Category: Fandom News

Happy Anniversary and Happy 21st Birthday, Supernatural!

Happy Anniversary and Happy 21st Birthday, Supernatural!

spnfans

It’s September 10.

Six years ago on this day, Supernatural filmed its final scenes.

I was glued to social media that day, watching the posts come in – from the set from cast and crew, and from all the guest actors over the years whose lives had been changed by the little show that could.

I remember sitting there for a long time, crying and a little stunned, when the confirmation came through that the very last scene had in fact been filmed.

That it was, as they say, a Wrap.

I was so grateful to everyone who kept the fandom apprised that day, making us feel like a part of Supernatural right up until the very end.

So I’m emotional again today.

All week we’ve also been celebrating the days leading up to another important anniversary – on September 13, in three days, it will be Supernatural’s 21st birthday of the day it first aired. How lucky are we, after all this time, to still be celebrating?

On September 13, 2026, fittingly enough, I will be at a Supernatural convention.

Both Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles will be there, in sunny (hopefully) Orlando, Florida at the Creation Entertainment convention, one of many devoted to my favorite Show, along with Misha Collins and many guest actors who were such an integral part of the show. There will inevitably be a moment on that Sunday when I will tear up and get emotional thinking about the long strange trip we’ve been on for the past 21 years.

Twenty-one years.

That’s how long it will be since Supernatural premiered back in 2005.

I didn’t watch the pilot live, but I saw it shortly after, thanks to a friend who saw the show previewed at Comic Con that year and made sure to watch it with her handy dandy VHS recorder ready. She brought the VHS tapes of the first few episodes when she came to visit, sitting me and Kathy and Karen down and informing us that ‘this show is amazing’.

I remember thinking it was scary, and Sam and Dean were cute.

I watched the first season still thinking that, keeping up partly because I wanted to share the enthusiasm of my friends and because we inevitably watched the episodes when we all got together anyway. It wasn’t until the start of the second season that I realized that somewhere along the line, I had gradually fallen in love. Not in a oh-this-is-a-good-show kind of way, but in a OMG-this-is-the-most-amazing-show-in-the-history-of-television way.

My best friend Kathy fell in love too, and together we embarked on all sorts of unlikely adventures for two grown ups with families and kids and professor jobs. We impulsively flew across the country to Texas to try to meet Dean Winchester’s portrayer Jensen Ackles at a local theater production, and ended up meeting Jared Padalecki instead – in the candy line. We flew to California to go to Comic Con and camp out overnight to get into the Supernatural panel long before it was in the giant Hall H; they were unprepared for how many people had already fallen for the show. We watched every episode and dissected it as only a psychologist and an English professor can, long into the night and with just as much enthusiasm and seriousness as we dissected our own textbooks. We went to the very first Creation Supernatural convention, watching Jared and Jensen get emotional when they saw how many people were loving what they were working so hard on. Our experience with Supernatural fandom was so life changing, we changed our professional paths to research fandom and write books on what we found. Every time we visited the Supernatural set, we were more impressed with all the talented individuals who made the Show the unique and incredible thing it was.

Over the past 21 years, Supernatural and this fandom have given me so much joy. I feel incredibly lucky that this is the Show I fell for. So incredibly lucky that almost every single Supernatural actor has turned out to be not only talented but a decent person who is genuinely grateful for all the opportunities the Show and the fans offered them.

When I put together the book ‘Family Don’t End With Blood’ and the actors wrote chapters for it, I worried that I’d see “the real people” and they would somehow turn out to be jerks after all – instead they were more professional and pleasant to work with than lots of the contributors for books I’ve published for my own profession!

Okay, maybe not at that exact moment….

Those three have beautiful chapters, though.

And they really are great to work with.

I know neither the show nor the fandom is perfect. There are episodes I rolled my eyes or gnashed my teeth over, though there are way more that I adored (yes, that includes the finale). There are days I dip into what’s going on in the fandom and walk away discouraged by fans attacking the actors or each other instead of appreciating what we have and letting everyone appreciate it in whatever way speaks to them. For me, Supernatural is still a little island of escape and joy in the midst of a world that is increasingly dark and threatening and lacking empathy. It has been that for me for 21 years.

That hasn’t changed.

So if I’m a little teary on Sunday when I see you, Jared and Jensen, please understand that when I’m talking to you, I’m also seeing Sam and Dean and remembering watching that old VHS tape 21 years ago and ‘meeting’ the characters who would change my life.

Thank you for making them memorable enough to make me get choked up (in a good way) 21 years and six books about Supernatural later.

And thank you, Supernatural, for everything.

– Lynn

You can read the beautiful chapters by the actors

in Family Don’t End With Blood, and their thoughts

on the show and their characters through the

years in There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done.

 

It’s Been 5 Years Since the Supernatural Finale – Happy Anniversary, Show!

It’s Been 5 Years Since the Supernatural Finale – Happy Anniversary, Show!

spnfans

Somehow it’s been five years since the Show that changed my life aired its final episode.

Last year I wrote that same sentence (with a four obviously). It’s still true that November 19, 2020 seems like a lifetime ago and yet something that happened just yesterday. The entire world has changed since then, but all those changes seem to have only made Supernatural more relevant. Its message, to “always keep fighting” no matter what the odds you’re up against, is a reminder needed now more than ever. There are days when it seems hopeless, with so many things going in the wrong direction – but then I remember, that’s what Sam and Dean faced just about every day. And they never gave up.

That might be Supernatural’s most powerful legacy – giving us some inspiring role models to help us keep going when problems seem insurmountable. I can still rewatch an episode and feel just a little bit more hopeful, and some days I really need that.

Five years ago, I turned on my TV to watch the series finale live, as I had watched almost every single episode of Supernatural for the past 15 years. Jared, Jensen, Misha and many of the other actors tuned in too, all of them as emotional as we all were.

I had friends on zoom to watch “with”, but the rest of the family knew to give me some space because there was sure to be some ugly crying. (There was, and they were probably grateful to miss it!)

Misha pulled off the crying alot better than I did.

My tears then were for a multitude of reasons. Sure, Dean dying was agonizing – and a master class in acting from Ackles and Padalecki – and I let myself sob so much I felt sick, quite literally.

Sam grieving his brother, and the perfect music cues that accompanied that, kept the tears flowing.

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The montage that followed, the realization that the cycle was broken, that Sam did live and left hunting and had a life while he waited to join his brother – that made me cry too. Not out of sadness, but out of appreciation for what the Show managed to do in its ending, and how much that made sense to the story I’d been following for 15 years.

I cried through the bridge scene too, smiling through my tears – emotional with gratitude that the Show allowed us the only kind of happy ending that made sense for the Winchesters. Seeing Sam and Dean’s joy in being reunited warmed my heart – seeing the behind the scenes photos of Jared and Jensen celebrating all they accomplished over those 15 years did too.

And then Supernatural gave us an extra gift. They included all of us – the fans who had kept Supernatural on the air for all those years – in its final goodbye. We all got to hear Bob Singer call “cut” for the last time. We all got to metaphorically stand on that bridge and say goodbye to something that has meant so much.

I’m still grateful.

I worried that the fandom would disappear after the finale – that it would finally fragment for good and people would drift away to other shows and actors and fascinations. Of course there’s been some of that. Social media platforms have changed, fans continue to split into factions who see the Show and the characters differently and struggle to allow others their own perspectives. Other shows have captured fans’ imaginations. And yet, five years later, there is still an active and vibrant fandom. Sometimes the factions arguing about whether Dean or Sam was John’s favorite or what the color of a wall really means threaten to take away some of that joy, but then I realize that means people still care enough about the Show to argue about it – so I should really be grateful when I see the passion still there in the arguing!

I’m even more grateful that creative and talented fans are still making edits and videos and art and fanfiction and writing articles about the show. They’re still passionate enough about it to spend their hard earned cash to go to conventions – even now, five years later, there are more Supernatural conventions than any other show. Every time I’m at a con, the number of new fans who just discovered the show and binged it is shocking. In a good way!

That means the Supernatural actors have stayed close too, spending time together at conventions and in their free evenings during those weekends. Most casts wrap filming and go their separate ways, but this cast never has completely – and it seems like they like it that way.  Rob Benedict and Richard Speight, Jr. bring their fellow actors together on their Supernatural Then and Now podcast regularly, along with the writers and producers and crew who helped make the show so amazing. Jared starred and Jensen directed and Jake Abel guest starred on ‘Walker’. Rob, Rich, Ruth Connell and Gil McKinney joined Jensen on ‘The Winchesters’.

And coming up, we’re a very very lucky fandom indeed – because Jared, Jensen and Misha are all reuniting in an episode of ‘The Boys’ thanks to Supernatural creator and The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke. To say that I’m looking forward to that is such an understatement, it’s laughable.

I’m glad the actors have stayed close, but I’m even more grateful that the friends I’ve made through Supernatural have remained close too. I met some of my best friends in this fandom, and those friendships continue to stand the test of time. We’ve been there for each other through a lot of ups and downs over these past five years, from pandemics to politics to personal crises. There are no better friends than my fandom friends, who are now way more than that – they’re forever friends. We met through Supernatural though, and I’m so glad that we still share a love for the show.  I need people in my life who will never say no to a rewatch of The French Mistake!

Of course I miss the Show. For a while, there was talk about revisiting the Supernatural universe “in five years” – which would be now. Obviously that isn’t going to happen, and who knows if it ever will since its actors are busy doing all sorts of other exciting things. In the last year alone we’ve had Jensen starring in ‘Countdown’ and guest starring on ‘Tracker’ and Jared guest starring on ‘Fire Country’. Jensen will be revisiting Soldier Boy in Season 5 of ‘The Boys’ and starring in the prequel ‘Vought Rising’. Jared will soon start filming ‘The Bodyguard’. They’ve both got other projects in the pipeline as producers, and Misha is developing a film project and is in the process of writing a dystopian novel.

The fandom has supported them in all their subsequent projects – I think we all feel a special sense of pride when “our boys” are doing what makes them happy. But even if they never put out any creative content again, I’d always be proud of them for what they created with Sam, Dean and Cas. They created something unique – special – that changed lives for so many people.

It’s been almost ten years since we wrote Family Don’t End With Blood, and five years since we wrote There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done – both books were intended to celebrate all the ways that Supernatural is special. Its chapters, written by the actors and by the fans, are about all the myriad ways Supernatural has changed all of us. It’s a permanent reminder of what made Supernatural special.

post arachnobite

A few months ago, a publisher contacted me to write another book, for a series of books on the TV shows that have mattered, that have had an impact. Unsurprisingly, Supernatural was one of them. I couldn’t say no. It seems fitting to be working on that book when the 5 year anniversary comes around. Because Supernatural HAS had an impact – on me, and on so many others. I can’t count how many people have stopped by my vendor table or emailed me after reading the books to tell me their own personal story of how the Show changed their lives – or saved it.

Five years later, my love – and my gratitude – are as strong as ever.

Thank you, Supernatural. I miss you….for now…

Lynn

You can remember all the ways Supernatural was

special – to us and to the actors – in their own words

in Family Don’t End With Blood and There’ll Be

Peace When You Are Done. Links on the home

page here or all the info at:

 

Happy 20th Anniversary, Supernatural!!

Happy 20th Anniversary, Supernatural!!

spnfans

Every year I worry about the same thing – will this be the year that no one remembers it’s the anniversary of the premiere of my favorite TV show of all time? Will this be the year that I’m celebrating alone and missing it as much as ever, without the validation of my fellow fans?

Every year it turns out I didn’t have to worry – and this year it feels like I have more company than ever.

Happy 20th anniversary, Supernatural!!

Twenty years ago today, the pilot episode premiered on what was then The WB network.

I didn’t see it live, but I saw it soon after thanks to a good friend who had fallen in love with the new series after seeing it promoted at Comic Con that year. She recorded the episodes on VCR tapes and when we all got together, we’d watch them together, sometimes squeeing over “the boys” and their badass black Impala, sometimes covering our eyes and screaming when it was too scary. It wasn’t long before I fell down the rabbit hole of loving Sam and Dean and Supernatural, and I’ve never looked back.

It’s hard to believe that was two decades ago – the world has changed so much and so have I, but all those years somehow haven’t changed how I feel about the show. In fact, I think I’m more emotional than ever when I rewatch episodes that have become even more beloved for their familiarity, like a worn-soft comfy blanket that keeps me warm emotionally when the world is cold.

I am so grateful that Supernatural has continued to air for so long, from TNT marathons to Hulu to every other platform that has hosted it over the years. I am so grateful that the show’s cast has continued to attend fan conventions all over the world, many of them devoted to Supernatural. How many shows that premiered in 2005 can say that in 2025, twenty years later?? Every time I’m at a convention and Jared Padalecki asks, “who’s first time” and a third of the audience raises their hands, I’m in awe of the staying power of the Little Show That Could.

I remember when we didn’t dare count on even one more season, let alone fifteen. When we were a fandom that was tiny in size but disproportionately large (and loud) in our passion for our Show. I remember sending postcards to the studio, first The WB and then The CW, pleading for more. The first time I was invited to the set, the office was plastered with them, a constant reminder to the hardworking cast and crew of just how much fan support was out there.

That support is still there.

It was obvious when the show aired its finale episode five years ago, so many fans posting to show their gratitude and to share how special the journey has been for so many of us.

It’s obvious at every fan convention, in the cheers of the crowd and the eagerness to ask questions about the show even though it’s been over for five years now.

The fans have followed the talented Supernatural cast on to many other projects, supporting them in all sorts of roles and helping those projects succeed too. At the same time, for many of us, we haven’t moved “on” from the fictional characters who so inspired us. Sure, the relationships may be “parasocial”, but that doesn’t make them trivial – we find meaning and inspiration and a sense of belonging from the fictional worlds we love revisiting.

Supernatural may not be airing, but it is far from forgotten.

This year, that’s especially obvious. TV Insider camped out at a Supernatural convention for two days to see for themselves that the passion for the show is very much alive, publishing a 20th anniversary Supernatural special magazine and releasing priceless videos of Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins reminiscing about the show they too continue to love.

Entertainment Weekly posted their video of Jared, Jensen and Misha today, buying some gorgeous boots in Austin and reminiscing about their time on Supernatural by answering 20 questions for the 20th anniversary (see full video at end)

Also, I mean, LOOK at them!

The “official” Supernatural Instagram and YouTube accounts were quiet for a while, but they’ve been active recently, posting content to help us all reminisce as we celebrate #SPN20. Richard Speight, Jr. and Rob Benedict host the SPNThenAndNow podcast that’s doing a complete rewatch of the show, and there are countless other podcasts and Youtube channels still conjecturing about everything and anything related to Supernatural.

I had a chance to chat with both Jared and Jensen about the 20th anniversary happening today just a week ago, and their mix of incredulity and fondness and gratitude felt similar to my own. It seems impossible that it’s been so long, but at the same time I am SO very grateful that I am in such good company in still loving it.

Supernatural changed my life. I met some of my best friends in this fandom. I’ve traveled places I never would have gone otherwise. I’ve laughed, cried, hugged and been hugged, and been understood in a way that’s rare to find in this world.  I’ve written six books on the show, two of them with the Supernatural actors, an experience I cherish.

I just signed a contract to write another, celebrating how much, after 20 years, the show matters.

Thank you, Eric Kripke, for creating such a special story. Thank you, Jared and Jensen and Misha and all the many talented actors, writers, directors and crew who brought that story to life so vividly. And thank you, SPNFamily, for every warm hug, shared adventure, impassioned debate about my favorite topic of conversation, and most of all for still being here celebrating with me, twenty years on.

Here’s to many more! (And perhaps, someday, to more Supernatural)

Happy 20th Anniversary, Supernatural.

With love.

Here’s the video from EW – it will make you laugh, maybe tear up a little, and most of all make you very grateful that they have so many fond memories of Supernatural.

Just like we all do.

-Lynn

You can read the books with chapters from the

Supernatural actors, info at the link below, or

find them at any bookstore or on Amazon to

celebrate 20 years of Supernatural!

Happy Birthday Jensen Ackles! (2025 Edition)

Happy Birthday Jensen Ackles! (2025 Edition)

spnfans

I often write a birthday post for Jensen’s birthday looking back in gratitude for all the ways he brightened my year (and of course for bringing Dean Winchester to life so brilliantly). This year is no exception in terms of gratitude – I am as in love with Supernatural as ever, five years after the show ended, and I am still endlessly grateful for the show and for Dean. In spite of being not the most prolific social media user, Jensen’s occasional posts have invariably been bright spots in the year too. His con appearances never fail to warm my heart, whether I’m there or watching from afar, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been in the audience for another Radio Company show and some Saturday Night Special performances. I had a few special moments with him in the past year that I’ll forever be thankful for, including a little time with him and his Baby and some serendipitous Disney World chats.

That’s alot of joy – and I’m very very grateful.

But I also really REALLY need some things to look forward to right now, in the midst of these difficult times. So I thought I’d look ahead instead of behind for this birthday post, because I’m also very grateful that we have SO much to look forward to from Jensen coming up! He’s been working hard filming multiple projects, and I can’t wait to see all the fruits of his labor – because we know they’ll be awesome.

I enjoyed Jensen’s guest turn as Russell on Tracker and was happy to hear that they want him back (when he can fit it into that busy schedule). They left Russell’s history mysterious enough that I want to know more about him, and I loved every moment of Russell onscreen. Jensen and good buddy Justin Hartley make believable brothers, and they clearly enjoyed being able to act together after so many years of friendship. So, one of the things we have to look forward to – more Russell!

Hopefully we’ll find out more about the family mystery with all three siblings in the new season.

Russell had that cockiness to his personality, and that sense of humor, that we all know Jensen can pull off so organically – part of what makes us fall a little bit in love with all his characters.

Even when we don’t want to! (We’ll get to Soldier Boy in a minute…)

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We also have the brand new show ‘Countdown’ to look forward to – a starring role for Jensen, and a new partnership of Chaos Productions with Prime Video. We don’t know alot about Mark Meachum yet, but the little hints we’ve gotten are intriguing.

Most exciting for me, every time I’ve asked Jensen about how it’s going, HE has been excited – and generally when he thinks something is gonna be good, it’s something I end up loving! Meachum will be complex for sure, and there will apparently be plenty of tension and action and interpersonal complications, all of which should make for a compelling new character.

What bodes even better is how much fun they’re having behind the scenes on the set, including Jensen serenading the cast (with some harmonizing) – and even sharing it with us!

Cannot wait to meet you, Mark Meachum!

And then of course we have the return of Soldier Boy, my beloved. (I angst alot over how much anticipation I feel for his return, considering what an absolutely awful person/supe he is, but honestly I really cannot wait – I wrote a whole chapter about why in ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ and I’m standing by it…)

We missed him in Season 4, in all his glorious complexity. Part lost little boy, part violent rageful supe, part anguished father, part damaged son. Give him back to me!

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Of course you’re not!

I mean, look at him…

I was already very VERY excited about Jared Padalecki joining Jensen on The Boys for the upcoming and final season, which I first talked to Eric Kripke about literally years ago. I’ve been fairly sure it would happen barring some unforeseen circumstances for a while, and anticipating it all that time.

They took this photo for me a long long time ago – and it’s going to come true!

Jared and Jensen being back onscreen together for the first time since Supernatural ended is enough to keep me in anticipatory joy for the entire next year. Who will Jared play? An ally for Soldier Boy – or an antagonist? Jared has said he’d like to play a villain, and Jared and Jensen have both said they’d really enjoy their characters fighting it out (perhaps with an unexpected sense of alignment anyway) or maybe they’re enemies who have to work together… so many possibilities! Anticipation is good for us, and The Boys Season 5 is really bringing it. Last week The Boys officially announced that Jared would be guest starring in Season 5 – and so would Misha Collins!

Just the announcement nearly broke the internet, so you can imagine what the actual onscreen reunion (yes, they will be onscreen together per Eric Kripke) will do!

I love you, Eric Kripke. And I cannot WAIT to see what you come up with for some of your favorite actors for the final season of one of my favorite shows!

In addition to all of THAT to look forward to, we’ve got more a dozen conventions where Jensen will be appearing, so there will be plenty of moments to put a smile on my face from those too. And who knows what else might get added?  I’d say, all in all, Jensen fans are pretty damn lucky.

Jensen thrives on being productive and busy and fulfilled, doing the work he loves and spending time with the family he loves – and spending time with the fans he appreciates too. That all bodes well for the coming year, for all of us. And I’m grateful.

So Happy Birthday, Jensen Ackles – keep kickin’ it in the ass!

— Lynn

You can read Jensen’s chapters in Supes

Ain’t Always Heroes, Family Don’t End

With Blood, and There’ll Be Peace When

You Are Done – links and info on the home page!

Happy Birthday Dean Winchester! (2025 Edition)

Happy Birthday Dean Winchester! (2025 Edition)

spnfans

I’m sure there’s someone somewhere saying “celebrating a fictional character’s birthday is weird” but frankly, I don’t care. When a character is important to you, any excuse to celebrate their “existence” is welcome, and what better excuse than a birthday?

Research is on my side. We don’t just develop “parasocial relationships” with real people who happen to be celebrities – we also develop them with our favorite fictional characters. Spending time “with” those beloved characters feels as good as hanging out with our closest friends and family; our brains don’t distinguish that familiar face being on a screen instead of two feet away. That explains why I miss Dean Winchester so much, and why doing a Supernatural rewatch always makes me feel happy, content and just a little bit safer in the world.

Know what feels even better? Being reminded that I’m not the only one who feels this way about Dean! Every year since Supernatural ended (and it’s going on five years now), I’ve wondered – will this be the year that no one celebrates on January 24? Will I be the only one missing a fictional character and wanting to share my enthusiasm to celebrate another year?

So far, every year the answer has been no, and this year was no exception. Fans organized a #HappyBirthdayDeanWeek (thanks @pussels68) and for the past week there have been themed posts about our favorite character every day. Not only did that mean more Supernatural content than usual, so YAY, but it also gave me a chance to remember all the things that make the character so special.

We celebrated our favorite Dean hugs and our favorite moments with other characters. Never enough Dean hugs, but every one we got was cherished! Jody, Donna, Charlie, Garth. After so many years waiting, his mom. His dad. Castiel. And of course, Sam.

These are just a few of the posts that crossed my timeline, brightening up the past week because I never get tired of seeing Supernatural (and Winchesters) there!

Read more →

It’s Been Four Years Since Supernatural Ended – Happy Anniversary, Show!

It’s Been Four Years Since Supernatural Ended – Happy Anniversary, Show!

spnfans

Somehow it’s been four years since the show that changed my life aired its final episode.

It both seems like a second ago and forever ago simultaneously, in that strange way that really pivotal life events seem to take on an altered sense of time. The fandom has, of course, changed in those four years since Supernatural ended – but the entire world has changed too, in so many ways. Most of them seem to be bringing us closer to something like the Winchesters had to face repeatedly, edging toward things that feel almost apocalyptic.

If ever a world needed the Winchesters, it’s right now.

I’m so grateful that, in some sense, we still have them – and always will.  I can still escape with Sam and Dean and Cas, and I find myself rewatching the Show often instead of searching for something new. Nostalgia is powerful, and four years is long enough for it to feel genuinely nostalgic. It’s my feel good show, my happy place, my source of inspiration when it feels impossible to keep going. It’s a reminder to never stop fighting for the people I love and who I’m lucky enough to have in my life to love me back. It feels more necessary now than ever before.

I just re-read what I wrote on the two year anniversary of Supernatural ending. Oddly, I wrote that social media platform changes that were, at the time, just beginning, had me worried that those would change the fandom too. I wrote then:

Twitter itself, the platform on which I mostly make my fannish home and spend time with my fellow fans, is teetering on the abyss of ending too, driven into the ground by a new owner who seems determined to ruin what made it so useful, and occasionally wonderful. Who knows if the Supernatural fandom as it has existed for the past 17 years will ever exist that way again, with so many using Twitter as a platform for both fandom and for interacting with the actors who brought Supernatural to life. It feels like we may be at the end of an era – and doesn’t it just make sense that we’re standing on this precipice on the exact anniversary of Supernatural ending. How fitting is that? Supernatural has always been unprecedented, oddly tied to other major shifts in the broader culture. Why would that change now?

It’s now two years later, and the last week has seen a mass exodus from the platform formerly called Twitter. Some are migrating to Blue Sky, others to Threads or Facebook or Instagram or are just limiting their interaction to Tumblr or Reddit. Some are just leaving all together. It is the end of an era, and while it might reduce some of the social media toxicity and rampant misinformation that have made life even more challenging, it also reduces the sheer volume of fans in one place all interacting together (for better or worse). It feels a little sad, but maybe it’s also hopeful. Yes, you can find me on Blue Sky. I’m trying to be cautiously optimistic that we’ll all find each other again. I don’t like change, but I know that change can be a good thing too – or at least I keep trying to convince myself of that!

One thing I do know. There’s a lot to be grateful for when it comes to the SPNFamily and Supernatural. I feel incredibly lucky that we have 15 years of content to keep watching whenever we need a fix of our favorite fictional characters. I’m really grateful that we still get to interact with the actors at conventions – there were dozens of cons all over the world last year, proving the continued popularity of the show and its talented cast. Moments like these never fail to make me smile.

We’re also fortunate that we still get to watch our favorite actors, this time in their new projects – I feel extra fortunate that I genuinely like the shows they’re on!

While The Winchesters, Walker and Gotham Knights have wrapped, there have been lots of new ones to enjoy. Jared made his debut as a guest star who recurs on ‘Fire Country’ last week, and Camden Casey was an instant fan favorite.

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Sharing a screen with real-life bud Max Thieriot was clearly alot of fun for them, and the cast all talked about how much fun it was having Jared join the family.

And lucky for me, ‘Fire Country’ is a show I love even without Jared on it (but I love Jared on it!)

Jensen has already returned to guest star on ‘Tracker’ this season, another show I love regardless of SPN alum guest stars (but I love Jensen on it!).

That gave Jensen a chance to share the screen with another real-life bud, Justin Hartley, once again playing a big brother. (Fire Country filming in Vancouver gave Jared a chance to hang out with Justin too – it warms my heart that they’re all such good friends).

Jensen is also busy (understatement) filming his new show ‘Countdown’ and then on to the final season of ‘The Boys’ and the new prequel he stars in, ‘Vought Rising’.

I love ‘The Boys’ so much I put together an entire book about it, including a lonnngggggg chapter all about Soldier Boy (and a chapter from Jensen too). So I feel extra lucky that Jensen is part of a show I’ve loved since day one.

That show even brought Jensen back to Hall H at Comic Con this past year.

Kripke and Padalecki have both confirmed that the plan is to have Jared join Jensen in Season 5, which is definitely something to look forward to.

Misha brought the cast of The Boys and Supernatural together for a fun night of support for the Harris/Walz campaign, the combination otherwise known as the “Kripkeverse”. Two of my all time favorite shows, coming together for a cause they all believed in – and sharing it with us!

Misha has been everywhere all over the globe campaigning for the values he’s passionate about  – he inspires me with his determination to keep doing just that.

So yes, we’re lucky.

And maybe more important than any of the other reasons I count my blessings when it comes to Supernatural, I’m incredibly grateful for the friends I’ve made in this fandom. Somehow, four years later, there is still a ridiculous amount of infighting and arguing and ship wars and fans trying to police other fans over a fictional show that’s not even airing, but there is also a vibrant and supportive community that I count on every day to help get me through. There are so many people who care – not just about the Show but about the world, and the future, and each other. There are lots of fans who inspire me, and some special people who I can be real with every day, even when I’m really down, and know that they’ll both listen and care. What a gift that is, from a little show I fell in love with almost twenty years ago.

Happy anniversary, Supernatural. I’m still holding out hope for Season 16, if the universe sees fit to allow a little miracle, a little bright light in the dark.

And happy anniversary, SPNFamily. We may be all over the place, and we may not agree on everything, but I’m really glad I have so much company in still loving the Little Show That Could.

And did.

–Lynn

You can always remember how special Supernatural

was and is – in the actors and fans own words – with

the books Family Don’t End With Blood and There’ll

Be Peace When You Are Done. Info at:

Happy birthday Sam Winchester! (2024 Edition)

Happy birthday Sam Winchester! (2024 Edition)

spnfans

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. He hasn’t been on my TV screen in almost four years, and I have missed him every single day since then – just like I’ve missed the show he was on, the one that changed my life, Supernatural. Every time I have the pleasure of seeing the actor who brought him to life so brilliantly, Jared Padalecki, it makes me incredibly happy to hear Jared say that he’s 99.99% sure that Sam Winchester will be back. And that until that happens, he’s keeping Sam safe, as a cherished part of himself.

I am so grateful – and walk around with my fingers and toes crossed all the time hoping for more Supernatural. It’s uncomfortable, but hey, this is important.

And so is Sam’s birthday! One of the great things about social media (and yes, there are plenty of not-so-great things too) is that whatever you’re celebrating, you probably won’t have to do it alone. Sam Winchester’s birthday is no exception. For the past five days, the SPN Family has been celebrating the smart, sassy, selfless, adorable and badass younger Winchester brother, me included.  (Thanks to DaenerysM on X/Twitter for organizing!)

So I thought I’d share here some of the things Supernatural fans appreciate so much about our beloved Sammy.

One of the things that impresses me the most about Sam is his ability to be selfless – to put others ahead of himself, to sacrifice himself to save someone else. That someone else is often his brother – and it definitely goes both ways – but sometimes it’s a stranger, or even humanity itself. Many of us will sacrifice a lot for a loved one, but for a stranger, or the amorphous “the sake of the world”? That’s a rarity. But it’s one of Sam’s most admirable characteristics.

Here are some posts that fans made about Sam’s ability to be selfless:

Even when Sam is dying, he tries to put others first.

Many fans cited “The Born Again Identity” as a great example. Look at my poor baby!

An instance of Sam’s selflessness that I love is “The Born Again Identity”. His hell PTSD is at its worst and he’s dying of sleep deprivation, yet he’s still helping people, helping a young girl who was being haunted by her dead brother.

Sam had SO many selfless acts, but this one is probably my fav, bc after a psychotic break causing by hallucinations, after getting hit by a car and getting drugs to try to sleep, Sam still helped someone, because it’s who he is.

He was dying. He was in constant torment thanks to Hallucifer. And he used the last dregs of his energy and sanity to save a girl, because Sam Winchester cares more about others than he ever has himself. 

The devil is in his head, Lucifer depriving him of sleep, tired beyond belief, and he still sees the danger that someone is in and helps them. My sweet brave Selfless Sam.

When he was dying in “Red Meat” he also was more concerned about others – in this case once again, strangers. (That episode was often cited for Sam being badass, but he’s selfless in it too).

Sam Winchester is the most selfless character like there’s a bullet in his gut but all he cares about is the victims, asks Dean to take care of them first and he knows he slows them down so he tells them to ditch him and find help, putting others b4 himself.

Season 8 ends with an episode called “Sacrifice”, which is all about Sam doing just that.

The heartbreaking sequence near the end when Dean tries to talk him out of it is one of my favorite scenes of the whole show, but Sam’s “So?” in response to Dean telling him if he does this he’ll die will never not make me tear up.

One fan noted:

Sam always sacrificed his own well-being for the greater good. he took on the tablet trials and put himself in front of people to protect them. his mind and body were used and abused time after time but he didn’t care. he was truly selfless

Sam was ready to sacrifice himself in Season 10 too, when it came right down to it in a showdown with Death, because Dean said that was the only way to make things right. He knelt down and told Dean to do it, but not before he tried to absolve his brother of the guilt he knew would destroy him. Fans quoted Sam saying this to Dean, and meaning it:

You will never ever hear me say that you — the real you — is anything but good. But you’re right. Before you hurt anyone else, you have to be stopped, at any cost. I understand. Do it.”

Both of the brothers put each other first in both small and major ways throughout the series, as fans noted. Starting right at the beginning with the pilot episode.

This moment where he decides to risk what to him is the perfect life to help his brother is also an incredibly selfless act. 

And continuing throughout the entire fifteen seasons.

Read more →

Happy Birthday Dean Winchester, 2024 Style!

Happy Birthday Dean Winchester, 2024 Style!

spnfans

It’s January 24, 2024. This is the fourth January 24th without Supernatural, and you might think that Dean Winchester’s birthday would no longer be important. That maybe it might be a day like any other, without recognition or celebration. That surely the fandom would have moved on by now.

But you’d be wrong. And I am SO grateful!

It’s been a week of the hashtag #HappyBirthdayDeanWeek with fans recalling our favorite Dean moments each day. That means my timeline has been extra awesome, because I still can’t think of anything I’d rather be thinking about (and seeing) than Dean Winchester.  It’s really saying something about how complex both the character and the portrayal were that fandom has continued to disagree about his motivations and personality traits, his heroism and his failures, who he loves and what he values and who he wants to be, right on through the end of the show and going on four years later. There’s still brand new fanfic being written with Dean Winchester in a starring (or co-starring) role and there are still fan conventions that draw thousands of people and elicit questions about the show and the character. And again, I’m so grateful.

I’m also thankful that the gifted actor how brought him to life continues to love Dean Winchester too – and to keep him safe, as he said, “right here with me.”  Jensen’s insights in the book There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done include what he misses about Dean – his badassery, his humility, his vulnerability.

Jensen: It has been a privilege to play a character like Dean who has inspired so many people, because any excuse to give up is not an excuse that is good enough for the Winchesters. This is who they are. They fought because they believed in what they were fighting for, and that’s a part of the show that people connect with—to keep fighting the good fight, not giving up because the odds are stacked against you. Supernatural embodies that kind of resilience. I think Dean’s legacy is that he never gives up. He keeps fighting no matter what. The show carries the message to always keep fighting for each other, and that has inspired the fandom to keep fighting too, whatever fight they are facing.

He has also said he didn’t think he would ever say goodbye to Dean Winchester – that for him and for Jared Padalecki, the characters are woven into the fabric of their makeup and who they are as individuals.

Over the past year, both Jared and Jensen have talked about how much they’d like to bring back Sam and Dean and Supernatural. A limited series, a movie, a reboot of some kind. Maybe a chance to explore that “sweet spot” between besting Chuck and that fateful day in the barn. Maybe a “we’re needed” hiatus from Heaven. Some fans are concerned that any continuation of the series might mess with the canon that is awesome the way it is, or that the quality might be closer to late seasons inconsistency than early seasons artistry. I share those concerns but I would happily take the risk to have the Winchester brothers back!

The industry is all over the place right now, so who knows if it will be possible, but it’s a comfort to me knowing that Jensen and Jared want them back too. I’ve loved their other work – I’m about to mail Jensen his contributor copy of the new book, Supes Ain’t Always Heroes, which takes a deep dive into The Boys and Soldier Boy (including Jensen’s insights into that fascinating character). So clearly I love that show and character too!

But I will always miss Dean Winchester. Always.

Here are my favorite moments that I tweeted for this past week’s celebration. Isn’t it obvious why I am quite sure there will never be another character like Dean Winchester??

Day One – Fave young Dean childhood memory

I chose A Very Supernatural Christmas, the moment when Sam gifts Dean the Samulet. I vividly remember watching that episode when it aired and being so emotional. We knew Dean’s amulet well by then – I think I even owned a replica – but we didn’t know its backstory. To find out that it had been special to the brothers since their childhood, that it symbolized how they stuck together and had each other’s backs since they were little, often the two of them against the world – that made the amulet even more special.

Day Two – Fave comedic Dean moment

There are SO many to choose from, but I think the time I’ve laughed the hardest in this entire series is during the “bad acting” scene in The French Mistake. Dean’s FACE! That whole episode is a showcase for the comedic acting chops of Jared, Jensen and Misha – they are all beyond brilliant, including in this scene. Even though I’ve seen it countless times, I STILL cannot watch it without laughing out loud.

Though alot of other hilarious moments come to mind too…

Day Three – Fave action moment

I’ll sound like a broken record if I keep saying “there are so many” but….

For this, I chose one of the earlier Dean moments that made a huge impact. The end of Season 2, when there had been so much build up to the Winchesters trying to kill the Yellow Eyed Demon who destroyed their lives, and so much heartbreak when Sam was killed (and then resurrected), that the final showdown felt amazing. And when Dean aimed his gun and that bullet flew? DAYUM. Talk about Dean Winchester badassery. No wonder Jensen missed that aspect of playing Dean!

There were a few runners up that I saw on my timeline this week too, with good reason! That Reverse 180? Is it hot in here?

Day Four – Fave emotional moment

Broken record again, but seriously, the emotional moments are what really made me fall in love with this Show.

So I’ll choose one of the emotional moments that did that – that sealed the deal and landed me here, 16 years later, still missing Dean Winchester. It’s the scene at the end of Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things, when Dean pulls the Impala over on a gorgeous mountainside and opens up to Sam about how he’s really feeling. I remember watching it and the papers I was grading (yes, with a pen, it was a long time ago) just sliding right off my lap onto the floor as I stared open mouthed. This show – this character – I realized, was so much more than a little horror show on the CW. Holy shit, it was SO much more! All the kudos to Jensen for showing us just how deeply Dean Winchester feels, and to Eric Kripke for writing him that way.

Runner up was this scene that many others chose – one of the first times that Dean makes himself vulnerable, admitting to Sam that what he longs for, more than anything, is for them to be a family again. Kim Manners talked about how Jensen struggled with that scene, but as always – maybe because of that struggle – it ended up being incredibly moving and powerful.

Day Five – Fave inspirational Dean moment

This was a harder one, because (like Jensen) I find Dean inspiring in many ways, including his refusal to give up, his determination to Always Keep Fighting, his loyalty to his friends, and his unwavering support of his little brother.

There are many moments when Dean proves his love to Sam and the lengths he’s willing to go to in order to protect his family, and they all inspire me. Sure, the Winchesters probably shouldn’t sell their souls for each other or let the world burn to save the other, but that’s what’s so great about fictional characters – they are so damn compelling even when in real life that might not be a great idea. Or, you know, super healthy. But it’s so much of what I love about this show and this character. This is one of my favorite ones, when Dean lays it all out for Sam to save him from finishing the trials – and dying.

Day Six –

Fave moment of chemistry with another person

Call it Sam and Dean or call it Jared and Jensen, but the chemistry they’ve had since day one is what is widely acknowledged as the secret sauce to the show’s success. They have chemistry when they’re teasing each other like every annoying sibling ever, who nevertheless would have your back no matter what.

They have chemistry when they’re doing what they do (hunting) and they have chemistry when they’ve got each other’s backs. They’re so in sync sometimes they fall into step without even realizing it.

They have chemistry on the show and chemistry on the gag reels and chemistry at conventions.

From the very first season to the very last.

No wonder I miss watching them so much!

The last day is post whatever you want, so I’ll just close with a few Dean moments that make me smile. Sam and Dean belting out Night Moves driving along in Baby, a rare moment of pure fun, the two of them on the road in the car that was always home.

Dean and Cas sharing a drink and a laugh, another rare moment when the universe wasn’t on the verge of falling apart (at that very moment) and Dean could take the time to relax and enjoy Castiel’s company.

Dean mowing the lawn in WIAWSNB, so happy to be doing such a mundane thing. It wasn’t even reality, but somehow that makes it even more poignant. He had so little of “normalcy” and doing that for his mother brought so much joy.

Dean leaping over that fence like it’s nothing… okay, that’s a different kind of smile inspiring. Still, favorite moment, I’m not gonna lie…

Let’s end with this one, another moment of happiness. A morning tradition – an armful of fluffy affectionate Miracle. Sam and Dean having time to actually develop ordinary at-home traditions, what kind of miracle is that? If you can be glad for a fictional character, I’m glad for Dean, that he had all that.

If you’re missing Dean Winchester and Supernatural too, you can read the two books all about why the show and its characters have changed people’s lives, from the perspectives of fans and from the perspectives of the actors who brought them to life so vividly – including Jensen, Jared, Misha and many more. It always makes me happy to read how much they love their characters and the show and the fandom – no coincidence that There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done  ends with Jensen’s chapter and the words:

And let’s be clear. Supernatural will never end. The show might, but what it has built? This will never end. Besides, nothing ever stays dead on Supernatural.

Damn right.

Happy birthday, Dean Winchester.

I hope I get to see you again soon.

Gifs peach-coke, Incastielswings, heytheredean, kendaspntwd, samdeans, roadtripwithmybrother, ambrina, mishaa, theminimoose

Lynn

You can read Jensen’s thoughts on Dean and

Jared’s thoughts on Sam and many other

actors’ insights in There’ll Be Peace When

You Are Done and Family Don’t End With

Blood (and Jensen’s thoughts on

Soldier Boy in Supes Ain’t Always Heroes)

Links here on the home page!

Happy Birthday Sam Winchester!

Happy Birthday Sam Winchester!

spnfans

This past week has been good for my soul.

My Supernatural loving soul, that is. The fandom designated it #SamWinchesterWeek, which meant my timelines have been filled with all kinds of posts about all our favorite things about Sam Winchester – leading up to today, Sam’s 40th birthday!

The fandom started with favorite Sam-centric episodes, which included some of the classics and some you might not expect – Just My Imagination, After School Special, Sacrifice, When the Levee Breaks, Soul Survivor, Mystery Spot, and two of my personal favorites, Red Meat and Born Under A Bad Sign.

Just looking through the episode caps on the timeline makes clear what an incredible, nuanced character Sam Winchester is, and how brilliantly Jared Padalecki portrayed him.

Next the fandom moved on to a cascade of Sam’s funniest moments that showcased Padalecki’s incredible comedic chops. He has sometimes said he finds comedy hard and doesn’t think he’s that good at it – clearly we all beg to differ!

My personal favorite is the lock and key bad acting scene from The French Mistake, which I literally cannot watch without laughing out loud, even now when I’ve seen it so many times.

But there are so many others.

One of the things that made Supernatural the amazing show it was is that Jared, Jensen, Misha and the rest of the cast were capable of such a range in their acting. They could break your hearts, but they could also make you laugh with just a look, just an expression.

gifs annazima, absolutelyneedy
gifs annazima, clairvoyant sam, abordelimpala

Read more →

A Letter from Ukraine: The SPNFamily and AlwaysKeepFighting

A Letter from Ukraine: The SPNFamily and AlwaysKeepFighting

spnfans

I wanted to put together a book with chapters by the Supernatural actors and fans about what the show has meant to them and how it has inspired them to get through some difficult times, because over the years I’ve heard so many incredible stories of what the show and the fandom have meant to people – actors and fans alike. A little while ago, I got an email from Iryna, who is risking her life every day to help evacuate people from war-torn Ukraine. Her sister gave her a copy of Family Don’t End With Blood and she wrote that Supernatural and the stories in that book have inspired her to #AlwaysKeepFighting and been a source of support during an unimaginably difficult time.

I’m always incredibly touched when people say that one of the books has helped them, but Iryna’s story really struck me, so I thought I’d share it here. There may be lots of disagreements among fans, a fact that sometimes leaves me discouraged, but the fact remains that Supernatural has been something special and it continues to be. Iryna’s email was a reminder of that, and of what’s really important. I’m so grateful to all the people who wrote chapters in Family Don’t End With Blood , from Jared, Jensen and Misha to longtime fans to new fans who fell in love later in the show’s run. Look at the difference you made, and are still making. Thank you to all of you for sharing your stories (and to the Show that has kept so many people going through whatever comes along, just like the Winchesters).

And if you are reading this and feeling like you need some support and inspiration right now too, maybe Iryna’s email will be that source of inspiration for you.

#AlwaysKeepFighting

Here are some excerpts from Iryna’s story:

Yesterday I finished reading your book Family Don’t End with Blood: Cast and Fans on How Supernatural Has Changed Lives and decided to write you a letter. Well, to be honest I decided to do that, when I was starting to read it.

My name is Iryna and I live in Ukraine. You may know that there is war in Ukraine now. And it’s not like we see it in movies. It is really horrible. I`m very lucky to live in the more or less safe city, but it was also attacked by enemies and people died. I work in the charity foundation and every day help evacuate people… In one of the first episodes of Supernatural (The Benders) Dean said, that monsters can at least be understood — their actions are logical, people’s — not. And it’s really so.

On the eve of February 24, 2022, I had a completely normal life. I studied at a Documentary film school, worked in a team of screenwriters on a family Christmas story, improved my skills as a director of editing and motion design, and made some documentary photo projects, I had a lot of friends. But in one moment all changed. My future became ghostly and shaky.

A new life with the sounds of explosions and air raid sirens, often lasting without electricity after massive attacks, began. The lectures at a film school were stopped, and a lot of my friends left our country. But I still stay. I often joke that it’s because I’ve watched and rewatched Supernatural so many times that now I always keep fighting and not giving up. Although it is very difficult.

To support me, my sister, who is now forced to stay with my little niece in another country, sent me your book, because she knows very well how much I adore this show. She suddenly saw it in the local library. Maybe it was a sign? I’ve read it during air raids, I’ve read it when I came home from a hard workday, I’ve read it by flashlight and candlelight during electricity outages due to massive missile attacks on critical infrastructure.

Even though I’ve been watching Supernatural since 2016, I’ve never been a part of the Supernatural family, even though I knew about it. But now the stories of all the heroes of the book inspired and supported me a lot. It makes me very happy to know that there is such a large community, that people find support in it, that they are not alone. Even the awareness of this supports in a difficult time. I am very grateful to you for the decision to create this book. It is very supportive. All the stories are very sincere and inspiring. I hope that all the heroes will be fine.

Thank you, the community, and Supernatural.

It was a great time.

Best wishes,

Iryna

 

Thank you, Iryna. When I feel down about fandom infighting or missing the Show, I’m going to re-read this and remember how special Supernatural and the SPNFamily are – and always will be.

–Lynn

You can find the books, if you need some

inspiration right now too, at the website: