Summary

• Supernatural remains a beloved series with 15 seasons of near-universal critical acclaim, featuring storylines on God, Lucifer, and spooky phenomena.
• Watching Supernatural is a serious commitment with 327 episodes that deserve to be seen all the way through for their emotional impact and overarching story.
• The show evolves from horror roots to bigger existential themes, with distinctive eras and memorable characters stealing the spotlight as seasons progress.

Despite finishing four years ago, Supernatural ran for 15 seasons – each of which enjoyed near-universal critical acclaim – and featured storylines focusing on God, Lucifer, and everything in between. As a fan of horror and fantasy, I'd always found Supernatural's premise appealing, but had never gotten around to actually watching the show. That changed in 2024.

Supernatural is available to stream on Netflix.

Witnessing the Winchesters' journey from the very beginning, I watched Supernatural for the first time this year. With over 300 episodes, emotional ups and downs, and nearly two decades of pop-culture impact, it was obvious that this would be no small undertaking. However, even with the knowledge that Supernatural remains a touchstone for many fantasy and horror fans (most of whom are still eagerly awaiting news of Supernatural season 16), there's no way of knowing before the show begins what impression it might leave, years after its debut. For anyone else considering taking the plunge, and without focusing on specific plot points, here's what I learned.

8 Supernatural Is A Serious Commitment

It Deserves To Be Seen All The Way Through

It almost goes without saying, but any show that has 327 episodes and 15 seasons is not easy to digest in one go. The sheer number of Supernatural stories makes it intimidating for any potential new convert – and was a major reason why I was initially put off from starting the series. Even though it remains entertaining and watchable throughout its epic runtime, there's no denying that Supernatural is an incredible time-sink.

Although it's also a major strength, a potential problem with the show is that it's very difficult to justify skipping particular episodes. While early seasons are much more self-contained and episodic, they still include important background information and are essential in setting up Sam and Dean's dynamic. Missing them out makes later scenes – particularly as the show raises the stakes – lose their emotional impact. Equally, as the show progresses, later seasons concentrate more on overarching stories, in which any episode can contain crucial information. As such, it pays to watch all 327 episodes, start to finish.

7 Supernatural Is Much Scarier Than I Was Expecting

It Emphasizes The Horror

Given Supernatural's status as a made-for-TV fantasy thriller, I was expecting it to be an entertaining, yet fundamentally unscary viewing experience. Here, I was mistaken. The show features some incredibly effective chills, with its horror evolving as the show progresses. In season 1, "Bloody Mary" utilizes Ringu-like effects reminiscent of J-horror, while the season 4 episode "Family Remains" features a terrifying twist on the show's central ghost concept that remains shocking years later.

Throughout its 15 seasons, but especially in the early era, Supernatural is committed to pulling no punches with its horror. The show is more than capable of maintaining a creepy atmosphere, aided by an impressive production that belies its TV status. While its horror is never truly groundbreaking, it is no less effective for its conservatism, with Supernatural's scariest episodes guaranteed to get your heart racing.

6 Supernatural Has Distinctive Eras

The Show Clearly Changes Through Time

Although every season of Supernatural has its strengths and weaknesses, a key takeaway for any first-time viewer is that the show has clearly defined eras. Seasons 1-5, for example, which are overseen by original creator Eric Kripke, embrace the show's horror roots. While there are broader story arcs (particularly in seasons 4 and 5 when the Winchesters battle Lucifer), they are balanced against the need for self-contained stories. By contrast, later series of the show, under different showrunners, have a very different aesthetic and narrative approach – to the extent where the horror is sidelined in favor of bigger existential themes.

...depending on your genre preference, you may find that some series are more appealing than others.

There is much to be enjoyed throughout Supernatural's run. However, depending on your genre preference, you may find that some series are more appealing than others. I, for example, was much more drawn towards the early, horror-tinged seasons of the show, but also really enjoyed the Darkness storyline in season 11. The fact that the show continually evolves keeps things consistently fresh and engaging, but does mean that some seasons will work better for many viewers than others.

5 Supernatural Is A Great Spin On Classic TV Tropes

It's A Tried And Tested Formula

Part of the reason that Supernatural continues to have such broad appeal is that, for all its innovation and lore-building, it is essentially a riff on tried and tested TV tropes. While it forges new paths in later seasons based on the lore early stories helped create, its original (and arguably most popular) storylines all follow the same principle as dozens of other classic series. However, this is not to say that Supernatural doesn't push boundaries.

...Supernatural has such a basis in common cultural heritage that it always feels grounded – even when the Winchesters are fighting demons and ghosts.

The show's success can be attributed to the ingenious combination of "monster-of-the-week" stories popularized by the likes of Doctor Who and The X Files, with urban legends and mythology with which everyone is familiar. While sci-fi shows can feel completely fictional, Supernatural has such a basis in common cultural heritage that it always feels grounded – even when the Winchesters are fighting demons and ghosts. It's a trend that's evident throughout all 15 seasons, but is particularly noticeable in early episodes, where the narrative structure is more typical.

4 Supernatural Shines When Its Story Becomes Bigger

Monster-Of-The-Week Episodes Can Become Repetitive

Although I (and many other fans) have a particular soft spot for Supernatural's early seasons, there's no doubt that the show is at its strongest when it blends great self-contained stories with an overarching story that builds to an epic conclusion. Part of the reason that seasons 4 and 5 work so well, and continue to be so fondly ed by fans of the show, is that memorable individual episodes like the aforementioned "Family Remains" build towards a bigger story with genuine stakes that's perfectly in keeping with the rest of the season.

The show is arguably at its weakest when its stories begin to feel stale and repetitive. Particularly when watching multiple installments in one sitting, it was notable in season 1 that the main mission of finding Sam and Dean's dad seemed to fall by the wayside, aside from a cursory mention at the start of an episode. By contrast, stronger seasons find a way to organically incorporate the wider story throughout, benefiting from an increase in stakes that have profound consequences for the characters and setting. While Supernatural could also push things too far, the show is at its best when successfully negotiating this tightrope.

3 Power Creep Is A Real Problem For Later Supernatural Seasons

The Show Does Forget Its Roots

It's perhaps an inevitable consequence of having to create jeopardy over such a long lifespan, but later Supernatural seasons have a real problem with both the strength of their villains and the stakes involved. At the start of the show, and despite their unusual expertise, the Winchesters were vulnerable, often falling foul of fairly weak (in the context of what comes later) villains. While it made sense that the brothers became more competent with more experience, it also made them more relatable protagonists – and arguably made their exploits even more impressive.

This is in sharp contrast to Supernatural's divisive ending. By the time the show reached its conclusion, the brothers had gone from vanquishing the vengeful spirit of a woman in white (and nearly losing) to taking on and defeating God. Given their humble origins, this escalation is difficult to justify – even with the narrative explanation provided. It also pushed the show into the realms of pure fantasy, as the idea that any (at least originally) human characters could conduct such a campaign pushed the boundaries of credulity.

2 Supernatural's ing Characters Are The Real Stars

Sam And Dean Soon Take A Backseat

In early seasons, Sam and Dean Winchester are the undisputed stars of Supernatural. However, although they remain center-stage throughout, other characters steal the spotlight as the seasons progress. The first of these is Bobby Singer, who despite being initially intended to play a peripheral role, soon became an indispensable part of the line-up. However, while Singer was a regular for 10 seasons, he was by no means the only Supernatural character who enhanced the action.

Both as antagonists and allies, the likes of Ruby, Castiel, and Crowley are all central components in what made Supernatural so successful. Compelling characters in their own right, they also have unique relationships with the Winchester brothers, making them stronger by proxy. It's telling that, particularly in the case of Castiel and Crowley, new arrivals that were created to supplement the story ended up being so central to the action.

1 Supernatural Deserves Its Reputation

The Show Is Still Successful, 19 Years Later

Even watching Supernatural for the first time in 2024, it's easy to see why it has cultivated and retained such a loyal following. Over the course of its run, the show ticks all the boxes for hit TV, ranging from memorable individual episodes to epic story arcs that eventually put the whole world at stake. This varied scope, combined with mythology that has influenced human storytelling for thousands of years before the arrival of television, remains a winning formula 19 years on from episode 1.

However, while the narrative and lore are certainly compelling, Supernatural wouldn't remain so popular if it wasn't for the engaging and endearing dynamics between its characters. Whereas many shows struggle to capitalize on a strong premise or evolve after a promising start, Supernatural thrives throughout its 15 seasons because its characters remain a constant draw. Like anyone starting a show that has incredible popularity, I was skeptical that it could appeal to a newcomer. This combination of factors allayed any concerns.