The Impala as negotiator of melodrama and masculinity in "Supernatural"

Abstract

This article explores the implications of the binaries of masculinity and melodrama as they pertain to the television series Supernatural. I examine the significance of Dean's beloved Impala as a negotiator of both the masculine and the overtly emotional. The Impala directly provides Dean with both physical and emotional support throughout the series, while it does not directly interact with Sam. As Supernatural moves through its fourth season, the dramatic uses of the Impala are shifting, signifying and providing insight into a distinctive change in the relationship between Dean and Sam, where emotion cannot yet be overtly expressed.