Since 2005, the CW (formerly the WB) has been entertaining viewers with one of their most successful hits, Supernatural. The show follows the lives of Sam and Dean Winchester (played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively) a pair of brothers who fight monsters, demons, angels, and everything in between. Eric Kripke’s creation refuses to end, with a fast-paced plot that combines comic relief with intense drama plot. I would typically praise a show that has managed to push through ten seasons with an eleventh set to premiere on October seventh, but I am here to open a vein, to publicly beg the writers, actors, producers… the entire production staff to please stop. Your monstrosity has flown off the rails.
At this point, Supernatural fans are begging for a reasonable ending to the series. Season ten was interesting, watching Dean descend back into uncontrollable, murderous rage left fans with a pit in their stomachs for a perpetual cliffhanger of when his mental/emotional levy would break. The season premiere was welcome; Dean awakening as a demon at the season nine finale was shocking, and the early episode “Soul Survivor” was a terrifying Shining-esque experience. It was such a refreshing episode, until its ending. The show chooses to wrap up the “Deanmon” arc with an annoyingly convenient ending that utilizes a Deus-Ex-Machina that converts Dean back into human form. One of the most promising storylines the show has ever had is resolved in three quick episodes, and the season quickly goes into decline. The remainder is a series of pointless filler episodes with a rare gem thrown into the mix (the 200th episode is a great fan tribute and the Cain storyline is very intense). . However, I believe that the season ten finale is what sparked this rant inside me. I was forced to sit by and watch sheer nonsense, as all of Sam and Dean’s problems get miraculously solved at the cost of introducing some new, fatuous force of the evil called “the Darkness” that is undoubtedly going to be wasted in season eleven through a painful series of episodes that bring the show no closer to a conclusion.
The season ten finale should remind viewers of the steady downfall of the show since the end of season five. As some viewers of the series may know, the season five finale, “Swan Song,” was supposed to be the series finale. Narrated by Chuck, a modern day biblical prophet who helps the brothers, it provided an incredible final ending to the boys’ tale as they defeat Satan and Michael the Archangel. A massive spike in viewership made the show runners change their original plans and dive into a sixth season. The perfect finale was extended an extra 30 seconds to essentially undo all that had been carried out.
I see this as a case of greed over artistry. The show had a very strong, cohesive story, throughout seasons one through five, but now what? “Swan Song” saw the destruction of the devil; every following attempt at a plot was doomed from its beginning. I can appreciate the attempts: Castiel’s hubris-driven rise and fall, Bobby’s demise, and Dean’s scenes of rage and sacrifice were extremely powerful, but each season still feels like a mini-plot with a single problem piggybacking off of the botched resolution to the problem that occurred before it.
I fear that Supernatural has hit a point of no return. Seasons nine and ten seemed to get the plot a bit more on track and offer the potential for an ending that fans could appreciate, but instead the showrunners decided to press forward. Now the opportunity is lost and the cycle must start all over again.
The only buzz around season eleven at the moment promotes it as an epic with the worst enemy yet. I do not even think the creators know what that means. In early interviews they prided themselves off of biblical/folkloric accuracy, even in the many “filler” episodes of the show that are more creative than plot sensitive. The show is now locked in an endless cycle of another “worst enemy yet” after another with each coming season in some rote drama that even Padalecki and Ackles know is turning into a tired disappointment. I think that Supernatural should stand as a testament to all television programs; the best shows are certainly not the ones that run the longest.
Sez you. ‘All’ fans or just you? Considering the conventions and fan fics are still going strong and people want it……make like the guy in the passengers side of the Impala and shut your cake hole.
This show is pretty good, not much leftist agenda as most crap on that channel like the stupid izombie.
I think Supernatural is on of the best shows on TV to date. If the people want more give them more! There is no reason for them to stop now especially because of the ever growing fandom.
And compared to the other shows on that crap channel, Supernatural needs to stay to keep the originality alive.
Really? You actually watched Season 10? It was probably one of the best (if not THE BEST) season of Supernatural ever. It kept true to a plot, it twisted, it just plain worked. If the writers are at this high point in the show, don’t stop now! This is an epic show that should go on for another 10 seasons at this pace, as long as the writers and actors, etc. want it to. I have been a loyal viewer since EP1 and this show has never disappointed. There’s no need to stop this now, while they are producing high quality episodes. Keep on doing what ya do, Supernatural. We love ya for it.
Are you kidding? What “fans” are you talking about that are begging for the show to end? Granted, the show has its ups and downs, but every TV show ever made has weaker and stronger seasons. I am fully aware that this article is simply your opinion, but your opinion sucks.
Waiting in anticipation for ‘Supernatural’ to continue. It’s by far the best scifi/horror show on television. If they stop now the real horror from the fans will be the real tragedy.
Is it as good as it used to be? Of course not.
Is it still enjoyable? Hell yes.
Do you get to dictate when a show should or shouldn’t stop? The 1.5 million viewers say no.
Are you capable of turning off your TV and/or pretending the show stopped after whichever season you wish? I sure hope so.
Wow. You suck!
From your lips to the Universe’s ears! It’s a TERRIBLE TERRIBLE show with utterly laughable acting. That voice that the Dean character fakes is so awful I can’t stand to listen to it. Face it: the show has jumped an entire ocean of sharks. Let it die
OMG that voice KILLS me! It is just so completely over the top. I don’t think that Jensen is quite as bad as Jared but they run neck and neck in the Worst Actor Race. I honestly liked the show for the first five seasons but then they just ran it into the ground. How many times can Dean cry over Sam’s sickbed, or vice versa?? It’s the same themes repeated over and over. I’m sure the cast and crew want it to keep going b/c of the $ but my god … someone needs to wake up. And something I’ve always wondered: Do they pay the actors in Skittles? The show has horrible ratings–it rarely breaks 3 million viewers! Compare that to the Walking Dead’s average of 15 million. With crappy ratings like that what advertisers would even bother?
Why are you watching then?
this author is sadly correct, folks it’s time to let it go. it IS getting pretty bad. also I don’t know if its cuz I’m growing up or what, but at 18 all the sudden I notice that the acting is not as good as some other shows, like game of thrones. the fandom will flame this article but they all know that its time for it to end.
I think that this article only accomplished one thing….to piss the SPN Family off…Well done (if that was your true intent) if not then you are mistaken on the show. I have watched every season and I have to disagree with you wholeheartedly. The show is still in its prime and I don’t see where you are saying that they need to stop. I know this is your opinion and I am respectfully going to disagree with your opinion.
Ha Ha Ha, honey, if Supernatural is still in its prime then so is my 93 yr old grandma. You must be counting the shows age in Madonna years.
“[T]he best shows are certainly not the ones that run the longest.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
I have enjoyed Supernatural but it should be cancelled this year.
Sara,
A ten-year-old show that does nothing but remanufacture plot-lines is not in its prime. I mean, really. The notion that Supernatural is in it’s prime is absurd. You can certainly say that you personally still enjoy it but to claim it’s in its prime is just ridiculous.
Lol, I can’t believe the fans jumping into the comments to rant about how the show is still great and in its prime. This article is 100% right about the show and has a lot of very valid criticisms. I’m just waiting to see how disappointing season 11 is before i jump ship.
So you just watch just to see how bad it gets? You’re a special kind of stupid, aren’t you?
I’m not even bothering to watch season 11. The demise of Demon Dean in 3 episodes, the idiotic ending, and now the promise of more things wrong with Sam just killed the last inkling of interest I had left.
spn fans are beyond weird. they say that jared and jensen are so wonderful and that they are so perfect but the reality is that they don’t know them! those guys are selling a product just like the person you bought your car from. of course they are going to be nice! jared said disgusting things about that actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. that was the end for me. he is all over social media calling out corporations and stuff. That is just stupid. And Jensen is a evangelical. he has said some things about gays that I didn’t appreciate. it was a cool show for a while. but that’s done.
THIS ^^^ Carol’s post is spot on.
I agree with Padalecki’s insensitive nature and his claim to be depressed and beg for love of the fans while at the earlier he dissed a truly depressed actor, and a way finer actor than Padalecki will ever be, after the actor’s suicide.
However I don’t agree with your comment about Jensen Ackles, since he has an aunt who is gay and he’s very supportive of him.
I have seen Padalecki’s cruel tweets to others, but can you show proof of Jensen saying something against gays?
Correction: Jensen is supportive of her, and she is very supportive of him.
Jensen has a long since battled rumors that he’s not very gay friendly, or at least not big on rights like gay marriage. When he first started out acting he couldn’t open his mouth in an interview without talking about Jesus. He did the same thing in his Soap Opera Digest award too. He’s also a Republican and has said a few things at SPN conventions that upset some people. Just do a little Googling.
I remember that!!! The SOD awards were televised that year. I remember when Jensen won he yelled out something like THANK YOU JESUS CHRIST MY HEAVENLY FATHER and I was like, woa, Eric Brady is all about some Jesus. Once his career took off he got quieter. I always heard his agents told him to tone it down. Jenen’s dad is really big into anti-abortion stuff and is also a self professed Republican..Yeah, I always wondered if Jensen would be so cool with his aunt being gay if she were a dude.
i read lots of believble things about jensen being real religous and in his personal life not believing in gay’s rights. sorry for poor english.
The only weird thing here is the ones who are crying of how they don’t want to watch it anymore and it should have ended considering you twats have been watching it despite your so called claim of how it should have ended and you’ll never watch it again. Jack off liars at best.
If you don’t like it anymore don’t watch it!!!
Sorry, but the author of this drivel proves he doesn’t even know how television programming works. He says the ‘writers and show runners’ decided to give the show a season 6 after producing a series finale at the end of 5. Writers and show runners don’t decide whether a show is renewed or canceled. Network execs do. And network execs had decided to give the boys another season, and have done so many more times since. There are bad episodes in any show, but Supernatural doesn’t have many compared to most.
Supernatural is the only exception where the sometimes cringeworthy scenes don’t make me cringe. I agree the plot has been getting more and more up in the air or as if they are pulling ideas out of a hat however they are still doing an amazing job. I mean when I saw the ending of the 10th season I was like “Really, the Darkness… this is what we’ve come to?” But I am still excited as ever because a NEW SEASON OF SUPERNATURAL /fin.
the acting’s bad. it’s always been bad but the Js are decent to look at so people overlook it. what yanks my chain is when people try to say that supernatty is on the same level as GoT or Breaking Bad or Madmen or Homeland. Fans make it out to be the end-all-be-all and it isn’t. It really should end. it’s had a good run.
It’s had a good run.
Much like you at am all you can eat buffet, eh?
Wow, what are you . . . Thirteen?
Supernatural is amazing!! None of the fans want it to stop so quit bagging on the show.
If all u spn whackos from the internets think its so great, why don’t u watch it? if there are as many online fans as you all claim then the ratings would be through the roof. There are only 100 or 200 real spn fans and they vote multiple times in all those dumbass polls and post over and over under different names on places like this. This article is right on point.
I have to agree, especially since season 11 is promising nothing more than more redundancy with Sam having visions (been there, done that) and some other nonsense with Crowley and Castiel that’s already been played over and over.
This show’s ideas have died with Kim Manners. Sure Carver had great promise with the Purgatory story, Demon Dean, but both these stories were wasted with more stories about Dean having to save Sam’s next problem, which seems to be the core idea for every season. Something is wrong with Sam and the whole show is Dean angstying about it and Sam playing the wilting violet while he manages to save the day from his deathbed.
To think of all the wasted potential on more stories about problematic Sam and what’s his name is getting boring. The show doesn’t know how to hold interest anymore, and even the fillers are nothing more than redundant monsters and repetition of stories done before.
Yes, it it time for the show to end. It should have ended in season five which I believe called for both Dean and Sam to take on Michael and Lucifer respectively and jump into the bad CGI hole, but, unfortunately, as you said, greed took over. I’m, still glad for purgatory, Benny, and Demon Dean, but the seasons have been nothing but a waste of time and Ackles’ talents.
I totally agree with you. And this article is spot on. I see a lot of so-called fans here are in an uproar because someone dared question how good SPN is anymore. There’s something wrong with a fandom when someone can’t state a contrary opinion without getting flamed for it. Telling someone “if you don’t like it, then don’t watch” is childish. And I also question how many of these true believers were with Supernatural from the beginning. Not many, I would guess. They have nothing to compare this show with. You’re right, hermit mela: The glory days were the ones with Kim Manners. When he died and those stupid angels showed up SPN began a downward spiral into mediocrity from which it has never recovered.
S11 sounds like the Sam Show. The way Carver and company dealt with Demon Dean in S10 was pathetic, and the Marked!Dean arc was clumsily written and poorly executed. It’s quite okay for us to suffer through an entire season of Padalecki’s brow furrowing and nostril flaring as Soulless Sam, but Dean goes dark and certain fans go online and whine that “he scares me. Change him back!” The show listened. That’s the problem. They listen to the Sam fans too much and to heck with everyone else. Funny how Sam can drink blood, run wild with a demon on and on and on and that’s okay, but give Dean a storyline and suddenly these folks are yelping that such developments ‘damage the brotherly relationship.’ SPN is supposed to be about the brothers. Both of them. The original tagline was “Two Brothers, One Fate” not “This is the Super Sammy show.” But like I said, if you didn’t watch from the beginning you wouldn’t know that, now would you?
But I guess the fans who blindly cling to the notion that ‘the show is better than EVER!’ will cling to the fact that this train wreck has lasted this long. If SPN were on another network it would have been cancelled a long time ago. That would have been merciful. It’s sad to see my once proud show stumbling along like this, but mark my words, the day will come soon when the CW has drained every last bit from that tired cash cow and they will drop it like a bad habit, fans be damned. Their current bragging point is that Supernatural lasted longer than Smallville. Considering how bad Smallville was at the end, that’s really not a compliment.
And for those of you who wish that SPN would last as long as The Simpsons, 27 episodes? Please take your meds. You’re delusional. Why would you want to keep those actors trapped for decades like that? You’re not only delusional, you’re immature and selfish. Keeping my fingers crossed that S11 is the last season. It’s way too late for Dean, he deserved better, but Jensen still has a bright future.
Dead God, you people squawking on and on about Jensen’s “talents” are crazy. Jensen Ackles is a miserable, laughable actor! As someone has already pointed out, that affected voice he does for Dean Winchester is a case in point.
Boo to the Hoo. No one cares.
Cute. Are you a pedophile?
Watching SPN now reminds me of a comedy spoof I once saw featuring the rapidly aging “cast” of Harry Potter where Harry is looking rather scruffy and Hermione is a knocked up delinquent. I do love Dean and Sam, but this show peaked in season 4 and I really don’t want to see Dean battling the forces of evil with his walker and Sam with his HurryCane. As hermit mela said, this is a waste of Ackles’ talents. @carol – Jensen is not an evangelical, he supposedly belongs to a non-denominational Christian church and they don’t necessarily have the typical anti-gay rhetoric of the evangelicals, it’s a supposedly “come as you are” type of philosophy. It’s a shame that people are so intolerant that an actor is forced into silence because of his faith, it’s just like the old days where gay actors were forced to stay in the closet – you can love Jesus as long as you don’t talk about it, you can love someone of the same sex as long as you don’t talk about it. Discrimination is fugly in whatever form it takes – anti-Christian or anti-gay.
@gwalhaved — I looked around and failed to find anything to back up your statement that Jensen is not Evangelical, much less that he attends a “come as you are” church. What I did find, though, just like I knew I would, were numerous accounts of him being a garden variety Evangelical with the standard garden variety Evangelical beliefs. I was a huge fan of Jensen’s for years. I used to hear rumors that he was homophobic but I brushed them off. Then a girl I dated went to New Jersey Con a few years ago and she told me that despite the “spin,” it was clear what happened there and how Jensen felt about gays and lesbians. She also told me that she, first hand, heard a young female organizer say to a couple of upset fans that Jensen had banned any questions dealing with bisexuality or homosexuality, and that was why he was so upset with the girl. After that I decided that I wasn’t going to watch Supernatural as much. It didn’t feel healthy for me. Plus, I believe in women’s rights, gay rights, immigration, the Affordable Healthcare Act, etc., and the fact that as a Republican Jensen isn’t supporting those things disturbs me. I think Jensen loves his gay aunt, but I think he believes that, because the Bible purportedly decries same sex activity, that gay marriage is wrong.
The author article have some valid points. The plot and acting had declined in quality since season 5 or 6. However despite these flaws the show is still enjoyable.
I feel the same way, Leslie Carlisle. It was sad for me but there was just too much smoke around Jensen for their not to be some fire somewhere. I still watch the show every once in a blue moon and sometimes catch an online article, but I not the fan I used to be.