"SUPERNATURAL" SPLAININS I

I don't watch 'Supernatural' all that often - it'll be even less so now that it will be up against 'Scrubs' and '30 Rock'. Usually I tune into this cross between 'The Night Stalker' and 'Route 66' when the topic is of particular interest to me in regards to Toobworld - the Norse Vanir, the ghost of HH Holmes, - or it's because of the guest star.

This week's episode was mildly interesting on a trivial Zonk level, but the real draw was in getting to see Linda Blair thirty years on from "The Exorcist"!

As for those Zonks, one thing for which I'll tip my hat to the writers is that they never beat you over the head with the source for their pop culture references. They make their little joke and move on, without feeling the need to stress that it comes from a TV show or that the audience should find it funny or understand what it means.

This is perfect for Toobworld's purposes because it cuts down on the splainin, and even provides theoretical links to other shows.

For instance, this week the Winchester brothers decided to split up to carry out their investigation. Dean likened themselves to the team on 'The X-Files' doing the same thing, without ever having to cite the program. All he did was tag his brother Sam as the "Scully".

Sam, of course, protested. "I'm not Scully. You're Scully."

But Dean would have none of that. "No, I'm Mulder. You're the red-headed woman."

For the audience viewing at home, not steeped in Toobworld lore, this was just a funny joke at Sam's expense which used the spooky show (and the inspiration for 'Supernatural' itself) as its reference point.

Of course, I don't see it that way.

Sam and Dean Winchester are working on cases that would have intrigued the former FBI agent and his partner. Some of the cases had been going on for years, perhaps even decades, and Fox Mulder would have had them documented in his basement cabinets full of such "X Files".

And although they probably never met, Mulder and the Winchesters probably crossed paths in the paper trails garnered from such cases. They would have known of his existence and interest in the paranormal, and vice verse. "Spooky" Mulder may have even worked with their Dad on a case or two in the past.

Not all the stories are told when it comes to TV shows. Not all the facts from even one particular episode are always depicted. Stuff happens between episodes, during the commercials, before the show ever first gets on the air, and long after its been cancelled.

So it could be that Sam and Dean have already encountered Mulder and Scully personally, most likely in these years since they quit the FBI and went undercover and on the run from the shadow agents that really run the world. We just haven't seen it happen on our TV screens. For all we know, it happened during the summer hiatus between its first two seasons on the air.

And if so, Sam understood all too well when his brother called him a "Scully"; his male pride naturally spurred him to object.

There were a couple more from this episode. Stay tuned......

BCnU!
Tele-Toby

Shows cited:
'Supernatural'
'The X-Files'