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UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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Naturally Super
Monday, November 24, 2008, 11:41 AM
I hardly get the chance to watch TV shows nowadays because first, my schedule is too loaded with academic and org endeavors and second, because we don’t have a television set here in our boarding house.
That is why I found this assignment challenging. I couldn’t make up my mind regarding what show to analyze. I’m not very updated with the TV shows that are airing nowadays. I was only able to see House, Gossip Girl, Lost, Heroes and Prison Break last summer because I had a one week vacation in between the end of my 2nd semester and the start of my summer classes. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to use Gossip Girl as my subject of analysis because although the show is visually appealing, I think the plot is too superficial. I also didn’t want to use Lost because I found the plot very dragging. I actually stopped watching the series after I finished the first season. I love Heroes, House and Prison Break but I think these shows are already overrated.
So to solve my little predicament, I googled the subject ‘Best American TV Show’ and found an interesting list of TV programs. Supernatural instantly caught my attention. I know, it’s also a little overrated but it’s something I’ve long been looking forward to watching. I saw a couple of its commercials in AXN a few months ago and told myself that I have to see the show someday. And given this assignment, I grabbed the chance to take a considerable time to escape from my academic load and watch something I have long wanted to see.
Released three years ago, the plot of the first episode of Supernatural was something we, Filipinos, are very familiar with. The pilot episode tackled the story of the White Lady who appears and kills men in the Centennial Highway.
The episode started with mom and dad kissing baby Sam good night and sending little Dean to his bedroom. In the middle of the night, something really eerie took place in their house. When the mother went to check on her baby in the middle of the night, she saw a man by the crib who she initially thought was her husband. But when she went downstairs to prepare baby Sam his milk, she saw her husband sleeping soundly on the couch. To her shock, she immediately went back to her baby’s room. Then the scene was cut to the father who was awoken by the mother’s loud scream. By instinct, he hurriedly went upstairs to check on his wife. And to his horror, he saw her glued up on the ceiling and was immediately set on fire.
The show fast forwarded to 22 years later. Sam is already graduating from College and is anticipating a law school interview. One night, his brother Dean, who he has not seen since he left their home for college, unexpectedly visited him to ask for his help about their father who has never gone home since his hunting trip. The two brothers then went off to look for their father. In the process, they encountered the mystery of the woman in white. Instinct told them that the case of woman in white has something to do with the disappearance of their father.
To cut the long story short, they were able to solve the mystery of the woman in white and through their investigation they were able to find the journal of their father, which led them to a new destination where their father could be found. However, Sam decided to not join Dean anymore because he’s claiming that he’s living a new life now. Dean supported Sam’s decision and drove him back to his place. Upon arrival, Sam went to his room to take a rest. But to his horror, he saw his girlfriend up on the ceiling and was quickly set ablazed- the same way his mother died. Luckily, Dean came back just in time to save his brother from the burning apartment. After the incident, Sam changed his mind and decided to join Dean in looking for their father.
The pilot episode of Supernatural was one of the best pilot episodes I have seen so far. It was able to establish the very conflict of the series in its first three minutes and the personality of its main characters in the next five minutes. The plot was relatively simple yet it still has the power to make its audience think and anticipate something at the end of the episode. It also has a perfect mix of witty humor and suspense that actually made me laugh and jolt respectively while watching the show.
What I especially love about Supernatural’s pilot episode is the unexpected connection between the first and the last three minutes of the show. It was a very nice way to remind the audience that although the mystery of the White Lady was already solved, the bigger conflict of the series hasn’t even started yet- that it was not just an end of an episode but also the start of a series. It was a very good way to make the audience want more of Supernatural.
The sounds were also good. Unlike the usual horror flicks which used very little sound beds, Supernatural used music to establish the feel of the moment for most of its sequences. Also, the use of music sort of reminded the audience that Supernatural, despite its suspence-thriller nature, is still an American series, complete with soundtrack and all.
The cinematography was also very good for a suspense thriller kind of TV program. Most of the scenes were shot in the dark, which added a greater sense of mystery in the show. In some parts of the episode, even during morning sequences, the scenes would start with the silhouettes of the characters present. Then, the camera would pan, dolly or zoom to expose the faces of the characters. This effect intensified the mysterious feel of the show. It’s as if there’s a constant suspense-revelation pattern that keeps its audience anticipating for more.
Furthermore, some follow shots were not intendedly smooth. Instead of using a camera rail for smoother camera movements, they opted to hand carry the camera which added a more realistic and tension-filled feel to the scenes.
Their visual presentations on how a ghost would move were also good. Supernatural experimented in alternating the fast movement of the white lady and the fast movement of the camera. Sometimes, the ghost would move and attack its victim in a very rapid maner. Sometimes, the ghost would move in an average pace while the fast camera movement would create the illusion that the ghost is moving fast.
Over-all, Supernatural’s pilot episode gave justice to the entire series by establishing well the feel, the visual aspects and plot of the entire series. It made me look forward to watching the next Suprnatural episodes.
Labels: CWTV, Supernatural, TV Show
