SPN: The French Mistake

[tenoko1]

So I watched the episode "The French Mistake" for Season Six of Supernatural last night.

I was severly caught off guard and rather disappointed with it. Not only because of all the potential they did not tap into, but I was left with the feeling that the people that do the show, and the actors themselves, all hate the show, and possibly on some level- each other. I mean, it was like a big deal for Jared and Jensen to be talking to each other. And was that really Jared's mansion in the episode? Were the actor's realistically portraying themselves when they were, uh, playing themselves? God, that'll screw with your brain. Example: When Dean and Sam meet/interact with Misha, is Misha acting like he would normally, just being himself, or is he acting in a way he was instructed to act?

I dunno, it was a chance to do amazing things and it was almost like they mocked the show, and in turn, fans of it. Like "Who the f*** would want to watch this? It's ridiculous. We're just in it for the money."

Then you got back to the right 'verse, and you find out that Dean and Sam were thrown in this other realm with no warning, no way of being prepared, no idea of knowing if they could ever get back or how, and it was all done as a diversion. As if Cas didn't care about what happened to them at all. I just didn't like it. I'm not liking this entire season, everyone seems out of character and everything is just badly written. Fans write better stories.

I just found it all kind of sad. I would want the actors to be able to get along and be friends, I mean, they work together and have for years. We love the characters they bring to life every week and the story they've taken us along on. It just seems wrong if they hate the show, their characters, the other actors, and probably to some degree, even the fans.

Comments

[fic-obsessed.livejournal.com]

Hi, was reading your post over at spnstoryfinders, and came over here to read your post about the french mistake.

There are a lot of fans that were kinda unhappy about season 6. I liked the second half of it myself, and retrospectively can appreciate soulless sam now that he's not soulless sam anymore... but I digress.

The French Mistake was meant to be very tongue in cheek, with regards to the "real world" stuff. Jared and Jensen have said in interviews that they told the producers that they did not want to play themselves in the episode, so that's why they stayed sam and dean the whole time. Also, from other answers they've given at conventions, it's pretty clear that that wasn't actually Jared's house, not actually Jensen's trailer, Jared doesn't actually own llamas, etc. Those elements were meant to be a bit of a poke at the really "hollywood" type actors, who take themselves too seriously and own mansions and have massive paintings on the walls of themselves, yada yada. They weren't intending to make fun of the fans, they were making fun of the industry. And maybe themselves a little bit.

Like Misha! He's said that he requested that they write "Misha" the character as a total douchebag, but the writers ignored him and wrote him as basically himself, but he tried to douche the "Misha" character up when playing the part, but it kinda turned out as the real Misha only more asshole-ish, so now everyone thinks that's what he's really like. I think he'd been getting lots of feedback about it that indicated that, anyway. Interestingly, when the episode aired, he tweeted all those tweets on his twitter, for fun.

And no, the boys do not hate each other! Again, that was tongue in cheek, showing the opposite of what they really are, plus I think it was kinda for the plot's sake, like how at the end Sam was saying that he didn't want to stay there cos they weren't even brothers to each other there.

I guess you could look at the french mistake as a SPN/RPF-AU crossover. Don't worry, you're not the only one who was confused by the episode, I've read other people posting stuff on message boards asking if it's true they really hate each other and stuff, not realising the real world stuff was all very AU.

Personally I loved the episode, because of all the tongue in cheek stuff. But of course, that's not for everybody, we all like different things.

I dunno if they realised, but they've completely legitimised RPF now, given that they've gone and made it canon, lol.

[tenoko1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, okay, thank you. I was so confused and rather upset. A joke should be funny though. Or you should realize it's a joke when it's happening. I was all "Please please tell me this is not real. This can't be. They have to have more sense. Why would they change their real lives though if this is suppose to be the characters in their world?" Granted, I thought they were attempting humor a couple of times but mostly, the episode was just really awkward and LONG for me. Good to know though.

[tenoko1.livejournal.com]

Your links didn't go to anything relvant. Could you resend them? Did you write the urls from your phone?

[cymbalism219.livejournal.com]

I'm am glad someone explained that episode was all a joke! Because it was! But you hit on a couple things I definitely agree with you about season 6 -- the actors (especially Jensen) did seem extremely unhappy with the material and rightfully so because season 6 was bad. It improves in the last few episodes (although it's hurty like whoa), but it's definitely no where near as good as we know it can be.

I like reading your thoughts as you watch! I'm glad you friended me. :)

[arafel7.livejournal.com]

Self-parody, (n) the act or an instance of mimicking oneself in a humorous or satirical way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-parody/

[tiggeratl1.livejournal.com]

Here is Misha talking with fans about 'The French Mistake'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwKvowKGQwY

And Jensen and Jared talking with fans about it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDS60OzjPU0

A lot of fans agree with how you feel about this episode and season six. I liked TFM and laughed at the fun they seemed to have poking fun at themselves, but then I have a quirky sense of humor. ;) Season six to me was kind of a 'suffering through labor pains' season. Supernatural had not only just lost Kripke's influence, but also his story arch had come to a close. The first half of season six left most fans floundering in a sea of confusion wondering where in the ever lovin' fudge TPTB were going with our beloved SPN and why in the hell Sam and Dean were acting soooo un Sam and Dean like. Season six did eventually get better and the story line became clearer, and season seven is helping to make the pains of labor SPN took us though a distant memory and seem not so bad, at least for me.

[tenoko1.livejournal.com]

Don't be facetious.

[tenoko1.livejournal.com]

I would probably need to go back and rewatch it then with the mindset they're making fun of Hollywood. I originally thought it was meant to properly portray the characters getting thrown into their actor's lives.

And yes, your idea as to what went wrong with Season Six does make sense. I still love the show, I just want it to get back to the grit of things and maybe tone down on the angst.

[tenoko1.livejournal.com]

Oh, I so don't want to get to the last few episodes, because this who season has been like watching the death of a beautiful friendship and I don't want to see it go down in flames when it's so OOC. Poor Cas and Dean!!