"Supernatural" Soars on its Masterful Mythology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supernatural could have jumped the shark right then and there. Instead, it popped the clutch. Viewers quickly learned that Dean had literally been rescued from hell and returned to life by an angel named Castiel (played by Misha Collins, pictured below), who identified himself as a “warrior of God” and is at times as creepy as some of the demons the boys have fought through the years. As Castiel explained, angels are suddenly interacting with humans for the first time in 2000 years because an all-powerful demon named Lilith (whom the brothers have fought in the past) is busy bringing about the Apocalypse (by breaking the seals referred to in the Book of Revelations), and if she succeeds Lucifer will be free to walk the earth. With his demon hunting skills so finely honed, Dean is much too valuable to leave in hell at this critical time. But his rescue came with a warning. “I dragged you out of hell,” Castiel told him. “I can throw you back in.”

 

Meanwhile, soulful Sam, who was infected in his infancy by the blood of the Yellow-Eyed Demon -- a hateful entity that murdered the Winchester brothers’ father, mother, grandfather and grandmother and countless others, including Sam’s fiancée – has developed the ability to exorcise demons from the humans they inhabit without harming said humans. The driven Dean doesn’t approve, because the exorcisms allow the demons to go free, whereas killing the host often results in killing the demon as well. Also, Castiel chillingly warned Dean that no good can come from Sam using his power. Apparently God isn’t cool with it. (The show revealed much more about Yellow Eye and his long-established connection to the Winchester family in a thrilling episode this season that further enriched the series’ past and present drama.)

Most of the credit for the continued excellence of this show goes to series creator Eric Kripke, a writer who knows how to tell a damn story, and his creative team. But the hard-working Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, who literally carry every episode as Dean and Sam, respectively, also deserve special notice. As I said above, I think much of the press looks at them as two more CW pretty boys. But that’s like dismissing Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar as just another WB babe. Ackles and Padalecki bring just as much emotional depth to their portrayals of two brothers fighting to save the world from evil while continually sacrificing their own happiness as Gellar did to her sublime depiction of a tentative teenager tasked with the same challenge. Gellar, however, consistently received much deserved praise for her work throughout all seven season of her show. After four years it’s time for the press to throw the same support to Ackles and Padalecki.

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I absolutely love Supernatural. And I'm a 44 year old woman, so not the typical CW audience. This show is so well-written and you can tell the storylines have been well planned out. I love Lost also, but you are absolutely correct that SN does a superior job of making the central story of the Winchester family easy to follow while keeping you on the edge of your seat to find out what will happen next. I actually bought the 1st season on DVD, and will by all the others too, and I never buy TV on DVD. The only other series I'm planning to buy is Battlestar Gallactica and Lost. So while I'm obviously a fan of Sci Fi, I appreciate the ones that transcend the genre and SN is right up there with the best. Oh and Dean/Jensen is absolutely gorgeous, which doesn't hurt.

As a fellow Supernatural fan, I want to thank you for the acknowledgement of our beloved Show. It deserves an infinite amount more praise and attention than it's recieved.

Being a middle-aged professional woman, I'm not the desired demographic for the CW, but Supernatural is the only show that is absolutely appointment television for me. Supernatural is the best show on TV right now in terms of storytelling, mytharc, acting and tonal consistency--not to mention the pretty (ah but I did! I did!) The show deserves a lot of publicity that it doesn't get, so thank you for doing something to remedy that.

Ed, thank you for this very astute and edifying post. The fans of 'Supernatural' have been pulling their hair out trying to get the CW to promote this beautiful gem of a series. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are very talented actors and are wonderful as Dean and Sam Winchester. They deserve recognition beyond their not-too-shabby countenances. I really appreciate your take on Supernatural's situation. Now how do we turn the press's perception of Supernatural as the red-headed stepchild of Thursday nights around and get it out to the wider audience that it most definitely deserves? Would love to know the answer to that enigma.

Thank you, from the bottom of my Supernatural-loving heart, for this insightful article. From your webpage to Ostroff's eyes, Mr. Myers.

I think the mainstream media largely ignore the show because they've spent the last three years trying to keep up with the other Thursday shows, and now feel it's too much work to catch up with it. Which is a shame, because individual Supernatural episodes are usually comprehensible and enjoyable even to a complete newbie (unlike, say, Lost or Heroes).

A point about Dean's resurrection and his attitude towards Sam's powers, which a new viewer might perhaps miss out on: Dean was most likely resurrected primarily as a check on his brother, rather than for his (admittedly awesome) demon hunting skills; and his extreme reaction to Sam's use of his powers comes from his long-standing fear that other hunters, and possibly now also angels, will condemn and destroy Sam as an agent of Hell.

Thank you for this article. I am so sick of people snobbily dismissing this show and then acting like I'm lying when I tell them how great it actually is, and how much heart it has. This was my fourth or fifth favorite show last season, but it's #1 now. I can't believe how much they have upped their game this season. And someone needs to give Jensen Ackles an Emmy, for crying out loud. That kid has more emotion in his little pinky than most actors do in their entire careers. (Jared is great too, and is actually my favorite, but I can't deny that Jensen's talent is out of control.)

I could type a long and drawn out comment... but I won't. Instead, I'll just offer you a hearty AMEN and THANK YOU for writing this.

Thank you for your insightful article. It's such a shame that a remarkable show such as Supernatural can be so easily dismissed by critics who have clearly never seen an episode while they praise such mundane drivel as Grey's. But hopefully articles such as yours will help spread the word! Thanks again.

Thank you for bringing attention to the wonderful, yet underated gem, Supernatural. Oh how I wish the CW would promote this show better.

Um, the character Jessica wasn't Sam's fiancee, she was his girlfriend. (although they were engaged in the episode "what is and what shall never be").

Hubby and I are in our 30s, just discovered SPN this year and absolutely agree with you. CW has done this show a dis-service esp. when you compare this with how much attention SPN draws internationally. Here's wishing we get a S5 - and maybe, DVD movies!

This show has, throughout its run, made great use of the mythology theories of Joseph Campbell, and any student of folklore or mythology would find several papers worth of excellent material in this series. The only problem is, no one from the mainstream media wants to pay any attention to a show on the cheesecake network, regardless of how well-written and excellently acted it is. People need to forget this show is on the CW and watch it anyway, because it is far and away the richest fictional world as well as the best acted show on television today.

Thank you! It's about time this series got some credit -- I've been a loyal watcher from the start and loved it all the way, but S4 is blowing me away every week. Incredible work all round, long may they continue.

Great article, thanks for giving SPN such a nice review!
Jared and Jensen certainly are pretty and the show is a horror show but nobody watches a series for 4 seasons, buys the dvds and gets excited for every new episode just because of pretty boys in a horror show. It's much more! But the most important thing or man is Kripke and his story! I wish other TV press people would notice our show!It doesn't hurt that Jensen and Jared are quite handsome but fans keep watching for the relationship between the brothers, the music, the car, the storyline and the horror experience.
I don't know why the CW doesn't promote Supernatural or shows hardly any support (season 4 presents of the CW included budget cuts and one season 4 promo for Lazarus rising. Should we really compare it to Gossip girl or 90210? No, because you just get too angry).
One thing which is also interesting is that I haven't heard from anybody quoting the CW crew praising SPN for doing great against the other thursday competition? Strange isn't it?!
And because you draw a comparison to Buffy, I was a huge Buffy and Angel's fan but Supernatural has easily surpassed them in my favorite list.
Sorry, for the long comment but I really enjoyed your article! : )
PS: Oh, I love Kim Manner's work on SPN!!!! He's a guarantee for great episodes!

THANK YOU AMEN. I seriously wonder why this show doesn't get the recognition it deserves; there are so few shows that actually catch my attention and hold it for longer than a few episodes, let alone a whole season, and Supernatural's done it for me for almost four whole seasons now. There's so much more to it than the plastic fakeness and materialism of shows like the OC, 90210 and Gossip Girl - it's about family pride and love and both internal and external battles. I mean, here in Australia, for the previous seasons, no one even knew when it was showing because the network literally doesn't give much of a crap about it to bother advertising it.

I'm 39 and a self-employed professional, not in the CW's precious demo but this is the only show I watch on the CW. It is intelligent, scary, soulful and fantastically crafted both behind the scenes (and all the energy that entails) to on camera. Jensen Ackles absolutely deserves a true run at an Emmy, his facial reactions alone in In The Beginning which transformed the character from shock to horror to rage in mere seconds with no camera cheats or effects would earn him that place. His abilities have shone from the Pilot and continue to shine today, I believe this character and all he goes through. As for Jared Padalecki, he has grown leaps and bounds from the first season, and he was no slouch there, and shines as brightly today as his co-star. Truly this show is the best out there not only in genre but frankly on broadcast period. Thank you for supporting this show, I too only started watching it this year (as in 2008) but am completely caught up on all episodes and eagerly await more.

Thank you sooo much for this article! It's what I've been saying for three years, along with a lot more viewers than the media realizes. I wish this article could be sent to the CW offices so they could be made to understand what a gem they have. They could have helped make this show a much bigger hit if they had only promoted it.
Thanks again.

Thank you, Ed, for helping promote Supernatural. I have never in my life felt more passion for a television program than I do for this one!

People ARE finally taking notice, as reflected in the season 4 ratings. And SPN did receive a two-page spread in the 10/27 issue of TV Guide. About time! :)

Yahoooooo! A journalist who realizes that SUPERNATURAL is a high-quality show with the unfortunate luck to be pitched against three powerhouse shows every week! Thank you, Ed Martin, for your beautifully written ode to what I have known for four glorious years as the best show that has ever graced our TV screens--SUPERNATURAL!!

I just wanted to say thank you for this brilliantly-written article and for giving Supernatural its due. I'm glad people are starting to take notice of this show! I particularly agree with your comment about Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki deserving more credit and acclaim for their work. I am not a fan of the horror genre, but I can guarantee that I will keep tuning into Supernatural until the end of its run due to the wonderfully complex characters of Dean and Sam Winchester that Ackles and Padalecki so honestly portray. I don't have time for The CW in general, but I MAKE time for Supernatural.

Thanks for giving Supernatural some critical and thoughtful attention. I just started watching it in season 3, and while it has a compelling mythology, it is not impenetrable to drop-in or new viewers. I had no problems following the story going into season 3 cold. I went back and watched seasons 1 and 2 on DVD during the strike break. Then I was stunned and wondering how I had missed this wonderful show. Oh yeah, it’s on the CW, which I never watched.

To me, Supernatural has the best ingredients of the X-Files and Buffy. It seems to effortlessly mix humor, action and drama. I am not a horror fan and don’t watch for the horror or the demons which are mostly secondary. I watch for the brother relationship of Sam and Dean and the interesting mythology of the Winchester family. The two leads, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles just own their characters and portray one of the most realistic brother relationships I’ve seen on TV.

Usually networks with such a good show would try to get critics to pay attention to it as a way to grow ratings or prestige, but the CW has not done this show any favors. Since it's in the toughest timeslot on Thursday nights, media often overlook this show. The CW continues to cut the budget, though the show has only two lead actors, and seems to be growing its audience this year.

Thanks for giving Supernatural some critical attention. I just started watching it in season 3, and while it has a compelling mythology, it is not impenetrable to drop-in or new viewers. I had no problems following the story going into season 3 cold. I went back and watched seasons 1 and 2 on DVD during the strike break. Then I was stunned and wondering how I had missed this wonderful show. Oh yeah, it’s on the CW, which I never watched.
To me, Supernatural has the best ingredients of the X-Files and Buffy. It seems to effortlessly mix humor, action and drama. I am not a horror fan and don’t watch for the horror or the demons which are mostly secondary. I watch for the brother relationship of Sam and Dean and the interesting mythology of the Winchester family. The two leads, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles just own their characters and portray one of the most realistic brother relationships I’ve seen on TV.
Usually networks with such a good show would try to get critics to pay attention to it as a way to grow ratings or prestige, but the CW has not done this show any favors. Since it's in the toughest timeslot on Thursday nights, media often overlook this show. The CW continues to cut the budget, though the show has only two lead actors, and seems to be growing its audience this year.

you are absolutely right and i'm glad you wrote this article. this is exactly how i feel about supernatural, my most favorite show on TV. i've stopped watching heroes because it's become too convoluted unlike supernatural. my brother has finally started watching supernatural and even if its already the 4th season, he say's he still understands the story and enjoy the show.

I am so glad that I found your article - linked from The Watcher. When I tell people that I love Supernatural they think that I either love the horror genre which I don't or that is the hotness factor of the stars (which is undeniable)but not the reason I watch. The story of epic hero journey and the bond of the brothers is gripping and can be dark and gruesome sometimes, but the creators and actors inject so much comedy and warmth into the show that it lightens it.

"The driven Dean doesn’t approve, because the exorcisms allow the demons to go free, whereas killing the host often results in killing the demon as well"

technically, he sends them back to hell. dean doesnt approve because sam is using his powers-period, because these said powers are connected to the YED, and dean is afraid that sam will end up turning evil if he uses them...

but thanks for the great article!

Amen to everything said above. It never ceases to amaze me that more attention is not focused on this absolutely amazing, fascinating and extremely well-crafted show. Kripke and our boys continue to hit each and every episode out of the park, and for some reason, only the die-hard fans of the show take notice. Since when does extremely moving, quality television deserve to be shoved into a corner and forgotten? Thank you so much for helping to get the word out about my all-time favorite show. Supernatural is a gem that has earned its time in the spotlight. Wake up and smell the sulfur, people. This is one damned good show!

I'm recently turned 52 and have loved and been addicted to "Supernatural" since the first ad for the pilot! So it's not like I'm a juvenile watching just for the dimples, shaggy hair, muscles and sexy voices - hmm... It has been fun watching gawky Sam grow into the gorgeous man he is in season 4 and Dean continue to be the adorable protective big brother even after suffering the trials of Hell. And now there's a sexy angel to keep an eye on - how intriguing! I have always felt resentment that the show has never gotten support from the media or award shows and, just as TV Guide was beginning to include great full page photos of Jared and more about the show, it has stopped even listing the CW - What's up with that?? Despite the lack of support, however, the fans have kept it going into its fourth show - The power of the viewers in full evidence. I can't see why everybody hasn't tuned in, after all, with hot guys (okay,gals, too), creatures, humor, action, weapons, a cool car, emotional drama (can Jared do emo or what?), a western tang, there is something for every interest. I will mourn the loss of my favorite all time show in the future but will follow Jared and Jensen's careers forever and hope that they will some day work together again. Great job Kripke and crew, and Jensen and Jared portraying the Winchester brothers so beautifully!!

Supernatural continue to be good throughout the season. Smallville seem to just drag on and on with pointless storylines. Heroes is totally lost. Supernatural is the one show that is different. Every season has been good.

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