Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled by Travis Langley

Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled Reviews

• 
  Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin

  This is was way more than I was expecting! I even added several post it notes full of my feelings inside the book!! I have a few more of these I found on BookOutlet. I’m going to try to get all of them!
  
  
  
  Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
• 
  ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣

  Always Keep Fighting.
  An interesting take on a TV show. Fiction sometimes is wiser than reality in that it shows the most salient points of some stylized idea. This piece of fiction seems to have been done with regard to human psychology somewhat more advanced than 101 (or a lot of cherry-picking happened or not).
  
  Some ideas branch out into trauma theory, the nature of fandom, parasocial relationships, family systems theory, triangulation, attachment theory... Overall, it's a fairly interesting read into how angst becomes angst and more delicious topics how the psychological tendencies of imaginary characters came to be the way they were portrayed.
  Q:
  Being born to fire isn’t a flaw. It’s not a condition or a scar. (c)
  Q:
  There is an argument to be made, at least from a “larger world” perspective, that once you peer into the darkness and see what’s there then it also sees you. It knows you, and sometimes it goes hunting for you.
  If you’re ready, if you’ve trained and armed yourself with weapons and knowledge, then you are ready for that fight. Maybe even hungry for it, even though you know that winning can break your heart. (c)
  Q:
  Why?
  Because they were born to fire.
  And man oh man do they love to make the monsters burn. (c)
  Q:
  Family is that something in you that resonates with and recognizes that something in another. I have a theory as to what the “something” is that sits in the seat of the unconscious and is recognizable below words. I call it the “inner orphan.” (c)
  Q:
  Embrace your inner orphan. He is the hero who will set you free. (c)
  Q:
  This show, like everything in our finite universe, will one day end. But what can live on for many generations (besides the reruns) is the confidence that comes from recognizing our brokenness among our fellows; embracing it; and mending it with the virtues of love, courage, loyalty, certitude, and independence. (c)
  Q:
  Psychological explanations for why people become fans have ranged from pathological — loneliness, attachment problems, even delusions—to an emphasis on normal developmental and social processes, such as identify formation, the importance of play, and the need to belong. (c)
  Q:
  One of the first researchers to conduct psychological studies of fans coined the frightening term parasocial relationship to describe the fan’s one-way knowledge of a celebrity, which is not reciprocated, and even warned of the possibility of erotomanic delusions if a fan went too far down this slippery slope of fannish enthusiasm. ...
  Supernatural has reflected this pathologizing view of fans, along with more positive models, in its tradition of incorporating its fans into multiple “meta” episodes (meta being a colloquialism for metafiction, fiction that somehow alludes to its own fictional nature). (c)
  Q:
  Having heroes and idols, such as the Winchesters or Castiel, is a normal part of identity development, allowing us to try on identities and forge our own in the process. Both fictional characters and the actors who portray them shape fans’ identities by inspiring fans to take on similar attitudes, values and behaviors. (c)
  Q:
  In the stage of middle adulthood, Erik Erikson described the crisis as generativity—finding meaning in life and focusing on leaving something behind—as opposed to self-absorption. (c)
  Q:
  We evolved to prioritize being part of a group and feeling included in that group; for the earliest humans, being excluded meant not surviving. Our emotional wiring evolved to meet these very needs. This is an evolutionary lesson we have not forgotten, which means people will go to great lengths to belong. Fandom, it turns out, allows many people to do so.
  In part, what fandom (and any community) offers is a group within which to develop one’s identity. According to social identity theory, our identities are created, developed, and strengthened through interaction with other people and tied to the groups to which we belong. Individuals figure out who they are by comparing themselves to others within the group (in-group members) and differentiating themselves from those outside the group (out-group members). We select these groups in order to maintain a positive identity: People want to feel good about themselves, so we want to belong to groups that can help us bolster that positive sense of self. Our connection to the group gives us a boost in self-esteem when whatever we are fans of is successful, whether that’s a sports team winning a game, an individual actor winning an Emmy, or Supernatural winning a People’s Choice Award or the show being renewed for yet another season. (c)
  Q:
  In fact, fans view their fandom communities as more prominent in their lives than their face-to-face neighbors in terms of belongingness, emotional connection, shared values, and overall sense of community. These perceptions translate to higher levels of collective happiness and a positive social identity. Importantly, fans perceive themselves to be part of the fandom group even when no face-to-face contact occurs; online fan communities serve the same role in establishing a sense of belongingness and acceptance. (c)
  Q:
  In online Supernatural fan communities, norms for interaction and for expressing passion for a favorite show are quite different than in the rest of the “real world.” This opportunity to be genuine with others is another healthy benefit of fandom for many fans. Authenticity within relationships is associated with higher self-esteem and a stronger sense of well-being, whereas hiding who you really are to please others compromises identity development. Fans often talk about finding like-minded others within fandom as feeling like “coming home,” referring to a place where you can be yourself. The “disconfirmation of uniqueness” that we gain from being part of a group provides a relief, which results in greater self-esteem and a more positive sense of self. (c)
  Q:
  According to social surrogacy theory, a beloved television show can fulfill some of our human need to belong. Television shows are particularly powerful in creating feelings of belongingness because they allow viewers to regularly immerse themselves in an alternate universe that becomes familiar and comfortable. The most powerful shows also have themes that activate social processing in viewers—Supernatural’s theme of family and its strong focus on relationships, for example. Although Supernatural viewers certainly are aware that Sam and Dean and Castiel are not real, when fans watch an episode, the brain is “tricked” into believing that some of the viewer’s belonging needs have been met anyway. When we identify strongly with a fictional character, we are able to be transported into that world and enjoy the full experience of that character. While these are still considered parasocial or one-way relationships, social surrogacy theory views the experience of belongingness delivered in this way to be an expression of a normal human need, instead of something pathological. (c)
  Q:
  The question of why we have emotional responses to fictional characters we know are not real has been debated for decades. One explanation is that works of fiction are created out of real-life elements that we already recognize and react to emotionally, but are presented in a new configuration. The characters we relate to have psychological features and emotions that are meaningful to us; they are familiar to us from our own lives. Thus, we react to them not only cognitively but emotionally. In fact, fictional stories invite an emotional reaction, and we may feel safer experiencing those emotions because of the lack of real-world ramifications. (c)
  Q:
  The brain doesn’t necessarily make a distinction between the familiar neighbor across the way and the celebrity you see all day long on social media. (c)
  Q:
  Having a passion for something, whether it is football, coin collecting, or Supernatural, can improve well-being, especially when engaging in that activity results in repeatedly experiencing positive affect. When fans continually immerse themselves in something they love, they incorporate some of that passion into their own identity. As long as people retain the flexibility that prevents that passion from interfering with other life activities, this “harmonious passion” is beneficial to both well-being and personal growth. (c)
  Q:
  Themes of redemption also occur throughout the show’s run, with all the main characters sometimes going off the path that’s paved with good intentions, occasionally going to Hell quite literally as a result. Nevertheless, they are all redeemed eventually, which is a reassuring message for fans. Fans often rely on their favorite show for solace, comfort, and reassurance... (c)
  Q:
  “...Family cares about you. Not what you can do for them. Family is there—for the good, bad, all of it. They got your back. Even when it hurts. That’s family.”
  —Dean Winchester (c)
  Q:
  Attachment theory looks at how the emotional connection within a family or between individuals positively and negatively affects their lives. The theory holds that adult success, positive relationships, feelings of security, and even confidence can be traced back to strong, positive relationships between the infant and his or her primary caregiver. Alternatively, children whose parents are absent, abusive, dismissive of their emotional needs, or inconsistent in supporting them are more likely to struggle with commitment and emotion regulation. (c)
  Q:
  Infants are capable of grief once they have developed object permanence—the ability to recognize that people and objects still exist when they’re out of sight—at around six to eight months of age. (c)
  Q:
  The personality subtypes that are most common in adults who have suffered a traumatic loss as a child are psychopathic, hostile/paranoid, internalizing/avoidant, and resilient. ...
  People with a psychopathic personality subtype is just about as friendly as they sound. (c)
  Q:
  Ambiguous loss is the type of loss people feel when they are unsure of whether if there a loss to mourn. (c)
  Q:
  Those who lose a parent at an early age can grow up to feel like the worst, most horrible things will happen to them, at times due to their own behavior and self-fulfilling prophecies. One parent dies, the remaining parent checks out emotionally, and the child is left to navigate the world on his or her own. For some, this can be distressing, lonely, and daunting. (c)
  Q:
  When people are able to establish differentiated (that is, independent and distinct) views from the group, they might be more likely to remain calm and are better able to regulate their emotions during a conflict, as compared to people who have a poor sense of self-differentiation. (c)
• 
  Katie

  3.5 stars, rounded up because I recognize I am a bit ornery and nit-picky! I decided to read this book because I had enjoyed Lynn Zubernis's other books -- I loved Fandom at the Crossroads, and was thrilled she signed my copy of it at San Diego Comic-Con 2017, where I attended a great panel at which both she and Travis Langley were panelists. I also love the show Supernatural, so picking up this book was a no-brainer. Naturally, I loved Lynn's chapter on the psychology of fandom, though it treads some of the same ground as her other work.
  
  I found that I liked the later chapters better than the earlier, which seemed to focus quite narrowly on the beginning of the series (of course, origin stories are important, and what happens to us early in life shapes us far into the future). As Supernatural has been running for so many seasons, there is so much in canon to pull from for psychological analysis and evaluation, rather than relying on the same examples from Sam and Dean's childhood. Many examples were pulled from the earlier seasons of the show (primarily seasons 1-6) and neglect the character growth that has occurred over the rest of the series.
  
  Some of my favorite parts included the brief foray into metafiction and metacognition in the Wild Folklore chapter; The Hero's Road Trip chapter, as it strayed the closest to literary analysis, which is my preferred analytic lens; the Bro Moments chapter; and The Message is in the Music chapter. One small blurb on the song "A Single Man Tear" (from episode 10x05) touched upon a subject about which I would have loved to have read more, "Dean Winchester's complex negotiation of repressed masculinity and overt emotionality."
  
  Similarly, I would have liked perhaps a bit more about Castiel, who is as psychologically rich a character as the Winchesters, though perhaps angel psychology is a bit out of the realm of expertise of most of the contributors! In addition, an essay about childhood food insecurity (which affected Dean more than Sam, as the former would often give up his food to the latter) and its effects on the brothers as adults would have been interesting, perhaps focusing on Dean's constant distraction by available food when interviewing witnesses and fondness for greasy food compared to Sam's devotion to healthy eating (perhaps indicative of a need for control over his life and/or related to his fears of "contamination," i.e., from his demonic blood). I have to admit that I also expected to read much more about the brothers' codependency, but no essay focused exclusively on that topic.
  
  This collection of 21 essays varies in quality and insight, and there were some parts about which I was skeptical. I doubted the validity of some conclusions that were drawn based on the interpretation of a particular piece of evidence -- namely, the idea that Sam's relationships with Jessica and Andrea displayed a high level of emotional intimacy (Sam did not share with either of them the truth about the supernatural or his childhood).
  
  Overall, I enjoyed learning some more psychological terms and reading psychologists' opinions about some of my favorite characters. Casual viewers and those with less-than-fanatical engagement with show would probably be the best audience for this volume, if only because the most die-hard fans are likely to find more to argue about in regards to interpretation of canon!
• 
  Nichole Winsor

  My mom won this one for me in a Goodreads Giveaway (her luck is so much better than mine). I wasn't sure how good this would be, but I had to give it a chance as I will read anything that is Supernatural related. I ended up loving it - it was very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
• 
  Jaye

  I really enjoyed this book. I studied psych in college, so it was fun to revisit some of the theories. As a SPN fan, reading about Dean and Sam’s psychological makeup reminded me how well-written and developed these characters are and made me an even bigger fan, especially of the writers. I liked the pacing and collection of essays as well as the expertise of all contributors. My only complaint is there was a bit of overlap in themes. Several essays covered mostly the same ground or referenced the same scenes. Would have like more variety and topics such as the impact of Sam losing his girlfriend or how Castiel’s strong bond with Dean may impact the brotherly dynamic but that’s a minor criticism. Overall, it was a great read! If you’re a fan of SPN and interested in psychology, i recommend you check it out.
• 
  Colleen

  This novel is a fun and interesting way to get the individual who's only access to psychology an AP psych class of that mandatory intro to psych class in college to interact and understand psychological concepts and theories. By following the lives of Sam and Dean, which are filled with enough trauma to cause anyone to have psychological distress, the authors in this novel introduce the reader to how the writers have constructed believable and relatable characters as well as why they sometimes do things that make the viewer wants to strangle them. There are some points that drag or are written in the confusing academic text that make college student's weep, but for the most part it is accessible to everyone and help them get them to think about their psychology a little bit more.
• 
  Lori Schiele

  October 2, 2018: I started this book back in August and, so far, it has been an amazing book, however, I had to put it aside for awhile, but I will most certainly finish it and expect to provide a (hopefully) concise and positive review when I have.
• 
  Miss Stamm

  Very interesting read if you're a fan of psychology or of Supernatural.
• 
  Laura N.

  Supernatural ended 10 months ago and I haven't recovered from the trauma of watching that shitty finale. But I won't talk about that, it's not worth it.
  This book was published years before the show ended, which kinda sucks, but what can I do.
  What I liked about this is that it focused on several topics. The authors wrote these short essays that managed to show us, in a very general way, a physiological analysis of the story and the characters, especially Dean and Sam. Because let's face it: this show is way deeper than it appears to be, and the characters have more layers than their outfits.
  I loved that everything is well referenced and it made me remember a lot of things about the show I had forgotten.
  What I didn't like that most characters were ignored. We know the Winchester brothers are the main characters, but they weren't what they are without everyone else in their lives. Bobby, John, Crowley and a few more were mentioned here and there. But I wanted to read about Garth, Jody, Claire, Kevin (and Jack wasn't even there when this book was published). Those have been important characters that were forgotten (here and in the show).
  Speaking of John, it seemed to me that authors didn't want to explicitly admit that the character is fucked up and ruined the boys' lives (yeah I know the show wouldn't make sense if he'd been a good father but at least we all can admit he was a terrible, TERRIBLE father, right?)
  And Castiel. My baby Cas. He was referred to as the angel of the lord who saved Dean from Hell, but damn, he is family too. He is so much more than an angel. Without that angel there wouldn't be 15 seasons of this show and we all know that, even though some people might have trouble admitting it. And his 'more profound bond' with Dean (d e s t i e l) was barely acknowledged. Dean and Cas are the greatest love story ever told, but of course no one will talk about that (and no, this isn't a debate). Cas deserved better, in the show and in this book.
  
  Anyway, good enough. 4 stars because I liked the way it was written and because it made me emotional in some parts.
• 
  Kasey

  I enjoyed this much more than I thought I was going to! It provided such an interesting and heartbreaking insight to the psychology of Supernatural and it’s characters. I can’t wait to rewatch the show after reading this with a whole new perspective.
• 
  Anna

  Pain - suffering - incredible rage. The emotions of watching Supernatural or trying to get through any book on it? We'll never know. To quote Dean Winchester: I'm so very very very very very very very very tired.
  
  Firstly, this book begins with the same navel-gazing, hopeless naivety and romanticism of what #spnfamily is as the other one, which in fairness to THAT book is about #spnfamily. The attempts to explain the #spnfamily, about how "we're" different from other fans, how it's a real community of people, instead of like, a barely contained hostile force in the world that can, has in the past, and will in the future, make regular social media use impossible come off just...self congratulatory AND delusional. I'm among the Older Fans, coming up on my Ten Year Anniversary of Watching Supernatural. This has been an unpleasant, toxic relationship. I hate this show. I love this show. In fairness, I think there was a period of peace during the Late Seasons Era, where much of the enthusiasm for the show itself died down and so maybe, at the time this book was published, pre-finale, fans of the show are interested in basically one thing: making Dean and Cas kiss, and knowing, in their dumb little hearts that they were going to (I'm sorry, kind of). They didn't, of course, and this is where the book gets it wrong. There is no passion for the show in Main Stream Fan Culture, there is only passion for Destiel, which from my perspective isn't the same thing. There isn't community. There's the Destiel Polycule (they are literally calling themselves this and I am very confused); there's the war hardened old j2 bibros (a term that wasn't even in USE until like 2015) who returned to fandom with the promise that Supernatural would be over and excitement over the show (Yes, clearly I'm biased, but I think my spot on diagnosis of Prequelgate in June entitles me to being the Holder of All Correct Supernatural Opinions); there are strident non-destiel anti-wincest shippers somehow I guess; there's a GA who is probably the most loyal and steady, though least profitable, section of the audience who doesn't factor into this at all. We are at war with each other. We are blocked for unknowable reasons. 17 year olds are like, scouring my 10 year old tumblr to find out how many thought crimes I've committed since I was 15 and they were learning addition in second grade. The second Jared expresses and opinion, NAY, an emotion, on social media, people rally and start sending him death threats! People start sending Jensen death threats for Jared getting death threats? People start sending death threats to Jared for Jensen getting death threats. This is not a family, except in the way that I don't know or have anything to do with most of the people in #spnfamily, and as much as I fundamentally disagree with them, we're all stuck together. Also, these people DO have insane, unhealthy relationships with the show, including me, which this book tries to argue isn't true and is on it's face ridiculous. No one who could count themselves as part of the #spnfamily has a healthy relationship with the show, which mostly I think has to do with how intense j2 are and how long the show went on for. It's a show that causes irreparable damage to your brain. There's nothing to do about it.
  
  The second thing it gets wrong is the show itself. I said this in the review, I think, of the other book, but Supernatural isn't about found family. It is, however, about loneliness. In the beginning it was a ghost story and it was ghost stories. It was about an entangled pair of brothers and their messed up little family, and it was about the wasteland of the American midwest and the people there -- the people whose lives are tragedy and on the outside, and the people who are safe and happy. Can you be one if you've been the other your whole life? Can you be safe and happy without people who give that up for you? Do you have to give it up so other people can be happy? Mostly, it's about ghosts, and it's kind of about class, and because it asks those questions, though most of the time by accident, it's not really a wonder that it appeals to people in the armed forces. But because sometimes these questions seem to be about something else -- sexuality, or gender, or race (they're not, really), and about being othered down to your bones, to your DNA -- it's also appealing to a lot of other lonely people. Girls mostly. Young, weird, lonely girls because at the end of the day, what they like about the show is the way j2 look and are drawn in by their chemistry.
  
  At some point along the way, Supernatural loses all of that (except for j2), but it has it's moments; a line in season 6, a few looks in season 7, some elements of dean's arc in 9-11; some Sam Winchester of It All Moments in late seasons where he's like, got battered wife syndrome ONLY to the credit of Jared and no one else; the climax of the show, which is in 15x17 and sam delivers the world's most perplexing line of dialogue as dean POINTS A GUN AT HIM AND PUNCHES HIM IN THE FACE. And the book ignores all of this -- the grounded moments of suffering, the transcendental nature of certain season finales (3, 5, even 8) -- for the sort of more ridiculous answers about community, about hope and strength. Supernatural is a tragedy of family and of self. The heroes win, but at what cost. And for most of us - or at least for those of us who are engaging honestly with it - this is what we're reacting to.
  
  Anyway, that aside, main stream supernatural fans are my enemy. Who commissioned this book, the Dean is A Martyr Brigade? Legitimately, my biggest gripe is that...Sam...where is he? Oh let's talk about Dean's attachment issues, but mention 45 times that Sam's main attachment is to Dean and that's why he has healthy relationships, but ignore that by season 12 Sam doesn't HAVE non Dean relationships, while Dean does. Let's devote an entire section to torture and spend so much time devoted to Dean's PTSD (fair enough) but literally not mention that Sam ALSO went to Hell and is forced, consistently, to interact with his torturer, to work with his torturer. He is tortured at the beginning of season 12 and then forced to work with Toni at the END of that season. That's relevant and timely information per the publishing of this book! Sam's character does like, a 180 after he comes out of Hell! "The parentification of Dean Winchester" shut up!!!!! Shut up!!!! Sam's entire season 7 arc is about how he's so deeply traumatized by his time in Hell he's hallucinating the devil, he is having ongoing psychotic symptoms in EVERY episode of season 7! "Oh well, Sam stands up to his father so he's healthy :)" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. AHHHH. "Sometimes Sam seems to have self-esteem issues. This is probably because his daddy was around very much and Dean was only a little baby too. But Sam is much healthier than Dean." Why did they spend so much time devoted to Crowley and Cas and like the only time they talked about Sam in depth was to talk about how he's more well adjusted than Dean? I am returning to sam!girl tumblr where we talk about how Lucifer ruined Sam and how he's deeply insane never to return. Me and Jared are talking about Sam's hypervigilance and kissing on the mouth. Horrible. Terrible. I am so angry on my own behalf, on the behalf of Sam Winchester, and also JARED, who did all that work for nothing! Goodbye!
  
• 
  Luiz Fabricio Calland Cerqueira

  Mostly good
  
  Maybe I had too high expectations. The Batman book was mesmerizing and I'm not even a Batman fan; I supposed Supernatural, which I enjoy very much, would bring me an even better experience. I was left wanting.
  
  On the other hand, it is a good book and a decent psychological analysis. It took me some time to grind the first chapters, which talked much about Supernatural fandom. Although I believed it was a worthy subject, it was over explored over more interesting stuff.
  
  As a Psychologist, I get really interested in how authors spin those analysis, and I was quite impressed. In fact, as I was watching the show later, I felt it improved my experience.
  
  Most chapters were at least good, what is natural for a book written by many authors.
  
  The absence or under exploring of certain topics bothered me, e.g. Sam's girlfriend's death or demon Ruby. On the other hand, it was impossible to go a few pages without reading some reference of Sam's blood addiction.
  
  Overall, interesting and entertaining reading.
  
  
• 
  Teresa

  As in any collection of written works, some chapters contain ideas that feel more spot on than others. Even given that - I closed the book with satisfaction. I learned new things, I had some old ideas solidified, I was left with things to think about.
• 
  Samantha Maise

  If you have friends who watch Supernatural and you don't understand why it's so important to them, read this book! It got a 4, simply because of some discrepancies in spelling characters names and remembering certain scenes.
• 
  Jocelyn

  Defintely recommend for the fans! There are so really great essays in here not that I expect less from Travis Langley.
• 
  Kris Ivy

  Delve into the psychology behind the show and its complex characters.
• 
  Benjamin Barnes

  Wonderful
• 
  Chloe

  Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled is not only perfect for Supernatural fans, but Family Counselors.
  
  “A wise man once told me family don’t end in blood, but it doesn’t start there either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family’s there through the good, bad, all of it. They got your back even when it hurts.” -Eric Kripke
  
  Title: Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled
  Started: March 10, 2021
  Finished: March 15, 2021
  Format: Audiobook
  
  Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled made me realize how lonely I am.
  I’m not a person who considers myself a lonely person. After all, I’m too busy for that; except, the funny thing is, I’m subconsciously lonely.
  
  And I’ve not only been using Supernatural throughout the years as a means to escape, but as a way to connect to my own, as the authors put it, “orphan child.”
  
  I had so many “ah, ha!” or “Oh, wow, I’ve never thought of that before” moments throughout listening to this book that my head spun. The novel not only dived into the idea that film monsters help us fight real monsters, but the importance of family and the family dynamics as experienced between John, Dean, and Sam. I learned about the psychology behind fandoms, which was enlightening.
  
  Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled is book 8 of 12 in the Popular Culture Psychology series by Travis Langley. This book dealt with, but not limited to, the following: role of grief and trauma in Sam and Dean’s lives, the importance of music in the show, the motivation of why people hunt monsters and why some people, in real life, believe in the supernatural, the science behind addiction (Bobby’s drinking, Dean’s hunting, Sam’s demon blood), and gender social roles (aka communication between traditionally masculine men). There was such a plethora of knowledge that this is just a handful of examples.
  
  Point blank: this book was absolutely amazing. I’m a psychology minor, so I was instantly interested in this when one of my professors required our class to read Wonder Woman Psychology during the Covid-19 quarantine last spring. Having been a fan of Supernatural since I was young, I used to wonder why I loved Sam and Dean’s story so much. Was it because they were two young men road tripping across an America I had never had the chance-or courage-to see? Was it the cool, subtle way viewers like myself were able to dip our metaphorical toes in a sea not usually swam by “normal” people? Ex: stingy bars, haunted houses, the deep, dark woods, TV land, ect. Or was it the gore and guts, sprinkled with a little bit of angst and bromance?
  
  Yeah. Probably.
  
  But there was so much more I didn’t even realize.
  
  The book offered a great explanation of the fandom, which usually call themselves the “SPN family.” These people aren’t just fans-the book made sure to specify that not all fans are Jodi-Foster-it’s-me-John-Hinckley-Junior crazy. They are the average Joe and Jane. These fans are your neighbors, your teachers, your grocery baggers, your dentists.
  
  Within the fandom (fanfiction sites, chatrooms, fan art websites, comic cons, ect.) self-disclosure and openness are clear factors among fans. Fandom members also may experience para social relationships with characters and/or the actors. In laymen terms, the brain reacts just like it is experiencing “real” stimuli. These fandoms, when expressed in a safe play space, offer great emotional connections. Play spaces are great for people because they can melt away stress. Being a part of a fandom is only an issue if one’s passion intervenes with other duties in life.
  
  The book made a really interesting point; that is, there are two types of personality traits that are more likely to appear within the fandom:
  1. People who are highly invested in media text (ex: being absorbed in the story and able to imagine oneself in the universe)
  2. A large capacity for empathy
  
  Another thing I found interesting was that the brain can form an attachment with a face, even the face of an actor. I realized that because I watched the show when I was younger, I feel a sense of comfort with the characters, especially when seeing their facial expressions. It makes sense, too. In psychology this phenomenon is known as the proximity affect. Because Castiel, Dean, and Sam are in so many gifs littered throughout the internet, people get used to their faces.
  
  I loved learning about the triangle theory. It’s the idea that a relationship between three people can improve the situation overall because the conflict is distributed. Again, I could say so much more, but my time (and text) and limited. After finishing this book, I watched a couple episodes of SPN to see if I could pick up on the theories that the book mentioned and now it makes so much sense. If you are a Supernatural stan, check this book out. You will not be disappointed.
• 
  Johanna E. H.

  I'd like to pretend I read this ironically, but I was genuinely interested. I will be reviewing it completely seriously, though, as a piece of textual analysis—as funny as that is if I take a step back. (For reference: I was a huge fan in middle school, moved on, then revisited the show in the past year in a "this show isn't necessarily good, but was a big part of my life, and can be analyzed in interesting ways" way.)
  
  Overall, this book was better than I expected: well-researched, didn't fall into as many pop-psychology traps as I thought it would, and interesting. Most chapters read like good college papers—not badly-written, but the style got old.
  
  It was clearly written for die-hard fans or people looking for analysis completely free of critique. There aren't any even close to negative thoughts or criticisms of the show's plot/direction or how it handles the issues analyzed. It takes everything at face value, as if these were real people in real situations, and goes from there. There's definitely a place for that kind of analysis, and it was genuinely interesting, but I would have liked to see more varied opinions about how the show portrayed the concepts they're identifying.
  
  While it has better analysis/research than I thought it would, it rarely brought up anything I (or a Tumblr mutual) hadn't already thought about. Mostly just provided psychological terms & research for already thought about concepts among fans. (Again, not inherently negative, and there's a place for it, just would have liked to see more.)
  
  I was pleasantly surprised by the book's discussion of mental illness, including psychosis. There are countless fan/pop-psychology takes (often about this show/similar fantasy shows) that are deeply harmful to mentally ill/psychotic people, and while it's a low bar to not cause harm to minorities, it's often hard to find good takes. In my opinion (as a mentally ill person who experiences psychosis), this book, while not revolutionary, discusses these topics with lots of research/background knowledge and respect. It clearly and clinically describes disorders/symptoms, and goes from there. Again, this is rare! So many analyses of fantasy forget that real people experience these things in our world, and this book doesn't fall into those traps.
  
  It's primarily-Winchester focused, which I guess I should have expected, because only in the past few years have I seen any proper fan attention/analysis towards other characters. It ends up feeling like it's mostly about Dean, but I'm aware there's definitely an argument that Dean is written as the main character in many seasons, especially the early ones. It includes Sam pretty often (often to compare/contrast with Dean), and provides small analyses of John, Charlie, Bobby, and Crowley. My main problem with the character inclusion is Castiel, who is mostly relegated to anecdotes, parentheses, descriptions of things he did with/to Dean, or simple comparisons. This is a crime in my eyes, because even though he wasn't introduced until Season 4, he's clearly a main character. The story cannot be told without him and he's inarguably a fan-favorite. I would have taken even one chapter primarily about him and his character journey. Please.
  
  My favorite chapter was entitled "Bro Moments," and addressed gender roles, masculinity, and communication between men. I'm aware that expecting the book would include any queer readings of the text is too much to ask, but I thought the chapter did a good job with the subject matter, seeing as the bar is pretty low for mainstream fan/pop-psychology (the term "heteronormative" even shows up in one of the footnotes!).
  
  Obviously the book was published before the show ended, and it's interesting to see how the conclusions held up (or didn't) in light of the finale. The last few chapter's emphasis on The Hero's Journey is especially intriguing when looking at the lack of closure the text provided in Dean's journey. It also, whenever it talks about symptoms/issues/etc., discusses how people heal from them, and it's especially frustrating to realize that the person they talk about for most of the book does not heal/recover/move on.
  
  Overall: A good starting point. Not a bad book, not wholly necessary either. Have fun, kids.
• 
  Samwell Raleigh

  I thought this book was pretty awesome - does a great job of introducing many psychological concepts while relating them back to the characters. A lot of powerful writing, actually, and the sidebars are full of relevant and interesting information from cast members.
  
  Only downsides - I really don't appreciate the "Sam's anger and Dean's anger are the same" argument. Completely ignores the abusive narrative and powerplays within their relationship. Dean's anger is often outward: because Sammy is too girly, because someone is frustrating him, etc. Sam's anger is reactionary: he reacts to violence from Dean, manipulation from Ruby, etc. They are not the same, and I can't abide by anybody pretending they are.
  
  I guess this is what you get for reading a collection of essays, but some basic concepts were introduced by multiple authors and reiterated more often than necessary. I guess I had hoped the author would remove repetitive definitions.
• 
  Rachel Russell

  Any author that writes about my favourite fandom...of course I'm going to read. I'm a huge fan of the CW show Supernatural so being able to read this was great for me. It had a lot of interesting topics and it gives you an insight into the Supernatural fandom and why it's so popular today.
  
  Overall a really great read and I'm so glad that I picked this up. So for any Supernatural fan, I would definitely recommend this is a book that you read.
• 
  Christina

  This was one of the best books I've EVER read on pop culture content. The series has been for many years my go to comfort series and it makes me so happy to learn SO MANY THINGS about this in this book. The psychology of the characters, the world and even the viewers is thought through in so many details. I highlighted again so many things in this book and it so complex I might read it again some time.
• 
  Filmandtv_bookworm

  What a book! It explains how Dean and Sam Winchester are alike, not alike, how they are together as hunters, Bobby as a father figure, Cas. Even some spoilers (YET I’m only on season 2). It also includes clinical studies, references from episodes from the series and the DSM IV-5. Putting those together made the book even more intriguing for #supernatural fans, I recommend this book.
• 
  Deedra

  This was a pretty good read.Listening to the psychology behind the characters and relationships in my favorite tv show was enlightening.I could relate to the author in a lot of things. Joe Hempel and Hilary Huber were good narrators.
• 
  Lilian

  Extremely interesting and added to how amazing this show is. The acknowledgements, forward and introduction were a little difficult to get through but once I started it was hard to put the book down.
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  Alicia

  3.5 dit was verrassend interessant
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  Dolly

  I listened to this in an audiobook which was probably a good thing. I doubt if I could've gotten through some of the psychological lingo if I was reading it. But the show references and connections made it all worth it. Definitely worth the time spent.
  Reread- correction- re-listened to this book in Sept 2020 as a part of a book club selection. With all that has passed in the world since the first listen, I definitely took more away this time. The book is like an intensive psych 101 class with relevant Supernatural references. Very engaging. So much so that I think I need to buy the book rather than just borrow from the library.