As soon as Dean Winchester spoke the words, “Dad went on a hunting trip… and he hasn’t been home in a few days” most of the world became captivated with the Winchester Family. Upon the various trailers that aired at the time, I can recall my mother telling me this was going to be a show I loved. For whatever reason I did not watch the initial season of Supernatural while it aired. The truth is I’m not sure I could have handled the ending of season three if I had not had more episodes to watch afterward. The ending still haunts me just like many of the other Supernatural finales. They always find a way to keep us coming back for more.
Sam has sacrificed a lot over the years. He left college for his family. He continually gives up the notion that he will one day live a normal life. He also has endured watching who some would deem the love of his life die in the same manner as his mother did when he was merely a baby. Despite not joining in the Winchester’s hunt until they were adults, we have continually watched Sam grow into the man we see on the show today. Audiences have watched him go through blood lust and become clean once more. We have even seen him without his soul and as Satan himself. One constant that remains though is Sam is always willing to go the extra mile and remain bound to his roots all while trying to save the world. This remains true even if it means sacrificing himself once more because he knows what those before him have sacrificed too.
Whether one loves or hates this angel, the truth is the fans never gave up on wanting more from Castiel. The first angel of the series went from a reoccurring character to series regular over the past fourteen seasons with a quickness. In many ways, Castiel is an honorary Winchester as he has adapted ways much like the brothers over the years. While we do not want to accept the deals that Castiel has made to save the two humans he has deemed family, sometimes even over his heavenly family, we have continued to love him all the same. With or without his grace, Castiel’s character continues to grow and audiences continue to want more from him. He remains loyal to a fault. His determination to help those around him never waivers, which explains why audiences are not ready to give up just yet on this celestial being just yet.
If we take Adam out of the equation, which the show has done, a strong family bond exists on this show! A bond that does not end in blood. These brothers have literally gone to hell and back for each other. If push came to shove they would do so again for one another. The Winchesters are not the only members of their family though. This family has extended to all hunters in the world over the years. The Winchesters have dropped what they are doing to aid in other cases in various cities and towns across the US the moment a hunter has requested aid for years. They have even aided when other hunters have not asked for assistance. The bond they have formed with various hunters over the years and the cameos that have popped up here and there have always become something worth watching. This bond is unbreakable and there’s something oddly reassuring to know once the Winchesters give you their loyalty that bond remains alive and well as long as they keep on living.
Though many serious moments are shared between among characters there have also been some hilarious ones all the same. Most recently “Scoobynatural” comes to mind. The way the show makes fun of itself is beyond brilliant. Three other episodes come to mind include “The French Mistake,” “Fan Fiction,” and “The Real Ghostbusters.” “The French Mistake” provides us with a behind the scenes look at the actors who play on the show Supernatural as Sam and Dean struggle to deal with this alternate reality. “The Real Ghostbusters” confronts conventions head on and makes the boys realize that a torrid side of the internet exists within the fan fiction universe. In “Fan Fiction” audiences gained a Supernatural musical that makes fun of Adam remaining in the cage with no attempts to get him out. One of the best parts of becoming a member of the Supernatural fandom is knowing that every now and then we will get an episode devoted to the fans. These episodes bring a brightness into our days to fight the sorrow that Supernatural is also known for and remind us we are appreciated.
As a religious person I have always enjoyed the take on both angels and demons the show has provided over the past fourteen seasons. The tweaking of stories I grew up listening to becoming tweaked beyond even my imagination has been one of my favorite parts of the shows. The manipulations over the years is nothing short of brilliance. Moreover, in many instances audiences started debating whether angels were worse than demons. Are the angels more evil than the demons? Who knew that was a question we even had to ask! The line between what is right and wrong or good and bad is beyond fascinating. When combined with the horror elements that Supernatural provided in the beginning these story arcs have continually become some of my favorite within the series making me even more grateful for Castiel’s introduction in the season four premiere.
Ultimately fans keep coming back to Supernatural because the cast and crew have given us the same devotion and loyalty in return as we’ve given them over the years. No matter how many times Dean saves Sam or Sam saves Dean we continue to come back because we deeply care about these characters. We care about those they bring into their inner circle. We care about the Winchesters because we have become fellow hunters. We wear plaid. We love pie. We try to eat a salad or two when Sam insists. Our mission over the years has become “saving people, hunting things, the family business.” It’s a motto that we cherish and will for as many seasons as this amazing cast and crew continue to make it possible for us to watch.
Join the hunt tonight for the historic 300th episode of Supernatural airing on the CW Network at 8:00pm EST.