Supernatural Station

Supernatural

On The CW Network, Thursdays 9:00PM EST

Two brothers work together as hunters of supernatural creatures. They travel across the country in a black 1967 Chevy Impala, investigating reports of unusual phenomena, rescuing people from the paranormal, and ridding the world of villainous supernatural things.

At each stopover, Sam and Dean Winchester seek out and investigate unusual cases involving deaths or disappearances. This brings them into contact with ghosts, demons, witches, vampires, shapeshifters, and other creatures out of urban legends and folklore. They use information found on internet, in libraries, and from their father's journal to learn about the weaknesses of these mystical beings. Then from an arsenal of unusual weapons stored in the Impala's trunk, they select the best means to fight them. Rock salt, holy water, wooden stakes, machetes, crosses, silver bullets, and, of course, your basic handgun and sawed-off shotgun have been put to good use by these crusaders against preternatural evil.

The brothers' adventures began with a quest to find their missing father (season 1), evolved into a mission to carry on with his legacy to destroy the demon responsible for killing their mother (season 2), and became a struggle to fight and survive in a shadow war against an army of demons unleashed from hell (season 3). Each brother also faces his own individual challenges: Sam, to find a way to prevent Dean's impending demise and descent to hell; Dean, to make sure that Sam is not recruited by the other side.

The bond between the brothers and their relationship with their father was strong, loving, and troubled. The brothers had a motherless childhood spent wandering from place to place, while being trained by their obsessed father, John, to be soldiers in his vendetta against the supernatural. Even with this unconventional upbringing and their decidedly non-demonstrative nature, this family is closer than most. Sam and Dean’s devotion to each other shines through in every one of their adventures together.

Dean, the older brother, is a fearless warrior with such selflessness in combat that he can only be described as heroic. He is passionate about his family, his car and his music, in that order (one of the perks of the show is the rock music that Dean listens to while driving). Dean is fiercely protective of his younger brother and was a dedicated and loyal son. He is also a liar, a gambler, and an unrepentant crook. He is adept at using his charm and good looks to elicit cooperation from pretty women.

Sam, younger by 4 years, is more conscientious, more overtly emotional, and a lot more serious than his wisecracking sibling. He is also smart, bookish, and a talented lock picker. Though he loves and admires his older brother, he is frequently exasperated by him. Initially Sam, or “Sammy” as Dean affectionately calls him, was a reluctant participant in his family's unusual lifestyle. He became an enthusiastic hunter after his father's unexpected death (In My Time of Dying). Sam's relationship with his father had been a fractious one. His desire for a normal life was the source of frequent arguments. This culminated in a rift in the family that lasted for 4 years while he was away attending Stanford University on a full scholarship. That is, until the demon touched his life again (Pilot).

Two years ago when Sam turned 22, he developed psychic abilities which is linked to his first encounter with the demon, Azazel, as an infant. Sam’s mother's death in a supernatural manner 24 years earlier, his girlfriend's death in the same way while he was in college (Pilot), and later, his father's death are all the villainy of this ancient and powerful demon, identifiable by it's yellow colored eyes. Sam has since learned that he is unwittingly responsible for the demon targeting the Winchester family in the first place, though his mother may have played some part in this as well (All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1).

In an epic battle of good versus evil, the Winchesters aborted an invasion from hell, though hundreds of demons got loose into the world before it was stopped (All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2). Dean successfully killed their nemesis, Azazel, the yellow-eyed demon, in this confrontation, but not before both brothers paid extreme costs. Sam was actually killed and a grief stricken Dean sold his soul in order to bring him back. He was given a one year reprieve before having to pay that debt with his life.

With a whole army of new evil creatures to fight, the brothers continue on with their struggle against the supernatural. They make new allies, face enemies old and new, and get some assistance from an unexpected source: a “different” kind of demon, named Ruby (The Magnificent Seven). All the while, Dean's final year of life ticks slowly away.

Credits

Created By: Eric Kripke
Starring: Jared Padalecki as Sam.  Jensen Ackles as Dean

Episode Guides

Season 1
Season 2
Season 3

Links

The CW official "About the Show" information.
IMDb.com Show Information.
TV.com Show Information.

This article was written on 12/6/06 and updated on 03/10/08 by Hellioness.