Supernatural Season 1

NOTE: If you’re watching on Netflix (as opposed to borrowing a friend’s DVDs), just know that due to licensing issues, some of the music for the first season has been changed. Supernatural is so old that it premiered on the WB network, not its current home of the CW. So, songs that aired in the first season episodes were licensed to the WB, not CW. When it’s relevant, I’ll let you know what the original song was. The music on this show is as much of a character as the actors are and they tell as much of the story as the writers do. It’s important.

Season 1 episode count – Watch 10 episodes, Skip 12 episodes

EPISODE 1: PILOT

WATCH THE WHOLE EPISODE. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS. As far as pilots go, this one sets up the characters and the show as perfectly as any show can.

• Dean is established as Sam’s protector from a very young age
  John Winchester: “Take your brother outside as fast as you can! Now Dean! Go!”
• Sam is established as the nerd who wants out of the family business
• Classic rock is established as the soundtrack of the show (Sidenote: creator, Eric Kripke, put in this scene at the gas station because at the time shows like Dawson’s Creek were on the WB and he didn’t want that genre of music anywhere near the Winchesters. Thank you, Eric!)
• Explains the way the boys grew up
• Establishes that Dean doesn’t want to hunt alone, even though he can
• Explains how they make money
• Establishes how they find out about supernatural events and how they use aliases to lie their way onto crime scenes and talk to witnesses (Sidenote: Their aliases are almost always going to be references to classic rock musicians)
• Illustrates the difficulty of having a “normal” relationship/life when you’re a hunter

Memorable quote of this episode: “Dad’s on a hunting trip, and he hasn’t been home in a few days.”

Dean: “No chick flick moments.”
Sam: “Alright, jerk.”
Dean: “Bitch.”
(Thank you to Eric Kripke for establishing the type of relationship we’ll see between the brothers and for the show overall from the jump. The audience for this show watched season 1 for various reasons – they like scary shows/movies, they like myths, folklore, and urban legends, or they just wanted to see 2 hot guys starring in a show. But we stayed because of this relationship right here.)

Music change: in the gas station when Sam goes through Dean’s cassette tapes, the original song is AC/DC’s “Back in Black”

A major question that a lot of fans have had through the years is how Dean knew to come back (you’ll know what scene I’m talking about when you watch this episode). There was a scene that was cut where you see the car radio and Dean’s watch go crazy – like Sam’s baby monitor and the clock in the house. He knew something was about to go very wrong.

Random sidenote that really has nothing to do with anything:

If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, yes Negan is their father.

If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, yes Denny is their father.

The show will reference this in future episodes, because they’re awesome like that.

 

EPISODE 2: WENDIGO

Sam is still grieving for Jessica. The boys are still searching for their father. Dean is obedient to his dad’s orders (remember, John was a Marine), while Sam is the rebellious one just looking for revenge (which actually makes him more like his father than he’s willing to admit).

Memorable quote of the episode: “I think he [John Winchester] wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business.”
(this quote has been so popular, the actor who delivered it, Jensen Ackles, opened up a brewery in Austin, TX and named it Family Business Beer Company.)

OK, now you know everything important about this episode. You can SKIP it and move on…

EPISODE 3: DEAD IN THE WATER

The trail for their dad is getting colder. This episode briefly delves a little further into Dean’s trauma over losing his mom and that Sam never really knew how affected his brother was by it. Also, Dean is good with kids and he loves Led Zeppelin.

That’s all this episode established. If you liked the show Angel, you’ll get a kick out of the special guest star. Ok, now SKIP this episode and move on again…

EPISODE 4: PHANTOM TRAVELER

The sole purpose of this episode is to explain why Dean drives all across the country.

Sam: “Are you ok?”
Dean: …
Sam: …
Dean: “No, not really”
Sam: “What? What’s wrong?”
Dean: “Well, I kind of have this problem with, uh…”
Sam: “Flying?”
Dean: “It’s never really been an issue until now”
Sam: “You’re joking right?”
Dean: “Do I look like I’m joking? Why do you think I drive everywhere, Sam?”

Some other small details about this episode –

• God’s name in Latin, “Cristo”, makes a demon flinch. They have yet to use this trick again on this show. This is a joke in the fandom.
• Demon’s possess people who have a chink in their armor – addiction, emotional distress, etc. But like the point above, this isn’t really brought up again.
• The demon in this episode claimed to know about Jessica.

OK, now SKIP this episode and move on…

EPISODE 5: BLOODY MARY

Sam is still having nightmares about Jessica and he hasn’t been completely honest with Dean about Jessica’s death. He’s not ready to tell Dean the whole truth yet.

The guest actors in this episode are pretty bad, but the plot is a pretty cool take on the Bloody Mary urban legend. Circle back around to this episode if you get curious, but you can SKIP it and move on to the next episode now…

EPISODE 6: SHAPESHIFTER

The brothers are on law enforcement’s radar. Sam reconnects with someone from Stanford, but realizes by the end of the episode that he will have to cut his ties with any friends because of hunting.

If you’re an X-Files fan, you’ll notice a similarity in how shapeshifters on both shows shed their skin. It’s disgusting on both shows. Sidenote: both shows were produced and directed by Kim Manners. He worked on Supernatural until season 4 when he passed away from lung cancer. There are a handful of Supernatural episodes during his tenure that mirror X-Files episodes.

OK, that’s all to know about this episode. SKIP this one and move on…

EPISODE 7: HOOKMAN

This episode introduces Dean showing Sam how to fill up shotgun shells with rock salt to shoot at ghosts. That’s all that’s important about this episode. SKIP it and move on…

EPISODE 8: BUGS

Sam and Dean are projecting their daddy issues on the rebellious boy and his father who they are helping in this episode. That’s the whole episode. SKIP it and move on…

EPISODE 9: HOME

Now you can START WATCHING AGAIN. The boys go back to where it all began – their childhood home in Lawrence, Kansas. This is the episode where Sam finds out that it was Dean who carried him to safety when he was a baby. Also, Sam finally reveals his secret to Dean.

EPISODE 10: ASYLUM

This episode is the first time you see them use a camera to find ghosts. Their dad finally reaches out – but only to text the coordinates of the next job he wants them to go to. More daddy issues come to the fore when Sam gets possessed by the ghost they’re hunting.

That’s it. You can now SKIP this one and move on to the next…

EPISODE 11: SCARECROW

WATCH this episode. John finally talks to his boys; tells Sam he knows about Jessica. He also gives the boys orders for a new job. Again, we see rebellious Sam and obedient Dean. After a lot of arguing the boys split up.

Meg is introduced as a character and for the X-Files fans, Cancer Man makes a small guest appearance.

EPISODE 12: FAITH

WATCH this episode. This is the first real time you see what the brothers will do for each other.

Music change: Blue Oyster Cult “Don’t Fear the Reaper”

EPISODE 13: Route 666

The spirit of a racist asshole is tied to a truck killing people who either killed him or helped to cover up his murder. I wish it was a good episode, but it really isn’t. SKIP it.

EPISODE 14: NIGHTMARE

WATCH this episode. There will be clues regarding Sam’s ability and their mom’s death.

EPISODE 15: THE BENDERS

It’s a good plot, but it has nothing to do with the overall story-arc. You can SKIP it but you may want to circle back around and watch it one day.

EPISODE 16: SHADOW

WATCH this episode; it’s important to the main story-arc of the series. Also, it delves a little into demons from the Zoroastrian faith.

EPISODE 17: HELL HOUSE

Introduces the Harry Spangler and Ed Zeddmore, later to become the Ghost Facers (If you’re an X-Files fan, the characters are oddly reminiscent of the Lone Gunmen, but not quite).

This is also the first episode where you see the brothers prank each other, then gang up and prank a third party. This is a tamer version of how they are in real life and how they treat their fellow co-stars.

You can SKIP this episode because it has nothing to do with the larger story-arc, but it’s worth it to circle back around to it later. Sam is shirtless if that helps.

EPISODE 18: SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

WATCH this episode. It flashes back to the brothers childhood and shows you a glimpse of John as a father and Dean as a big brother (but when he was little).

EPISODE 19: PROVENANCE

Dean tries to push Sam to flirt a little and go on a date with the damsel in distress in this episode. It’s still too soon for Sammy. That’s it. That’s all that’s important in this episode. SKIP it.

EPISODE 20: DEAD MAN’S BLOOD

WATCH this episode. John finally agrees that he and the boys should hunt the demon together. Also, how to kill vampires and what’s the story behind the Colt?

EPISODE 21: SALVATION

WATCH THIS EPISODE

EPISODE 22: DEVIL’S TRAP

WATCH THIS EPISODE – Introduction of Bobby Singer, played by the amazing Jim Beaver!

BOOM! SEASON 1 COMPLETED! BE PROUD OF YOURSELF, KID!