Has "Supernatural" run its course?

[Tulin]

I just finished watching the episode where Dean is working in an office and Sam is a telemarketer and I have to admit, been there, done that, seen it all before. This is, IIRC at least the third of these kinds of episodes where the boys are leading different lives.

SN just feels old now. I give the show regularly to my dad who also said the same thing. He felt it's the same thing, week after week. Couple that with the terrible angels and demons storyline this year where angels act bad and demons act good(oh look - we're trendy Hollywood - aint we clever!!!)and I think it's almost time for the boys to drive that big black car into the sunset for the last time.

I mean, how much more emo Winchester boys can we take?

 

[The Evil Dead]

Different strokes.... Personally, I was really surprised by how damn good the show was in its fourth season.

 

[Thrall]

I just finished watching the episode where Dean is working in an office and Sam is a telemarketer and I have to admit, been there, done that, seen it all before. This is, IIRC at least the third of these kinds of episodes where the boys are leading different lives.

SN just feels old now. I give the show regularly to my dad who also said the same thing. He felt it's the same thing, week after week. Couple that with the terrible angels and demons storyline this year where angels act bad and demons act good(oh look - we're trendy Hollywood - aint we clever!!!)and I think it's almost time for the boys to drive that big black car into the sunset for the last time.

I mean, how much more emo Winchester boys can we take?

Well you're in luck as next season will probably be the last one.

 

[Supreme Admiral]

I just finished watching the episode where Dean is working in an office and Sam is a telemarketer and I have to admit, been there, done that, seen it all before. This is, IIRC at least the third of these kinds of episodes where the boys are leading different lives.

SN just feels old now. I give the show regularly to my dad who also said the same thing. He felt it's the same thing, week after week. Couple that with the terrible angels and demons storyline this year where angels act bad and demons act good(oh look - we're trendy Hollywood - aint we clever!!!)and I think it's almost time for the boys to drive that big black car into the sunset for the last time.

I mean, how much more emo Winchester boys can we take?

Well you're in luck as next season will probably be the last one.

That's what I heard that next season will be the last one. I wouldn't want to put my hopes up, but we will see what future holds out for "Supernatural." Or the end has already written for this story of "Supernatural".

 

[Deckard]

I don't feel the show has run its course but I think as others have said that season 5 is meant to be the show's last. When they wrap up the Lucifer/Heaven/Hell/War story then I think the show will be done (hopefully Kripke won't do a Chris Carter and drag the show out beyond its natural life).

To me the show doesn't feel old and I have really enjoyed the season 4 storyline and I think one of the show's biggest strengths is the ability to balance the myth-arc episodes with more the self-contained stand alones.

Personally I'm not tired of the show and if season five does prove to be the final curtain then I hope it ends on a high note and leaves me wanting more.

 

[Skywalker]

I think that the fourth season was by far the show's strongest, and that it's gotten better every year. I really hope they go out on a high note with season five.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Personally I thought season 4 was pretty much the best so far. But I must admit I do want them to just finish the story and be done with it, rather than stretch it out to any longer than next year.

 

[FreezeC77]

I've found the 3rd and 4th season storylines to be the best seasons the show has done so I guess I'm not agreement with it being done. I am in agreement that since the show was planned for 5 seasons and since everything i've read indicates this storyline will be completed in this 5th season I want the show to end this year with that. I don't want it to drag on with something else for a year 6. So I'll be quite happy if this is the last year and the show gets to tell its arc.

Not too many sci-fi/fantasy shows end up with their creators actually getting to end with the final arc they wanted to tell.

 

[Trek4Ever]

I really enjoyed the 4th season of Supernatural which seemed to up the ante with the angels/Lucifer arc. However as much as I love the show I really want them to end it next season, I don't want it to become another Smallville or X Files where years from now people will be remarking "That show is still on?"

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Considering the bit of a cliffhanger the season ended with, I'd say it hasn't run its course quite yet. Thrall, if the last episode you watched was "It's a Terrible Life," you're not yet into the meatiest part of the season. You haven't seen "The Monster at the End of This Book," which is probably the single most side splittingly funny, meta episode they've ever done. It puts the previous episode to shame. It's classic, sure to be on top ten lists of SPN episodes.

No, it hasn't run its course. At the end of season five it will be a different story. The defeat of Lucifer and the slow rebuilding of the trust between the Winchesters are the main story arcs to come. As big a cheerleader as I am I, too, hope that season five is the last and that the two J's stay true to their word and won't do a sixth. Kripke's contract is definitely up after season five, but there's a question of whether or not Ackles and Padalecki are signed to a sixth, or an option for a sixth. I'm hoping that the network can't compel them to do a sixth. They're both great with the fans and faithfully do a couple of cons each year, but they've made it pretty clear, albeit politely, that they both think the story is done after next season from a creative standpoint. Where do you go after Lucifer is defeated and the brothers' bond climbs up the other side of the mountain to reestablish itself? I sure hope SPN doesn't turn into Smallville. There's a reason TWOP listed SPN's finale as one of the best of the year and Smallville's as one of the worst. I'd hate to see Padalecki and Ackles typecast like Welling. Not to be mean, but they're both so much more talented than Welling it's sad.

 

[mswood]

I just finished watching the episode where Dean is working in an office and Sam is a telemarketer and I have to admit, been there, done that, seen it all before. This is, IIRC at least the third of these kinds of episodes where the boys are leading different lives.

SN just feels old now. I give the show regularly to my dad who also said the same thing. He felt it's the same thing, week after week. Couple that with the terrible angels and demons storyline this year where angels act bad and demons act good(oh look - we're trendy Hollywood - aint we clever!!!)and I think it's almost time for the boys to drive that big black car into the sunset for the last time.

I mean, how much more emo Winchester boys can we take?

Actually besides Dean's dream experience in "What is and what should never be" what are the other examples of the brothers leading "Different" lives?

And to your point about Angles being bad, well yes and no. Frankly they are just working on utterly destroying all demons (not just keeping them chained in hell) in a matter that we personally might find morally questionable, but in their eyes we are just tools to use. Same as how we see animals. I don't thank one can rationally try and place human morality on things that aren't human.

And for Demons being good, lets see. The show has featured to date how many demons? Well its over a 150. Just of those that are major speaking roles and thats over 30. Limiting t to just those who appear in multiple episodes and we have Azazeal, Ruby, Lilith, Allister, as the main players to date. How can one rationally say Demons are good? We have one, count them one example of a demon who has helped the boys, and the boys are of two minds of what her motivations are.

Hell we have more examples of Ghost and vampires being good, then any demons.

As to feeling its repetitive, well that is unfortunately the problem that effects all television shows. And I do mean all of them.

As for my personal feelings of quality, season 4 is easily in my book Supernaturals best season, with season 2 and 3 in about an even place (Season 3 more standouts but also lower lows, with season 2 being more consistent but hitting fewer high points) and then season one which is my opinion is frankly the poorest and the most repetitive of the series.

As to the complaints about the show being to emo, well it should be. And if the show wanted to really focus on the drama of the characters (instead of some of the humor and adventure) and treat the situations as realistically as possible they would be far, far darker.

In fact, I think with the set up of these characters lives and the events leading to season 4, I don't think one can rationally judge the show has being to emo, in fact I think one would rationally have to judge it has not being emo enough to fit the world and experiences these characters have been in.

 

[mswood]

As to my feelings about a possible season 6.

Frankly I am of two minds. One I think the shows has improved dramatically over the years, with both the writers and actors really growing into the characters and the universe.

If Kripke's goals for the end of Supernatural is were the characters stop Lucifer and its cot them both their lives the please end it at season 5 (or at the very least let the writers know that they have another season to flesh it out better).

If its Kripke's goal to end the character still out on the open road continuing the good fight, then frankly I like the idea of a season 6.

I am of course working on the base assumption that the Lucifer arc is meant to end season 5.

That gives the writers a season to show the ramifications of those events (both good and bad) and how they and the rest move forward from that point.

But again it really depends on what type of ending they see for these characters.

I will say this, based off the schedule for next season, the CW sees Supernatural has a show that has more possibility for future years then they see Smallville. If they absolutely saw season 5 has the end of the line, then that is what would be on Fridays.

I would also assume that Kripke, if the show is picked up for a season 6, will in fact be a part of that season.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Hee. Thrall needs to see all the remaining episodes before he judges those demons, doesn't he? I agree with you that the Winchesters, with all the trauma they've experienced, should be blubbery messes who can't manage to get out of bed in the morning. Really, they aren't emo enough considering what's happened to them. At least this show treats an impending apocalypse seriously, unlike Ms. Buffy in the past who literally saved the world every week. I like that their experiences and the stress is cumulative. All I could think when I watched the Smallville finale was what a wimp Clark is. He thinks he has troubles?

I just can't see them going back to the boys on the open road formula after this arc is completed. I always suspected that Kripke planned to kill them both off, but who knows? I just can't see it stretching out to 6 whole seasons.

 

[mswood]

Well Jared really wants them both dead at the end, and if that is part of the plan then they would certainly need to either end it, or stretch out the arc of lucifer.

Could they and still tell compelling stories? I think they could. But (and its a big but) the writers would need a lot of lead time to change the story arc. If its a last minute (say they are working on the scripts for the last three episodes) when they get an order for season 6 then yeah that will really, really make things difficult (if they plan to still end the show with a battle with lucifer).

But if the story's end is with the guys still alive and hunting then it does leave them an interesting arc of how do these two characters (not to mention others) try and put their lives back together again.

In fact each season I think they could have expanded the arc into more episodes (especially season 2 and 3). But the key is how much lead time do the writers have to plan.

If the start of next season say its first 4 or 5 episodes show either growth (like this year) or are stable (with last year) then I think the writers would be very stupid to plan an hard end to the season.

If either of those two things occur the CW will not let the show end. Its that simple.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

I would be really sad to see this show turn into nothing but a cash cow. I hope the ratings hold steady but don't surge, which I don't think they will with Fringe added to the timeslot mix. Shows with an end date are so much more compelling. There could be great drama in the death of these two brothers. One caveat, they have to kill them both if the blaze of glory is planned for the end. I don't want this one of them alive one of them dead shit. I'm really attached to this show and I really, really, really don't want a sixth season.

 

[Thrall]

Hee. Thrall needs to see all the remaining episodes before he judges those demons, doesn't he? I agree with you that the Winchesters, with all the trauma they've experienced, should be blubbery messes who can't manage to get out of bed in the morning. Really, they aren't emo enough considering what's happened to them. At least this show treats an impending apocalypse seriously, unlike Ms. Buffy in the past who literally saved the world every week. I like that their experiences and the stress is cumulative. All I could think when I watched the Smallville finale was what a wimp Clark is. He thinks he has troubles?

No, I've seen them all. I don't want Supernatural to end up like Buffy and go on too long and suffer from massive character destruction as a result of trying to keep things fresh. If Buffy had ended after it's 5th season, I'd still have a high opinion of it and Joss Whedon. I don't want to end up hating Supernatural and Kripke the same way. 5 Years is just fine with me. Most of my favorite shows rarely get 2.

But I also want a good ending. Something keeping with the spirit of the show. Not some lame cliffhanger that shits on the 5 years previous like Angel. I want closure.

Really, how do you top beating The Devil? You can't. You just can't. Unless they drag it out for a few more seasons. But even then, it would get old.

And I don't want to see the boys die. That's too obvious IMO. Even though it's something I would probably do. So yeah, I suck. Having a happy ending in this type of genre, notorious for it's bitter-sweet nihilism thanks to Joss Whedon and Ron Moore, would break the mold.

 

[wamdue]

Really, how do you top beating The Devil? You can't. You just can't. Unless they drag it out for a few more seasons. But even then, it would get old.

yes that is what ive been wondering, adding the Angels has been a good move for the show, but it is hard to top something like that. It makes those episodes where they deal with generic demons born of human suffering in some small town seem pointless.

 

[Thrall]

Really, how do you top beating The Devil? You can't. You just can't. Unless they drag it out for a few more seasons. But even then, it would get old.

yes that is what ive been wondering, adding the Angels has been a good move for the show, but it is hard to top something like that. It makes those episodes where they deal with generic demons born of human suffering in some small town seem pointless.

Exactly. Once your band plays in an arena going back to a club seems small time.

 

[mswood]

See I loved the ending to ANgel, it was all about the fight. Which is pretty much Angel's whole existence, you always fight.

As to the battle with lucifer, yeah I do agree trying to get a big bag to top that is futile, but (if they survive) picking up the pieces can be very interesting.

To use real life. For a ton of people the events of WW II were the sigle largest events of their life, yet that didn't diminish their struggles to deal with the aftermath.

Of course I honestly (with proper time, again very key) have no problem with the devil taking two seasons to deal with (After all it took two years to kill Azazel).

 

[wamdue]

Really, how do you top beating The Devil? You can't. You just can't. Unless they drag it out for a few more seasons. But even then, it would get old.

yes that is what ive been wondering, adding the Angels has been a good move for the show, but it is hard to top something like that. It makes those episodes where they deal with generic demons born of human suffering in some small town seem pointless.

Exactly. Once your band plays in an arena going back to a club seems small time.

actually that is something Buffy had a problem with in S6, after S5 Buffy stopped the evil goddess Glory, which was a big deal for the show, followed up in S6 by 3 little nerds, ok that ended with Willow going evil (ok I confess ive yet to see the finale) but Sam could fill that role.

Of course come S7 Buffy was facing the First, so they managed to top Glory in the end, but Supernatural does face the same problem.