Television Without Pity
Television Without Pity (often abbreviated TWoP) was a website that provided detailed TV show recaps and related discussion forums. It was one of the most public faces of media fandom.
Its philosophy is "spare the snark, spoil the networks". So while the site is all about adoring TV, it is heavily sarcastic and iconoclastic in its approach. The recaps are often amusing even if you don't watch the TV show, although sensitive fans may find them a bit brutal.
Its recaps and forums were very significant in the early years of Supernatural fandom, and it even ended up being incorporated into the Show!
On 27 March 2014 it was announced that the site would be closed. source.
Running Gags and Monikers
Items which found their origin at TWoP:
- Metallicar
- Celine Demon
- Sam the Ginormitron
- Li'l Stumpy
- Ducky lips
- Shut up daddy
- Hand Of Ipecac
- Lying Liar That Lies
- El Deano
- Darling Sammy
- My Sweet Baboo
Prevalent topics of discussion on TWoP:
Other:
- CANCELLED! Unrelated to Supernatural, this is a not-so-affectionate moniker Demian has bestowed upon the show he used to recap, Charmed. He made his hatred of the show in later seasons no secret, and CANCELLED! is frequently referenced in his Supernatural recaps and the forums alike.
Notable People
Demian
Supernatural Recapper Extraordinaire – Demian is the current Supernatural recapper and has recapped the Pilot and nearly every episode from the season two premiere on. He also moderated the forums until TWoP_Barnes took over those duties for the most part. Even before he took over recapping for Drunken Bee, he could be found chiming in on the forums, expressing an interest in the show. Previously recapped Charmed.
In a canonical shout-out, in 5.09 The Real Ghostbusters, the fan playing Dean is called Demian, and is in a relationship with Barnes.
Drunken Bee
Former recapper (episodes 1-02 through 1-22) and forum moderator. Subsequently recapped Friday Night Lights.
Cindy McLennan
Acted as a temporary recapper for episodes 4-02 through 4-10 after Demian broke his arm. Currently recapping Supernatural's new lead-in, The Vampire Diaries.
TWoP_Barnes
A recent addition to TWoP has been the forum moderators (or "mods"), who took over the bulk of the recappers’ moderating duties. TWoP_Barnes is the current mod for the Supernatural forum. Has referred to herself as “Ms. No-Boards-on-Boards”, given the frequency at which she warns posters for breaking that particular rule.
In a canonical shout-out, in 5.09 The Real Ghostbusters, the fan playing Dean is called Demian, and is in a relationship with Barnes.
Sympatico
In 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book, Dean discovers the online fandom for the 'Supernatural' books. After remarking that for fans "they sure do complain a lot", he notes a poster called Simpatico says "the demon storylines are trite, cliched and overall craptastic..."
Simpatico is the name of a poster on the Television Without Pity message boards.
Recaps
About the Recaps
Not originally a show TWoP covered, Supernatural’s pilot (Pilot) was recapped by chance when Charmed recapper Demian choose to cover the show for a TWoP “Recapper’s Choice” event. Supernatural was added to TWoP’s line-up on November 3rd, 2005 when Drunken Bee became available to recap it after the cancellation of the show she was currently recapping, Head Cases. Shortly prior to the start of season of season two, Drunken Bee left to recap Friday Night Lights and Demian was able to take over the recapping duties for Supernatural on account of Charmed going off the air.
With the exceptions of the Pilot and 3.07 Fresh Blood, every episode has a recap title which refers to Sam and Dean Winchester as "The Hardy Boys".
Couch Baron recapped one episode in season three while Demian was on vacation. Cindy McLennan acted as a temporary recapper in season four (from 4.02 on) due to Demian breaking his shoulder. There is a character called Cindy McLennan in 4.22 Lucifer Rising.
Recap Factoids
- Highest Episode Grade Awarded: A+, for What Is And What Should Never Be, The Monster at the End of This Book, and Weekend at Bobby's
- Lowest Episode Grade Awarded: F, for Ghostfacers, Family Matters, Defending Your Life, Season 7, Time for A Wedding!, Party On, Garth, and The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo.
- Average Episode Grade: B (Drunken Bee: B-; Demain: B; Couch Baron: A-; Cindy McLennan: B+)
- Most Frequently Awarded Episode Grade: B+ and B- (Drunken Bee: C+; Demian: A and B-; Couch Baron: A-; Cindy McLennan: A)
Raoul
Raoul, Demian’s imaginary recapping partner, was conceived from the image of a dragon on all the Supernatural pages at TWoP. Raoul was formerly known as the “Big Gay Dragon” or the “Big Gay Supernatural Dragon”, an idea sparked by this comment made by Demian: "That is the gayest dragon I've ever seen in my life."
In the recaps, Raoul is presented as having an affinity for gore (or, as Raoul would prefer, “GORE!”). Raoul frequently mentions his imaginary husband, 24’s Jack Bauer, whose show is apparently dripping with gore. Raoul became quite attached to the flaming Supernatural title card for season two – he exclaims “Eeeeeeeeeeeee!” when the title card pops up in nearly every season two episode recapped. He is also fond of the "blood burst" title card of season five, frequently giving out an "Eeeeeeeeeeeee!" of pleasure as it appears.
Raoul’s name was selected by TWoP members in the "Name That Dragon!" poll
In September, 2007 all the show-related clip art images, including Raoul, disappeared from TWOP during a re-design of the site.
Recap Charts
Click on the recap title link to read a Supernatural recap.
Season One
Average Grade: B
Season Two
Average Grade: B
Season Three
Average Grade: B-
| Episode Title | Recap Title | Recapped By | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-01 | The Magnificent Seven | The Hardy Boys Cure Insomnia | Demian | C- |
| 3-02 | The Kids Are Alright | The Hardy Boys Schedule Vasectomies | Demian | B- |
| 3-03 | Bad Day at Black Rock | The Hardy Boys Have a Furry Fetish | Demian | B- |
| 3-04 | Sin City | The Hardy Boys Get Molested | Demian | C |
| 3-05 | Bedtime Stories | The Hardy Boys Wet The Bed | Demian | B+ |
| 3-06 | Red Sky at Morning | Aunt Gertrude Gropes The Hardy Boys | Demian | D |
| 3-07 | Fresh Blood | Move Over, Buffy... | Couch Baron | A- |
| 3-08 | A Very Supernatural Christmas | The Hardy Boys Have To Muddle Through Somehow | Demian | A |
| 3-09 | Malleus Maleficarum | The Hardy Boys Vanquish The Charmed Ones | Demian | C |
| 3-10 | Dream a Little Dream of Me | The Hardy Boys In The Sky With Diamonds | Demian | B- |
| 3-11 | Mystery Spot | The Hardy Boys Freeze Their Butts Off Waiting To Worship A Rat | Demian | B+ |
| 3-12 | Jus in Bello | The Hardy Boys Got This Plan | Demian | A |
| 3-13 | Ghostfacers | It's The Hardy Boys' Party | Demian | F |
| 3-14 | Long-Distance Call | The Hardy Boys Should Start Screening Their Calls | Demian | C- |
| 3-15 | Time Is on My Side | The Hardy Boys Do The Ultra-Violent | Demian | B |
| 3-16 | No Rest for the Wicked | To Hell With The Hardy Boys | Demian | A- |
Season Four
Average Grade: B
| Episode Title | Recap Title | Recapped By | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-01 | Lazarus Rising | The Hardy Boys: Now On A Mission From God! | Demian | A |
| 4-02 | Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester | The Hardy Boys Get Déjà Vu All Over Again | Cindy McLennan | A- |
| 4-03 | In the Beginning | A Hardy Boy Goes Back To The Future | Cindy McLennan | A- |
| 4-04 | Metamorphosis | The Hardy Boys Face The Strange Ch-Ch-Changes | Cindy McLennan | A |
| 4-05 | Monster Movie | The Hardy Boys Do The Monster Mash | Cindy McLennan | A |
| 4-06 | Yellow Fever | The Hardy Boys Dick Around | Cindy McLennan | B- |
| 4-07 | It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester | The Hardy Boys Go From Wags To Witches | Cindy McLennan | B |
| 4-08 | Wishful Thinking | Two Hardy Boys In A Fountain | Cindy McLennan | B+ |
| 4-09 | I Know What You Did Last Summer | The Hardy Boys' Sympathy for the Devil, Part I | Cindy McLennan | A |
| 4-10 | Heaven and Hell | The Hardy Boys' Sympathy for the Devil, Part II | Cindy McLennan | D+ |
| 4-11 | Family Remains | The Hardy Boys Meet Bristol Palin | Demian | C- |
| 4-12 | Criss Angel Is a Douchebag | The Hardy Boys Pull a Rabbit Out of Their Hat | Demian | B- |
| 4-13 | After School Special | The Hardy Boys Might As Well Kill Themselves | Demian | A- |
| 4-14 | Sex and Violence | Sex and The Single Hardy Boys | Demian | B |
| 4-15 | Death Takes a Holiday | The Hardy Boys Full-On Swayze That Mother. Again. | Demian | A- |
| 4-16 | On the Head of a Pin | The Hardy Boys Go Where Angels Fear to Tread | Demian | A- |
| 4-17 | It's a Terrible Life | The Hardy Boys Are Well-Respected Men | Demian | B+ |
| 4-18 | The Monster at the End of This Book | The Hardy Boys Are NOT Having SEX With Each Other! GOD! | Demian | A+ |
| 4-19 | Jump the Shark | The Hardy Boys Nuke the Fridge | Demian | B |
| 4-20 | The Rapture | The Hardy Boys Just Have Their Party On TV | Demian | C- |
| 4-21 | When the Levee Breaks | Crying Won't Help The Hardy Boys | Demian | C |
| 4-22 | Lucifer Rising | The Hardy Boys Raise a Little Hell | Demian | A- |
Season Five
Average Grade: C+
Season Six
Average Grade: C
| Episode Title | Recap Title | Recapped By | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-01 | Exile on Main St. | The Hardy Boys...Don't Do Much of Anything, Actually | Demian | D |
| 6-02 | Two and a Half Men | The Hardy Boys Schedule Vasectomies. Again. | Demian | C |
| 6-03 | The Third Man | The Hardy Boys Wanna Take a Ride on Your Disco Stick | Demian | B- |
| 6-04 | Weekend at Bobby's | The Hardy Boys Aren't in This Episode At All | Demian | A+ |
| 6-05 | Live Free or Twihard | Do The Hardy Boys Dazzle You? | Demian | D- |
| 6-06 | You Can't Handle the Truth | And The Hardy Boys Shall Make You Free | Demian | B- |
| 6-07 | Family Matters | Family Matters | Demian | F |
| 6-08 | All Dogs Go yo Heaven | Cave Canem, Hardy Boys! | Demian | D- |
| 6-09 | Clap Your Hands If You Believe... | Clap Your Hands If You Believe... | Demian | D |
| 6-10 | Caged Heat | Caged Heat | Demian | C |
| 6-11 | Appointment In Samarra | Death Becomes The Hardy Boys | Demian | B- |
| 6-12 | Like a Virgin | The Hardy Boys Call It "Just A-Drifting" | Demian | N/A |
| 6-13 | Unforgiven | The Hardy Boys Have This Condition | Demian | B+ |
| 6-14 | Mannequin 3: The Reckoning | The Hardy Boys Experience Acute Renal Failure | Demian | C- |
| 6-15 | The French Mistake | Hardy Boys Only Pawn In Game Of Life | Demian | D |
| 6-16 | ...And Then There Were None | Ten Little Hardy Boys | Demian | D |
| 6-17 | My Heart Will Go On | What The Hardy Boys Impose, That Men Must Needs Abide | Demian | A- |
| 6-18 | Frontierland | A Fistful Of Hardy Boys | Demian | B |
| 6-19 | Mommy Dearest | What Are Hardy Boys Doing In This Closet? | Demian | A |
| 6-20 | The Man Who Would Be King | Stop The Hardy Boys -- I Want To Get Off | Demian | C |
| 6-21 | Let It Bleed | The Hardy Boys Tell Lies, and I Got Proof | Demian | C |
| 6-20 | The Man Who Knew Too Much | Que Sera Sera, Hardy Boys | Demian | D |
Season Seven
Average Grade: -
Forums
Forum Structure
There is a message board style forum for Supernatural (link). The forums are very strictly moderated, however that does not seem to stop participation. The Supernatural forum is divided into three sub-forums:
- Supernatural General Gabbery – all general Supernatural discussion goes on in this sub-forum. Episode threads, spoilers, media, and the like can all be discussed here.
- Boys Will Be Boys – where most characters (past and present), and a few actors, have their own individual discussion threads. Dean’s ’67 Chevy Impala (Metallicar) has its own thread.
- The Quest – fan fiction, fan art, and Supernatural-related games can be found here, amongst other things.
Forum Rules
Before venturing into the forums, it’s important to read the rules. Breaking any one of the rules can cause your post to be edited by a moderator and/or receive a warning. At worst, you could be banned.
Supernatural-Specific Forum Rules
Acronyms are a big no-no – notably for episode titles. Shortening is fine: for example, Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things can be shortened to "Dead Things" but one cannot use “CSPWDT”.
Occasionally particular sub-forums are locked either for a short length of time, or permanently if the moderator deems fannish discussion has become too heated or consistently off topic. "the Brotherly Bonds" thread which was meant to focus on Sam and dean's relationship was closed in February 2009 due to fans consistently using it as a place "where they can prove for all time how the show and the other brother mistreats their favorite brother". Source. The thread was re-opened briefly at the end of September, but closed again on October 19, 2009.
Banned phrases:
- Mary Sue – Demian banned this word after it was being used both excessively and exhaustively to describe Jo Harvelle both prior to and after her first appearance on the show.
- mindrape – As with “Mary Sue”, Demian banned this word when it was being used ad nauseam to describe Andy Gallagher’s behavior and how it affected other characters in Simon Said.
- The terms Dean Girls and Sam Girls. Conflict between the two lead to the closing of the "Brotherly Bonds" discussion forum.
Spoilers on the Forums
TWoP has very lax spoiler rules in comparison to the rest of fandom, so the spoiler-phobic should be wary. Anything that has been either officially released by the CW (such as episodic promotional photography or episode promos) or in mainstream media is not considered a spoiler. As of February 2009, no more discussion of spoilers was allowed in the Supernatural section at TWoP, though posting the spoilers themselves is fine. Moderator TWoP_Barnes stated that this was because spoiler discussion degenerated into "an arena for pissing contests between fans."
