Throughout its fifteen seasons,Supernaturaldelivered some incredibly memorable and unique episodes, but one episode in particular stands out even for the show’s stars. At its heart,Supernaturalis the story of two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester, who travel around the country hunting monsters. Eventually, the stakes become apocalyptic, but in the beginning,Supernaturalbasically delivered standalone miniature horror movies each week. As the show went on, however, itshook upSupernatural’s established formulaand began experimenting more with other genres.
Supernaturalcreator Eric Kripkeplanned the show for five seasons, and the fifth season finale, “Swan Song,” serves as a perfect conclusion to the show’s apocalypse storyline. However,Supernaturalbecame so successful that it ran for fifteen seasons, allowing the writers to have some fun with the show’s premise. Kripke departed as showrunner after season 5, butSupernaturalseason 6 continues the story of Sam, Dean, and the angel Castiel (Misha Collins).Supernaturalseason 6 took some big swings with the show’s formula,but none more memorable than the fourth-wall-breaking “The French Mistake.”
Several Supernatural Stars & Eric Kripke Named “The French Mistake” Their Favorite
Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, & Mark Pellegrino All Cite “The French Mistake” As A Favorite
By the time of its sixth season,Supernaturalhad developed a certain confidence in its storytelling, and the show was never afraid to poke fun at itself and its passionate fans.Supernaturalhad already revealed the existence of a series of in-universeSupernaturalnovels following the adventures of Sam and DeanWinchester.“The French Mistake” takes this concept even further,sending Sam and Dean to an alternate universe where they are actually Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, the stars of a television series calledSupernatural.
It’s an extremely meta concept, butit’s perfectly executed thanks to the obvious knowledge and passion of everyone involved.It’s no surprise that Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Mark Pellegrino (Lucifer), and Eric Kripke all cite “The French Mistake” as a personal favorite (viaEW). Jared, Jensen, and Misha all seem to be having fun portraying fictionalized versions of themselves, and the episode contains numerous shout-outs to people who actually work on the show. Even for those who don’t catch all of these references, “The French Mistake” is a truly hilarious and brilliantly executed hour of television.
What Made “The French Mistake” Such A Popular Supernatural Episode
“The French Mistake” Encapsulates What Makes Supernatural So Unique
“The French Mistake” could easily have been a flop, butSupernaturaltakes an already unique concept and executes it in a particularly clever way that also acts as a love letter to the show.The episode shows the cast and crew’s willingness to poke fun at themselves,from Jared and Jensen’s names to Jared’s overly lavish mansion to Misha’s Twitter usage. “The French Mistake” fully commits to its premise and underscores what makesSupernaturalso unique in the first place.
Despite its apocalyptic stakes and ridiculously high death count,Supernaturalnever takes itself too seriously.Supernaturalhas the unique ability to be hilarious, heartwarming, horrifying, and heartbreaking all within one episode,and it’s this versatility that allowed forSupernaturalto continue for an impressive fifteen seasons. But none of that would have mattered without strong characters (and actors) at its core, and “The French Mistake” highlights Jared, Jensen, and Misha’s obvious talent and love for their characters.
“The French Mistake” remains a high point forSupernaturaland illustrates why the show continues to endure even five years after its series finale.
Very few television shows could pull off an episode like “The French Mistake,” butSupernaturalwas constantly reinventing itself. After the epic and emotional high of season 5’s “Swan Song,” “The French Mistake” proved thatSupernaturalcould still be fun, creative, and uniquely clever with its storytelling. “The French Mistake” remains a high point forSupernaturaland illustrates why the show continues to endure even five years after its series finale.
