USA TODAY International Edition
‘Supernatural’ casts a long spell
Winchester brothers reach 300th episode
Monsters, ghosts, demons, witches, the devil, God’s sister, a few apocalypses, alternate realities and iffy ratings: The Winchester boys have survived them all and arrived at the 300th episode of CW’s “Supernatural” unscathed.
Well, mostly. They have died and been possessed by otherworldly beings, so that’s bound to take a toll. Nevertheless, evil-hunting brothers in flannel Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) continue their hellacious path in the “Supernatural” milestone (Thursday, 8 EST/PST), which reunites the siblings with their father, John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
The Winchesters are hard to kill (at least permanently), and so is their horror show, which this week was renewed for a 15th season. The last vestige of the former WB network could have merely showcased handsome guys whacking vampires and werewolves in a monsterof-the-week format, until they became big Hollywood stars. Instead, they became a deep, dark and wonderful mythology of things that go bump in the night and two righteous dudes at the center of it.
Here are seven reasons (a holy number, naturally) why “Supernatural” has carried on so successfully with its wayward sons and why it may not be stopping anytime soon.
Dean Winchester is the best superhero on TV
Fun fact: Ackles was on the short list to play Marvel’s Captain America, but he wasn’t available because of his “Supernatural” commitments. Things turned out OK: Chris Evans did well in his stead and Ackles crafted a terrific, man-crush-worthy do-gooder with reckless tendencies, an insatiable hunger for junk food and a willingness to sacrifice body and soul if it means saving loved ones and/or humanity. Also, unlike Dean, Green Arrow never killed Hitler.
But Sam Winchester is the show’s beating heart
The younger of the two bros is the epitome of empathy, the emotional yin to Dean’s two-fisted yang. A more reluctant hero – and the onetime vessel for frequent big bad Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) – Sam often finds himself at odds with Dean because of his caring nature: Most recently, Sam was dead set on talking his sibling out of burying himself alive to keep villainous archangel Michael (currently locked in Dean’s subconscious) permanently at bay.
Everything changed when stuff got biblical
After the first three seasons of creature-killing, ghost-busting and demondealing, “Supernatural” found its groove by introducing the angel Castiel (Misha Collins), who saved Dean from hell and kicked off the show’s defining mythos. Demons are bad, yet most angels are jerks, too, resentful of mankind for its place in God’s eyes. And then there’s the Lord Himself, an enigmatic writer named Chuck (Rob Benedict).
‘Supernatural’ is modern Americana
Although the dangerous stakes usually involve civilization as well as the afterlife (and don’t forget Apocalypse World!), the show essentially is one long road trip that’s taken the Winchesters from sea to shining sea to battle various forms of malevolence. In this divided nation, these guys are a uniting force who love pie and cheeseburgers and show us that we’re all in this together.
There’s always a healthy supply of self-awareness
Other than, say, “Criminal Minds,” a show doesn’t run 14 seasons by doing the same old weekly procedural format. To switch up things, “Supernatural” has aired several “meta” episodes over the years that took the Winchesters to a bewildering world of TV tropes (medical drama, ’90s comedy), a “Supernatural” fan convention, a high school musical, an animated mystery with Scooby-Doo, and even the “real” set of the show where everybody thinks they’re guys named Jared and Jensen.
Have awesome car, will travel
One of those out-there hours featured a story told from the perspective of “Baby,” Dean’s beloved 1967 Chevy Impala. The black muscle machine, a throwback to such iconic ’80s vehicles as the “A-Team” van and K.I.T.T. from “Knight Rider,” allows the boys to celebrate the freedom of the open highway, with windows down and classic rock blaring.
The good guys are just that: actually good
When they’re not possessed, the Winchesters usually are on the side of the angels. (Well, some of the angels). Because saving the world doesn’t pay so well and they need gas, food and hotel money, the guys have done some shady stuff. They’ve been wanted outlaws and made a regular habit of impersonating FBI agents, park rangers and other law enforcers.
But even during a time when Peak TV wholly embraced the antihero, the Winchesters always were dudes you could believe in. And that’s a mission they’ll maintain until they drive off into the night for good. Or forever, whichever comes first.