Return To The Past: Speculation for Supernatural Season Six and Season Seven?
Supernatural‘s Return to The Past
Long before Supernatural was renewed for a season 6, there was speculation about how a season six would work after the apocalypse. How can you top that? After the announcement that season six would return to the basic format of season one, more questions were raised of how the integration of the brother’s more developed characters would mesh with the season one format. And of course, how would the series continue without Eric Kripke?
No one knows what the writers will have in store for us, but the series renewal opens up a whole host of questions as to how and why this plan was chosen and how it will affect the continuation of the series. First let me say this article is all speculation on my part. Speculation is fun, and can lead to interesting discussions, as I hope this one does. If you enjoy it, great, I had fun writing it, as I love theorizing about my favorite show. It you have a different POV or idea, please share, as whatever course season six takes, theoretical or otherwise, it will not be view the same by everyone. So, first let’s discuss the” How will that work?” questions, and then speculate on the “Why return to a season one format?” and the continuation of the series.
Every since fall of last year, people were speculating on where season 6 would go if it became a reality. In my first ever article for this site, Supernatural Season Six: A Few Ideas, I discussed different directions the series could go, and that none would spell the end of the show. There will always be good and evil and plenty of material for future MOTW episodes, or new story arcs, as Kripke and Gamble have stated more than once. Basically Supernatural can go in any direction it wants. That for me is a given.
As far as showrunner status, it has been stated a number of places now, on this site and others, that a change in showrunner does not spell the end of a series, Buffy, The Vampire Slayer and X-Files being the examples most often given. Eric Kripke and Robert Singer will not be involved in the shows day-today operations, but will stay involved with the series as executive producers. Eric Kripke is the genius creator of the series and has seen it through five seasons. He has combined funny, smart and challenging storylines, with great characterizations, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and scariness that I love to believe is out there. That will not cease with Sara Gamble. She has been with the show since the first season, and is dedicated to continuing the caliber of episodes the fans are used too. That for me is another given.
So what do I think Supernatural will be like in season 6? My expectation is that, following the season one concepts, it will be about the brothers saving loved ones, fighting beasties, interacting with victims, hunting things-that-go-bump-in the night, and the family business. It means the episodes will be BROTHERS vs. evil, not BROTHER vs. BROTHER. And demons and angels will still be around…..they aren’t going to disappear, because the apocalypse was thwarted. However, I do not expect to see Sam choking Dean, or Dean calling his brother a freak. As in season one, I believe we will see the brothers with more stable personalities, matured, experienced, but not on the edge of a nervous breakdown. I hope we see more of their bitch/jerk routine, Dean calling for ‘do over’s’, bitch faces from Sam, pudding dances from Dean, and both brothers feeling comfortable enough with each other to go back to teasing and playing pranks, a.k.a. Hell House. (would love to see the phone picture Dean took of Sam with the spoon in his mouth!).
While season one was a growing season for the series, with the introduction of the boys and the development of their characters, it was also a season of deep insight into their devotion for family and humanity as a whole. That doesn’t mean you can’t have heart-throbbing situations, Faith and Heart are two examples that immediately come to mind. The brothers even split in Scarecrow. In fact, a lot that has been seen in season five was first covered in season one. For me, it was one of Supernatural‘s best seasons, and I’ve heard others say the same.
I also feel the show will be smoother and less conflicting. They have done more MOTW episodes this season, as Kripke stated they would, which has the BROTHERS vs. monster theme, but the myth arc goes back to BROTHER vs. BROTHER which requires Sam and Dean’s character and their interactions to change from episode to episode. That just gives the season a ‘choppy’ feeling to me, and maybe some of you feel the same. In The End, Sam and Dean are back together acknowledging that each keeps the other human. The next episode, Fallen Idol; they are completely out of character and at odds with each other again. Hence the shift in personalities from myth arc episode to MOTW. Maybe the episodes would have been flowed better if they had aired Fallen Idol first.
For me, it doesn’t give a consistence that I’ve seen in earlier seasons, a smooth flow from episode to episode. Also some episodes have appeared rushed like Abandon All Hope. I would have loved to see a whole episode on the colt and Crowley’s mistrust of Satan. It just felt like there was a whole lot to Crowley story that we were missing. Also so much these last two seasons have been done off camera with important information, that I would have liked air on screen… More than once, I have felt I missed an important element of the story only to discover it alluded to in a subsequent episode as having taken place off screen. The most notable being the concept of Sam knowing Dean broke the first seal.
With the ending of the myth arc, I expect we will see a much greater consistency to the character’s personalities and to the flow of episodes. The slow progression to the apocalypse creates this back and forth bouncing of personalities and episodes that to me is confusing.
Are Sam and Dean the same is in season one? Of course not! The boys have been to hell and back (literally for Dean), and they have dealt with, and/or experienced firsthand, every dark side of human emotion that exists, from alcoholic and suicidal tendencies, torture and sadism, to dependency (not co-dependency!), addiction and depression. They have grown a lot and are better and stronger for it. Dean has learned that while it’s not wrong to love your father, blindly following orders is not the answer either. And Sam has learned that the rebellion he felt against his father and brother was misdirected. Now he realizes everyone was doing the best they could under the circumstances they found themselves in (The Song Remains The Same).
And while the trials and tribulations they have experienced will not be gone (and here I agree with Bardic’s Decent, it would be a real cheat to the fans to have the last two years of the boys lives wiped out by some cosmic reset button!), they will have developed the ability to cope with them, and the willingness to move on with their lives. They will be much more attuned to themselves and their past, and much more understanding of each other’s position. In other words, while season one was about developing their character, we will have a season one with fully developed characters to tackle whatever weirdness Gamble & Co decide to throw at them.
Hopefully by the end of season five, they also will both understand that Sam’s powers are a good advantage to have in their business. (Oh, yeah, I see the powers carrying over to season six. That are a very good draw for viewers, and we already know they are not due to demon blood, so I can’t see him losing them anytime soon.) So yeah….they will be great in a season one format, striped-down version or not. Face it! There will always be someone for the boys to save! And with all they have learn and experienced, they will be so much better at it.
The bottom line is that the basic concept the show started with will not change. The series is, and always will be, about brotherly bonds, about the family unit standing together no matter what (yes, even against the ill-fated destiny), and, that all important concept, humanity. In an interview with Mo Ryan, Kripke said,” If I had a worldview, …it’s one that’s intensely humanistic, that the only thing that matters is family and personal connection, and that’s the only thing that gives life meaning….. for me, it all comes down to your brother. And your brother might be the brother in your family, or it might be the guy next to you in the foxhole, it’s about human connections”.
Will the series start a new story arc? Rumor is that they will, but the length of the arc isn’t known. Kripke never thought the show would go for five years, and really didn’t have a long term arc until the end of the third season. The season one arc was as simple as looking for dad. I am hoping each arc will only go a few episodes and then end, starting a new one the following episode, again for a short time. That is a format that works very well for other scripted shows, and should people miss a few episodes, they wouldn’t be lost for the whole season. Remember DVD’s don’t come out till the following year, and CW doesn’t do marathons (The JERKS!)
Hi Sablegreen.
Love this article, I’m always up for some thinkyness 🙂
You pose really good thoughts and theories here…
I personally would like to see the show end on a high note, like after season 6. At first I was quite happy that we go for 5 seasons and no more, and honestly didn’t even want anymore. But as time went on, I realized that the idea of a world after the Apocalypse could be really interesting (esp. since the rumours that they weren’t going to stretch this storyline)… But if they can make S6 work effortlessly, then maybe I’d be game for another season. But honestly, I don’t want it to wither away either… The Show does need better ratings though, and I’m hoping they will get it, this show is so underappreciated (well except by fans lol) that it’s ridiculous…
I personally don’t like it when people start to go on and on about “What can top the Apocalypse? They should end it now!!”. I don’t think it will be anticlimatic, I’m sure it will be fascinating. All the possibilities are brilliant, it all depends on the execution. And we all know that the guys and gals working on this Show CAN deliver 🙂
I’m also ready to get this mytharc wrapped up so we can just focus on the boys again, roadtripping, bitch/jerk bantering, sleezy motels… You know, that little bit of saving people, hunting things 😀
Ps. *a feeble voice squeaks out* I miss the “I would die for you” -vibe *sniff* 😉
Seconded, Supernarttu … I was quite tickled by the idea of some Bro V. Bro nastyness but now it’s here I’m thoroughly fed up with it and pining for the good old days of Winchesters Against The World so a return to the halcyon days of fighting stuff and saving people ( with a goodly dollop of snark, of course ) would suit me fine …
Very interesting, Sablegreen, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I’m still uncertain about my feelings about the show continuing after S5. For one, I love it so much that, if you ask me, it would go on forever 🙂 And for the other, well, I’m actually not used to following a tv show and sometimes I find it annoying to watch out not to miss an episode. I mean, I go away for weeks and can’t access the internet and then “worry” about what has happened to my favorite brothers. It’s insane! So, sometimes I just wish it’ll be finally over. But,…. I can’t wait to see how the story continues!!!
Talk about duality 🙂
So, what I really want is the show to continue forever, being regularly and always available on tv/internet/dvd/whatever, and watch J&J in movies playing roles that actors like P.S. Hoffman, B. Pitt, L.diCaprio, D. Day Lewis and the like get.
And no, I don’t think I’m asking for anything impossible 😉
I was thinking maybe God never shows up, and once this whole thing is over and done with they go looking for him with more intensity than Cas is now (still with Dean’s necklace =[). All with MOTW stories.
I also hope that it gets scary again. The first and second seasons still scare me to death every time I watch them, but since then they haven’t been so much.
Thanks for the replies!
Dany, I don‘t think the show will end for a few years…..100 would be fine with me! As long as J&J stay, their chemistry will keep the ball rolling. I also can’t wait for a renewed season one. . I really think a season 1 format with our s5 boys now will be awesome!
While I’ve enjoyed the myth arc, we really need a lighter pace. Like Supernarttu and Suze said, I want to focus more on the brothers again. They work so well together. I don’t think the show will wither away and die, either. As long as the fans want it, it will be there…as long as J&J stay!
Joelsteinlover, I also thought season 1 and 2 were scary…and I didn’t find an eppie I wouldn’t re-watch. Those seasons were novel in many ways
Sablegreen, fascinating speculations! Well, the boys have grown, they are men now and when we watch the early episodes the difference is striking. Jensen has been very ‘grown up’ from early on, Jared has changed significantly. Which serves the storyline beautifully, as both have made experienced that changed them.
Of course, they will start the next season as different people, as I have always said. There is no going back to season one – but perhaps to the spirit of it. I didn’t mind the myth arc at all, and I’m curious what the writers will give us.
And, hey, at least the actors will have jobs for as long as the show will be running. I’ll be a loyal fan till this show will be taken off the air (somewhere in the far twenty-fifth century). I also hope to see the guys in great movies (I have to second Freebird here). We’ll see what the future (and this business) will hold for them. I watched Friday 13th over the weekend, and kept thinking – a shame that this movie isn’t better, as Jared gives a fine performance, despite the lacking script… He has so much to give as an actor. I hope he (and Jensen, of course) will get the chance.
Okay, let’s see how this show will connect the dots. I’m a bit afraid of the (probably inevitable) cliffhanger at the end of this season… If I were Kripke, I’d leave the fans hanging… you know, with a promise that will be fulfilled next season… Perhaps the leads will be able to say something about the plans at the con in L.A. .
I’m certain the coming season will focus on the brothers, but I’m also certain that it will be a different approach, perhaps still ambivalent… I wish I was a fly on the wall in the writers room right now…
thanks for these ideas, Sablegreen.
Best, Jas
Hi, Jas. Movies are in J&J’s future at some point. But a steady paycheck is a good thing. And if they LIKE doing the show, it works for everyone.
As for a cliffhanger, I don’t know what would be suspenseful this time around. They have died enough times, and they have split up. Of course, we still have Bobby that something could happen to, but I’m hoping that this season will end on more of a happy note. After all, they will have ended with Michael and Lucifer, so that alone should be worth celebrating!!
Hi Sablegreen
Great article. I’m pretty much in agreement with you and all the commentators so far.
I don’t mind Season 6 going back to its roots and taking on the Season 1 format.
I do miss the Jerk/Bitch moments, the witty lines, the sparkle of life in their eyes.
Of course it will never be exactly the same. The characters are no longer the same young men that stole our hearts 5 years ago. They have grown up and have been altered by their experiences. But I hope some of that old charisma and love for each other will surface again.
As long as the writing remains exceptional, I’ll be there. Who am I kidding, I’m so invested and in love with these character’s I’ll be there til the bitter end. I just hope that they will end the series before things starts to go flat.
Sablegreen, I think you might have gotten a wrong impression – of course I am celebrating that we’re going to enjoy another season. I have no idea either what might be a suiting cliffhanger for this one, but I’d love one, even though I hate the suspense when we have a cliffhanger….
And I am also aware of the advantages of a regular paycheck. Believe me I know, especially in this business. There is an ocean of not working actors… There are so many sharks in this biz. I would love to see the guys in movies that suit their age, in the not too far future, they’ll be too old to sell romantic comedies or certain action movies. I think they could be what we call ‘character actors’ like Ed Harris, they certainly have the talent and the charisma. But – what are we talking here about? It is their choice, and whatever they will decide to do, I’ll remain a fan and be happy to watch them in this tv show for as long as it’s running and whatever movie they might be making in the future.
I’m with you, dear, Love Jas
Great article and I’ve got nothing to add since I tend to agree with you and everyone else that it’s probably logical (and seems to be desired, at least on some levels) to return to a season one matrix, Brothers vs. evil. I can dig the idea of short mytharcs. It works in comics, so why not on the boob tube? Plus, it would provide a nice backdrop to have them begin working through their issues *together* without them having to worry about, oh, The World Ending.
Well, let’s do this again.. the website just ate my comments. 🙁
Karen, I really hope the brother’s charisma will come back too. Without the ‘end of the world’ any more, seems it should.
Jas, I know you are happy about the renewal, never thought otherwise..just was wondering what kind of ‘suspenseful’ cliffhanger they could do now. 😆
As for movies, I hope J&J get whatever roles they audition for…I just don’t think it will be for a while, and we can enjoy their acting in the series until then. 😉
Randal, Just think of how much pressure will be gone, when they don’t have to worry about 6 billion people anymore. Maybe they should take that Hawaiian vacation…oops forgot Dean doesn’t fly. Okay, maybe the Florida keys! 😛
I’m sure there are boats that float from Frisco to Oahu for the flight-impaired. 😀
Haunted boats!!! YEAH!!!! 😀
Randal, what was that boat , ah ship, from The Fog called? You think it’s still afloat? 😎
Ah come on, the flying’s not a problem… the crashing however is… Oh, I should be careful… Don’t anger the Gods, woman….
Sablegreen, great, I can sleep now… 😆
Best ,Jas
Thanks for sharing this!
I’m really excited about season 6, but I don’t know how they’re going to do for to keep or get more viewers, cause for me Supernatural has like 3 stories from each season and that is why is super interesting:
Story 1:The story of the brothers relationship.
Like in the first season they were like knowing each other again, after the separation when sam went to college; season 4 the brothers were kind of separated and season 5 is like they re trying to reconcilate things
Story 2:The Monster of the week (every episode)
Story 3:The Mithology, (like this season the Apocalipse)
I mean, how they are going to continue doing this, and I know the writers can do very different and good episodes with respect of MOTW, but what about the relation of the brothers, Kripke said that this is the season they get together (they stop fighting) and then what?…. and the mithology how they can bit the Apocalypse?
And I don’t have any idea how Supenatural lost a lot of viewers, cause every season gets better… the story is better the special effects got better; the performance of Jensen and Jared its excelent,
It’s really different season 1 from season 5 in every aspect and sense
I don’t have any idea how they lost that qty. of viewers I remember I watched season 1, and season 2 I watched a few episodes and then I stopped watching Supernatural (wich I regret), but then I watched one episode of season 3 (in the writers strike) and I don’t know what happened and I became a BIG fan, I loved season 4 and I love season 5
But well that’s why I’m not a writer hehe; I just hope next season gets as good as this or better… I love Supernatural
And sorry for my bad english! 😳
Hi Maggie. Your English is fine! Glad you like Supernatural, and that you planning on sticking around for season 6. Everyone should at least give it a chance. I think it will be as good as any of their other seasons, and will have plenty of challenges for the boys.
Thanks for commenting!