Spoilers are a contentious subject, that much is certain. Firstly, let me make my spoiled-ness clear. I'm a Chalupa. Everyone knows we get some of the best spoilers on the web, mostly in the form of bluebelly's script spoilers, plus the more standard, well known sources, Epnebelle et. al. And I digest them all ravenously. I am, as we say in Chalupaville, a spoiler ho. Don't ask. I'm also writing from across the pond, here in the UK, where the earliest we're going to see S8 is January, on E4, unless you can somehow pick up the Irish station, RTE, in which case you're in luck and I officially hate you. :P
However, I digress. I also read the summaries and reviews posted by the wonderful people at digiserve.com/er, so I consider myself well and truly spoiled. But is this a good thing? Well, that depends. Personally, I like being teased by our spoiler sources, who reveal little titbits of information, then (I imagine) stand back and watch the sharks in their feeding frenzy. I like extrapolating the information provided to infinity and back - it's fun. When we heard about Weaver's Familiar Face on DtC, everyone went wild, with some of the funniest, and most bizarre theories I've heard in a long time. It's fun to imagine what could follow before or after the info given, what builds up to it, how it could be played out on screen - this is especially true of script spoilers. How exactly will Romano tell Kerry that someone's sexuality is not an appropriate discussion for the workplace? In his usual snide manner? Or could there be something more sinister there - a veiled warning? Or could it (shock, horror) be meant as genuine advice? Unlikely, I know, but see what I mean? It's fun.
But there are times when it can be less fun. Like when I finally found out Kerry's FF was the PI, I was a bit disappointed. Elated that I'd guessed right, but disappointed - it took all the fun away. All the tension of finding out who, and how, was gone. That, however, is a minor thing, and I would have found out eventually. However, there have been times when knowing what was going to happen totally ruined the show for me. A case in point here is Rampage, the S7 finale. And no, I'm not talking about finding out about Mark's moment of madness in the lift, funnily enough. I knew all about that, but shivers still ran down my spine when I saw him stare into Fossen's eyes as he discharged the paddles. Brr. No, I'm talking about Kerry's moment of madness in the men's room. When I first read about this, I was amazed. Stunned. Jaw dropped, the works. Yet when I saw the scene, because I knew what was coming, I was.... mildly...well, mildly nothing really. There was the anticipation of seeing how it would all work out, what exactly would happen, but knowing the end result took away all the fun. And I didn't like it one bit. I would far sooner have seen this for the first time on screen, and gasped in shock then.
So, my conclusions? To spoil or not to spoil? Personally, I'm a spoiler queen. And that's it, end of discussion. I guess whether being spoiled or not is a good thing depends on the spoiler itself. And since you can't see this till you actually read the wretched thing, that's what makes this debate so contentious. Some are happy with Epnebelle-style; others want the works bluebelly style. Which is why I have no real conclusions to draw. So, to all those of you strong enough to resist spoiler-dom, I salute you. You are truly brave and strong people. And to those of you, like me, need spoilers to survive, I'll see you out the back, by the pool, where the spoilers are laid out for all to see. Enjoy the show, guys, be you spoiled or not.