No One Has Talked About The Real Reason Why The Supernatural Winchesters Spinoff Failed

No One Has Talked About The Real Reason Why The Supernatural Winchesters Spinoff Failed


When a Supernatural spinoff was announced shortly after the iconic show’s ending, many were excited to revisit the monster-hunting universe with The Winchesters. The CW spinoff aimed to resolve some of the Winchester mysteries presented in Supernatural, especially expanding on Mary Winchester’s past life as a hunter in the 1970s, with a revitalized formula and a brand-new cast. Following their meeting, The Winchesters followed John Winchester and Mary Cambell’s journey as they tried to find their missing fathers alongside their friends, Carlos, Ada, and Latika, meeting interesting beings along the way – including the universe-destroying Akrida and some other familiar faces.

The Supernatural multiverse had been previously established during the 15 seasons the show aired, with Sam and Dean visiting many alternate worlds, especially in the later seasons. Therefore, a Supernatural TV show spinoff based on the Winchester family in an alternate universe appealed to many wanting to discover unseen lore about the family history of Sam and Dean Winchester. However, The Winchesters was unfortunately canceled after just one season, marking the end of Supernatural for good. There were several reasons cited for the cancelation, including viewership, yet, interestingly, John Winchester’s inclusion may have been the main problem for Supernatural fans.

The Winchesters Didn’t Understand That Most Supernatural Fans Don’t Like John As A Character

John Winchester Was Not A Good Father Figure & Lacked Screentime For Redemption

The Supernatural spin-off The Winchesters was canceled for several reasons. The CW was undergoing substantial changes in leadership, the show failed to find another network amid tumultuous times with Hollywood strikes, and it was released too soon after the success of Supernatural. The spinoff had a disappointing 48% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, demonstrating a clear division among fans. One of the main reasons for this mixed reception could be the show’s focus on John Winchester, as the character has been a heated topic in the Supernatural fandom for years, with many disliking him.

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From the start, Supernatural painted a disappointing reality regarding John Winchester’s parenting. Since Mary’s death, John obsessively hunted the demon that killed her, going to extreme lengths to gain revenge, leaving an underaged Sam and Dean in motels for long periods, raising them with military discipline into a solitary, dangerous life of credit card scams and other criminal activities. Moreover, John barely featured in Supernatural, leaving viewers with only his legacy of trauma, making him an unlikable character. Therefore, the Supernatural prequel’s decision to focus on John Winchester’s story may have doomed the show as many weren’t interested.

Mary Winchester Wasn’t Enough To Balance Out How Much Fans Didn’t Care About John

Mary’s Story Had Already Been Explored In Supernatural, Leaving No Mystery

Supernatural mary the winchesters

John Winchester wasn’t the only character focus in The Winchesters, however, as Mary Campbell was the other half of the equation. As the most important characters at the head of Supernatural’s Winchester family tree, a series exploring their early relationship and involvement with hunting may have made for an interesting story if it hadn’t already been explored. Mary’s history as a hunter had already been covered in Supernatural when Dean traveled back to the past in season 4, episode 3, “The Beginning” and when Sam and Dean go back again in season 5, episode 13, “The Song Remains the Same.”

With her character being at the forefront of two major storylines, a prequel series about Mary was somewhat pointless as her story was fully fleshed out in Supernatural

Mary Winchester’s story was not exciting enough to entice audiences, especially as her resurrection in Supernatural season 12 meant viewers were already subject to seeing her hunt at length in the later seasons. Mary Winchester’s death in Supernatural was a pivotal moment due to her storyline with Azazel, and her resurrection was tied to Amara in the later seasons. With her character being at the forefront of two major storylines, a prequel series about Mary was somewhat pointless as her story was fully fleshed out in Supernatural, therefore, Mary’s involvement wasn’t enough to balance fans’ dislike of John Winchester.

There Were Far Better Characters For A Supernatural Spinoff To Focus On

The Wayward Sisters Spinoff & Other Characters Had More Fan Interest

The cast of Supernatural's "Wayward Sisters" sitting around a table together eating and drinking

There have been many discussions about Supernatural spinoff project ideas as the fandom is still active years later, but The Winchesters just didn’t focus on the right characters. In previous years, fans have shown enthusiasm towards a possible “Wayward Sisters” spinoff, which would focus on the female-led hunter “found family” of Jody Mills, Donna Hanscum, Claire Novak, Alex Jones, Patience Turner, and Kaia Nieves. Supernatural season 13, episode 10, “Wayward Sisters” was a highly rated backdoor pilot, but The CW’s chief Mark Pedowitz rejected the spinoff proposal, citing an apparent lack of creative depth (via Deadline).

“We had really great material this year. We’re really excited about the five series we did pick up. We are big fans of the characters and the women who played the characters in the series, but we did not feel creatively the show is where we wanted it to be. We felt we had a better shot with Legacies.” – Mark Pedowitz on Wayward Sisters’ rejection

Although some fans were interested in The Winchesters due to its modern take and introduction of the Akrida, a creature previously seen in the Supernatural universe, it was not enough to save the show. Ultimately, there were plenty of characters who would have been better suited for a spin-off, instead of a show focusing on John and Mary, but they weren’t pursued. Whether other Supernatural spin-off shows will be considered in the future remains to be seen, but hopefully, they will avoid The Winchesters’ mistakes.

Source: Deadline.

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