by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
For fifteen long years, the Winchester brothers have hunted the Supernatural. Demons, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, creatures from parallel dimensions, and even Gods have faced off against this dynamic duo and their friends. With their ride finally coming to an end on television, fans can look forward to the upcoming release of Supernatural: The Complete Series on Blu-ray and DVD (coming home May 25th). Now you can relive every adventure, every win, every loss, and every epic moment thanks to this impressive box set.
Starring Jared Padalecki (Gilmore Girls) and Jensen Ackles (Smallville) as Sam and Dean Winchester, Supernatural was a series that featured brothers who weren’t afraid to stare down evil and defy the odds in order to save humanity. The final season also starred Misha Collins (24) as Castiel and Alexander Calvert (Arrow) as Jack. Over the years, the series has featured an array of talented actors, including Mark Sheppard (Firefly) as Crowley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) as John Winchester, Jim Beaver (Deadwood) as Bobby Singer, Rob Benedict (Waiting) as Chuck a.k.a. God, Mark Pellegrino (LOST) as Lucifer, Ruth Connell (The Cursed Man) as Rowena, Samantha Smith (Transformers) as Mary Winchester, Genevieve Padalecki (Walker) as Ruby, Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) as Charlie, DJ Qualls (Road Trip) as Garth, and Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files) as Samuel Campbell. Supernatural was created by Eric Kripke (Revolution), and executive produced in its final season by Robert Singer (Lois & Clark), Andrew Dabb (Ghostbusters: Legion), Robert Berens (Doom Patrol), Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming (Lois & Clark).
- Supernatural: The End of the Road – The cast and crew discuss the path to the end of the series, along with the challenges of crafting a series finale with the filming limitation during a global pandemic. Fans will also get to hear first-hand accounts of the original ending to the series (along with who was slated to appear), and how they carried on with an alternate plan in order to ensure that the characters received a proper ending. Be warned, this is an extremely emotional video.
- Supernatural: Family Don’t End with Blood – The family members that you choose are just as important as blood relatives. From the very first episode, the series examined the importance of family. While the Winchester brothers set out to find and save their dad, they also found a new family along the way. From Bobby to Castiel to Jack, this featurette focuses on how this element of the series has impacted the cast and crew, as well as the impact on fans.
- The Winchester Mythology: Midwestern Heroes – How did the mid-west become such an iconic backdrop within the storytelling of the show? This featurette discusses the tropes of the “Classic American Hero” and how those elements impacted the characters that would become Sam and Dean.
- Supernatural: The Long Road Home – So you don’t remember all of the details of the 327 episodes? Well, if you aren’t ready to immediately dive into a rewatch of the show, this set includes a retrospective that will help to refresh your memory. Family, mythology, character depth, cars, magic, humor, guest appearances, the concept of fate, and more are covered in this lengthy video featuring Creator Eric Kripke.
- Supernatural: 2019 Comic-Con Panel – The emotional final event in San Diego.
- Winning Baby: A Supernatural Giveaway – A lucky fan wins a replica of the iconic Impala.
- Gag Reel – Enjoy a 15 minute (plus) gag reel for 15 years of Supernatural.
- Pilot (Ep 1) – “Dad’s on a hunting trip… and hasn’t been home in a few days”. The zoom and pause when this line was spoken were truly spectacular. I’ll admit, I was late to the Supernatural party. I found my way to the series in 2010 thanks to the recommendations of a friend. I remember the first time that I watched Pilot, and I was hooked from the opening sequence. The death of Mary Winchester was visually stunning, and the concept of the yellow-eyed demon was intriguing, to say the least. I also liked the concept of searching for their missing father, and Sam being pulled back into a life that he had hoped to leave behind. After saving the day, the final shot stating “we’ve got work to do” aired and I knew I was in for the long haul.
- Lazarus Rising (Ep 61) – Castiel’s introduction was a game-changer for a number of reasons. Adding Angel-lore to the show was huge, especially given the demon-centric first two seasons. Cas was also the missing piece of the puzzle necessary to take the show to the next level. Misha’s performance in his grand entrance was iconic, entertaining, and impactful, creating a lasting mark on the series.
- Changing Channels (Ep 90) – The Trickster returns to wreak havoc with the boys, sending them into a parallel world where they play characters on a television show named “Supernatural”. Poking fun at their competition was all part of the game, with medical, sitcom, and gameshow elements forcing the Winchesters to go on a whirlwind ride. What role does the Trickster play in the coming Apocalypse, and how does he connect to the Angels and Demons that currently plague Sam and Dean? Also, Supernatural Creator Eric Kripke stole the show with the best moment of the episode.
- Swan Song (Ep 104) – In what was slated to be the original series finale, Sam and Dean must sacrifice everything to stop impending doom. With help from Bobby, the boys launch their final plans to stop Lucifer and re-cage “The Beast” once and for all. With the original five-season arc at an end, the Winchesters were faced with the big question: what comes next?
- LARP and the Real Girl (Ep 160) – Dean and Charlie go LARPing! Yes, it was as ridiculous as it sounds, but this episode allowed Dean to break past pre-conceived notions of the world of fantasy and team up with fan-favorite Charlie (Felicia Day) for another epic adventure.
- Fan Fiction (Ep 200) – As I mentioned, the meta episodes have always been my favorites. Adding in a musical element for the 200th episode was an amusing concept, and the fact that they subverted expectations by playing with “Supernatural” as a play within the show was even better. “The Road So Far”, “A Single Man Tear”, and a beautifully arranged cover of “Carry On My Wayward Son” are earworm songs that will surely get stuck in your head for days (or years). If you are a fan of the music, you can download the audio tracks on iTunes.
- Baby (222) – The unsung hero of the series finally gets time to shine with their own episode. I am of course talking about BABY! In this installment, fans got to experience a day in the life of the beloved Impala..from the perspective of the car! As ridiculous as it sounds, it was a pretty cool concept and worked out surprisingly well.
- All Along The Watchtower (Ep 264) – The Finale for Season 12 was crammed with memorable moments. Mary Winchester vs Lucifer, the birth of Lucifer’s son, Crowley’s ultimate surprise, and more on the Apocalyptic World on the other side of the rift, and an intense cliffhanger left fans reeling as we patiently waited for the next season to begin.
- ScoobyNatural (Ep 280) – ZOINKS SCOOB! The boys are pulled into the animated world of Scooby-Doo and get to team up with the gang for an unsolved mystery…like a REAL mystery. What happens when elements of the real world spill over to Dean’s beloved cartoon? In what might have been the most anticipated (and craziest) episode, ScoobyNatural had me smiling from ear to ear for the duration. The creative team had an incredibly fun time allowing Sam, Dean, and Cas to play in the animated sandbox, pushing the boundaries of the series once again. Dean trying to win over Daphne was true to character and perfection. Honestly, I was dying when the Scooby Gang has a mental breakdown after realizing that the phantom was real. CUE THE THEME SONG!
- Lebanon (300) – A family reunion for the books! When Dean uses a mystical object to make a wish, the boys receive the greatest gift of all: a reunion with dad! John Winchester returns for a very special episode, complete with time travel, paradoxes, additional surprise guests, and a family dinner.
If you take a moment to think about it, that is an insane amount of content. Once you factor in the countless hours of special features from each individual season release, you will start to understand why this release is a must-have for any Supernatural fan. While some might question the need to own physical media, the main benefit comes from the bonus content. Streaming services don’t offer this level of additional content connected to the physical releases. With this release, fans will be able to not only experience the show again, but this time, they can add the behind-the-scenes videos, gag reels, featurettes, and panels to their viewing experience. The creative team absolutely put a lot into this final product, and fans will not be disappointed.
