Those are interesting thoughts about a show that, to be frank, consistently fails in some major aspects of its storytelling. I like Jessica Steen and I would have been a lot more interested in the deputy character if her search for her brother had been revealed as the type of quiet obsession you imagined for her. re: "Route 666"... ahahaha, all I can think of is the RACIST TRUCK. But then, I wouldn't ever trust SPN, based on the evidence of other episodes, to handle with the necessary subtlety the potential themes of "Route 666" you've discussed. I mean, odds were/are against the survival of the relationship between Cassie's parents, and between Dean and Cassie, for reasons that have certain similarities but are also fairly different in important ways. Anyway, this all reminds me of a handful (two handfuls?) of recs about SPN and female characters. These are by no means representative of the many SPN&women bookmarks I have elsewhere, but if you haven't already seen the following, they are well worth checking out.
'Low Red Moon.' (http://www.thuviaptarth.net/vids/index.html) Ruby, S3. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. After 'Women's Work,' this is probably my favorite SPN video. Fabulously gorgeous, powerful with a real menace and threat the show didn't capitalize on in either its prevalent visuals or its dialogue. I've loved Tanya Donelly for years and her voice is a perfect match for this video. As a bonus, I've found it's optimized for viewing on a Mac; I recommend the big download if you have the space, because, well, gorgeous. You can leave any comments at this post (http://thuviaptarth.dreamwidth.org/107790.html). (The streaming and download links are broken there, so don't try them.) The vidder talks about it a little more here (http://thuviaptarth.dreamwidth.org/121021.html?replyto=1212605&style=light):
Basically, vidding Ruby made me more aware than ever of how much the SPN writers' prejudices and preconceptions interfere with their storytelling. S3 Ruby is supposed to be a powerful and dangerous figure -- not always powerful enough to get out of trouble, and I love how (skip S3 and S4 spoilers (#skip.S3S4spoilers)) she takes off in "Jus in Bello" and then later in S4 when the angels show up. () Or at least the dialogue tells us she's supposed to be powerful and dangerous, because there are damn few visuals of it, and when they exist, they are often undercutting her strength.
(skip S3 spoilers (#skip.S3spoilers)) The only times we see her fighting in Season 3 are "The Magnificent Seven," "Malleus Maleficarum," and "No Rest for the Wicked" -- and the only time we see her win a fight is in "The Magnificent Seven." In MM, Dean kills Ruby's nemesis; in "No Rest for the Wicked," Ruby kicks the Winchesters' asses and -- loses the fight. There are very few power shots of Ruby, and when they exist, they are often staged poorly -- the car slowing down to approach her in MM, for example, where the menace of her presence is undercut by her shifting stance. ()
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branchandroot
LJ stinks at OpenID; I must have tried posting these comments four times before I gave up
Date: 2009-12-28 09:22 am (UTC)'Low Red Moon.' (http://www.thuviaptarth.net/vids/index.html) Ruby, S3. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. After 'Women's Work,' this is probably my favorite SPN video. Fabulously gorgeous, powerful with a real menace and threat the show didn't capitalize on in either its prevalent visuals or its dialogue. I've loved Tanya Donelly for years and her voice is a perfect match for this video. As a bonus, I've found it's optimized for viewing on a Mac; I recommend the big download if you have the space, because, well, gorgeous. You can leave any comments at this post (http://thuviaptarth.dreamwidth.org/107790.html). (The streaming and download links are broken there, so don't try them.) The vidder talks about it a little more here (http://thuviaptarth.dreamwidth.org/121021.html?replyto=1212605&style=light):
Basically, vidding Ruby made me more aware than ever of how much the SPN writers' prejudices and preconceptions interfere with their storytelling. S3 Ruby is supposed to be a powerful and dangerous figure -- not always powerful enough to get out of trouble, and I love how (skip S3 and S4 spoilers (#skip.S3S4spoilers)) she takes off in "Jus in Bello" and then later in S4 when the angels show up. () Or at least the dialogue tells us she's supposed to be powerful and dangerous, because there are damn few visuals of it, and when they exist, they are often undercutting her strength.
(skip S3 spoilers (#skip.S3spoilers)) The only times we see her fighting in Season 3 are "The Magnificent Seven," "Malleus Maleficarum," and "No Rest for the Wicked" -- and the only time we see her win a fight is in "The Magnificent Seven." In MM, Dean kills Ruby's nemesis; in "No Rest for the Wicked," Ruby kicks the Winchesters' asses and -- loses the fight. There are very few power shots of Ruby, and when they exist, they are often staged poorly -- the car slowing down to approach her in MM, for example, where the menace of her presence is undercut by her shifting stance. ()