series. Formerly- (audience laughs) (glances at the panelists) Uh, formerly vice president of NBC drama development. He later teamed with Daniel Blatt to produce films and TV series including “V the final battle” (audience woo’s) and Stephen King's “Cujo”. On his own, he has executive produced “Midnight Caller,” Lois Clark- “Lois & Clark the new Adventures of Superman” (audience claps and cheers) and “Reasonable Doubts” which he also created. Please welcome Robert Singer.
Audience (or possibly J2 screaming) screams, claps, and cheers. Singer walks up the stairs and shakes Bushman’s hand while walking to his seat beside Jared. Singer mimics a repetitive smacking motion with both hands towards Jared and Jensen. The audience laughs. Singer and Jared shakes hands before he sits down. The stage assistant gets Singer’s attention. J2 are smirking. The camera goes back to Bushman.
Bushman: Um, our final panelist today is the creator of “Supernatural,” in addition to executive producing and writing for the series. His previous TV credits include the WB series “Tarzan.” He also wrote and co- (Jared? woo’s) -produced (audience and Bushman laugh. The audience claps and cheers.) He also wrote and co-produced the feature film “Boogeyman.” (audience starts cheering) Please welcome Eric Kripke.
Kripke walks up stage and shakes Bushman’s hand. Then he walks to his seat beside Singer. Bushman then goes to the last seat at the end and waits for Kripke’s mic to be clipped on his jacket by the stage assistant.
Bushman: Okay. I'll start with a few questions before (gestures at audience) we open it to you guys. Eric the first one would be for you.
•(10:37)- PaleyFest06;Q1 – SPN Origins (Kripke)
Bushman: I'm just kind of curious how- how this the idea for this series, um, the genesis of it. And-and how it evolved from concept to, uh, what we see on the screen.
Kripke: Um, I, eh- For a really long time I wanted to do a show about, uh, American folklore and urban legends. (Bushman nods) Sort of (gestures) kind of a subject that, you know, even back to elementary school I've been, you know, kind of obsessed with.
As a matter of fact the very (bounces his pointer finger out) my very, very first TV pitch when I first started in town when I was 23- (shrugs) 24 was a-a-a (gestures) urban legend show and I kept (gestures) trying different versions of it and kept getting Smackdown. (audience giggles and Jared smiles) Um, I tried to do it as an anthology (taps his pointer) and then I had this idea of like a (gestures) bunch of reporters in a van, like “Scooby Doo” style. (audience laughs) A-all these sort of terrible ideas.
And then, uh- And then I was, you know, working with Warner Brothers and- and- and just come off of, uh- uh, (fake coughs) ”Tarzan.” And- (audience laughs. Jared laughs.) (Kripke laughs) And, uh- and they said, you know, “What do you- What- What show would you want to do?” And I said (gestures), “Well, an urban legend show.” And they said, “Well, what- what's the concept?”
And I had this (gestures) really long elaborate storyline that I'd spent weeks and weeks on, uh, on about (gestures) a reporter. Um, and it was almost exactly (laughs and gestures) “Night Stalker.” (audience laughs) which was hilarious. Um, and, uh- and, uh, they- they (tilts his head) kind of looked at me and they were like, (shrugs) “Nah.” (audience giggles) There’re like, you know, (shrugs) “Any other, you know?” (shrugs) “What else?” and I said, “Well” (mimics writing) Because I-I'd literally scribbled it my notebook the day before, which was- I said, “Well, you know, it could be like Route 66. Like two guys on a road trip.” And they're like, (stop gesture) “We love that do that.” (Jared and audience laugh) And I-I- So, just kind of came out of nowhere, and just sort of, uh, developed from there.
And- and it turned out to be just the- the right, uhh- You know, the right way into this show. Because they can just drive it- You know, the boys can just drive in and out of a different horror movie every week, so. (audience chuckles)
•(12:28)- PaleyFest06;Q2- Sam and Dean family motivation (Kripke)
Bushman: Did you- Did you, um, at that point know w-in terms of characters who those two guys were? I mean, how did the whole this whole family element, which is so important to the show. I mean even, you know, um, you know, Jared says to-to the girl in this episode, uh, “I've got to go back because it's my family.” How did that whole family aspect-
Kripke: Um, just you know you- you write what you know. And- and I'm from a very, uh, close-knit, (Bushman clears his throat) uh, family and I have a (gestures) big brother. Um, and, uh you know, and I have, you know, a lot of, you know, really great friends and s- and just you know sort (gestures) of the way guys talk and the way they communicate without (gestures) ever really communicating anything. And.. (audience laughs) (smiles)
Um, and, uh- So, (gestures) it just kind of- It- it kind of grew- grew out of that. And, uh, so I knew I wanted to do, you know, uh- You know, in terms of characters, I knew I wanted you know the- the little brother to, you know, (gestures) be conflicted and have a lot of, you know, a lot of the angst and problems which I (gestured to Jared) threw right to Jared. (audience laughs) (J2 smile. Jared nods and clears his throat)
Um, and I wanted a- and-and- I wanted a big brother just be a total smartass. (audience laughs) I mean, that's how I started you know? (Jensen smiles, chuckles and turns to his right. Jared nods and then claps Jensen’s knees. The audience laughs.) Um, and— (Bushman: mm) and so you know and-and-and- it's- and it's, you know, w-w-with a show like this it’s, you know, the, eh, with the genre and it's sort of out there it's-it's- it really needs like a grounding influence. And so, to ground the show into family and elements of family. Um, and that (gestures), you know, that care that these brothers have for each other, uh,  (Jared offers to pour Jensen water in his glass. Jensen gives him a go ahead gesture.) really helps us because these two guys. (audience giggles) (Kripke stops and looks at J2 and J2 are biting their lips)
Shiban: They hug. They hug.
Singer and Kripke look at Jared. Jared smiling makes to put the water bottle behind his chair, but then sets it on the table. The audience keeps giggling. Kripke: Oh. Bushman: He’s pouring him a glass of water. (Kripke looks at Bushman) (mimics pouring water) He’s pouring him a glass of water.
Kripke: Yeah. (gestures) Because these two guys, I mean, the- (J2 are silently laughing) the relationship they have. I mean sometimes we have, you know, (Jensen scratches behind his ear. Jared is biting his finger and silently laughing and then Jared slaps Singer’s thigh) good subject matter and sometimes, you know, we don't. Um, (laughs) (audience, J2, and Singer laugh) but the- but the- the relationship with the brothers- these two actors always sees us through, so.
•(14:18)- PaleyFest06;Q3 - first impressions “J2”, auditioning for Sam and Dean (Kripke)
Bushman: Did- Um, were you familiar with their work? Um, or did you just bring in a ton of actors to audition for the roles?
Kripke: Uh, we, uh, auditioned everybody in town. Um, as you always do kind of on these pilots. (Bushman: uh-huh) Um, my, uh, my wife was quite the “Gilmore Girls” fan. So, (audience laughs) (Kripke looks at Jared) I, uh, I knew, uh-
Jared looking around at the audience. Audience laughs and claps. Jared points around the audience. Then smiles and laughs.
Kripke: (laughs) So, uh, I knew, uh, I-I knew Jared's work. And Jensen, uh, our director David Nutter, (Bushman: uh-huh) who directed the pilot, um, knew Jensen from, uh, (looks over at Jensen) either- Was it “Dark Angel?” From.. (Jensen: mhm, yeah) And he knew him from “Dark Angel” and so, uh- (gestures to the audience) “Dark Angel!” (gestures to Jensen) Jensen in Dark Angel!  
The audience claps and cheers. Jared woo’s and claps. Jensen gives the audience two thumbs up. Jared then goes to drink his water. Jensen looks down chuckling.
Kripke: And, uh- So, when we were, you know. (Jensen scratches his forehead. Audience member laughs.) When we were casting the characters it was- it was David Nutter who said, you know, “We have to- we have to fly down Jensen.” Who was up shooting “Smallville” at the time. So, he wasn't really in the- in the- in the pilot pool. And, you know, (shakes head) thank God we did. Because he walked- eh-uh (holds up his hands) Actually the story, which was funny, is Jensen walked in the room and-and met with us and-and-and David and Peter Johnson and I. And-and we talked to him and talked to him and we walked out the door and we looked at each other we were so exciting we're like we found and we found Sam.
Audience ohs and laughs. Jensen raises his eyebrows and nods. Kripke looks over at the boys.
Jared: I didn't get flown down. I had to ride myself (Kripke laughs: Yeah. Yeah.) Soo. (Kripke: And, uh-) I just wanted that to be known. (laughs) (Jensen is looking down smirking)
Kripke:  And it- and it was- and so, you know, these things just kind of form as-as puzzle pieces come together. And it wasn't until we met Jared that we're like, “Well that's Sam!” And we're like, (Jared chuckles) “And then, you know, Jensen could be Dean!” And then, it all just kind of, you know, it all kind of came together from there.
Bushman: That’s real interesting. Well, how about you guys, Jared and Jensen? Can you tell the story of-  
Jared: (thumbs to Jensen) I’ll let Jensen take that one.
Bushman: from your, um-
Jensen: Uh (points to Jared) you go ahead. (scratches the bridge of his nose)
Jared: (swipes hand in the air) Oh, Jensen (laughs) (Jensen: Oh no) that’s- that’s totally you. (pets his pants leg) What was the- (Jensen: honestly.) (looks at Bushman) What’s the- What’s the exact question?
Bushman: the question is-
The audience laughs. Jared rolls his tongue laughing and then turns his head down to scratch his hair. Jensen is smiling.
Jared: W (laughs to Jensen) I can-
Jensen: (to Jared) Is it a (briefly throws his hand up) spelling Bee? (Jared laughs and looks back at Bushman)
Bushman: Can you, uh, Can-
Jared: Can you use the word in a sentence?
Kripke: Spell. Spell leopard.
Jensen: Yeah, can you use that in a sentence? (straightens his shirt)
Jared: Leper?
Kripke: Leopard.
Jared: Leopard.
•(16:11)- PaleyFest06;Q4A- Auditioning for Sam and Dean (Jared)
Bushman: No, no, no. The question was, uh, Can you talk about the audition process from y-your perspective.
Jared: Well, it’s interesting, actually for me, hearing it from Eric's perspective. Um. I, uh, I’ve obviously been working with Warner Brothers for “Gilmore Girls.” And, um, the five years prior to doing the show I worked on Gilmore Girls to sort of developed a relationship with, um, some of the people at the Warner Brothers offices.
And I had kind of heard about a few of the pilots coming out. And I read this one in particular and I really enjoy the- the characters. And it really struck me as something that- I remembered hearin’ sort of (gestures) once in its breakdown of like it's (gestures) kind of a supernatural. It’s called “Supernatural” (Kripke laughs). And I was thinking like great (briefly throws up hand) “Charmed” or “Buffy,” (audience laughs) which are all great shows, but not the show I wanted to be a part of, you know? I didn't want to do “Roswell” or “Charmed” or “Buffy.” And then, when I read it I was like wow this is- this is very interesting and- and so much more than just like, “Ooo, scary show.” So-
•(17:01)- PaleyFest06;Q4Aa- SPN Appeal (Jared)
Bushman: what- what, uh, appealed to you about it?
Jared: Well, I sort of, uh, I grew up son of an English teacher. So, she was always big- and she would actually taught heroes myths and legends. So, I was familiar with mythology and sort of, uh, the Joseph Campbell taught, teachings. (turns to audience) The taught-teachings of Joseph Campbell. (audience laughs) And, uh, (Kripke chuckles) (scratches head)
Singer: Didn’t- didn't rub off that she was an English teacher. (Jensen mimics closing a film clapperboard)
Jared: It didn’t rub off. (looks down smiling and claps) (Kripke laughs)
Shiban: Yes. (Singer clears throat)
Jared: Uh, yeah. It didn't. It didn’t. I just work till 4:30 this morning in Vancouver. So, I’m a little worse for ware.
Bushman: It’s kind of interesting that you mentioned Joseph Campbell, cuz there's a little bit of “The Reluctant Hero” in your character.
Jared: Very much. I mean there's more than- there's so much more than just the Reluctant Hero. I mean, when you get into the archetypes they're sort of- each script is just bursting at the seams with archetypes and (briefly throws his hand up), you know, last thing I think these people want to hear is me going to a (Bushman chuckles) explanation of- (Audience laughs. Jensen fakes snoring) (briefly throws his hand up) I love the script. (turns to Jensen) I love the character. (shakes Jensen’s leg)
Bushman: Did, uh, so- (Jensen mimics waking up with a shout)
Jared: (leans towards Jensen rotating his pointer finger in the air) We're doing a- we're doing, um, a answer-
Jensen: (shrugs and frowns) I’m awake (reaches for the water)(audience laughs)
Jared: Okay. (turns back to Bushman, smiling and scratching his head)
Bushman: So, uh- Well, so your agent sent you script and you were- you were auditioning for Sam all along?
Jared: Uhh, right. (hits his knee) Right. I guess- I guess w-where the- where the process.. or how the process- where it was when it reached me was: read the script, see if you like the character, see if you like the script. (gestures) It was sort of like do you, you know, do you mesh with this- (gestures) Do you feel you could mesh with this script. And I felt I could and so I went in (thumbs towards Kripke) and I- and I met some of the guys, and I re-met Nutter and.. you know, sat in an office with- Who was it Kripke? (Jared leans forward than back to see Kirpke)
Kripke: (leans forward than back, in response Jared starts rapidly leaning back and forth) It was, uh, Me, Nutter, Peter Johnson we were at the-
The audience laughs. Kripke then notices the movement and starts mimicking Jared. Singer hunches down. Jensen starts laughing to himself while looking away.
Kripke: Wonderland. Offices. (Jared and Kripke stop. Audience laughs) And, uh.. Uh, yeah. And he- he came in and he had at such energy and- and just so, uh, (gestures) lived the character. (gestures) Just so was the guy. You know, it's a (gestures) cliche to say that but he really was. So, it was- it was an easy choice.
Bushman: (to Jared) And did you feel real good about it coming out?
Jared: Uvh, well (push his hair behind his ear) yeah. I-I-it was- it was b-by no means that short process, you know? I mean, that was sort of the beginning of a week or two week long (gestures) finding of scripts and characters. And I think the scripts are still being rewritten. I remember I'd seen a script and they’re like, (gestures) “This is changing. You know. Read the script, but (gestures) that's nothing to do with this.”
Kripke: (laughs) Right. Yeah. (audience laughs)
Jared: “It’s gonna change so much.” (gestures towards Jensen)
Kripke: (nods) This is true.
Jared: Which is much like it- it is nowadays. You know, (Kripke: Yeah) we get a script and they're like, “Okay, we're shooting this in a week, but it'll be a completely-“ You know? (audience giggles) (gestures) It’s just like- it-it can always can get better. And- and everybody's always working hard (flings his hand) up to the very last second, you know? Till they call action. (points up) People are working here. People are working in Canada. Just, you know, sprinting.
•(19:24)- PaleyFest06;Q4B- Auditioning for Sam and Dean (Jensen)
Bushman: Okay. (Jared nods) Jensen, what was your experience?
Jensen: (resting his head on his fist, briefly points to Jared) Pretty much the same.
Jared immediately fake sleep-snores and leans his head on Jensen’s shoulder. Kripke and the audience laugh. Jensen smirks. Jared sits up, laughing, and reaches for his water.
Jensen: Uhhh
Jared: Well said Jensen.
Jensen: (rubs his chin, laughs, sits up) Yeah. (rubs his hands) Uh, w-well, (thumbs to Kripke) like-like Eric said, they- they had originally brought me in for, uh, for the role of Sam. And, uhm, I- I knew David Nutter very well. Uh, I-I worked on, uh, testing for some- a number of pilots, um, before that. So, I-I felt very comfortable with him and with his recommendation to me coming in. And he feel good about it. (gestures) And I had a conversation with him on the phone before I come- before I came in and just he kind of gave me a spiel about Sam and, uh, (rubs his mouth) and what he thought. And- and then I read the script. And-and I was just like, “W-what about Dean?” (audience laughs.) “I liked Dean.” (audience laughs) “He's funny.” (audience laughs)
And-and, uh, it's- but (gestures) I, you know, I study for Sam. And-and I went in there and I actually kind of studied for (rubs his tear duct) Dean a little bit too just in case. And, um, I went in there and I read for Sam. And-and, uh, like Eric said. And they were like, you know. They were pleased with it. And then.. went home that evening and got a phone call and he said, “Well, uh- uh, there's this guy, Jared, uh, Pada- Pada- something-” (audience laughs)
Jared: I said Pada-something.
Jensen: (nods) Pada-something. (Smiles)
Jared: Pada-something
Jensen: and uh (grins)
Jared: Pada-some- (laughs)
Jensen: “And-and-and they really ar-are liking him” (gestures) “for-for one of the brothers.” And I'm like, “Okay.” So, of course I look him up online (audience laughs) and I'm like (throws up his hand) “He’s- he’s-“
Jared: (to the audience) He thought I was hot. (audience laughs and claps)
Jensen: He’s- (Jared laughs and scratches his head) “This guy's smoking hot.” (Jared leans back and laughs clapping his hands) “I can't play his brother and-“ Uuum, no. And-and-and- and then they said- (Jared facepalms) they'd said, “But would they like to bring you back in for Dean.” And, I of course was.. very excited about it and I came back in. (Jared clears his throat) And-and I was thrilled. So, uh, (gestures) that's kind of how it all. (gestures)
Bushman: Sut- So by the time you guys actually performed together you had already had the parts. They weren't auditioning-
Jensen: Well, no. We hadn't- we didn't have it- we didn't have it (gestures), uhh, officially.
Jared: (leans forward, to Kripke) Did we? (Jensen leans forward)
Kripke: No. We had-
Jensen: We had to do the-
Kripke: We were the on- (nods his head towards J2) they were the only actors we brought in to network. Because we- (gestures) You have to have a network audition.
Jensen: Formality of the network.
Jared: It’s usually a really terrifying process of (Jensen: Yea.) sort of (Jensen: Yeah.) these guys and gals at you audition with all year long. And it's five people that you're very, very afraid of, sitting in the room with you going for the same part. (Looks at Jensen) And when we got there it was like, “Hey.” “Hey.” “Where's everybody?” “Uh, there is nobody.”
Jensen: “Just you and me pal.” (audience laughs)
Kripke: Right. (briefly turns to Bushman) Yeah.
Jensen: And, uh-
Jared: We started (mimics writing) typing numbers down on a page- (shakes his head) I’m just kidding.
Jensen: Yeah, well (gestures) we went in and-and-and (scratches tear duct) that was yeah that was the first time we actually met. (gestures) And then we (gestures) (Jared: mhm) did a scene together, uh, for a- a-a roomful of executives and, uh, that was that.
Bushman: Okay.
Jensen: (points at Jared) and we’ve hated each other ever since. (reaches for his water) (audience laughs)
Jared: (nods) Yeah. (turns to Jensen) I poisoned your water, so.
The audience laughs. Jensen pauses and stares at his cup. Audience laughs. Jensen inspects his cup by slightly tilting it. He shrugs, takes a drink, and then sets his cup back down on the table.
Kripke: It’s a little unnerving. (Jared laughs)
•(22:13)- PaleyFest06;Q5A- SPN Start (Kim Manners)
Bushman: How about everyone on the panel? Kim, we could start with you and Ben. Talk about how you became involved with, uh, Supernatural.
Manners: I read for Sam. (most of the panelist and the audience laugh)
Jared: (throws his hands up) did everybody read for Sam or?
Manners: Well, David Nutter, who directed the pilot, is a good friend. He did season 1 of “X-files” And, uh, he called and asked if I would do a favor and, uh, come in and do one episode. Because I was kind of semi-retired after X Files. Uh, (nodding) very semi-retired. (audience laughs) And I, uh, came in did a show, uh, called “Dead in the Water,” uuh, enjoyed myself fell in love with, uh, (points to J2) Jan and Dean or is it Sam and Dean? (Jared and audience laugh. Singer pours himself some water.) Uhm, and I was driving home to my home in Missouri and they called me and said, uh, “We want you to come on as a part of the team.” And I turned around and here I am. So.
Jensen: Thank God.
Manners: And I’m having a good time.
Jared: (nods) Yeah. Thank God.
Manners: Yeah.
Kripke: Yeah, I don't know what we’d do without Kim up there. He's unbelievable.
Shiban: (nods) Yeah.
Bushman: Kim, uh, John.
Manners: I know whatchu do, you get another guy. (most of the panelist and the audience laugh)
Shiban: No, there is no other guy.
Jensen: No.
Kripke: Not true. No other guy.
Jared: There's no other guy.. named Kim.
Manners: (nods) Yep. (audience laughs) (points towards Jared and then clears throat) You know if this whole thing fails you guys can go right into stand-up. (audience laughs)
Jensen: Yea. (nods) (Jared claps his hands laughing) (points at Jared) I don't want to stand up to him another time. (audience laughs) I got to stand up on apple boxes all the time. (audience laughs)
Jared: (scratches ear) I'm pretty lazy. I’d rather sit. (Manners and audience laugh)
Bushman: John how did you-
Jared: (points to Jensen) Meanwhile! What-what (Shiban: Meanwhile?) what he- want he- what he doesn't know- what he didn't know about this whole process is that after we had him direct, uh, the- I guess it was our fourth episode we had: (counts his fingers) “the Pilot” (Jensen: yep.) with David Nutter, “Wendigo” with David Nutter, “Hookman” with David Jackson, (Manners: and then) and then (points at Manners) Kim came in.
And immediately I think from day one we were on the phone with everybody. (Manners takes a drink) (gestures) We were on the phone with (thumbs to his left) Peter and (points to Eric) with Erik and saying, “This guy is incredible.” (gestures) “Sw-Who is this guy?” (Manners sets his glass back down) And David Nutter had sort of given him this very.. sort of mysterious.. “You'll love Kim,” kind of sentence (audience giggles) at the very beginning.
Because we were going over this list of seven dir-
Jensen: Yes, the Jedi (waves his hand)
Jared: Very Jedi. (audience laughs) Yeah it was like-
Jensen: You’ll love him.
Jared: (mimics reading a script) “Who is Kim- Who is this guy?” “Oh, (waves hand) I knew him from this.” (mimics reading a script) “Who is Kim Manners?” (nods and waves hand) “You'll love Kim Manners.” (audience laughs) And sure enough, we were like, (double takes) “What?” And, um and he- and he- (his mic clip falls off) came on. And he was just incredible. (picks up mic by hand and talks directly into it.) And he was just incredible. (Jensen takes off his mic and hands it to Jared) And um, (nods to Singer) Can I- (reaches for Singer’s mic) Can I borrow? (audience laughs)
Singer: Sure. Yeah (But Jared doesn't take it and takes back his hand)
Shiban: Wow.
Jared: And, uh, (hands Jensen back his mic) And so we- w-we, uh, we basically begged and pleaded (J2 attach their mics back on to their shirts) to get him, um-
Manners: (fake mourning voice) A job! (throws his hands up) (Shiban pats his back) Just a job. (Jared: A job.) It’s all I wanted. (audience laughs)
Jared: He was hungry. (Manners laughs while rubbing his brow) He was, you know. He kept trying to bite my arm. (audience laughs) I was really worried about him (laughs).
Bushman: Yeah, I don't want to embarrass Kim, but what was so incredible about him?
Manners: about- (Bushman: about-) Who?
Jensen: Well, I-I think that- I think that, uh-uh, Jared and I just- w-we just responded well to him. I mean, he-he directed in a fashion that-that, uh, we really liked. And, uhm.. You know, it was kind of a set where guys could be guys. (thumbs at Manners) And he wasn't someone who-who directed, you know, behind a (throws hands up) screen with a (makes a phone hand gesture) telephone somewhere in LA, and was like, you know, (gestures and mimics a LA director) “Do it over and over. And then a closed up and a close up and let's get out of here and move on in the next set.” He was- (Singer reaches for his water) he was in there.
And-and you know a-a story about another, uh, episode that he directed, “Bugs,” uh, (Manners shakes his head) this was a-a scene where we had to get in (Manners mimics putting a gun in his mouth. the audience laughs) to a room with-
Manners: (turns to Jensen and waves) s-sorry.
Jensen: Yeah, no that’s-
Jared: It’s alright.
Jensen: I mean, ah, you know we get in this-this tiny little room with 65,000 bees and, uh, (Jared: ?Billions?) (gestures) the whole camera crew and (gestures) the sound crew (Manners laughs. Shiban smiles) and (gestures) then everybody's got (gestures) full bee outfits on. (audience chuckles) Then they're like, “Alright, Jared, Jensen, hop on in.” (audience laughs) And, uh-
Jared: And don't swat them, ‘cuz it makes them angry.
Jensen: And, Yeah. And I'll-and I’ll give it to Kim. He said, “You know what? If-if you guys don't have bee suits on. I'm not either.” And he went in there with, uh, (Jared: Right.) shorts and a t-shirt and a monitor.
Kripke?: Wow.
Jensen: And sat down on a box and directed us from inside the room (Manners silently laughs) with bees crawling all over our faces. (Manners and Shiban nod)
Kripke: Woah.
Jensen: It's just- it's-it that- it's that kind of relationship with Kim.
Bushman: Okay.
The audience cheers and then claps. Shiban and Jared clap. Manners briefly salutes two fingers to the audience.
•(26:07)-PaleyFest06;Q5B- SPN Start (John Shiban)
Bushman: John, how'd you get involved?
Shiban: Uh, I was going through the, uh, annual ritual of staffing season. Uh, I had a-a pilot that didn't go. So, I was available and reading all the pilots and taking meetings. And.. and read the script. Aaand loved it. Uh, and met Eric and loved him.
Kripke: Awww. (audience aw’s)
Shiban: Annnd- (smiles) I know. Aaand-
Kripke: John’s my guy. (audience laughs, Shiban, Jared and Manners smile)
Shiban: Yeah, it’s that. It’s true. Um, and, uh-uh, eh- there are a lot of- Uh, you know, I spent a long time on the “X-Files” and, uh, (gestures) I’m-I'm offered a lot of.. (gestures) scary television shows every year. It's like, (gestures) “Will you do this. Will you-“(Bushman: Yeah) And this one just struck me right away. Ehh, especially (gestures) when I finally saw the- the-the cut of the pilot.
Because it had those two things that I think (briefly pets his beard) you need to have a successful show like this. One is a great franchise, (gestures) which is the engine that runs the show. The idea that the two brothers on the road trip with a very personal agenda, eh-uh, is just great. And you can imagine- I can see instantly five years of suffering for these guys-
Jared nods. The audience chuckles. Jensen dramatically throws his head back. Jared smirks and nods. Kripke?, and audience laugh.
Shiban: And, uhhh, episode after episode. Uhh, and the second thing honestly is- is, uhh, is casting.. and chemistry. And chemistry is something you can't (rubs his hand) manufacture. And these guys have it. And they're so great to write for and they're so fun to write for.
Jensen slowly looks at Jared. Jared with a pressed smile, looks back. Audience woo’s and laughs. Shiban shrugs. Jared moves his face closer and puckers his lips. Audience laughs. Jensen shakes his head no and points to the audience. Jared stops halfway and looks down laughing to himself, and then looks up scratching his nose with a big smile. The audience laugh and clap. Shiban and Manners are smiling.
Jared: Worth a try. Worth a try.
Shiban: Yeah. (Jared chuckles) So, I said, “Yeah. I'm coming up.”
•(27:38)- PaleyFest06;Q5C- SPN Start (Bob Singer)
Bushman: Okay. Bob, how about you?
Singer: (Jared laughs) (gestures to J2) I-Can I just watch them, I don’t. (J2, Manners, and Audience laugh) Uubm, t-they had actually made this pilot. And, uh, I saw the pilot and, uh, really liked it a lot. And I think, uh, what the studio wanted was, um- (gestures) After they saw it and I got picked up, and the studio one point probably said to themselves-
Singer holds up his hands but then stops when audience starts laughing, raising an eyebrow.
Jared: (laughs) Just keep it (unintelligible)
Kripke: (opens his hands) You can't get anything done.
Jared: I can’t- (sets down his glass and then repositions himself)
Singer: (gestures to J2) This is what it's like to direct them too. (audience and Kripke laugh) Uhh- uh, the studio said, “Well, we-we-we can't give ff-40-plus million dollars to Eric Kripke.” And-(shrugs)
Kripke: (laughs) Yeah. (Jared laughs and claps his hands) Very true. (laughs)
Singer: And let him run wild. So, they said, “What we need i-is” (shrugs) “You know, some-”
Audience laughs. Singer stops and briefly looks to his right and up. Audience laughs. Singer rubs his chin and closes his eye laughing to himself. Kripke scratches his lip, looks at Singer, and laughs.
Singer: (shakes his head and then looks up at Kripke) This is so hard. (rubs his brow) (Kripke, audience, and Jared laugh)
Singer leans and reaches over and briefly covers Jared’s face, then returns to his original position. Jared laughs. Jensen is holding a glass of water and reaching for another.
Shiban: These people are very tired.
Jared: Yeah. (laughs)
Singer: Um. So, they thought they needed some, uh, you know, uh, a-a-an experienced hand to guide the young man through these rocky waters. (Jared laughs) The young- the young man of course felt what do I need this old fart for. (Jared and audience laughs)
Kripke: No way. (Singer laughs) He-
Singer: Um, anyway (gestures) we met and we met a number of times. And, um, finally our-got comfortable enough with me for, uh, for us to join up and, uh-uh, partner on this thing. And, um, (shrugs) it-it's interesting because I mean we are sort of from different generations. (gestures) And we approach, uhm, (gestures back and forth) drama in kind of a different way.
Um, but (gestures) as we sort of work together we found (gestures) that we always we really arrived (Kripke nods) at the same place even though kind of the methods (gestures) are a little different of how we get there. And it's a-
Bushman: Can you explain what you mean when you say that (Singer sits up) coming from different generations you approach drama in different ways?
Singer: Well, I don't know if that's a generational thing but I'm very, eh..
Kripke: Sober. (audience and Singer laugh) (Shiban?: And uh) compared to the drunk.
Singer: (nods) There's that, yeah.
Shiban?: (?low court?)
Singer: Um…eh- t-t-this is so boring, but, um, (audience giggles) for, um- I-I-I kind of come in (waves his hand) everything from a character standpoint of view. It’s-it's all about character to me. And I'll kind of (gestures) let the plot work itself out  given (Kripke nods) what the characters are-are gonna do.
And what I'm interested in the scenes is how.. that, you know, it drives the plot. But I'm most interested in how the characters react to it. Umm (scratches brow) and-and-and so the (laughs) stories I do (wiggles his hands up in the air) to tend to get a little like-like this but (shrugs) the character stuff is probably interesting.
Eric really works very, very hard on the stories, um, and gets the plot down. And knows that once his plot is good the-the character stuff will come naturally to that. (Kripke nods) So, we sort of go-go like this (Kripke nods) when we're in the room together. And we’ll arrive at that place which both things are serviced. And-and-and I think you- we’re really sort of one voice now (Eric nodding: mhm) that we-we rarely disagree on stuff. And it's a- (shrugs) You know, I've worked alone for a long time, so it's kind of really cool to have a partner. (shrugs)
Eric: (looks at Bushman and nods) Yeah. And (points to Singer) tah-tah blow smoke up his ass for a minute. (audience laughs) He brings a depth, uh, and-and maturity of care- of character of just depth to the drama that I could not do, you know? It-Me on me alone like is “Boogieman.” (Bushman and audience laughs) And.. and.. and like all of a sudden with him like, you know, we have a-a show where you have these characters that are psychologically rich and true and-and-and- and Bob is-is behind huge amounts of that. So, uh, we- (shakes his head) this show would not succeed, uh, at all without him. So.
Singer: Aw.
Kripke: Aw.
Audience aw’s. Singer leans over and rests his head on Kripke’s chest. Kripke holds him for a sec.
Jared: Aw. (Audience claps)
Shiban: Come on give him a kiss, would yah?
Singer: (turns towards J2) You guys can do it. We can do it.
Jared: No, it’s alright like that.
Jensen: Hey. Hey.
Manners: You guys wanna mow the lawn?
Jensen: Yeah. Around the curtains?
•(31:05)- PaleyFest06;Q6- SPN Mythology + Formula (Shiban, Kirpke)
Bushman: Let me ask one more question before I- before I open this up. But this is for the writers mostly. Um, which I guess is Eric and John. But, um- you know, Eric, you've been quoted, um, as saying that, uh, you know this show differs from a lot of the other, uh, suspense or supernatural shows that you (Kripke nods) say there, because you don't want to get involved so much in those long drawn-out stories or-or the mythology so much as you just- I don't know whether these are accurate quotes but you want to, um, just focus on scaring people and on the- on the urban, uh, folklore and-and so on and just scaring people.
But, um, I think I-I- speaking for myself, and-and maybe some people out here too, I find the mythology, uh, with the-the kids with their mom.. (Kripke: mhm.) and their dad, and, uh- um, you know, one of the really compelling parts of this story. So, um, I'm wondering how you just- an-an-and, you know, you start to see even with the last episode that-that (Kripke nods) aired last Tuesday. You're starting to see you guys are coming back to that. (Kripke nods: mhm)
Um, and I'm wondering how do you decide when it's time to sort of veer away from what “X-Files” used to call the “monster of the week” story and come back to the.. mythology of the show. So it's really for John and Eric. How do you decide when it's time to do that or-
Kripke: John?
Shiban: Uh, two things I made a lot of painful, uh, hair-pulling discussions and arguments and when should we when shouldn't we. But part of it is driven to, by just the nature of television you want to save some of your big.. moments for sweeps. And so you kind of.. work the season around that. Works a actually a very nice five or six episodes that are.. (finger quotes) “non-mythology” and then you can- you can pull the Mythology back. And, uh, and, uhh, again do the nature television. You want to end the season with some- something astounding.
And, uh, (gestures to Singer) also going to back to what Bob was saying, eehh, the mythology is all about character. It's all about.. what the boys are going through and family. (shrugs) And, so that's where we are going to head when we want to do something spectacular. So. (Singer drinks his water)
Kripke: Yeah. we- we had a- we have. And surprisingly have stuck to it. We have a, uh, a-a m-mythology plan for season one. We also have, y-you know God willing a pickup, we have mythology plans for season two and season three. But.. we have this plan of where the story goes in-in- (audience starts cheering) Yeah!
Shiban: On the CW. (Jensen is holding out a hand)
Kripke: On the CW!
Jensen: (to Shiban) When do we get to see this? (Shiban whispers to Jensen)
Kripke: Um, and-and so, you know, it was sort of the plan, which is the first.. (Jensen elbows Shiban while laughing, then Shiban keeps whispering to Jensen) seven ur- sev- about, really, the first seven (Jensen throws his head back and softly laughs) episodes you wanted to be the self-enclosed stories so you could kind of pick up new viewers. And then you start threading in a little bit more mythology.
But I think it's a balance. Because, I mean, it's my own just, you know, kind of personal taste, which is- I mean, I like a- you know, I want a satisfying story every week too. And-and um, you know, I mean “Lost” is (waves hand) an untouchable show. I mean, it's an- it’s-it's a (waves hand) brilliant and unbelievable show, but I-I- I find the endless mystery, my own, taste frustrating.
Bushman: mhm
Kripke: And- and if you're going to give ongoing mystery- (audience claps) Alright, people who believe. And, if you're going to give ongoing mystery, at least give, like, a rollicking badass story… apart from it that can have a beginning middle and end. And you can be satisfied. And the good guys can win. And you and you can have the experience being told a story. (waves hand) And then, you know, thread in the ongoing mystery.
 So, I think it's-it's-it's keeping a lot of different plates spinning. And it's not- it shouldn't be any one thing er-or another.
•(34:18)- PaleyFest06;Q7- SPN Ending, Pre-finale thoughts (Kripke)
Bushman: Do you know where the story ends?
Kripke: Um, I do actually. Yeeeah.
Bushman: Does anyone else on this panel know where the story ends?
Singer: Yeah, but we tell you, we have to kill you.
Kripke: Yeahh. Yeah. (Audience and Bushman laugh. Jared smiles) I mean, it's hard it- because you never know when you're gonna get cancelled or if you're gonna go, you know, 37 years like “Gun Smokers” (audience laughs) Or something. (Jensen chuckles)
Shiban: Oh, god. Please.
Kripke: But, uh.. Yeah.
Jared: Oh no.
Manners: The boys are in walkers. (mimics walking in a walker)
Jensen: (gruff voice) Sam! (audience laughs)
Kripke: Yeah. (nods) Right. (Kim laughs) (laughs) They’ll finish up the season and then they'll slowly die.
Jensen: Yeah. (laughs)
Audience laughs. Jensen is scratching his forehead smiling. Jared is drinking his water.
Kripke: And, uh.. So but-but yes we have, you know, really a-a-a fi- if-if I could somehow find out what the last season was going to be, or-or a five, six year plan, I mean, I sort of know that, you know, the-the final, you know, battle as it were t-that all shapes up. And, uh- But yeah, you know, it’s sort of-
Bushman: We’re gonna have to wait.
Kripke: Yeah.
Bushman: Okay. Let's take some questions from the audience. (holds hand over eyes and looks at the audience) Um, I'm gonna.. to call on two people, um, first question, a second question. Please wait for the mic, because this event is being taped, so we need to be able to hear you.
Uh, (points to the back of the audience) okay there's one all the way in the back over there, and (points his other hand towards the left of the audience) then there's one in a green shirt right down here.
(points to the green shirt again) We can start down here with the green shirt and then go to the back question.
•(35:38)- PaleyFest06;Q8A- Location Significance: John Winchester in Sacramento (Shiban)
Fan: Sorry, I had to take out my gum. Hi, um, I'm- Let me just say, I'm originally from Sacramento so I w-I wanted to know if there's any significance with their dad, John, being in Sacramento twice or just random or.. spoilery or.. Shh
Manners?: Joohn.
Kripke: You wrote it, John. Why did you use Sacramento? (audience laughs)
Fan: It’s-
Shiban: I don't want to give it away, yet. (Kripke? laughs)
Jensen: So, yes there is.
Kripke: No there’s-
Shiban: (points at Jensen) I'm gonna tell you either. (Jensen throws his hands up)
Jensen: I want to know.
Kripke: Yeah. Why?
Shiban: After. After.
Jensen: Ah, thanks a lot.
Singer: Tickets for a Sacramento Kings (Jensen: Yes.) game. Eh. (shrugs) (J2 laugh)
Bushman: So, their-their- the answer is that there is, but you're not gonna say what it is.
Shiban: Exactly.
•(36:13)- PaleyFest06;Q8B- Location Significance: Lawrence Kansas (Kripke)
Bushman: Okay. And speaking of location is there any significance to Lawrence Kansas? That it started in Lawrence Kansas?
Kripke: Um-
Shiban: (points to Kripke).. I’d have to give that to him.
Kripke: Uh, I would say, well, uh-uh i-if anyone does a, uh-uh, w-
Jared: In other words, yes.
Kripke: Yes. (audience laughs. Jared and Manners laugh.) There-there is and-and the-and the one thing I'd say is, because we tend to be really research oriented in our show (Bushman: uh-huh) and about American urban legends and there's a- there's a very famous, uh, urban legend, uh, near Lawrence Kansas. Um, that, uh-
Bushman: That somehow factors?
Kripke: Yeah. (to the audience) You know, if you guys go home and do Google searches on Lawrence (Bushman: Right) Kansas and stuff will come up. (nods)
Bushman: Okay. (points to J2) Do you guys know what it is.. Jared and Jensen?
Kripke: I don't think I've ever told you.
Jared: (looks at Jensen) Y-yeah.
Jensen: Uh, yeah.
Jared: Good gosh. (blows)
Jensen: Yeah. Yeah. Of course. (nods and leans back to rub his chin) (Bushman, Kripke, and audience laugh)
Jared: I haven’t decided when I'm gonna tell Kripke what it is.
Jensen: Yeah. (audience and Kripke laugh)
Jared: I’m mean, honestly. Tell him, “Hey, uh-
Bushman: (laughs) Okay. In the back all the way.
•(36:59)- PaleyFest06;Q9- Fear “Paranormal” (Manners, Shiban, Jensen, Jared, Kripke)
Fan: Hi. Uh, I just want to say I'm from Texas too. So.
Kripke: Wooo!
Jensen?: (J2 raise their hands) woo! (audience laughs)
Fan: Anyway I had a question, um, for everybody. What urban legend or folklore really does scare you guys?
Kripke: (points to Manners) (Manners shrugs) Kim?
Manners: Um, mm- nothing scares me. (audience and Shiban laughs)
Jared: That's true.
Manners:  I direct television.
Jensen: Yeah, I believe it.
Manners: And I- so (shrugs) (audience laughs) You know, if-if you- if you can live through that nothing scares yah. (shrugs) Really.
Shiban: Good answer.
Manners: Yeah. Well, it’s true. (Shiban laughs) What scares you John? ..Late scripts? (laughs)
Shiban: You do- Yeah. (audience laughs) Yeah. You do. Yeah. When you call me and say, “Where's the damn script?” (audience chuckles) That's frightening. (audience chuckles. Shiban and Manners take a drink)
Bushman: Any-any urban-
Shiban: (bumps Jensen’s arm) What about you guys?
Jensen: (shrugs) I-d-I'm dealing with him all season man. (Kripke and audience laugh) I’m scared of them all. (Kripke: All of em.)
Shiban: What about those bees?
Jensen: Yeah, bees that’s what I’m s-
Jared: You know I have a c- I'll- I’ll say something. I- uh, my daddy used to make me watch a show called, “Shadow Man,” or something, when I was growing up. And it was about a shadow that lived under this kid's bed. And, uh, he was sort of- (audience giggles) What's that? (audience giggles) (Jared smiles) And anyways and, uh, (audience laughs) it was his buddy.
Shiban: And he’s here tonight.
Jared: he wasn’t very popular in school. And so the shadow man started kind of getting all the bullies for him. And then one day came another.. kid’s shadow man got- (sniffs) Yeah it’s probably not as scary as it seems. (laughs, ducks and scratches his head) (most of the panelist and the audience laugh) (hides face behind his jacket)
Kripke: (thumbs to Singer) You wanna? You?
Singer: (laughs) Go ahead. (audience aw’s)
Kripke: (gestures to the audience) Someone has to give her a straight answer. (Jared: Y-yeah.) Hook-Hookman freaked me out when I was a kid. The killer with the hook. All the different stories of the killer with the hook of, uh, you know, the-t-the “Aren't you glad-” “Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?” I thought was really cool. And there's, uh, (gestures) the licked hands. If you ever heard the licked hand, which is a really cool one. (briefly looks down) And um, so (gestures) like that- that was always, you know, really sort of- sort of freaky for me.
Bushman: Okay, let's take two more questions. (points to the audience) Um, we'll get this one down here and there's one all the way in the back. Right- right next to you. Right… (points) Go ahead.
•(38:55)- PaleyFest06;Q10- Continuity Mistake “4 years vs 2 years at Stanford”
Fan: Um, in the pilot we know that, uh, when Sam wanted to go to college John told him to get lost. And he's in as presumably his fourth year because he's interviewing for Law School. Um, but d-he says that he hasn't talked to Dean in two years. Is there an answer to what happened two years ago? (Kripke is smiling and looking down at the other panelists)
Jared: Uhhh, y-you mean does that-
Kripke: I-I actually-
Shiban: Eric.
Kripke: (looking down at his lap) I have an answer to that. (nods) (audience laughs)
Fan: Do we get to know?
Kripke: Well, I know you're supposed to.. You know, (gestures to Shiban) do what Shiban does (Shiban nods) which is kind of go, “you'll find out.” (audience laughs. Shiban smiles and nods) But, uh, fact of the matter was is, uh, it-ii- (gestures) you know, these things happen so fast and furious. (mimics writing) And you’re- and- and that it was actually a mistake. (audience giggles)
Shiban: Oh no. (Shiban whispers to Jensen and then Manners)
Kripke: We-we wanted it-d.. Jared is or Sam's character supposed to be a junior in college and starting the interviewing process for, uh, the interviewing process for law school. (Jensen whispers to Shiban) And, uh, so hasn't seen him since he left- So he spent his freshman year and his sophomore year away from Dean and hasn't seen Dean. Then this is beginning of junior year. (briefly looks at the panelists)  This is.. fall of junior year.
So, it's been technically two years as he's beginning (gestures) th-the process. But, because, I think.. Because what happens, eh.. You know, you guys, you know, the-the you know- (gestures) I’m-I'm-I’m lying, (audience chuckles) like, sort of putting it all- Eh, because what happened 22 years ago he-he was slightly older than a junior should be. So, no one sort of bought that he was a junior and, uh, (Jared smiles. Audience giggles) so there's a (gestures) lot of discussion of these two “lost years.” And you’re just- and I just like, (hunches down covering his mouth) “he he.” (shrugs) “Like, just a mistake.” (panelists and audience laughs)  
Jensen: (?Hey, uh, I really wanna back this.?)
Shiban: That’s right (unintelligible) (Jensen laughs)
Kripke: But hold on let me give the real answer. “You'll find ouut.” (Jared and audience laugh)
Shiban: (gives him a thumbs up) Now you're talking.
Bushman: Okay. In the back.
•(40:40)- PaleyFest06;Q11- Network Censorship “Gore” (J2, Kripke, Singer)
Fan: Are there any stories about, uh, t-the show being too scary. Like, do you do trade-offs with the network? Like, they say, “Well, you can have two seconds of this, you know, bloody face, if you do this or that.” (?Jared?:mhm)
Jared: Yeah.
Jensen: Yeah, we’ve run into a few-few times that season- this season. (looks at Kripke) Haven’t we?
Kripke: You talking about Night- The Night- the.. On Nightmare was the first time.
Singer: (looks at Kripke) Oh right. Yeah. Yeah, you get into strange dis-discussions of, um, “Can we not see the decapitated- decapitated head (rolling gesture) roll?” (audience and Kripke laugh) And then you start arguing about, “Well.. can it do a half a turn?” (audience and Kripke laugh) Then say, “Okay. You can do a half a turn but the blood gush can't be for two seconds. It has to be for once sec-” Uh- um, so those are ongoing discussions, but a-a-actually the network's been great. We really push the envelope (Kripke: Yeah) in-in every sense. And, uh, they let us get away with more than I thought they would.
Jensen: There was also the, uh, when-
Jared: The gun rig.
Jensen: Yeah, the gun rig with me when I- uh, when Dean was shot in the head.
Kripke: Yeah. The- Night-Nightmare- The episode “Nightmare” was the first and only time that we’ve ever had issues with standards and practices. And so, everything else they just were like, “Give us more.” And we- again we were shocked by that. But there-the-the- there's a scene where, it's a- it's a vision it doesn't really happen, but where Dean gets his brains blown out (gestures brain splat) (audience giggles) in “Nightmare” (audience laughs) and-and… (Kripke briefly looks to his left) And we actually rigged it. And we thought, like, you know- We rigged it so-
Jensen: Yeah, the rig was awesome.
Kripke: Yeah. You-you rigged it so (mimics the shot going through his forehead) the shot actually goes into his forehead and-and the blood explodes out the back (laughs) (audience laughs) on to the wall. And we're like, (makes an excited gesture) “Haha, this is our lead and we're just, you know.”  But and-and-and- and network was like, “No way.”
Jensen: Yeah, this giant- this giant backpack filled with, like, grapes and-and corn syrup (audience ughs) and, uh, and- and it was this tube (partial turns and gestures at the curve of the back of his head) just kind of coming right- right out of the back and, uh, from the head on. And I had a little button in my hand. And they just yelled action. (mimics the scene) And, we timed it with a gunshot, and I hit the button, and gave reaction, and the whole wall went splatium.
Shiban: Yeah.
Kripke: Heheh
Singer: By the way-
Jensen: It was an awesome rig, but then they ended up having to cut to (box gesture) just the splat (Kripke nods) and then back to me with the hole in the head.
Singer: (point to his center forehead) Back to him with a hole. (Jensen: Yeah) But, the, uh, the director of that episode is here tonight, (pointing at the left side of the audience) sitting next to my wife as it is.
Jared: Where is he?
Kripke: Phil Sgriccia.
Singer: And- Phil Sgriccia.
Jared: Phil! (claps)
Kripke: Really good job. (audience claps)
Jared: Wooo!
Kripke: Stand up!
Singer: And, uh, when I looked at those dailies, uh, and I called Phil and I said- he said, “How are they? How are they? Is-” You know, because (swipes at Manners) Kim can tell you all us directors are.. so self-confident (Manners laughs) that we don't need constant approval or anything. (audience chuckles) Um- uh, he said- I said, “They're great, Phil. But what the hell are you doing?” (audience chuckles) And he said, “Well, you know, they look at that and they'll give me all the rest of the stuff.” So (gestures) (J2 and audience laugh)
Manners: We actually play a game with BSP broad-broadcast standards and practice where we cut the show and we cut it way too violent. (Kripke chuckles) So then they come in they go, “Well, you have to take out four frames of that shot.” And you go, “Oh god, not four frames.” “Yes, four frames.” So you take it out, but you always knew that you didn't need those four frames. (laughs) (audience laughs) So, we kind of stack the deck. (audience chuckles)
Bushman: (points) Okay, there's a question over there in the corner. (points) And there's one back there. Over there too.
•(43:57)- PaleyFest06;Q12- Paranormal on Set (J2)
Fan: Oh, okay. Um, well, we've had the question about what urban myths scare you. But for those of you who are actually on set regularly, has there ever been… you know, a blood splatter or that freaky scarecrow or anything that just really creeped you out just to be around on set even though you knew it was plastic or, you know, karo syrup or something?
Jared: I know one- and just one time randomly we're, uh, we're filming “Skin” the episode where (points at Jensen) he's a shapeshifter. (audience giggles) And we're inside this house- this brilliant house. (audience claps) Yeah. (Jared looks at Jensen and claps) It was a great episode. And, um, we were inside this house. And just this clock on the wall just up and leaned over and fell off. Just this round clock no one was near it. No one was (mimics hammer) hammering on the wall outside. It just kind of fell off and everybody sort of looked around. But instead of kind of going, “Who did that?” we're all just were like, (mimics scene) “Ignore it and go back doing business.” (audience laughs) Just tried- decided to not look into it any further. (audience chuckles) The way real brave people do it (audience laughs) this round.
Jensen: So, the, um, the show “Asylum,” uh, was.. (Jared: Oh, yeah.) Um. (Audience claps) (nods) Yeah. (claps) that was- that was shot in an actual abandoned, uh, mental institute and so.. Uh, the-the halls and the rooms and-and we're all very used at one point. (audience giggles) And-and, uh, you know, it said that-that-that- (gestures) the crew says not to go up to the fourth floor (?entrance?). (audience giggles) And, you know, don't-
And-and I remember we broke for lunch. And, uh, I thought I'd be (gestures), you know, clever and take a shortcut (nods then shakes his head) (audience laughs) I’d-I came down a stairwell and went into one door and it was just a (gestures) long dark hallway, because the-there's (Jared chuckles) no lights on. The only lights on it are what the-the film crew puts out. And, uh, that- I was like, (mimics looking back and forth in the hallway) “Well, it's not that long.” (audience laughs) “I can make it.” (audience laughs)
That freaked me out. (nods) (audience laughs)  
Bushman: Okay.
Manners: (points at Jensen) Dean W-Winchester, ladies and gentleman.
Jensen: Yeah. Thank you. (Jared and Shiban clap. Audience claps and cheers)
Kripke: Goodnight. (Jensen bows) Afraid of nothing. (Shiban takes a drink. Jensen laughs)
Bushman: In the back over there. Yeah.
•(46:10)- PaleyFest06;Q13- Network Censorship “Sex” (Kripke)
Fan: Now that there's a new network that you're probably going to be moving to, the CW, are they gonna and loosen up and give us a little more NC-17 like we got the Jensen storyline the other week. (audience giggles and some woo)
Shiban: Bob? (Jared chuckles)
Jensen: I'm confused. (audience laughs)
Audience member: Next episode!
Fan: Sex.
Audience member: Sex.
Jensen: What?
Fan: Sex.
Audience member: The sex.
Jared: Oh right.
Jensen: Aaahh. (audience laughs) (adjusts his position, shrugs) How can I forget. (audience laughs) (leans forward to look at Kripke) Thank you for that, man. (audience laughs) (Jensen shakes his head, leans back and hides a laugh behind his hand)
Kripke: (briefly holds his hands up) Sure… Happy birthday Jensen.
Jensen: Yes. (nods)
Jared: (laughs) Happy birth-
Kripke: Um, yyou know, I mean, CW is huge on full frontal male nudity. (Jensen is looking down hiding his mouth behind his fist. Jared chuckles into a laugh and then claps and goes to take another drink. The audience screams and cheers.) Well, uh, I think there's a lot in store. (gestures) Stay tuned! (Jared laughs while drinking his water. Jensen laughs) (shrugs) You know, I mean, we'll give ‘em- you know, we'll give ‘em love interests and (Jared coughs) love stories as it's appropriate.
Jared curls up and coughs behind his arm. Jensen reaches over and pats Jared’s back. Audience laughs. Jared folds over and continues coughing. Jensen with his arm on Jared’s back, makes a “come here” motion towards the audience.  
Jensen: We're gonna need it. (Kripke laughs)
Jensen continues to pat Jared’s back. Jared sits up, looks around and coughs one last time behind his fist.
Bushman: Um, okay. Uh, we’ll (points) take one there and one in the middle.
Jared: (wipes his eye and then his forehead) Oh jeez.
Bushman: (points) One down here and one in the middle. (nods) Yeah. Yeah. You just-
•(47:20)- PaleyFest06;Q14- Sam and Dean pre-series (Kripke)
Fan: Hi. Um, first of all thanks so much for being here. Um, if you guys are always like this, can I come work on your set? (laughs) (Manners laughs. Audience chuckles)
Jared: (throws his hands up) Yeah.
Fan: uh-
Jared: Thank y'all guys for being here. This is-
Jensen: Yeah. Thank you. (claps)
Jared: Yeah.
Manners: Thank you! (panelists clap)
Fan: No bother.
Jared: Honestly.
Fan: Um, so we came into this story, uh, when the boys are already adults. And I know there's a lot to explore in the future, but I was wondering about the past. Um, because I know that.. there's a lot of speculation about what their childhood (Jensen nods) was like growing up, (Jared nods) moving around. How much Miller time dad was doing. (Jensen nods: mhm) (Jared smiles. and audience chuckles) And how Sam and Jess met. Stuff like that. So, I was just wondering, um, if you were gonna explore that aspect of their lives?
Kripke: We just- Uh, it's funny you say that. We just yesterday, uhh.. Actually (points to the front row) I think, uh, I'm talking to Brad, who's at the network. I think you're getting a cut on Monday. (audience giggles) Um, of-of an episode that, uh, not only do the boys in-in present day, you know, deal with a creature, but, uh, (gestures) it's a creature they dealt with in the past. (gestures) And there's extensive flashbacks to, uh-uh, Sam and Dean. And John is there, you know, as the boys were children and dad and you get to see a, uh, an element of-of what their past was like or what their childhood was like. (Jensen nods)
Um, and it was- I really happy with how it turned out. And it- You know we won’t- We wanted to try it once. And I think it'll be happening a lot more. (gestures) Because there's this great (Manners and Jensen are leaning forward, looking at Kripke) 22 year window of-of what happened. And-and-and that's- there's a lot of story there that you can- you can flesh out. (nods then shakes his head) So, I think we're definitely to go there.
(nods and gestures) Because it's coming up in, uh, (briefly looks up) I think, uh, April, that episode. And it- I was really pleased with how it turned out. So, yeah. We’re really doing it-
Jared: Another positive is that if little Sam and little Dean filming, big Sam and big Dean are sleeping
Kripke: (laughs) Yeah. Right. (Jensen smirks. Audience laughs. Jensen holds up two thumbs.)  (Jared: Soo-) So, there's that.
Jensen: This is good. This is good.
Jared: So, keep pushing yeah (rocks fist)
Jensen: Yeah, keep pushing.
Jared: Keep pushing.
Kripke: Yeah.
Jensen: (nods and raises eyebrows) Flashbacks.
Jared: Very important. (laughs and scratches back of his head) (audience chuckles)
Bushman: Okay. (points) There was a question there in the middle.
Fan: (off mic) Um, Dean always wears this like- (audience giggles) 
Kripke: Aw.
Audience member: What?
•(49:07)- PaleyFest06;Q15- Samulet (Jensen, Kripke)
Fan: Oh, okay. (voice cracked giggle) (Manners laughs. Kripke smiles) Dean always (laughs)- Dean always wears a certain necklace does it mean anything?
Kripke looks down at Jensen. Jensen is leaning on his knees looking back.
Jensen: (to Kripke) You gonna hang me out to dry on this?
Singer: Oh yeah. (Jensen looks down. Jared laughs. Audience laughs.)
Kripke: I mean we can’t s- I mean it does but we can't…say.
Jensen: (looks at fan) Yeah. It-it-it does have significance and it- it’ll..(rubs his brow) it- but it we can't talk about it.
Kripke: Yeah. (laughs) (audience laughs) (Jensen rests his head on his hand)
Shiban: It's from Sacramento.
Jensen, Kripke, and the audience laugh. Jensen pats Shiban’s shoulder.
Bushman: That's a great question, though, that you picked up on that necklace. So. (Kripke: Yeah.) (Jensen nods. A few of the audience give woo’s.) Um-
Fan: (off mic) I always notice weird stuff. (audience giggles)
Bushman: Okay. I'm trying to spread ‘em out. Uhh. (points) You got somebody back there? Okay. (Points) And then this woman down here in the red shirt… (points) But go ahead in the back first.
•(49:55)- PaleyFest06;Q16- Special effects, Gag Reels (Jensen, Jared, Manners)
Fan: Um, I thought I heard you guys m-mention on a show one time you guys do green screen, blue screen, that kind of thing for special effects. Is that gotten a lot easier for you to do and kind of.. You know… fake it? (laughs) (audience laughs)
Jared: Yeah.
Fan: And, um, and the second part to the question was, uh, when the DVD set comes out are you guys gonna have a lot of.. behind the scenes jokes, cuz, yeah, this is funny. (audience laughs)
Jensen: We, uh, we-we actually just had a film crew on set with us, uh, this past week doing behind the scenes stuff for the DVD. (nods) So. (audience cheers and claps)
Um. (gestures) Going back to your first question the green screen and, uh, and stuff, we.. we do, do a lot of-
Jared: You-
Jensen: (leans back and looks at Jared) I said doo-doo. (Jared presses his lips. Audience laughs.)
Manners: He said doo-doo. (Jared smiles and shrugs)
Jared: He said doo-doo. (shrugs) (Jensen looks at the audience and briefly raises his eyebrows) (chuckles)
Jensen: (licks his lips and leans forward on his knees) Uumm.
Jared laughs. Manners laughs. Jared then throws his head back, laughing, and claps. Jensen closes his eyes and bits his lips. The audience laughs.
Jensen: We do (gestures) work a lot with- (Jared snorts)
Manners: Doo-doo. (Jensen looks over) (shrugs) (J2 laugh)
Jensen: (quickly sits back and points at Jared) Jared you can take this one. (Jensen stares at Jared with a smirk)
Jared: (laughing) Yeah. (sits up with his feet on the table) Uumm.. (claps his knee) as Kim and Jensen were saying, we doo-doo. (audience laughs) And, uh- No. We do- it was- it was- (puts his feet back on the floor) I guess it was a big learning process for everybody. Just- You know, it's-it’s a very interesting.. sort of task to be given to- Especially these kind of crazy either emotional sequences or these crazy physical sequences when they're like, “Alright. Now, um, you're in the woods.”(Jensen nods) “And, uh, you know, it's dark, and it's scary, and you're hearing things.”And then you look behind you and there's just this (gestures) big blue wall with (gestures) tape (audience chuckles) And, you know, a couple crew guys standing back there smoking cigarettes. (audience laughs) You know, cursing and.. showing off tattoos (audience giggles) And so it's-it's- it's, uh, I think I've- (briefly looks to his right, then gestures to the audience) speaking for myself, I-I hope I've gotten more of a hang of it.
Jensen: Aside from just the actual green-screen of it that w-we can just be in a normal set and-and they're going to, um- visual effects will-will then put in something (Jared: Right.) like, uh, “Phantom Traveler” with the, uh, (gestures) the smoke that would come out of the vents (Jared: Right.) and-and stuff like that. That's not something that we obviously see. Um.. so we have to pretend that it's there. And that there's no real green screen work going on there.
But, uh, there's also an episode coming up (thumbs to Manners) that Kim directed called, uh, “Shadows.” And we deal with, uh- (audience starts murmuring)
Kripke: Yeah, it just aired.
Shiban: It aired (?).
Jared: (leans over) It aired, Jensen.
Manners: (to the audience) Well, what happened in “Shadow-” Did you see-
Jensen: (adjusts his seating position) I haven’t seen it. (audience and Kripke laughs)
Manners: (points to Jensen) He loves my work.
Jensen: Yeah. That’s right. And we hadn’t- (nods)
Manners: Uhh, If you remember the shot wheree Meg did the high fall (gestures)… (audience’s says yes) (shakes his head) they hung her six feet off the ground. And she was.. (gestures to his belt. Clip on mic falls in his lap) picked-  Wah- we call it picked, with two wires on her hips. And she was looking up at the cabin or doing this (looks up and clawing at the sky).  (looks down and pats for his mic.) Hello. (audience chuckles) (picks up mic from his lap) She was looking up at the camera doing this. (claws at the air with one hand) (audience laughs) And she just laid back and (leans back) she just laid out and flattened out. And they dropped her visually w-, uh, with the computer seven stories. She never went anywhere. That was all just.. in one place, I guess. True story. (clips mic to his jacket)
Jensen: And then when we ran up to the window.. she wasn't even there and we were actually staring at a.. a big.. red X.
Manners: yeah. (audience laughs)
Kripke: So, Jensen, does that mean that you guys actually have to act? (audience gives mixed reaction)
Jared: No, no, no. No. I'm actually not here right now.
Kripke: (chuckles and then to the audience) Oh, I’m kidding.
Jared: We're actually in Canada. (Jensen: Yeah.) (gestures) This is- this is-
Jensen: These are our body doubles (Jared and Singer chuckle)
?Kripke?: yeah. (Jensen nods)
Bushman: Yeah, over here.
•(53:16)- PaleyFest06;Q17- Religion “Jensen,” Dean Winchester cellphone # (Jared, Jensen)
Fan: Um, actually I have two questions. The first one is, Jensen in a past interview he said you were a Christian. I was wondering is it hard to do this kind of show like.. having that background?
And the other question is in an episode, I don't remember which one it was, you gave the phone number what you're trying to reach your dad you're like, “Give me a call this is my number.” But whenever you call you can- you- y- it says, “This is Dean Winchester.” And it says, “Leave your coordinates.” Did you ever hear- like, you- Can you actually voice ‘em on there? Did you hear like- Did you have a lot of fans leaving messages at that number? (Jensen points to Kripke) Because it wasn't a five, five, five number.
It was very small to pick up on, because my sister and I we watch it- She watches it her place. I watch it at mine. (audience giggles. J2 smile.) And I was like “Did you see the number?” She's like, “Was it a real number?” And so anyway that was my question. (Jensen gives a one-handed shrug and then looks at Kripke. audience laughs)
Jared: If you want to actually call him it's 800-Wet-Legs. (Kripke laughs and audience laughs) So, that’s- this is- (Jensen leans over to talk in Jared’s ear)
Kripke: Don’t- don’t give out his number. (Manners laughs)
Jared: Oh, he changed- Oh, you changed it. (audience chuckles) Oh, scratch that. Scratch that. (scratches his head)
Jensen: Um, (readjusts his position) I’m lost.
Shiban: What was the question?
Jensen: What was the- what was the question? (picks up mic from lap) Wha?
Jared: Something about-
Manners: (leans over) You're a Christian!
Jared: (?subliminal worshiping?)
Jensen: (clips his mic back on his shirt) Uh, Yes. Okay. Uhhh, (gestures) Your first question. Uh, y-yes I-I was raised, uh-um, with a very religious family. (gesture) And-and in that, uh-um.. I mean, (open hands) what I do this is, you know.. W-we.. This is acting. (gestures) We're telling stories. I’m-I'm- I portray a character. Um, you know, does my grandmother cringe sometimes? (nods) Yeah. (smiles) (audience giggles) Um, but at the end of the day I'm-I'm, you know, it's- it's something that I'm cool with.
Uhh and, uh- and then as far as the- the-the phone numbers (gestures and looks at Kripke) and I think there’s even websites- there's a-a-
Kripke: Yeah. Yeah. When they called-
Jensen: (looks at fan) Email.
Kripke: Yeah, every so often.
Jensen: There’s actually been a (looks at Kripke) huge response to it.. from what I know.
Kripke: Yeah. Yeah. We got a couple. Wuh-uh- I listened- I mean we couldn't listen all of them, but there’s was a couple thousand voicemail messages. (audience chuckles) (Jensen: Yeah.) of people who called. And-and, uh, I mean I listen to you know maybe, you know, thirt- twenty or thirty of them.
Jared: (to Jensen) Two thousand (Jensen smiles)
Kripke: But some of our hilari- They're like, you know, (dramatic voice) “Sam and Dean! There- there's a ghost in my attic!” (audience and Jared laugh) “You have to come quick!” (Shiban coughs) Those are- those are my favorites.
Jared: (laughs) That’s funny.
Jensen: (scratches head) That's awesome. (audience giggles. Jared laughs)
Bushman: Alright, uh- (more hands in the audience are raised)
Jared: Woah.
Jensen: Woah.
Jared: Wow. (audience chuckles)
Jensen: Yes.
Jared: Can you do that again? (Jensen and audience laugh)
Bushman: Um, take one all the way in the back up there. And one right here in the front.
•(55:39)- PaleyFest06;Q18- Impala 67 (Jensen, Manners)
Fan: Hi. (Bushman: ?second?) My son and I are really big fans. And you guys are great. And I want to know what kind of car it is you drive. It's- it's great.
Jensen: It's a, uh, 67 (?Jared?: Impala) Chevy Impala. (J2 nod. Audience cheers and claps)
The audience starts yelling out, “Metallicar!” Jensen smiles. Kripke laughs. Jensen laughs. A few more Meallicar response are said.
Jensen: The Metallicar.
Manners: They’re gonna sell well.
Jensen: Yeah. (shrugs) There it is. And we've got about- (looks around)
Manners: We've just bought our fifth one.
Jensen: (nods) Fifth one. We got about five of them. Yeah.
Jared: that's why you can't find him on eBay. Cuz we’ve been buying- (audience laughs) (Jared takes a drink)
Jensen: Yeah. We have them all. (nods)
Jared: (while drinking) mhm (sets down glass)
Bushman: Right there.
•(56:16)- PaleyFest06;Q19- SPN Music (Kripke, Singer)
Fan: Okay so let's talk about the music.
Jensen: Yeeesss. (audience and Jared clap)
Fan: Yes. Yes. Alright, I grew up in the 70s. I grew up on the mullet rocks. So, yeah. Let's talk about where the inspiration.. came from with that.
Kripke: That.. That was something that was r-really important to me, uh, coming into the show, coming into the pilot. Um, you know, I'm from a small town in Ohio and (gestures) this is the music I listen to. And I was a huge, huge Zeppelin fan. And.. and-and so, ehhh- You know, and so, uh, (gestures) when it came time to write the pilot I-I- and-and produced it, it was- it was so important to me that it had that music. And- and not have, you know, (gestures) all-all due respect to my beloved Network, not half the music that's usually on that network. (audience chuckles)
Um, and-and it was so important to me. (gestures) I was so like rabid about it that in the original draft of the pilot I even wrote in the- in the script. (mimics writing) I wrote, “Cue music. And you can take your anemic alternative pop and shove it up your ass.” (audience laughs, claps and cheers. Manners and Shiban laugh)
And, uh.. and the r- and the reason I wrote the scene when they're in the-in the pilot
Jensen: (? It’s how I knew??) (Jared nods and laughs) (briefly raises his eyebrows)
Kripke: they have the scene where they're talking about tapes and he's like, you know; ac/dc, you know, uh, Motorhead, Metallica. And the reason I wrote that in is I said, “Well, if we shoot that and it gets from the pilot then we have to use my music.” (audience laughs) (frantically gestures) “Because it's already in the- it's already in the sh- it’s in the show and they can't, you know. They can't put in some, you know, Sarah McLaughlin in the- in the- in post.” (Manners laughs)
So, uh- So I- You know, this is- y-you know- (turns to Singer) And we’ve-we've had a great time I mean in-in- with, you know, Phil also in post-production and with Bob (gestures) of figuring out these songs. And coming in one morning and being like, “Oh! Billy Squier! What about Billy Squier?” (Singer chuckles. The audience laughs.)
And, uh- and I think it's like a real signature to the show. And-and is-is the real- (gestures) plus it's Midwestern. You know, it's like two guys in- (thumbs to J2) from Kansas in a muscle car. (shrugs) And this is the music they listen to. So, um, but it's- I- I mean I- I love it. There-there was- The other night was Joe Walsh “Rocky Mountain Way” (Jensen nods) and I'm just laughing my ass off. (audience laughs) “Yeah! I Rocky Mountain Way on The WB! It’s-“ (Jensen and audience laugh)
Singer: It also, uh- It also spreads. Because one of the editors, uh, said to me- And he's a very hip guy and really good musically. (laughs) He- I walk into his room. We were going through songs. I said, “Well, do this song. Do this song.” (unintelligible) Two days there I walk in, he goes, “Do you know Bad Company's really good.”
The audience cheers and claps. Kripke laughs. Jensen nods and smirks.
Bushman: Okay. Let's take two questions from the middle. One- (points) One over there and (points) one on the other side. (points) O-on this side and then (laughs) one on that side.
•(58:42)- PaleyFest06;Q20A- Acting Advice “Start” (Jared)
Fan: Mm, hi, I'm an inspiring actor. And (giggles) I wanted to know-
Singer: We’re sorry. (The audience laughs. Kripke laughs then aw’s)
Fan: I wanted to know, um, how hard was it for you two to get started acting? (Jared looks at Jensen)
Jensen: (gestures to Jared) Go ahead. (audience giggles)
Jared: Uuh. Alright, I'll feel this. I-It’s a it's not the first time I've actually heard that question and I'm- I'm so at a loss for what to tell you. (scratches knee) I have a very interesting story. When I was in high school I won a contest to being on the Teen Choice Awards. (some of the audience laughs) And hold trophies and give them to Freddie Prinze Jr. when he got (audience laughs) “Best Hottie of.. the World”
Jensen: Pretty much went downhill since then. (audience laughs)
Jared: It’s basically gone down, yeah. (Kripke laughs) Yeah, and I just- (laughs) I rode on Freddie Prinze's coattails. (audience giggles. Jensen smirks) No. Um, and I- and I met an agent at the, uh, at the show. I met a manager actually. And-and, Dan Spilo, I'm still with to this day, sitting with my girl Sandy over there. Um, he- we- (gestures) We started kind of talking over the phone with sides. And he had faith in me and I was going back to high school. And I've mommy that's a teacher and a daddy that was an accountant. (audience giggles) And they were like, “He's finishing high school. He's finishing high school.” And I was like, “Why can’t I go act? Why can’t I go act?”
And anyways, I flew out for about a week during pilot season. And I booked a pilot and then I used that money to go out during the summer. So, I had a really kind of crazy interesting story, but I have a lot of buddies who are, you know, much more talented and-and more committed than I am that are still struggling to make it. So, uh- It's a- It's a.. tough, tough industry but just, you know, keep working hard and keep making yourself better. (nods)
•(1:00:09)- PaleyFest06;Q20B- Acting Advice “Start” (Jensen)
Bushman: Jensen how did you get started?
Jensen: Um. Well, I mean like Jared said there's- there's really no set formula, uh, for- for.. how we, you know, we've gotten to where we've got. Um, mine was kind of a (throws up hand and shakes his head), um, sheer luck thing as-as well.
I was, uh, doing theater in Dallas and I happen to have a-a (throws up hand) talent agent from- from LA sitting in and came up to me afterwards and gave me his-his.. (throws up hand) pitch and I said, “Nah, you're full crap.” (Bushman and audience laugh. Jared smiles.) I told him to bugger off. (audience chuckles) And, uh, h- And then he went up to my-my folks and kind of gave him their pitch as well. And I guess they seemed a little bit more interested in a-
And so a few years later after his, um, persistence I-I finally said, “Ah, maybe I'll go out there for a couple of months and check it out. See if he's, uh- See if he'll talk the talk.” And, uh, I came out. And-and started working right away and that was about eight or nine years ago.
Bushman: Mm. Okay. So, question on that side.
•(1:01:03)- PaleyFest06;Q21- Props “Alcohol” (Jared, Jensen)
Fan: First of all, um, “Shadow” was a kick-ass episode. (audience claps followed by J2 and Shiban clapping) And I want to thank you all for that one, cuz it's awesome.
But let's get down to, like, what really matters. What alcohol do you guys like to drink? (audience laughs. Kripke and Singer look at J2.)
Jared: What alcohol do you got? (Kripke shakes his head with opens his hands at the audience, and then laughs with the audience)
Fan: Because I see a lot of beers and stuff in the episode. And it's always my thing to place what y'all are drinking. So, I was just wonderin,’ you hard guys? You light guys?
Jared: (laughs and then claps. Jensen smiles at Jared) Uh, my mom would kill me. (audience laughs) Umm-
Jensen: Yeah, can we cut the tape like right now? (audience laughs)
Jared: Yeah, could we? We were rolling. Check. Check. Actually (Jensen adjusts his position) one of the funny things about the, uh, about the beers is our-our prop master, Chris Cooper, um, he's.. some of the (gestures) (a clicking noise is made) beer labels they're always fake labels. (audience laughs) (Jared looks up) God?
Jensen: (?somebody get?) a staple gun. (audience laughs)
Shiban: (?Give me a minute.?)
Jared: And, uh, (chuckles) They're always fake labels and it usually have some do with the city that we're filming that episode in. You know like if we’re in Texas it'll be like, “Lone Star Logger,” or if we’re in.. (one person laughs) Minnesota it'll be like, “Timber Wolf Ale” or something (audience chuckles) like that.
But, you know, (looks at Jensen) we’re Texas boys. I- I think-
Jensen: Yeah, we, you know, would probably drink what you imagine a couple Texas boys drink. (J2 smirk. Audience giggles)
Jared: Put in a cup. (audience laughs. Jensen nods)
Jensen: That’s right. (Jared rubs his hand over his face and laughs. The Audience laughs)
•(1:02:15)- PaleyFest06;Q22A- Favorite SPN Scene (Manners)
Bushman: I have a question for you guys. (audience laughs. Jared nods while pressing his lips together. Jensen scratches his ear) Um, I'm curious if, ueh, this is possible to answer this question, if you could pick a scene that you either wrote or acted in or directed that's probably like your favorite scene that you've worked on since this show started and if you tell me why. Um, (Jared?: mm) anybody want to.. take. (Manners gestures at Bushman) Kim go ahead.
Manners: I'll take that, um. (rubs his tear duct) “Shadow,” where the boys finally f- saw their father. Uhh d- (audience claps and cheers) (shakes his head and clears throat) “Shadow” was- u-uh, I'm incredibly proud of because there were four great scenes. The scene where the boys were arming up and, uh, Dean blows at Sam and says, “Why do you think I-I got you out of Stanford in the first place?” “Why do you think I came to get you? Because I want us to be family again.”
And, uh, (Jensen dramatically wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. Audience laughs) I'll tell you Jensen had a tough time with that and we kind of arm wrestled over it. And he- and, uh- (Jensen nods) tooo get him there and, you know, because- because Dean is, uhh, you know, he's got his walls up. And-and to break down that wall for (gestures) just a minute to look in the Dean’s heart was- was magical for me.
And then when they met dad in the apartment, uh, and in the alley it was just- (nods) We worked very hard. (Jensen nods: mhm) (Jared nods) The boys- they- their game of tennis improves 2000% when they work with Jeffrey Dean or somebody like Niki.. (audience woo’s and claps. Jared claps) Aycox. (shakes head and then scratches nose)
You know, we find the nuances and, uh, it-it- in acting i-it becomes the crap that it is and it becomes real (Jensen nods), uh, life. And the words become (points at J2) their own and the emotions become their own and that's special, for me. (Jensen nods then looks at Manners. Manners looks back)
Jared: And not just to say this, but having a great director to.. tell you exactly what to do doesn't.. make it hard. (briefly looks at Manners) So you know (Manners: Thank you.) I think (tilts his head at Jensen) Jensen and I would tell you.. a thousand times every day like.. you know.. “Kim got it out in that episode.”
Jensen: (scratches head) (unintelligible) Yeah. (?That happened?)
•(1:04:13)- PaleyFest06;Q22Aa- Acting Challenges “Shadow” (Jensen)
Bushman: Hey, Jensen. Did you not want to do that scene because you thought that Dean wouldn't.. say that?
Jensen: Umm, yeah. Sometimes I-I- I guess I can be a little protective of just of-of Dean and-and him (open hands) showing emotions. And I, you know, I always, um… A-and as an actor as you grow with a character on the series you- you really- you really kind of become close to it. (gestures) And You- you protect it. (Bushman: mhm) Em, you protect that character.
And, um, I guess that, that was probably what-what- what that was. And, uh, I just didn't- I wasn't (gestures) real sure how.. uh, how much of the layers, uh, to peel away (gestures) in that scene. And I guess in that confusion I just- I-I kind of put up my own barrier. (Thumbs to Manners) But, uh, if there was anybody to get me through it, it was Kim. So, I'm glad he was there.
Bushman: Great.
Jensen: Yeah.
•(1:05:01)- PaleyFest06;Q22B- Favorite SPN Scene (Shiban)
Bushman: John you have a favorite scene?
Shiban: Uuuh, there was a moment in “Skin” that-that I'm.. proud of. And actually it- in the- it sort of says something about how we (sniffs) tell our stories because we're always saying, “Okay, we want to do this type of episode. We want to do this monster. But how would Supernatural do it? How is it special for our show?” And I rremember being in- in Kripke’s palatial office of Warner Bros. (audience and Manners? chuckle)
Kripke: Not so fam- fountains and- (Jared smiles)
Shiban: Yeah. And uh- uh- (The audience, Jensen, and Manners chuckle.) We're (gestures) talking through the story of “Skin,” and the shapeshifter and obviously, you know, there's all kinds of (gestures) shape-shifting that's been done on television and movies etc. And he said, “We got to find our own.” And, uh, we kicked it around and came up with that scene, uuh, where Shapeshifter Dean goes down in the sewer.
 And.. and I remember reading a, um- uhh, some online posts some friends send me that someone else (mimics writing) -a fan was watching the show and giving her impressions as she watched it, (mimics typing) “Oh my god! Dean's taking his shirt off!” (audience laughs. Kripke smirks) and then followed immediately- followed immediately by, “Oh my god! He's taking his skin off.” (Jensen and the audience laugh) I knew then that we, you know, we had it. (Jensen takes a drink) And I was very-  I was very pleased with that.
Jensen: (places his glass down on the table) Oh, the things we do.
•(1:06:15)- PaleyFest06;Q22C- Favorite SPN Scene (Jensen)
Bushman: Jensen, you have a scene?
Jensen: Uuum.. (smacks lips) Yeah. I-I- one of my favorite, uh- um, it's not really a-a- a full scene but it's-it’s more of a shot. Um, and it was in, uh, it was in “Dead in the Water” (scratches arm) with, um- (points at Manners) Kim directed. Um, where I-I saved the little boy out of the lake. (nods) Uuh (some of the audience aw’s and then giggling) and coming- coming up out of the water. Uhm, and that was- It was just- It was, you know, slow-motion shot. It was very emotional, coming out with water and it was- That was really neat, um, but the build-up to that shooting it was, uh, (Manners chuckles) was really- (chuckles) (audience chuckles)
Uhhh, I had this 10 year-old boy in my hand and I'm keeping both of us (mimics holding the boy while swimming with one arm) afloat with one- one arm, uum, (rubs his chin) because I came with my feet (mimics holding a foot) because I got two divers holding my feet below me who were about to pull me under. And-d (one hand shrug) , you know, I-I'm fine. I grew up swimming in lakes and j- and all my life. But tah.. to have that sensation of somebody pulling you under water, um, especially when you've got the life of a-a 10 year old, you know, little actor in your hand and-and you're trying to keep him afloat. And he's got to play dead it was just- (shakes his head and rubs forehead) (audience murmurs) It was, uh- (looks up at Bushman) it was a little overwhelming.  And.. and it was definitely unforgettable.
But, uh, we got through it. (throws up hand) We get- and it turned out to be an awesome shot. (thumbs at Manners)
Bushman: That's a great story.
Jensen: Yeah.
•(1:07:35)- PaleyFest06;Q22D- Favorite SPN Scene (Jared)
Bushman: Jared?
Jared: uhh, you know what? I've had some time to think while.. (Kripke chuckles) (scratches head) (audience chuckles) they've answered their questions. And I'm gonna go back to, uh, a scene in “Wendigo” that we did at the very, you know, (throws hand up) second episode of the year and I member there was just such (gestures) a long period of time between the “Pilot” and “Wendigo.” It was.. What? From m-March-April till July. (Kripke: mhm)
And, uh, there were so many (gestures) questions in my head when I found that we were getting picked up. Like, what's gonna happen? Where are we gonna start? Like, how do we.. start? How do we finish? How do we continue this story that we started a pilot with so many things going down? How do we.. keep the momentum going?
And there was this one particular scene that, uh, (points at Jensen) Jensen and I did on stage where he's got (gestures) dad's journal he's saying this is what it's about (Kripke nods) and Sam is saying, “I got to find Dad.” And I remember we, uh- We had a huge day that day. We had like eight or nine (turns his head towards Jensen) pages of dialogue. (Jensen nods) And, uh, Jensen and I realized we had to do the scene. We're like, “Oh, crap.” (J2 turn towards each other) Like, (laughs) “W-what? Let’s go memorize this in my trailer.” (gestures) We sat down in my trailer. And there was an acting coach that I-I work with whenever I can, named Karen Thorpe, up there with us. (Kripke nods)
And, uh, you know he kind of pushed and prodded me a little bit. (throws up hand) And I don't know what he did to Jensen. (audience laughs) But, uh..
Jensen shakes his head. Jared makes a grimace. Kripke? Giggles. The audience laughs. Jensen smiles into his hands. Jared smiles and scratches his head.
Jensen: I don’t want to talk about it.
Jared: It was noisy.
Jared and the audience laugh. Kripke laughs. Jared claps and then looks down, hiding his face behind his arm and scratches and combs his hair.
Jensen: Never again.
Jared: That’s between y’all and the wall. (audience laugher and ughs?) But, anyways we ended up- we ended up kind of getting the scene and-and putting something there. (scratches leg) And I think, um, it was one of the first times I ever felt like (throws up hand)… um, I was- I was hopefully doing what Kripke wanted, you know? Like, I think, like, I felt like, “You know, I think this is what Eric was envisioning.” Like, I really felt, for some reason, there's one of those times when you finish a scene and you're like, “Wow. I don't know where that came from but.” (shrugs) “I don't know.” (Kripke nods) “Whatever.”
Kripke: I remember seeing the dailies on that too. Uh, we were just through the roof. It was incredible. (Jared pats his knees with his fingers)
•(1:09:19)- PaleyFest06;Q22E- Favorite SPN Scene (Singer)
Bushman: Bob?
Singer: Um, I think, um, my favorite scene is a really quiet scene. And It's at, um, is at the end of the “Faith” episode. And-and (gestures) that whole episode was really about (Kripke nods) (gestures) I think, very… topical for today about what's.. what's real faith. And, uh, Julie Benz comes in has a, uh, scene with Jensen. And, uh, Jensen says to her, um, “I-I'm not much for praying, but I-I'll pray for you.” (Jensen nodding: mhm) And (gestures) she said, “Well, that's a miracle right there.”
And, uh, (gestures) I-I thought that, that kind of- I-I thought that was really sweet. I thought it was incredibly well acted, um, with both Julie and Jensen. And-and I thought that, um, I probably.. If people were listening, I think that probably was our.. You know, our finest moment to, uh, say something semi political and-and be, um, on the right side of that. (shrugs) I just hope it affected people the way it affected me. (audience claps. J2 and Shiban clap.)
•(1:10:19)- PaleyFest06;Q22F- Favorite SPN Scene (Kripke)
Kripke: Um, I-I (slice gestures) agree with.. all of those. All those are incredible scenes I would also add, uh, the scene when, uh-uh, Dean first calls his father in “Home” and tells him that “Come to Lawrence” and just the way that Jensen was able to try (gestures) to put up those walls, but the walls kept breaking down and that was amazing. (gestures)
But all those amazing scenes aside, (gestures) everyone's given such classy answers. (audience giggles) I have to say that when the when the dude stuck his hand the disposal in-in “Home”. (j2 and audience laugh. Jensen claps) And-and then the monkey starts clapping and- and (mimics camera) we had that shot beneath the sink and you could actually see all the goo come out. (audience ew’s) And I said I- and we shot it in dailies. I said, “They'll never let us use that.” And we used it. And, uh, it's- it's more probably- than any other scare sequence in the show. (Manners laughs) It's the one that people watch (Jensen: Yeah) (mimics viewers cringing and blocking the scene from their eyes) And they just- they can't even, you know, keep their eyes on the screen. (gestures to himself) And, you know, to me that's sort of the fun at getting the effect out of the audience. (to Bushman) So, I'm going to say the (gestures) garbage disposal scene in the “Home.” (audience laughs and claps)
Bushman: It's great because that explains what Bob was talking about before with the two different approaches to dra-
Kripke: See. (gestures) There you go.
(1:11:24)- closing
Bushman: Alright. (to audience) Okay, I want to thank you guys. You guys have been a great audience. (audience, Manners, Singer, and J2 clap)
Kripke: Can I say-
Bushman: Uh, also, uh, Before you go! Before you go! Don't go yet. I also (two security personnel walk on stage) want to thank Er- First of all Erik's got something to say.
Kripke: (holds up hand) Well, I just wanted to say, uh, we have a lot of, uh, the people who work in- on “Supernatural” in the audience. And I want a round of applause for them for this unbelievable season. (audience and panelists cheer and clap) All of them have done such a- They’ve all.. (gestures) They’ve all murder themselves to-to (gestures) bring you this show. And-and we couldn't do it without any of them. So- so, thank you to them. We-(gestures) it's-
Audience member: Are we getting (?pics off?)
Bushman: I- I also want to thank (gestures to panelists)-
Kripke: Hope so.
Bushman: I want to thank you guys, all of you, for.. not just being here tonight, but also for the great work that you're doing.
Jensen: (bows head) Thank you. (audience claps and cheers)
Bushman: And you’re obviously touching our cords. Thank you very much.
Singer: (nods) Thank you.
Kripke: Thank you. (audio cuts)
Jared’s clapping. Jensen is taking off his mic. Shiban is clapping. Manners is sitting up. Four security personnel walk and stand in front of the panelists, along with a woman and two stage assistants. The panelists all take off their mics and stand and mingle with the people on stage. The audience is also standing and exiting. Video fades to black.
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kandisheek · 4 months ago
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FIC REC WEEK 35 - HUMOR
just another day in her superhero life by Hyoushin
Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 556 Tags: Kamala Writes Fanfic, Crackfic, Making Out
Summary: She realized why Cap and Iron Man engaged in a protracted exchange of saliva felt like deja-vu.
Reasons why I love it: Oh Kamala, my beloved. The premise of this is comedy gold, and I love how traumatized Clint is by watching mom and dad kiss. This fic is amazing, and you should definitely read it!
Tony Stark, Doo Doo Doo-Doo Doo by rebelmeg, sleepoverwork
Pairing: Pepper/Tony Rating: G Words: 3,935 Tags: Family Dynamics, Parent Tony and Pepper, Adopted Teenagers
Summary: Tony has Dad Brain, Morgan is disinterested in her nap, FRIDAY is amused, and a whole pack of teenagers are watching it unfold from behind the couch.
Reasons why I love it: The puns are strong with this one! Tony's merry band of teenage geniuses is hilarious as always – trolls, the lot of them. And I love how Tony tries to negotiate with Morgan, it's very cute. Definitely check this one out, it's wonderful!
the hedgehog (and one million blue whales) by soliloquent
Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 8,263 Tags: Nicknames, Domestic Fluff, They're In Love Your Honor
Summary: “Hm. But, how hard?” Tony challenges. Steve ponders for a second. “As hard as one million blue whales sitting on you.” “One million?” Tony looks genuinely in awe. “I reckon that would crush one tiny hedgehog, don’t you think?” “Nah. You’re all spiky. Small, but feisty. The whales wouldn’t stand a chance.” Or: Steve and Tony’s relationship unfolding through a series of everyday moments in the span of two years, pieced together to paint a canvas of their intertwined lives — a domestic portrait of quirky whale-themed endearments, meaningful acts of service, soothing showers, cherished gifts, steamy make-outs, and one adorable hedgehog mystery.
Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, this fic is the cutest thing ever. And I'm (not) ashamed to say that Tony's whale-ish dad jokes made me laugh more than once. My heart melted every time Steve called Tony 'hedgehog', Jesus Christ, I will never get over that, it's so fucking cute. This fic is wonderful, and you absolutely HAVE to read it, if you haven't already!
boxing with deep fried mars bars by SleepWontVisitMeAnymore
Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 1,251 Tags: Domestic Fluff, Oblivious Avengers, Secret Relationship
Summary: On one fateful tuesday, Clint thinks something weird is going on...and what he finds is SO not what he was expecting.
Reasons why I love it: I've never had a deep fried mars bar, but I am intrigued now. I love Tony and Steve being idiots in love while keeping the rest of the team guessing, it's super fun. I highly recommend you go and check this one out for yourself!
Boredom Levels Zero Percent by bumblewyn
Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 1,093 Tags: Dates, A Baboon, Crackfic
Summary: Tony and Steve go on a date with hilariously destructive consequences. At least they are never bored.
Reasons why I love it: This fic very much reminds me of that one Supernatural episode – if you know, you know. It's really fun, and I have to commend Bruce for not losing his cool in the face of Tony being Tony. Definitely check this one out, it's great!
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seriouslycromulent · 8 months ago
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The Surprising Reason John Larroquette Took His Career-Defining Role on 'Night Court'
The comedy ninja reveals all this week's 'Parade' cover story.
MARA REINSTEIN
UPDATED:JAN 19, 2023
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Get in a car and drive about 30 miles north of Portland, Oregon, into southwest Washington. That’s where you’ll find actor John Larroquette.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, have lived on a piece of rural property for about five years. He collects books and likes to narrate plays in his home recording studio. Sometimes the couple head into the city to try new restaurants and go to the theater and concerts. “It’s really beautiful,” he says. “And at my age, it’s time to slow down and be out somewhere.”
In fact, Larroquette is so fond of his far-from-Hollywood lifestyle that not too long ago, he considered himself retired from the business with a fulfilling career and a room full of trophies to show for it. Never did he think he’d return to grueling TV work, let alone reprise the very role that made him a household name.
Guess what happened next?
Yup, Larroquette, 75, is suiting back up as wise-cracking, endearingly smarmy lawyer Dan Fielding in a new version of the irreverent sitcom Night Court (premiering Jan. 17 on NBC). Set decades after the 1984-92 original, it still chronicles the colorful cast of characters passing through the New York City after-hours courtroom. But now, the Honorable Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch), the daughter of Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson), bangs the gavel.
Fielding starts the series as a process server, though not for long. “As an actor, I thought it would be an interesting idea to revisit a character 35 years later in his life and see what happened to him,” Larroquette says. “I can’t do the physical comedy and jump over chairs anymore, so my conversations with the producers were about how to find the funny.”
Call it the latest unexpected turn for a seasoned star who began his professional journey as a DJ for “underground” radio in the 1960s, moved from his native New Orleans to Los Angeles to jumpstart his career, once took a gig in exchange for marijuana, played a Klingon in the third Star Trek movie and completed rehab to kick his heavy drinking—all before his very first audition for Night Court in 1983. After the sitcom’s last episode, he won his fifth Emmy (for the drama The Practice) and a 2011 Tony for the Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He and Elizabeth, wed for 47 years, have three grown children.
“I honestly wish I had a tape recorder going at all times because he’s led such an interesting life and has such wonderful stories,” marvels Rauch, his co-star and a Night Court executive producer. “He’s super-quick, funny and definitely tells it like it is.”
Exhibit A? His interview with Parade, in which he discusses life and death, and everything in between.
Did you sign on to the series right away or was it a tough sell?
When Melissa [Rauch] presented the idea to me, I immediately said, “No thank you.” I didn’t like the idea of being compared to my 35-year-old, younger self. These conversations went on for a year. Then, one day, she told me that she wanted to be on-camera as well, so I decided to try and do it. We ended up pitching the show together, and it got picked up. You know, in New Orleans, there’s a French word called “lagniappe,” which means “a little bonus.” That’s what I consider myself. She’s the heart of the show.
Sadly, a few of your co-stars—including Harry Anderson and Markie Post—have died in recent years. What was it like being on the set without them?
Very emotional. Harry passed away in 2018, but it’s still a tender spot in my heart because he and I were together for a long time even outside of work. Markie and I were very close, and we had exchanged a few emails about the show before she died [in 2021]. She was a big cheerleader for it. And Charlie [Robinson, who played the clerk “Mac”] died when we were shooting the pilot last year. I saw him a lot because we both love the theater. Being on the set—I don’t say this glibly—but it was like seeing dead people. I’d always remember how I had this bizarre and completely sincere family for nine years.
Going back to the 1980s, why did you originally take the Dan Fielding role?
It was a paycheck. This was 1983, and I was still a journeyman actor going from job to job. I was a regular on a series in the ‘70s [Baa Baa Black Sheep], but then I took a few years off to do some extremely heavy drinking. After I got sober and realized I wasn’t going to die, I thought, “What am I going to do?” I had been in a pretty big [1981] movie called Stripes with Bill Murray. I read for Ted Danson’s role in Cheers.
Wait, how far did you get in the Sam Malone casting process?
Oh, I just walked in and did a cold reading along with every other 32-year-old actor at the time. But then I auditioned for the judge in Night Court. The producers asked me to read for this other role of Dan Fielding and I said, “Sure.” Even if I hated the role, I would have taken it because I needed to make money to help pay the rent and support my family and be a responsible member of society. It was luck that I really liked it. Then I got lucky again when NBC picked up the show as a mid-season replacement.
During the height of the show’s popularity, you earned four consecutive Emmys for your performance. That must have felt beyond validating.
Obviously, being acknowledged by your contemporaries was an incredible honor. I don’t say that blithely. It was a remarkable, remarkable feeling. And I was up against some formidable talent—mainly all those guys from Cheers.
Why do you think the character was and is so appealing?
I think because he allowed the audience to know that he wasn’t a bad guy. He was more like a feckless buffoon. He also really wanted to be loved. As a matter of fact, in our pitch, we screened an old scene of Fielding in a hospital bed telling Harry, “I don’t have a life; I have a lifestyle. Nobody has ever said, ‘I love you.’” So when we find Fielding again, he’s loved and lost. And Harry’s daughter forces him out of his cave. It’s a real full-circle moment.
Let’s go back to your own start. Did you have any music skills coming out of New Orleans?
Well, I started playing clarinet in third grade, then I moved to the saxophone in the 1960s. But I euphemistically say that I could talk better than I could blow. So, I took that sax out of my mouth and became a DJ and started using my voice as much as I could. I’ve always loved the analog aspect of audio. I still have some reel-to-reel tape recordings and old microphones.
Is that how you ended up narrating the opening prologue for [the 1974 horror classic] The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
No, no, that wasn’t through any kind of past work. In the summer of ‘69, I was working as a bartender at a small Colorado resort in a little town called Grand Lake because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. [Director] Tobe Hooper happened to be in town and we became friendly. Flash forward four years, and I found myself in L.A. collecting unemployment checks and trying to decide if I wanted to be an actor. Tobe heard I was in town and asked for an hour of my time to narrate something for this movie he just did. I said, “Fine!” It was a favor.
Per the Internet, he gave you a joint in lieu of payment. True?
Totally true. He gave me some marijuana or a matchbox or whatever you called it in those days. I walked out of the studio and patted him on his back side and said, “Good luck to you!” Now, I have also narrated the consequential films and did get paid. You do something for free in the 1970s and get a little money in the ‘90s. I’m not a big horror movie fan, so I’ve never seen it. But it’s certainly the one credit that’s stuck strongly to my resume.
But you’ve appeared on the big screen plenty of times. Did you have movie-star aspirations following all your TV success?
The movies I’ve done are mostly forgettable. Blind Date [from 1987] is an exception, but that’s because of Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger. And Blake Edwards directed it. It was funny. But my face is not made for a really big screen. It’s a broad, clown-like face. It’s good for a TV two-shot. And you ride the horse in the direction that it’s going and television was always right there and offering me stuff, so I kept doing that.
You also performed in a musical for the first time in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 2010. How was that change of pace?
I was hesitant to do it because I had never sung and danced on stage. I was convinced I was going to be fired in the first two or three weeks. I’d keep going in my head, “five, six, seven, eight!” just trying to get the steps down. But I loved the lifestyle of being a stage actor in New York. I loved working with Daniel Radcliffe, and we became fast friends. It got to a point where I couldn’t wait to get to the theater and try it again that night. If you’re given the opportunity to do something that may be a stretch, I think it’s important to try and see if you can pull it off.
Can you talk a bit about your personal life? You seem a little reclusive.
Reclusive isn’t accurate, but I’m definitely an introvert. Elizabeth and I met doing the play Enter Laughing and got married in 1975. She puts up with me, and you can’t ask for much more than that. Our kids are grown. My daughter Lisa is a graphic designer and my son Jonathan has had a podcast for the past 17 years called Uhh Yeah Dude. And my youngest son, Ben, is a musician who graduated from the Berklee School of Music. He actually composed the new theme music for Night Court. They’re all lovely, and I love them dearly.
That’s quite a professional and personal success story, no?
You know, considering where I’m from and the kind of culture I grew up in, yes. I’ve been very successful in my chosen field. And I’m grateful for having done that because there were times when I thought I would not live, much less have a career. It’s nothing to be taken for granted. But I’m very old now. Three quarters of a century. I’m sort of playing with house money from now on, regardless of what happens.
Sorry, but 75 isn’t very old!
Yes, it’s old. It’s old. Please. It’s old. There are certainly people who live longer, but I can go down the list of wonderful friends and coworkers who are now deceased. One being Kirstie Alley, my costar in [the 1990 comedy] Madhouse, who was younger than I am. She was a lovely person, and so funny. There are only a few more exits on the freeway and you’ve got to choose one. But I’m not afraid of the hereafter and I don’t bemoan it. It’s been an interesting ride, and all rides eventually end.
Do you have any sort of words to live by?
As corny as it sounds, take things one day at a time. You know, I learned when I stopped drinking at age 32 that all you have is right now. Use the present in your life as much as you can.
Source: https://parade.com/celebrities/john-larroquette-night-court-cover-story
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My thoughts (please feel free to ignore):
I'm sure someone in the fandom has already posted this interview John did last year with Parade magazine when the new Night Court premiered. But I can say that it's new to me, so I'm sharing it in case it's new to someone else too.
I apologize for the highlighted purple sections above. That's just me marking the parts of the interview that resonated with me the most.
I don't know about anyone else, but some parts of his answers to the questions made me feel kind of sad. Partially because he's clearly experiencing grief at the loss of his friends. And partially because John himself may not be with us for much longer (although I hope I'm wrong and he beats Betty White to 100).
But I was talking to my mother about some of his answers, and she said that as someone who has reached an age milestone herself, she understands his perspective. And I guess I do too.
It's important to remember that in any other profession, John would likely be retired by now. So we should really be grateful for any roles he takes or public appearances he makes, and hope that his days ahead are filled with the calm, joy and laughter that he so rightly deserves.
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