Supernatural (TV series)

	Supernatural
	; A title screenshot in the introduction of season 4 of Supernatural.
Genre	Drama/ Paranormal / Horror / Action / Thriller
Created by	Eric Kripke
Starring	Jared Padalecki; Jensen Ackles
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	82 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Eric Kripke; McG; Robert Singer; Kim Manners
Location(s)	British Columbia
Camera setup	Single-camera setup
Running time	38-45 minutes (without commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel	The WB (2005–2006); The CW (2006–present)
Picture format	1080p (HDTV)
Original run	September 13, 2005 – present
External links
	Official website

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This article is about the U.S. TV series. For the UK TV series of the same name, see Supernatural (UK TV series).

Supernatural is an American drama/thriller television series starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, brothers who hunt demons and other figures of the paranormal. The series, which is filmed in Vancouver, BC, Canada, debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. The second season premiered on September 28, 2006, and the third on October 4, 2007, though its run was interrupted by the writers' strike. Supernatural returned for a fourth season on September 18, 2008.^[1] The series was renewed for a fifth season on February 24, 2009.^[2]

[edit] Synopsis

Supernatural tells the story of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), two brothers who fight creatures that most people don't believe exist. The brothers lost their mother as children in a fire with supernatural elements. As a result, their father devoted his life to finding out what killed his wife, and seeking revenge. He brought his sons on the road with him, training them to fight evil. Sam left this life as a hunter in order to attend college at Stanford University, while Dean stayed with their father and helped with demon hunting. When their father suddenly disappears, Dean seeks Sam's assistance in finding him, and the brothers travel around the country in a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala investigating paranormal events and other unexplained occurrences, many of them based on folklore, myths, and American urban legends, and others based on classic tales of supernatural creatures, such as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts.

[edit] Season One

Season One opens with Dean showing up at Sam's college apartment, stating that their father has gone missing while on a hunting trip. Dean asks for Sam's help, but Sam is reluctant to go due to having previous issues with his father. Sam eventually agrees to help and the brothers set off. While looking for their father, Sam's girlfriend Jess is killed in the same supernatural manner that ended their mother's life. Sam feels guilt for not being able to protect her, and drops out of school in order to hunt the thing that killed his girlfriend. It is revealed in Episode 5 ("Bloody Mary") that Sam had premonitions of her death for weeks before it actually happened. While searching for the thing that killed their mother and Jess, Sam and Dean search for their father and help others by fighting supernatural evil. They travel all over the country, gradually acquiring clues. They find their father, who reveals that the creature they seek is a demon, and they plan to use on it a mystical Colt revolver that can kill "anything". However, at the end of the season, after failing to kill the demon, the three are gravely injured in a car accident caused by the demon.

[edit] Season Two

Sam and John have only minor injuries from the accident, but Dean is dying, and his father gives The Colt, and his immortal soul, to The Demon, in exchange for Dean's life. In Season Two it becomes clear that The Demon has bigger plans for Sam Winchester. On the night his mother died Sam was infected with Demon blood, causing him to have certain psychic gifts as an adult. The Demon also did this to other children, who the Winchesters meet throughout the season. In part one of the season finale, The Demon gathers all the special children in a deserted town to fight until one remains. Sam is killed by the last man standing, dying in Dean's arms. Dean then trades his immortal soul for Sam's life, with Dean to be taken to Hell in one year. Together, the brothers kill the Demon (Azazel), but not until Azazel opens a door to Hell (the 'Devil's Gate') releasing many demons. Their father also escapes Hell and appears to go to a better place.

[edit] Season Three

In the third season, the plot of the show focuses on trying to save Dean from his deal. Along the way, they meet a demon named Ruby, who has an interest in Sam and claims to be able to help save Dean. Also, they meet Bela Talbot, an "acquirer" and seller of occult objects who is constantly a thorn in their side. The brothers eventually manage to track down the demon who holds Dean's contract—a being of great power named Lilith. She also wants Sam dead. Sam and Ruby ultimately fail to save Dean, who is killed and sent to Hell.

[edit] Season Four

Season Four begins with Dean awakening dazed and confused in a grave, having been rescued by an angel named Castiel on orders from God. Sam has further developed his abilities with the help of Ruby during the four months that Dean has been dead. It is soon revealed that Dean was revived to help stop Lilith's plan of breaking the 66 seals, which would let Lucifer walk free once again. In the season finale Sam kills Lilith, but her murder is the final seal. The angels also wanted the seals to be broken, because when Dean defeats Lucifer, they can usher in paradise on Earth. Ruby is revealed to be manipulating Sam since her first episode, and Dean kills her in revenge. With Sam having killed Lilith, and ultimately breaking the final seal, Lucifer is now free.

[edit] Season Five

Season Five is rumored to be the last season, due to Eric Kripke's statements over the years that he has planned for the show to run for five seasons. Jensen Ackles has mentioned in an interview that at the time Season 4 would be the last, but due to higher ratings, they were signed on for a subsequent season. Despite this, Jared and Jensen have contracts for a Season 6, if the CW picks up the show for another season. The season pinpoints on Lucifer and the signs of the upcoming Apocalypse.^[3] The CW has since announced Season Five of Supernatural will begin September 10th. ^[4]

[edit] Cast

Main article: Characters of Supernatural

[edit] Main characters

[edit] Recurring characters

Mark Pellegrino as Lucifer (2009 - present)
Misha Collins** as Castiel (2008 - present)
Julie McNiven as Anna Milton (2008 - present)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as John Winchester
Fredric Lehne and various actors as Azazel
Jim Beaver as Bobby Singer (2006 - present)
Samantha Ferris as Ellen Harvelle (2006 - present)^[5]
Katie Cassidy* (2007 - 2008)^[6] and Genevieve Cortese (2008 - 2009), and various actresses as Ruby
Lauren Cohan* as Bela Talbot (2007 - 2008)^[7]

* Credited on-screen as a star in the third season, in select episodes. ** Credited on-screen as a star in the fifth season, in select episodes.

[edit] Seasons

Main article: List of Supernatural episodes

Season	Ep #	First Airdate	Last Airdate
Season 1	22	September 13, 2005	May 4, 2006
Season 2	22	September 28, 2006	May 17, 2007
Season 3	16	October 4, 2007	May 15, 2008
Season 4	22	September 18, 2008	May 14, 2009
Season 5	22	September 10, 2009	TBA

[edit] Recurring elements

While the locations and storyline changes on a near weekly basis, there are a few things that show up regularly.

[edit] Classic Rock Music

Dean has a large collection of classic rock and heavy metal music which he listens to on the Impala's cassette player. The love of these songs and bands is evident as Sam and Dean refer to them in many episodes.

In the pilot episode the brothers argue over Dean's taste in music. Sam finds Dean's box of tapes (including Black Sabbath, Metallica and Motorhead) and tells Dean he needs to update his collection, refering to it as 'The Greatest Hits Of Mullet Rock'. Dean ends the argument by declaring "House rules, Sammy. Driver picks music, shotgun shuts his cake hole."

Rock is often used as incidental music in the show to add extra meaning to unfolding events. For example, in the episode 'Bloodlust' AC/DC's 'Back In Black' is used for the scene where Dean drives the Impala for the first time after its repair. Similarly, Blue Öyster Cult's 'Don't Fear The Reaper' is used in the episode 'Faith' during a scene in which a jogger is pursued by a creature called a reaper. 'Carry On Wayward Son' by Kansas and has been used during the 'Then' recap section at the start of the pre-season finale episode (only in season 1) and season finale episodes (seasons 2,3, and 4 so far). The lyrics seem to fit in well with the story of Sam & Dean's quest to find their father (season 1) and since then it has become something of an unofficial theme tune for the show.

Dean appears to dislike the music of Bon Jovi (and derides Sam for his use of Sambora as an alias in the episode 'Born Under A Bad Sign') however, in 'No Rest For the Wicked' when he knows that he has only one night left to live, he does admit that they are something of a guilty pleasure and he will listen to them if the mood is right. In a funny yet poignant moment the brothers sing "Wanted Dead or Alive" together as they drive towards their confrontation with Lilith and Dean's impending doom at the hands of the hell hounds.

Another of Dean's guilty pleasures is revealed in the episode 'Simon Said'. Early on in the episode he mocks Jo for enjoying 'Can't Fight This Feeling' by REO Speedwagon. She defends her position saying that Kevin Cronin (the lead singer) sings it from the heart. Dean retorts that "He sings it from the hair. There’s a difference." However, the song gets in his head and he is later embarrased to be caught, by Sam, singing the lyrics to himself.

A large percentage of the brothers' aliases are derived from rock musician's names (Hagar, Plant, Hetfield, Gibbons, Simmons, Bonham, Bachman, Page, Frehley to name a few).

An outtake of Jensen Ackles messing around to Survivor's 'Eye Of The Tiger' was included during the closing credits of 'Yellow Fever'. In the clip he mimes the lyrics whilst dancing, climbing astride the Impala and playing air guitar (at one point using his leg as the guitar). Jared Padalecki's laughter can be heard in the background. Fan reaction to this improvised moment was positive and the clip has become popular on YouTube.

[edit] Colt

The Colt with thirteen original bullets

The Colt, and thirteen original bullets, were made by Samuel Colt for a paranormal hunter in 1835. According to legend, anything shot with it will die, including creatures normally immune to any and all weapons. It also serves as the key to the Devil's Gate. Six of the bullets had been used before it ended up in the hands of a fellow hunter named Daniel Elkins. Whilst the brothers are investigating his mysterious death, they come across a clan of vampires who have the Colt. The vampires trade it to John Winchester in return for a hostage vampire, but he eventually gives it to Azazel in the second season premiere episode "In My Time of Dying" in return for Dean's life being spared after an almost-fatal car crash. At the end of the second season, the last bullet is used to kill Azazel, and the gun is thought to be useless. However, Ruby later assists Bobby in repairing the gun so that it can use more bullets. Towards the end of the third season, Bela steals the gun from the brothers and gives it to Lilith in an attempt to get out of her own deal she made ten years prior. In the special features the prop experts mentioned that they used an altered Colt Paterson for the show. Originally a black-powder percussion revolver, it has been modified to fire metallic cartridges.

[edit] Impala

Dean's 1967 Chevrolet Impala features heavily throughout the series.

Dean's trademark black 1967 Chevrolet Impala was passed down to him by his father, who bought it in 1973 after Dean, sent back in time by Castiel, convinced him to purchase it over a 1964 VW Van in the episode "In the Beginning". It bears a Sedgwick County, Kansas license (though their hometown of Lawrence, Kansas is actually in Douglas County) plate KAZ 2Y5, a reference to Kansas, the Winchesters' home state, and 2005, the year the show premiered. Starting in the episode 2.20 "What Is and What Should Never Be", the car sports a new Ohio license plate (CNK 80Q3) to aid the brothers in hiding from the FBI.

The car has been prominently featured on the series, beginning with the teaser of the pilot which shows John Winchester holding his two sons as he sits on the car and watches his house burn. The car is Dean's most prized possession, and he protects it with nearly the same ferocity with which he protects his family. Despite this, however, he attacks the car's rear with a crowbar after a talk with Sam in the episode "Everybody Loves A Clown" due to the pressure from his dying father's secret about Sam. In the pilot episode, the trunk is revealed to hold various weaponry to fight the supernatural.

In an interview at a convention, Ackles said the main Impala they use has a 327 and skid plates. They actually use five cars on set but the radio in the car has never been able to properly function. The actual car was bought from the Kelley family of Farmingdale, NJ in 2005. The Kelleys were the second owners of the car. They bought it from the original owners. The car was bought new in 1967 at Mathews Chevrolet in Farmingdale, NJ. It was originally baby blue with baby blue interior and dual bench seats.^{[citation needed]} After Sam inherits the car following Dean's death in the third season finale, he revamps the radio with an iPod jack much to Dean's distaste.

[edit] Parents

While only featured in a select few episodes, Sam and Dean's parents play a pivotal role in the series. Mary's death compels John to become a hunter to kill the demon responsible, training his sons along the way. The influence of John Winchester is seen in the series even after his death, as the boys have referenced his journal for advice. They have also run into other hunters or civilians that knew John very well (the Winchester's have been referred to on a handful of occasions as living legends in the hunting community). In season four Dean also finds that his mother was a hunter and she made a deal with Azazel, the yellow eyed demon, whose fallout would be the motivating factor towards the Winchester men to become hunters.

[edit] Roadhouse

First appearing in "Everybody Loves a Clown", Roadhouse is a frequent stop for hunters. It is owned and run by Ellen, whose daughter, Jo, works there as a bartender. Ellen's husband was an old accomplice of John's and later in the series, the brothers find out that it was their father who was responsible for Ellen's husband's death. Ash lives in the building, with a room of his own. In the episode "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1", Dean Winchester and Bobby Singer arrive at the Roadhouse, finding it to have been burned down by Azazel's followers. In "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2", Ellen is revealed to be alive, but everyone else inside the roadhouse, including Ash, has died.

Series creator Eric Kripke stated that he hated the Roadhouse, which led to the decision to destroy it. According to him, "It just didn’t work in a road show... It’s a road show! But we have a home. No, that’s the point, it’s a road show, so you don’t have a home. So, burn it!"^[8]

[edit] Ruby's knife

Ruby possesses a mysterious and presumably magical "demon-killing" knife. It has been seen and utilized many times throughout the third and fourth seasons, mainly as an instrument to kill demons. Upon being stabbed in a vital area, both the demon and human host suffer immediate death. The demon possessing the human is shown to convulse violently, as if shot with the Colt. It then flickers with light but unlike having an exorcism the black smoke doesn't come out of the person it is possessing because the demon is dead. The demon possessing the body then also disperses, as the knife's effects appear to mirror that of the Colt. However, both its creation and how exactly it can kill demons has not yet been revealed. Unlike the Colt, which is rumored to be able to kill anything, the knife is seemingly only effective against demons. It has never been said that the knife worked against other creatures, and the only time it was used on something else (an angel) it was ineffective. Furthermore, the demon Alistair is resistant (although not completely immune) to the knife's power. Whether Alistair is unique in this regard or if the knife is merely less effective against more powerful demons is unknown.

[edit] Singer Salvage Yard

Main article: Bobby Singer

The salvage yard is owned and run by Bobby Singer, and sometimes serves as a hideout for the main characters. In the season 4 episode "Are you there God? It's me, Dean Winchester" it is revealed that Bobby built a Panic Room on the property. With iron walls coated in salt and several Devil's Traps inscribed into the floor and ceiling, the room is completely impenetrable by demons, spirits, and many other supernatural beings. The Panic Room is used by Bobby and the brothers several times throughout the season, when they need a demon-proof workspace.

[edit] 66 seals

Holding Lucifer at bay are over 600 mystical seals, only 66 of which have to be broken for him to be released. The first seal that needed to be broken was that of a "righteous man" spilling blood in Hell. The demon Lilith ensured Dean Winchester got sent there. While in Hell, Dean's decision to torture souls broke the first seal. This allowed Lilith to begin breaking the remaining seals, prompting the angel Castiel to resurrect Dean from Hell to stop her. While only two seals were seen to be broken in episodes, the others broken over the course of the season. The final seal was broken by Sam, when he succeeded in destroying Lilith in the season four finale "Lucifer Rising".

[edit] Trouble with the law

Because Dean and Sam do not get paid for their hunting, the brothers earn their living and pay for their hunting equipment through credit card fraud (a fact which is often mentioned, but never actually depicted on screen), poker winnings, and pool hustling. Furthermore, their investigations often put them on the wrong side of the law, as they have desecrated graves, impersonated various officials, and committed breaking and entering. Framed for murder (and later bank robbery) by shapeshifters, Dean has become a highly wanted man, and the brothers are occasionally pursued by various law enforcement officers, most notably FBI Agent Victor Henricksen. Because of all of this, the brothers often use aliases, usually derived from hard rock musicians.

At the end of episode 12 of season 3, "Jus in Bello," Sam & Dean are presumed and reported dead in the explosion, caused by Lilith, of the Monument County, Colorado, Sheriff's office and jail. Sam and Dean were not in the building, but the deputy, secretary, and Agent Henrickson were and were all killed by Lilith. The assumption that Sam and Dean are dead seems to have prevented the FBI from pursuing them further.

[edit] Production notes

Supernatural is a Warner Bros. Television Production Inc., in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision. From executive producers McG and Peter Johnson with writer/executive producer/creator Eric Kripke and director/executive producer David Nutter. Though the pilot was filmed in California, principal filming takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia^[9] with post production work taking place in California.^{[citation needed]}

Production was halted on December 5 2007 upon completion of the twelfth episode due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Originally twenty-two episodes were ordered for the third season, but the season number was shortened down to sixteen episodes, with four new episodes airing in April and May 2008.^[10]

Like other recent TV dramas such as Lost, the show does not have an opening credit sequence or theme music, but instead only a title card, generally following a brief recap of previous episodes and the current episode's opening scene. In Season One, the "Supernatural" logo is a flickering aqua-blue text. In Season Two, it appears in flames and the "A" becomes a pentagram. In Season Three, "Supernatural" is a moving silvery text against a background of clouds of demon smoke (in the series, demons frequently travel as smoke outside of human hosts). In Season Four, black bird wings flutter across a white background, followed by "Supernatural" flickering in red against a solid black background. Beginning with the first season episode "Scarecrow", the name of each episode appears before the cast credits.

A "previously" sequence before each episode highlights a montage of past events. This may be scored to a classic rock song, particularly when the episode is important to the story arc. This was first done with the episode "Salvation", in which the entire season was recapped to Kansas's "Carry On Wayward Son".^[11] This song was used again in the second, third, and fourth season finales.

The production team also created a "coming soon" sequence midway through Season Two, set to Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog".

Series creator Eric Kripke has stated that the series' storyline is planned out for five seasons, and that he hopes to end it there on a high note.^[12]

[edit] Alternative platforms

Supernatural seasons were made available on iTunes beginning on December 5, 2006.^[13] In most cases, the episodes may be downloaded one day after they are aired. It is the first CW show available on iTunes.^{[citation needed]} A notable change for Season One episodes: some of the accompanying classic rock music selections have been changed from the original aired versions.

The CW has also begun offering the four most recent full, streamed episodes directly from its website here.

Australia's Network Ten began offering full episodes for download via their website, through an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television in January 2006. It is the first U.S. television show available for free download in Australia. The episodes appear online soon after being televised, and are viewable for up to a month after download.

In November 2006, Season Two episodes of Supernatural were made available for download on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for 160 Microsoft Points ($2) each. Similar to iTunes, the entire season up until the most recent episode has been made available.

[edit] Tie-ins

The "Hellhounds Lair" website featured in the episode "Hell House" is a real website set up by the show's producers.

For a time, Dean's cell number was a real number, 1-866-907-3235, with Jensen Ackles reading the message: "This is Dean Winchester. If this is an emergency, leave a message. If you are calling about 11-2-83, page me with your coordinates."^[14]

The episode "Tall Tales" featured a tie-in to that week's issue of the tabloid newspaper Weekly World News. Both the print edition (dated February 19, 2007) and online Weekly World News featured an exclusive interview with Sam and Dean as well as a spoiler-free sneak preview of the episode. In the article, written by Paul Kupperberg, Dean says he's been subscribing to the Weekly World News since the fourth grade.

Supernatural official season guides
- Season One (September 25, 2007)
- Season Two (April 8, 2008)
- Season Three (March 3, 2009)

Two additional companion guides, The "Supernatural" Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls and John Winchester’s Journal, both by Alex Irvine have been published. These books function as resource guides that contain illustrations and detailed descriptions of the supernatural creatures the Winchester family has encountered, giving additional background on creatures and mythology featured on the show.

The official Supernatural magazine premiered on November 27, 2007, published by Titan Magazines. Six issues a year will contain cast and production crew interviews and behind the scenes features.

In June 2007, the winner of the CW and Promax "making the cut" competition was announced. The winning Supernatural promo can be viewed here.

[edit] In-continuity

A prequel comic book, Supernatural: Origins, detailing the early lives of John, Sam, and Dean and how they became hunters has been published by Wildstorm, a company under the DC Comics umbrella. It began publication in May 2007. A second comic book began publication in April 2008 called Supernatural: Rising Son, also published by Wildstorm.

Four Supernatural novels have been published.
- Supernatural: Nevermore by Keith R.A. DeCandido (July 31, 2007)
- Supernatural: Witch's Canyon by Jeff Mariotte (October 30, 2007)
- Supernatural: Bone Key by Keith R.A. DeCandido (August 26, 2008)
- Supernatural: Heart of the Dragon by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2010)
- The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls by Alex Irvine

Supernatural Role Playing Game - A pen and paper roleplaying game (RPG) that is in production through Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd.^[15] Originally scheduled for release in the summer of 2007, it has had multiple delays. The game will consist of one person known as the Game Master, who runs the whole game, and two or more player characters, known as Hunters.^[16] These Hunters can either be newly created characters or Dean and Sam Winchester. The material used will "follow the information from the show, the comics, and the novels."^[16]