Scary Just Got Sexy

First aired in 2005, Supernatural is an American TV series with a worldwide fan base. Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural tells the story of Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers raised as supernatural 'Hunters' by their father after the murder of their mother by a demon 22 years previously.

The show combines horror, drama and comedy to great effect with many references to classic movies and rock bands thrown in for good measure. It has been nominated for numerous awards including three prime time Emmys and is mainly filmed in Vancouver, Canada.

Vampires, Werewolves and Demons, Oh My!

Originally conceived as a movie and later an anthology series, Eric Kripke spent ten years working on and trying to market his idea. The show's basis changed several times including to an evil-fighting tabloid reporter before settling on the idea of the brothers. Kripke decided to have the brothers be from Lawrence, Kansas as he was fascinated with mythology and legends as a child and the Stull cemetery near Lawrence has a few legends of its own.

For the feel of the show, Kripke wanted a modern-day western and he was also influenced by classic horror movies such as Poltergeist. The show was eventually picked up by Warner Bros and the pilot episode was aired on 13 September, 2005.

Supernatural takes much of its mythology from real myths and legends from many faiths and cultures, with everything from the more well-known vampires and werewolves to djinn, dream walkers, wendigos and the urban myth Bloody Mary being explored. The recurring character of the 'crossroads demon' is based upon the legend of blues singer Robert Johnson and his deal with the devil at a crossroads.

Music for the show is a mix of an instrumental score and Eric Kripke's own record collection with classic rock being a major theme. The season finales are always opened with 'Carry On My Wayward Son' by Kansas. Many other bands have featured, including AC/DC, Foreigner, and Blue Oyster Cult. However Kripke's favourite band, Led Zeppelin, have always proved too expensive to license.

The first two seasons of the show introduce us to Sam and Dean and then focus mainly on the search for their missing father and the yellow-eyed demon that killed their mother and Sam's girlfriend Jessica Moore. There is also the question of the demon's interest in Sam, his developing psychic ability and what really happened in his nursery on the night of their mother's death when he was six months old.

The third and fourth seasons take the mythology presented so far and also introduce the Christian concept of angels and the Book of Revelations from the Bible. A powerful demon named Lilith is attempting to break the 66 seals that bind Lucifer to his prison and free him to start the Apocalypse on Earth.

Season five takes us through Sam and Dean's battle to stop Lucifer and the Apocalypse, and season six explores once more the concepts of family and trust. Season seven is still airing at the time of writing.

Main Characters

Dean Winchester - Played by Jensen Ackles, Dean is the elder of the two main characters. Never short of a witty remark, Dean uses his devil-may-care, rarely serious image to hide a much deeper, more caring side. Family, and Sam in particular, mean a lot to Dean, he just finds it hard to show.

Sam Winchester - Played by Jared Padalecki, Sam is the sensitive, brooding younger brother. Very much the reluctant hero, Sam leaves home to go to college as he wants more from life than Hunting. When their father goes missing, however, Dean asks Sam to help him find him. When Sam's girlfriend, Jessica, is killed by a demon in the same way as their mother, he returns to Hunting with Dean for good.

'That light at the end of the tunnel? That's hell fire, Dean!'
-Sam

As the characters develop along with the story line, we see the relationship between the brothers progress from near strangers to true family. It is later strained, however, as we see Sam's struggles to fight the demon blood is in his veins and to stay human increase along with Dean's distrust in him. They must learn to work together again in order to survive.

Supporting Characters

The Good

John Winchester - After the death of his wife Mary in a demon attack, John raises Sam and Dean alone. He teaches Dean and later Sam all he knows about the supernatural as well as training them to fight well and know their way around guns and knives. His determination to find his wife's killer can seem more important to him than anything else. John is an ex-marine and tends to show his boys more discipline than affection. John is played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Bobby Singer - Another Hunter and good friend of John, 'Uncle' Bobby will help the boys in any way he can. They become closer still after John's death in Season 2 with Bobby becoming a surrogate father figure. Bobby is played by Jim Beaver.

Ellen Harvelle - Ellen runs 'Harvelle's', a roadhouse saloon popular with Hunters. Ellen's late husband William Harvelle was good friends with John Winchester until William was killed during a Hunt the pair were on together. Like Bobby, Ellen is an invaluable help to the boys at times despite still blaming John for her husband's death. Ellen is played by Samantha Ferris.

Jo Harvelle - Jo is Ellen Harvelle's daughter. She is looking for more from life than her mother's roadhouse and wants to become an active Hunter. Against her mother's wishes, initially, she begins to hunt occasionally with Sam and Dean. Jo is played by Alona Tal.

Castiel - Not appearing until season 4, 'Cas' soon becomes an important character and ally to the Winchesters. He is an angel, one of God's warriors, sent to aid them and give Dean a vital job to do. Cas soon realises his superiors' motives are not as he was led to believe and sides with the Winchesters, leading to him being cast out from heaven. Castiel is played by Mischa Collins.

Pamela Barnes - A powerful psychic and good friend of Bobby, Pamela steps in to help the Winchester brothers whenever she can. Pamela is played by Traci Dinwiddie.

Ash - Ash lives in a backroom of Ellen Harvelle's roadhouse. Despite his appearance - Dean describe him as looking like 'A Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie' - he is something of a computer genius. Ash helps the boys with research. He is played by Chad Lindberg.

The Bad

Meg Masters - Featuring in Season 1 with a couple of later season appearances also, Meg is the daughter of Azazel. She befriends Sam whilst possessing the body of a young blonde but cannot hide her true motives for long. Meg is played by Rachel Miner and Nicki Aycox.

Azazel - Often referred to simply as 'Yellow-Eyes', Azazel is the demon who killed Mary Winchester and Jessica. He features in the first two seasons, over which we see his plans for Sam unfold. Azazel has a connection with several psychic 'children', all of whom he fed his own blood to as babies. He wants Sam to lead a demon army into war against humanity but must get him to give into his demon side first. Azazel is played by Fredric Lehne.

Lilith - A very powerful demon, Lilith first appears in season 3 as the main protagonist after the brothers kill Azazel. She prefers to take the form of a little girl but appears as an adult woman at the end of Season 4. As well as her goal of freeing Lucifer and bringing on the Apocalypse, she also seems to have a hidden agenda for Sam. Lilith is played by Katherine Boecher and Sierra McCormick.

Lucifer - The fallen angel who created the demon race returns to Earth in season 5 after being freed from his prison by Lilith. He also has big plans for Sam. Lucifer is played by Mark Pellegrino.

The In-between

Ruby - Once a human witch who died in plague times, Ruby is a demon who allies herself with the Winchesters. She gains Sam's trust with relative ease by claiming to know a way to stop Lilith, but Dean is always suspicious of her true motives. Ruby is played by Katie Cassidy in season 3 and Genevieve Cortese in season 4.

The Trickster - A mischievous little man capable of creating anything he wants from thin air, the Trickster loves a good joke but is dangerous with it. He appears several times over the seasons, each time teaching the brothers a lesson through his pranks and bringing some home truths with them. The Trickster is played by Richard Speight Jr.

Bela Talbot - A professional thief and dealer in rare supernatural artefacts, Bela is as much a hindrance as a help to the Winchesters. She gets her leads by communicating with spirits through a Ouija board, then tracks down the artefacts to sell to the highest bidder. She does have a softer side, sometimes glimpsed in her relationship with Dean. Bela appears in Season 3 and is played by Lauren Cohan.

Gordon Walker - A well known Hunter, Gordon Walker can be a little extreme with his views. After the events of Season 2 and rumours he has heard, Gordon takes up a personal vendetta against Sam Winchester, believing that he is not human and needs to be destroyed. He is played by Sterling K Brown.

Tessa - Tessa is a Reaper. Like the rest of her kind, she is neither good nor evil; she just has an important part to play. Tessa is played by Lindsey McKeon.

Crowley - Crowley is a crossroads demon who will do pretty much anything to further himself, including working alongside the Winchesters from time to time. The boys have to ask themselves... is it really 'better the devil you know'? Crowley is played by Mark Sheppard.

Recurring Objects and Themes

The show's main themes are brotherhood, family and sacrifice, as Sam and Dean repeatedly show willingness to die for each other. As the series develops, the line between good and evil becomes increasingly blurred with the brothers having to question and adjust their own perceptions of the two more and more. Vampires that won't touch human blood and Hunters who have lost their morals completely are just the beginning.

Objects

Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole!
– Dean

The Car - Almost as well loved by fans as the brothers themselves is Dean's prize possession, a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala. Nicknamed by the show's fans as the 'Metallicar', it is often thought of as the third main character by the stars and producers. Inherited from John along with his collection of classic rock tapes, the Impala is the brother's usual mode of transport. It originally has the Kansas license number KAZ 2Y5, a reference to the shows premier year 2005 but is later changed to Ohio license plate CNK 80Q3 as the brothers attempt to hide from the FBI.

The Colt - A legendary gun said to be made by Samuel Colt himself and able to kill anything supernatural. The Colt is first referred to in the first season and appears many times throughout the later episodes. It has 13 bullets and is inscribed with the Latin phrase 'Non timebo mala' or 'I will fear no evil'. After the original 13 bullets are used up, rendering the gun useless, Ruby modifies it to hold any bullet.

Ruby's Knife - Almost as mysterious as Ruby herself, her knife is capable of killing most demons, though the human host will die too. Its handle is made from elk antlers and there are symbols etched on both sides of the blade. There is no meaning to the symbols, which were made up by the writers.

Dad's Journal - A diary kept by John Winchester and discovered in the first season by Sam and Dean. It contains information on everything John has ever Hunted and proves a valuable reference guide.

Fake ID - The brothers' own fake ID badges for several institutions including the FBI, CDC and Homeland Security. These are used to help with access to crime scenes, witnesses and other such resources needed in the course of a Hunt. The names on the IDs are often homage to Rock stars such as Jimmy Page and Steven Tyler.

Tools of the Trade

The answer to a supernatural problem isn't always the Colt or Ruby's knife. Here are some of the other items you will find in the tool kit of most Hunters.

• EMF meter - Used to detect changes in electromagnetic fields that can mean a ghost is nearby. The one used by the brothers is an old Walkman converted by Dean.

• Salt - Used to keep evil spirits out of a room with lines of it placed along doors and windows and also poured on the bones of someone believed to be a ghost.

• Shotgun - Usually filled with specially modified shells containing rock salt. The only way to shoot a ghost.

• Wooden Stake - The only way to kill a 'Trickster' spirit is a wooden stake through the heart.

• Latin Texts - Used to exorcise demons from the host body they are possessing.

• Holy Water - Used to detect demons; if they drink it or have it thrown on them, it will burn.

• Petrol and a lighter - For burning the bones of a suspected ghost after they have been salted.

Other Media

As well as the TV series, two six-issue comic book stories are available from Wildstorm along with two additional companion guides published by It Books and written by Alex Irvine: the 'Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls' and 'John Winchester's Journal'.

In November 2007, Titan Magazines began publishing 'The Official Supernatural Magazine', featuring exclusive interviews with the cast and crew as well as information on the show.

Several novels based on the show have been published by Harper Collins and Titan books.

Padalecki and Ackles have appeared at numerous fan conventions worldwide since 2007, including the Asylum convention in Birmingham, UK.