The Supernatural Cameos In The Winchesters Finale Had Fans In Complete Shock
Contains spoilers for season 1 episode 13 ("Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye") of "The Winchesters"
Spinoffs exist within a realm of certain expectations. The more beloved the original series, the more stringent those expectations become. Enter "The Winchesters," a supernatural prequel to one of the CW's largest franchises, "Supernatural." Fighting for recognition beneath the shadow of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who owned the world and 90% of Tumblr for the better part of two decades, is no small feat.
Now, back to those expectations. In line with how fans demand narrative lockstep between the new and the familiar, fans also demand cameos. Someone from the original series has to show up long enough to reassure viewers that, the two TV shows are in fact connected. In the case of "The Winchesters," the season 1 finale offered more than one. Since Dean's voice had already been heard via contextualizing narration, and Ackles is one of the executive producers for the prequel, the older Winchester was bound to make an appearance.
But he wasn't the only one who showed up, which surprised the fanbase. With him, came Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver), an old, old friend, and Jack Kline (Alexander Calvert), the half-human son of the devil himself. Despite the future of "The Winchesters" being more uncertain than ever, fans rallied to appreciate the welcome gifts offered them in the season 1 finale.
A happy ending, for once
On Reddit, u/estreetbandfan1 spoke for the whole fandom by practically screaming when they saw the trio reunited. "Okay, who else just screamed holy f*** when they showed Jack?" asked the user. "Bobby, Dean, Jack. I only expected Dean!" Matching that energy, u/FTWinchester admired "The Winchesters" for managing to keep the additional cameos a secret, something that Marvel only achieves part of the time, these days.
On Twitter, @Shard0nnay_, @CharCubed, and @BeausCordell were so ecstatic that their tweets devolved into exclamation points and capital letters, but the latter of the two managed to find their composure long enough to post a side-by-side of Bobby and Dean from their first appearance and their latest. The difference is striking, if only because Dean finally learned how to dress.
Possibly the best reactions, however, came from the "Supernatural" fans who longed for a happy ending. @maetheheller broke down into tears after hearing Dean call Bobby and Jack his family, and @darcystaller said, "I don't think I'm ever going to stop thinking about seeing Dean, Bobby and Jack. Seeing the right ending that was needed for the Supernatural world."
It's no secret that the "Supernatural" ending left fans ... unsatisfied. Plotlines were tied together without much care, everyone's favorite angel was literally killed for being gay, and only one of the (many more than two) Winchester brothers found their bliss. It's no surprise, then, that the fandom loved a finale with a lighter touch.