The cancellation ofThe Winchestersafter only one season highlights the one big mistakeSupernaturalseason 16 must avoid.Supernaturalran for an impressive 15 seasons on the CW, following the cross-country adventures of monster-hunting brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester.
Finally coming to a conclusion in 2020,Supernatural’s devastating finale that left fans divided. Not long after the show ended, fans began speculating about how the story of the Winchester brothers could continue. Before long, news broke about aprequel spin-off titledThe Winchesters,executive produced by Jensen Ackles and his wife, Danneel.
The Winchesterswas set totell the story of John (Drake Rodger) and Mary (Meg Donnelly) Winchester,chronicling how they met and fell in love. Based on the trailers, the show initially appeared to contradict whatSupernaturalhad already revealed about the Winchester parents, which didn’t exactly set the show up for success.
The Winchesters' Cancellation Was A Reminder That Supernatural Needs Sam And Dean
John & Mary Winchester Were Not Particularly Well-Liked Characters On Supernatural, Either
The Winchestersseason 1 finalerevealed that the entire season had taken place in an alternate universe, but many viewers had already given up on the series. Without Sam and Dean,The Winchesterssimply didn’t click with audiences,and a future continuation or spin-off ofSupernaturalmust avoid this mistake.
While I enjoyedThe Winchestersfor what it was,the show never captured the same magic that keptSupernaturalon the air for 15 seasons.The Winchesters’failure to connectwith audiences proves that aSupernaturalspin-off or reboot won’t work without Sam and Dean Winchester.
Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki became so great at portraying the Winchester brothers that it’s hard to imagine anyone else taking on the roles. Thankfully, both actors have expressed an interest in returning, as has Misha Collins as Castiel.
Whether Sam and Dean were hunting ghosts or taking on the Devil himself, they almost always did it together. Their dynamic made even the weakest episodes ofSupernaturalworth watching, and that absence was sorely felt onThe Winchesters.While many of the spin-off’s characters were interesting,they did not have the same presence as Sam and Dean.
A Supernatural Reboot Can’t Be About New Characters – It Has To Be About Sam and Dean
There Is No Supernatural Without Sam & Dean Winchester
The failure ofThe Winchesters(as well as the earlierattemptedSupernaturalspin-off,Bloodlines) proves thata futureSupernaturalreboot cannot focus on new characters.IfSupernaturalever continues, and I sincerely hope that it does, it simply must have Sam and Dean at its center.
Supernaturaldeveloped a complex and compelling mythology throughout its fifteen seasons, butit always kept the focus on the Winchester brothers.While aSupernaturalreboot would certainly introduce some new characters, the series must, at its heart, be about Sam and Dean.
The fewSupernaturalepisodes that focus on other, previously unknown characters, like “Bitten” and “Bloodlines,” are often regarded as some of the series' worst (or at least most polarizing) episodes.
Jared Padalecki as Sam, Jensen Ackles as Dean, and Misha Collins as Castiel are the mainreasons Supernatural developed such a passionate fan basethroughout its 15 seasons. Even if a future series managed to captureSupernatural’s unique blend of horror, humor, and heart, I cannot help thinking it would all feel empty without Sam and Dean Winchester.
Supernatural
Cast
Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
The Winchesters
The Winchesters is a prequel series to Supernatural created by Eric Kripke. It follows monster hunters John Winchester (Drake Rodger) and Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) as they search for their missing parents in the years before the birth of their sons Sam and Dean. The Winchesters is narrated by Jensen Ackles, who serves as the show’s executive producer, and also stars Tom Welling as Samuel Campbell.
