Supernaturalended in 2020, bringing the saga of the Winchester brothers to a close, but the franchise gave Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) a better ending two years later. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester traveled across the country"saving people and hunting things"throughout allfifteen seasons ofSupernatural,making the show one of the longest-running fantasy series of all time. As one of the CW’s most successful shows,Supernaturalspawned several live-action spin-off ideas, but only one of these actually made it into production.
Supernatural’sseries finale, entitled “Carry On,” began like countless otherSupernaturalepisodes, with Sam and Dean Winchester embarking on a routine hunt. But things quickly turned tragic when Dean was impaled by a spike on the wall of a barn. Although Dean had been killed numerous times throughout the series, this time, his death stuck, and Sam lived the rest of his life before joining his older brother in Heaven. For a character who had been through as much as Dean Winchester, this felt like an unfair and abrupt ending, and many felt likeDean deserved better.
The Winchesters Improved Upon Dean Winchester’s Supernatural Ending
Even From Heaven, Dean Got To Keep Saving The World
After fifteen seasons, there were only so many waysSupernaturalcould end, and some fans were bound to be disappointed. In the show’s final season, Sam and Dean faced off against God (Rob Benedict) himself, with angel Castiel (Misha Collins) and Lucifer’s son, Jack Kline (Alexander Calvert), fighting alongside them. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the second half ofSupernatural’sfinal season and also prevented the finale from including more appearances from past characters.
It wasn’t long afterSupernaturalhad ended that people began speculating whetherSam and Dean Winchester would ever return. In June 2021, news broke of theSupernaturalprequel calledThe Winchesters,which would tell the story of how Sam and Dean’s parents met and fell in love. Jensen Ackles, his wife, Daneel Ackles, andSupernaturalwriter Robbie Thompson served as executive producers and promised that the show would not contradictSupernaturalcanon. Narrated by Ackles as Dean Winchester,The Winchestersfollowed Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly), John Winchester (Drake Rodger), and their friendsas they hunted monsters and investigated family secrets.
Dean Winchester himself popped up inThe Winchestersseries finale, revealing that the Mary and John the show had been following were from an alternate timeline. While in Heaven, Dean decided to scour the multiverse looking for a world where his family got a happy ending. When he encountered a threat to the multiverse, he helped stop it.Even from Heaven, Dean was still finding ways to save the worldand fight for the people he cared about. This ending also opens up the possibility for Dean to return, and allows the franchise to explore other worlds within the multiverse.
Dean Winchester’s Appearance In The Winchesters’ Finale Confirms The Show Is A Supernatural Epilogue
The Winchesters Depicts An Alternate Timeline In The Supernatural Multiverse
WhileThe Winchestersinitially appeared to contradict what had already been established onSupernatural,the finale revealed the truth.Everything depicted onThe Winchesterstook place in an alternate universeseparate from the one shown throughoutSupernatural. TheJohn and Mary inThe Winchesterswere not the same ones who gave birth to the Sam and Dean ofSupernatural.Dean’s appearance inThe Winchestersfinale and his commitment to saving the multiverse madeThe Winchestersfeel more like an epilogue to his story than a true prequel toSupernatural.
Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) and Jack Kline also made an appearance inThe Winchestersseries finale, reinforcing the idea of the series as a follow-up toSupernatural.Dean reconnected with Bobby in Heaven, where Jack had taken on the role of God. Jack revealed that he restored the multiverse, but he didn’t want anyone from Heaven to interfere, although he didn’t stop Dean from saving the day yet again. TheSupernaturalseries finale was divisive among fans, butThe Winchestershelps soften the blow a bit when it’s viewed as an epilogue for the series rather than a prequel.
