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Supernatural Season 2
Season 2
A DVD box set with the cover featuring close-up shots of the faces of two men, with a graveyard in the backgrand and the headlights of an automobile in the foreground.
DVD cover art
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkThe CW
Original releaseSeptember 28, 2006 –
May 17, 2007
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 1
Next →
Season 3
List of episodes

Season two of Supernatural, an American television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered on September 28, 2006, and concluded on May 17, 2007 after 22 episodes. It focuses on the protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester as they track down the demon responsible for the deaths of their mother and father. During their travels they use their father's journal to help them carry on the family business, saving people and hunting supernatural creatures. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles star as Sam and Dean, and the season introduces numerous recurring characters. This is the first season to air on the CW television network, a joint venture of the WB and UPN.[1]

The season aired on Thursdays at 9:00 pm ET in the United States.[2] Overall, the season averaged about 3.14 million American viewers,[3] and was in danger of being canceled.[4] The season gained many award nominations, and received mixed reviews from critics. While both the brotherly chemistry between the lead actors and the decision to finish the main storyline at the season's end were praised, the formulaic structure of the episodes was criticized.

The season was internationally syndicated, airing in the United Kingdom on ITV,[5] in Canada on Citytv and SPACE,[6][7] and in Australia on Network Ten.[8] The second season was released on DVD as a six-disc box set on September 11, 2007, by Warner Home Video in Region 1.[9] Although the season was split into two separate releases in Region 2, the complete set was released on October 29, 2007,[10] and in Region 4 on October 2, 2007.[11] The episodes are also available through digital retailers such as Apple's iTunes Store,[12] Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace,[13] and Amazon.com's on-demand TV service.[14]

Episodes

Ep. # Title Director Writer(s) Original Airdate Viewers (mill)
23 (1)"In My Time of Dying"Kim MannersEric KripkeSeptember 28, 2006 (2006-09-28)3.93[15]
24 (2)"Everybody Loves a Clown"Phil SgricciaJohn ShibanOctober 5, 2006 (2006-10-05)3.34[16]
25 (3)"Bloodlust"Robert SingerSera GambleOctober 12, 2006 (2006-10-12)3.78[17]
26 (4)"Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things"Kim MannersRaelle TuckerOctober 19, 2006 (2006-10-19)3.29[18]
27 (5)"Simon Said"Tim LacofanoBen EdlundOctober 26, 2006 (2006-10-26)3.65[19]
28 (6)"No Exit"Kim MannersMatt WittenNovember 2, 2006 (2006-11-02)3.38[20]
29 (7)"The Usual Suspects"Mike RohlCathryn HumphrisNovember 9, 2006 (2006-11-09)3.19[21]
30 (8)"Crossroad Blues"Steve BoyumSera GambleNovember 16, 2006 (2006-11-16)3.16[22]
31 (9)"Croatoan"Robert SingerJohn ShibanDecember 07, 20063.12[23]
32 (10)"Hunted"Rachel TalalayRaelle TuckerJanuary 11, 2007 (2007-01-11)3.24[24]
33 (11)"Playthings"Charles BeesonMatt WittenJanuary 18, 2007 (2007-01-18)3.44[25]
34 (12)"Nightshifter"Phil SgricciaBen EdlundJanuary 25, 2007 (2007-01-25)3.42[26]
35 (13)"Houses of the Holy"Kim MannersSera GambleFebruary 1, 2007 (2007-02-01)3.37[27]
36 (14)"Born Under a Bad Sign"J. Miller TobinCathryn HumphrisFebruary 8, 2007 (2007-02-08)2.84[28]
37 (15)"Tall Tales"Bradford MayJohn ShibanFebruary 15, 2007 (2007-02-15)3.03[29]
38 (16)"Roadkill"Charles BeesonRaelle TuckerMarch 15, 2007 (2007-03-15)3.52[30]
39 (17)"Heart"Kim MannersSera GambleMarch 22, 2007 (2007-03-22)3.38[31]
40 (18)"Hollywood Babylon"Phil SgricciaBen EdlundApril 19, 2007 (2007-04-19)3.25[32]
41 (19)"Folsom Prison Blues"Mike RohlJohn ShibanApril 26, 2007 (2007-04-26)3.33[33]
42 (20)"What Is and What Should Never Be"Eric KripkeRaelle TuckerMay 3, 2007 (2007-05-03)3.11[34]
43 (21)"All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One"Robert SingerSera GambleMay 10, 2007 (2007-05-10)2.90[35]
44 (22)"All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two"Kim MannersStory: Eric Kripke & Michael T. Moore
Teleplay: Eric Kripke		May 17, 2007 (2007-05-17)2.72[36]

Production

Guest stars

In developing the second season, the writers desired to flesh out the concept of hunters, resulting in the introduction of many recurring characters, mainly through the hunter-frequented saloon Harvelle's Roadhose.[37] To complement the father-son relationship of the Winchesters in the first season, the writers created Ellen Harvelle and her daughter Jo.[38] Samantha Ferris portrayed Ellen—proprietor of the Roadhouse and an old friend of John Winchester—and believes that she was cast because she was, as a "tough, strong, yet a little maternal actor", exactly what they were looking for.[39] Alona Tal played Jo, who was intended to be a love interest for Dean. However, she was eventually phased out, as she came off as more of a sister-figure.[38] Also brought in was the genius Ash; portrayed by Chad Lindberg, he uses his vast computer skills to track the paranormal. However, the writers felt his "comical" and "wacky" personality was too unrealistic for the show, and eventually killed him off.[40]

Others returned from the first season. Actor Jim Beaver, previously appearing in the first season finale, returned for multiple appearances as hunter Bobby Singer, an old family friend of the Winchesters. Beaver had expected his first season guest appearance to be a "one-shot deal", and was surprised when he was asked to return.[41] Adrianne Palicki reprised her role as Sam's deceased girlfriend Jessica in the alternate-reality episode "What Is and What Should Never Be", as did Samantha Smith as Mary Winchester. Smith also made an appearance in a flashback in the penultimate episode "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One". Jeffrey Dean Morgan returned as John Winchester in both the season premiere and finale, though he was at first reluctant to do so because of his role on Grey's Anatomy.[42] The character is killed off in the premiere, as the writers worried that him being separated from his sons like in the first season would "split the show" by having him away "doing more interesting things than the boys are doing".[43] As a demon, the villain Azazel periodically switches hosts, and was first fully portrayed by Morgan in the first season finale. Fredric Lehne played the demon in the second season premiere, and the show runners enjoyed his performance so much that they brought him back for the two-part finale.[44]

Many factors went into the casting decisions of the season's guest stars. Linda Blair, famous for her role in the horror film The Exorcist, appeared in the episode "The Usual Suspects". Though a fan of the show, Blair had turned down a guest appearance in the first season because she did not want to return to horror, having spent years to get a "clean slate". However, the television series Extra did a three-part series profile on her acting career and work with animals, and attempted to find a series that would write a role for her as "an actor's piece" rather than a cameo. Kripke, a huge fan of The Exorcist,[45] responded by offering to write an episode specifically for her, and Blair was "really touched" when he listened to her request of not including demons in the storyline.[46] During ADR, Jensen Ackles added in a reference to The Exorcist with the statement, "I could really go for some pea soup".[47] Kripke was a fan of Emmanuelle Vaugier's work in television series such as Smallville, and believed she was an "easy choice" for the large role of the soon-to-be werewolf Madison in "Heart". Director Kim Manners felt that Vaugier brought to the character a vulnerability like Lon Chaney, Jr. of The Wolf Man, which made viewers sympathetic.[48] Producers like to cast actors who are important to the series' fanbase, and this contributed to the decision to cast Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer in "Roadkill". This was the first episode to have the Winchesters as supporting characters, and Kripke felt that "Tricia had the charisma to perform the leading role".[49] The conspiracy theorist Ronald of "Nightshifters" was envisioned by writer and consulting producer Ben Edlund as the unsympathetic "semi-drunk Randy Quaid from Independence Day". However, this changed with Chris Gauthier's casting, and Edlund felt that Ronald turned out to be a "really cool" character that the fans would enjoy.[50] Summer Glau was considered for the role of the zombie Angela for "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things", but was unable to accept the offer due to scheduling conflicts.[51]

Writing

As much as I love season one, we actually had a pretty formulaic structure. There'd be an obituary that would take the guys into a town, they'd do a little research, they'd have a skirmish with the monster, they'd meet a girl, they'd have a showdown with the monster, they'd learn something about themselves, and then they'd roll out of town again. Pretty much every episode had that structure. And we worried that the viewers would get bored with the show if we did that again for a whole other season.

— —Kripke on the decision to change the series formula.[52]

When production of the second season started, Kripke wanted to get away from the episode formula used in the first season, instead desiring episodes to focus on more than just the monster-of-the-week. To do this, the writers decided to have more "human themes", focusing on "the things Sam and Dean are truly afraid of: death, grief, betrayal, etc.".[52] To accomplish this, they focused the stories on situations such as having the brothers deal with their father's death and giving them the task of hunting down Azazel, the demon that killed him.[53] Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan feels that the brothers' "inner turmoil" created by the death of his character—Sam and Dean's father John Winchester—made them more three-dimensional.[54] While Dean has trouble dealing with his father's death, however, Kripke wishes that they had focused more on Sam's reaction. Instead, the season dealt more with Sam's fear of becoming evil, which Kripke regretted, as the writers never depicted the character doing anything bad.[55] As well, the writers introduced Harvelle's Roadhouse—a saloon frequented by hunters—to expand upon the universe of hunters.[37] Throughout the first two seasons, the writers included the potential for a "war of demons against humanity", and it finally started at the end of the second season.[56] In the end, Kripke found the mythology of the second season being "dense" and "confusing", instead favoring the self-enclosed episodes, deeming them "unique and structurally interesting".[57]

Some storylines originated from ideas that writers could not use in the first season. Kripke had wanted to do a clown episode from the beginning of the series, feeling, "Clowns in a context where they're not supposed to be are friggin' terrifying.[58] However, he felt that making it into a Rakshasa of Hindu mythology to fit with series made it less satisfying when revealed, as the villain then ends up taking the form of an invisible old man, and wishes that they had included more scenes with the clown.[59] Another element of folklore that Kripke had always wanted to include was the story of Robert Johnson, as his first attempted screenplay as a writer focused on it. He found the story to be similar to Supernatural, noting, "It's a piece of real life American history and folklore, it's an American horror story, it takes place on the dusty back roads of rural America, and it's got great music."[60] However, as the lore takes place in the early 20th century, Sam and Dean would not be included. Luckily, writer Sera Gamble came up with idea of detailing it in flashbacks, with the Crossroads Demon returning in the present to make more deals.[61] The demon's hellhound was envisioned by Gamble as being similar in appearance to a Rottweiler, but Kripke felt it would "look stupid". It was instead made invisible, which Gamble believes makes them scarier because they cannot be seen.[62] Before entering the television industry, writer and consulting producer Ben Edlund had wanted to pen a metafictional script dealing with television production, but decided against it because did not have knowledge of production details.[63] He later came back to it for the episode "Hollywood Babylon", and decided to make production look like "goofballs", making fun of Supernatural's production staff, the network, and the studio. Many metafictional details were thus added in.[64] Executive producer Robert Singer is a golfer and usually practices golf swings while directing, so director Phil Sgriccia had actor Don Stark—portraying a producer—doing the same thing. Comments made by Gary Cole's "studio suit" character were based on notes from the network and studio for Supernatural during both seasons of production.[64] One scene features a character commenting on the "terrible script" of the film Boogeyman, which was written by Kripke.[65]

Black and white illustration of men finding the word "CROATOAN" carved into a tree.
The titular demon virus in "Croatoan" arose to explain the missing Roanoke Colony—"America's first ghost story".[66] With the emergence of the upcoming demon war against humanity, the writers reasoned that demons would realistically prepare by looking into biological weaponry.[67]

Other stories developed from simple concepts that the writing staff were able to expand upon. The vampire episode "Bloodlust" came out of the writers wanting to make an episode in which characters questioned if the monsters should be killed. The episode "touched on racial issues", but Padalecki noted that the show did not "[throw] it in [the viewer's] face" but rather explored it in a "fun way".[68] With the writers wanting to keep the audience guessing in the second season,[69] Cathryn Humphris pitched a story with a ghost as a death omen, trying to warn people rather than kill as usual ghosts do, and this evolved into "The Usual Suspects". However, Humphris had trouble developing the outline. Kripke noted a part of the episode in which brothers are arrested and tell police what had happened, and it became the framework of the episode, starting the plot off with Sam and Dean being taken into custody.[45] The original concept for "Tall Tales" was a "he said, he said" episode, where the brothers tell their own accounts of the storyline. The writers went through five or six monsters trying to find one appropriate for the episode, eventually settling on a trickster because it "can do everything [they] want it to".[70] Unlike other episodes, the writers did not put their own spin on trickster lore, keeping the "deadly sense of humor" and decision to go after the "high and mighty to bring them down a notch".[71]

Deviations from intended plotlines sometimes occurred in the writing process, such as with the idea for "Simon Said" that was originally pitched by Edlund. As in the final version of the script, twins with mind-control abilities were the focus, though they were meant to share a telepathic link. However, one was deformed, and kept secluded. The deformed twin's ability was to be more powerful, and he would end up making the other believe that he is retarded. At the episode's end, the normal twin would become so angry at his deformed brother that he actually eats him. The story was eventually changed, instead focusing on questions such as "What do you do with power?".[72] Kripke felt it fit greatly with the series' storyline, because Sam was uncomfortable with his developing abilities, and the writers wanted to explore one of the psychic children—young adults who were visited by the demon Azazel as infants, later gaining powers later in life—who took his ability as a gift.[73] "Folsom Prison Blues" came from Kripke's desire to have an episode feature prison ghosts, and the initial plot had FBI Agent Henriksen finally capturing the brothers and sending them to prison. However, this caused too many complications, as the writers would have to devise a way for Sam and Dean to escape in the end.[74] Writer John Shiban suggested that the brothers be working a job and are arrested on purpose, with the prison's head guard ending up being a family friend.[75]

Aspects of episodes also came from thoughts that the writers wanted to convey. Kripke's disbelief of angels, believing that God instead works through humans, translates into the episode "Houses of the Holy"—originally entitled "Touched"—by having an evil man impaled by a pipe falling from a truck after its driver slams on the breaks. He commented, "An incident like that is one in a million, so anytime anyone gets a javelin through their heart in the middle of a car accident, you should suspect God's will..."[76] The plot of "Born Under a Bad Sign" fell into place as the writing process went along, beginning from the writers wanting to address the question of whether Sam was becoming evil, and they used the episode to show how an evil Sam would appear and what Dean's reaction would be.[77] The episode's teaser of a blood-covered Sam waking up and not remembering the past week was one of the first ideas for the second season that the writers came up with. They included demonic possession to explain Sam's actions, and brought back the Meg Masters demon because she would want revenge after being exorcised in the previous season.[77] The character of Ava Wilson in "Hunted"—named after Tucker's best friend from high school—was created to have a female character driving the storyline instead of needing to be rescued. Ava was intended to be a sister-figure for Sam, and this decision made it easier for Tucker, who noted, "She was allowed to be spunkier, more sarcastic, more of her own person, because she wasn't there to charm Sam."[78] The episodes "Hunted" and "Simon Said" introduced a twist to the psychic children story arc, as Ava and Ansem's mothers were not killed in a nursery fire. The writers did not want all of the children to be easily found, and the twist prevented the Winchesters from knowing exactly how many children there were.[79] For the episode "Heart", Gamble thought it was appropriate for Sam to have to eventually kill the werewolf Madison, as she feels that the series works best when Sam and Dean are "in a lot of pain". Gamble believed Kripke would not allow this, but he agreed with her decision.[80] The aliases that the Winchesters use in the episode—Detectives Landis and Dante—are named after John Landis and Joe Dante. The former was the director of An American Werewolf in London, and the latter directed The Howling.[81]

While many episodes were inspired by supernatural and urban legends, some aspects were influenced by popular culture. Kripke's first experience as director was to come in the twentieth episode of the season, so he wanted a script that was as "director-proof as possible". He shot down every idea the writers pitched to him until Tucker suggested an alternate reality episode.[82] Finding inspiration in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Normal Again", which has demonic poison causing hallucinations for the character Buffy Summers in which she is a mental patient who has been imagining the series' storylines,[83] Kripke loved the idea,[82] and it evolved into "What Is and What Should Never Be". He found Dean's definitive moment to be the death of their mother, so the new reality would be based on the question, "What if mom never died?"[83] However, he felt that Dean would realize something was amiss if he was granted a "perfect dream world", so John Winchester remained dead. Additionally, Sam and Dean no longer get along, as Kripke believed it would be "lame" for them to have a "7th Heaven relationship".[82]. Thus, the point of the false reality was to show that he and Sam would not be close if they had not become hunters.[84] The writers wanted to use a wish to accomplish this, so they decided on using a genie. The Islamic djinn—the origins of genie folklore—became the episode's monster, but featured the "bastardized western conception" of wish-granting to fit the episode.[85] The creature's appearance was inspired by an image of woman with a henna-tattooed back that Kripke found on the internet while searching on djinn.[82] The idea for "Roadkill" started off as a The Sixth Sense-style narrative, with both the episode's lead character and the viewers unaware that she is a ghost, with Sam and Dean revealing the truth at the episode's end. Kripke, Shiban, and Singer all felt it would be impossible to do to an episode with that structure, but writer Raelle Tucker was resilient and kept revising the story until it was workable, pitching approximately ten versions. She found it difficult to write two storylines—what the ghost Molly is experiencing and what brothers are doing—into one, laying hints for the audience to find if the episode is rewatched.[86]

Many storylines were brought to a close in the two-part finale "All Hell Breaks Loose". The psychic children were killed off, as the writers felt the characters were not as interesting as demons and monsters.[44] The Roadhouse was destroyed due to Kripke's disliking of the concept, as he felt it gave a home to the road show.[87] Fearing that he would disappoint fans by creating too much anticipation, Kripke also decided to answer many questions regarding Azazel's plans in "Part One". The second part ended the brothers' quest to kill Azazel, but also opened more storylines for the third season, such as Dean's demonic pact to resurrect Sam and the question of whether what returned was "one hundred percent pure Sam".[88][89] The original script of "Part Two" was also much more complex, but had to be simplified for budgetary reasons, which Kripke feels ended up improving the episode.[90]

Filming

For his scenes as the yellow-eyed demon Azazel throughout the season, Fredric Lehne had to wear colored contact lenses, forcing him to act blind. Production was required to place sandbags on the floor so that he would know where his marks were. Lindsey McKeon, who played a Reaper briefly possessed by Azazel in "In My Time of Dying", also had the same problem. In her scene, she was supposed to touch Ackles' forehead, and it took nine takes to film, as she kept missing.[91]

A large, stone church.
Part of "Houses of the Holy" was filmed at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church.

When thinking of the entrance to the funhouse in "Everybody Loves a Clown", the first thing that came to set designer Jerry Wanek's mind was having it be clown's mouth. He made slight alterations to a happy clown face to make it "nasty-looking".[59] The loft set from "No Exit" was redesigned into an apartment for "Crossroad Blues",[61] and the bar in "Born Under a Bad Sign" was a redesigned Roadhouse set.[92] Outside elements also influenced designs, with the bar in the hotel of "Playthings" being an homage to The Shining.[93] Wisconsin-native Wanek was able incorporate personal items into the motel set for the Wisconsin-based episode "Nightshifter". Because polka is part of the culture there, he used posters from his father's old polka band, as well as photos of his nephews and Wisconsin landmarks.[50] Due to "Tall Tales"'s atmosphere, that episode's motel was designed to be "over the top". Wanek noted, "They were in this really odd-looking motel that had crystal chandeliers and carved beds, turquoise stove and refrigerator, and this wonderful period linoleum on the floor. I thought it really matched the tempo and emotion of the show."[94]

Other scenes were shot on location. The vault scenes in "Nightshifter" were filmed in an actual bank safe, as production would not have been able to construct one on set.[95] Outside shots were filmed in downtown Vancouver, and streets had to be closed off.[95] The crypt of "Houses of the Holy" was built underneath St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church, with plastic used to imitate sculpted stone.[96] Riverview Hospital—used as a filming location in previous episodes—was used for the premiere "In My Time of Dying". It also functioned as a jail in "Folsom Prison Blues" due to, as Wanek describes, "the texture on the walls, the lack of any humanity in the design, and the materials used to build it..." However, the prison block was built on a sound stage.[97] The final scenes of "Simon Said" were filmed at Cleveland Dam.[98] "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" made use of a pre-existing set built for the Western television series Bordertown.[44] The second episode's climax was originally to take place in an actual cemetery, but numerous issues forced production to film the scene in the studio.[99]

The car chase of "Houses of the Holy" was originally more complex. A camera was to be placed on the front of the insert car, which was to drive to the intersection where the car chase occurs, and was to film the cars driving from left to right. However, the roads were too icy for this to be done.[76] "Hollywood Babylon" used two filming styles for the episode. Scenes of the fake film used more saturated colors, while scenes for the actual episode were "down to reality".[65] Director Sgriccia made shots similar to The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness as an homage to horror writer and director Sam Raimi.[100]

Music

The mostly synthesized orchestral score of the season was composed by Christopher Lennertz and Jay Gruska.[101] The pair try to base the music on the visuals of each episode,[102] with about a third of each episode's score being newly written for the supernatural legend.[101] For example, when the werewolf's point of view is depicted in "Heart", Gruska tried to make the score predatorial.[103] For "Roadkill"'s emotional ending, Lennertz used cello and piano to "[tug] at the heart strings" and "push the tears".[104] The music was supposed to "become part of the sinister wallpaper" in "In My Time of Dying". Thus, in the scene involving John Winchester selling his soul to Azazel, Gruska wrote the music as "dark and dank", but feels the viewer would only notice the music if it was removed from the scene.[105]

Other musical elements are based on aspects of the episode, often using less conventional instruments. For "Simon Said"—featuring characters with the ability of mind-control—Gruska tried to make the score more "mind-trippy", opting to mainly use "synthy, spacey electronica pads" to give it a science-fiction sound.[106] Toy-piano sounds were included in "Playthings" by Gruska to make the score more childlike.[107] Because of the Robert Johnson theme of "Crossroad Blues", Lennertz made sure to be specific to Johnson's style when writing the music for the opening scene. A blues guitarist was brought in, and played on a "beat-up old acoustic guitar". However, they added in dissonant notes to remove the feeling of it being merely a blues track and to foreshadow the "grittiness to come".[108] Lennertz used organ, drums, bass, and guitar to have a "retro bluesy approach" for "Folsom Prison Blues", mimicking the style of film composer David Holmes.[109] Likewise, he wanted the episode "Nightshifter" to have a "feature film feel", with the score ending up similar to The Bourne Identity.[110] With Linda Blair of The Exorcist guest starring in "The Usual Suspects", Gruska used tubular bells as an homage to the film's score.[111]

In addition to the score, the series makes use of rock songs, with most being selected from Kripke's private collection.[112] Among the many bands featured in the second season are AC/DC, Lynrd Skynyrd, and Boston. Rock songs are also usually featured in "The Road So Far" montages at the beginning of select episodes that recap previous events. The premiere used Ted Nugent's "Strangehold", and a "coming soon" sequence midway through the season was set to Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog". The finale recapped the second season to Kansas' "Carry On Wayward Son".

Effects

A growling woman with animal-like eyes and long canine teeth.
Werewolves of Supernatural are much different than their traditional appearances in folklore.

To depict the supernatural aspects of the show, the series makes use of visual, special, and make-up effects, as well as stuntwork. Beginning with the second season, visual effects became an in-house department.[113] Visual effects supervisor Ivan Hayden feels this improved the series, as a fixed budget allowed them to compensate for other scenes that lacked effects, such as in "Nightshifter". Wide shots of the bank's exterior—featuring closed-off streets, police, and SWAT helicopters—were accomplished with visual effects.[114] The series' catchphrase—"Scary just got sexy"—was added on to a billboard.[115] For the episode "Houses of the Holy", they did not want viewers to be able to determine that the "angel" was in actuality a priest. Thus, the shape engulfed in light was a girl wearing a skintight white leotard.[116] Subtle visual effects were also used. For the sewer scenes in "No Exit", cockroaches were digitally added. Director Kim Manners did not ask for it, but thought the addition "made it really creepy". A boom microphone also had to be removed from scene.[117] The episode "Playthings" featured a scene of a man dying after falling down stairs. The visual effects department added in blood coming from underneath him, and also made his fingers twitch and his mouth open and close.[118]

For Dean's out-of-body experience in "In My Time of Dying", which features him looking at his own body in a hospital bed, a body double was used with full gelatin face that had been sculpted from Ackles' face.[119] To depict a woman burning to death in the episode "Simon Said", the actress was sealed inside a full body silicone designed to look like her, and was doused with accelerant. She was required to breathe through a straw, as well as don underwear soaked in ice-cold fire-retardant gel.[120] Prior to "Heart", Kripke had not wanted to have werewolves on the series, feeling that the budget would only allow for "a guy with fur glued to his face".[81] As he prefers to have monsters be able to walk among humans, they had the transformation subtlely done, only changing the character's eyes and having her canine teeth and fingernails grow.[81] However, writer Sera Gamble believes that they "dropped the ball" in the design, feeling that creature looked too similar to a vampire.[121]

Reception

Supernatural had low ratings during its second season, with viewers consisting mainly of teen girls, and the CW trying to attract more males.[122] Ranked #216 relative to the position of other prime time network shows,[3] and with an average viewership of 3.14 million Americans,[3] the show's future was in doubt at the season's end.[4] Despite this, the show was renewed for a third season.[123] According to Special Forces Soldier Master Sergeant Kevin Wise at a 2007 Supernatural convention, the DVDs most requested by armed forces personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan were the first two seasons of the series.[124]

The second season of the series received mixed reviews from critics. Jim Kaz of IGN gave the season an 8/10. While at first hesitant of the series, believing it to be "another horror/sc-fi/occult hybrid currently igniting ratings", he found the "eerie and intricate storylines" to overcome the "initial impressions of Clearasil ads and Paris Hilton in House of Wax". Praising the cliffhangers and the brotherly chemistry between the lead actors, Kaz deemed Supernatural to be "one-helluva edge-of-your-seat, ball-burner of a series with a forceful script, excellent acting (said pretty boys included) and some fine special effects".[125] CP Cochran of Firefox News, too, enjoyed the "believable sibling annoyances, banter, familial conflict, and heart-wrenching moments" between Padalecki and Ackles. He also commented on the "memorable guest-performances" of the season, especially noting those of Linda Blair and Tricia Helfer.[126] The season received a grade of a B- from Brian Tallerico of UGO, who found it to be "frustrating" due to the use of the "same predictable formula" that did not meet the standards of the first season. Other problems he found included "the brothers [turning] whiny and mopey and [taking] everything too seriously". However, he believed that the season ended "strong"—he liked how the main storyline was wrapped up, opening new storylines—and noted that there were some "excellent" episodes. Tallerico praised the "tongue-in-cheek Winchester adventure" "The Usual Suspects", feeling that it had "enough pop culture references to make Tarantino jealous" and the "pitch-perfect mix of tones that make the show so great". He also found "Nightshifter" to the "best action hour of Supernatural's second year", finding it "riveting from beginning to end".[127] Also applauding the season's cliffhanger was Peter Brown of IFMagazine, who gave the season a B+. He enjoyed the expansion of the series' mythology, as well as the new characters introduced. Brown praised the "haunting music and sounds that really give a chilling feel to each and every episode", feeling them to be Emmy-worthy.[128]

The season's cast and crew received the attention of multiple award programs. Writer Raelle Tucker won the Constellation Award for "Best Overall 2007 Science Fiction Film or Television Script" for the episode "What Is and What Should Never Be",[129] and work on "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two" garnered a Golden Reel nomination for "Best Sound Editing in Television: Short Form – Sound Effects and Foley".[130] Conchita Campbell gained a Young Artist Award nomination for "Best Performance in a TV Series - Guest Starring Young Actress" for her performance in "Playthings",[131] and Jessica Harmon was nominated in 2008 for a Leo Award in the category of "Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series" for the episode "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One".[132]

DVD release

The second season was released as a six-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the US on September 11, 2007,[9] two weeks before the premiere of the third season. Including all 22 episodes of the second season, the set also featured DVD extras such as episode commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers, Jared Padalecki's original screen test, and a featurette on the making of the season finale.[133] The season was ranked No. 13 in DVD sales for its week of release, selling 67,735 sets for $2,573,253.[134] However, it slipped out of the top-30 list the following week.[135] For Region 2, the season was divided into two parts, being released on May 14, 2007,[136] and September 10, 2007;[137] the complete set was released on October 29, 2007.[10] The season was also released in Region 4 on October 2, 2007.[11]

References

General
  1. Knight, Nicholas (2008). Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 2. Titan Books. ISBN 1845766571.
Specific
  1. ^ Bianco, Robert (January 24, 2006). "New CW: We'll have to watch and see". USA Today. Retrieved September 26, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Supernatural: Season 2". IGN. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c "Season Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 22, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  4. ^ a b McFarland, Melanie (November 23, 2007). "Supernatural ratings less than super". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  5. ^ Wilkes, Neil (November 26, 2006). "Oh my God, I shot myself". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  6. ^ "Citytv announces premiere dates for new fall lineup". Channel Canada. August 17, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  7. ^ "Space Announced Fall Programming Highlights". Channel Canada. June 1, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  8. ^ "Supernatural is first online". Daily Telegraph. January 10, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  9. ^ a b David Lambert (May 23, 2007). "2nd Season Set For September: Date, Extras, More". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  10. ^ a b "Supernatural - The Complete Second Season (DVD)". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Supernatural - The Complete 2nd Season (6 Disc Set)". EzyDVD. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  12. ^ Adalian, Josef (December 17, 2006). "CW goes digital with iTunes". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Kaufman, Joanne (July 9, 2007). "Gamers turn to XBox Live for movies". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "Amazon.com launches new TV store". The Boston Globe. September 17, 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 3, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
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  33. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 1, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
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  37. ^ a b Angel Cohn (October 19, 2006). "Supernatural's Creator Shares More Season 2 Secrets". TV Guide. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  38. ^ a b Knight, p.15
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  41. ^ Knight, p.136
  42. ^ William Keck (2006-04-20). "Jeffrey Dean Morgan awaits his fate". USA Today. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  43. ^ Neil Wilkes (February 15, 2007). "'Supernatural' writer John Shiban". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  44. ^ a b c Eric Kripke, Sera Gamble, and Bob Singer. Supernatural season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "All Hell Breaks Loose" (DVD).
  45. ^ a b Knight, p.51
  46. ^ Angel Cohn (November 9, 2006). "Linda Blair: How I Exorcised Supernatural's Demons". TV Guide. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
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  57. ^ Brian Ford Sullivan (October 4, 2007). "On the Futon with... "Supernatural" Creator Eric Kripke". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
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