#inter-textuality

The camera in 14x14 makes sure to show us a lore book about the story of Perseus and the Gorgon. Perseus, in Ancient Greek myth, was the hero (or asshole, depending on your point of view) who decapitated Medusa. 

As Jack was the one who decapitated Noah the Gorgon (and I have eternal love for Noah the queer Gorgon) in 14x14 Ouroboros, that places him in the role of Perseus.

Perseus was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Danae (yes Zeus and his impregnation of mortal women schtick striking again). Jack too is the son of a supernatural being (Lucifer) and a mortal woman (Kelly Klein). Similar rapey overtones in both cases, too.

Perseus, it was foretold by Pythia (links to the serpent references in Ouroboros) the oracle at Delphi (links to the seeing the future references in Ouroboros) would kill his grandfather, King Acrisius.

Is Jack going to kill his grandfather Chuck? 

I mean, it would be a cool piece of meta-narrative for the writers’ room to kill God (the writers’ own send-up stand in) at the end of Supernatural, essentially turning over the narrative to us, the fan-audience, to continue forever in the extended universe of fan-art and fan-fiction. The writers’ room has, after all, already introduced the concept of the AU to the SPN canon.

Plus, it would be a really fitting end for SPN too. Sam and Dean have fought hard against fate in the God-machine set up by Chuck. Wouldn’t a God-less universe inaugurate a new age of true free will, with Heaven and Hell finally closed for business, and neither angels nor demons interferring in human lives? The ultimate mission fulfillment for Team Free Will? (In this scenario, Cas would, of course, become human).    

There’s some strong use of Greek myth this season (S14) in relation to the theme of fate vs free will. 

I wrote about this in relation to the Sphinx references in 14x12 Prophet and Loss here

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/182482293379/the-riddle-of-the-sphinx-14x12-prophet-and-loss

Now, in Greek myth, fate is generally pretty inescapable. Oediupus does kill his father and marry his mother, despite his best efforts to avoid it, and Perseus does kills his grandfather, despite Acrisius’ best efforts to avoid it.  

Maybe that means Jack won’t kill Chuck, even though he could, because SPN is all about “screwing destiny right in the face” (5x18 Point of No Return).

We shall see how things unfold....

A really nice additional element of the applicability of the Persueus and the Gorgon myth to Jack in Ouroboros is this exchange:

SAM: “Maggie says decapitation is the only way to killl these things.”

DEAN: “But if we cut off their head, then is more creatures gonna crawl out?”

JACK: “Wait, other creatures?”

SAM (exasperated): “He’s talking about Clash of the Titans again.”

DEAN: “We don’t know!”

In the Greek myth, when Perseus slew Medusa, Pegasus (the divine winged stallion) and Chrysaor his human-form brother, born with a golden sword in his hand (both sons of Poseidon - as poor Medusa was cursed with the snakes’ hair in the first place after being raped by Poseidon) did indeed sprung from Medusa’s severed neck.

This links to Jack’s own transformation - upon his slaying, first of the Gorgon and then of AU!Michael, we see him in full winged form with golden eyes at the end of the episode (a sort of Pegasus/ Chrysaor combo).

Joker – As Magnificent Inter-text

It’s not a joke. Rare be it that I watch a film who knows how many times over. But you know what really makes me laugh is the manner in which writer-director Todd Phillips and actor Joaquin Phoenix have revolutionized the use of the inter-text. Who knows. How many times. I was mesmerized. Still am. Gothic (comic-book) genre on its knees. Pierrot & Auguste are celebrated. Myth of Sisyphus.…