Would you believe that there are actually those who skipped Seasons 1 - 3 of Supernatural? Makes sense, seeing as how there are fans who advise newcomers to just start in with Season 4 and ignore everything before that. I can't believe I'm actually having to talk about this, but here I go:
DON'T SKIP TO SEASON 4! JUST DON'T!
Why would you EVER tell a new fan to skip ahead? Is it because you don't like John? Is it because you only like Castiel? Is it that you prefer the brothers fighting and putting each other down and suffering constantly? Is it? If so...fine. You're entitled to your own way to watch Supernatural and you're entitled to your favorite character. But, for the love of all things holy, please don't ruin the experience for new viewers? They need to see the early seasons to understand what is going on and to get why people are acting the way they are acting.
1: Foreshadowing
2: The prank wars
Ah yes. God forbid that Sam and Dean actually act like brothers, rather than the utterly broken liars that they are. (Note the sarcasm...I'm still bitter over the Gadreel fiasco.) Probably the most famous prank war happens in Season 1's Hell House...highlights include Dean threatening Sam's hair and Sam gluing Dean's hand to a beer bottle...but all throughout the seasons there are lovely little touches. Usually of Dean deliberately messing with and annoying Sam, but certainly Sam gives as good as he gets. Tall Tales is another one of the utterly glorious episodes where Sam and Dean are bickering and getting on each other's nerves in that special way only siblings can.
3: John Winchester
I seem to be oddly alone in loving this most controversial member of the Winchester family. But, whatever you think of him, if you want the full picture of the complex, frustrating man that was Sam and Dean's father then you really need to watch the early seasons. I feel like a lot of people who hate John skipped to Season 4 and are just going on gifs and heresay about his character. I'm not trying to make him out to be any kind of saint...but I don't think that you can judge him without watching his full story. Besides, if nothing else, you should watch it for the chance to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan kick some serious vampire butt with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles at his side.
4: The Trickster
Back before we were all getting emotional over archangels and Grey's Anatomy parodies, there was this little character known simply as The Trickster. He was mysterious, powerful, and had a very twisted sense of humor. He was implied to be a demigod of some kind and was known for killing Dean 200+ times on a Tuesday and for making some poor frat boy slow dance with an alien. Really you don't want to miss out on the early episodes of Loki. You just don't. They're some of the best comedy this show has ever produced and Mystery Spot at least is a fine little character study for Sam.
5: Ghostfacers
These are the characters who have outlived EVERYBODY ELSE ON THIS SHOW! And how can you possibly call yourself a fan of the show if you haven't paid your respects to the characters who managed such a feat? (And, no, #THINMAN doesn't count.) The Ghostfacers belong solely to pre-Series 4 Supernatural and to a web series that ran as a companion from their titular Season 3 episode. Seriously. These geeks are some of the best characters ever to come out of this show if for no other reason than the fact that they represent what we would probably look like if we were dropped into the Winchesters' world.
6: Dr. Ash Badass
Sometimes I really miss Harvelle's Roadhouse and the colorful array of characters that paraded through its front door and slept on its pool table. The latter, of course, is a reference to the mullet-wearing MIT drop-out who works as Sam and Dean's hacker for a while. And what else is there to say about him? Ash is just a cool, fun character who - sadly - is only seen in Season 2...except for one short cameo in Dark Side of the Moon which, if you haven't seen the earlier seasons, must leave you utterly bewildered and confused.
8: Lisa and Ben
How can you hate this mother-son duo? They're ADORABLE! Even if you don't believe that Ben is Dean's kid, you have to admit that he was pretty freaking cute. Okay. So I know a lot of people didn't like Lisa. Good grief! If you go on YouTube and do a search for any clips involving the time Dean spent with them you'd better make sure that little eyes aren't reading over your shoulders, because the language can get pretty offensive. Personally I didn't understand the high amount of vitriol and disgust that she seemed to evoke...until I realized that many people have not seen Seasons 2 and 3 where the Braedons are introduced and where we begin to see Dean subconsciously dreaming of maybe one day having a family with them. If you just start with Season 4, then Lisa literally comes out of nowhere. You won't understand the history and, as a result, you will not have a complete picture to base your judgement off of.
9: Things were simpler back then
Not that the show was lacking complexity by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly there was a lack of fatalism. There were no angels mucking stuff up, there was no Apocalypse, Sam and Dean weren't pathologically lying to each other, and the Winchesters were still only concerned with their family problems. It was nice. We got to see them take down some serious monsters as a team and the way that the brothers practically operated on the same wavelength. Seasons 2 and 3 also contain some of the best episodes that this show has ever produced, simple on the surface but full of complexities and great storytelling underneath it all.
10: Victor Henriksen
You need to watch the episodes with this man in it, d'you understand me? You NEED to watch them! Not only do they chronicle the saga of Winchesters: America's Most Wanted, but Victor is just a great character who is a lot of fun to either love or hate. Either way you end up feeling about him, it won't be a loss. He's a smart, tough, dedicated FBI agent who picks up on the curious case of the Winchesters and makes it his mission in life to figure them out and bring them to justice. The interactions between him and Dean are simply priceless.
11: Playthings
This is one of those 'can't miss' episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 that I mentioned earlier. Basically it's Sam and Dean going to hunt an old, creepy haunted hotel with a weird dollhouse inside and two little girls that evoke The Shining imagery. Oh yeah and we the boys playing with dolls, Sam diving into a pool from a balcony, and one of the strangest and sweetest grandmothers ever depicted on this show. I won't say anything more because I don't want to spoil it for you, but there's some really great writing in this episode that builds up to a rather surprising twist ending.
12: A Very Supernatural Christmas
.gif)
This is, to date, the only Christmas special that this show has ever done and good LORD is is awesome! It has everything you could possibly wish for. There's killer Santas, dark comedy, and even a bit of tear-jerking cuteness as we get a peek into Sam and Dean's childhood. We learn the significance of Dean's amulet and Dean is forced to replace all of his swear words with 'fudge'. Oh...and we also get to see the boys singing Christmas carols. How could you turn that down? No. Seriously. How? If you haven't seen this, I'm just sorry.
13: Sarah Blake
Yes SPN needs more female characters. I agree with that. We especially need more female characters like the practical but understated Sarah Blake from Season 1's Provenance. This particular love interest of Sam's is often forgotten (probably because he didn't actually sleep with her...or because she was only in one episode) but if you neglect to see her episode, then you're really missing out on a lot. For starters, we see Dean go into full-on awkward-big-brother-councilor mode in his efforts to find Sam a little bit of happiness. Secondly, Sarah is just a great character! She and Sam were really cute together and she managed to be capable without being over-the-top tough or unbelievably careless. I wish she had stuck around a bit, I really do.
14: PA!Dean
I could watch Dean eating mini Philly cheese steaks all day. Hollywood Babylon is a gem of an episode because, not only is it SPN successfully parodying itself, but it takes jabs at the CW network (with some well-placed quotes) and at the system of Hollywood in general. And Dean gets to be a personal assistant to one of the studio bigwigs, pigging out on the free food and seducing the lead actresses as he goes along with Sam watching in utter bemusement from the sidelines. He is in his element!
15: Azazel/The YED
Did you know that the whole reason Sam and Dean were raised as hunters in the first place exists almost solely in the first two seasons? Azazel, more commonly known as The Yellow-Eyed Demon, is the baddie who kick-starts the whole tragic story of the Winchesters whenever he visits Sam's nursery and kills Mary, giving John his drive to seek revenge and basically being the catalyst for why things are the way they are in our two main character's lives. Yeah. I'd say that he's a pretty important piece of the puzzle! He's the reason Sam has psychic powers. He's the reason Mary is dead. He's the reason John got into hunting. He's the reason this 'Jessica' chick keeps being mentioned (she was Sam's girlfriend who was murdered, btw). And, yes, he is VERY important! GO WATCH HIS SEASONS!
16: Linda Blair as a detective
I have a confession to make: I have never seen The Exorcist. Nope. Not once. Not even once. And I'm not planning to either...it's really not my kind of movie. That being said, you CAN'T deny that Linda Blair is a pretty freaking awesome actress. And, what do you know, Supernatural was lucky enough to get her to cameo in one of their episodes (Season 2's The Usual Suspects) where she plays a no-nonsense Baltimore cop who gets caught up in the insane world of Sam and Dean Winchester. Her episode is just great - pea soup jokes and all - and she really worked well, her character meshing beautifully with the boys. She's just honestly a joy to watch and feels like a real character with a real story to tell, for all that she's only ever in one episode. And her story is quite good too. Again, not going to spoil it, but it's definitely worth a watch.
17: Killer clowns
Oh poor Sam...yes, the boys fight off a literal killer clown. At a carnival. In a funhouse. And it is the best thing EVER! The episode Everybody Loves A Clown is important for three reasons. (1) it involves the first real conversation that Sam and Dean have after their father's death. (2) it contains Dean driving a minivan and lip syncing to a cheesy Air Supply song. (3) it involves a KILLER CLOWN. How can you not fall in love with that? I'm not a fan of clowns myself, but I really enjoyed this story. It's got some great characters and an excellent twist that I'm not going to touch so I don't spoil it.
18: Nightshifter
This may just be my favorite Supernatural episode EVER. Sam and Dean being awesome? Check. Complex story with surprising twists and turns? Check. Agent Victor Henriksen being his wonderful self? Check. A cool monster? Check. It just has EVERYTHING and showcases both of the boys' skills (both supernatural-world and natural-world) along with a game of monstrous round-robin that leaves everyone guessing. There's great side-characters, a compelling case, and one of the BEST music moments that you will EVER see on this show. I get CHILLS!
19: Weechesters
Pretty much any episode bringing out the younger versions of Sam and Dean will push my 'squee' button and instantly make me fall in love with it. But did you know that if you skip over the first three seasons of this show you miss several opportunities to travel back in time with these kids and watch the two heroes of the show grow up? That would just be a shame. So just don't.
20: Blond!Meg & Sam!Meg
Yes. Long before Meg was playing with Hellhounds and flirting with angels she was the nemesis of Sam and Dean. Called the 'Daughter of Azazel' (we're never told if she's his literal daughter or if that was just a lie to mess with the Winchesters), Meg is a thorn in the boys' sides for several years. She is indirectly responsible for the death of their father, personally killed many of their allies, and possessed Sam on one memorable occasion. If nothing else you should make sure to watch her early years for the chance to see Jared Padalecki play her. No. Seriously. Every actress (or, in that case, actor) to play Meg has utterly convinced me that they are possessed by the same person. It's a little bit cool and a lot terrifying and you're really missing out on something big if you don't get to see Meg: The Early Years.
I seem to be oddly alone in loving this most controversial member of the Winchester family. But, whatever you think of him, if you want the full picture of the complex, frustrating man that was Sam and Dean's father then you really need to watch the early seasons. I feel like a lot of people who hate John skipped to Season 4 and are just going on gifs and heresay about his character. I'm not trying to make him out to be any kind of saint...but I don't think that you can judge him without watching his full story. Besides, if nothing else, you should watch it for the chance to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan kick some serious vampire butt with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles at his side.4: The Trickster
Back before we were all getting emotional over archangels and Grey's Anatomy parodies, there was this little character known simply as The Trickster. He was mysterious, powerful, and had a very twisted sense of humor. He was implied to be a demigod of some kind and was known for killing Dean 200+ times on a Tuesday and for making some poor frat boy slow dance with an alien. Really you don't want to miss out on the early episodes of Loki. You just don't. They're some of the best comedy this show has ever produced and Mystery Spot at least is a fine little character study for Sam.5: Ghostfacers
These are the characters who have outlived EVERYBODY ELSE ON THIS SHOW! And how can you possibly call yourself a fan of the show if you haven't paid your respects to the characters who managed such a feat? (And, no, #THINMAN doesn't count.) The Ghostfacers belong solely to pre-Series 4 Supernatural and to a web series that ran as a companion from their titular Season 3 episode. Seriously. These geeks are some of the best characters ever to come out of this show if for no other reason than the fact that they represent what we would probably look like if we were dropped into the Winchesters' world.6: Dr. Ash Badass
Sometimes I really miss Harvelle's Roadhouse and the colorful array of characters that paraded through its front door and slept on its pool table. The latter, of course, is a reference to the mullet-wearing MIT drop-out who works as Sam and Dean's hacker for a while. And what else is there to say about him? Ash is just a cool, fun character who - sadly - is only seen in Season 2...except for one short cameo in Dark Side of the Moon which, if you haven't seen the earlier seasons, must leave you utterly bewildered and confused.8: Lisa and Ben
How can you hate this mother-son duo? They're ADORABLE! Even if you don't believe that Ben is Dean's kid, you have to admit that he was pretty freaking cute. Okay. So I know a lot of people didn't like Lisa. Good grief! If you go on YouTube and do a search for any clips involving the time Dean spent with them you'd better make sure that little eyes aren't reading over your shoulders, because the language can get pretty offensive. Personally I didn't understand the high amount of vitriol and disgust that she seemed to evoke...until I realized that many people have not seen Seasons 2 and 3 where the Braedons are introduced and where we begin to see Dean subconsciously dreaming of maybe one day having a family with them. If you just start with Season 4, then Lisa literally comes out of nowhere. You won't understand the history and, as a result, you will not have a complete picture to base your judgement off of.9: Things were simpler back then
Not that the show was lacking complexity by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly there was a lack of fatalism. There were no angels mucking stuff up, there was no Apocalypse, Sam and Dean weren't pathologically lying to each other, and the Winchesters were still only concerned with their family problems. It was nice. We got to see them take down some serious monsters as a team and the way that the brothers practically operated on the same wavelength. Seasons 2 and 3 also contain some of the best episodes that this show has ever produced, simple on the surface but full of complexities and great storytelling underneath it all.10: Victor Henriksen
11: Playthings
12: A Very Supernatural Christmas
.gif)
This is, to date, the only Christmas special that this show has ever done and good LORD is is awesome! It has everything you could possibly wish for. There's killer Santas, dark comedy, and even a bit of tear-jerking cuteness as we get a peek into Sam and Dean's childhood. We learn the significance of Dean's amulet and Dean is forced to replace all of his swear words with 'fudge'. Oh...and we also get to see the boys singing Christmas carols. How could you turn that down? No. Seriously. How? If you haven't seen this, I'm just sorry. 13: Sarah Blake
14: PA!Dean
I could watch Dean eating mini Philly cheese steaks all day. Hollywood Babylon is a gem of an episode because, not only is it SPN successfully parodying itself, but it takes jabs at the CW network (with some well-placed quotes) and at the system of Hollywood in general. And Dean gets to be a personal assistant to one of the studio bigwigs, pigging out on the free food and seducing the lead actresses as he goes along with Sam watching in utter bemusement from the sidelines. He is in his element!15: Azazel/The YED
16: Linda Blair as a detective
I have a confession to make: I have never seen The Exorcist. Nope. Not once. Not even once. And I'm not planning to either...it's really not my kind of movie. That being said, you CAN'T deny that Linda Blair is a pretty freaking awesome actress. And, what do you know, Supernatural was lucky enough to get her to cameo in one of their episodes (Season 2's The Usual Suspects) where she plays a no-nonsense Baltimore cop who gets caught up in the insane world of Sam and Dean Winchester. Her episode is just great - pea soup jokes and all - and she really worked well, her character meshing beautifully with the boys. She's just honestly a joy to watch and feels like a real character with a real story to tell, for all that she's only ever in one episode. And her story is quite good too. Again, not going to spoil it, but it's definitely worth a watch.
Oh poor Sam...yes, the boys fight off a literal killer clown. At a carnival. In a funhouse. And it is the best thing EVER! The episode Everybody Loves A Clown is important for three reasons. (1) it involves the first real conversation that Sam and Dean have after their father's death. (2) it contains Dean driving a minivan and lip syncing to a cheesy Air Supply song. (3) it involves a KILLER CLOWN. How can you not fall in love with that? I'm not a fan of clowns myself, but I really enjoyed this story. It's got some great characters and an excellent twist that I'm not going to touch so I don't spoil it.18: Nightshifter
This may just be my favorite Supernatural episode EVER. Sam and Dean being awesome? Check. Complex story with surprising twists and turns? Check. Agent Victor Henriksen being his wonderful self? Check. A cool monster? Check. It just has EVERYTHING and showcases both of the boys' skills (both supernatural-world and natural-world) along with a game of monstrous round-robin that leaves everyone guessing. There's great side-characters, a compelling case, and one of the BEST music moments that you will EVER see on this show. I get CHILLS!19: Weechesters
Pretty much any episode bringing out the younger versions of Sam and Dean will push my 'squee' button and instantly make me fall in love with it. But did you know that if you skip over the first three seasons of this show you miss several opportunities to travel back in time with these kids and watch the two heroes of the show grow up? That would just be a shame. So just don't.20: Blond!Meg & Sam!Meg
Yes. Long before Meg was playing with Hellhounds and flirting with angels she was the nemesis of Sam and Dean. Called the 'Daughter of Azazel' (we're never told if she's his literal daughter or if that was just a lie to mess with the Winchesters), Meg is a thorn in the boys' sides for several years. She is indirectly responsible for the death of their father, personally killed many of their allies, and possessed Sam on one memorable occasion. If nothing else you should make sure to watch her early years for the chance to see Jared Padalecki play her. No. Seriously. Every actress (or, in that case, actor) to play Meg has utterly convinced me that they are possessed by the same person. It's a little bit cool and a lot terrifying and you're really missing out on something big if you don't get to see Meg: The Early Years.
No comments:
Post a Comment