in defense of fandom

Episode 1: why supernatural

Welcome to the first episode of In Defense of Fandom! We’ll be exploring the world of fan creativity, using Supernatural as a lens. In particular, over the course of this short series I hope to show how SPN Family, as the Supernatural fans are known, display a strong sense of creativity, community, and collaboration.

I really hope you enjoy this labor of love.

Episode 4: audio

Welcome to my world, the world of audio! In this episode, we hear from podcasters, a podficcer, and even some musicians you might just recognize.

Episode 6: Community

We’ve spent quite a bit of time on the creativity of the SPN Family, and now we’ve even talked about the darkside. But in this episode, let’s hear how fandom studies has grown as a field and how community aspects of fandom have come to the fore.

Bonus 1: Fan origin stories

The first season may be over, but we aren’t done yet! In this first bonus episode, hear some of the voices from across the season tell their stories of how they discovered Supernatural and what hooked them on the show, and the fandom.

Bonus 4: The Costumes of Gotham Knights

While I assumed costume designers would have a heyday with Halloween, it turns out costumers just want to dress others up - not themselves. At least, that’s according to costume designer Jennifer May Nickel. For this bonus episode, I’m bringing you a conversation with the costume designer from Gotham Knights!

Season 2, Episode 1: What makes a tv ending?

New season, new topic! This season, we’re talking about how television shows bring their stories to a close, and how that affects the fandom. We’ll talk about great endings and terrible endings. Shows that got to go out on their own terms and shows that were canceled, only to later be revived in a new format.

And of course, there will be discussion about the ending of Supernatural. A LOT of discussion.

Season 2, Episode 4: sitcoms and story arcs

Does it matter if the show is more episodic vs narrative for how the ending is perceived by the fandom? How much does a show have to set up in earlier seasons to earn its payoff at the end? Let’s talk about TJLC, or The JohnLock Conspiracy in BBC’s Sherlock fandom, and the Chekov’s gun that was the premise for How I Met Your Mother.

Season 2, Episode 6: when the shows not over

Not all shows end. Or, at least they don't conform to what we tend to think of as an ending. This episode is an exploration of three short vignettes.

Oh! And no need to worry about a spoiler during this episode!

Season 2, Episode 9: Revivals and Reboots

Nothing ever really dies in the land of Hollywood! Reboots, revivals, and resurrections are all possible returns of fan favorite shows. Not that fans always want more of the story...

episode 2: writing

In this episode, we explore the written world of SPN Family. Which, yes, does include a deep dive into fan fiction.

Episode 4.5: video

Enjoy this mini-episode while I take a mini-break to work on the second half of this season! In this episode, we’re taking a peek at video, youtube, and a very short discussion on TikTok.

Episode 7: Charity

The SPN Family doesn’t just support each other. Fan and cast alike have started campaigns, founded nonprofits, and committed charitable acts to support both those in the community and the world beyond. In this episode, learn about the international impact of the Supernatural fandom.

Bonus 2: WGA/SAG Strike & Personal Update

SPN Family shows up to help picket for fair contracts for both the WGA (Writers Guild of America) and SAG (Screen Actors Guild). Oh, and a small personal update.

Bonus 5: writing on the winchesters

I was so excited to meet Gabe at San Diego Comic Con last summer! He graciously agreed to an interview for this little podcast, all about his experiences writing for The Winchesters.

Make sure to fill out this form to help prepare for season 2 of the podcast

Season 2, Episode 2: putting my theory to the test

I have a little theory about TV endings. Good endings are fondly remembered, bad endings kill fandoms, and divisive endings make them stick around forever (to argue!). So, am I actually right? Let’s find out…

Season 2, Episode 5: Surprise cancellations vs planned conclusions

TV creators face the unique challenge of not knowing how long a particular show will last. Knowing if you’ll have 13 episodes or 13 seasons can radically alter how they’re able to approach the end, but it's a rarity to know when a show has reached the end of the road.

Season 2, Episode 7: the elephant in the room - supernatural’s finale

Look, this is the episode we all knew I was going to do. I can't talk about endings without talking about the different perspectives on Supernatural's finale. Lynn Zubernis joins me for a conversation on the last season, the last episodes, and how different fans interpreted the ending vastly differently from each other.

Season 2, Episode 10: that’s a wrap on endings

Alright, let's wrap up everything we've learned on endings: from the fan experience to the changes in how TV is made. And of course, we'll try to answer the question of whether we think Supernatural will ever be back for a season 16th.

If you’d like even more on Sadie’s thoughts around Supernatural and fandom, you can see her writing on Winchester Family Business

episode 3: art

I may not be a native of Tumblr, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how the platform helped launch the careers of multiple fan artists! And let’s not forget to include our SPN convention ‘photogs’ in this episode examining the visual world of fandom.

Episode 5: darkside

As much as we’d like to believe that fandom is all supporting each other’s nerdy interests, that’s not always the case. What are some of the pitfalls of fandom? And which are specific to SPN Family? Let’s find out.

Episode 8: Conventions (& Conclusions)

Somehow we’ve come to the end of this road trip, and we’re bringing things back to where it all started. In this final episode of season one, we reflect on the SPN family and how conventions play a major role as a “family reunion” for fans across the world.

It seems Bobby wasn’t just referring to the Winchesters when he said that, family don’t end in blood.

Bonus 3: Family business beer company

What’s it like to be on the other side of fandom, when you’re not the famous one? And how does having a famous family member affect a non-fandom business? Family Business Beer Co CEO Gino has seen it all. It turns out when fandom and ‘normies’ mix, you get all sorts of stories.

Stay tuned for a unique contest at the end!

Season 2, Episode 3: fanfiction fixit data

Thanks to my background as a scientist, I’m always trying to answer questions with data. And wouldn’t you know it? Destination Toast was happy to answer the call! In this episode, we look into fanfiction on AO3 and see which tv fandoms are still trying to rewrite (or right?) the ending of their favorite shows.

Season 2, Mid-season Bonus: Conversation with Ben Edlund

I’m taking a short break to get caught up on writing the scripts for the second half of the season. But, I didn’t want to leave your podcast playlist empty, so I decided to share this conversation I had back in early May with writer, cartoonist, and TV director Ben Edlund!

Season 2, Episode 8: covid’s effect on the supernatural finale

Spring of 2020 was a rough time for basically every industry, and television was no different. COVID-19 restrictions changed the way that television was made and what could be possible; unfortunately, this was at the perfect moment to completely alter the ending of Supernatural.