With the long-awaited 12th season of Supernatural fast approaching, fans are anxious to know what new horrors the Winchester brothers will be facing. To get ready for the new season which airs on The CW on Oct. 13, we are taking a look back at the best episodes from each season of the show.
Season 1: “Bloody Mary”
The first season of Supernatural was pretty terrifying, and the fifth episode, “Bloody Mary,” was one of the scariest. The old legend of Bloody Mary has been used throughout pop culture for many years, yet Supernatural still made it new and scary. Filled with mystery and jump scares, this episode is where the show was first recognized as a legitimate horror series.
Season 2: “Heart”
Personally, episode 17 of season two, “Heart,” has to be one of the saddest of the entire show. Sam and Dean meet a girl who is a werewolf, except she doesn’t know it. They save her by killing the alpha werewolf but Sam falls in love with the girl. Happy endings all round, right? Well, here’s the twist — we find out that she is somehow still a werewolf and transforms again. The sad thing is that the Winchesters know they cannot save her. At the end, a tearful Sam shoots her. This may not seem like much, but this is probably the first time Sam and Dean were not able to save someone so important in their lives and it became a turning point for the show.
Season 3: “Ghostfacers”
Season three episode 13, “Ghostfacers” is a spoof of classic ghost hunting reality shows. Duo Harry and Ed return with a new team to investigate an old house. They accidentally bump into Sam and Dean who happen to be investigating the same place. With the Winchesters trying to take the investigation seriously, and the Ghostfacers messing it up, this episode is one of the most hilarious yet moving episodes of Supernatural.
Season 4: “Lazarus Rising”
“Lazarus Rising” is the first episode of season four and it single-handedly changed the show forever. Dean is resurrected from Hell, but by who? Or what? With the help of a physic, we find out that an angel rescued Dean from Hell — a supernatural being that the character had dismissed as not real. This has to be one of the most ground-breaking surprises of the show. And with this, we are introduced to Supernatural’s most well-known character in an iconic moment: Castiel.
Season 5: “Changing Channels” and “Swan Song”
Season five was such a good season for the show that it deserves two episodes. “Changing Channels” and “Swan Song” are currently the highest rated Supernatural episodes on IMDB. And they certainly deserve it. “Changing Channels” is one of the shows meta episodes, and has become a classic. The Trickster has some mischievous fun with the Winchesters by putting them in different TV shows. But what really makes this episode great is that we find out the Trickster is, in fact, the angel, Gabriel.
By contrast, “Swan Song” is filled with tears, but that’s because it’s the last episode of the season. Sam manages to defeat Lucifer but must sacrifice himself and go to Hell. And to shock us even more, we are left hanging with the theory that Chuck may be God.
Season 6: “The French Mistake”
This didn’t even need any thought or decision. “The French Mistake” has to be one of the best episodes of the show. Ever. Let alone just the sixth season. Mainly because it does what no other show has done before. The angel Balthazar transports the Winchesters into an alternative universe in which Sam and Dean are known as Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles who star in a TV show called Supernatural. We get to see actors playing the characters playing the actors playing the characters. It’s hilarious and confusing, but it’s what makes it such a classic and unique episode.
Season 7: “Death’s Door”
“Death’s Door” is pretty much the saddest episode of the whole show because we lose one of our favourite characters, Bobby Singer. In this season’s 10th episode, we take a look back at Bobby’s memories. Seeing his life as a child and his relationship with the Winchesters, it’s emotional and overwhelming. But it’s not all sad because we get to experience some of Bobby’s happiest memories too. So, as our favorite character leaves us, we are reminded of how much we love him.
Season 8: “LARP and the Real Girl”
In “LARP and the Real Girl“, we reunite with our favorite lesbian computer nerd, Charlie Bradbury. She and the Winchesters investigate a case while in the setting of a live action role-playing game. It’s funny and adventurous, especially as we get to see Sam and Dean have some fun by joining in a battle at the end.
Season 9: “Do You Believe in Miracles?”
The finale of season nine was all going pretty well until the end. But the end is what makes it the best episode of the season. The angels look up to Castiel once again, Metatron is locked away in Heaven. Everything seems to be going well (ish) until Metatron kills Dean. We know he cannot die, but we wonder how he will be resurrected. Sam summons Crowley to help Dean, not knowing that he is already with Dean. Crowley reveals that with the Mark of Cain, Dean cannot die. And what is probably the most tense and shocking endings to a season, Dean opens his eyes to reveal that he is a demon.
Season 10: “Fan Fiction”
Season ten was probably not the best season. However, it did have one incredible episode which was the 200th episode, “Fan Fiction“. Supernatural writer, Robbie Thompson, described the episode as a love letter to fans. And it was. A group of high school fangirls adapt Supernatural into a musical and play featuring some of our favorite characters. With some catchy tunes and a surprise twist of finding out an old character is alive, this episode is definitely a highlight of the show.
Season 11: “Don’t Call Me Shurley”
There are some strong contenders for the best episode of season 11. There’s “Baby“, “O Brother, Where Art Thou“, and of course, the finale, “Alpha and Omega“. But “Don’t Call me Shurley” has to take the top spot. After finding out in season 10 that Chuck is alive, he finally makes his return after six years. Even more shockingly, he confirms that he is God which was something we thought we would never find out after season five. In the end, he reunites with the Winchesters once they find Dean’s amulet is glowing in his presence. In 12 years and countless storylines, this is probably one of the biggest reveals the show has ever had.
There’s no doubt that everyone has different opinions on which episode is their favorite. And maybe season 12 will have even better episodes. We’ll have to find out later this month when Supernatural returns to The CW on Oct. 13.
