Why Jack Has Supernatural Fans So Divided
"Supernatural" had a rather unique way of blending religion, folklore, and family into a coherent and well-loved series. As such, the Winchester Brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), often faced off against Biblical foes like angels and demons, but also fight folklore creatures like werewolves, vampires, and ghosts. Beyond this standard fair, the Winchester Brothers also come face to face with unbelievably powerful villains like God and Lucifer, and their interactions with these figures are dubious at best. However, there is one character that straddles the line between angels and demons — Jack Kline (Alexander Calvert).
What makes Jack so unique is his true parentage — because he has a human mother, and Lucifer as a father. Taken under the wing of the Winchesters, Jack is considered a Nephilim, which is the offspring of a human and an angel, since Lucifer is one of the first archangels. The Nephilim are often considered an abomination in the eyes of other angels, and Jack's life is under constant threat from God. Jack has immense power that can defy death because of the nature of his birth, and he eventually becomes the new God — with aims of reshaping the existence of Heaven — after an epic battle.
Considering how powerful Jack is, it may be no surprise that "Supernatural" fans have broken down into factions regarding the character. But why?
Some Supernatural fans think Jack ruined the show
Focusing on two separate Reddit threads about Jack Kline, fans either enjoy the character or think that his arrival marked a decline in "Supernatural." A decent chunk of the latter group coalesced on a post by u/FilmsyManagment, who said that Jack ruined "Supernatural," and his presence seriously affected the rest of the stories going forward. u/AshorK0 agreed, and replied that Jack was so overpowered that it destroyed the internal logic of the program. Similarly, u/_DeandraReynolds was also not a fan of Jack, and added, "I stopped watching around the time Jack was introduced and never went back, so maybe you're on to something."
u/ms_movie noted that both her and her husband have been longtime "Supernatural" fans, but both hate Jack for his ability to absolutely dominate plots and overshadow several other more deserving characters. u/Roee_S had a rather strong opinion, and said, "Jack is, without a doubt, the worst thing that happened to Supernatural. I 100% agree with everything that's been said here, but I'll just throw in my 3 cents and say that his character is annoying as hell, is so stupid/childish it's cringy, and adds nothing to the plot. The only good thing he did was make Mary go poof."
Even though these "Supernatural" fans care very little for the addition of Jack to the show, though, there are others who thoroughly enjoyed the character.
Other fans love Jack for his innocence
On a different Reddit thread, u/ImmediateRub9 started a conversation extolling the virtues of Jack, and said that they thoroughly enjoyed the character but felt sad that Jack never had a chance to live his own life, free of deity-based influence. u/Sensitive_Lobster_60 said that they loved Jack because of his innocence, while u/iMikeZero replied, "I liked Jack and felt like he was a reboot of Castiel but with darker tendencies and way more powerful."
Other users, like both u/brittnicole00 and u/emhast29, said that Jack is one of their favorite characters, with the former saying that Jack is the second favorite character after Rowena (Ruth Connell), and the latter saying that Jack is the favorite character added after Castiel (Misha Collins). u/AdAlone3213 straddled both schools of thought when it comes to the character of Jack, and said, "I loved his character although I don't love a lot of the writing surrounding his character."
With this very clear division in the minds of "Supernatural" fans, it appears as if the general consensus shared between both groups is that Jack's arrival shook up the "Supernatural" for better or worse. In an interview with Variety, Alexander Calvert referred to the Winchester Brothers and Castiel, and spoke about what it was like to play a character that is rapidly growing, completely naive to the greater world, and searching for a connection. As he stated, "I think everybody kind of wants to fit in and searches for someone they can relate to, so I don't think he'll just get rid of them. I think he has a real desire and quest to be a part of a family, and they're it for him."
Ultimately, the topic of Jack is definitely a hot-button issue for "Supernatural" fans, and clearly, he invokes varying opinions.