The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town – cue rock’s heavy drumbeats and solo guitar music, for these fellas are here to party hard – but only in the way of decapitating monsters, shooting ghosts, exorcizing demons and banishing witches, not to mention the whole side of heaven (being slightly more corporate and less morally superior than they’d like you to know). Welcome to the world of Supernatural.
Centred around the Winchester brothers; Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki), the show follows their journey as they seek out the supernatural of this world and kill it – for they’re hunters. Badass, off-the-radar heroes, who refuse to brood, whilst brooding – looking at you Sam. They also care a great deal, despite their gruffness and will do anything for strangers and loved ones alike, even if it means getting in the line of fire, which is pretty much every single time. Not to mention they could be Abercrombie and Fitch models – but they don’t care about such things, often being bruised, bloody and looking just a wee bit broken.
In series one the Winchester boys set off in hope of finding their dad (who’s also a monster hunter, one of the best even), but the only clue to his whereabouts is his journal/guidebook that looks at what goes bump in the night. Thus the boys pick up where he left off; killing the things that lurk under your bed, whilst all the while tracking down the big bad demon that set their lives off course – with the murder of their mother.
Throughout all the seasons there is the strength of familial bonds, they’ll sacrifice themselves, but not each other to save humanity, their relationship being the heart of the story – it develops, grows, but is never at risk of being lost, not really. They’re also typical siblings – blaming each other, playing pranks, to shouting matches before storming off in their comfortable directions, and yet still having each other’s backs. In the course of their adventures they’re joined by a beat-up angel, unlikely allies and those looking for redemption – of which they boys are frequent club members.
Each season brings a new threat and a different villain (largely), creating an ever-increasing sense of danger to the one before, and new level of evilness to them. The boys’ aims in beating them connecting the season’s episodes together – although the earlier half of the season (after introducing the latest trouble) tends to focus on individual stories, while the latter half increasingly ramps up the grand nemesis/obstacle they face – this does mean that some episodes don’t work as well on their own and lack that sensation of being frightening, instead having a more personal investment and pressure to win. Having said this, some of the best and most memorable episodes of the series are those infused with comedy; the only horror story being the brothers’s pranks/Dean’s strange sense of humour/or a reversal of their usual over-the-top macho-manliness e.g. the episode Yellow Fever – a personal favourite.
As in all successful shows, the acting here falls nothing short of the demands and expectations placed on its leads, and in particular when their characters have such conflicting emotions and complex histories. The relationship between Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki character’s having a true “brotherly-bond” to it. Their off-the-show antics and friendship only telling more of the same. In having a partnership so equally matched it can be hard for side-characters to stand out, but not here, the most popular and long running being Castiel played by Misha Collins, although he’s really a main character. Collins portrays an angel, who for the first time is viewing life in all its up-close glory and gore, whilst still being very much on the side-lines of it. The addition of such a character (in season four) brings an instantly endearing win to Supernatural, his confusion and naivety bringing a lighter tone, and a sort of adopted brother into the fold. However, Collins managed to equally retain the strength and fortitude of his character, making him a formidable ally and not just someone who needed everything explained to.
What makes Supernatural so successful – and it is with fifteen seasons!! – is that you can pretty much pick it up from anywhere within its run, and have something you can instantly get stuck into, the main characters having that old-fashioned feel of good is good, and bad…well they should be prepared to be destroyed! Do not confuse this however with thinking Supernatural is flat or predictable, for it’s anything but, the scenes and settings being rich in their environment and storylines. They’re constant drive-by of American cities and states providing the opportunity of exploring various myths, folklore, legends and bedtime stories. Just as the show investigates the multi-layered characters and their reasons for helping or hurting. The scenes moving between moments of ‘awwing’ at the friendships, laughing alongside (or at them), to hiding behind a pillow and jumping out of your skin at those moments of sheer horror– the ghost episodes (esp with creepy little kids) being the most terrifying, but you know it will all be okay when the heroes arrive – some of you might just survive.
Creator: Eric Kripke
Other notable works:
- The Boys 2019 –
- Timeless 2016-2018
