When aSupernaturalspinoff was announced shortly after the iconic show’s ending, many were excited to revisit the monster-hunting universe withThe Winchesters. The CW spinoff aimed toresolve some of the Winchester mysteries presented inSupernatural, especially expanding on Mary Winchester’s past life as a hunter in the 1970s, with a revitalized formula and a brand-new cast. Following their meeting,The Winchestersfollowed John Winchester and Mary Cambell’s journey as they tried to find their missing fathers alongside their friends, Carlos, Ada, and Latika, meeting interesting beings along the way – including the universe-destroying Akrida and some other familiar faces.
TheSupernaturalmultiversehad been previously established during the 15 seasons the show aired, with Sam and Dean visiting many alternate worlds, especially in the later seasons. Therefore, aSupernaturalTV show spinoffbased on the Winchester family in an alternate universe appealed to many wanting to discover unseen lore about the family history of Sam and Dean Winchester. However,The Winchesterswas unfortunately canceled after just one season, marking the end ofSupernaturalfor good. There were several reasons cited for the cancelation, including viewership, yet, interestingly, John Winchester’s inclusion may have been the main problem forSupernaturalfans.
The Winchesters Didn’t Understand That Most Supernatural Fans Don’t Like John As A Character
John Winchester Was Not A Good Father Figure & Lacked Screentime For Redemption
TheSupernaturalspin-offThe Winchesterswas canceledfor several reasons. The CW was undergoing substantial changes in leadership, the show failed to find another network amid tumultuous times with Hollywood strikes, and it was released too soon after the success ofSupernatural.The spinoff had a disappointing 48% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes,demonstrating a clear division among fans. One of the main reasons for this mixed reception could be the show’s focus on John Winchester, as the character has been a heated topic in theSupernaturalfandom for years, with many disliking him.
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From the start,Supernaturalpainted a disappointing reality regarding John Winchester’s parenting. Since Mary’s death, John obsessively hunted the demon that killed her, going to extreme lengths to gain revenge, leaving an underaged Sam and Dean in motels for long periods, raising them with military discipline into a solitary, dangerous life of credit card scams and other criminal activities. Moreover, John barely featured inSupernatural, leaving viewers with only his legacy of trauma, making him an unlikable character. Therefore, theSupernaturalprequel’s decision to focus on John Winchester’s story may have doomed the show as many weren’t interested.
Mary Winchester Wasn’t Enough To Balance Out How Much Fans Didn’t Care About John
John Winchester wasn’t the only character focus inThe Winchesters, however, as Mary Campbell was the other half of the equation. As the most important characters at the head ofSupernatural’sWinchester family tree, a series exploring their early relationship and involvement with hunting may have made for an interesting story if it hadn’t already been explored.Mary’s history as a hunter had already been covered inSupernaturalwhen Dean traveled back to the past in season 4, episode 3, “The Beginning”and when Sam and Dean go back again in season 5, episode 13, “The Song Remains the Same.”
With her character being at the forefront of two major storylines, a prequel series about Mary was somewhat pointless as her story was fully fleshed out inSupernatural
Mary Winchester’s story was not exciting enough to entice audiences, especially as her resurrection inSupernaturalseason 12 meant viewers were already subject to seeing her hunt at length in the later seasons.Mary Winchester’s death inSupernaturalwas a pivotal moment due to her storyline with Azazel, and her resurrection was tied to Amara in the later seasons. With her character being at the forefront of two major storylines, a prequel series about Mary was somewhat pointless as her story was fully fleshed out inSupernatural, therefore, Mary’s involvement wasn’t enough to balance fans’ dislike of John Winchester.
There Were Far Better Characters For A Supernatural Spinoff To Focus On
There have been many discussions aboutSupernaturalspinoff project ideasas the fandom is still active years later, butThe Winchestersjustdidn’t focus on the right characters. In previous years, fans have shown enthusiasm towards a possible “Wayward Sisters”spinoff, which would focus on the female-led hunter “found family” of Jody Mills, Donna Hanscum, Claire Novak, Alex Jones, Patience Turner, and Kaia Nieves.Supernaturalseason 13, episode 10, “Wayward Sisters” was a highly rated backdoor pilot, but The CW’s chief Mark Pedowitz rejected the spinoff proposal, citing an apparent lack of creative depth (viaDeadline).
“We had really great material this year. We’re really excited about the five series we did pick up. We are big fans of the characters and the women who played the characters in the series, but we did not feel creatively the show is where we wanted it to be. We felt we had a better shot withLegacies.” – Mark Pedowitz onWayward Sisters’rejection
Although some fans were interested inThe Winchestersdue to its modern take and introduction of the Akrida, a creature previously seen in theSupernaturaluniverse, it was not enough to save the show. Ultimately, there were plenty of characters who would have been better suited for a spin-off, instead of a show focusing on John and Mary, but they weren’t pursued. Whether otherSupernaturalspin-off shows will be considered in the future remains to be seen, but hopefully, they will avoidThe Winchesters’mistakes.
The Winchesters
Cast
The Winchesters is a prequel series to Supernatural created by Eric Kripke. It follows monster hunters John Winchester (Drake Rodger) and Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) as they search for their missing parents in the years before the birth of their sons Sam and Dean. The Winchesters is narrated by Jensen Ackles, who serves as the show’s executive producer, and also stars Tom Welling as Samuel Campbell.
