The ‘Supernatural’ Cast Celebrates 15 Years of A Supernatural Experience and Fandom

There are some series so important that you can remember everything about the first moment you ever watched it. Supernatural is one of those shows. From the first moment fans tuned in, they knew they were stumbling upon something special.

What came next is more than anyone could have imagined. A fandom that is truly unique and passionate. Growing up with a show is something special, and it creates a special kind of bond between the cast and fans at home. From supporting causes close to the actors to traveling to conventions – the bond formed has grown stronger over the course of Supernatural‘s history.

In EW’s new feature, some of the cast and crew of the series talked about the impact that 15 seasons of Supernatural left on their lives and the lives of fans.

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Robert Singer had this to say about the direction of the show, (twists and turns included)

“We’re a show of big swings. I used to say, with every idea, ‘This will be a home run or they’ll cancel us,’ but every year we wanted to do something really nuts.”

Andrew Dabb added that the fans are dedicated to the Winchester brothers, which allows them to be more creative.

“I don’t think any idea, barring some production concerns, has been viewed as too crazy, because we know that our fans are smart and that they’ll follow these guys anywhere.”

Follow the guys, they did. The series started on the WB and ended up on CW, as it stands, it’s the last existing WB series left. Chairman and CEO of The CW, Mark Pedowitz, says it’s impacted many shows on the network.

“Supernatural is a major link to many of the shows that we have successfully built to market. Almost every one of our shows has had it as a lead-out or a lead-in.”

So how did such a gripping series come to life? Well…it happened in a state of isolation. Supernatural creator Eric Kripke locked himself in his office during Christmas and bringing a humorous aspect to the more fear-driven original idea was born.

“At the time, The Ring and The Grudge were huge hits in theaters…we said, ‘We’re going to take that experience and we’re going to put it on TV,’ and the initial goal was to be scary.”

However, that first idea didn’t hit so well. That locking himself in his office thing? It came next.

“I canceled all my Christmas plans and wrote that second draft in three weeks. That was when the show got its sense of humor because I was locked alone, over winter break, in my office. I couldn’t do anything fun, so I started entertaining myself.”

His idea worked because the series in its 15th season has captivated audiences around the world. There’s an entire convention dedicated to the series, fans have a favorite Winchester brother, and there’s a lot of great merch for fans to showcase their dedication for the series.

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Supernatural has cemented its place as a pop-culture staple and fans around the world are sad to see it go. Why end such an incredible series? The answer given by the stars of the series is reminiscent of what Marvel fans have experienced in saying goodbye to one of their favorite heroes. You don’t ever want to run a good thing into the ground.

Padalecki and Ackles had this to say about the decision to end Supernatural after 15 seasons with Ackles summing it up with an ode to a marathon.

“Jared and I were always married to the fact that we never wanted to go out with a diet version of what we had, We wanted to have enough gas left in the tank to get us racing across the finish line. We didn’t want to limp across.”

Padalecki followed up.

“We had that moment where he and I both realized that we didn’t want it to end. It finally got to a point, ironically, where it was like, ‘I never want to leave this. I could do this until the day I die, and then if I get the choice when I’m dead, I’ll re-up!’ But you never want to be the last person at a party. We just knew. That’s not to say there haven’t been vacillations, but we all trust the decision that was made.”

What they couldn’t have been expecting was the interruption caused by COVID-19, which is briefly touched upon during the feature. There are still two episodes to film, and the waiting game seems a bit like something you might wish the Winchester brothers themselves could save you from. However, like all good things…it’s gonna take a little time.

For more on the interview with the cast and crew, you can check out the feature in EW and some of the follow-up articles.