Eric Kripke rose to prominence for creating the fantasy series, Supernatural, for which he served as showrunner. However, one of the biggest changes in Supernatural came about when Eric Kripke left the show after season 5, leading to Sera Gamble, Jeremy Carver, Robert Singer, and Andrew Dabb taking over until Supernatural ended in 2020 – although Kripke did serve as executive consultant for season 7. Kripke originally envisioned Supernatural to conclude after three seasons but later expanded it to five, yet the show’s positive reception helped to develop the series further, and Supernatural eventually finished with a total of 15 seasons.
The Kripke era encompasses season 1 to season 5 of Supernatural, and has a distinctly different feel to the other seasons. From the show’s establishment of lore, the emotional exposition of the Winchester backstory, or the buildup to the Biblical Apocalypse, there are a lot of really good episodes in Supernatural’s early seasons for several reasons. This makes it a tough task to choose the best ones. However, the main Kripke-era Supernatural episodes that truly stand out are the ones with the strongest stories and visuals, and those with a deeper significance to the show as a whole.
10
Nightshifter
Season 2, Episode 12
After season 1 had established the show with Supernatural’s horror-movie-per-week plan, season 2 delivered an even better season as it showed Sam and Dean outside of their comfort zone, navigating a world without their father. Notably, season 2’s “Nightshifter” presented how others in the Supernatural universe might see the Winchesters as criminals, especially after Dean’s run-in with the law in season 1’s “Skin.”
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While investigating a shapeshifter, Sam and Dean find themselves in the middle of a hostage situation inside a bank when their hunt is suddenly disturbed by a conspiracy theorist called Ron. “Nightshifter” presents a lot of thrills in its bank heist premise, especially as the Winchesters try to convince the civilians they aren’t the bad guys, while simultaneously holding them at gunpoint. However, the real reason why “Nightshifter” is one of the best Kripke-era episodes is because it shows off Sam and Dean’s impressive skills as they manage to trick both the FBI and SWAT teams in their escape.
9
Mystery Spot
Season 3, Episode 11
There are many episodes in Supernatural that prove the show is strongest in its comedy, and “Mystery Spot” is one of them. The episode is highly memorable for the strange time-loop premise which causes Dean to die in weird ways as Sam repeats the same Tuesday and its iconic image of the swirling black and green door inside the tourist location known as the Mystery Spot. “Mystery Spot” is a fan favorite for many as it has a bit of everything, from comedy to drama to action, and its tonal shift makes it one to be remembered.
“Mystery Spot” is a mini-masterpiece for cramming so much in its episode, making it stick with fans years later.
As it progresses, the tone of “Mystery Spot” begins to shift from laugh-out-loud moments as Dean gets crushed by a piano, to downright tragic. Sam becomes increasingly exhausted with each loop as he constantly fails to save Dean, who remains cheerfully unaware of the dangers. However, when the loop stops and Dean stays dead, Sam goes down a dark path as he obsessively hunts down the Trickster for 6 months to get Dean back. “Mystery Spot” is a mini-masterpiece for cramming so much in its episode, making it stick with fans years later, and it sets up Gabriel’s return.
8
Lazarus Rising
Season 4, Episode 1
“Lazarus Rising” has one of the best character introductions in Supernatural, next to Death’s mesmerizing introduction in “Two Minutes to Midnight,” and was actually written by Eric Kripke himself. Season 4’s first episode is full of brilliant visuals as Dean claws his way out of his own grave and Castiel dramatically strolls into a barn as sparks fly around him, but it also marks a major milestone in the show. Following Dean’s brutal death at the end of season 3, “Lazarus Rising” then introduces the most powerful creatures seen in Supernatural so far: Angels.
Kripke’s era of Supernatural was centered around the Apocalypse and its buildup, so the introduction of Castiel and Angels as a whole in “Lazarus Rising” was extremely important; Dean’s resurrection, as viewers later found out, marked the start of the Apocalypse as he broke the first Seal in Hell completely unknowingly. It’s one of the best Kripke-era episodes due to its immense overall story progression, which brought the Winchesters one step closer to Michael and Lucifer’s fight.
7
In the Beginning
Season 4, Episode 3
Although the Supernatural season 1 episode “Home” featured an emotional reunion with Mary Winchester, “In the Beginning” explores her character a lot more in-depth. Urging him to “stop it,” Castiel transports Dean Winchester back in time to 1973, where he meets a young Mary Campbell and John Winchester. Dean quickly realizes that the Campbells are hunters, and they are about to unknowingly encounter the Yellow-Eyed Demon that Dean will kill in the future, so he tries to futilely help them to stop him.
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“In the Beginning” establishes Mary’s backstory and her history with Azazel, the Yellow-Eyed Demon, for the first time, finally explaining the answers to questions from season 1. The revelations made in this episode not only recontextualized the events of the pilot but also Mary’s future resurrection by Amara, as Sam and Dean realize that Mary is not who they thought she was. The well-thought-out season 4, episode 3 demonstrates a solid Kripke-era Supernatural episode, earning its place as one of the best for its clever storyline and time-bending concept.
6
On The Head of a Pin
Season 4, Episode 16
When Sam and Dean return to a motel after Pamela’s funeral, Castiel and Uriel are already waiting to give Dean another task. Dean snaps at the Angels, citing their friend’s death, to which Castiel offers his sympathy. “On The Head of a Pin” features one of the first out of many moments in Supernatural where Castiel expresses doubts about his orders from Heaven, foreshadowing his future alliance with the Winchesters. Misha Collins’ Supernatural character eventually becomes part of “Team Free Will” in later seasons after rejecting his role in Heaven due to the events of episodes like this one.
Castiel was supposed to be killed in “On The Head of a Pin,” but Supernatural’s writers decided to keep him in the show due to him being a fan favorite.
“On The Head of a Pin” is one of the highlights of the Kripke era in Supernatural because it hints that not all is as it seems in Heaven, with Uriel helping Allistair to escape. This is an important plot point in the overall linear story as it sews the seeds for Angels disagreeing on the Apocalypse and who should win. Moreover, the episode also contains a truly heartbreaking moment where Dean finds out he started the Apocalypse when he succumbed to Allistair’s 40-year torture, revealing what is probably the heaviest burden that ever befalls the Winchesters.
5
The Rapture
Season 4, Episode 20
“The Rapture” delivered crucial information regarding the nature of the Angel’s possession of humans, and the episode established an important and emotional backstory for Castiel’s vessel. When Castiel tells Dean to meet him in secret, the Winchesters quickly arrive at the selected location only to discover that there is evidence of Angel-on-Angel violence, and Castiel’s vessel, a devout man called Jimmy Novak, has been left behind. Free for the first time in a year, Jimmy Novak wants to go home to his wife and daughter, but his experiences as a vessel put him in danger.
With no knowledge of supernatural phenomena, Amelia and Claire Novak are traumatized when Jimmy viciously beats up their possessed neighbor, ranting about salt and keeping them safe.
Misha Collins delivers a magnificent performance as Jimmy Novak, differentiating his character from Castiel with an entirely different accent and mannerisms. However, it is the brutal effects of Castiel possessing Jimmy on the Novak family that makes “The Rapture” such a compelling episode. For example, with no knowledge of supernatural phenomena, Amelia and Claire Novak are traumatized when Jimmy viciously beats up their possessed neighbor, ranting about using salt to keep them safe. The Kripke episode emphasizes the cruel nature of Angels and their effects on people, especially when Claire Novak returns to Supernatural as Kathryn Newton in later seasons.
4
The End
Season 5, Episode 4
While it is not the first time that Dean Winchester’s reality has been manipulated by Angels to get their point across (and strangely not the first time Zachariah has done so), “The End” offered a completely different reality to anything seen in Supernatural so far. After declining to reunite with Sam, citing their status as vessels as the reason for remaining apart, Dean wakes up five years into the future in a post-apocalyptic world. “The End” is certainly a standout Eric Kripke episode because it doesn’t quite feel like Supernatural, and it sets up an important theme of defying fate.
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The post-apocalyptic world features an abandoned city ravaged by the Croatoan Demon virus and the military. However, it’s not just the interesting visuals that make “The End” so memorable; the future versions and Castiel and Dean are a disturbingly far cry from their current characterizations, emphasizing the Apocalypse’s effects on them. The most disturbing manifestation of this comes when Future Dean sacrifices his friends, including Castiel, to face Lucifer. Zachariah’s vision serves as the motivation for the Winchesters’ reunion, with Dean hoping to stop Lucifer’s possession of Sam, and the decision most likely helped Sam win in season 5’s finale.
3
Changing Channels
Season 5, Episode 8
Season 5, episode 8, “Changing Channels,” marks the third time that the Archangel Gabriel has appeared in Supernatural, yet it is the first time that the Winchesters find out his true identity. Having disguised himself as the Trickster, Loki, Gabriel has been hiding from his celestial family to avoid all the fighting while imploring Sam and Dean to “play their roles” as vessels. Gabriel evidently has a complicated history with his family and hates the predestined Apocalypse, but Dean points out that the Archangel is simply too scared to face them, sparking an important turning point for Gabriel’s character.
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TV Shows and Adverts in Supernatural’s “Changing Channels” |
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A sitcom |
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Dr. Sexy MD |
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A fictional Japanese gameshow, Nutcracker |
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A “Herpexia” advert for genital herpes |
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A CSI: Miami parody |
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A Knight Rider parody |
Despite its heavy message, “Changing Channels” is full of wacky humor, making it a fan favorite. The episode sees Sam and Dean thrown into different TV shows and adverts, like the fictional medical show “Dr. Sexy MD” and a Japanese gameshow by The Trickster, for no outright reason, baffling them. The bizarre situations are hilariously out of character for the show. Still, Castiel’s interrupting scenes slowly break down Supernatural’s funniest moments in a clever way, leading up to Gabriel’s big reveal and explanation of its underlying message.
2
Abandon All Hope…
Season 5, Episode 10
The mid-season finale of Supernatural season 5 had some of the saddest deaths in the show, showcasing the power of good writing. As Sam, Dean, and Castiel track down the Colt and search for Lucifer, they are reunited with Bobby, Ellen, and Jo. After finally gaining the Colt back from a cooperative Crowley, they take a group photo with the hunters in memory of possibly their last night on Earth. The next day, they head to Lucifer’s presumed location, and Jo is viciously attacked by a Hellhound.
In a heartbreaking show of solidarity, Ellen also chooses to remain behind with her daughter, and Supernatural viewers are subject to their emotional last moments before death.
While sheltering in a hardware store, Jo realizes that she won’t survive her wounds and implores the group to leave her behind with a homemade bomb, hoping to buy them time and take out the Hellhounds. In a heartbreaking show of solidarity, Ellen also chooses to remain behind with her daughter, and Supernatural viewers are subject to their emotional last moments before death. Furthermore, the episode brings together elements established in previous episodes, such as Castiel escaping by using Uriel’s trick for freeing Allistair, Crowley’s prediction about Lucifer coming true, and Meg’s devotion to Lucifer wavering, and Castiel’s powers failing.
1
Swan Song
Season 5, Episode 22
Season 5’s finale outdoes Supernatural’s previous finales by far, and it is the last episode in the Eric Kripke era. Originally envisioned to be the end of the show, “Swan Song” pulls off an emotional and dramatic ending to the Apocalypse, confirming Chuck is God, seeing Sam win against Lucifer, Castiel resurrected with new powers, and Dean reuniting with Lisa. The episode ties the five-season arc into one final showdown between good and evil, concluding Kripke’s era on a high note.
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However, the descent into Lucifer’s cage and the Impala being labeled “the most important object in the universe” are still surprisingly relevant events fifteen years after the episode aired. Not only does the Impala’s prophecy in Supernatural predict its appearance in The Winchesters spinoff, but “Swan Song” also provides potential further story avenues following the Apocalypse arc’s conclusion, with (soulless) Sam returning at the end and Adam and Michael’s time in the pit affecting their decisions in season 15. Therefore, “Swan Song” marks itself as one of the best Kripke episodes in Supernatural due to its longevity and large-scale impact.
Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural is a fantasy/drama series that premiered in 2005. The series follows the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester – two men wronged by supernatural beings as children who now spend their days investigating and hunting demons, ghosts, and monsters across the United States.
- Release Date
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September 13, 2005
- Seasons
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15
- Showrunner
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Eric Kripke
