TheSupernaturalspinoff,The Winchesters,made one crucial mistake that doomed the show from the start. Premiering in 2005,Supernaturalran for an impressive 15 seasons, developing a passionate fan base along the way. As many know, the show centers on brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester as they travel across the country “saving people and hunting things.“But what begins as a cross-country monster hunt soon turns into a battle to save the world, as Sam and Dean face off against demons and angels alike.
Almost immediately afterSupernatural’s divisive series finale, speculation began on whether the show would ever return. Before long, Jensen Ackles announced that he and his wife, Daneel Ackles, were working on aSupernaturalprequel following a young Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) and John Winchester (Drake Rodger). However,when the first trailer dropped forThe Winchesters,fans were quick to point out thatthe story didn’t match upwith what had been revealed inSupernatural.TheWinchesters’finale explained the reason behind this, but the show may have been more successful if it had revealed the truth at the beginning.
The Winchesters' Finale Revealed The Show Was Set In An Alternate Universe
The Winchesters Was Never A True Prequel To Supernatural
Dean Winchester returns inThe Winchestersseries finale, revealing that the events of the show have been set in an alternate universe. The Mary and John that viewers had been following for 12 episodes were not the same ones who gave birth to the Sam and Dean Winchester ofSupernatural.Supernaturalhad already introduced the multiverse years before,revealing the existence of different versions of beloved characters. Additionally, with its finale reveal,The Winchestersexplores what happened to Dean after his death in theSupernaturalfinale.
After Dean arrived in Heaven, he spent some time cruising in his 1967 Chevrolet Impala (affectionately nicknamed “Baby”). During this time, Dean began exploring the multiverse,searching for a version of his family that got a happy ending. Along the way, Dean discovers a threat to the entire multiverse, including the universe where Sam is still living out the rest of his life. This motivates Dean (and Baby) to help John and Mary save the day, giving the eldest Winchester brother one last chance to save the world and providing an opening for him to return in the future.
Dean Should’ve Visited The Winchesters' Alternate Universe In Episode 1 Instead
The Winchesters Should’ve Presented Itself As An Alternate Universe Story From The Beginning
The Winchestersfinale recontextualizes the entire season, turning it into more of an epilogue for Dean than a prequel toSupernatural.Unfortunately, this revelation came too late, asmany viewers had already given up onThe Winchestersby the time of its finale.Despite assurances from Jensen Ackles and the show’s creators thatThe Winchesterswould not contradictSupernaturalcanon, it seemed to confirm fans' worst fears. While the finale ultimately made up for some ofThe Winchesters’failings, the show likely would have been more successful if it had revealed its big twist in episode one.
Although Dean appears inThe Winchesters’first episode (and narrates much of the series), the scene does not reveal that the show’s events occur in an alternate universe. This reveal would have established from the beginning how the show fit withinSupernatural’sestablished canon and would have given viewers more reasons to watch. Dean’s death inSupernatural’sfinale left many fans unhappy, andit would have been inThe Winchesters’best interest to advertise immediately that this was a continuation of Dean’s story.
The Winchesters Revealing The Twist Earlier Would’ve Made The Show More Interesting
The Winchesters Should’ve Embraced Its Alternate Universe Setting
Sam and Dean Winchester were always the heart ofSupernatural,and they made even the mediocre episodes of the show worth watching. Meanwhile,the story of Mary and John Winchester had already been explored inSupernaturaland was not something most fans had asked for. Giving Dean a larger presence inThe Winchesters’earliest episodes would have helped draw people into the show. It also would have been fun to see Dean pop up throughout the season, maybe narrating the differences between this universe and what he knew of his real parents.
I enjoyed The Winchesters more in hindsight after watching the finale, but I understand why some Supernatural fans bailed before they made it that far.
Alternate universe stories can undoubtedly be fun, butThe Winchesterstook way too long to reveal that this was the kind of story it was telling. I enjoyedThe Winchestersmore in hindsight after watching the finale, but I understand why someSupernaturalfans bailed before they made it that far. Ultimately,The Winchesterswould have been much more interesting if it had been clearly set up as an alternate universe series depicting a version of John and Mary Winchester who got a happy ending.
The Winchesters
Cast
The Winchesters is a prequel series to Supernatural created by Eric Kripke. It follows monster hunters John Winchester (Drake Rodger) and Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) as they search for their missing parents in the years before the birth of their sons Sam and Dean. The Winchesters is narrated by Jensen Ackles, who serves as the show’s executive producer, and also stars Tom Welling as Samuel Campbell.
Supernatural
Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
