feliciakw: (Say What?)
[personal profile] feliciakw
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE ACTUAL SPOILERS IN YOUR RESPONSE. I cannot stress this strongly enough. I am trying to remain as spoiler-free as possible (without completely leaving the Internet) until September 18. (Note to self: Stay away from TVGuide.com.) Here's my question:

For those of you who live for spoilers, who go hunting them down, who read the sides, who grasp at any and every spoiler as if it is a life preserver . . .

Has knowing the surprises and twists and turns and reveals of a show ever really enhanced your enjoyment of it?

The reason I ask is this: I've been watching YouTube vids of yesterday's SPN panel at SDCC. For the most part, I feel I came away minimally spoiled (yay!). Much of what was mentioned I read weeks ago (and promptly stopped reading spoilers), and some of it (like a guest casting mention and episode plot) was more like "coming attractions" than actual "spoilers." However, in one person's question, I learned something that doesn't really surprise me, but now I've lost the "Oh! Of course! That's awesome!" that I would have otherwise had when watching the season opener. Now this particular piece of information might not even be considered a spoiler to some folks. But I, now knowing to expect this piece of information, will miss out on the nifty-neato coolness of discovering it for myself (amidst all the angst).

So my question is . . . do you really enjoy the show more when you know what's going to happen? Do you worry for no reason when rumors or publicity prove to be misleading? Do you cope better with big reveals that disappoint when you know them ahead of time?

Because me? Half the fun of SPN is not knowing what's going to happen next. (Granted, this is a double edged sword, as not knowing also contributes to much viewer anxiety in the midst of the story arc. Of course, previous betrayals by various shows contributes to that, but I digress . . .) Some things I'm not surprised by, even if I'm not spoiled for them. (Dean's circumstances at the end of S3, for example. No surprise. Otoh, Don and Charlie's circumstances at the end of N3 last season? HUGE surprise. I was closer to tears for that one than for SPN, precisely because I did not see it coming.) But I would have been VASTLY disappointed if I'd been spoiled for the twist in "Mystery Spot," for example. Or if I'd known how S1 ended.

So I'm curious. If it does enhance the show, how so? If it doesn't, why do you spoil yourself?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Date: 2008-07-29 01:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ficwriter1966.livejournal.com
Thanks for hosting such an interesting discussion, Felicia! It's got me thinking again about how the definition of "spoiler" varies so widely across the fandom. I've chatted with a couple of folks who want to know *nothing*. Zero. Nada. (Although I assume they would want to know, is it a new episode or a rerun.) Some folks don't want to know titles, because in some instances the title suggests the theme of the episode. Some don't want to know casting. Some are OK with casting and blurbs (as in TV Guide). Some (like me) are "anything goes."

Unfortunately, the trouble with being spoiler-free (especially to the extent where you want to know NOTHING) in this Internet age is that a number of folks either don't know how to keep spoilers under wraps, or they don't care if they spoil you. It's easy enough to go surfing for new in-person photos or info on a previous ep, and stumble across a major spoiler. Then, too, the promo monkeys seem to have no grasp on the concept of "Don't give away the major plot points in your promos" (text blurbs or clips). I think, these days, to remain 100% spoiler free, you have to live in a cave.

As someone who, even as a 10-year-old, would anxiously await the new TV Guide so I could see what was coming up on my favorite shows, I have to say I'm puzzled at people who'd feel upset at knowing something like "the boys go home to Lawrence" or "the boys work with Bela to save Bobby's life" or "the boys are captured by their old nemesis Agent Henriksen." When I read things like that, I go, "Yeah??? Awesome! Is it Thursday yet?!" Little shiny tidbits like that *totally* enhance my squee. To me, someone saying they don't want those is like saying they don't want cookies. 'Tis a puzzlement.

Date: 2008-07-29 01:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] feliciakw.livejournal.com
I totally see where you're coming from on a lot of these. Yeah, to be 100% spoiler free you do have to live in a cave. And TVGuide blurbs are (usually) fair game for me (TVGuide articles and interviews are a little more problematic). Even if I don't want to be spoiled, I can't help reading the synopsis of upcoming eps. Those create more what I'd call anticipatory squee than actual spoilerage. That's "coming attractions" and holds a squee factor of its own.

And knowing general story arcs for the upcoming season (John and Mary as teens, solving the mystery of how Dean gets out of Hell--which I think is a mystery because the *writers* haven't figured it out yet) isn't really that big a deal, and not something that can really be avoided unless you do move into a cave. But knowing a blow-by-blow of what's gonna happen? Like with sides and stuff? That puzzles me. Because while a good story might be a good story regardless of whether you know about it or not, your first experience at discovering the story as a viewer isn't as it's intended to be experienced. Does that make sense?

And one of the things that really bugs me (and I'm not accusing anyone in this conversation--though you, Carol, are a temptress) is people who don't care, or who--worse yet--purposely spoil things. Because they take away that joy of experience for someone new. I confess to accidentally spoiling some people for some things, but I've also been told that I'm really good at saying a lot without actually saying anything when it comes to squee vs. spoilerage.

Yeah, it is interesting what different people consider spoilers, isn't it? :-)

Date: 2008-07-29 03:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ficwriter1966.livejournal.com
I'll confess to wearing my Temptress ensemble now and again - but I've been trying very hard to bury all the spoilery stuff so there's nothing more than an eyelash peeping out (if that much). I don't even mention titles any more, just numbers.

As far as the sides go, whoever puts them together for the casting people has been a bit more adept this year at cutting-and-pasting, so there's been nothing that's like, "WHOA!!!! OMG!!!" - totally ruining the plot points. They've (so far, at least) been like big stompin' ol' teasers. What's worse than those? The Director's Cuts (the scenes that go online a few days before the ep airs). Can I resist those? Oh noooooo. Do they take away some of the delightful surprise of letting the ep unspool all fresh and shiny? Well, yeah. But I can live with it. I think it's that FDA-approved Daily Sammy (and Dean) Requirement that's messing me up.

Yes, I agree with you about the folks who don't care (or are just plain dumb), and have spoilers careening all over their posts, un-LJ-cut. Poor Dragons seems to shriek at them periodically, to no avail. If that kind of person is on someone's flist, I guess you have to cut 'em. Because it's kind of a situation of, you know they won't change, and if you keep 'em on your Friends Page, *then* who's at fault? (Not to levy criticism; I'm just saying, people are what they are.)

Right now? It seems to boil down to the chief culprits being the CW promo department. And anyone associated with the show who's allowed to speak in public. The rest of us just spread it around. Like fertilizer.

Date: 2008-07-29 04:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] feliciakw.livejournal.com
but I've been trying very hard to bury all the spoilery stuff so there's nothing more than an eyelash peeping out (if that much).

That would be your spoiler burqa?

Ooohh . . . I never watch the director's cut before watching the show. It's interesting to me how much the experience of viewing the ep will affect my attitude toward it. Watching a director's cut on a little computer screen? Grainy and getting stuck in the download? Um . . . no. Heck, it drives me up a wall that our CW affiliate won't broadcast in widescreen. I have to wait for the iTunes downloads if I want to see the whole picture.

And don't even get me started on the pop-up ads that clutter the picture.

Right now, I am totally lacking in my FDA requirements for Sammy and Dean. I'm trying to supplement it with DVDs, iTunes, and fic, and now YouTube clips, but still . . . *points to blood test results* see? Deficient.

I completely agree with the spoilers on the friends page, and I appreciate that you are conscious enough of it (as are all on my f-list) to put things behind a cut. Because there's accidental spoilage, and there's setting yourself up to be spoiled.

I've noticed that about the production people who speak in public. And I've noticed that Jensen is particularly careful not to reveal too much. Jared is very conscientious, too, but Kripke? Dude, stop before you say too much (I skipped over his answers to some of the questions in the SDCC clips).

Profile

feliciakw: (Default)
feliciakw

January 2020

S M T W T F S
    1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031 

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 9th, 2025 03:42 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios