Supernatural and Oz, 'anti-heroes and lawyers' (spoilers for SPN)

[Dina Lerret]

While appreciating the J2 eye candy {g}, I encountered another Oz fan
into SPN at http://community.livejournal.com/dean_sam/156979.html?thread=2459955
and it made me reflect how there were *some* similarities between the
series.

To give spoiler space, even if I only lightly touch on the S2
premiere, I'll comment on one of my favorite past series, HBO's Oz, a
*graphic* prison drama.  As a slasher, I was immediately drawn to the
dynamics between the Oz characters of Chris Keller (actor Chris Meloni
on L&O:SVU) and Tobias Beecher (actor Lee Tergesen).

As I said on dean_sam at LJ, Chris Keller is an interesting and complex
character.  At one point, he was described as an 'anti-hero'.  I could
blather about how I define 'anti-hero' but Wiki has a more direct
definition at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihero :
"...An anti-hero is a protagonist that lives by the guidance of their
own moral compass, striving to define and construe their own values as
opposed to those recognized by the society in which they live.
Additionally, the work may depict how their character alters over
time, either leading to punishment, un-heroic success, or redemption."

Keller is an alleged serial killer of gay men, though the crimes
couldn't be sufficiently pinned on him but the implications and
accusations were there.  In a secluded room, Keller even says at one
point, 'I think I killed those men because I wanted to kill the part
of me I despised' while he was getting a blowjob from another inmate,
Ronnie Barlog, and after he climaxed, he snapped Barlog's neck, a
former 'friend' but a liability since Barlog could be considered a
'witness' to those past murders.  With such violence towards
homosexuality, Keller still remained strongly tied to Beecher
throughout the series but redirected his extreme emotions to what he
perceived as 'love'.

Keller was willing to kill for Beecher and eventually die for him.
When Toby said he couldn't continue loving Chris, Keller commits
suicide in front of Beecher, but not before killing Toby's tormentor,
Vern Schillinger, and many of Schillinger's Aryan Brotherhood
followers.  This would be the last but not the first act where he
tried to protect Toby, though, he had also both physically (e.g.
deliberately breaking both of Beecher's arms, for starters) and
emotionally hurt Beecher as well.  It's no wonder Soap Opera Digest
had an article on the ups&downs of this relationship--I'm not joking,
*somewhere*, I have a copy of this edition of SOD, which the acronym
alone should make Oz sodomy moments appropriate for this periodical.

It's also ironic Tobias Beecher is a litigation lawyer, imprisoned on
DUI vehicular manslaughter (i.e. drove intoxicated and hit and killed
a young girl), and you see how his character's sense of morals
'de-evolves' the longer he's in prison... to survive.  Keller seduces
him and they have one of the most dysfunctional relationships, *evah*,
compounded by proximity of criminals while they're stuck in prison.
It's in this 'microcosm of society' they learn to make their own
rules.  And speaking of making their own rules...

Supernatural also has an interesting dynamic between the Winchester
brothers, Dean and Sam.  From the earliest moments of John Winchester
telling his son, Dean (age ~4), to carry Sam (~6 month old infant) out
of their burning house that would consume Mary Winchester, you have
the basic family dynamic that would continue: Dean following his
father's orders and Dean feeling responsible for Sam.  Another
flashback would show the same pattern of John telling Dean to watch
'little Sammy' while he would hunt for the supernatural.  Then, in
last night's season premiere, this aspect is once again brought up.
While Dean may be viewed as a 'binding' element of the Winchester
family, he's also dependent on his father and brother to give him... a
sort of sense of purpose in life.  It's understandable considering
that was how he grew up, and it's admirable he has a strong sense of
responsibility for his family but I also view this as presenting a
co-dependency dilemma.

While hunting for 'evil', the Winchesters live a nomadic life and only
have each other as a constant.  Since hunting the supernatural goes
*way* out of normal legal jurisdiction, they acclimate themselves over
time to making their own rules and breaking society's rules (e.g.
weapons and credit/identity fraud) for the sake of 'hunting evil,
saving people'.  As a result, the Winchesters also fit within the
description of 'anti-hero'.  They have their own sense of morals but
achieve it through means they deem suitable, which may not always
match society's rules.

Under this type of lifestyle, Sam would grow and it's ironic, when Sam
decides to leave his family for college at Stanford, he chooses to
study law.  What Sam thinks he wants is a normal life where normal is
defined as 'safe'.  The irony isn't necessarily Sam choosing a career
dependent on society's laws; the irony could be perceived that Sam is
acquainted with how ineffectual, and therefore, 'unsafe' following the
law can be at times.  Touching back on Beecher 'shedding' the
trappings of society's boundaries for survival, Dean may have come
back into Sam's life because their father went missing, but Sam was
willing to return to college, until events would shred the bindings to
a normal life.

One aspect of losing this 'normalcy' was Toby's wife, Gen, dying, and
to parallel, Sam's girlfriend, Jess, dying.  Though, Jess's death was
quite... *spectacular* as she goes up in flames while pinned to the
ceiling and over the bed she shared with Sam, which shares the
parallel to Sam's mother, Mary, dying while pinned to the ceiling over
Sam's crib as a burst of flames consumed her body because of a demon
having plans for Sam.  Hm, it's no wonder Sam developed some issues
over forming longterm relationships with gals. {g}

So, let's bring in the 'seducer', Chris Keller... no, wait,
Supernatural... Dean Winchester.  Seduction isn't always about
sexuality; it can be about desires for intangible and tangible things.
 In Sam's case, he wants 'safety', and when he realizes normal isn't
always safe from the supernatural, he falls back on Dean, who still
remains on some level as Sam's 'guardian', and the arsenal of
'weapons' Dean stocks the Impala.  Under the guise of their seeking
revenge against the demon who killed their mother and his girlfriend
and to prevent others from being killed by the supernatural... all the
while trying to locate their father (multi-tasking, indeed ;-) ), it's
possible Sam may find a sense of 'safety' with his brother.

Also being a Wincest slasher, it's possible to redefine 'safety' as a
feeling of comfort, of completeness, of... love and love is perceived
in a variety of 'flavours'.  After seeing how obsessive Keller was
over Beecher, I then see Dean willing to kill and place his life in
danger's way for Sam.  Strong bond between these brothers and it
becomes more apparent in SPN's S2 premiere, In My Time of Dying.  Once
again, you see the *desperation* Sam has for not losing Dean to death
versus S1's finale, Devil's Trap, where Sam is holding the Colt gun to
their father.

In the finale, I thought there was a very good chance Sam would've
killed John, even though John demanded/begged Sam to kill him while he
still possessed the demon inside, if it wasn't for Dean *pleading* for
Sam not to kill their father... all while he's bleeding to death
(Winchesters: better than Windows at multi-tasking - though, a Target
plastic bag is probably better than Windows as well... the bags even
list multiple uses for them, including pet 'pooper scooper',
seriously).  Though, it is interesting to note Dean, who usually obeys
his father, went against John's request, his *order*, but Dean still
remains in family protector mode.

With some similar parallels to Oz and a strong co-dependency/bonds
between Dean and Sam, the progression of taking this relationship of
brotherhood to the level of lovers doesn't seem so far-fetched, IMHO,
once you take away *society* classifying incest as wrong, a taboo.

Awesome season premiere! :-D  With the Ghost refererence to Dean
saying he "Swayze'd" a cup, does that make Sam as Whoopi or Demi? ;-p

Dina