When WarnerMedia announced it would be sending seventeen films straight to HBO Max in 2021, many insiders felt blindsided. Dec 3, 2020 will be a dark day in Hollywood as producers, stars and their reps.
“Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service,” the “Tenet” filmmaker told media outlets Monday that it’s not a good business decision and criticized how the company handled it.
“Warner Bros. had an incredible machine for getting a filmmaker’s work out everywhere, both in theaters and in the home, and they are dismantling it as we speak. They don’t even understand what they’re losing. Their decision makes no economic sense, and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction.”
“It’s a unilateral decision that the studio took. They didn’t even tell the people involved,” Nolan said. “You have these great filmmakers who worked with passion and diligence for years on projects that are intended to be feature films with fantastic movie stars. And they’ve all now been told that they’re a loss-leader for a fledgling streaming service.”
The company announced last week that its 2021 film slate, including the new “Matrix” movie, “Dune” and “In the Heights” would debut on its streaming service and in theaters simultaneously in the U.S., rattling Hollywood and resulting in doomsday predictions about the future of the movie theater.
“I’ve never seen everybody so upset about one particular decision,” Nolan said.
AMC Theaters chief Adam Aron condemned the move last week, but no in-house filmmaker has spoken out on the record until Nolan, one of the studio’s marquee names. Nolan has worked with Warner Bros. on every film since 2002’s “Insomnia” in a profitable and critically acclaimed run that’s included “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception” and “Dunkirk.”
“It’s not right. And it’s not a good business decision,” Nolan said. “It’s all a bit of a mess.”
The studio declined comment.
“Tenet,” his time-bending sci-fi thriller starring John David Washington, is not following suit and heading straight to HBO Max. It is being released on DVD, Blu-ray and digital on Dec. 15. Nolan said he’s “very glad” his film “isn’t caught up in the mess that they’ve made.”
“We will be accessible through Roku and Amazon Prime and iTunes and be everywhere all at once for people to enjoy,” Nolan added.
“Tenet” was the first and only major blockbuster to test the waters opening in theaters in early September after they had been closed for nearly six months because of the pandemic. With major markets like Los Angeles and New York closed, domestic ticket sales fizzled, and Warner Bros. and other studios responded by delaying the year’s remaining major films. But internationally “Tenet” has made over $300 million.
“That sends a very optimistic message about when theaters can open, as long as there are films for them to show, people are going to come back,” Nolan said. “I think everybody in this business completely understands that long term people are always going to want to go to the movies. I think that a lot of short-term thinking going on right now, which is maybe inevitable in such a terrible situation.”
The Warners move poses big, maybe even existential questions: How do theaters survive this supposedly onetime, excused-by-the-pandemic move? Genies are hard to put back in the bottle — and no one believes Warners intended this to be temporary, anyway. What damage will be done to exhibitors by training customers that if they sit on their sofas, the biggest movies will come? And will Warners face serious backlash from important producers, filmmakers, guilds and onscreen talent? “Warners was the quintessentially talent-friendly, filmmaker-friendly studio,” says one agent. “Now Warners isn’t the first place, second place or third place you want to go.”
Many in Hollywood think WarnerMedia opted for this drastic move to play to streaming-infatuated Wall Street and redo the botched launch of HBO Max, which has netted a dismal 8.6 million “activated” subscribers so far. But one prominent agent notes that the top executives at WarnerMedia and its parent — AT&T CEO John Stankey, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar and, of course, Sarnoff — “don’t understand the movie business, and they don’t understand talent relations.”
While Kilar pays what is seen as lip service to movies, industry veterans say Warners is sacrificing the huge profit that comes from selling movies in multiple formats and on multiple platforms around the world.
Even before Warners made its play, there was grumbling among agents that Sarnoff, who has been on the job for more than a year, had yet to get acquainted with key players on the film side or make much of an impression at all. That’s why many are focusing their wrath on Emmerich. “Toby’s passion is only about managing up,” says one agent who represents major Warners talent.
By the weekend following the announcement, Emmerich was calling important filmmakers with projects set for 2021 to assure them that their movies wouldn’t be dropped on the streaming service without warning. “As if anyone would believe he had any control over the situation,” says one producer with a major Warner property. “Toby probably had a really bad weekend, not that I feel bad for him,” says one agent.
Warner Bros. may and probably will live to regret this decision as many of the top filmmakers aren’t motivated solely by money. The studio has had a decades-long legacy of being known as the studio to go to for being talent-friendly. In one fell swoop, they have gone from that studio that has become like all others that don’t care about talent.
No “Crown” Disclaimer For Netflix
Netflix has “no plans” to add a disclaimer to “The Crown” stating that its lavish drama about Britain’s royal family is a work of fiction.
In a statement Saturday, Netflix said it has always presented the drama, as just that — a drama.
“We have always presented The Crown as a drama — and we have every confidence our members understand it’s a work of fiction that’s broadly based on historical events,” it said.
“As a result we have no plans — and see no need — to add a disclaimer.”
Netflix was urged last week by British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to add the disclaimer, in the wake of the broadcast of the drama’s fourth series.
Questions of historical fidelity weren’t a major issue during earlier seasons of the show, which debuted in 2016 and traces the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which began in 1952.
But the current fourth season is set in the 1980s, a divisive decade in Britain. Characters include Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whose 11-year tenure transformed and divided Britain, and the late Princess Diana, whose death in a car crash in 1997 transfixed the nation and the world.
Some Conservatives have criticized the program’s depiction of Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson. Britain’s first female prime minister, who died in 2013, is portrayed as clashing with Olivia Colman’s Elizabeth to an extent that some say is exaggerated.
“The Crown” creator Peter Morgan, whose work also includes recent-history dramas “The Queen” and “Frost/Nixon,” has defended his work, saying it is thoroughly researched and true in spirit.
Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother, was one who called on Netflix to add a disclaimer.
“I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that, ‘This isn’t true but it is based around some real events,’” he told broadcaster ITV. “I worry people do think that this is gospel and that’s unfair.”
As we head into the race for a wild card berth, competition is tightening up.
There are a few matchups this week and next that have significant playoff implications. So what are a few top games to look at for Sunday and Monday?
The Browns Versus The Titans -6
This Sunday night we have an AFC clash that could have a huge impact on the AFC. The Titans currently stand on top of the AFC South. However, they are only a game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts. Furthermore, because they have split wins with the Colts, they have to finish with a better record than their equine adversaries.
The Browns are 7-4 at the moment and in second place behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. They need to keep up their winning ways if they want to stay ahead of teams like the Raiders, Colts, Dolphins, and ravens who are just one game back in the same division.
This is an interesting game because the NFL spread opened up at just three points. Then it quickly skyrocketed up to as much as six points. I wonder what’s going on with this number because it was clearly set too low. Looking at the FPI and other power rating systems, the Tennesee Titans should have opened up as favorites of seven or seven-and-a-half points.
Because of this, I still feel like there is value on the Titans -6. That said, you can still find a couple of books at -5.5 and one, Heritage, at -5. The rub is, those lines are currently locked and no book is taking bets on that game at the moment. So, was this a sportsbook trap from the get-go?
The Colts are coming off a close loss to the Tennessee Titans and are looking to rebound to stay in the hunt for a playoff berth. They head out on the road to the Lonestar State to face the Texans. I love this one because the Texans lost Bradley Roby and Will Fuller to suspension. So, they’ll be without a WR that has been getting tons of targets and five to six catches per night. On the defensive side, Philip Rivers will be air-bombing on a deficient secondary. This one could get ugly real quick. So, the Texans just getting three points seems like far too little.
That said, if we look at the power ratings, this one should be a pick’em. So, maybe I’m wrong. But that’s what makes this line exciting. Still, I think the Colts smash this secondary and get at least a two field-goal win.
The Chargers Versus The Patriots
The books listed this one as a pick’em. I am a bit surprised because this one should favor the Chargers by a safety. Heck, at least give them 1.5 for the power rating sums. One other thing that makes this one exciting is how the power ratings for each team shakes out.
The Pats lose a bit for their offense but gain a half-point for their defense. The Chargers lose about three points for their offense but gain almost a point for their D. So, given the fact that they are at home, and have given some top teams a run for their money, I think the Chargers will take the Pats right down to the wire. Both of these teams gain 5.5 yards per play on average, but the Pats give up 6.0, while the Chargers give up 5.6. The Chargers also have a better completion percentage better third-down conversion percentage and slightly better RZ scoring. Defensively, the Chargers are also much better at completions allowed, get more three and outs, and have a better RZ defense.
Because of this, I think the Chargers are going to get a win. As long as the Hoodie doesn’t pull out some magical coaching spells. Either way, this is going to be a battle that we shouldn’t miss and I do believe there is a little value on the Chargers, especially considering Super Cam’s horrific performance last week. He was picked off two times and only passed for 84 yards.
Theater stocks took a big dive Thursday when Warner Bros. announced it would be releasing it’s full 2021 movie slate on HBO Max the same time when they would be opening in cinemas.
Major exhibitor Cinemark fell more than 21%, Imax slid more than 7.3% and the Marcus Corporation fell more than 11%. AMC started out the day with its stock being pummeled after it announced it was selling 200 million shares in a bid to raise $844 million and improve its liquidity. The big Warners news didn’t help the situation. AMC’s stock was down more than 17% on Thursday afternoon. National Cinemedia, which sells pre-show advertising that appears on movie theater screens, also got walloped — its stock fell 6.8%.
In the most seismic shift by a Hollywood studio yet during the pandemic, Warner Bros. Pictures on Thursday announced that all of its 2021 film slate — including a new “Matrix” movie, “Godzilla vs. Kong” and the Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation “In the Heights” — will stream on HBO Max at the same time they play in theaters.
Among the myriad release plan changes wrought by the pandemic, no studio has so fully embraced streaming as a lifeline. But after disappointing domestic ticket sales for “Tenet,” and with the majority of U.S. theaters currently closed, the AT&T-owned Warner Bros. will turn to a hybrid distribution model. Films will debut simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in the U.S. After one month, they will stop streaming and continue to play only in theaters.
The move follows Warner Bros.′ decision to put “Wonder Woman 1984” on HBO Max in December, along with a concurrent theatrical run. If that pivot sent shockwaves through the industry, Thursday’s announcement rattled Hollywood to the core.
“Given the unprecedented time that we’re in, we needed a creative solution to address our fans, our filmmakers and our exhibitors, said Ann Sarnoff, chief executive of WarnerMedia Studios, in an interview. “Big and bold is a necessity right now.”
Sarnoff called it a “temporary solution” and a “one-year plan.” The studio said other options — releasing big-budget films solely in reduced capacity theaters or delaying films another year — weren’t appealing. Warner Bros.′ move amounts to an acknowledgement that any full rebound for theaters is still a year or more away.
“It’s really hard to know, given the news of the vaccine and the rate of inoculation — that’s very hopeful news. But we’ve got to get people back in theaters at full capacity at some point. If you read the medical experts that’s going to take a while to work its way through the system,” said Sarnoff. “If we saw an end in sight to the pandemic, we might have a different strategy. But we don’t see that at this moment.”
HBO Max is only available in the United States. Internationally, the studio’s 17 films planned for 2021 release will rollout in theaters.
Warner Bros.′ decision resounds especially because the 87-year-old studio of “The Wizard of Oz” has long been a market-leader in Hollywood — and one known as especially supportive of theaters. The studio has generally ranked among the top two studios in market share over the past decade — most recently dwarfed only by Walt Disney. Warner’s films typically account for $1.5-2 billion annual in ticket sales in North America — a lot of money to compensate for in HBO Max subscribers. Warner Bros. confirmed the films will be available to subscribers with no further charge.
“I can’t comment on the economics of how it will all work — I’d need a crystal ball for that,” said Sarnoff. “But I’m very optimistic that this is a win-win-win for our fans, our filmmakers and our exhibitors. We’re getting the movies out. We’re allowing them be seen on the big-screen which is what they were made for, but giving an alternative. The hybrid approach also allows us to market them in a fuller way than we would have had we just looked at the less-than-full capacities in theatrical right now.”
Warner Bros.′ 2021 slate includes many of the expected top movies of the year, including “Dune,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Tom & Jerry,” “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” “King Richard” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
The move by Warner Bros. only makes the pain being felt by exhibitors all the more acute. Having been shuttered for much of the year, cinemas reopened nationwide in late summer except in some key locations, including Los Angeles and New York. But with most major releases postponed and surging virus cases, about 60% of theaters have since closed again. Regal Cinemas, the country’s second largest chain, has shut all its doors. The National Association of Theater Owners didn’t immediately comment Thursday.
Studio chief Toby Emmerich said the hybrid plan came about after exploring various options for “Wonder Woman 1984.” The international box office has significantly rebounded and even fielded some big hits in China and Japan. Alternatively, the domestic market hasn’t seen any movie come close to blockbuster levels in terms of ticket sales. HBO Max is only available in the U.S.
“We thought it could be a win-win and give the consumers the best choice,” he said. “Unfortunately, the U.S. has been one of the most hobbled markets in terms of theatrical. Outside the U.S., in places like China, South Korea, Japan, parts of Western Europe, our films will only be available in theaters. We think those markets can perform better.”
Under chief executive Jason Kilar, the former Hulu chief, the AT&T-owned WarnerMedia recently reorganized to further prioritize its streaming service. He has moved aggressively to boost HBO Max, even if it comes at the expense of the theatrical marketplace.
“After considering all available options and the projected state of moviegoing throughout 2021, we came to the conclusion that this was the best way for WarnerMedia’s motion picture business to navigate the next 12 months,” said Kilar in a statement. Our content is extremely valuable, unless it’s sitting on a shelf not being seen by anyone. We believe this approach serves our fans, supports exhibitors and filmmakers, and enhances the HBO Max experience, creating value for all.”
The fear is that when tentpole movies like “Dune” and “Matrix 4” are readily available to HBO Max subscribers the same time they hit the theaters, audiences will continue watching at home rather than heading out. Especially during a health crisis that has only gotten worse with winter coming, things are not looking good for cinemas.
More and more people are avoiding the stress of shopping in malls and brick-and-mortar stores. People find online shopping very comfortable these days as they can order anything via the Internet from their living room. Online shopping is convenient and for most of us, it is hard to imagine life without it. With mobile phones or laptops, users can choose and make payments to order anything from any corner of the world.
Shopping on the Internet is enjoying increasing popularity, but it also carries risks that can quickly spoil the joy of shopping. If you are too careless about this, you have to expect nasty surprises. Mishaps in online shopping can quickly spoil the pleasure. Late deliveries, difficulties with exchanges, or supposedly serious offers that turn out to be a trap after ordering, top the complaint lists. In order to avoid such nasty surprises, we have put together valuable tips for safe online shopping.
Distinguish Fraudulent Shops
Not all fraudulent online shops can be identified by incorrect texts and the lack of general terms and conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to look for the name of the online shop on the Internet in order to view the experiences of other customers.
Another important indicator of a trusted online shop is a seal of approval. Clicking on such a seal should lead to the website of the respective certification company. Each region or each country has a different seal of approvals so, you need to check if the online shop you are trying is trusted or not.
Use the VPN service
Many users depend on public Wi-Fi as they are very convenient and render access to the internet without relying on cellular data. Such hotspots are particularly popular on vacation. However, these public WLAN connections can be unsafe while shopping online or carrying out any banking transaction. Because such networks are often insufficient or not encrypted at all. So, that cyber attackers can access data and payment information relatively easily.
The solution to this is to use virtual private network software. This creates an encrypted connection to the server of the VPN provider, which secures all of your data traffic and thus protects your data from third parties. Some VPN providers also allow you to use a foreign IP address which can result in online stores displaying cheaper prices.
Safe Payment Method
Choose a secure payment method. So, the first thing is to check what payment options are available at the online shopping website. Paying in advance cannot get you in trouble when you shop at a trusted online shop, but while trying the new online shop you need to think twice. If any online shop limits you to shop with some particular payment methods then, it may not be secure. These days, online vape stores and even newly established online shops offer multiple safe payment methods, but you need to check them beforehand.
Strong Password
Of course, you should also make sure to use strong passwords. And never use the same or similar passwords in several online shops. A strong password should not be easy to guess, use any existing words, consist of at least ten characters, contain upper- and lower-case letters, digits, and special characters. And if you store your password somewhere on your phone then make sure that it is not accessible by others.
Heist movies have been popular for decades. Even though the average person would not want to be friends with armed robbers or other serious criminals for some reason you find yourself wanting the ‘bad guys’ wanting to win when it comes to a heist movie.
There have been some terrible films made and some truly great ones.
Here are a few memorable robberies that went right…..or wrong on celluloid.
Oceans 11
A remake of the classic Hollywood heist movie. This Steven Soderbergh movie has a great ensemble cast and revolves around a plan to rob a casino of $160 million. Danny Ocean, the film’s protagonist has 3 simple rules: Don’t hurt anybody, don’t steal from anyone who doesn’t deserve it, and play the game like you’ve got nothing to lose. And with those rules, they get together to plan a master heist where nothing is left to chance. The gang plan everything meticulously and unlike gamblers, they aren’t relying on a fire joker to drop into the winning line of a slot machine.
Italian Job
A classic British movie with Michael Caine. Like many heist movies it starts with the main character having just been released from prison. It sometimes seems with these movies they are itching to get back inside. Caine’s character finds out a failed heist that his friends tried to carry out. He then decides to try again with a new plan outwitting the Mafia to bring the gold back home. The movie is filmed in Italy and England and although Caine is superb the real stars might be the Mini Coopers racing around the streets of Turin.
Logan Lucky
Anything but lucky, Jimmy Logan decides to put together a team to steal the takings at a big NASCAR event. Another Steven Soderbergh heist movie this has all his traits including humour, action and some twists in the tale. An enjoyable romp with a good cast featuring Adam Driver, Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig as demolition ‘expert’ Joe Bang.
Heat
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino faced off in this heist movie. De Niro deciding against his better judgement to carry out one last heist before leaving his old life behind and Pacino determined to catch the gang that have been eluding the police for some time makes for some great moments. There are double crosses, gun fights and chase scenes in an exciting and recommended movie.
The Town
If you watch this movie you could be forgiven for assuming that you were watching a remake of Heat but this film stands alone and has a lot going for it. True, it has a gang carrying out one last job. True, it has the main character planning to disappear with a woman he has just fallen in love with. And true, it doesn’t exactly go to plan. However, there is enough originality and good work from the cast to make this a very enjoyable heist. The extended version makes a couple of scenes easier to understand.
Widows
Based on a Lynda La Plante British drama. This movie switches location to the States and changes some of the story, but the basic premise is the same. After the criminal husbands of a group of women are killed during a botched heist the widows band together to try and carry out the plans left behind by Liam Neeson’s character. A movie featuring strong female characters that you are willing to succeed against all the odds put in front of them.
Baby Driver
Forced into being the driver for multiple bank robberies, Baby is counting down the days until he has paid off his debt and can leave his life of crime. Suffering from tinnitus, Baby listens to his iPod to drown out the endless noise in his ears. This movie is less about the actual heists and more about the car chases with some spectacular stunts and a great soundtrack to boot.
Point Break
The original not the best forgotten remake was a high-octane heist movie with a bunch of adrenaline junkies who live for surfing and skydiving. To fund their fast lifestyle they rob banks and move around as the seasons dictate. After Patrick Swayze’s gang is new recruit Johnny Utah played by Keanu Reeves.
Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino’s first movie and strangely for a heist movie you never actually see the robbery. The story revolves around the aftermath of a botched diamond heist that leaves the main players either dead, shot or blaming each other for the mess and looking for an undercover cop. It has a lower budget than Tarantino’s later movies but is full of his usual conversational pieces and as usual, has a great soundtrack. Michael Madsen’s psychotic moment while ‘Stuck in the Middle With You’ is playing is particularly memorable.
Creating your own heist
Although many of us might have fantasised about pulling off the perfect heist the likelihood is most of us are too sensible and not criminally minded to actually carry it out. There are many other ways you can have some dubious fun like Grand Theft Auto or other heist games.
If you really want to try and bring the house down then you can just login to an online casino. There are many different games there to try and you can pretend to be Danny Ocean at the poker table and the plus side is you might get a casino online bonus when you register. So instead of pulling a heist at a casino they are giving you the money instead. Online casinos have all the normal games you would expect like blackjack, roulette and poker too.
If you prefer movies there are many more great heist movies such as “The Sting,” “The Score,” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.” “Goodfellas” could also have been included for the Lufthansa robbery alone, however, it has so many crimes happening it is unclear if it could truly be called a heist movie. Hollywood appears to have a love affair with anti-heroes pulling off big scores and ‘one last job’ before disappearing into the sunset and there will surely be many more to come.
Family holiday get-togethers are the stuff that comedy films are made of, but the reality can be overwhelming with plenty of stress and guilt. The worst is knowing that next year will probably be the exact same way.
So, here’s an idea. Why not try communicating with your family to set some boundaries. Yes, there will always be that one person who gets a little put off, but isn’t one person worth your sanity? Plus, family always gets over those hurt feelings so by next year, that one person may ‘joke’ about your boundaries, but you’ll be able to truly enjoy the holiday season along with your family.
This works just as well during the current pandemic as having a Zoom family get-together can be just as stressful.
Choosing what’s Best for your Family During the Holidays…Without Feeling guilty!
There can be a lot of pressure during the holidays to be, do, and have things that may or may not fit into your vision. The thing is, everyone has a unique idea of what merriment looks like and the best way to spend the holiday season. That’s great if it gels with your ideas, but it can feel like a burden if it doesn’t.
Ultimately, it’s important to choose what’s best for your family during the holidays and let go of any guilt along the way. It might feel uncomfortable but if you keep your focus positive, you can assert yourself without too much fall out.
Here’s how to keep your holiday spirit while keeping everyone happy…mostly.
Get confident on what’s best for your family-
One of the keys to choosing what’s best for your family without feeling guilty is knowing for certain what’s best. When you are clear on what you want and need, it’s easier to be confident about it. An example could be declining to travel for the holidays if you have a new baby, puppy, just moved, an illness or injury, or any situation that feels too overwhelming for travel. Knowing that it’s best for your family to stay put can help you make a clear decision, stick to it, and not feel guilty about it.
Communicate clearly and early-
Once you’ve decided what’s best for you this season, make sure key people know as early as possible. Waiting until the last minute can cause hard feelings and leave other people in the lurch. Letting people know what your plans are in a clear and concise way will help them adapt and make their own plans too.
Offer an explanation and let it go-
Communication is key. It might be important for you to clarify why you are choosing whatever it is for your family’s holiday. Make sure to explain with confidence and then let it go. Not everyone will understand your plan or endorse it, but they will respect it if you set healthy limits and refuse to negotiate.
Refuse to feel badly about what’s best for your family-
You can’t please all the people all the time. Some people are unable or unwilling to give others the grace and freedom to do what’s best for them. It’s ok if someone is upset with your decision as long as you have made things clear, concise, and are being mature with your communication. Ultimately, you can’t control other people’s reactions, you can only control your own.
If you need to reduce your stress this season by creating a holiday plan that’s perfect for your family but might ruffle some feathers, it’s important to put your family first and refuse to feel guilty. Healthy people will understand, and unhealthy people won’t. That’s ok. Doing what’s best for your family is nothing to be afraid of.
Tips for Creating Drama-Free Holidays
As much as people love the holidays, they don’t always love getting together with their extended family. There’s something about the holidays that brings families together whether or not it’s a good idea. Sadly, some people cause drama that can disrupt the holiday spirit. Strong personalities, addictions, and other issues can affect the harmony of a gathering and make it harder than it should be to have a good time.
Creating a drama-free holiday is important for the people who truly want to be together and enjoy quality family time. It might feel tough to confront difficult issues, but it can make a big difference in the quality of your holiday time.
Consider these tips for creating drama-free holidays everyone can enjoy.
Tip- Create a drama-free experience-
If addiction issues have the potential for ruin your holiday gathering, simply create a drug and alcohol-free event. Removing the temptations and making modifications to your gathering that support sobriety helps everyone. If someone you love struggles with making good choices, help make the choice easier by hosting a clean and sober event.
Tip- Consider your guests-
Trying to fit square pegs into round holes never works. Sometimes you’ve got to be honest about the family members and friends in your life. Some simply can’t play well with others. It may be in everyone’s best interest to keep certain people away from each other. It may also be important to consider what sort of function you’re having and whether or not it’s the best for your guest list. Depending on who is coming to your holiday gathering you may want to consider what activities you have, when you have it, and who is invited.
Tip- Be willing to be honest-
One of the biggest reasons families experience drama is the unwillingness to address the situation. People want to avoid conflict or hope people figure out the impact they make on other people. This generally doesn’t work. Being up front and being honest with people about how their behavior affects others can help them modify it or excuse themselves from the situation if they must. It can be really hard to confront negative behavior, but it can make the holiday better for the majority of the people.
Everyone wants a happy holiday season filled with friends and family but sometimes people make it difficult. Instead of ignoring their behavior, try one of these tips to create a drama free holiday that benefits everyone…even the ones with the problems.
“The Croods: A New Age” brought in $3.9 million on Black Friday which is already beating projections of a $14 million-plus five-day tally in North America during the holiday weekend. This would give a three-day weekend box office gross of $9.7 million, which puts it in the league of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.” Worldwide, DreamWorks Animation is projecting a $35.8 million haul that includes $20 million from China.
It comes as no surprise that these numbers are just a percentage with prior Thanksgiving movies, but having an eight digit box office weekend gives the studios a glimmer of hope. “Croods 2” is the first major studio film to try opening on the big screen since “Tenet,” at the height of the pandemic. It’s also the first family film to attempt this.
41 percent of the ticket buyers are under the age of 17, according to PostTrak with parents and their kids turning out heavily.
Frozen 2
Last year at this time, Disney and Pixar’s “Frozen 2” brought in more than $100 million over the four-day weekend. The film closed the weekend with a domestic haul of $288 million after opening a week prior on Friday, Nov. 22.
“Croods 2,” will be hitting PVOD in about three weeks, making it available to everyone for Christmas.
The movie’s voice cast sees the return of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman. Franchise newcomers include Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann and Kelly Marie Tran.
Joel Crawford helmed the sequel in his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Paul Fisher and Bob Logan.
Will Hollywood Change With the Times?
Hollywood studios are hoping these numbers could render the “No New ‘Movies’ Till Influenza Ends” blared a New York Times headline on Oct. 10, 1918 from happening again. That headline occurred while the deadly second wave of the Spanish Flu was unfolding.
A century later, during another pandemic, movies — quotes no longer necessary — are again facing a critical juncture. But it’s not because new films haven’t been coming out. By streaming service, video-on-demand, virtual theater or actual theater, a steady diet of films have been released under COVID-19 every week. The Times has reviewed more than 460 new movies since mid-March.
Yet until recently — with only a few exceptions — those haven’t been the big-budget spectacles Hollywood runs on. Eight months into the pandemic, that’s changing. Last month, the Walt Disney Co. experimented with the $200 million “Mulan” as a premium buy on its fast-growing streaming service, Disney+ — where the Pixar film “Soul” will also go on Dec. 25. WarnerMedia last week announced that “Wonder Woman 1984” — a movie that might have made $1 billion at the box office in a normal summer — will land in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously next month.
Survival Of The Fittest?
Much remains uncertain about how the movie business will survive the pandemic. But it’s increasingly clear that Hollywood won’t be the same afterward. Just as the Spanish Flu, which weeded out smaller companies and contributed to the formation of the studio system, COVID-19 is remaking Hollywood, accelerating a digital makeover and potentially reordering an industry that was already in flux.
“I don’t think the genie will ever be back in the bottle,” says veteran producer Peter Guber, president of Mandalay Entertainment and former chief of Sony Pictures. “It will be a new studio system. Instead of MGM and Fox, they’re going to be Disney and Disney+, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, HBO Max and Peacock.”
Many of the pivots in 2020 can be chalked up to the unusual circumstances. But several studios are making more long-term realignments around streaming. WarnerMedia, the AT&T conglomerate that owns Warner Bros. (founded in 1923), is now run by Jason Kilar, best known as the former chief executive of Hulu. Last month, Disney chief executive Bob Chapek, the Robert Iger heir, announced a reorganization to emphasize streaming and “accelerate our direct-to-consumer business.”
Universal Pictures, owned by Comcast, has pushed aggressively into video-on-demand. Its first major foray, “Trolls,” kicked up a feud with theater owners. But as the pandemic wore on, Universal hatched unprecedented deals with AMC and Cinemark, the largest and third-largest chains, respectively, to dramatically shorten the traditional theatrical window (usually about three months) to just 17 days. After that time, Universal can move releases that don’t reach certain box-office thresholds to digital rental.
Regal Cinemas Resisting
While the nation’s second largest theater chain, Regal Cinemas, has resisted such deals, there’s widespread acknowledgement that the days of 90-day theatrical runs are over. It’s something the studios have long sought for the potential benefit of covering both platforms with one marketing campaign. Many see the pandemic as accelerating a decades-long trend.
“Windows are clearly changing,” says Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount Pictures. “All this stuff that’s going on now in the business was going to happen, the evolution is just happening faster than it would have. What would have taken three to five years is going to be done in a year, maybe a year and a half.”
That condensed period of rapid change is happening at the same time as a land rush for streaming market share, as Disney+, HBO Max, Apple and Peacock wrestle for a piece of the home viewing audience dominated by Netflix and Amazon. With theme parks struggling and worldwide box office down tens of billions, streaming is a bright spot for media companies, and the pandemic may offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lure subscribers. “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Soul” are essentially very expensive advertisements for those streaming services.
Each studio, depending on their corporate ownership and streaming positioning, is taking a different approach. Paramount, like Sony Pictures, doesn’t have a streaming service to offload films to. Both have held back their tentpole releases while selling more midsized films to streamers. For Paramount, “A Quiet Place: Part II,” “Top Gun Maverick” and “Mission: Impossible 7” are waiting for 2021 while “The Trial of the Chicago 7” fetched a reported $56 million from Netflix and Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America 2” went to Amazon Prime Video for a reported $125 million.
HBO Max Bumpy Rollout
HBO Max has had a bumpier rollout than Disney+, so “Wonder Woman 1984” is an especially critical gambit for WarnerMedia following the audacious release of “Tenet.” As the first tentpole to test theaters reopened with safety protocols and reduced capacities, it has made about $350 million worldwide — a lot considering everything but far less than originally hoped for. Credit Suisse analyst Douglas Mitchelson called the “Wonder Woman” plans — which include rolling theatrical runs in China, Europe and elsewhere — “a grand experiment that could have-lasting implications if successful.”
Director Patty Jenkins acknowledged the simultaneous release was a kind of sacrifice, not just to HBO Max but to families stuck at home. “At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else,” Jenkins wrote on Twitter.
It can be easy to cheer such moves, even if their financial performance remain cloudy (no studio has been transparent about its viewership numbers or digital grosses) and their long-term viability uncertain. Can you replicate $1 billion in box office in new subscriptions? And for how long will the one-time bounce of a new movie (unlike a series staggered over weeks or months) drive subscribers once streaming services are closer to tapping as many homes as they can?
“The whole thing is more complicated than people want it to be,” says Ira Deutchman, the veteran independent film producer and Columbia University professor. “The way movies are made and distributed, certainly at the studio level, has been really in need of change and hopefully this will bring it on. But when people hear that, it’s like: The pandemic is the straw that broke the camel’s back and now theatrical is dead. I personally feel that’s garbage.”
Deutchman considers the idea that people, after a year of quarantines and lockdowns, won’t want to leave their living room “ludicrous.” But he does imagine continued mergers and acquisitions, and “a new equilibrium” for distributors and theater owners.
After COVID-19
So what could that mean on the other side of COVID, if moviegoers are once again comfortable sitting in packed theaters on opening weekend? It will almost certainly mean the months-long runs of films like “Titanic” or “Get Out” are a thing of the past. Could this mean variable pricing on different nights? It could mean an even greater division between the franchise films of the multiplex and the boutique art house, with everything in between going straight to streaming.
But after decades of slow but steady decline in attendance, most think movie theaters will have to innovate in a way other than raising ticket prices.
“The outlook is pretty dire in terms of being a major theatrical exhibitor,” says Jeff Bock, senior box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. He imagines shortened windows will mean few films — even the Marvel releases — ascending to $1 billion in worldwide box office. He can see some studios, like Disney, operating their own theaters as “mini-theme parks” with merchandising stuffing the lobbies.
In the meantime, theaters are hoping for much-needed relief from Congress. With the virus surging, about 40% of U.S. theaters are open; in New York and Los Angeles, they’ve stayed shut since March. Chains have taken on loans to stay afloat and avert bankruptcy. Cineworld, owner of Regal Cinemas (currently entirely closed) on Monday announced a deal for a $450 million rescue loan.
It will be a very different holiday season — usually the most lucrative corridor in theaters — for the movie business. How different 2021 and beyond will be remains to be seen. Some things, though, may never change.
“If you’re going to be in this business, no matter what you do or where it plays, whether it’s streaming or in cinemas, you’re going to make hits and you’re going to make flops,” says Guber. “The idea is to make more hits than flops.”
The fight scene is epic, and apparently took several days to film, with stunt and fight coordinator Rob Hayter having one last chance to work his magic too. Sam is eventually knocked out and his machete goes flying, while Dean is subdued and in walks – Jenny the vampire from Season 1? That was a weird moment, because of all people to bring back, Jenny the random vampire was not on my bingo card. I’m assuming she’s a local Vancouver actress, and I guess it does show the way their lives as hunters will always put them in danger, that they’re always haunted by their past as hunters. A bit of a full-circle moment, with a flashback to baby Sam and Dean in Season 1.
Dean keeps her busy with snark while Sam’s hand slowly creeps toward the machete.
Just as Jenny is about to bite Dean, Sam lobs her head off from behind.
The fight continues with me screaming NONONONONONO the entire time, knowing what’s coming and trying desperately to forestall it, and then as Sam kills the second to last clownpire, the other tackles Dean and drives him backwards – right onto the giant piece of rebar we saw prominently protruding from a post. We see Dean’s gasp and shock, the clownpire leans in to finish him – and Sam lobs its head off because he’s a total badass.
Sam steps back, says ‘let’s go’, doesn’t know, and it’s heartbreaking. I’m shaking so hard by this time I can barely see what’s going on, as Dean says softly, “Sam, I don’t think I’m goin’ anywhere.”
Sam instinctively tries to pull him away from the spike, but Dean knows, he knows already.
Dean: Don’t move me…
Sam, increasingly panicked, says he’ll call for help, get the first aid kit, something… but Dean calls him back. The look on his face is shocked, wide open, desperate.
Dean: Sam, stay…stay with me…stay with me, please.
And Sam, then, he knows too. He doesn’t want to accept it yet, but that ‘please’, that did it. He knows.
Sam: Okay, yeah.
Dean steels himself, a hunter to the last.
Dean: Okay. Okay. You… listen to me, you get those boys safe.
Sam is shaken at that, steps closer.
Sam: Dean, WE will get those boys safe.
But Dean shakes his head. His expression is soft as he tries to lay it out for his brother while he still can.
Dean: No. You knew it was always gonna end this way for me.
A little smile crosses his face, despite what he knows.
Dean: Look at us, saving people, hunting things. It’s what we do.
The call back made me start to sob so hard I couldn’t be quiet anymore. Onscreen, Sam tries denial one last time, the truth dawning on him. He’s pleading with Dean, like he can bargain and plead his way out of it being true.
Sam: Stop.
Dean manages a little smile for his little brother.
Dean: It’s okay… its good. We had one helluva ride, man.
It’s Dean talking to Sam, and it’s Jensen talking to Jared, and it’s both of them talking to all of us too, because we have had one helluva ride, right along with them.
Sam: No, Dean, we’ll find a way, we’ll find another way.
Another callback, another gut punch, and I was starting to feel sick I was crying so hard.
Dean says no, no deals, no trying to bring him back, they know how that ends, as Sam’s tears begin to streak his cheeks.
Sam: Dean, please…
Dean: I’m fadin’ pretty quick, and there’s a few things I need you to hear. C’mere. Let me look at you.
Sam immediately shuffles forward, and I realize suddenly, this is not a mirror of Swan Song so much as it’s a mirror of All Hell Breaks Loose. Those are the words Dean said to Sam as a mortally wounded Sam fell into his arms, and the call back destroys me.
Dean is shaking now, blood loss and shock making it difficult to move, perhaps to see. He reaches out to touch Sam, looking up at his little brother as Sam comes closer.
Dean (his voice labored but full of so much affection): There he is. I’m so proud of you, Sam. You know that? I’ve always looked up to you… So damn smart… you never took Dad’s crap. You’re stronger than me, you always have been.
Dean’s voice grows more halting, and he struggles to get the words out. Sam reaches out, afraid to touch his brother too much or hasten the inevitable, but instinctively supports his arm that Dean has reached out to him with.
Dean: Did I tell you that night, that I came for you at school… you know where Dad hadn’t come back from his hunting trip…
He falters, it’s getting hard to talk, hard to think, hard to stay, and Sam steps in.
Sam: Yeah, uh, the woman in white.
Dean is fading, was starting to lose the thread, and Sam supports him in that too.
Dean: Yeah, the woman in white, right. I must’ve stood outside your door for hours because I didn’t know what you’d say. Thought you’d tell me to get lost … or get dead. And I didn’t know what I would’ve done … if I didn’t have you. ‘Cause I was so scared…
Sam is sobbing now, his chin trembling as he tries to hold it together, let his brother say what’s so important for him to say.
Dean: I was scared… ’cause when it all came down to it, it was always you and me. It’s always been you … and me.
That may have been the moment my tears went into overdrive, because it was clear that wasn’t just Dean talking to Sam – that was Jensen talking to Jared. It’s what they’ve said to each other so many times, what they said at that first audition when they discovered they were the only ones there. This has been the journey of a lifetime for them, and they’ve taken it together.
Sam: D-don’t leave me… I can’t do it alone.
Dean shakes his head, answers gently: Yes you can.
And damn, I know what’s coming, because the lines are so iconic for anyone who watches this show, and when Jared says what’s in my head I sobbed so loudly I couldn’t even see anymore.
Sam: Well, I don’t want to.
Dean’s fond little smile after, knowing that Sam also remembers, and that’s all he needed at that moment, broke my heart in pieces.
Dean gathers the last of his remaining strength to tell his brother what he needs him to know.
Dean: Hey, I’m not leaving you. I’m gonna be with you, right here, every day.
He places his trembling hand on Sam’s chest, over his heart.
Dean: Every day you’re out there, and you’re livin’. Because you… you always keep fighting. You always keep fighting, you hear me?
Sam nods, sobbing openly.
It’s Dean’s message to Sam, and it’s Jensen Ackles message to Jared Padalecki, and it’s their message to all of us too. It’s been the mantra of the show, and for them to include it here, at the end of things, is so perfect and so meaningful. It’s “Supernatural”, and its characters, and its real life actors, saying we’ll be with you, always, every day, in your hearts. So you can always keep fighting. (It’s so hard to type right now, I can’t see a damn thing…)
Dean: I’ll be there, every step.
He looks at Sam, nothing held back.
Dean: I love you so much. My baby brother.
Sam nods, hearing him, acknowledging his big brother’s love through his tears.
Dean: I didn’t think this would be the day… but it is, and that’s okay.
Because we often don’t, and that’s one of the hardest things in life. It’s so real, it stabs me through the heart as I watch and listen and wait.
Dean is unsteady now, just trying to talk clearly becoming difficult. Ackles is brilliant in the little physical details – Dean’s head sways back and forth just slightly, as he starts to lose muscle control, holding it together through sheer force of will now.
Dean: I need you… to promise me… I need you to tell me… that it’s okay…
Sam shakes his head, doesn’t want to go there, can’t face it, but Dean presses on. He needs Sam’s permission to let go of what has been his reason for living for his whole life, to take care of Sammy. He needs to hear it – and he needs to, finally, believe it.
Dean: Look at me, I need you.. I need… I need you…
The Winchester family theme by the brilliant composer Jay Gruska starts to play, and I think ohgod this is the last time, for this music that means so much to me, for this show and these brothers that mean so much to me.
Dean: You tell me…
Sam reaches down, places his hand over his brother’s, calls up his own unbelievable courage.
Sam: Dean, it’s okay. You can go now.
He nods, giving his brother the permission he needs to let go.
If you’ve ever lost someone, you know that this is often how it goes. If you’ve ever had to say those words to someone you love more than life, to put your own selfish wants aside and do what’s right for them, you know how achingly, painfully real this moment was.
Dean lays his hand over his brother’s, and Sam leans in. The brothers’ foreheads touch, and it’s such a beautiful moment, so tragic yet so right.
Dean: Goodbye, Sam.
His hand falls to his side, and Dean sighs, one last breath as a single tear slides down his cheek, and he lays his head on his brother’s chest.
Jared, at that moment, shows us every agonizing second of Sam’s grief, his body shaking uncontrollably, his hands and chin trembling as he turns his face up in a broken sob, so intense that it comes out soundless.
The final shot of the brothers seems to encapsulate what the show is all about, as I saw someone say online – surrounded by gore, blood and death are two brothers who cling to each other, in life and in death.
It evoked all my memories of Sam’s death in All Hell Breaks Loose, the way one brother tried to hold the other up as they slipped away; the anguish when they lost him. The parallels – the dialogue, the hand pressed to the back, coming away bloody, the dawning realization and attempt at comfort, the final keening grief – made it so much more impactful. Dean’s last words in life, “Goodbye, Sam” the full circle moment of toddler Dean’s first words in the pilot, “Goodnight, Sam.” In the pilot, he leans down to kiss his brother’s forehead; in the end, Sam leans in to rest his forehead against his brother’s.
I was on a zoom call with a bunch of my fandom friends, and we all came back to the zoom during the commercial sobbing so hard nobody could talk, everyone’s faces streaked with tears, eyes red and puffy and just about able to open at all. We didn’t need words to share the grief.
And somehow, the episode is only half over.
We watch Sam at Dean’s funeral pyre, a hunter’s funeral, Miracle at his side, while a hauntingly beautiful oh so sad song plays, Dire Strait’s ‘Brothers in Arms’. He lights Dean’s lighter and tosses it on the pyre and the fictional character who I fell in love with fifteen years ago, who inspired me and changed me in so many ways, is no more and I am devastated.
What we see next is again, so real, it brings back all the losses in my own life in brutal clarity. Sam carries on, grieving and in pain, cooking breakfast wearing Dean’s gray hoodie and I think about how I wore my mom’s sweater for so many days, just trying to be close to her again. He startles as the toast pops, spins around and I know he’s thinking for a split second that he’ll see Dean there complaining about how hot it is, because our brains play tricks on us for a while, letting us forget the person we loved is gone.
He looks at the initials carved into the table and thinks about that day and about their legacy, walks the halls,and feels the emptiness. He sits on Dean’s bed, his room just as he left it, beer bottles on the table, and takes solace in petting Miracle, saying softly “Me too” when Miracle whines his own sadness about missing Dean. It’s so well done, and it hits so hard.
The moment is broken by the sound of a cell phone – Dean’s Other Other Phone. Someone in Austin (a shout out to Jared and Jensen’s home and where they’ll head after) and someone asks for Agent Bon Jovi for a werewolf hunt that Donna Hanscum recommended them for, and Sam squares his shoulders and says, “I’m on my way.”
He carries Dean’s duffel and Miracle is at his heels as Sam climbs the stairs of the bunker for the last time. He pauses and looks down at the map table, at the library, the telescope, all the familiar places that have been home. And then he turns out the lights and closes the door.
My tears flowed freely then once again because the Men of Letters bunker is yet another loss. It was their home, so it was special to us too. I had the great privilege of being there to watch filming for one whole day, and it was such an incredible set that felt entirely real when you were in it. I know they loved it; I remember Jensen’s tearful post as he watched them tear it down. I felt like that scene was a little meta moment, including us in the goodbye.
At this point, the episode takes a more hopeful turn, as if it knows I’m about to throw up if I can’t stop crying. Dean arrives in Heaven, greeted by Bobby Singer. Not AU Bobby, who I never cared about at all, but OG Bobby. The Bobby who’s like a dad to Dean. The one who coined the famous line “family don’t end with blood”. He tells Dean “that kid of yours” (Jack) made some changes and set some things right in Heaven, tore down the walls so it’s what it always should have been, everyone happy and together. Rufus and Aretha have a cabin somewhere, and John and Mary down the road.
He offers Dean a beer.
Dean: Jack did all that?
Bobby: Well, Cas helped.
Dean smiles softly, knowing that Castiel also made it to his own Heaven, and is responsible for making it over for all of them along with his son. It’s an overt acknowledgment that Cas also found the ending he was working for and that he deserved – together with his son, remaking Heaven, his first home, into what it should be. Part of a family, with Jack and undoubtedly with Sam and Dean, now that they’ve been welcomed into the paradise Cas and Jack have built for them. Knowing that, while it cost both him and Cas their lives, they DID IT.
Dean: It’s almost perfect…
Bobby smiles knowingly.
Bobby: He’ll be along.
Bobby: Time here is different. So what’re you gonna do now, Dean?
Dean looks up and sees the Impala, gleaming and shiny in the sun, waiting for him, her original license place restored.
Dean: I think I’ll go for a drive.
He gets in, a smile on his face.
Dean: Hey, Baby.
He starts her up and the radio comes on, and the first notes of Carry On Wayward Son come on, and my tears are back, but this time I’m smiling through them.
Dean: Ah, love this song.
It’s another meta moment.
The song isn’t just for the opening montage, it’s incorporated into the show itself now, a part of canon forever. Dean drives, heading Baby toward sunset, the open road waiting.
There’s a montage of Sam as he lives on, that parallels Dean’s life with Lisa after Swan Song, but is also a vivid reminder of the growth and evolution of the Winchesters. Both of them.
Every part of him, every fiber he’s got, wants to die, or find a way to bring him back. But he isn’t gonna do either. Because he made a promise.
That didn’t go so well at the end of Season 5 – but it does now, a decade later. The whole show has revolved around Sam and Dean’s struggle to find that elusive balance between dependence and independence in actual interdependence. To make a truly different choice when confronted with what they both fear most – losing each other. There were so many times they couldn’t do it, ending up on one end of the spectrum or the other, but this episode shows us how, in the end, they did just that. We see Sam with a toddler little boy, overalls embroidered with his name: DEAN. One of AD Kevin Parks’ beautiful dogs (maybe Kuma, who has been in multiple episodes) runs along with them.
The montage cuts back and forth between Sam as he grows older and Dean, still driving. Sam playing ball with his son, photos of Dean and Sam and John and Mary all over his house. Sam in glasses, helping his son with homework.
Older Sam (in a wig that became a meme way too fast because it looks a little Party Cityish) visits the Impala in his garage, pulling off the tarp and looking like he wants to get into the passenger side before walking around and sitting in the driver’s seat. He takes off his glasses, reverently lays his hands on the wheel as Carry On continues to play: “Lay your weary head to rest, don’t you cry know more…” He looks over at the empty seat beside him, tears in his eyes.
As Sam’s hands are on the wheel, so are Dean’s in Heaven as he speeds along.
But now, the Impala is headed toward us instead of away, Dean headed toward something – someone – toward home.
Sam very old, lying in a hospital bed in his living room, hooked up to a monitor. His son, now grown, a protection tattoo visible on his arm, comes to sit by him, reaching down to lay his hand over his father’s gently. Sam manages a smile for his son, just as his brother did for him, all those many years ago.
It’s love, and again, it’s not romantic love, but it’s such a beautiful depiction of familial love, this time the love of a son for his father. A son who has been raised with love and can love in return. The result of Sam and Dean’s lifelong struggle and its positive outcome, a new generation of Winchesters carrying the ultimate hope of that resolution.
Dean Jr: Dad, it’s okay. You can go now.
The same permission that Dean needed from his brother, all those many years ago.
The song switches from the familiar Kansas version of Carry On to a cover, slower and softer – fittingly, performed by two fans of the show who are also sisters.
Old Sam places his hand over his son’s, just as Dean did over Sam’s before he died. We see that old Sam is wearing Dean’s watch, has worn it all these years.
Sam sighs, takes his last breath, his head falling to the side and a single tear sliding down his cheek, just as Dean’s did so many years ago. The monitor flatlines.
The scene blends gradually into the familiar tall trees of Vancouver.
In Heaven, Dean stops driving in the middle of a bridge and gets out of the car, walking over to the rail and looking out over the incredible Vancouver vista as the lyrics from Carry On reach ‘my life’s no longer empty, surely Heaven waits for you’.
His brow furrows as he senses something, without even turning around, and then his handsome face slowly breaks into a grin that looks like the friggen’ sun coming out after a long long rainy day.
Dean: Heya, Sammy.
He turns around and there’s his little brother.
Sam: Dean.
We’re at the last scene, the one we knew would happen on a bridge. The last scene Jared and Jensen ever filmed for “Supernatural”, and the final scene of the episode.
The family theme plays again as Sam and Dean hug, and Jared and Jensen hug, and I start crying all over again. There’s so much emotion there, between the characters and between the actors, both having been on this incredible long and sometimes difficult journey together.
Sam and Dean, Dean’s arm around his brother, look out over the beautiful scenery, Dean turning to look at Sam again, nodding like all is right with the world once more, as the camera pulls up and out and then the picture fades.
The end of the “hero’s journey” that Kripke started these brothers on fifteen years ago, the protagonist returning to where they started out, after having learned and changed in so many ways.
The credits begin and then we return to the bridge, Jared and Jensen instead of Sam and Dean there smiling. At us.
Jared and Jensen: Thank you to the fans for your support and your love, through blood, sweat and laughter and tears, you’ve kept us on the air for fifteen years. We wouldn’t be here without you and we’ll remain forever grateful for the opportunity and honor to play these characters for so long. We felt you guys with us all the time, so thank you.
They wave, flanked by director Bob Singer and the entire crew, as they all wave from the bridge and the camera pulls up and away again. I think I can spot Jim Beaver, Jerry Wanek, Kevin Parks, Jim Michaels, Eugenie, Maisie, Robin, Jose, Brad, Stef… so many familiar faces from all these years of lovingly making this show I love so much. The instrumental music that played at the end of Swan Song, Kripke’s original ending for the show, plays softly in the background as we hear Bob Singer’s voice one last time.
Bob Singer: And…. Cut.
Fade to black.
And that was it. In a way, they beautifully incorporated the fandom into canon too, in that last scene, all of us directly addressed before the final ‘cut’.
I am so grateful.
The final shot filmed was the final scene of the series, confirmed by Kevin Parks, who was responsible for the shooting schedule. He tweeted that “it was the best way to finish the series” and I so agree. When Jared and Jensen broke character completely to become themselves, looking out at the beautiful Vancouver scenery, flanked by Bob Singer and the rest of their beloved crew, they drew us into the final moments of “Supernatural” also. We are who they were waving at and thanking as the final moments played out, the smiles on everyone’s faces in gratitude for the fans who were such an integral part of this fifteen-year journey. When Bob Singer called ‘Andddd…. Cut” for the final time, we were a part of that, included in the ending.
I’m crying again.
They did that for us. That’s how much they care.
Let me pause to say that so many of these little nuanced moments that made these scenes so poignant were added by Jared or by Jared and Jensen. Sam wearing Dean’s watch, Sam’s son repeating the words that he had said to Dean before he died, passing it along – the permission to let go. The deliberate call back to Sam and Dean’s iconic “I can’t do it alone, yes you can” repeated with the roles switched. The “heya Sammy” and “Dean.” Jared said in his Stage It panel today that Bob Singer gave them a whole day to shoot Dean’s death scene, knowing how much they would need to be ‘in it’.
Jared: At first when Dean says to Sam to keep going, it was written “I can’t do this without you” and it occurred to me that it would be nice to have a throwback to “I can’t do this alone” like Dean said to Sam in the pilot, to hearken back to the way we all started. Another thing that was important was the first thing we saw Sam and Dean say to each other on camera, Dean ‘heya Sammy’ and Sam’s ‘Dean?!’ in a fight in Sam’s apartment. I thought it would be neat if their first words were also the last words they ever said to each other. So, on that bridge, Dean says ‘heya Sammy’ and I’m dressed as best I could like the pilot and Sam says, ‘Dean.’ We talked to Andrew and Bob a lot about it, like hey are y’all okay if we kinda see what makes sense and what we’re feeling, repeating lines here and there and going with the flow? When we shot that scene, Jensen and I knew Sam and Dean in a way that no one else could. We’d lived with these guys for fifteen and a half years and felt strongly. We did the script as the script, but then we’d do little bits that were meaningful to us or helped convey a message we were trying to convey. Also it was really important to me that the last words Sam says to Dean (at this point in the panel, Jared got emotional – but so did all of us), says ‘it’s okay, you can go now’ I thought that Sam’s son Dean needed to say those same words to Sam and that was his cue to go.
The degree of caring that these actors have is frankly amazing after fifteen years. Not only are they not ‘phoning it in,’ they seem to care more than ever. About the show, about their characters, about us.
Jared, Jensen and Misha Collins have talked many times about a saying they’ve had on “Supernatural” since way back in the Eric Kripke and Kim Manners days. “Give ‘em what they want in a way they weren’t expecting.” I think they did that. We were hoping for, maybe even expecting, that there would be “peace when you are done”. And there was. It just didn’t come about in the way we were expecting. I had a conversation with Kripke a year ago, around the time Jensen also talked to him about the ending, and while he was careful not to spoil me, he said that as long as those boys are alive and together and there’s something to hunt, there’s no peace for them. It was only because Dean died first, giving Sam the explicit permission to get out and stop hunting (and only because they had managed to take out Chuck and every other ‘big bad’ and now had Jack and Cas in charge so there were no ‘big bads’ to worry about, only the everyday monsters), that Sam could find some peace in living to an old age. And it was when Sam joined Dean in heaven that they truly found those words were true: There’ll be peace when you are done.
There was.
Those words are for us, too, because we also need to find peace. I need some time to sit with these feelings of loss and to grieve this show that has been so important to me. I need to talk more to friends and write more and rewatch the finale a few more times and read Jared and Jensen and Misha’s words in Family Don’t End With Blood and There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done. I need to do more crying. And then maybe do a rewatch of The French Mistake and some gag reels to balance it out. It’s going to hurt for a long time, but I also have no intention of turning away from what I’ve learned from the Little Show That Could – always keep fighting. (And maybe anticipate that reboot….)
It has taken me four days to stop crying long enough to sit down and write something about the “Supernatural” series finale, which aired last Thursday, November 19 on The CW. After fifteen years of loving this show, writing about this show, publishing six books about this show and its fandom, and making forever friends through a shared love of this show, to say that its ending was monumental for me is still an understatement. “Supernatural” changed my life, both personally and professionally.
THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS FINAL REVIEW BELOW
Its message to always keep fighting inspired me to fight to be myself and to be real when life had taught me the opposite for all the years before this little show came into my life. Its cast supported my writing when I first dipped my toe into the waters of a new venture, contributing to my books with courage and candor and humor – even writing their own very personal chapters – and being just as real as I was struggling to be. Its fandom became my community of like-minded people who validated every moment of my this-is-me journey, challenged me to open myself up to different perspectives, and joined me on adventures I never dreamt I’d go on.
And I’m not the only one. This little show has changed so many people’s lives. That’s exactly what the last two books I’ve published are about – in the actors and fans own words, why “Supernatural” has been special to them. How it has changed – and even saved – so many of us.
“Supernatural” was an unexpected, unanticipated blessing, and I wouldn’t trade this wild ride for anything. But when you love something that much, it’s hard to let go. I can’t really imagine the pressure on the writers, producers, cast and crew to try to wrap up fifteen years in a way that will satisfy the fans to whom they owe so much. There’s never going to be something that satisfies everyone, especially not with a fandom known for its wildly different takes on the show and its characters, who are all watching for their own personal reasons.
Because “Supernatural” was personal. It fulfilled something for each of us that was important; something we don’t want to let go of. The last episode was going to hurt no matter what, but if it didn’t go the way you were hoping it would, then there’s the sadness and anger of the ending not being what you wanted, on top of the awareness that now it never will be. And that hurts even more.
Endings Are Hard
As Rob Benedict (Chuck) reminded us yesterday, endings are hard, right?
I’m having my own very real emotional response to the last episode, but I’m also inevitably viewing both the episode and the fan reaction through the lens of what I do – I’m a clinical psychologist who studies fandom and has primarily researched this show and this fandom for almost fifteen years. I teach graduate courses in grief and loss, and I’m well aware of how indescribably difficult it is to lose something or someone that has been this important. It’s hard to figure out how to go on when what you counted on to get you through is no longer there. It’s terrifying to think of what will be like without what you lost, knowing all little ways that it was so present in your life, constant and continuous.
Something to be counted on through the toughest of times and to share your joy in the best of times. Something so BIG that it defined all your moments, good and bad – that it felt like an integral part of who you are, a mirror that reflected back your own identity so you knew who you were in the world. A constant companion, a source of validation and comfort, and sometimes a challenge that changed your perspective whether you wanted it to or not. “Supernatural” and its unforgettable characters were all those things. Losing that is almost unbearable.
But not quite. And that, in a way, is what the finale was all about. I didn’t realize it while I was watching, curled up in a ball drowning in my own tears, but with time to process and put my soaking wet psychologist hat back on, the meta message alongside the equally important fictional story is clearer. This episode was like a master class in loss and grief, taught not only by the creator of the show and the writers, but by the fictional characters and the incredibly courageous and talented actors who played them.
I understand some people wishing for a “happy ending” for the Winchesters and for Castiel before they died. It’s what they deserve after all they’ve been through. We’ve watched them battle monsters and angels and demons and God himself for fifteen years, enduring trauma after trauma, suffering horrifically, getting back up again and again and again to keep fighting.
I too envisioned the last frame of the show being Sam and Dean driving toward the sunset in Baby, Cas with wings unfurled above watching over them. That’s literally the cover of my last book, aptly titled There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done. I would have felt content with that, like I did at the end of the penultimate episode, which ended like that (except we feared Cas was still in the Empty).
My guess is that was the ending that Jensen Ackles originally wanted too, because he loves Dean and doesn’t want to lose him any more than we do – and because we all desperately want this to be a story that can eventually be continued. I would have been fine with that ending, and while I would have sobbed a lot anyway just to be losing the show, it probably wouldn’t have been me crying so hard I nearly made myself sick. Or not being able to stop for too long for the past four days.
And I’m grateful for that. This show has always made me feel so much more than any other show ever has, because I have truly loved it. I know this episode was hard to watch in a lot of ways, and some of my closest friends are really struggling with how their favorite show ended and I have so much empathy for that struggle. This is real to us; when we’re hurt and sad and angry about it, those emotions are as valid as our feelings about any other loss.
We all need to feel what we feel, and deal with loss in our own way. The actors, writers and crew who created this show are also entitled to their genuine feelings about its ending, and I hope that we as a fandom can give them that space to feel their own emotions just as I think they’re trying hard to give us ours. The story, ultimately, is ours to take in and hold onto, however we need to.
So, I’ll try to share my own thoughts on the episode and what worked for me about it, in the hopes that it might validate your own feelings or help you figure out what your own thoughts are, whether similar or very different. As humans, we all need to make sense of our own experience in order to integrate it into our sense of self and our life story – so talking about it helps!
We all want to avoid loss and pain whenever we can; that’s just part of being human. It’s unfortunately also part of being human that we can’t avoid it, and one of the things that media does is to help us process that pain and loss when it comes. “Supernatural” from the very start has not been about happy endings. What has made the show so compelling is that it has always been based in reality – gritty, imperfect, unpredictable, sometimes tragic reality. Eric Kripke’s brilliance in creating this world and these characters is that they could tell us a story that would go right to our hearts (often breaking them) because the story was REAL. All the Winchesters were flawed, slogging their way through horrible circumstances that they didn’t deserve and then coping (often poorly) with the aftermath, hurting each other in the process.
The show didn’t shy away from showing us the darkness of the life they had chosen, and the ways in which it shaped them – just as or own real life tragedies and challenges shape all of us. It’s not always pretty, I know that from being witness to the lives of so many of my clients and from living through my own challenges. We have all done that. Castiel may not have been human, but he followed the same path as the Winchesters on his own journey, having to endure failures and make mistakes and ultimately become who he really was despite (or because of) them.
The thing that made “Supernatural” so powerful is showing that journey in an unflinching way, not glossing over the harsh realities of the world the characters live in. The Winchesters’ lives were difficult – a million times more difficult than most of ours. Their lives were never perfect, and they were never perfect. Instead, their lives were real – and ultimately so were their deaths. They weren’t superheroes with super powers wearing super suits – they were real human beings who were vulnerable to being killed every single time they went out on a hunt. That’s what made them heroes, because they did it anyway.
Maybe Chuck was manipulating their circumstances some of the time, but it doesn’t matter – they didn’t know that, and their courage came from their willingness to go out there, saving people, hunting things, even at great cost and risk to themselves. They were a lot more heroic than someone with super powers because they only had themselves and they did it anyway. (That was Kripke’s initial brilliance, and a theme he’s carried over to his new show “The Boys,” which is all about how the ordinary humans keep taking on the superheroes even when they’re ridiculously “outgunned”). What could possibly be more inspiring than that?
What kept Sam, Dean and Cas going – and what keeps all of us going – is the relationships we make along the way. That has always been the hopeful side, the light in “Supernatural’s” pervasive darkness. That love, ultimately, is what can save all of us. It can keep us going through the most horrendous failures, the most unbearable pain, the most overwhelming of tragedies and losses. It’s the way we find the strength to pick ourselves up and keep going even when we think we can’t.
It’s the way we still TRY even when it feels like we’re going up against fate itself. These characters showed us that, week after week, month after month, year after year. They make sacrifices for each other that could never happen out of anything but love, as Castiel demonstrated so vividly in ‘Despair.’ As the Winchesters have shown us time and time and time again.
It’s not always easy to watch. Sometimes it tears our hearts out. I still remember sitting on the floor sobbing when Sam was stabbed in the back and died in his brother’s arms way back in Season 2. I can’t even watch ‘Abandon All Hope’ because when Ellen and Jo died like that – so tragic and so REAL – I couldn’t get it out of my head for weeks. (Just like I’ve never been able to watch the Buffy episode ‘The Body’ ever again). But those episodes are, indisputably, brilliant television. I think this was too.
I know some people wanted Butch and Sundance, or a more big screen Marvel showdown, or something more “epic” or “dramatic”. Those endings are, as Rob Benedict said in his Stage It panel yesterday, what Chuck wanted. He wanted to be entertained, he wanted Sam and Dean’s endings to be grandiose, and he wanted to be a part of making that happen. But you know what? Sam and Dean and Cas and Jack defeated the last big bad when they took down Chuck. So instead, Dean died on a hunt like he’s gone on a thousand times – and every time he does, he knows it might kill him. He and Sam walked into that barn with machetes, human and mortal, and faced down more than twice as many vampires, knowing that they might not make it out of there this time. People saying Dean didn’t die a hero?
What is more heroic than that? It was a vivid, stab-you-through-the-heart reminder that every single time Dean Winchester walked into a situation like that, it could have meant his death. It was a vivid reminder that Dean was utterly mortal, always vulnerable, completely HUMAN, and they still managed to save the world a time or two. Even at the very end, they killed the monsters. They saved the kids. And Dean gave his life to do that. That the monsters themselves didn’t directly kill him was a bit of poetic justice that I like to think Dean Winchester himself would have enjoyed just a little.
I’ve also seen some people say that Dean gave up, or that Sam gave up because he didn’t call 911. If you listen to the dialogue (that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles helped create for their characters) that clearly isn’t the case. Dean knows he’s dying, as people often do when they’re mortally wounded. He’s an experienced hunter; he knows what being impaled means. He just witnessed it himself earlier this season when his old friend was impaled on a pool cue, living long enough to share last words before Dean’s pulling it out ended him. He knows.
He’s not giving up at all, and he doesn’t want to die and he desperately doesn’t want to leave Sam – but that’s the reality of life sometimes. It doesn’t go the way we want, and it’s messy and tragic and so fucking sad. Dean does the best he can with the time he has left, and is given the gift of being able to tell Sam what’s important to him for Sam to know. He accepts the reality because he can’t change it, not because he’s given up.
Sam is in shock, but he is also an experienced hunter who has seen more than his share of death. When he puts his hand behind Dean and feels what he’s impaled on, and his hand comes back covered in blood, he also knows. (Just as Dean did in the parallel scene in All Hell Breaks Loose, as his hand comes back equally bloody) Sam doesn’t want to believe it, of course, but when Dean calls him back and asks him to stay, Sam knows and eventually accepts this is what he can do for his brother. By the time emergency responders got there, they would have found Dean’s dead body and Sam standing among a bunch of beheaded people, and Sam wouldn’t have been able to carry on at all.
Sometimes life doesn’t go as you planned, and you have to always keep fighting anyway. Even when it hurts like hell. That’s been the theme of the show since the beginning.
The question of ‘where’s the character development’ is tossed around a lot in this fandom, and it was tossed around at the finale too in terms of Dean especially. But to me, there was tremendous character development here for Dean. He showed that he was able to be vulnerable, to let Sam know that he’d been scared and desperate when they were younger no matter how much bravado he’d put on, letting Sam now see his real feelings. He’s able to tell Sam right out that he loves him, just as Castiel did with Dean before he died showcasing some of his own character development.
It’s what Dean wanted to be sure Sam knew — that for Dean, it’s always been them. In his last moments – and in the years before his death – Dean Winchester changed so much. He went from a lonely, repressed young man, full of self-loathing and constantly afraid of being left alone, to someone who was in his words “okay with who I am” and able to enjoy a pie fest and love a dog and appreciate all the little mundane things in life that make it satisfying to all of us. Able to show his real self to his brother.
He could see Sam for his real self too, in the nuanced way that we can when we mature and don’t see in black and white anymore. He could see Sam as the strong competent equal partner – and still, always, Sam his beloved baby brother. Dean could integrate all those feelings; his relationship with Sam had grown to a place where it enriched and sustained them both. He had come to an integrated view of hunting too, it seems. Sam and Dean weren’t only about hunting; they had joy and laughter and pie eating and friends and maybe even a part time job, as the application on Dean’s desk suggested.
Dean had become his own person; he could own doing what he wanted to do, and he was courageous as hell in going out there and living his life the way that gave him purpose and satisfaction. (And later we see Sam’s success at integration too, perhaps with hunting and also being a good parent to his son or at the very least by not allowing a drive for revenge and an inability to set healthy priorities to keep him from raising his son in a healthy way). That’s real character development for both of them. It took a long time; that’s how it works in real life too.
I’ve also seen the complaint that Dean died right after they finally defeated Chuck and didn’t get any time to enjoy living life free from Chuck’s machinations. I liked that the show left it up for interpretation just how long Sam and Dean lived in the bunker, hunting and taking care of Miracle and doing laundry (Robbie Thompson we finally got a glimpse of your day-in-the-life episode), but they were in such a well established routine, it was clearly meant to be a while.
Someone apparently asked Jared at one of his weekend Q & A’s how long it was and he said about five years, which is about what I was thinking too. I don’t think they meant to imply at all that Dean died on the very next hunt they set out on – hence the montage. He had the opportunity to live free, as a big old fuck you to Chuck, doing what he loved and doing it with his brother.
There are also some who don’t like that Sam lived for a long time without Dean but was still clearly grieving. To me, that’s part of what made this a master class on loss and grief. We don’t ever forget the people we’ve loved and lost, and a part of us will always miss them and long for them. We see Sam’s pain vividly; we see his tears, we see him glance at the guns on Dean’s bedroom wall and then resolutely walk away.
The ‘Always Keep Fighting’ message that’s explicitly called out in the barn scene is a real-life reminder that this is what we all have to do. Sam was still able to keep his promise to his brother and make a life for himself. He clearly felt joy raising his son, and he was clearly a good father, breaking the intergenerational transmission of trauma cycle that had held the Winchester family for so long.
The episode foreshadowed all this in the pie scene, with Dean telling Sam, “that pain’s not gonna go away. But if we don’t keep living, then all that sacrifice is for nothing.” The montage of Sam’s life without Dean is purposely vague, left open ended and blurry (sometimes literally), with the invitation to fans to interpret it however works for you. Did Sam marry Eileen? Did Sam hunt for a while and then later settle down with someone else?
Were there some other circumstances? We don’t know; fill in the blanks as you will. It was like the show acknowledged that its diverse fandom all wanted and needed different things from it, so it left plenty of openings as an invitation to make it what you need. (A fan even asked Jared in one of the Q&A’s about who the blurry person was supposed to be and he said it was left open as to who Sam’s partner or co-parent was, and that Sam’s sexuality and gender is whatever speaks to us)
(In fact, there’s even an interpretation going around that the montage was really Dean’s fantasy of what Sam did while he was in Heaven waiting; that in reality, Sam died in that werewolf hunt in Austin and followed right after Dean. It’s not my interpretation, but even that one can work if you need it to!)
The point is, in my interpretation, Sam did carry on. He didn’t make a deal or beg Jack to intercede. He didn’t bring his brother back, just like none of us can bring back the people we‘ve loved and lost no matter how badly we want to. Sam lived with the loss and though he continued to grieve, he also went on with his life and lived it to its natural conclusion. The nuanced way Jared and the writers showed us Sam’s grief was so poignant, and again, so real. As Matt Cohen noted in his Stage It on Saturday, the way Sam looked around sometimes at the empty space beside him, hit hard. The way he sometimes had to go sit in the Impala and clasp his hands around the steering wheel that his brother always held, needing to feel close to Dean again. The way he wore Dean’s watch and his hoodie and carried his duffel when he left the bunker.
Every second of the scenes in the bunker after Dean had died rang so true to me, it brought a fresh round of choking sobs. If you’ve ever experienced a crushing loss, so much was familiar to you. The way Sam wandered the halls, looking so lost, picturing Dean around every corner. The way he sat on Dean’s bed and cuddled his brother’s dog, a tear trickling down his face. I understood when Sam made the beds and closed the doors and climbed the stairs of the Men of Letters bunker for the last time, turning off the lights as he left. Sometimes the reminders are just too painful; sometimes adapting to the loss means something new, even as you carry with you something that you’ll cherish forever.
“Supernatural” did that brilliantly. Like I said, a master class on grief and loss. And the final bit of brilliance, to me, was that the episode worked on a meta level too, as so many “Supernatural” episodes have over the years. Because in real life, we are all dealing with the momentous loss of the show itself. We are all feeling the pain that Sam Winchester did as he looked around and realized that his life was so much emptier now, without what he loved so much in it. In all its themes, the finale reflected what the cast/crew/writers/fans are actually going through in real life — as we feel the pain, grieve the loss, and ultimately Carry On.
The episode title was not just an homage to Kansas and the show’s unofficial theme song, though of course it was that too. It was also the theme of the episode – what Sam did, and what we all will do as well.
Carry On.
The story itself, as a story, also works for me, and worked for the people telling the story. There was a strong need, for the people who made this show, to bring it to an ending that felt right. To come full circle in some ways, to find the end of the heroes’ journey at the same place, but changed forever. The final hunt takes place in Ohio, in Eric Kripke’s old stomping grounds. The words the brothers say to each other as Dean is dying are a call back to what they’ve said to each other before. The first words they said in the pilot when they’re reunited, other than ‘easy tiger’, was Dean’s “heya Sammy” and Sam’s “Dean?” and also what they said to each other when Dean came back from hell; these are also the last words they say at the end of the finale.
The clothes they’re wearing are a mirror of those they wore in the pilot. Many of those call backs were Jared’s idea, or Jared and Jensen together. They may not have been credited as creative producers, but there’s no question that’s what they became over the course of fifteen -years. And this show – this ending – was so important to them that they had incredible input. That’s how much they care, which is why some fans purposely tanking the episodes rating on IMDB hurts so much; I know it hurts them.
That was a four-page explanation of why the episode worked for me, with the explicit acknowledgement that it might not have worked for you. It seems to have worked for the cast, who have all talked about their own emotional reactions and love of story that they see reflected in it. (Misha Collins watched it as an audience member and I think cried almost as much as I did). I know there are plenty of people for whom the episode didn’t work, though, for multiple reasons. Life is hard right now and some people just wanted a happy ending for their favorite fictional characters, because in the midst of a pandemic there aren’t many of those.
For some, it was a little too real when they just wanted an escape. For some, their favorite characters not being in the last episode was painful, for whatever reason they weren’t there. (Apparently there was supposed to be a brief scene at the end where all the people Sam and Dean had cared about over the years were there in Heaven with them, but Covid restrictions interfered). That would have been a lovely scene, and it was what I expected honestly. I would have loved to see beloved characters – and actors – have a chance to hang out with Sam and Dean one more time.
That said, Covid-19 made the finale episode a much more quiet and intimate story, and I think that ultimately worked to make it even more emotional. For some, an ending that was more traditionally ‘romantic’ was hoped for, but that has never been the show’s main story. It’s a shockingly subversive thing even in 2020 to tell a fifteen-year story that’s all about platonic love and celebrate that bond so joyously in the final episode. “Supernatural” has never, ever, been like all the others.
So, five pages later, let me go through the episode as I usually do. Because hey, this is the FINAL “Supernatural” episode, so if this is long, so be it. Maybe I just don’t want to finish this review, knowing it’s the last one I’ll write… Sometimes grief is temporarily about some denial and avoidance, after all.
I went into the episode a little bit spoiled, which for once, I’m not regretting. I wasn’t sure I could get through this without a little bit of preparation, and I think that’s probably true. Still, I’m not sure how much more overwhelmed I could have been, so maybe it didn’t help all that much after all!
I was holding my breath waiting for the familiar strains of “Carry On” to play as the episode began, but it didn’t – which let us know that we’d inevitably be hearing it later, and that it would probably be under even more emotional circumstances. (It always makes me cry anyway). The episode starts out lighthearted, which I’m indescribably grateful for. It’s a montage of all the things we never got enough of – the Winchesters living their life, like all the best domestic Winchesters in the bunker fic. Dean wakes up at 8, Miracle leaps onto the bed with him and Dean envelops him in a hug, happy. Cleary, unabashedly happy.
Sam goes for a run, stopping to look out over a beautiful lake. Unhurried, content. Sam cooks eggs, Dean grabs the toast as it pops. Another morning, Sam fresh out of the shower shirtless toweling off his hair, and it’s the best kind of fan service, and not gonna lie, I had to stop and catch my breath for a second. I didn’t expect that in the finale – it’s so clear they were all trying to give us what we want, and that touches me.
Sam makes his bed, Dean doesn’t, as a song about living an “ordinary life” plays. Dean washes dishes and lets Miracle lick them, hoping Sam doesn’t see since he’s obviously quibbled with that many times in the past. Sam does the laundry ala Robbie Thompson’s heartbreakingly never written everyday Winchesters episode, kicking the washer as he’s clearly done many times to keep it going while he reads a book.
Dean cleans his guns. The boys do research at the library table.
Sam: Nothing on the wire, social media’s clean. Got anything?
You get the feeling that life is pretty quiet now that Chuck’s no longer the big bad pulling the strings. A hunt here, a hunt there, but not constant. Time enough to be mundane and ordinary. Happy.
Sam to Dean: You got something?
I got anxious, but it turns out the something is a Pie Fest.
Dean: This is my destiny.
He looks so happy with his box of pies, teasing Sam about being “sad Sam” when he’s thinking about Cas and Jack, as you often do about those you’ve lost even many years later – wishing, I think, that they could share these good times.
Then Dean reminds him that them keeping living makes their sacrifices worth it and tells him to quit being “friggin’ Eeyore”. Sam pies him in the face (as real life director Bob Singer laughs in the background), and Dean doesn’t even mind.
But this is “Supernatural,” and we eventually switch from happy pie fest days to a case. This is a Monster of the Week episode, a throwback to the early days of “Supernatural”, as it should be. A family (who were at the pie fest) are attacked by clown mask wearing vampires (clownpires?), the dad stabbed and the mom attacked as the kids run upstairs and hide under the bed. We get one more chance to remember just how scary “Supernatural” can be as the creepy creepy bad guys yank the kids out by their feet just when you think they’ve left. I have to say, those masks were way scarier than most of Season 15’s monsters have been. Whether partly for Covid restrictions or not, they totally worked.
Sam and Dean in their fed suits one last time arrive to work the case, as Agents Singer and Kripke, because this episode has more Easter eggs than the bunny himself and pays beautiful homage to all sorts of things. (Also, shallow aside, damn those boys look fine in their fed suits…) After they leave the crime scene, they stop in a beautiful spot to pull out John’s journal and an old school map to figure out where the clownpires will strike next, and if I’m not mistaken they’re at ‘Kim’s tree’? That’s the one there’s a photo of their beloved producer/director Kim Manners standing under. I’ve stood under it too a few times, but damned if I can be sure that’s it.
Dean: They’re mimes! Evil mimes.
Sam: Or vampires.
Dean: Vampire mimes! Sonofabitch.
Oh goddamn, I am gonna miss these boys.
One more sonofabitch for the road, and it’s making me tear up just typing that.
They track the clownpires to the next house because smart Winchesters, kill one and shoot the other with a dead man’s blood bullet so they can interrogate him. They’re dangerous and confident and Sam is scary as hell threatening him with a slow death by the ‘little knife’ and once again I want to cry, because I am going to miss every single flavor of Winchester SO much.
They get the intel, and pull up to a dilapidated barn – and my heart stops.
One of the things I was sort of spoiled for was that Dean dies in a fight in a barn. I think I started shaking as soon as they pulled up. I couldn’t even manage a smile as Dean tried to cajole Sam into letting him use the Ninja stars, something they knew fans would appreciate.
Dean: No?
Sam: NO!
Dean: Fine, we’ll go with the machete…
My shaking only got worse as they found the young brothers but were then surrounded by clownpires who outnumbered them four to two. (I was so terrified that I missed the quick shot of a tan trench coat in the trunk, an homage to Castiel’s death in the Leviathan season and Dean keeping his discarded trench coat in the trunk as he grieved).
It is, if I can get my emotions under control for a moment to recognize it, a beautiful scene. The lighting is gorgeous, coming through cracks in the old barn, set dec wizard Jerry Wanek and director of photography Serge Ladouceur working their magic up to the last second.
Carry On – ‘Supernatural’s’ Final Episode and My Emotional Goodbye Part 2 Continues Here
After 646 theaters closed late last week in the United States while 60 closed in Canada, it’s not a surprise that Vince Vaughn’s thriller “Freaky” topped the box office charts a second week. The $1.2 million, reflecting a big 66 percent drop in its second week makes history as one of the lowest number one box office charting grosses ever. Especially with just a week before Thanksgiving at 2,057 locations in North America.
Normally, numbers this low would be blamed on the film, but that isn’t the case here. The Universal and Blumhouse Productions’ movie stars Vince Vaughn as a serial killer and Kathryn Newton as a low-profile high schooler who inadvertently switch bodies on Friday the 13th. “Freaky” has taken in $5.6 million in its first 10 days despite most people avoiding theaters as the coronavirus pandemic rages higher each day. The theater closings has shrunk available screens from 3,400 last weekend to 2,800 this past weekend. That’s a loss of 706 locations in just a week.
This time last year saw Disney’s “Frozen II” launch with $130 million with North American box office hitting $206 million.
“With the continuing surge of the virus this fall, another round of lockdowns and curfews are impacting theaters on a regional basis,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Box Office Pro. “Business is down sharply from last weekend as a result of temporary closures, even for films that had proven to hold quite well over the past few months. While the encouraging news of vaccines on the horizon remains a light at the end of the tunnel for the industry, this weekend’s dip at the box office is an expected reminder of the endurance that will be required to push through a very challenging holiday and winter season.”
Domestic grosses for the weekend have come in between $4 million – $5 million with actual numbers hitting Monday. This is down about 50 percent from last weekend and the lowest since the box office struggled recovery late in August with “Unhinged” and Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.” While “Tenet” brought in revenue, it only showed how powerful COVID-19 was hitting everything and everyone. Having lost cinemas in both Los Angeles and New York City, box office has never had a chance to steady itself.
Not surprising anyone, Hollywood studios began pushing their blockbusters into 2021 only causing more damage to theaters. Theater operators were left without tentpoles to bring in a joyful fourth quarter. Many theaters have reduced hours while Cineworld indefinitely closed the 400 Regal locations is had reopened in the U.S. Last week, Warner Bros. announced that “Wonder Woman 1984” would debut on Christmas day in whatever North American cinemas were still open as well as on HBO Max. It will attempt a regular theatrical run in China and overseas.
“Wonder Woman 1984” is the most prominent example so far to be released using the hybrid model. But when it appears on HBO Max on Christmas Day, it will join Pixar’s animated “Soul,” and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Croods: A New Age” as marquee, holiday-season films that were expected to be box office favorites but are now likely to be primarily seen in people’s living rooms.
For companies that have their own streaming platforms, like WarnerMedia and Disney, releasing movies this way is now seen as an opportunity to drive subscriptions. Both companies have said that the moves will only last through the pandemic, but they also both recently shuffled their executive responsibilities to make it clear that streaming is the new priority. (Disney, for example, now has a central division that decides how its content is distributed, a change in strategy that puts Disney+ at the top of the studio’s priorities.) And audiences may not want studios to go back to the old way of releasing films that gave theaters 90 days of exclusive rights.
“There will be a new normal,” said Jason Squire, editor of “The Movie Business Book” and a professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. “Over the years, there has been a lot of tension between theatrical exhibition and studio distribution but not a lot of change. The pandemic has jump-started the change.”
“It’s tough as more and more are closed due to forced restrictions by local government authority. I think those that are allowed to open are staying open as long as they can cover their variable costs,” says Wall Street analyst Eric Handler of MKM Partners.
Adds Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore: “Given the limited number of open theaters, the holiday movie season will be tasked with bridging the gap between this most challenging period and when the cinematic cavalry arrives in the form of what on paper looks to be a truly spectacular 2021 slate of blockbusters. The adage ‘it’s always darkest before the dawn’ certainly applies here. Theaters need new high-profile films to drive audiences to the multiplex, but unfortunately those are in short supply in the coming weeks.”
According to Comscore, there were 2,154 theaters open in the U.S. over the Nov. 20-22 weekend, or roughly 40 percent of the country’s 5,449 locations (give or take a few). That’s down from 2,800 locations open over the Nov. 13-15 weekend, or 51 percent of all cinemas
Factoring in Canada, the total number of theaters open in North American dropped from 3,096 sites over the Nov. 13-15 weekend to 2,390 theaters over the Nov. 13-15 frame, per Comscore.
The weighted box office — i.e., a ranking of theaters in terms of the revenue they contribute to the overall pie — is likewise dropping. At one point this fall, 86 percent of the market was open. That fell to 62.5 percent over the Nov. 20-22 weekend.
The seventh weekend of 101 Studios’ comedy “The War With Grandpa” finished in a distant second place with $737,067 at 1,688 sites. The Robert De Niro vehicle has earned $16.2 million after 45 days in theaters.
Focus Features’ thriller “Let Him Go,” starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, followed in third with $710,000 at 1,907 locations. The film, set in Montana in the 1960s, has pulled in $7.9 million in its first 17 days.
Focus’s fourth weekend of the horror movie “Come Play” came in fourth place with $510,000 at 1,364 screens. After three weeks in theaters, the film has made $8 million.
Disney’s re-release of its 1994 holiday comedy-drama “The Santa Clause” pulled in $481,000 at 1,581 sites to finish fifth. Starring Tim Allen, the film originally generated $190 million in worldwide box office.
Open Road’s seventh weekend of Liam Neeson action thriller “Honest Thief” followed in sixth place with $452,000 at 1,254 locations. The film’s 45-day total has hit $13 million.
Gravitas Ventures’ launch of Jackie Chan’s action-adventure “Vanguard” showed little traction at multiplexes with $400,000 at 1,375 theaters. “Vanguard” was released in China on Sept. 30 and took in nearly $44 million in that market.
TriStar Pictures’ R-rated wartime drama “The Last Vermeer” opened with $225,00 from 912 locations. Guy Pearce stars as an art forger who swindles millions of dollars from the Nazis by forging Johannes Vermeer paintings.
Warner Bros.’ 12th weekend of the Christopher Nolan thriller “Tenet” took in $360,000 at 864 sites to lift its three-month domestic total to $56.9 million. “Tenet” has been the only Hollywood tentpole movie released to North American theaters since the pandemic began in March. The film, which carries a $200 million price tag, has performed far better in international markets and is expected to surpass $300 million internationally this week.
The comparatively downbeat domestic performance of “Tenet” served to spur other studios to either delay openings of other major titles or move them to premium video on demand.
North America Box Office
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Box office number courtesy of Box Office Mojo.
1. “Freaky,” $1.2 million.
2. “The War with Grandpa,” $733,067.
3. “Let Him Go,” $710,000.
4. “Come Play,” $550,000.
5. “The Santa Clause,” (Re-release) $461,000.
6. “Honest Thief,” $452,000.
7. “Vanguard,” $400,000.
8. “Tenet,” $360,000.
9. “The Last Vermeer,” $225,000.
10. “Gekijouban Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel – III Spring Song,” $200,000.
11. “Elf,” (Re-release) $180,000.
12. “True to the Game 2,” $161,016.
13. “Buddy Games,” $140,000.
14. “Guardians of the Galaxy,” (Re-release) $136,000.
Universal Pictures Deals Shorter Theatrical Window With Cineplex
Another major movie theater chain has struck a deal with Universal Pictures to allow for shorter exclusive theatrical windows. Canada’s Cineplex has agreed on a multiyear “dynamic window” agreement, the film exhibitor and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group said Friday.
Like the deal struck with Cinemark earlier this week and AMC Theaters before that, Universal and Focus Features films will have at least three weeks of theatrical exclusivity before hitting premium video on demand services. Titles that have an opening weekend of $50 million or more in North American theaters will be guaranteed at least five weeks in theaters.
The $50 million mark is just theoretical at this point, however. In normal times, a $50 million launch is not uncommon for Universal’s biggest franchises like “Fast & Furious” and “Jurassic World.” But no films have done that kind of business during the pandemic.
“With audience fragmentation accelerating due to the rise in digital, streaming and cord cutting, as well as the unprecedented issues our industry is facing right now, our relationship with exhibition had to evolve and adapt to the changing distribution landscape,” said Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. “Giving consumers the flexibility to view content on their terms is more important than ever to help expand moviegoing.”
Theater owners have long adhered to a strict 90-day theatrical exclusivity window, but the devastating effects of the pandemic on the movie business have forced many to adapt and compromise.
It’s been a while since Vince Vaughn has topped the box office charts, but you can be sure both he, Universal Pictures, and Blumhouse Productions wished their “Freaky” had changed their release date. Film brought in $3.6 million which was on the far lower end of expectations after theaters shut down in various markets due to the pandemic.
Major markets, San Diego and Sacramento were forced to reclose after a surge in COVID-19 cases resurfaced across the United States. This led to health warnings from authorities urging people to stay home.
Yahoo Harris Poll
Currently 47.7 percent of theaters in the United States are open, which is a drop from 50 percent last month. As the pandemic is creeping up to 200,000 cases per day, you can expect the number to drop further. A recent Yahoo Finance-Harris Poll showed that among 1,022 U.S. adults, 81 percent said they hadn’t been to a movie theater since before March 2020 when widespread lockdowns began.
While COVID-19 was a big reason with 56 percent said concerns about getting it was keeping them out of theaters. 20 percent said they didn’t think the theater would be clean enough while 12 percent didn’t want to wear a mask while watching a movie. 22 percent said they hadn’t gone to a theater since there wasn’t anything they wanted to see currently out. 19 percent said they preferred streaming films at home while 15 percent said they had stopped going to theaters before the pandemic hit.
This data alone should have sent shivers down Hollywood’s back as it shows that even just reopening theaters hasn’t been enough. The meager box office numbers alone have shown that, but many Americans are reluctant to even contemplate going to the theater in 2021. 25 percent said that since fewer new movies were being shown in theaters now, they felt that would give them less reason to go next year. Both the virus and movie studios have a hand in this dropoff as more movies have been postponed like James Bond “No Time To Die,” and “Wonder Woman 1984.”
Freaky
“Freaky” stars Vince Vaughn as a savage serial killer and Kathryn Newton as an under-the-radar high school teen, who inadvertently switch bodies on Friday the 13th. Christopher Landon, who wrote “Disturbia,” three “Paranormal Activity” sequels and directed “Happy Death Day,” helmed the R-rated thriller. The movie, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews, cost $6 million to make.“It’s going to be very profitable,” said analyst David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “With the pandemic surging and additional U.S. theaters closing, this is a good opening.”
Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution, said “Freaky” should have a long life in theaters since it won’t have much competition. That’s been the case with many pandemic-era releases.
“It’ll have much longer legs than the horror genre might normally produce,” Orr said. He praised the studio’s collaboration Blumhouse, known for making thrillers with responsible budgets. “Christopher Landon has an amazing touch for these films,” Orr adds. “He can blend horror and comedy like no other.”
“I think a combination of factors continues to make this a very challenging marketplace for theatrical releases and, as I’ve been saying all along, the fact that new movies have at least been drawing audiences (albeit in understandably small numbers) to theaters shows that there is still a desire for many consumers to get outside of the house for some sort of ‘normal’ activity,” says Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian in discussing “Freaky’s” debut.
Universal Deals Helping
Compared to rival studios, Universal has been active in releasing movies during the pandemic, largely because of a deal it forged with AMC Theatres. Typically, movies play on the big screen for 75 to 90 days before they move to digital rental services. But under Universal and AMC’s new agreement, the studio can put new films on premium video-on-demand within 17 days of their theatrical debuts. In return, AMC, which is the biggest cinema chain in the world, promises not to boycott Universal’s movies and also gets a cut of the digital profits.
Of course, Universal has kept to opening smaller and less financially risky titles given the unstable movie market, and plans to save its biggest tentpoles — like “Fast and Furious” sequel “F9” and “Jurassic World: Dominion” — until moviegoing returns to a more significant degree and coronavirus cases are better under control. In any case, the recent crop of Universal movies provides theater owners, many of whom are desperate for fresh product to offer, something new to populate their marquees. In the next few weeks, Universal is unveiling the animated adventure “The Croods: A New Age” on Nov. 25 and the Tom Hanks-led Western “News of the World” on Dec. 25. And Focus Features, Universal’s specialty label, is offering “Promising Young Woman” on Christmas Day.
Cinemark Gets Similar Deal With Universal
Universal struck another similar deal with major theater chain Cinemark to shorten the theatrical window from three months to 17 days. The two announced the deal on Monday that it’s a multiyear agreement that guarantees three full weekends (17 days) of theatrical exclusivity for Universal and Focus Features titles before a film can become available to rent on demand.
Films that open to $50 million or more will remain in theaters exclusively for at least five full weekends or 31 days. Those numbers haven’t been seen in quite some time. Universal is the only major studio to reach these kind of agreements as most have stuck to the standard 90-day theatrical window. As the pandemic rages through the holiday season, you can expect the others to follow suit.
New Content Driving Force
“New content drives the theatrical experience,” Universal’s Orr said. “We’re pleased we’ve been able to support exhibition the way we have.”
Industry observers have been curious as to how the pact would benefit theater operators. Universal and AMC have yet to share any specific numbers. However, AMC said recently that unlike other struggling theater chains, it would not have to close back down amid the coronavirus crisis due to the Universal deal.
“Anything that encourages studios to release more films into theaters is a good thing,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore. “These measures, while seen as controversial to some, are a stepping-stone on the path to keeping more theaters open, then they may be (at least for now) measures worth taking.”
Let Him Go
“Let Him Go,” from Focus Features’ landed the second place spot on the box office charts. The suspense thriller starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, brought in $1.8 million in its second week, bringing it’s tally to $6.8 million. “Come Play,” another Focus horror film came in fourth place with $1.1 million. The film has brought in $7.3 million in three weeks playing in theaters.
The War With Grandpa
“The War With Grandpa, Robert De Niro’s family comedy came in third with $1.3 million in six weeks of release. The film has grossed $15.2 million. “Ammonite” was the new entry in theaters this past weekend starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan. The well-reviewed romantic drama played on 280 screens and brought in $85,000 averaging $305 per location.
Everyone is watching “Wonder Woman 1984,” closely to see if it will move to streaming or just push off until Summer 2021. With New York and Los Angeles out of operation and Europe closing down with new lockdown measures, 2020 looks to be done and dusted with new blockbusters.
As David Gross predicted, “Can the market support a blockbuster? Not yet.
The holidays are a wondrous time of year filled with every imaginable delight for your senses. Great tasting food, beautiful décor, soft and fuzzy sweaters, and music that only comes around once per year. It’s no wonder people can’t wait for the holidays to help them escape into a time of family, fun, and festivities.
While the idea of the holidays is always delightful, the realities can be quite overwhelming. Juggling an already busy schedule with added activities during the holidays can quickly take the wonder out of the season and replace it with stress. What started out as Happy Holidays becomes surviving the Holidaze.
The holidays don’t stop for stressful life events either. Illnesses, injuries, or adjusting to big changes don’t get put on hold during the holiday season. There are some years that the holidays co-mingle with great loss or change. Finding a way to embrace the season while dealing with setbacks can be tricky.
The holidays don’t have to wear you out. There are many things you can do to reduce the stress and streamline your holidays. Believe it or not, you don’t have to recreate a Hallmark Channel version of the holidays in order for them to be magical. It’s entirely possible to decorate, host family, cook meals, entertain, and still enjoy the season. It’s also entirely possible to celebrate the joy of the season while simultaneously managing great loss.
Ultimately, the holidays may not look like anyone else’s, but that’s the point. What makes your holidays happy may not look anything like what someone else is experiencing. The key is to focus on your unique needs at the time and craft a holiday that makes the most sense under your circumstances.
Let It Go
Letting go of guilt, expectations, and overwhelming yourself helps put the happy into your holidays. Knowing what you can manage alongside everything else going on is what helps you mean it when you say Happy Holidays to others.
This season, and every one after, should be a reflection of your life at the moment. If you’re experiencing abundance with your finances, time, and energy, let the season reflect it. If you are weathering a great storm, allow yourself to modify your holiday to accommodate the needs you and your family have at the time.
There’s no reason to struggle during the holidays. The season is designed to give pause for reflection and celebrate with family and friends. Keeping the focus on these things allows for the holidays to remain manageable rather than overwhelming.
3 Thieves that Rob your Holiday Spirit
Everyone starts off with tremendous holiday spirit. The mere idea of the holiday’s sparks joy. Knowing anything is possible during the season creates a sense of wonder and delight… right about the time the first pumpkin spice latte hits the coffee shop. Sadly, it doesn’t always take long for one…or more…of three thieves to rob your holiday spirit.
The three thieves of holiday spirit are
Finances
Time
Family
Any of these, or all of them for that matter, have a tendency to steal the joy you’ve mustered for the season. Sadly, what’s supposed to be a happy time can easily turn stressful when your money, your time, or your family are out of whack.
Finances have the potential to steal your holiday spirit
When people are strapped for cash during the holidays it can feel like a burden. From failing to plan to facing an unexpected financial hit, money problems tend to steal the holiday spirit. The expectations for spending during the holidays can cause a lot of stress. Décor costs, gifts, meals, and attending extra activities can make a dent in your budget. It’s important to understand that everyone feels the stress. You are not alone! There are things you can do to help your budget. You can switch up your holiday plans or forgo some of the typical overspending to help keep your holiday finances under control.
Time has the potential to steal your holiday spirit
There are only so many hours in the day. Though you could sleep less, that’s not the best way to try to get everything done. The holidays come with a lot of time commitments. Extra shopping, holiday parties and activities, and time with family and friends has to be mixed with your typical everyday needs. This can zap your energy and rob you of your spirit. What should be a fun activity can become an intrusion or cause for a headache. Taking control of your time during the holidays might be easier than you think. What’s more, there are things you can do in the months leading up to the holidays that can help you have more time when you need it most.
Family has the potential to steal your holiday spirit
Family is one of the main reasons to get excited about the holidays, yet family can also be a chief thief of your holiday spirit. Sadly, dysfunction doesn’t take a break October through January. Sometimes the people you want to spend time with cause problems that make it really hard to enjoy them and sometimes you’re forced into family time with people you’d really rather avoid. It’s possible to set limits and set boundaries that help you and your family have the best holiday possible. It might feel scary, but It’s possible to confront behaviors that keep families from feeling uncomfortable during the holidays.
If you’ve ever felt strapped for cash, strapped for time, or wanting to avoid certain family during the holidays then you’ve experienced one or more of the thieves of the holiday spirit. It’s common for them to try to rob your joy, but you don’t have to allow them to put a damper on your holiday. Prepare for them, realize they want to rob your spirit and take precautions to make sure they don’t have a chance.
