This humorous episode takes a neat narrative structure as Sam and Dean both retell a story to Bobby, but share the story in vastly different ways, dramatizing and changing the finer details of what really happened. “Tall Tales” really lets us see how the petty side of the Winchesters. The episode foreshadows later episodes when Dean tells Sam to never go missing again, but with a show like Supernatural, things are not in the character’s favor.- CD The CW 47. This is something that happens over and over again in Supernatural, but this is the first time Sam’s actually been kidnapped, and Dean has to come to the rescue. It hits common themes-Dean’s still saving his little brother from his impending doom, the brothers still get themselves in trouble, and then break some laws getting out of it. “The Benders” served as a way to say that sometimes humans can be the worst monsters. “The Benders” (1×15)įor a show about the supernatural, “The Benders” was the first episode to upend our expectations and make the monster-of-the-week just a family of psychotic humans. The pilot introduces the show well as we get an idea of who Sam and Dean Winchester are, leaving the possibilities of what this show could become wide open.- Chelsie Derman 48. But we also see them pick locks and make smooth escapes, highlighting their hunting skills and the non-conventional type of childhood they had. While two brothers hunt anything that goes bump in the night, they begin their long search for their father with the infamous line, “Dad went on a hunting trip, and he hasn’t been home in a few days.” We get to know the brother’s feelings about hunting and the dynamic between the two, while they also run into their first problems with law enforcement, a common theme that will follow them for a while. The pilot sets up Supernatural in a simplistic way. However, seeing Mary and John embrace on screen for the first time is well worth the convoluted explanation for how John appears in Season 14.- Katey Stoetzel 49. The episode’s ambition (bringing in elements of a time paradox) is notable, but clumsy in the attempt. It also shows how much Sam and Dean don’t necessarily need their father anymore they’ve come a long way without him, and they still came out the other side. Despite the many times each brother has tried to quit the hunting life, here they’re able to claim it as their calling, content in where they are in life. Having a pre-show era John appear in the Season 14 timeline allows for that kind of reflection, and gives the brothers a chance at closure with their father. The episode marks 300 for Supernatural such a milestone gives the show a chance to reflect on how far the brothers have come since Season 1. “Lebanon” finally sees the return of John Winchester and Jeffery Dean Morgan.
On this one year anniversary of the show officially ending, we take a look back at the quintessential (at this moment) list of the top 51 episodes (and no, “Lebanon’s” number is not a typo-you’ll understand as you move down the list). A lot the episodes that made this list mark drastic turns for the show, as Supernatural took necessary pivots in order to stay on air during its long run.Īnd though there are not many episodes on this list from Seasons 13, 14, or 15, the ones that do make it still proved that the fabric of the show lasted all the way until the end.
These episodes represent the best of how TV can move you, surprise you, and challenge your expectations at every turn. From it’s comedic misadventures, it’s absolutely tragic moments, and to it’s frequent journeys into the absurd and meta, Supernatural‘s ability to keep things fresh even in the later seasons is quite a feat. They’re quality is pretty much equal, and showcases a wide-range of why Supernatural even lasted for a ridiculous number of episodes. I guess that just means these 51 episodes are really good, right? Here’s something important to know-a lot of these episodes could switch places with each other and it wouldn’t matter. Episodes like “Into the Mystic,” “Born Under a Bad Sign,” or “Hell’s Angel.” In the couple of weeks it took to come up with this list, right up until the very early hours of today, I kept remembering really good episodes that probably deserve to be somewhere in the middle of this list. Not counting these 51, there’s still 276 left on the table.