“The Winchesters” is a prequel show to the CW’s hit show “Supernatural,” which aired for 15 seasons. The series began in 2005 and ended in 2020.
Throughout the years, “Supernatural” has developed a sturdy fandom and made its mark on television history. The show followed two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester. The plot of the series can be summed up in a phrase used throughout the show, “Saving people, hunting things, the family business.”
Throughout “Supernatural,” fans watched Dean and Sam fight monsters, save countless lives, and die several times. They grew very fond of the dynamic duo, but now they get to witness the story of two other Winchesters, Sam and Dean’s parents. “The Winchesters” takes place in 1972 with Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) and John Winchester (Drake Rodger). It tells their origin story through the narration of their oldest son, Dean Winchester.
“The Winchesters” was highly anticipated by some fans, but other members of the fandom were not as hyped for it. According to Screenrant, there are a variety of reasons for mixed feelings when it comes to “The Winchesters”. Some fans look forward to learning the origins of the Winchester family and learning about Dean and Sam’s parents. Other fans are disappointed to see some of the cast from “Supernatural” such as Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins, not return to the prequel. Another criticism that fans are having is the continuity errors the show may possess. It is suspected that the prequel will have some contradictions to the original show within the telling of John and Mary’s story.
The pilot episode aired on the CW on Oct. 11. According to Deadline, “The Winchesters” had 757,000 viewers tuning in. The episode began when John Winchester returns home to Lawrence, Kansas after he was enlisted in the Marines. In under two minutes, we are introduced to Mary Campbell. The comedic banter between the character’s interactions immediately shows the chemistry between these two. Within the first ten minutes, John gets tossed into his first demon encounter. He is surprised when he finds out that it is not Mary’s first. She explains to him that she is a hunter, and he might have hunter origins as well. These two stick together as they find out what happened to John’s dad, and where Mary’s father went.
One of the highlights of this show is the diverse cast of characters, especially compared to the original cast from “Supernatural” in 2005. The 5 most recurring characters in “Supernatural” were White men. In “The Winchesters” we are introduced to a much more diverse cast. Carlos Cervantez (Jojo Fleites) is a non-binary hunter that joins John and Mary. The show also includes two women of color as main characters, Latika (Nida Khurshid) and Ada (Demetria McKinney).
“We’re in a space now where I feel like it is not only largely accepted, but it’s encouraged and I think that that’s fantastic,” said Jensen Ackles, when discussing the inclusion of a non-binary character on the show with Variety. “So we just took that as fuel and went with it. It was a very natural organic thing.”
Overall, I feel that “The Winchesters” had some compelling elements within the pilot episode. I recommend that “Supernatural” fans give the new prequel a fair viewing and see the show’s path.
New Episodes of “The Winchesters” air Tuesday nights at 7 PM central on the CW.