Since there has been so much discussion over season 8 titles and since it's been a couple days since the Best Show poll, I thought I'd pull out the nominations from earlier this summer and have people choose their favorite Supernatural episode titles. Surprisingly given the overall comments that titles need to be shorter, longer titles were nominated more.
You can choose up to 2 episodes in each poll. The first two polls have one more title than the other 3 only because that's how nominating broke down. Remember you are voting strictly based on the title. You don't have to like the episode at all, as will be evidenced in my choices today. Voting ends at midnight tomorrow. Have fun and don't forget to tell us which ones you chose and why. Happy voting!
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wow this should be fun
ReplyDeleteGraaargh it's hard to not think about the episode itself when looking at the titles.
ReplyDeleteThese were harder than I thought. I should have went with 3 episodes instead of two.
ReplyDeleteA - The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo (most nominated) & My Bloody Valentine (so apropos for SPN)
B - This one was hard. Lazarus Rising (loved this episode title from the first time I heard it) & toss-up between A Very SPN Christmas (because it brings up childhood memories of the After School Specials in the 70's and 80's) & Live Free or Twihard (because it's funny)
C - The Monster at the End of This Book (hate this episode but it is my favorite title of all) &How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters (my mom was invited to go to the Dale Carnegie seminars so this one makes me laugh.)
D - This one is so hard. All Hell Breaks Loose is about as apt a title for a season finales as I can think of. What is and What Should Never Be is such an intriguing title. Clap You r Hands if You Believe, well it's Tinkerbell.
E - The End (love that this was used for an episode in the middle of a season - wouldn't be near as exciting if it had been the last) & Slice Girls (clever pun gets the vote - plus I started teaching when the Spice Girls were popular and sometimes that was a horror.)
I think it's fair to think about the episodes themselves to the extent that we give the vote to the titles that most accentuate what happens within the episodes.
ReplyDeleteSlice girls is not a clever pun. The episode was decent enough, but the title was super cringeworthy. Whether or not you like Swan Song, that was a totally epic title to me.
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time too. What I found is some of the episodes I like least are the ones whose titles I like best. Go figure!
ReplyDeleteWhat's great about this poll is everyone gets to choose what "best" means to them. The one that makes them laugh, the most clever, the one that fits the episode best, the one that alludes to something they adore, the best pun...even if the title has nothing or everything to do with the episode.
ReplyDeleteSlice Girls was a clever pun to me because I first started teaching elementary school at the height of their popularity. I heard their songs sang in screechy little kid voices so often that I often wanted to stick sharp pointy things in my ears to make it stop. For me Slice Girls was a perfect pun for how I generally feel about that era of pop music. However if I had 3 votes I would have voted Swan Song.
ReplyDeleteAgree about Monster at the End of this Book. I also think that's the very best title they've had. But I have a strong personal connection because of my childhood love of this actual book....but still. :D
ReplyDeleteI didn't have the same connection but Supernatural using the title of a Sesame Street book makes me laugh. SPOILER - It's Grover.
ReplyDeletelol! :)
ReplyDeleteA - It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester (I've never read/watched Peanuts so I had to look up what it meant. Made me appreciate it) & Jus in Bello (gets to the heart of the episode)
ReplyDeleteB - Good God,Y'all (War! Huh! Yeah! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!) & In My Time Of Dying (Simple, elegant, rock!)
C - The Monster At The End Of This Book (is me!) & On The Head Of A Pin
D - No Rest For The Wicked & What Is And What Should Never Be (probably my favorite title)
E - Dark Side Of The Moon & The End
ARGH. My first comment was EATEN; not cool.
ReplyDelete*sigh* And was all clever in my thoughts, too. GRRR.
A: Are You There God? It's me, Dean Winchester, Girl With the Dungeons and Dragons TattooB: Live Free or Twihard (funny reference to Die Hard), Slash Fiction (this poll was hardest as none of these really struck me as "best" material).C: How To Win Friends and Influence Monsters, The Monster at the End of This Book (my favorite title of SPN ever! And my favorite children's book :D)D: Clap Your Hands if You Believe (even though this is my least favorite episode of SPN EVER, the title is pretty great), What Is and What Should Never Be (apropos)
E: Criss Angel is a Douchebag (lol; I wonder if they had to get permission or contact Criss Angel to use his name?), Dark Side of the Moon
So, what did you end of voting?
ReplyDeleteI was so close to choosing It's the Great Pumpkin, SW if only for all the memories of watching the cartoon as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder what Criss Angel thought of that title and if anyone on the production/writing staff had a bad experience with him before this episode. I know they have to say no but you always wonder.
ReplyDeleteso many great ones here. although, i found it hard not to be biased by how much i actually like an episode, a couple of times i found myself about to vote for an episode that i just really like but don't think anything special of the title
ReplyDeletea few of my favourites from the list are:
live free and twihard
how to win friends and influence monsters
criss angel is a douchebag (which i always wondered what criss angel would ever think if he saw the title)
the girl with the dungeons and dragons tattoo
and children shouldn't play with dead things
glad this is running, i've been so bored lately what with the halt in the best show competition. i need more supernatural!!!!!!!
yeah, or maybe the persona of Criss Angel (his celebrity personality) is a douche?
ReplyDeleteThere were a couple of polls that I would have liked to have chosen 3, but I managed.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find it too difficult separating the episode from the title, but I guess that's just me.
We need a poll to vote on the LEAST favorite names. There are a few that I dislike VERY MUCH.
Born Under a Bad Sign. It's concise and to the point and illustrates its episode well.
ReplyDeleteJus In Bello. Latin is a fascinating language, and I just like its meaning.
X
Mystery Spot. Again short and to the point and
A Very Supernatural Christmas, an adapt title for its episode of reference.
X
Point of no Return. A good title to keep viewers excited about the forthcoming episode and
Weekend at Bobby's which is simple and to the point.
X
All Hell Breaks Loose. The title explains itself as does
What is and What Should Never Be, althoughit is a bit of a mouthful.
X
Dark Side Of THe Moon. It evokes mystery and obscurity, just what a SPN episode should be and
The End; only two words but enough to let us know exactly what is going on.
X
I like the titles that are simple and to the point and describe the episode. Ultimately I think they are the ones that have the greatest impact.
I don't like the ones that parody film titles or that are obscure pop references or that are just silly, like "Slice Girls or Slash Fiction or Good God Y'All or Shut Up, Dr Phil; Criss Angel is A Douche-bag whose meaning I am still trying to work out, and perhaps the worst of this lot, "Season Seven, Time for a Wedding," a mis-matched mix of meta and uncreativeness.
Judging from the reaction, I think we need to hold off on that until next summer. There might be some season 8 titles that will make your list.
ReplyDeleteA) The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo - It's worth the effort to type it every time.Such a cool title.
ReplyDeleteMy Bloody Valentine - Even the title was creepy!
B) Lazarus Rising - Very fitting for a season premiere,I love it.
A Very Supernatural Christmas - Well,it's about Christmas. :p
C) The Monster at the End of This Book - Sometimes the long titles pay off.
Point of No Return - Very ominous and fitting for the episode.
D) This one's the hardest.All Hell Breaks Loose - Simply epic.
The Song Remains the Same - I really like this one,can't really explain it.
I didn't vote for What Is and What Should Never Be only because I don't think it'll need my vote.
E) Abandon All Hope - I was nervous long before I saw the episode.
The End - It was perfect for the episode.It really was the end.
This was harder than I thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteA. Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester & Born Under A Bad Sign, both of these tell me something about the boys.
B. Live Free and Twihard & A Very Supernatural Christmas. I like the play on the Diehard & Twilight movie titles and the second one had me hooked just from the title. What could possibly go wrong?? lol
C. On The Head of a Pin & Plucky Pennywhistle's Magic Menagerie. Just because I think the titles are intriguing.
D. All Hell Breaks Loose & What Is and What Should Never Be. I know what is going on in the ep is not what we are voting on, but both of these titles really fit the action.
E. Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things & Dark Side of the Moon. Wow I really did find I could NOT vote for Swan Song in a poll, but let me tell you it was HARD. lol Would have been my 3rd choice.
Thanks for putting this up, I am on a rewatch of season 7 again. Just finished Death's Door and found I was not crying because Bobby was dying, but because of the reactions to it from Sam and Dean. The looks on their faces, the tears in Dean's eyes that do not fall. Dang, Jensen is good at that. ;)
These are difficult. I liked Jus in Bello and Let it Bleed for the first one, Live Free or Twihard and Slash Fiction for B, On the Head of a Pin and Plucky Pennywhistle's Magic Menagerie for C, Clap Your Hands if You Believe and What is and What Should Never Be for D, and Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things and Criss Angel is a Douche Bag for E.
ReplyDeleteThe Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo
ReplyDeleteJus in Bello
Lazarus Rising
Mystery Spot
The French Mistake
The Monster at the End of This Book
No Rest for the Wicked
The Song Remains the Same
Dark Side of the Moon
Swan Song
At least we are getting behind the scenes pictures, titles, and spoilers these days. Here's hoping it will continue in a steady stream. We hit quite a dry spell before that.
ReplyDeleteAbandon All Hope was the first title I actually feared. Things were already so bleak I couldn't imagine it getting worse. Then this title was leaked and it did.
ReplyDeleteI have a harder time when the brothers are crying myself. I think it's because I am so attached to these characters. Most time when people are crying on screen I'm either rolling my eyes or telling them to move it along. But there are times when the Winchester brothers cry that I am stopped in my tracks and riveted to the screen - and I'm no fan of emoangsting.
ReplyDeleteThere are very few series that I am so invested in the characters as SPN, I hurt with them and laugh when they laugh, something that does not happen near often enough. I LOVE Jared's smile.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of great titles here, but my favorite of all-time is still: What is and What Should Never Be :)
ReplyDeleteThe Song Remains the Same - there's just something really tragic and beautiful about it when you think about the episode itself.
ReplyDeleteFor me it's like: no matter how much boys tried, they could never change their story, their family song, it just...remains the same. Always.
Others that I adore are f.e. Let it Bleed, Point of No Return, The Song Remains The Same, Abandon All Hope and Swan Song.
ReplyDeleteWhoops! I forgot most of my picks! I was in the minority with a couple (at this point only 8 other people liked "Swap Meat" :-) i know I voted for "Live Free or Twihard"
ReplyDeleteThe Girl With the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo, Live Free Or Twihard, How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters,The Song Remains the Same, Dark Side of the Moon
ReplyDeleteA. Are You There God? and Born Under a Bad Sign
ReplyDeleteB. Live Free or Twihard and A Very Supernatural Christmas
C. On the Head of a Pin and Weekend at Bobby's
D. All Hell Breaks Loose and What Is...
E. Children Shouldn't Play...and The End
What a beautiful haunting way of putting it.
ReplyDeleteI am always up for happy Winchesters, even if it's just a glimpse.
ReplyDeleteI was close to voting for Swap Meat because it was dead on as a title.
ReplyDeleteI think my absolute favorite episode title was "Good God, Ya'll" simply because I didn't get it until after the ep and then I smacked myself on the head. They were telling us it was War all along (if you sing the lyrics of the song!) and I never connected it until much later. I just thought that was incredibly clever of the writers to come right out and give us such a huge clue that we (at least I) didn't catch on to. Other than that, I lie the ones that mean something : Jus in Bello, The Monster at the End of This Book, Dark Side of the Moon, Clap Your Hands if You Believe. And I have to give props to Live Free or Twihard simply because it was funny and I hated all those stupid vampire movies -- although Bruce Willis action movies rock. :)
ReplyDeleteUgh the way it's going I agree. I hope they're just playing around with us. We can have hope, right?
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you about Season Seven, Time for a Wedding. Terrible attempt at the show to be self-referential and "clever" like they were with Jump The Shark (which I thought was very funny, though not the best title ever). That "joke" can only be used once, unless it's used all the time (if that makes sense!). I also like all the to-the-point titles, but love the pop culture reference ones too because they are also to the point (though in some cases and to some people, more obscure about it).
ReplyDeleteNever give up hope. Supernatural changes titles more than often than they did the salt and burn in season 1. Sometimes I think everyone in the crew gets to name an episode or two and they rotate what they are calling them to accommodate everyone.
ReplyDeleteI get what you mean, you either use the self-referential "clever" titles all the time or not at all. :)
ReplyDeleteAs I said like the simple titles and the rock titles too, because they are easier to comprehend even for a foreign watcher. A lot of the other references however are exclusive to the US and here in Europe they are unknown and so don't make much sense.
I'm originally from the UK, but even I don't get some of the titles and at times a lot of the references and phrases in the actual dialogue.
The criss angel thing, for example I have never heard of, but of course maybe that's just me. :)
You're probably right. But I will never give up hope on this show. In to the bitter end, just like the boys...
ReplyDeleteMan, just goes to show how limited my view of the world still is, even after so many years of meeting people from other countries online! I never even considered that the pop culture references would not be understood Internationally! Ugh. I feel the need to apologize for my self-centeredness, lol. I need to remember that just because the show takes place in the US, that not everyone who comments here is also from the US. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yep, you got my point exactly about the clever/self-referential titles!
There's absolutely no need to feel apologetic. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's only normal for each of us to reflect and be at home with the society we grew up in.
It's this infinite variety that makes the World so wonderful.:)
I myself rememer writing a phrase not long ago.about " Dean being
"knocked for six" and someone jokingly observed that I must be from the UK because that was a phrase taken from Cricket that only the British would have used, and of course she was right!
lol - very true. Still, I need to try harder not to assume! :)
ReplyDelete