Pros
ConsThe details
Summary
Mary and John Winchester had an everyday life with their sons Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) until the night when an evil being appeared at their house murdering Mary. Devastated for the next several years, John seeks the devil while raising his children as monster hunters: vigilantes who hunt supernatural beings. He teaches his children everything he knows about paranormal phenomena and the evil forces existing throughout the country. Eventually, Sam leaves his family to attend college at Stanford, where he has a normal life that he desired for a time. However, a series of events brings him back on the hunt: his father’s disappearance and the murder of his girlfriend Jessica Moore, who dies in the same way as her mother. Sam and Dean travel with their Impala ’67 looking for their father, learning to be brothers again while saving people, hunting evil monsters, maintaining the family business …
And this is how the story begins …
Storyline
The format of “Supernatural” is the typical “monster of the week” (like X-Files or Fringe.) The general story advances in each chapter, showing us some exciting information and leaving us with an intriguing ending. The chapters are usually closed cases, telling a supernatural story with ghosts, werewolves, witches, bugs that imitate people, demi-gods, or demons just arrived from hell.
Although the story’s quality declines as the seasons pass by, the fantasy lovers would never get bored with the continuous action and mystery that drives the story forward. As a TV show with 13 seasons and more than 300 episodes, the most extended fantasy series in history is almost impossible to maintain the same quality in each episode.
There is a typical relationship between the brothers; the older one a hustler, and the younger one a responsible caretaker. The relationship excitingly evolves over the seasons, with some moments like Sam worrying for himself just like Dean would or Dean opening up his personality little by little. This contrasted balance between them, which leads to more profound character developments, is one of the story’s critical drives.
Screenplay
The atmosphere in the first episode is dark and, in part, very eerie. If you like horror movies, Supernatural truly delivers it, starting with the pilot episode. As an adaptation of a folk legend ghost story, the pilot episode brings plenty of bloody, violent, scary moments that give shivers. Besides scary scenes, the show is intensely emotional and outright hilarious. Sam and Dean, as characters, are almost always funny and sarcastic in their dialogues with each other.
This break from the horror and drama is one of the best parts of the screenplay, mixing the emotions of the audience and making the show much more enjoyable. On the bad side, the dialogues, in general, are a bit cheesy and forced, making the show more implausible.
Characters and acting
As Dean and Sam, Ackles and Padalecki show an outstanding performance, getting deeper and deeper into their characters in each episode. It is a blessing and a curse to play the same role for 15 years. On the one hand, it gives the actor the chance to merge with the character better with every season, but on the other hand, it creates monotony which the actor should overcome with little nuances and progressions. With their excellent chemistry, the leading duo comes through this demanding task with flying colors.
“Supernatural” is a series with very handsome and attractive actors. Besides the two protagonists, who have many female fans, almost every character, regardless of male or female, has a part in the series is good-looking. This is another reason why the series is so popular among the younger generations.
Music and cinematography
“Supernatural’s” photography is very well made. The sequences of the cars on the road are always different and always with an artistic quality that is more than striking for television. Of course, in some scenes, you can feel the effects are 15 years old, but they are tenable thanks to the well-created atmosphere. The decorations, makeup, the art direction are also pretty remarkable. The details such as John’s Diary, old newspaper articles, the dark animations are all very well designed, creating the mystery that chains the viewer to the show.
The music played in the series includes popular rock songs from mythical bands like ACDC, Metallica, Iron Maiden… Dean and John Winchester’s love of rock and roll are apparently reflected in the series’s soundtrack. The backing music during the episodes creates a lot of emotional stimuli, with orchestral transitions for the sudden monster scenes. The music is carefully chosen, creating a good atmosphere with a mixture of emotion, action, and mystery.
Final verdict
Supernatural is pure entertainment with its mysterious and scary atmosphere; the pilot episode is exciting enough, putting the story’s foundations on the table to keep you hooked right away. If you are looking for a mysterious show with scary and funny moments simultaneously, we assure you will love Supernatural. Some episodes are better than the others, but many are superior to most movies of the genre. It is definitely worth giving a shot!
