by Charlotte Kinzie || Nanaimo

“Supernatural” was one of the best shows I’ve seen from season 1 to Season 5. Show creator, Erik Kripke, had a five-year vision and he nailed it. I am more aligned with the BBC school of thought regarding the length of TV shows. I think they should have an end and a beginning; they should only run as long as they have natural life. I think Kripke’s instinct to end “Supernatural” after five seasons was right.

Before anyone attacks me; I’d like to say I’m pleased the show is still going for those who are watching. It’s great when your favorites continue on, especially if you’re enjoying the efforts of cast and crew. Joel and I still watch the show occasionally. We have a close friend who is a recurring guest star and like to watch and be weirded out when she’s on. (We keep waiting for her to turn and speak to us).

It’s partly a time issue for us. My husband and I have a limited amount of time to watch TV and “Supernatural” is, no longer, in our top ten.

The significant piece of all of this for me is that I gave up being a member of fandom. Those of you who aren’t familiar with what a fandom is, thank your lucky stars and move on. If you are familiar with it you have, no doubt, experienced the good, the bad and the ugly already.

There are some amazing folks in the fandom for any show. They range from people who can quote every episode and create sites devoted to the color of the main character’s ties to people who simply watch and check websites once in a while for news and spoilers.

Early in 2011, some friends and I created a “Supernatural fan” community on Live Journal. We had been in fandom for years and we wanted a place where there was less infighting and bickering; we needed a place where fans were welcome to discuss more than just the two handsome male leads of the show. I’m happy to say that the community has grown and is now owned and maintained by another great fan. That site demonstrates the degree to which I was involved.

I’ve tried most parts of fandom and “Supernatural” wasn’t even the first. Years ago, I used to attend “Star Trek” Conventions with a small group of friends because they were hilarious. In the “Supernatural” fandom I’ve written fan fiction, I have attended conventions, written online reviews but most consistently I chatted with other fans and met people who were “in the fandom”.

I’ve met writers, actors, artists, musicians, lawyers, physicists, men and women alike. Never let anyone tell you there is a certain person watching “Supernatural”. It’s a glorious mosaic of people. For the most part, it’s very accepting but like all large groups it has its issues.

There are some less-than-stellar people in fandoms all over the world. My husband and I have met a few people we’d rather not see again, but most have been great. Some of my most amazing friends came to me thanks to “Supernatural” and its fandom. And I have been very lucky in terms of meeting cast and crew.

There are some negative things. There is a lot of bullying; there is plagiarism, art-theft and a lot of scams. To be a happy fan you must protect yourself well. I think a lot of these negatives exist because of the internet. It’s easy to be cruel to people when you don’t have to face them.

I think I’m glad that I was part of fandom. The jury is still out. The good did seem to outweigh the bad most of the time. I just found it increasingly more difficult to deal with the crazies. I didn’t want to stop their crazy; I just didn’t want to get any of it on me.

Now, I’ve come full circle back to life away from the computer. I’ve rekindled my love of music, kayaking, cycling.

Don’t get me wrong; giving up something that took up so much of my time was difficult. And it is always difficult to give a creation over to someone else and let go and let live. There were lessons to be learned there. My happiness is out here away from fandom.

I’m glad that “Supernatural” fandom exists for the people who need it; no one should have to live their life without a sense of belonging to something.

You may wonder why I’m even writing this. There was a lot of speculation when I dropped out of “fandom” about the cause. The cause was simple. I had always said that I would stick with anything as long as the good outweighed the bad. It was as simple as that. When the bad began to outshine the good I knew it was time to move on. One of the things that most irritated me in “fandom” is the fan who no longer likes the show at all but continues to watch for the pleasure of being spiteful. I will never be that person.

I can now watch from a distance with amusement, like the other “muggles” (Don’t shoot me for fandom cross-contamination). As I re-launch this magazine, I wanted to start with a clean slate.

And here is a clean slate. I left Supernatural Fandom and I lived. In fact, for me, things got a hell of a lot better.

~C

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