Nearly 20 years ago, a fresh scary show debuted starring a duo known for their other work. While the original network faded away, that series, Supernatural, persisted much longer than anyone might have anticipated. The stars, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, transformed their parts as ghost-hunting siblings into the core of one of television's longest-running and greatest genre shows.
What allows Supernatural work so well, through 15 seasons, is the incredible range of scary stories it explored. Sometimes, it plays like a small thriller, while other stories present epic, demon-infested battles of good and evil. Sometimes, the series embraced comic horror territory. Every bit, though, was firmly anchored in the powerful connection of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester. Their journey to defeat evil and the relationship that grew are what held viewer interest for many years.
Though originally conceived as a five-season arc, the show became so much more, incorporating aspects of practically every subgenre of horror. If you are familiar with the show, its appeal is well understood. If you don't, however, now is your opportunity.
Supernatural is leaving Netflix on December 17th, leaving you with a little less than a seven days to cram in as much as humanly possible. Will you be able to watch all 327 episodes? Probably not, but you can at least make an attempt. Otherwise, the vast quantity of Supernatural to stream makes for quite a few ways to divide the show into curated mini-binges.
The Creator's Arc
The idea "mini-binge" is flexible, but if you want the truest essence of what Supernatural set out to be from its inception, you'll need to prepare for the first five years. The series was created by Eric Kripke, who, together with co-showrunner Robert Singer, had a definite endgame from the start.
That narrative began with the reunion of brothers Sam and Dean, as they hit the road looking for their absent, demon-hunting father. During their travels they face off against otherworldly creatures, and while each season had its own story arc, the series also had an overarching narrative that culminated in the looming coming of the apocalypse in the fifth season.
The first five seasons present a complete story, and had the show concluded there, fans would have been satisfied. Indeed, it was satisfying enough for Kripke that he stepped away, allowing others to carry on the story without him.
So if you want to experience the story of Supernatural the way it was meant, set aside some time for the Kripke era, beginning to end. You can stop there knowing completely you got a definitive Supernatural experience.
The Classic Monsters
Admittedly, asking someone to watch five years of TV in a short period is a big ask. Fortunately, there are other ways to dip into Supernatural, especially if traditional scary tales interest you. Throughout its run, but notably in its first few seasons, Supernatural brought to life a number of iconic folk monsters. From Bloody Mary to the wendigo, the series was never afraid from the tales we all told as kids.
So forget about serialized plots, and zero in specifically on the episodes inspired by iconic myths. (Getting a bowl of popcorn and a viewing partner to grab is advised.)
For the Urban Legends marathon, add to your list:
- Season 1, episode 1: "Pilot" (Woman in white)
- Season 1, episode 5: "Bloody Mary" (Bloody Mary)
- Season 1, episode 7: "Hook Man" (Hook Man)
- Season 1, episode 12: "Faith" (Boogieman)
- Season 2, episode 1: "Wendigo" (Wendigo)
- Season 2, episode 8: "Crossroad Blues" (Cross Road Blues)
- Season 2, episode 16: "Roadkill" (Ghostly hitchhiker)
- Season 2, episode 18: "Hollywood Babylon" (Haunted movie set)
- Season 6, episode 4: "Weekend at Bobby's" (demon seductress)
- Season 6, episode 8: "All Dogs Go to Heaven" (Skinwalkers)
Watching a handful of episodes is way easier than a massive commitment, but that’s still a lot of television. So if you are short on time and still want that sweet, sweet Supernatural dose before it leaves, we have one more choice.
The Comedic Breaks
Eventually in its run, the team behind Supernatural discovered they could get away with anything, and the more meta they got, the funnier. Whether that meant sending the main characters to a convention about their own lives, plopping them into an different dimension where they’re TV stars, or even making them animated, no concept was deemed too weird for this show.
These are the episodes devotees loved over the show's 15-season run. Whether it was joining forces with the Scooby-Doo gang or experiencing a musical based on their own lives, the shenanigans the writers dreamed up were hilarious and fitting for Supernatural.
For a marathon of the show's wackiest episodes, check out these:
- Season 2, episode 18: "Hollywood Babylon"
- Season 4, episode 18: "The Monster at the End of This Book"
- Season 5, episode 8: "Changing Channels"
- Season 6, episode 15: "The French Mistake"
- Season 9, episode 5: "The Real Ghostbusters"
- Season 9, episode 16: "Meta Fiction"
- Season 10, episode 5: "Fan Fiction"
- Season 13, episode 16: "Scoobynatural"
Each of these episodes dip into the more comedic side of Supernatural. Make sure to spend time with them all, particularly "The French Mistake" and "Changing Channels."
If you've gotten this far, chances are a true enthusiast. And when you are that plugged into the show, you've watched the Kripke cut, you have memorized the urban legends, and your rewatch tally for "The French Mistake" is probably in the teens. Luckily, the final mini-binge is tailored to you.
The Comic Relief
Indeed, we must mention Supernatural without talking about the meta series, Ghostfacers. Introduced in the early days, the Ghostfacers were a team of very inexperienced ghost hunters making their own reality show. They were goofy, hilarious, and they never overstayed their welcome.
So, if you're really tight on time, know Supernatural backwards and forwards, and still want to spend a little time with the Winchester brothers, these six Ghostfacers episodes are a perfect fit.
These are every episode with the Ghostfacers:
- Season 1, episode 17: "Hell House"
- Season 3, episode 13: "Ghostfacers"
- Season 4, episode 17: "It's a Terrible Life"
- Season 5, episode 19: "Hammer of the Gods"
- Season 9, episode 15: "Thinman"
- Season 14, episode 16: "Don't Go In the Woods"
That's multiple approaches to undertake a Supernatural rewatch without dedicating yourself to 15 straight seasons. So pick your preferred playlist above and make the most of the weekend.
And if you really can't manage to watch Supernatural before it leaves its current home on Dec. 17, fret not. It is moving to a different streaming service soon after.
