Picture this, cruising down a highway, listening to ACDC, Led Zeppelin, CCR or even some Bon Jovi. The car is a beefy American classic, the music is on a tape, and in the boot (trunk) of your car you have salt, angel blades, holy oil and all sorts of guns. You are Dean and Sam Winchester and your only mission is to kill the things that go bump in the night. Oh and rescue one of your parents or adopted parents or adopted kids...
There aren’t many shows based around the paranormal that have lasted as long as Supernatural. Renewed for a fourteenth season the show seems to keep going and building their impressive fan base. The characters have come back from the dead more times than...the average monster hunter? (I do not know where that sentence was going but hey...I was in the flow.) It is a show that I freely admit I am addicted to.
Much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural has become a phenomenon in the world of paranormal television - especially for its impressive run time. But, full disclosure - I’m a fan, there is more to the show than just the incredibly good looking cast, witty one-liners and fun storylines. Underneath it all, there are themes of family, loyalty, growth, and so much more. It is a show that has made me laugh, swear, cry, and also question things that I thought I knew.
Supernatural aired in 2005 with the premise of two brothers traversing America’s backroads, hunting monsters, and searching for their missing patriarch - John Winchester. Eric Kripke focused many of the episodes on classic urban legends - Bloody Mary, Women in White, The Hook Man. Along with other legends such as the wendigo, vampires, werewolves and much, much more. As the first season progressed more and more mythology and lore was added, creating a rich world full of mystery.
As each season continued on, most following the typical pattern of story telling, the characters became more nuanced, the story arcs became more complex, and the fan base grew. Conventions were held all around the world and the actors became regular faces at many of these places. These same actors started using their platform for good, promoting awareness for all sorts of causes - most notably Always Keep Fighting which raised money for numerous charities devoted to helping people suffering from mental health issues. Not only that, Misha Collins started GISHWHES (Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen) which has been an amazing force in itself.
The show, itself, is full of comedic moments, heart wrenching scenes, and a self awareness that lead to the meta episode “The French Mistake” where the characters are transported into this reality - and it gets complicated so I’m going to leave it at that. Similar in vein to The X Files the show has an overarching storyline each season but still has ‘monster of the week’ episodes. And who can forget the musical episode.
Actors, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, who are practically brothers in real life, and the rest of the cast have become staples at conventions. I’ve been fortunate enough to hear them speak and the passion they have for the show and for their fans is evident - why else would we keep tuning in? Their thoughtful nature and openness have allowed for many people to talk about their own struggles often finding common ground with what the actors have, themselves, experienced.
So, if you want a fun ride with rock, one liners, a fear of Tuesdays, tricker gods, confused angels, methodical rulers of hell, and a self awareness that would make most shows jealous, then Supernatural is the show for you.
There are thirteen seasons to catch up on though... I mean, that’s just a couple of weeks of binging, right? Maybe three?
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