A #Supernatural Binge - How was I not watching this?

Admittedly, I don't watch all that much TV, because I often just don't have the time (or patience) to get into a new show.  Reading is my #1 favorite pastime, and then I have to find time to write, then there are the other part-time jobs and of course family members and pets who want attention.  But I do have some favorite shows that I always make time for (or at least time to DVR episodes for later), and they usually involve the things I like best: some romance, hot heroes, some paranormal elements or magic, and plenty of conflict and tension.  I've blogged about several that fit the bill:  Outlander, Vikings, Game of Thrones, The Vampire Diaries, Reign, etc.  In addition, I'm a big fan of spooky movies.

So when a friend recently found out I didn't watch Supernatural, she couldn't believe it.  She had just recently begun watching it, and she suggested I do the same, but I resisted at first.  Too busy to try another show, I decided.  But she convinced me (and made me laugh) by telling me that it was like a "show designed specifically for me".  She went on to say that if a group of writers got together and said, "Okay, how can make the perfect show for this woman who loves hot guys, ghosts, Nephilim, demons, and other paranormal mysteries?", the result would be something like this show.  How could I resist that pitch?

Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester

Well, she was right.  I love it.  I'm only on the first season, but Dean Winchester already has my heart.  (I also enjoyed the actor, Jensen Ackles, on Days of Our Lives, but Dean is a much better character than Eric, even if he was a Brady!)  Don't get me wrong, Sam's cute as well...but I'm definitely Team Dean.  Aside from just looks, I absolutely love the actor's facial expressions and the character's personality.

So far the early part of the show has been heavy on ghosts and spirits, which is absolutely my thing, and I'm enjoying the chemistry between the brothers as they begin to work together to find their father.  There's some strong motivation for what they're doing (which is important to me as a writer), since their mother and then Jessica were killed by an evil entity.  In addition, they want to find their father and battle any evil they encounter along the way (take up the family business of "hunting").

Two hot hunters!  Dean and Sam Winchester

I especially enjoyed the "Dead in the Water" episode, as the entire premise followed a theme I often use in my novels: a desperate spirit, unable to rest, seeking...something.  I won't say what here, to avoid spoilers.  But the ghost has motivation as well, as opposed to just haunting/killing for no reason beyond a creepy plot device.

In a few other funny coincidences, the hero of my current manuscript is named Dean.  And I also remembered another tie I have to the show when I began watching...when writing Divine Fall, my Young Adult paranormal romance, I had to come up with some rules about angels and Nephilim (half-angels, half-humans), and my "research" led me to a post about an episode of Supernatural. That post led me to seek more information on an ancient perfume used by Egyptians that supposedly could kill an angel, and eventually the substance, qeres, became part of my plot.  So I look forward to a future episode where Dean and Sam tackle some bad angels (I think it's S4), and to 11 more seasons of my new favorite show!

Bad Boys with Good Hearts - Kathryn Knight

Who doesn't love a sexy bad boy with a hidden heart of gold?  It's a common theme in romance novels, TV dramas, and screenplays.  There's just something intoxicating about a hot, dangerous hero whose actions reveal an inner gentle kindness.  Bad boys are often misunderstood, forced into a role chosen for them by circumstances out of their control.  But there is still a very real risk involved in getting close to them--and that's part of the thrill.

Here are my Top Five Favorite Fictional Bad Boys.  While their characters embody the perfect tough guys with redeemable qualities, it doesn't hurt that the actors portraying them are smoking hot!

5.  Anson Mount as Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier working on the country's first transcontinental railroad in the show Hell on Wheels.  Intent on avenging the rape and murder of his wife, his true motive is to discover the identities of the former Union soldiers responsible so he can kill them.

4.  Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, the proficient zombie-killer on The Walking Dead.  Daryl had a traumatic childhood filled with abuse and neglect, and consequently grew into an emotionally-detached loner.  But the post-apocalyptic scenario brings Daryl into the fold of survivors, who value him as a leader and protector, and his character's true compassion begins to emerge.

3.  Josh Holloway as James "Sawyer" Ford, the "anti-hero" of Lost.  Sawyer witnesses the murder-suicide of his parents after they experience financial ruin at the hands of a conman.  Sawyer becomes a conman himself in order to fund his quest for revenge.  On the island, he alienates himself from the other crash survivors with his manipulative, selfish, and sarcastic behavior.  But eventually he falls in love with Kate and begins to show his sensitive side.



2.  Damon Salvatore, the dark older brother on The Vampire Diaries, is brilliantly portrayed by Ian Somerhalder.  A love triangle in the 1800s between Damon, his brother Stefan, and a beautiful vampire begins to tear the two brothers apart...when Stefan turns into a vampire and essentially forces Damon to turn as well, Damon vows to torment Stefan.  However, he always has Stefan's back when outside danger threatens.  When the brothers find themselves in love with the same woman again, Damon fights to be honorable and steer her toward the 'good' brother.  More on Ian here.

1.  Charlie Hunnam is Jax Teller, the President of the outlaw motorcycle club Sons of Anarchy.  Jax's childhood was intertwined with the club: his father founded the club, and his mother married another prominent member when an "accident" left her a widow.  But with the club comes a culture of violence, crime, and blood feuds.  Jax has finally started a family with his first and only love - his high school sweetheart - and he desperately wants to protect his wife and sons from the dangers of his lifestyle.  But he can't remove himself from the club entirely.  If he abandons his father's dream of a group of brothers who live outside the rules of society, not only will the club deteriorate further, but Jax will lose his opportunity to bring his father's murderer to justice. (P.S. - more on Charlie Hunnam and his lookalike, Travis Fimmel of Vikings, here).





Had to include this pic too!

My hero in SILVER LAKE has a bad boy streak as well--despite being kind and caring, he is also protective and strong.  Jason is a 4th degree black belt in Karate...but will that help him keep his first love safe from a desperate ghost?  While I don't have a picture of an actor for Jason, I do have this hot martial arts guy who will serve nicely: 

So that's my list!  Who are your favorite bad boys with good hearts?

PS More pics on my Pinterest Board!