It is very rare for a TV show to get picked up, and even then continue on for a solid multi-season run. Imagine if we were to tell Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles – who play iconic brother duo Sam and Dean respectively – that they were only now closing the chapter on the Winchester family business?
Beginning in simpler times, the Supernatural pilot kicks off the core of the show: monsters exist, and Sam and Dean are part of a family who hunts them down. Upon their father’s disappearance (played by esteemed actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Dean invades Sam’s attempt at an ordinary college life and they both set off in the Chevy Impala to kill all things that go bump in the night.
What began as a simple plot almost running per episode soon progresses into a deep analysis into the trauma of the characters and eventually some really fun, wacky episodes as viewers effectively grow up with them. This can all be attributed to the stellar pilot, which artfully balances the dark scary tones of the show with the wit and charm, mainly radiating from Dean who clearly takes some inspiration from Harrison Ford’s Han Solo. From the basis of familial love, Supernatural has not only becoming a show but a community, Jared Padalecki, in particular, encouraging the normalisation of mental health problems after having experienced depression during his time on the show.
I will be sad to see this show go, but when I’m feeling nostalgic I know I can always count on the pilot to provide that perfect balance of fear, excitement and nostalgia.
Check out the trailer for the 15th and final season of Supernatural below:
