'Supernatural: The Long Road Home' Finale Special: Looking back on 15 years of Sam and Dean's 'mythic journey'
Eric Kripke is getting nostalgic as "the boys", Sam and Dean Winchester take their final ride to save people and hunt things in just a few hours. He tweeted a picture of his earliest notes on what was to become the bare bones of the 'Supernatural' show concept. Along with the picture, he tweeted: "I found my earliest #SPN notes. The start of the road as we reach the end. But nothing really ends. We're dragon slayers & gunslingers & we'll take care of each other, #SPNFamilyForever. Thanks for riding along. Driver picks music, shotgun shuts his cake hole. Love & thanks."
I found my earliest #SPN notes. The start of the road as we reach the end. But nothing really ends. We're dragon slayers & gunslingers & we'll take care of each other, #SPNFamilyForever. Thanks for riding along. Driver picks music, shotgun shuts his cake hole. Love & thanks. pic.twitter.com/qVjj2Oy45V
— Eric Kripke (@therealKripke) November 19, 2020
In his notes, we see what his thoughts were on the "tone" of the show, which was all about "hitting the open road" across "archetypal mythic America". Dubbing it as "classic Joseph Campbell stuff", he described the show as "a hero's journey". "It's Stars Wars or Lord of the Rings in truckstop America". He also described the boys as "dragonslayers" and "gunslingers".
You can expect more such soundbites from him as Kripke joins other key creative team members who have been around from the start like executive producer Robert Singer and writer Andrew Dabb, who now also serves as an EP for the 'Supernatural: The Long Road Home'. The one-hour TV special is a documentary-style episode looking back on the entire history of 'Supernatural'. It will air at 8 pm, directly before the season 15 series finale on November 19 on The CW.
The 15-year-journey of the show has seen the boys battle wendigos, ghosts, pagan gods, vampires, shapeshifters, demons, angels, Lucifer, Death, and finally God himself. While Kripke will give his insight on the genesis of 'Supernatural' as the creator and showrunner for the first five years, EP Robert Singer will give a perspective on all 15 seasons of the show.
Singer has been the only constant in the show (besides Jensen Ackles and Jared Padelecki of course) as the producer and he steered the ship over rough waters after the unexpected death of Kim Manners, who gave the show its distinctive look and feel in the first three seasons as the director and EP. Singer is so interconnected to the show's DNA that Sam and Dean's father-figure, Bobby (played by Jim Beaver), who first pops up in Episode 22 in Season 1 as an old family friend to the Winchesters and also a hunter, is named after him.
We will also be hearing from the cast which includes Jared Padalecki (Sam), Jensen Ackles (Dean), Misha Collins (Castiel) and Alexander Calvert (Jack) and also fan-favorite guest stars like Mark Sheppard (Crowley), Kim Rhodes (Sheriff Jody Mills), Jim Beaver (Bobby Singer), Samantha Smith (Mary Winchester) and Ruth Connell (Rowena the witch).
We will also be hearing from (or rather about) one cast member who can't speak for itself -- "Baby" aka the '67 Impala. For the boys, especially Dean, Baby has a personality and is as much part of Team Free Will as Dean, Sam, Castiel or Jack. The Impala not only evokes strong childhood memories of being on the road with their dad, but also is a practical mobile home and weapons unit for the boys, and an occasional (and convenient) way to stash bodies. The show honored this by making one of the episodes entirely from Baby's perspective because as Dean, quoting the immortal words of Swayze, says "nobody puts Baby in a corner".
Besides being a fond farewell to fans, the finale special is designed to evoke some pretty strong nostalgic memories since it will touch upon some of the most famous and iconic episodes of the show and the cast's experience of reading the scripts and moments from shooting the show. Since 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', there hasn't been a finale special this big in the fantasy/supernatural genre.
'Supernatural: The Long Road Home' will air on The CW at 8 pm on November 19.