Written by AnnMary Mailyan. Published: October 11 2022
(The CW)
The long-awaited day has arrived, uniting all the "Supernatural" fans once again! It’s been more than a year since we’ve heard about the prequel from none other than Jensen Ackles himself, who will be the executive producer of the new TV show called “The Winchesters”. The show premieres tonight (October 11), and the rest of the series will come out every week on The CW, just like the good old times. Ah, the nostalgia!
Since the prequel is all about young John and Mary Winchester (played by Drake Rodger and Meg Donnelly, respectively) and their paranormal hunting adventures, it’s the perfect time to refresh our memories of their stories told in “Supernatural”. So, before the next mysterious episode airs on October 18, why don’t we walk down the Memory Lane and remember all the best moments with Mary and John Winchester?
1. “In the Beginning” (Season 4, Episode 3)
This is the first episode where we properly meet young John and Mary together, right before they were married. Castiel (Misha Collins) sends Dean (Ackles) back in time, and he appears in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1973. Dean meets his father (Matt Cohen) and persuades him to buy the Impala instead of an old van. Then, he joins his mother Mary (Amy Gumenick) and grandfather Samuel (Mitch Pileggi) in a hunting trip, where they try to take down the yellow-eyed demon called Azazel.
By the end of the episode, Azazel manages to kill Mary’s parents. He later snaps John’s neck and promises to bring him back to life if Mary agrees to make a deal with him. All she has to do is to let Azazel visit baby Sammy in 10 years, and no one will get hurt. Well, we all know how this one ends, don’t we?
“In the Beginning” is one of the most important episodes, because we finally get to uncover the mysterious truth behind the fatal day when the story of “Supernatural” officially begins.
2. "The Song Remains The Same" (Season 5, Episode 13)
Another cool episode with time-traveling. This time, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean go back to 1978. Mary quits hunting and is living a happy life with John. The boys introduce themselves as Mary’s cousins and try to save their parents from angels Anna and Uriel, who are trying to kill them in order to prevent the apocalypse. The Winchester brothers get an idea to persuade Mary to leave her husband, which will stop all the misfortunes in the future, since they simply wouldn’t be born. However, the plan fails when Mary announces that she is already pregnant with Dean.
This episode is quite significant in the storyline of Mary and John, since this if the first time John finds out about the “family business” and the existence of all things supernatural. Let us remind you that, according to the new show “The Winchesters”, John not only knew about Mary being a hunter before their marriage but also worked with her to fight the evil.
3. “Lebanon” (Season 14, Episode 13)
“Lebanon” is considered as one of the greatest episodes of "Supernatural". It’s the 300th celebratory episode of the show, where we got to properly see all the Winchesters together again for the last time.
It all starts when Sam and Dean find a magical pearl, called Baozhu, that gives a person their heart’s desire. After holding the pearl and making a wish, a mysterious figure appears, which happens to be John Winchester (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) from 2003. The hunters family gets reunited for the first time since 1983. They spend the whole day together, have a dinner like a normal family, and get their chance to say all the unsaid things. John apologizes to Sam and Dean for their childhood, while the boys comfort him, saying that they understand everything. They get one last hug, and Sam breaks the pearl, sending John back to his timeline.
This episode definitely shows the most bittersweet moments of the series, when the characters get to have a proper closure and say their goodbyes.
4. “Dead Man’s Blood" (Season 1, Episode 20)
One of the most loved and touching episodes in Season 1 is “Dead Man’s Blood”, where John reconnects with his sons for the first time in many years. They all go on a hunting trip together, trying to kill vampires. Throughout the journey, we can clearly see the anger and tension between John and Sam, who haven’t properly met after Sam left for college. However, when Dean goes to get dead man’s blood, leaving his dad and Sam together, they share a moment of reconciliation. John tells Sam about creating a college fund when Sammy was born, and admits that he was scared from the thought of his little Sammy being all alone in college. He apologizes for being a “drill sergeant” rather than a normal father.
This conversation makes both Sam and the fans realize that John wasn’t a villain after all. He had his bad sides, but whatever he did, he did it to protect his family. This gives a whole new perspective on him.
5. “In My Time of Dying” (Season 2, Episode 1)
Sam, John, and Dean are injured after a car crash. Dean’s in a coma, and the doctors highly doubt that he’ll survive. John wants to make a deal with a demon in order to save Dean. He summons Azazel and exchanges his life, soul, and the Colt for his son’s life. Soon, Dean wakes up and has a touching moment with John when the father apologizes for all the burden he put on Dean’s shoulders and asks to watch out for Sammy. Later, Sam finds his dad unconscious, and the doctors fail to bring him back to life.
Even though, technically, Mary was the first person to make a deal with Azazel, this episode marks an “unofficial” beginning of a Winchesters tradition of sacrificing their lives to protect their close ones.
6. “The Foundry” (Season 12, Episode 3)
After making peace with God’s sister Amara, Mary (played by Samantha Smith) is back to life. She’s adjusting to all the changes that’ve happened since her death. She goes hunting with her sons; however, something feels off for her, as she doesn’t feel like fitting in this new reality. At the end of the episode, when the Winchesters come back to their Bunker, Mary has a confrontation with Sam and Dean, admitting that she doesn’t feel like home. She tells them about the family that she had back in Heaven, with John and little Sam and Dean, and how dearly she misses them. “Every moment I spend with you reminds me of every moment I lost with them,” says Mary. She tells the boys, that she needs some time to be alone to clear her head and leaves.
This moment came as a shock to Dean and Sam. Reuniting with their mom after all the years of grief and difficulties, they felt like a proper family again, with someone to love and care of them. However, Mary’s not ready for the role of a caring mother, which leaves the boys heartbroken.
7. “Who We Are” (Season 12, Episode 22)
Mary is brainwashed by the British Men of Letters, killing her fellow hunters without even realizing her actions. Dean finds a way to trap her down and wake her up from the hypnosis. With the help of Toni, a member of British Men of Letters, Dean enters Mary’s subconsciousness. In her head, Mary still lives in Kansas, putting baby Sammy to sleep and feeding little Dean. Adult Dean tries to catch his mom’s attention; however, she ignores him. Feeling angry and helpless, Dean confronts Mary, telling her how much he hates her for making the deal with Azazel and ruining their lives, for dying, for leaving them once again after her resurrection. He also confides that he loves her at the same time, as she is family.
This moment was just as important as the conversation between John and Sam. Dean never admitted the negative feelings he had for his mother, trying to justify and protect her. And for the first time, he acknowledges all those emotions and unsaid words that lived deep down his soul. He finally forgives Mary and is able to move on.
What's your favorite John and Mary moment from "Supernatural"? Catch some new ones starting tonight when "The Winchesters" premieres on The CW!