Supernaturaloriginally had a completely different ending, and it would have resolved one of the show’s biggest problems. Even five years after the show ended, on top of the impressive 15 years it was on the air,Supernaturalremains a beloved TV show. However, there’s no doubt thatSupernatural’sfinale was controversial.
In part, this was because the show decided to kill off fan-favorite character Dean Winchester (particularly because he died in a way that many found disappointing after all he had survived and accomplished). Yet, the finale, along with many of the later seasons, was emblematic of a largerSupernaturalissue—one that the original ending would have avoided.
“Swan Song” Was The Conclusion To Supernatural’s Original 5-Season Arc
Initially, the season 5 finale ofSuperantural, “Swan Song,” was going to be the conclusion of the show. This episode, which saw Lucifer fully in control of Sam’s body and ready to take on Michael (who was only able to inhabit Adam’s body, as Dean had refused) in the ultimate showdown.
This episode was a jarringly bloody mess, with Lucifer breaking Bobby’s neck and snapping his fingers to explode Castiel, all while Dean watched in horror. Although Dean survived this event in episode 5, he was also bloodied nearly beyond recognition as Lucifer, in Sam’s body, brutally beat his face.
Lucifer, Sam, Michael, and Adam then all end up in Lucifer’s cage, after Sam jumped in, saving the world from any more of Lucifer’s wrath. This meant that Dean was left entirely alone, with his best friend and his father figure both dead, and his brother seemingly lost forever in one of the most horrifying ways possible.
It’s true that this ending would have been absolutely gutting, but there nevertheless remains a debate to this day regardingwhichSupernaturalending was better, the original planned ending in season 5 or the actual finale in season 15. There are arguments for both, but season 5’s ending has one clear advantage.
Namely,season 5 felt like a true conclusion to the story, particularly as it pertains to the arc that built up over those five seasons. From the pilot alone, it was clear thatSupernaturalwas going to explore the story of two brothers who loved one another deeply but also were at odds with one another.
This ending, with Sam and Dean representing the complex, violent, and (seen empathetically) heartbreaking relationships between archangels Michael and Lucifer, would have been the perfect way to end that narrative, especially because it meant Sam—who had long been troubled, to say the least—sacrificing himself.
Supernatural Ending With “Swan Song” Would’ve Avoided The Show’s Biggest Problem
In addition to “Swan Song” providing an ending that would have felt more full-circle for the show based on all that had happened thus far,concluding with season 5 would have avoidedSupernatural’sbiggest issue: the show went on for too long, and it never became quite as good as it was in those first five seasons.
That isn’t to say nothing happened that was positive after the season 5 finale—on the contrary, manySupernaturalepisodes that are considered masterpiecescome after “Swan Song”—but the carefully-planned story and cohesive structure that defined the first five seasons were lost following that episode.
In more than one instance, it felt likeSupernaturalwasn’t quite sure where it was going next. Among the arcs that are less popular are Apocalypse World, which saw the return of many characters, like Bobby and Charlie, as different versions of themselves, and the arc in which Dean is trapped in Purgatory but Sam doesn’t go looking for him.
Instead, Sam essentially abandons Dean and begins a relationship with Amelia, which proved to be a very unpopular story arc for many fans. In fact, even Jared Padalecki sees this as a poor decision on Sam’s part and recently shared thathe regrets this relationship choice for Sam.
Both of these arcs therefore represent issues thatSupernaturalran into after season 5; however, there were some bright sides to this finale not truly being the end.
Supernatural Still Gave Us Amazing Moments After Season 5
As mentioned, while the show running for an additional 10 seasons did cause some problems,many ofSupernatural’sgreatest moments happened after “Swan Song,“which complicates this issue to a certain extent. As just some examples, now-iconic episodes like “The French Mistake,” “Baby,” and “Death’s Door” all came after season 5.
It’s therefore difficult to argue that the show should have ended with season 5, as we would have missed out on so many brilliant moments. We also got to see much more of Jensen Ackles as Dean, Jared Padalecki as Sam, Misha Collins as Castiel, and myriad other beloved actors and characters, which certainly doesn’t feel like a bad thing.
The show running for so long also meant that it has more relevance now. Had the show ended with season 5, it’s unlikely the actors would still be this involved with the franchise, conventions would be held so regularly, andtalk of aSupernaturalrebootwould be on the table.
Even so, there’s little denying that, in later seasons,Supernaturalsuffered from a lack of cohesive direction, and that’s an issue that would have been entirely avoided had the show ended with season 5, as it was originally intended.
