TV Meme: Day 18 - Favorite Title Sequence

It's the eighteenth day of the TV meme, and I'm faced with perhaps one of the toughest topics yet: favorite title sequence. Quite honestly, there are so many that I love. My first instant thought was Angel, which I thought features such a beautiful title sequence that perfectly encapsulates the core message of the show while also kicking major ass. Plus, it's one of the few long-running programs that actually give a damn about changing their title card with new footage. But then I walked out to look at my TV on DVD collection, and immediately became overwhelmed with warm fuzzies. Then my choice became three shows, and now I've made the sacrifice to one show WITH a honorable mention at the bottom.

SUPERNATURAL, created by Erick Kripke (and a show I plan on writing more about, and will have a editorial about it in a few days or so mainly pertaining to seasons 4 & 5 of the program), features a title card that is both simple and entirely complicated in its own right. Therefore, I'll go through the motions with each subsequent season:


Season 1 was simple. The SUPERNATURAL logo goes all sporadic - not unlike lightning - and then sticks to the middle but still fazes in-between coherency. Very simplistic, but effective. But then again, that was basically the show's first season: not too heavy, fairly light with plenty of humor and the majority of episodes being stand alones. A precursor of big things to come, a very rudimentary season 1 title is sorta necessary.



Season 2 still sends chills up and down my spine every single time it pops up per episode. The sudden rush of fire - probably a reference to the main baddie Azazel - is beautiful to look at, but with most things dealing with the show, the elements that scare me the most are the freakishly outworldly and undoubtedly evil sounds that emanate through the fire. It's like the flames of Hell itself was captured on film, and the demons were locked in its fire pushing through the screen to come out. Hauntingly beautiful, the season 2 title card is but a foreshadowing of the scarier and darker nature the show would take.


Season 3's title card was basically the big bucks spent. It nicely mirrors the main theme of the season: war. At the end of season 2, hundreds of demons got a free ride out of Hell and are now terrorizing humanity. So, basically, it's us versus them. War. The black smoke (with purple and red touches) represents the demons, but at the same time it could also work as a mushroom cloud after a fierce atomic battle...or something. Basically, it's the most visually pleasing, gorgeous, and all around awesome of the title sequences (though my favorite will always remain season 2).


Season 4's title card may not look like much or be much, which is partially true, but it DOES foreshadow/hint/depict one of the big elements of season 4: the introduction of Angels. Before the rather season 1-looking title card, quick, erratic and rather alarming flaps of bird wings slice through or vision before bringing us the SUPERNATURAL title in blood red.


Season 5 is a bit surprising, but perhaps more menacing than meets the eye. This title card simply depicts a drop of blood hitting (presumably) water and spreading inside. Really, it's the least pizazz-looking title card displayed yet, but it's frightening message is clear: blood will be spilled, and it can possibly be anyone at anytime. My least 'oooo, awwwe' of the title cards, it nevertheless is quite effective.

I love the SUPERNATURAL title cards quite simply because they so effectively mirror the main theme of each season, and look friggin' cool doing it.

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Now, for the honorable mention that I nearly completely forgot. There was this little show on ABC I didn't follow until the end of its second season, and the very fact that I watched it at all is a testament to how utterly brilliant it was from beginning to end (it being a show about lawyers), called BOSTON LEGAL, created by David E. Kelly (ALLY MCBEAL). I can't think of a title card that is so damn fun. Similar to people's love for the TRUE BLOOD title sequence, I sit through it every time with a giant freakin' grin on my face. Whoever first conceived of this concept is a bonafied genius. Thanks to my super special dial-up, I don't really wanna go through the hassle of slowly surfing through YouTube to find a video of it, so please look it up at your leisure (or better yet, watch the show). Awesome, hip, dance-able, hilarious, smart, and simply cool - yeah, the BOSTON LEGAL title card is the perfect episode set-up.