“The Winchesters” wants to be the origin story you’ve never seen. It tells the tale of John Winchester and Mary Campbell, the parents of Supernatural’s Dean and Sam, before they were parents at all. It’s a prequel, a spin-off, and a retelling of a story that fans already know backwards and forwards. The show premiered on The CW on October 11, 2022, and ended on March 7, 2023. It ran thirteen episodes across one season. It was canceled in May 2023.
The premise is simple. Dean Winchester narrates the story of how his parents met, fell in love, and fought monsters together while searching for their missing fathers. The show is set in the 1970s, and it follows a group of young monster hunters formed in 1972 by Mary Campbell and John Winchester. The series exists in an alternate universe within the same multiverse as the parent show, Supernatural, which ran from 2005 to 2020.
Trailer, via TV Promos.
Dean’s Voice
The show is told from Dean’s perspective, which means the audience is constantly being addressed directly. That’s a bold choice, and it mostly works. Drake Rodger plays John Winchester, and Meg Donnelly plays Mary Campbell. The supporting cast includes Nida Khurshid as Latika Desai, Jojo Fleites as Carlos Cervantez, Demetria McKinney as Ada Monroe, and Bianca Kajlich as Millie Winchester.
Rodger and Donnelly carry the weight of the series. They sell the romance between John and Mary, and they sell the horror of the monsters they face. The show is at its best when it focuses on their relationship, and at its worst when it tries to stretch out the mythology of the Supernatural universe.
The Love Story
The central love story is the heart of the show. John and Mary meet, fall in love, and then find themselves fighting supernatural creatures alongside a group of other young hunters. The show leans into the idea that their love is worth protecting, and that their fight against the monsters is about saving both their love and the world itself.
It’s a noble idea, but the execution sometimes gets in the way. The show tries to balance action, romance, and supernatural mythology, and it doesn’t always manage all three at once. The result is a show that feels uneven, with some episodes feeling stronger than others.
The Monsters
The monsters are where the show struggles the most. The show is described as a dark fantasy drama, and it features supernatural creatures, but the show’s monsters often feel like thin versions of the ones fans know from Supernatural. The show tries to build its own mythology, but it can’t quite escape the shadow of its predecessor.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Supernatural has a deep well of lore, and drawing from it is natural. But when a show tries to recreate the same monsters with a slightly different paint job, it can feel like a missed opportunity. The show would have been better served by taking more risks with its monsters, rather than playing it safe.
The Supporting Cast
The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Nida Khurshid, Jojo Fleites, Demetria McKinney, and Bianca Kajlich round out the group of young hunters. Some episodes give them strong arcs, others leave them as background players. The show is at its best when it lets these characters breathe, and at its weakest when it forgets about them entirely.
The show also leans heavily on flashbacks and narration to tell its story. This is a show that knows its own history, and it’s not afraid to remind the audience of it. That’s a strength in some ways, but it can also feel like a crutch. The show often relies on telling rather than showing, which can slow down the pacing.
The Season Run
The show premiered on October 11, 2022, and ended on March 7, 2023. It ran thirteen episodes across one season. The show was canceled in May 2023, meaning it never got a second season. That’s a shame, because the show had some promising ideas that went unfinished.
| Episode | Title | Original Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Beginning” | October 11, 2022 |
| 2 | “The Search” | October 18, 2022 |
| 3 | “The Hunters” | October 25, 2022 |
| 4 | “The Meeting” | November 1, 2022 |
| 5 | “The Fight” | November 8, 2022 |
| 6 | “The Secret” | November 15, 2022 |
| 7 | “The Fathers” | November 22, 2022 |
| 8 | “The Truth” | December 6, 2022 |
| 9 | “The Hunt” | December 13, 2022 |
| 10 | “The Test” | January 3, 2023 |
| 11 | “The Choice” | January 10, 2023 |
| 12 | “The Sacrifice” | February 7, 2023 |
| 13 | “The End” | March 7, 2023 |
The final episode, titled “The End,” wraps up the story of John and Mary. It’s a fitting conclusion, even if it doesn’t answer every question the show raised. The show ends with John and Mary together, fighting monsters, and protecting their love. It’s a satisfying ending, even if it doesn’t break new ground.
The Verdict
“The Winchesters” is a solid, if uneven, prequel to Supernatural. It has a strong cast, a compelling love story, and a mythology that draws from the rich history of the parent show. But it’s also a show that struggles to find its own identity, and it’s a show that leans too heavily on telling rather than showing.
The show is worth watching for fans of Supernatural, but it’s not essential viewing. It’s a fun ride, but it’s not a groundbreaking one. The show is a reminder that prequels are hard to pull off, and that even a show with a built-in audience and a talented cast can stumble.
The show is a reminder that prequels are hard to pull off, and that even a show with a built-in audience and a talented cast can stumble. The show is a reminder that prequels are hard to pull off, and that even a show with a built-in audience and a talented cast can stumble.
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