The CW's Supernatural was the longest-running live-action fantasy program in the United States. For 15 action-packed seasons, loyal fans eagerly watched Dean and Sam Winchester investigate paranormal phenomena across the country, making friends and hunting monsters along the way. Trained to be soldiers by their father, John, the two brothers take on the family business, pursuing and killing demonic creatures just like their parents did before them. Supernatural is arguably the most iconic CW show ever to exist, so when news that a prequel was in development dropped, fans were chomping at the bit to learn more about the potential series.
The Winchesters would see Jensen Ackles reprising his role as Dean, acting as the show's narrator. Reportedly, the plot will focus on the "untold" love story surrounding Dean and Sam's parents, John and Mary. With plenty of gaps in Mary's life to fill in that fans never got to see play out in Supernatural, taking the time to breathe more life into her in The Winchesters makes perfect sense. Not only is uncovering the couple's past together an intelligent choice considering John's fan-favorite status, but the idea to focus on two beloved characters, one of which that still has plenty of skeletons in her closet, is also a safe one given the series' rocky history of failed side projects.
Even though the Winchester brothers are badasses in their own right, the most formidable member of the family is beyond question their mother, who not only came from a strong hunting lineage but was one of the best hunters ever to live. Mary left her life of monster-slaying behind to start fresh with John after Dean was born, though she went on a few missions after his birth to tie up loose ends. Luckily for fans, they won't have to wait to see if the prequel gets picked up to discover how these two lovebirds met.
Upon leaving a film screening of Slaughterhouse-Five, Mary smacks into John and knocks her future husband to the floor. After he suggests that she can make it up to him by grabbing a cup of coffee, they make their way over to Mulroney's Diner, where John works up the courage to ask Mary for her number. A year later, the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Azazel, murders both her parents and John to make a deal with Mary that entailed giving him access to her home in ten years. To bring John back to life, she agrees to Azazel's arrangement and the couple marries two years after his resurrection. In 1979, Mary gave birth to their first son, Dean, and then their second son, Sam, four years later.
Six months after the youngest Winchester brother came into the world and ten years following her ill-fated deal with Azazel, Mary discovers the demon Prince of Hell feeding Sam his blood to give him demonic abilities. While attempting to protect her child from harm, Mary is thrust to the ceiling by the demon, slashed across her belly and set ablaze, violently killing her. While Mary is eventually brought back to life, only to die again, her story does have a happy ending, as she finally reunites with John in Heaven.
Adding more depth to Mary before the events of Supernatural can only be a good thing for fans. She and John share a complicated relationship because of her extensive history of hunting demons and bending over backward to protect John from her secret. Even though heaven had a hand in their union to prevent the Apocalypse, with a cupid working their magic to make sure they fell head over heels for one another, the love shared between the monster-hunting, world-saving couple still rings true.
If The Winchesters receives a series order, there's plenty left undiscovered in Mary's life to keep viewers emotionally invested in ways that the failed spin-offs couldn't. It also doesn't hurt that Millennials are suckers for nostalgia and the metaverse, so having the show take place during the 1970s can only help its chances for success. If The CW's newest foray into the world of Supernatural is to succeed, then the prequel should keep the story as close to Dean and Sam as possible, and focusing on their mother is a great way to start.