Supernatural’s The Winchesters Spinoff Deserved So Much Better

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It was difficult for any new show to live up to the original, particularly when it came to spinoffs. While many were proposed, *The Winchesters* actually made it to air in October 2022, but it didn’t prove popular with viewers. It was canceled after just one season, and most people considered the attempt to expand the universe of The CW’s long-running hit a failure. Many fans felt the show, which focused on John and Mary Winchester’s backstory, was motivated by profit rather than a genuine desire to build on the original series. Ultimately, the spinoff didn’t resonate with audiences and quickly faded into obscurity.

Recently, the show has become popular again, unexpectedly trending on streaming platforms three years after it first came out. This renewed interest is bringing attention to a series that many felt deserved more recognition, letting viewers discover – or rediscover – what it has to offer. While *The Winchesters* felt different than *Supernatural*, it stayed true to the original’s core elements while adding a darker, more gothic feel. It also took a risk by exploring the previously untold story of Mary and John, which challenged some established lore. This new perspective offered a fresh take on their history and allowed for the introduction of even more fantastical creatures.

The Winchesters Draws From Nostalgia

The first season of *Supernatural* began with Sam and Dean Winchester searching for their missing father, John, which marked the start of their lives as monster hunters. *The Winchesters* cleverly connects to the original series by focusing on Mary Campbell’s family history – her father is also a hunter, and Sam and Dean’s grandfather. The show starts with Mary trying to find *her* missing father, leading her to meet John, a war veteran grappling with the trauma of his past. Fans are especially interested in John’s PTSD and how he discovered his father was a Man of Letters, as this adds depth to his character and answers a long-standing question from *Supernatural*: did John know what happened to his own father? Sam and Dean were unaware of this family history, revealing that their father was more involved in the supernatural world than they realized. A key question the spinoff explores is why John chose to keep this legacy a secret from his sons.

Throughout the series, Mary expands her circle to include John and a team of monster hunters, with Mary taking the lead. This approach felt like a natural extension of how things were run in the original show, both by Samuel Campbell and the more mature Mary. “The Winchesters” maintains the core structure of its predecessor – each episode focuses on a different monster, introducing viewers to new and terrifying creatures. However, the show also features an overarching story that connects all the episodes. Like the original series, personal relationships are central to the plot, most notably the tragic romance between John and Mary, which adds a layer of darkness. But unlike the original, where audiences generally knew the heroes would ultimately succeed, this series takes a more heartbreaking turn. John and Mary’s attempts to create a normal life are thwarted, and they both ultimately fall victim to a demon, creating a far more somber tone.

While *The Winchesters* successfully captured some of the magic of *Supernatural*, it didn’t quite recreate the original’s feeling of an all-American road trip. Instead, it presented a retro take on the monster-hunting world, swapping the classic Impala and rock music for a darker, more gothic atmosphere filled with candlelight, basements, and old-style demonic encounters. This allowed the show to make demons genuinely frightening, something that hadn’t been seen in *Supernatural* since its early seasons. As Sam and Dean became more experienced, the demons they faced often felt less threatening and more like a joke. *The Winchesters*, set in the past, leaned into suspense and fear. Both shows explored themes of family and growing up, but *The Winchesters* also delved into the anxieties of the post-Vietnam era. Though the spinoff shared similarities with *Supernatural*, it developed its own unique identity.

The Winchesters Reshaped John And Mary’s Story

A surprising element of *The Winchesters* was its departure from established backstory in the original *Supernatural* series. In *Supernatural*, John met Mary when she was living a normal life and he was just a mechanic. Mary even told Dean, when he time-traveled, that she was attracted to John *because* he wasn’t involved in hunting. She also made it clear John didn’t know about her family’s history. *The Winchesters*, however, showed John discovering Mary’s secret on the very day they met, and the two of them actually hunted together. Mary even knew John’s father was a Man of Letters. Considering Jensen Ackles was a producer and narrated the show, this change wasn’t accidental – it was a deliberate and significant alteration to the original story.

What initially seemed like inconsistencies are actually quite logical. It took a while to piece everything together, but there’s a clear reason why Ackles joined the show. Considering John and Mary chose to build a life together, it makes sense they would share their full histories with each other. John probably supported Mary’s lifestyle and intended to give up hunting to start a family. This explains why he presented himself as a simple mechanic when he first met Dean – he was becoming serious about Mary. At the same time, they were both planning their future together. However, Mary’s expectations could be challenged. The Men of Letters had disappeared years prior, and the group investigating the underground network never discovered the bunkers that Sam and Dean found, which is why John never told his sons about Henry’s involvement. Exploring this previously untold story of Mary and John has added a fascinating layer to the narrative.

I was really drawn to John’s story. He was clearly dealing with a lot – past trauma and trying to figure out what he wanted from life after everything he’d been through. Then Mary came along, and it was fascinating to see how different their perspectives were. Where she mostly saw the darkness in their world, he still held onto this idea of it being something noble, almost like a classic hero’s quest – very fitting for his character, honestly. What I loved most was how the show subtly echoed the history of their parents without ever saying it directly – it was brilliantly done. And because John and Mary were around the same age, they showed a rawness and bravery that the older generation in the original series just didn’t have, being established parental figures.

It was really impactful to see the characters face challenges similar to those Sam and Dean went through. John’s transformation from a hopeful war hero to a flawed father was particularly heartbreaking. Meg Donnelly’s portrayal of Mary was a standout – she showed us a Mary before motherhood, a natural leader and skilled hunter. This version of Mary is much more assertive and capable than the one we knew from the original series, where her role as a mother softened her image. Young Mary was independent and her choices had lasting consequences. While it’s difficult to reconcile Donnelly’s Mary with Samantha Smith’s, Donnelly convincingly portrays a strong, lead hunter, much like Dean, while John takes on the more emotional and supportive role, similar to Sam. It’s interesting because the original series suggested Dean was more like John and Sam like Mary, but this prequel offers a new perspective. Despite being a short-lived series, it delivers more positives than negatives. While it might not fully recapture the magic of *Supernatural* in 2022, it’s a worthy successor.

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2025-10-07 02:37