thoughts?

[majorshipper]

re: scripts/deleted scenes and what is the word-of-God-canon material. If it was in the original draft, is it canon? What about later drafts? What about deleted scenes? Are the only things canon those we see onscreen as a part of the episode/movie itself? What about retconning; does it count if it's subtle and sensible, and not when it's whacky and odd? Or how about things stated during interviews/cons? Is it more canon if a writer says it vs. a producer vs. and actor(in this case, talking about a character)? What if the writers make a mistake early on and then fix it later in canon and interviews; is the original true, or is what they fixed it as the canon?

I've always been pretty liberal with what I consider canon, including deleted scenes and scenes that were in the filming drafts but got dropped for time or whatever, as well as stuff explicitly stated by writers/producers during interviews. Heck, I even consider most tie-ins canon. And I have no problem with tasteful retconning, most of the time. But I've noticed that a lot of fandom is very, very, very picky about what is canon and what isn't, to the point of discrediting and ignoring retcons and even things the writers themselves say was supposed to happen(I remember the crazy that went down when Joe Mallozzi stated that the writers had planned on a John and Teyla relationship, but hadn't gotten the chance to play it out).

So does most of this stem from fanatical fans who want to believe what they think is right, or are people too burned off trusting the people who create their shows?
IDK. Offer your thoughts. Is defining canon more of a show-by-show, fandom-by-fandom kinda thing?


*This post is brought to you by my wandering brain, How long Sam spent at Standford, and the script for Merlin 4x03. You're welcome.

Comments

[ohmiya-sg.livejournal.com]

I think nothing that doesn't make it on the air is canon. It would make great canon, but it's not? IDK Nothing J.K. Rowling says after the books is what really happened, to me. They kind of messed up the numbers with the whole Sam at Stanford thing, I guess, but they meant him to be just starting his Junior year, I think? I'm much more likely to accept changes to mistakes, but not anything deleted or discussed at a con.

[skybluecotton.livejournal.com]

ahh the question of what's canon...
that's really interesting.
'cause lately my head canon has been taking in stuffs from the stuffs producers said or things that were written in the novels.

Personally, I don't count things said at cons to be canon.
'cause sometimes the actors are just kidding around and such.
Like the stuff with Dean crying into Cas' trench coat.
LOL it's a very nice image but I don't think it really happens.
If anything, I imagine Dean not being able to look at the overcoat for the most part.

But...I guess I think rather than show-by-show or fandom-by-fandom, personally for me it's individual-by-individual???
I have a lot of head canon stuffs knocking around in my head (which I will start posting on my LJ and will generally annoy everyone :P) and some of them are taken from the little clues from the shows, others are from outside source...so I don't know.
I think it's different with everyone.

:|
lol I tried so hard to sound coherent.
I'm not sure if I succeeded or not.