I just ranked all 15 seasons of ‘Supernatural,’ and I’m ready to lay my weary head to rest
*Cue in 'Carry on My Wayward Son' for the recap.*
Great shows getting canceled after one season (Save My Lady Jane and The Acolyte!) is driving people back to rewatch their comfort shows. And the warm, muscular, plaid-wrapped arms of Sam and Dean Winchester of Supernatural, with its 15 seasons of 20+ episodes, feels like salvation.
There’s no denying that The CW show had its highs, lulls, and lows; 15 years is not an easy drive. But Eric Kripke’s baby had some solid foundations and mythology that fueled its characters and early seasons. The first five seasons of Supernatural are near damn perfection. But even after that, even after it occasionally fumbled and faltered and stumbled and shit the bed in that finale, fans stuck by it because at is core, Supernatural was always that little show that could. The core of a found family that didn’t end in blood at its center, the two brothers went up against some cosmic odds, yet chose to do things their way (or the highway!), inspiring and changing others to follow suit. And they did it to great music in a gorgeous car!
Supernatural gave us some iconic characters (Crowley, Charlie, Rowena, Gabriel), moments (Castiel’s introduction in the barn, Death’s entry scene, Demon Dean, Sam Winchester declaring there will be no new king of Hell), and episodes, (“Swan Song,” “All Hell Breaks Loose,“ “French Mistake,” “Faith,” “Regarding Dean,” “Baby,” “Sacrifice,” “Despair”), memorable dialogues, a parade of guest stars, and a gif for everything under the Sun, as we’re reminded by tumblr. There were a couple of spinoffs that didn’t quite take off—Bloodlines, Wayward Sisters, The Winchesters—some great charity and mental health and political awareness initiatives, a cast that continues to be like family, and fan conventions that feed our starved souls and keep the hope of a reboot alive.
Now, asking someone who is a diehard fan of the show to rank all its seasons is like asking a Winchester to sacrifice his brother to save the world. First, they’ll refuse, then bargain, then have to do it anyway, then unalive themselves instead, and then find a loophole and come back from the dead. Because, you know, we’ve got work to do!
So here we go!
15. Season 14
I know, shocker, that season 15 isn’t last on the list? But if you look at it in terms of individual and overarching episodes, season 14 of Supernatural feels the weakest and driest. It starts off strong with Apocalypse world Michael in Dean’s body because who doesn’t love Jensen Ackles playing a cold killer in those sharp outfits, eh? And there are some solid episodes too, like the Winchester family reunion ft. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s John Winchester in “Lebanon,” “Nihilism,” or “Moriah” in which God/Chuck (Rob Benedict) becomes the ultimate big bad of the story. And Daneel Ackles returns as Anael!
But the whole Nick (Mark Pellegrino) trying to get his Lucifer on storyline, and Mary Winchester’s (Samantha Smith) final death, coupled with no truly landmark episode until the finale makes this penultimate season, which was only 20 episodes, show up last on the list.
14. Season 13
I know, season 13 gave us Scoobynatural!, “A Most Holy Man,” and Castiel’s return from The Empty with a Destiel fav episode “Tombstone.” But can we all agree that the Apocalypse world kind of sucks the energy out of this season, even if it brings back fan favourite characters like Bobby (Jim Beaver)? Dean mourning Castiel and Crowley (Mark Sheppard) and mirroring his father in his treatment of Jack (Alexander Calvert) was a solid emotional arc though.
13. Season 15
Right, we’re finally at the season that kind of went Game of Thrones season 8 with its series finale, Dean Winchester’s rebar death, Sam Winchester’s bad wig and blurry wife, and not enough characters brought back to make it a farewell that would feel in sync with the show’s theme of family not ending in blood. But let’s also not discount the entire season 15, because the arc of Jack, the son of Castiel, Dean, and Sam Winchester (and of course Kelly Kline and Lucifer) defying God, a self-indulgent author, and writing one’s own destiny, and how that elevates Castiel’s character in the one universe where he rebelled to a whole new level is poetic AF!
There were some truly beautiful, fun, nostalgia-driven episodes too that made you smile, tear up, and also drool. I mean, did you watch Jensen Ackles direct himself in that opening fight sequence of “Atomic Monsters,” and Jared Padalecki dust off his chilling Lucifer one last time? And that whole arc with Belphegor (Calvert) was brutal but funny? Rowena’s (Ruth Connell) sacrifice and then ultimate ascension to Queen of Hell?
This might start to sound like an ‘In defense of season 15’ write up, but there’s really no discounting that this season had its moments. Dean and Cas’ ‘divorce arc’ and eventual making up in “The Trap”; the wonderfully fun “The Hero’s Journey” where Garth (DJ Qualls) gets to be hero while it subtly calls out how easy protagonist have it; the look back at Sam and Dean’s childhoods one last time in “Drag Me Away From You”; and the parade of homely celebrations when the wood nymph Mrs. Butters (Meagan Fay) took care of the boys (at first)!
And, how could we put “Despair” and Castiel’s confession scene at the bottom? How? I’ll let the Empty take me before I let season 15 down, even if it let us down in the finale. *sobs*
12. Season 7
Season 7 is such a tonal shift from what Supernatural was about in the previous seasons and what it became in the next seasons after it. And yet, with the Leviathans being a neat little commentary on the consumerism and capitalism rampant in America, it was a fabled monster perfectly modernised to fit into Supernatural’s ethos. The mixed feelings about this season are why it is here on the list. Plus, Bobby dies!
But once again, some definitively great episodes that make you feel strongly, such as the first episode where Cas once again explodes and dies, and the episode where he returns to fix Sam. Episode 9, when Bobby gets shot. Or when Sam and Dean encounter the Greek Titan of Time, Chronos (Jason Dohring), and Dean gets to meet Elliot Ness (Nicholas Lea)!
A lot of important new characters get introduced this season. From our favourite nerd Charlie Bradbury (Felicia Day) and prophet Kevin Tran (Osric Chau) to Leviathan boss Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart), and the guest appearances by Buffy The Vampire Slayer alums James Marsters (Spike) and Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase) as a couple of married witches in “Shut Up, Dr. Phil!”
12. Season 12
Finding season 12 this low on the rung makes me a bit sad because it has some really good individual episodes—“Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets,” for Destiel fans, “Regarding Dean” for some ace Jensen Ackles performance, “Stuck In The Middle (With You)” directed by Richard Speight Jr. as an homage to Tarantino’s filmmaking style, and the season finale “All Along The Watchtower,” with its surprise cameos, shocking major character deaths (RIP king!), and that shot of Jack in the dark! Let’s also not forget (because Dean would hate it) this is the season that Dean Winchester kills Hitler in “The One You’ve Been Waiting For.”
But we are so not fans of the British Men of Letters storyline that begins with Lady Bevell (Elizabeth Blackmore) torturing Sam (Mr. Padalecki was so good here) and then continues with Mary Winchester and Sam lying to Dean’s face about working for them just makes me hate it with a vengeance! NGL, Mary W coming back was not always the best storyline, but in “Who We Are” when Dean confronts Mary and tells her he both hates her and loves her, the catharsis of that moment makes it all worth it.
10. Season 11
Supernatural season 11 brings with it a whole new primordial entity as a villain, God’s own sister, Amara (Emily Swallow), the Darkness. And the way she is built up gradually, her connection with Dean explored, and how we delve deeper into God’s psyche as the first hints of his not-so-Godly side is revealed are frankly fascinating from a philosophical perspective. The season opens with a great couple of episodes, especially the one where Sam has to single-handedly fight a fatal infection caused by the darkness. My genius boy, even when he is delirious!
Season 11’s true strength was how it revealed its cards slowly, even within episodes. Some of my favourites are Casifer—Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) using Castiel as his vessel, and “Don’t Call Me Shurley,” in which God’s identity is finally revealed and the performances by both Rob Benedict and Metatron actor Curtis Armstrong are so good! There’s also “Safe House,” with the case being solved by Sam and Dean and Rufus (Steven Williams) and Bobby in two different timelines simultaneously, connected in the soul eater’s next that exists out of space and time.
Special mention to BEST episode “Baby”, from the perspective of the Winchesters’ 67 Chevy Impala which is their home, Dean asking Cas to “Step away from the Netflix,” Jensen Ackles’ sexy car swerve stunt, and Sam and Dean singing ‘Night Moves’!
9. Season 10
Demon Dean! Mark of Cain! Dean and Crowley’s Summer of Love! The rise of Rowena! And the episodes “The Executioner’s Song,” where Dean kills Cain (Timothy Omundsen) and “Brother’s Keeper” where Dean kills Death. The Castiel and Colette parallels for Dean and Cain. Need I say more? Anytime one of the Winchester bros is acting evil, it elevates the season! Although I do hate that this is the season took Charlie from us at the hands of the Styne family in the most wasteful and unnecessary death.
But season 10 is quite emotionally charged, with Dean teetering on the edge of the bloodthirsty First Blade, and Sam on an obsession to rid his brother of the Mark, which causes more harm than good. The finale is quintessential Supernatural, (and a parallel with the opening of season 9) with one brother pulling the other back from the brink of death and ruining the order of things in the process, this time unleashing the darkness. It’s spectacular, Julian Richings as Death nails it, Jensen and Jared put their Winchesternussy into acting this scene out, and all-in-all it’s one banger of a season.
8. Season 9
So we agree that Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) is the WORST, right? But that’s probably why Supernatural season 9 is so good, because the show has managed to even make you feel sympathy for the Devil but for Metatron, you feel pure hatred, after he tricks Castiel out of his grace, locks the angels out of heaven, and even lures Gadreel (Tahmoh Penikett) to his cause.
Some top notch episodes and performances on line this season, starting from the very first episode where Sam in his head is being convinced by his psyche (appearing as Bobby) to die, as Dean urges him to fight and live. From the first appearance of Cain in “First Born” and that fight sequence between Dean and the demons to Jared Padalecki’s sharp shift from Sam to Gadreel, and Misha Collins as human Castiel.
Even young Dean, played by Dylan Everett, gets a great flashback episode in “Bad Boys” that is going to make you hate John Winchester a little more. Let’s not forget, a few kooky episodes like “Dog Dean Afternoon” where Dean almost turns into a dog, or “Slumber Party” where we’re not in Kansas anymore, but Oz, and the appearance of Snooki as a Crossroads Demon, whaaaat?!
But nothing compares to the season 9 finale, “Do You Believe In Miracles?” The Crowley (Mark Shepard in top form all season) monologue as he tells Dean of his genius plan that has been in the making, ending with “See what I see. Feel what I feel. Let’s go take a howl at that moon” and then, those black eyes! Literal chills!
7. Season 8
There’s a lot happening in Supernatural season 8 that puts it up here in the list (barring the whole Sam and Amelia arc, because why?!). For starters, the two leads, along with Misha Collins and Mark Sheppard, are really flexing their acting chops this season.
The Purgatory Dean flashbacks, and the Dean, Castiel, and Benny (Ty Olssen) triangle that is so charged with emotion, you can cut it with a blade. On the one end, Kevin Tran is killing himself deciphering the Word of God tablet; on the other, so is Sam as he does the three heroic trials to close the gates of hell permanently. There’s also the first appearance of Knight of Hell Abaddon (Alaina Huffman), Henry Winchester (Gil McKinney) and the Men of Letters bunker, and the Nazi Thule Society. The return of Meg Masters (Rachel Miner) and Charlie Bradbury. And the arrival of next season’s big bad Metatron.
But the one episode that single-handedly earns season 8 its flowers is the season finale “Sacrifice.” The episode isn’t just emotionally draining with mindblowing performances by Mark Sheppard and Jared Padalecki in the final trial where Sam attempts to cure Crowley of being a demon, but it’s also just how visually dynamic the episode is. The angels falling from the sky is a scene you’ll never get over!
6. Season 6
Honestly, following up the season 5 finale, which was the intended end for the series, was a tough act. But season 6 did so good, keeping the mysteries of Sam’s return from the Cage, the arrival of Samuel Campbell (Mitch Pileggi), and the search for Purgatory until the reveal. Jared Padalecki played Soulless Sam with such masterful coldness that the difference between him and the older Sam was palpable.
There are lots of fan favourite episodes in this season—“The Man Who Would Be King” from Castiel’s POV as he struggles with the choices he has been making in partnership with Crowley; “Frontierland” with its Western style face-off and time travel trick with The Colt; “…And Then There Were None” which is a horror show as much as it is a tragic episode because Rufus dies!
And the fun ones like “Weekend At Bobby’s,” directed by Jensen Ackles, the one where Balthazar (Sebastian Roche!) “unsinks” the Titanic, and another one of Supernatural’s brilliant experiments with format and meta writing—“French Mistake,” where Jensen and Jared play Dean and Sam playing Jensen and Jared playing Dean and Sam in an alternate reality. Geddit? Thank you, Ben Edlund, for writing this gem!
5. Season 3
Okay, we’re in the top 5 seasons now, and anyone can tell you, it’s mostly a reshuffle of the first five seasons of Supernatural because they remain untouchable. The truncated season 3 (writer’s strike) is on no. 5, for no other reason than it has less episodes to bat for it. And someone had to be here.
Season 3, with the race against time to save Dean from being dragged to hell, and him playing off his fear until the very end makes for compelling dynamics between the brothers and Bobby. The season has loads more to offer, including a slew of iconic characters like Ruby (Katie Cassidy), Bela Talbot (Lauren Cohen), and the Ghostfacers (A.J. Buckley and Travis Wester) entering the chat. A diabolical villain in Lilith, who terrorises families by taking over little girl’s bodies as vessels. And memorable episodes like “Mystery Spot” (forever stuck with Asia’s ‘Heat of the Moment’ in our heads!), “Jus in Bello,” “Bad Day at Black Rock” (Sam loses his shoe, and Dean’s Batman!), and the season finale “No Rest for the Wicked,” that left Dean in tatters and all of us in tears!
4. Season 2
I could carry on about this season at length if you’d let me, and we’d be here for another 15 seasons! Early seasons Supernatural was much less complicated but went hard on multiple fronts, like the visuals, the brothers’ relationship with each other and the first time Dean made a deal to save Sam in “All Hell Breaks Loose,” the Roadhouse and their found family of Ellen (Samantha Ferris), Jo (Alona Tal), Ash (Chad Lindberg), and Bobby; the death of their parents Mary, and then John (“In My Time of Dying”), and how it weighed on them, guest stars like Linda Blair (The Exorcist), Amber Benson (Buffy), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us). And the music.
I could give you a list of episodes from this season that would sound like I’m rattling off a laundry list of fan favourites. Or, I could remind you how this season shaped one of the biggest USPs of Supernatural—its music. ‘Carry On My Wayward Son’ by the band Kansas played in the finale flashback montage for the first time in this season, and then became a recurring phenomenon on future season finales. In fact, this season began the tradition of naming episodes with classic rock titles. And one of the series’ most legendary musical moments (second only to the Kansas song) came in the episode “Nightshifter” when ‘Renegade’ by Styx plays in the climax. Goosebumps!
3. Season 1
Supernatural season 1, with its colour palette and cinematography, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki’s easy banter and chemistry, and the monster-of-the-week format with an overarching threat of the Yellow-eyed demon AKA Azazel (Frederic Lehne) will always be iconic. This is where we fell in love with the show, which had us at “Dad’s on a hunting trip.” So thanks, John Winchester, for leaving.
So many of the show’s dialogues that became its calling cards were dropped in this season. Not to mention, Dean realising his father was possessed because John praised him will never not be morbidly funny. The season had some phenomenal episodes like “Faith” and some episodes that we could never forgive the show for, like “Bugs.” And that season finale was *chef’s kiss* The stakes may not have been cosmic but they were about family, and that did mean the world to the Winchesters.
2. Season 4
I’ve got two words for you—Castiel’s introduction.
No, wait, two more words—“Yellow Fever.”
Ah, fine! Let’s just get into it. Season 4 will always be THAT Supernatural season, even if season 5 wins by a very narrow margin. It is lit and shot so beautifully, which I don’t think enough people beyond the show’s fandom give it credit for. Season 4 is high on action and emotion showing Sam’s addiction to demon blood and Dean’s judgement of him, while also expanding the show’s mythology spectacularly well with the breaking of the seals, and revealing how it all began with Dean, the righteous man, spilling blood in hell.
Some of the series’ best episodes are on this season—“On The Head of a Pin,” “When the Levee Breaks,” “The Monster at the End of this Book,” “Heaven and Hell” and ending with “Lucifer Rising.” Christopher Heyerdahl as the demon Alastair puts forth an iconic villain act alongside Genevieve Padalecki (then Cortese) playing the demon Ruby. But the most awe-inspiring moments were with the angels that arrive this season, led by Misha Collins’ Castiel. They were so truly terrifying and majestic back then, even if they were d**ks like Uriel (a fantastic Robert Wisdom) and Zachariah (an iconic Kurt Fuller!)
Some of Eric Kripke and team’s finest works, season 4!
1. Season 5
I mean, would you need me to explain? Supernatural’s superlative first five seasons are brought to a glorious swan-song with season 5 that begins with Lucifer tempting a vessel, Nick, to say yes, followed by the four horsemen of the apocalypse appearing throughout, while the Winchesters grapple with the truth of their destines as Heaven’s betrayal is revealed.
Mark Pellegrino’s Lucifer is not only one of the best Supernatural villains but an iconic portrayal of the Devil which is a character that many over the years have tackled on screen. This is also the season with the first appearances of characters that will go on to be iconic—Mark Sheppard’s Crowley, Julian Richings’ Death, and Richard Speight Jr’s character’s true form as the archangel Gabriel.
Season 5 is just one banger episode after another, even as it continues (so close to the finish line) experimenting with formats like with “Changing Channels,” “The Song Remains The Same,” “The End,” and “Dark Side of the Moon,” all used as teachable moments for the Winchesters about their destiny, which of course, they take something completely different away from! The emotional episodes like “Abandon All Hope…” Are balanced out with some fun ones like the rather meta “The Real Ghostbusters” with a Supernatural fan convention, or Paris Hilton in “Fallen Idols.” So cool was this season that even the Anti-Christ made an appearance; you guys remember Jesse (Gattlin Griffith)?
The season finale, which was Eric Kripke’s intended end for the series, is writing at its finest. The way the Winchester’s 67 Chevy Impala is woven into the narrative was so unexpected and brilliant—two words I’d use to describe everything that happens in this episode after Sam Winchester says “yes” to Lucifer. This defiance of God’s plan carries the Winchesters for ten more seasons. You’d be an assbut not to hold season 5 in high regard!
Phew! There really is peace now that I’m done. Now I’ll go lay my weary head to rest, and probably cry some more!
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