Supernaturalseason 15 brought the long-running CW series to a somewhat divisive end; while some viewers appreciated the larger story beats, others felt they could’ve been executed more seamlessly. There’s always the argument to be made thatSupernaturalshould have ended in season 5, as it was intended to. But overall, there are enough highlights in its 15 seasons that this stance doesn’t hold up.
And in a way,Supernatural’s true endingresembles that of season 5’s “Swan Song.” The show’s final episode,“Carry On,” still kills one of the Winchesters— and leaves the other to move on without them. The penultimate episode ofSupernatural, “Inherit the Earth,” also features a high-stakes confrontation on par with Sam and Dean’s stand-off with Lucifer.
However, it’s the Winchesters' fates at the end ofSupernaturalseason 15 that are most notable, as they’re reminiscent of their circumstances after “Swan Song.“The only difference is that “Carry On” reverses their roles, and it does so in a way that feels more in line with their stories.
Supernatural Season 15’s Finale Reverses The Show’s Original Ending
Dean Dies & Sam Quits Hunting This Time Around
Supernaturalseason 15 flips the series' originalseason 5 ending, as it swaps the Winchesters' fates. In “Swan Song,“Sam sacrifices himself in order to trap Lucifer back in Hell and prevent the apocalypse from happening. Dean watches as his brother condemns himself to this fate, and then he returns to Lisa and attempts to live a normal life without hunting.
This doesn’t last very long, asSupernaturalseason 6 sees Sam returning to the world of the living and Dean resuming his usual lifestyle. Andseason 15 turns their original endings on their heads, with Dean losing his life on the job and Sam giving up hunting for good.
Although many find “Swan Song” more satisfying, “Carry On” makes the right call by reversing its outcome.
There’s been some debate about how this outcome was handled, but it does make more sense given the brothers' previous character arcs. Although many find “Swan Song” more satisfying, “Carry On” makes the right call by flipping its outcome.
Switching Sam & Dean’s Fates Made More Sense For Supernatural’s Conclusion
Season 15’s Ending Felt Like A Natural Conclusion For Both Of Them
Supernaturalopens with Sam Winchester getting pulled back into hunting, despite his desire to lead an ordinary life, so season 15’s finale feels like the natural conclusion to his journey. It’s only his father’s disappearance and Jessica’s death that get him wrapped up in the family business again.
Sam finally getting to live out the life he envisioned for himself is a touching outcome for his character, and it highlights his ability to move on from all his losses. It’s just as emotional as sacrificing himself for the greater good of the world — perhaps even more so.
Meanwhile, Dean is the type of character that will always get drawn back to hunting, as it’s been his purpose since childhood. One of theleast believable elements of Supernatural’s original endingis Dean never trying to bring Sam back. He’s a fighter through and through, and it makes sense that he’d go out that way in the series finale.
AlthoughSupernaturalseason 15’s ending is the logical conclusion for both of the Winchester brothers, I do wish that Dean’s send-off was a little bit stronger. Dean doesn’t perish during some high-stakes, world-altering confrontation. Instead, he’s killed tracking down a vampire, which feels underwhelming and unrealistic after everything he goes through.
“Carry On” has the right idea when it comes to the Winchesters, but the waySupernatural’s ending plays out leaves something to be desired.
It makes sense for Dean to go out on a hunt, but the way that job is handled is incredibly disappointing. This is one of the reasonsSupernatural’s series finalehas gotten so much backlash. “Carry On” has the right idea when it comes to the Winchesters, but the waySupernatural’s ending plays out leaves something to be desired.
