Hi! I love your blog and your Danneel analysis but I also love your thoughts on acting as it sounds like you have experience! Would you be willing to analyze the spn hunter corp episode? I found it fascinating because The Js approach to the au version of their characters were very different so I’d love your thoughts on their acting? (It’s okay if you can’t? This is kinda dumb lol). I was watching this episode today and I thought hunter dean was too similar to real dean. I think Jensen used Jared’s acting to react rather than differentiating the deans on his own? Meanwhile, hunter corp Sam was very different from real Sam and it was more interesting watching him than Dean (and it seemed like Jared enjoyed himself). One could say it was overacting but for me, I think it was a great portrayal of a Sam that was actually spoiled by his dad (I could see real Sam as being high maintenance if he had the resources). Hunter corp Dean, with the exception of the clothes, I couldn’t tell what was different with him (especially the scene where they were pretending to be the real Sam and Dean by wearing their clothes to trick God). At most, he spoke softer (less gruff than our Dean), looked more relaxed and maybe enunciated more? Idk. For me, it was a little lazy but maybe Dean wouldn’t be too different if their dad actually spoiled him? He wouldn’t have the world’s woes on his shoulder. Would you say his performance was more subtle or lazy? Again, love your thoughts!
I think the biggest thing for me was that Huntercorp Dean lacks the raw protectiveness that defines prime Dean. I do get why it is missing but it threw me off, maybe because in my mind I was expecting the brotherly bond to be a common theme in the various Universes.
In the main Universe, Sam and Dean are defined by personal loss, sacrifice over survival, choosing the lesser evil.
Huntercorp Sam and Dean are more emotionally detached and it seems that for them hunting is more like a job rather than a calling. They end up envying what the real Sam and Dean have.
Huntercorp Sam, I’ve got to say, matches one of Jared’s character types, he can totally sell the rich spoiled man. Not because he is one but because his look and attitude, once altered, can be believable in that situation.
Huntercorp Dean wasn’t much different than regular Dean but he felt more hollow. Still, it was a breath of fresh air to see Jensen at least attempt to be a little bit different.
I would say Huntercorp Dean and Sam lack the trauma that lead to the unconditional brotherhood so they both feel hollow in comparison to the prime Sam and Dean. They were enjoyable though. Sam’s “my hair is sacred” made me laugh so hard.
The Huntercorp AU functions as a mirror held up to Sam and Dean: showing us who they could be without their traumas. I loved the lighthearted version of both of them. Though, as you mentioned, AU Dean was pretty similar to prime Dean.
I couldn’t help but think that I would have loved a comedy episode centered on those two AU characters, there was potential there, in exploring that completely opposite Universe. I guess fan fiction could be a way to explore that. lol
I think they both did a good job, with Jensen, perhaps, leaning more into who he is in real life rather than building a character from zero. I noticed Jensen does that a lot, he plays himself when he runs out of options, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as the character is believable. I would call it lazy though. It’s a wasted opportunity to explore someone else’s shoes completely. But, at the end of the day, it’s an acting choice. Each actor decides how deep he explores a character and some choose to be rather shallow. Especially the untrained. Personally, I hope Jensen will open himself to the craft more because, currently, his personality is not Leading Man material. So if he plans on being a personality actor but wants lead roles he is in for a bad awakening.
