Over 12, going on 13 seasons, Supernatural has brought its audience hope, despair, excitement, and sadness. It’s taught us about life, family, and revenge. Sam, Dean, and Castiel, better known as ‘Cass,’ have shown us that making mistakes is part of life, and while things will get tough, we can’t let that keep us down. We have to keep fighting.
As an athlete, I have made mistakes, but I always try to improve and be the best player I can be. When I was playing poorly or wasn’t winning, I wanted to give up. But instead, I kept fighting.
Here are 5 of the most important lessons I’ve learned from the show.
Revenge Isn’t Good, No Matter How Good it Looks
Sam and Dean’s dad, John Winchester, thought that getting revenge was more important than being a father. As a result, this hunger for vengeance destroyed Sam and Dean’s chance at having a normal, happy life.
Sure they killed the yellow-eyed demon that killed their mom, Mary, but at that point, John was already in Hell, and Sam and Dean’s chance at a normal life was long gone. Both Sam and Dean have acknowledged that the revenge road is an ugly and unhappy one.
As an athlete, referees are going to miss fouls that they should have called. I could go after the player who fouled me, but that only puts the opposing team in a better position and sets my team back even more. Supernatural proved to me that it’s better to play a clean game and move on.
You Can Change for the Better, Even if it’s Scary
The Cass we know and love wasn’t always the way he is now. He followed unjust orders because he thought the ends justified the means or it was “part of the plan.” But Cass began to have doubts, and shortly after meeting Dean and Sam in Season 4, decided that there was another, better way.
At the end of Season 4, Cass rebelled against heaven and everything he knew because he decided there was a better way. So, he chose to save the world instead of destroy it. He believed in the mission of helping humans and wanted to find a better way to do it.
As a lacrosse player, I would act before thinking and this caused many turnovers. I didn’t want to be the reason our team lost the ball all the time, so, like Cass, I made a conscious effort to change myself for the betterment of my team. This was hard for me, but I knew I had to change so I could become a better player.
Do What You Think Is Right and Learn From Mistakes
Sam, Dean, and Cass have done things they thought were the right things to do but these actions led to disastrous results. In Season 5, Sam drank demon blood to defeat demons, to prevent an apocalypse and stop Lucifer from rising. But instead, he ended up doing the opposite. However, rather than give up, Sam helped stop Lucifer from destroying the world and sacrificed himself to help send Lucifer back to Hell.
During Seasons 6 and 7, Cass thought it was a good idea to open Purgatory and play God to stop apocalypse 2.0. Instead, he ended up absorbing thousands of monstrous souls and became a villain. Cass realized his mistake and helped close the gates to Purgatory and send back the monstrous souls.
I miss shots as a lacrosse player. The important thing is not to dwell on the mistake, but, like Sam and Cass, to learn how to make up for my mistake. I’ve learned to hustle during the next play and work to earn the ball back for my team.
Never Give Up No Matter How Impossible it May Seem
Sam, Dean, and Cass have all been thrown into insane situations where most people would have given up. But instead of throwing in the towel when the going got tough, they worked together to take down whatever evil they were facing. The trio has taken down Lucifer multiple times, Leviathans, the Darkness, the British Men of Letters, Metatron, angels, demons, and various other supernatural creatures. They never gave up on saving the world once the apocalypse was starting.
They’ve taught us that however insurmountable the odds are against you, you should never give up. Dean said it best himself:
“You always have a choice. You can either roll over and die or you can keep fighting, no matter what.”
I have played in games where I have been down at half time, but during halftime, my team and I talked out how to make improvements. Instead of giving up, we picked up our intensity and worked harder to win games and complete comeback victories.
Forgive Others and Yourself
Mary thought selling her soul was a good idea, but all it did was send her family down a nightmare-filled path that led three of them to Hell. Literally.
In the episode, “Who We Are,” Dean has a telepathic conversation with Mary and tells her how unfair it was that her decision ruined their lives. He says he understands because he has made his own mistakes, and forgives Mary for her mistakes.
After this, Mary wakes up and saves Dean before Ketch kills him.
Perhaps it was Dean forgiving her that allowed Mary to forgive herself. And by forgiving herself, she no longer wanted to remain trapped in that place in her mind and gave her the strength to fight for a new life with her sons.
I have made mistakes as a lacrosse player and focused on too much my mistakes. My coaches and teammates told me that it was okay that I messed up because they knew I was doing my best. Like Mary, this support helped me move on from my mistake and focus on the next play.
Supernatural has taught us so many lessons that we’d be here for another 12 years just listing them all. They’ve shown us how to do what’s right, forgive others, and keep fighting, no matter what crazy things life or sports throw at you.
Supernatural Season 13 returns to The CW on October 12.
