The show that has held my attention and has had me binge watching episode after episode over my summer vacations is - a show most people have heard of by now- Supernatural. This is the first time that I am doing an overview of a season I am writing, so I hope I can do justice to it!
Supernatural follows the journey of two extraordinary brothers, whose jobs are to banish demons and other nefarious supernatural creatures to ensure safety prevails all over the world. A job commonly referred to as ‘hunting’.
Dean Winchester is shown to be the sarcastic and self- loathing elder brother who would literally sell his own soul and be damned to hell to save his younger brother. From an early age, he follows instructions word-to-word passed down to him by his father, John Winchester, who is a hunter and mostly away throughout their childhood. John Winchester starts hunting to seek revenge on a certain yellow- eyed demon known as Azazel- who is responsible for the death of Mary Winchester (John’s wife).
Sam Winchester is shown to be the brooding, sensitive younger brother who wants nothing to do with the ‘family business’ initially and wants to follow his academic pursuits at Stanford. He is shown to run away from home, leaving Dean and his father to hunt by themselves until Dean tracks him down. Although hesitant at first, Sam changes his mind about hunting once he sees his girlfriend murdered in the exact manner that his mother did by Azazel. To make this point stronger, it is even revealed later on in the episodes that follow that Sam has actually got Azazel’s demon blood coursing through his veins.
John Winchester is shown to sacrifice his life to ensure the safety of both his boys, however he leaves Dean with a cryptic message, instructing him to watch over Sam but also to kill him if it comes to that.
The biblical references throughout the show are simply something to marvel at. Starting from the fall of the devil- Lucifer- to a state of anarchy in Heaven and Angels being manipulated-due to the fact that God has left-by Archangels, the series quickly plunges to become that of one having dark undertones. We see Raphael, Gabrielle and Michael and how their relationship with their brother Lucifer-in a lot of ways-reflect that of Sam and Dean’s. Also in the series are the four horsemen, whose rings need to be acquired by both brothers before banishing Lucifer to the cage from which he was resurrected by a demon named Lilith. Dean and Sam are shown to have ups and downs in their brotherly relationship when Sam tries to befriend a demon named Ruby to exercise his demonic powers and ‘go darkside’, who Dean refuses to trust from the very beginning. Along to aid them in their journey are various other characters, such as Bobby Singer, a ‘Nam war veteran turned hunter who is like a father to both the boys. We also see Castiel, the angel responsible for bringing Dean Winchester back from hell and adds comic relief to the show at times.
From burning the bones and other remaining artifacts left behind by spirits or ghosts, shooting werewolves with silver, destroying curse bags made by witches, mutilating the heads of vampires, pouring holy water over demons or even fighting off the dangerous creatures by having a salt circle, the show truly brings people to the edge of their seats, with the twist and turn of an intricately plotted-but simply fantastic- storyline. Adding to the list of the creatures, we also get a glimpse of shape shifters, ghouls, trolls, invisible hell-hounds and crossroads demons to name a few.
We even get a glimpse of purgatory, that is supposed to be a place worse and more ancient than hell itself, home to the monstrous Leviathan. The Leviathan are showed to be beasts that God created and locked up in purgatory where both Dean and Sam have to spend a brief time in and both of them end up remembering the gruesome and deadly adventures they have.
Last, but definitely not the least, we see prophets- who are basically placed on Earth to predict events that are to be followed or even to help Sam and Dean uncover the relics of the ‘word of God’.
An incident occurs where Sam has to take the help of Galadriel to enter Sam’s body to heal him, when there is no other means of saving him. Oblivious to the fact that Galadriel was in fact responsible for the snake entering the Garden of Eden in the first place!
We witness a fast paced, truly gruesome, truly dark and truly epic series unfold with great character growth and comical interludes. In my opinion, the Supernatural series is definitely not for the ones faint of heart, but is a series one must watch if they feel that they are up for it or else they would not know what they are missing out on!