Summary
- Supernatural season 16 wouldn't be able to capture the small-scale storytelling and charm of the first few outings, but a reboot could.
- A Supernatural reboot comes with its own problems, as recasting Sam and Dean would be an almost impossible feat.
- Supernatural should probably be left alone, as resurrecting the series could negatively impact its legacy.
The idea of Padalecki has ideas about Supernatural season 16 and what it could cover — but even his pitch for a shorter season might be hard to pull off.
After all, Supernatural season 15's ending doesn't make it easy to return to the Winchesters' story. Dean's fate and Sam's retirement in the series finale complicate a potential Supernatural revival. It would need to retcon or work around the original conclusion, and that's far from the only obstacle another season of the CW series faces. If Ackles and Padalecki really want to resurrect the excitement surrounding the show, they might be better off rebooting it.
The 12 Most Important Supernatural Episodes That Defined The Show
Supernatural has more than 300 episodes in the series run, but a few of these episodes completely change the tone and course of the entire series.
No Supernatural Revival Can Recapture The Charm Of Its Early Seasons, But A Reboot Could
Continuing Sam & Dean's Story Could Feel Tiresome After 15 Seasons
Although Supernatural maintained a dedicated audience, the overwhelming consensus is that the early outings of the show are better than the later ones. I personally believe that Supernatural seasons 1-5 feel more coherent, and I'm not the only one to ask whether it should have ended there. The later outings feel less consistent, and they also lose the novelty of Supernatural's early episodes. The series feels increasingly stale as it approaches its conclusion, and this raises major concerns about Supernatural season 16.
Supernatural's early charm stems from its smaller-scale storytelling, which would be impossible to recapture in season 16.
Even if we've had time to miss the series and its characters, dragging out Sam and Dean's story could feel tiresome after 15 seasons. And the fact that Sam and Dean are basically mythical beings who can kill and cheat Death doesn't help. Supernatural's early charm stems from its smaller-scale storytelling, which would be impossible to recapture in season 16. A Supernatural reboot, however, could remind viewers why they fell in love with the series in the first place. Of course, this approach would come with an impossible problem of its own.
A Supernatural Reboot Would Have A Major Problem Of Its Own
Recasting Sam & Dean Would Basically Be Impossible
A Supernatural reboot might capture the charm of the first few seasons, but it would have another massive challenge to overcome: recasting the Winchester brothers. Even if Ackles and Padalecki were involved in a Supernatural reboot, they wouldn't be able to play Sam and Dean. For one, it would raise questions about the point of rebooting the series in the first place. It would also be less convincing if the reboot wanted to keep the leads the same age they are in the original series. The actors are almost two decades older than they were when Supernatural premiered.
Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are iconic in their roles, and they're become synonymous with Supernatural.
Needless to say, a reboot would need to find younger stars to portray Sam and Dean — and they'd have impossibly large shoes to fill. Ackles and Padalecki are iconic in their roles, and they're become synonymous with Supernatural. They are the faces of the franchise, and people may be less willing to watch a revival that doesn't center them. I'd definitely find it jarring to see anyone else taking the reins of Supernatural, especially so soon after the original CW show ended.
Maybe Supernatural Should Just Be Left Alone?
The CW Shouldn't Risk The Show's Legacy
Unfortunately, I think the debate about whether Supernatural should return for season 16 or a reboot is pointless. The reality is that Supernatural should probably just be left alone; it doesn't need to be revived, and doing so only puts its legacy at risk. The CW series has an impressive reputation, even with the criticisms of its later seasons. Rebooting the show or dragging it out past its expiration date comes with more risks than benefits. Both approaches have significant challenges they'd need to overcome, and failing could reflect poorly on Supernatural as a whole.
If Ackles and Padalecki are really committed to returning to this world, they should probably do so behind-the-scenes and for a new project entirely. The The Winchesters prequel doesn't bode well for other Supernatural spinoffs, but they'd be more welcome than a revival. There are other parts of this world to explore, but continuing or restarting Sam and Dean's story is not the best way to go about it.
Supernatural
- Release Date
- 2005 - 2020
- Network
- The CW
- Showrunner
- Eric Kripke
Cast
Sam Winchester
Dean Winchester
WHERE TO WATCH
Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their '67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
- Directors
- Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund
- Writers
- Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway
- Franchise(s)
- Supernatural
- Seasons
- 15
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