Supernatural ran for 15 seasons, and fans had mixed feelings about its ending in 2020. While it was touching to see Sam and Dean together in Heaven singing Carry On Wayward Son, many fans were unhappy with Dean’s sudden death during a vampire hunt.
He dies in Sam’s arms and goes to Heaven alone, without seeing his parents or other friends. However, Dean’s story continues in the spin-off show The Winchesters.
The Original Ending Left the Fans Disappointed
The ending of Supernatural left some fans disappointed, but it wasn’t entirely the fault of the show’s creators. They had bigger plans for a reunion in the finale, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those plans.
Despite this, Bobby Singer, played by Jim Beaver, was still there to welcome Dean to Heaven. Series creator Eric Kripke approved of the finale, especially since he had already written his own ending for Season 5.
Jensen Ackles, who played Dean, initially didn’t like the ending. In an interview with Michael Rosenbaum on the Inside of You podcast, Ackles shared his mixed feelings.
He later came to accept the ending after discussing it with Kripke, who believed it was the perfect conclusion for Sam and Dean. Just two years after “Supernatural” ended, The CW launched a spin-off series called “The Winchesters,” focusing on Dean’s character.
Ackles and his wife, Danneel Ackles, who appeared as a guest star in Supernatural, served as executive producers. The new series explores the younger versions of John and Mary Winchester, but with a twist on the original story.
The Winchesters Gives Dean a Better Ending Than Supernatural Did
Instead of following the versions from previous seasons, the show introduces new characters, Drake Rodger and Meg Donnelly, to give the Winchester family a different and more hopeful ending.
The Winchesters had a short run with just one season, but it served as a fitting continuation to Dean’s story after his less-than-perfect ending in Supernatural.
Dean appears only in the first and last episodes of the spin-off, but his voice guides us through the rest of the season as he narrates John and Mary’s journey.
This narration initially makes us feel at home in the familiar Supernatural world, but by the finale, titled Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye, we learn a surprising twist: this isn’t Dean’s original universe, and the John and Mary we see aren’t his real parents.
Dean’s death in the Supernatural finale felt somewhat lackluster compared to his previous heroic sacrifices and epic missions. He met his end accidentally while fighting a masked vampire, which wasn’t the grand exit fans might have expected for such a beloved character.
Given that Dean had died multiple times before in the series, this death didn’t stand out. His unexpected journey through the multiverse during his time in Heaven allowed him a chance to potentially change his parents’ fate, offering him a final opportunity to make things right.