I guess the way I see Kripke is that he's an average guy with average ideas who got lucky. His original idea that I've read about (not the first draft pilot script thing) sounded like a rip-off of Nightstalker. And considering that I only know Nightstalker from catching pieces-parts on SciFi Channel, it's saying something that I made that connection. I don't know whose brain he picked or who told him to revamp the thing--or how many times it was revamped--but there are a lot of smart, sharp, fun properties out there that never see the light of day.
Kripke was extremely lucky to have David Nutter as the director of the pilot. And to get Jensen for the show. And Jared. And then later, for Kim Manners to come out of retirement and basically become the show's on-set, on-location patriarch.
And back when the show started (again, from the Paley panel), Kripke admitted that he was all about the blood and gore; it was Robert Singer that was all about the character development. That's what made them a good team. Now, that's not to say that Kripke hasn't grown since then, or that the brother dynamic wasn't important to him, but starting out, that dynamic, by his own admission, didn't seem to be what made him tick in regards to the show.
BUT . . . neither do I want to sound like I'm taking all credit away from him. He obviously recognized a good opportunity when he saw it, and he did put the effort in to pitch the show and sell it to those who would be willing to produce a pilot. That's sort of what I mean when I say that his "genius" (if we're going to use that term) is not so much in writing as in gathering around him those who can more capably bring his ideas to life than he can.
Some of my favorite eps are Kripke-written eps, but the eps that have bothered me the most this year and have almost put a couple friends off the show permanently are also his. It seems to me that he works better when the show stays with his original vision--road tripping across America fighting urban legends.
So while I agree that yes, it's Kripke's show and yes, he needs to stick with it until the end, neither am I inclined to see him as the be all and end all that makes the show what it is.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-06-09 09:44 pm (UTC)Kripke was extremely lucky to have David Nutter as the director of the pilot. And to get Jensen for the show. And Jared. And then later, for Kim Manners to come out of retirement and basically become the show's on-set, on-location patriarch.
And back when the show started (again, from the Paley panel), Kripke admitted that he was all about the blood and gore; it was Robert Singer that was all about the character development. That's what made them a good team. Now, that's not to say that Kripke hasn't grown since then, or that the brother dynamic wasn't important to him, but starting out, that dynamic, by his own admission, didn't seem to be what made him tick in regards to the show.
BUT . . . neither do I want to sound like I'm taking all credit away from him. He obviously recognized a good opportunity when he saw it, and he did put the effort in to pitch the show and sell it to those who would be willing to produce a pilot. That's sort of what I mean when I say that his "genius" (if we're going to use that term) is not so much in writing as in gathering around him those who can more capably bring his ideas to life than he can.
Some of my favorite eps are Kripke-written eps, but the eps that have bothered me the most this year and have almost put a couple friends off the show permanently are also his. It seems to me that he works better when the show stays with his original vision--road tripping across America fighting urban legends.
So while I agree that yes, it's Kripke's show and yes, he needs to stick with it until the end, neither am I inclined to see him as the be all and end all that makes the show what it is.