By Sarah Elias
Thursday nights are busy for the serious television viewer—heavy-hitters like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Office,” “CSI,” and “Bones” garner the most viewers, becoming ratings darlings. But there is another show on Thursday nights which is often wrongfully looked over—“Supernatural”, which airs on the CW at 9 pm. It is my firm belief that everyone should give “Supernatural” a chance.
“Supernatural” is a series about two brothers who were raised by their father to be hunters—in other words, to hunt down and eliminate paranormal entities like ghosts, shape-shifters, demons, and other monsters (yes, even vampires!) while road tripping across America à la Route 66. Sound a bit like “The X-Files?” Similarities between the two do exist, but “Supernatural” is definitely its own show. The paranormal storylines in each episode are enjoyable and often quite terrifying, much like classic episodes of “The X-Files.” But as “Supernatural” progresses, it becomes obvious that the real focus of this show is the strength of the relationship these two brothers have with one another, and how they are able to cope with the life that their father raised them to live.
In my opinion, this elevates “Supernatural” beyond other, less-cohesive series about the paranormal. This is, without a doubt, a character-driven show. The two brothers, Dean and Sam Winchester, are two of television’s most fleshed-out characters, and this is because of the amazing work of Jensen Ackles (Dean) and Jared Padalecki (Sam). It is not difficult to love Metallica-obsessed, ’67 Impala-driving, wisecracking bad-boy Dean. Nor is it difficult to sympathize with Sam’s plight as a highly intelligent college student who is still unsure about the path his life should take. As characters, however, there is a lot more to each of them than can be summed up in two sentences. The sense of a deeper character comes from the way Padalecki and Ackles are able to inject real emotion into everything Sam and Dean do. Beyond the individual work of these two actors, they collectively have the best on-screen brotherly chemistry that I have ever seen. It is not hard to feel the strength of Sam and Dean’s brotherly bond, and it makes the show even more compelling to watch.
Another reason the show deserves a watch is its unique aesthetic. The lighting and grayish camera filters set the dark mood that the show’s storylines and mythologies require. Furthermore, the show’s soundtrack is composed entirely of classic-rock and heavy metal hits, which gives the show a genuine American road trip feeling. Songs like “Renegade” by Styx provide the ideal background music for a show about two brothers on the quintessential American road trip, and the usage of classic hits rather than today’s pop throwaways gives the show a sense of legitimacy and timelessness.
Many hour-long dramas can feel as if they are in a slump after their second season. “Supernatural” is not one of these shows. It is in the middle of its fourth season right now, and there is no slump on the horizon. The show’s creator, Eric Kripke, has said that a five-season story arc was planned from the show’s inception. This has proved to be one of the reasons that “Supernatural” is such a strong show—its underlying mythology has been carefully planned since the beginning, and the writers have not strayed from its path. One of the problems with most dramas is that their underlying mythologies can seem random and contradictory. “Supernatural” is the exact opposite. Each move in the continuous arc feels deliberate, and it makes watching the show a much more engaging and exciting process.
There are a plethora of reasons that everyone should be watching “Supernatural”, but what it ultimately boils down to is that everything about this show is high quality. From the amazing horror-story-of-the-week format to the (forgive me!) rocking soundtrack and to most importantly the phenomenal work of the two leads, “Supernatural” is not your average Thursday-night television fare. It’s a dark mature show with a humorous edge to it, and it deserves your attention.
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Editor's note: Articles that appear in the Last Word section are works of satire.
February 25th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I just wanted to tell you how succinct and brilliant this article is. SUPERNATURAL has been my favorite show since it debuted in 2005, and frankly, I can’t understand why this show isn’t number one in the ratings. Eric Kripke has created a brilliant show, while his leads, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, have imbued Sam and Dean Winchester with so much reality, viewers think of them as real people. I look forward eagerly to watching this show every week, and feel glum during too-long hiatuses.
I’ve been fortunate to meet Jensen and Jared, and find them both delightful Texas gentlemen who are very kind and generous to their fans.
Word came out yesterday that SUPERNATURAL has been renewed for a fifth season, so Eric Kripke will be able to finish out his dream for the Winchesters. I know that I’m not the only one fearfully waiting to see what this fiendish creator has in store for our beloved brothers in the finale.
Robin Vogel
February 25th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
[...] Give Supernatural a chance [...]