You know, I've watched Supernatural ever since it first aired in 2005. On a Sunday night, when I was very young - 11 years old. I was an 11-year-old boy, still in primary school, hadn't hit puberty probably!
I remember the first season was very creepy. It displayed much darker tone and was very folk-lore based. Local legends, curses and the sort. I still remember my sister and I compared it to Charmed. The former was about 3 sisters who are witches; the latter on two brothers who are mortal but up against supernatural enemies. The former had The Book of Shadows, the latter had their father's diary that functions similarly. The former had an ultimate evil - The Source; the latter had also an ultimate evil - Yellow-eyed demon.
Boy, what a ride it has been since the first season. I remember I was so hooked on, I even looked for it in the market!
Then, there came many more seasons, with season 5 being the peak. Castiel came into the picture in season 4, and admittedly the show was never the same then - it became more epic, more adventurous and to be very honest, much more interesting. I remember watching Lucifer rising at the end of season 4, and couldn't wait to watch season 5. That was in 2010! 10 freaking years ago! Can you imagine that? There was no internet yet in my house in 2010!
I remember season 5 was full of adrenaline - the entire season was just mind-blowing. After the season ended, admittedly I didn't feel like continuing watching anymore. When the main story arc completes, what follows usually sound hollow as they often would feel...stretched. My sister stopped watching after season 5. I went for a pause momentarily, but after my SPM I resumed watching - beginning from season 6.
Season 6 was....boring, admittedly. I couldn't remember much from season 6, except I know I hate it when Castiel became the antagonist. It just sounded stupid and like I said, stretched.
Oddly, I found season 7 interesting. The popular opinion was that season 7 was a poorly produced season with filler episodes. I didn't remember it so, maybe because I watched it after my SPM and was on a long break? There wasn't a lot of Castiel in this season, sadly.
Then there came season 8. My god, I remembered season 8 as interesting but I couldn't recall much, probably because it had been 7 years ago. It had got to mean only one thing: it was interesting but not memorable - so, just decent. Tablets, prophets, not so much of my liking. But as a Supernatural fan, I finished it. I didn't like the ending. Angels and their civil wars, don't sound great to me.
I remember season 9 as ridiculous. Angel residing in Sam without his knowledge. Wizard of Oz? Dean talking to dog? Geez. Same as season 10, I just couldn't remember much, except the ending - my god. When I read online that Dean killed Death, I just had to watch on YouTube the clips. This is on 2015 - when I was in university, second year. I remembered watching Dean unleashed the Darkness, and the wave of black smoke engulfing the Impala. That was an epic ending - and something primordial, evil finally was released. I remember that was the time I was thinking: the old-style Supernatural is back! That's enough crap of angel civil wars. Civil wars are boring.
So I waited, and waited, and season 11 went to air. I think we all could agree, season 11 was the season Supernatural came back on its feet. Amara was the evil enemy we have all wanted to see in Supernatural. Like I said, civil wars are stupid, boring - we needed new enemies, something that sends shivers down to the spine just by thinking about it, not some stupid brotherly fight or hatred between heaven and hell. Amara was interesting, I like her. And till today, season 11 was an all time favourite.
Season 12 got a bit bad I guess. London's Chapter Men of Letters? I never really like the concept of Men of Letters but I would agree the bunker was a great introduction to the Winchesters. Lucifer knocking up a lady? A son? I was thinking, geez, season 12 was also full of crap. Parallel universe? Again, I was in university, third year. My excitement faded rather quickly. At that moment, Jack wasn't something I conceived as a favourable character. Then I realised Jack would be a main character, a sharp change in Supernatural - for so many years, its main casts have always been the brothers and Castiel.
But boy, season 13 proved me wrong. I liked Jack! Alexander Calvert really proved to be a great actor in portraying a newly born boy in a supposedly 13-year-old boy. His innocence, naivety, and childish acts really bring out the fatherly figure in Dean, Sam and Castiel. Supernatural has changed - after 13 years, the brothers have got a son!
To be very honest, I've not completely finished season 14 and season 15. But knowing a show I grew up watching has ended, it hurts a lot. I started watching this show as a 11-year-old boy, now I'm a 26-year-old working adult. For 15 years, this show has been an intricate part of me - it's my source of entertainment. Because of Supernatural, I guess it's why I'm so into thriller and mystery genres. Some episodes bring me back to the days I watched them - they could bring out memories I forgot exist. I watched the two brothers fighting over their father, John, to fighting over becoming a father to Jack. It's just - for 15 years, it's a lot of memories, a lot of feelings.
I've never done anything so long - 15 years I've watched this show. It has ended. A part of me felt....hollow. Empty.
15 years of memory compressed into a two-minute montage, the emotion was overpowering and overwhelming. The show did justice to Dean and Sam, but it would have been great if Castiel and Jack were featured as well. They were a part of the family too, Castiel's last moment was a bad one. Jack was raised by the Winchesters but though he has a great ending, the producers could have featured him for a few minutes in the finale. Why can't just show the four of them reunited in Heaven?
I miss Supernatural. I'll forever remember this show. No other show could possibly have replaced its position in my heart. Many shows have lasted as long, or probably longer, but none of them is anything like Supernatural. Supernatural is about family - the brothers, the Winchesters and Castiel and Jack. For 15 years the story has consistently centred around them. Other shows have characters that come and go. Supernatural has the same one throughout, with only minor characters come and go but those are not the central core. It's why it's different. Even though it is fictitious, Supernatural's bond is authentic, and I'll forever Supernatural as a show I grew up watching, indulging and shaping me to who I am today.
Thank you, Supernatural. From one of your greatest fan, in Singapore currently.
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