How ‘The Winchesters’ Is Connected to ‘Supernatural’ Is Actually Pretty Natural
Are you thinking about getting hooked on The Winchesters, the new CW show that's connected to Supernatural (but not a spin-off), and unsure if you're ready to commit? Maybe you're a Supernatural fan and you're scared of potentially getting burned again. Maybe you never watched Supernatural because you found out about it too late and catching up felt like a lot, but you're thinking of getting in with the new series. No matter the reason, you're definitely wondering how both shows are connected. Well, it's both a big connection, but also it might surprise you just how much you need to know in order to understand the series.
Here's what you need to know about how The Winchesters connects to Supernatural and how much mythology you really need to know about it.
The Winchesters is a prequel
The Winchesters takes place in the same world as Supernatural, just not the same time. Can I just say that there are... SO MANY PREQUELS RIGHT NOW!!!!! Even fictional worlds are feeling nostalgic for the past. Want a Game of Thrones prequel? Watch House of the Dragon. Want a Lord of the Rings prequel? Watch The Rings of Power. Want a prequel to Rogue One, which was a prequel to Star Wars separate from those other Star Wars prequels? Watch Andor. Everyone is doing prequels. Everyone.
Anyway, you'll see plenty of references to the Men of Letters and other organizations, demons, and characters from Supernatural in the new series. The story begins in the 1970s during the Vietnam War, about 30 years before the original series took place. Yes, you read that right, only 30 years. Which is only two times as long as Supernatural was on the air.
It's a family business, after all...
John and Mary Winchester both appeared as characters on Supernatural, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith. But the main characters of the hit CW series, of course, were their sons Sam and Dean Winchester, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.
Since this is a prequel, we're following Mary and John as they meet and start their own adventure together. Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger play the younger versions of Sam and Dean's parents.
But there are flash-forwards as well
Jensen appeared as Dean in the pilot episode and also serves as the narrator in the series, telling us the story of his parents. In that first episode, he embarked on his own road trip. So if we ever see him again, where he's going and what he gets up to when he gets there is a mini Supernatural sequel as well.
Do I need to have seen Supernatural to understand The Winchesters?
I would say no. So far, it stands alone as a show about boy meets girl, boy and girl team up to fight monsters and find their respective missing fathers. The other characters in John and Mary's little Scooby Gang are totally new. It's not that complicated... yet.
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