Supernatural creator Eric Kripke admits the first draft of the pilot script was far too serious and scary. Premiering back in 2005, Supernatural began as a simple show focusing on two brothers - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) - who take up the family business of monster hunting after their father goes missing. Over the years, though, Supernatural has evolved into one of the most enduring fantasy shows with a sprawling mythology and a very dedicated fanbase. After 15 seasons, Supernatural will officially come to an end in just two weeks.
Supernatural season 15 was supposed to conclude earlier this year, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed production on the final episodes. Eventually, though, the stars came together to finish the show once and for all, triggering some fond throwbacks to Supernatural's early days. Both Ackles and Padalecki have recalled their favorite episodes over the past few weeks, with Padalecki even singling out the series finale as his favorite. With so many years behind it, as well as 327 episodes in total (including those that have yet to air), it's hard not to look back on Supernatural's legacy.
Kripke, who exited Supernatural following season 5, spoke with EW about where the show first began: The pilot script. At the time, horror movies like The Grudge and The Ring were incredibly popular, and they helped inspire Kripke's vision for Supernatural. "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," Kripke recalled. However, it soon became clear Kripke had taken that bit of inspiration a bit too far. Kripke explained:
There's a very particular tone to those movies. They're quite serious, and that was what we sold. I was a young writer, I'd had a couple failed shots, and I really felt the weight of: This is my chance. So I was very consumed by it, which isn't always healthy, and in this case it wasn't. So I thought and rethought and pored over every detail and tried to make it as absolutely scary as I could and did not have a particularly breezy sense of humor in it. It was just all very heavy and probably, looking back, just needlessly complicated.
Over the course of its run, Supernatural has confronted some truly terrifying demons and monsters over the years, and it's very easy to see where the horror elements came in. However, it's probably for the best that Kripke chose to lighten things up. Fans truly became attached to Supernatural because of the bond between Sam and Dean, not necessarily because of the scares. By allowing the series to take on a different tone, Kripke crafted Supernatural to be its own thing. Since it's been on for fifteen years, it's safe to say it worked out in its favor.
The Winchesters' final episodes will see them go up against God Himself, showing just how big Supernatural has gotten. Undoubtedly, the final episodes will feature emotional and devastating moments, but hopefully there will be some opportunities for heartwarming scenes as well. Though Supernatural cut a montage of returning players from its finale, fans should be just as pleased to spend some quiet moments with Sam and Dean before they leave. After all they've been through, the Winchesters deserve some peace and quiet. Hopefully they'll actually get it.
Supernatural season 15 will continue on Thursday on The CW.
Source: EW
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November 06, 2020 at 05:04AM