Everything You Need To Know About: Supernatural

From L-R
Sam/Jared Padalecki,
Dean/Jensen Ackles,
Castiel/Misha Collins/The reason faces were invented

Slip into your flannel shirt and grab a piece of pie: it's time to talk Supernatural. 

Supernatural is a TV show on The CW and is what the "Super" in "SuperWhoLock" stands for.

So here's your Spoiler-free introduction to Supernatural. At the heart of the show are the two brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively. Recurring characters include the angel Castiel, played by Misha Collins; hunter and father figure Bobby Singer, played by Jim Beaver; the demon Crowley aka the King of Hell, played by Mark A. Shepard; and the prophet Kevin Tran, played by Osric Chau. And we cannot forget Eric Kripke, who is to Supernatural what Moffat is to Doctor Who, e.g. brilliant writer and wrencher of emotions.

When Sam is only six months old, his mother dies under mysterious, tragic, violent and, we later learn, demonic circumstances. The boys' father John Winchester, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, sets out to seek revenge on the demon responsible for her death, dragging his young sons in his wake.

As a young college grad, Sam has left behind "the family business," leaving Dean and his father to hunt alone while he pursues a "normal" life. Dean shows up unannounced and tells Sam that their dad is overdue to return from a "hunting" trip. Reluctantly, Sam joins Dean in a search for their father. Enter one of my favorite uncredited characters: Baby, aka Metallicar, aka the '67 Chevy Impala that Dean drives/lives in/loves.

As you might have guessed, there's no happy family reunion with dad. Instead, we get more evil, sibling rivalry and dysfunction, and more flaming blondes. (First episode hankie alert: grab your tissues when you see the cookies, 'cause tears are imminent.)

The ongoing strained relationship between Sam and Dean is a central theme of the show. The first season has a "monster of the week" kind of vibe, although a "big bad" does appear. Later seasons have season-long big bad story arcs with some supporting evil thrown in for good measure. Fairly quickly the show settles in to what it does best: the battle between good vs. evil with nothing less than the world at stake, with warriors on both sides who are all too human, even when they're not.

L-R Crowley/Mark A. Shepard
Bobby Singer/Jim Beaver

Supernatural is currently in season 9, with season 10 already on order. There's even serious spinoff talk. So there's more than enough of the Winchester brothers for more than one weekend watching binge.

There's a handy Supernatural Wiki if you're dying to know more. It's exactly what it sounds like, and can be found here.

Popular ships include:  Destiel (Dean/Castiel), Sabriel (Sam/Gabriel), Samifer (Sam/Lucifer), Wincest (Sam/Dean), Samstiel (Sam/Castiel), Cabriel (Castiel/Gabriel), Crobby (Crowley/Bobby). What's a ship, you ask? Let me 'splain.


Next week? Who, Who.