Supernatural, making the show one of the longest-running fantasy series of all time. As one of the CW's most successful shows, Supernatural spawned several live-action spin-off ideas, but only one of these actually made it into production.

Supernatural's series finale, entitled "Carry On," began like countless other Supernatural episodes, with Sam and Dean Winchester embarking on a routine hunt. But things quickly turned tragic when Dean was impaled by a spike on the wall of a barn. Although Dean had been killed numerous times throughout the series, this time, his death stuck, and Sam lived the rest of his life before ing his older brother in Heaven. For a character who had been through as much as Dean Winchester, this felt like an unfair and abrupt ending, and many felt like Dean deserved better.

The Winchesters Improved Upon Dean Winchester’s Supernatural Ending

Even From Heaven, Dean Got To Keep Saving The World

After fifteen seasons, there were only so many ways Supernatural could end, and some fans were bound to be disappointed. In the show's final season, Sam and Dean faced off against God (Rob Benedict) himself, with angel Castiel (Misha Collins) and Lucifer's son, Jack Kline (Alexander Calvert), fighting alongside them. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the second half of Supernatural's final season and also prevented the finale from including more appearances from past characters.

It wasn't long after Supernatural had ended that people began speculating whether Sam and Dean Winchester would ever return. In June 2021, news broke of the Supernatural prequel called The Winchesters, which would tell the story of how Sam and Dean's parents met and fell in love. Jensen Ackles, his wife, Daneel Ackles, and Supernatural writer Robbie Thompson served as executive producers and promised that the show would not contradict Supernatural canon. Narrated by Ackles as Dean Winchester, The Winchesters followed Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly), John Winchester (Drake Rodger), and their friends as they hunted monsters and investigated family secrets.

Dean Winchester himself popped up in The Winchesters series finale, revealing that the Mary and John the show had been following were from an alternate timeline. While in Heaven, Dean decided to scour the multiverse looking for a world where his family got a happy ending. When he encountered a threat to the multiverse, he helped stop it. Even from Heaven, Dean was still finding ways to save the world and fight for the people he cared about. This ending also opens up the possibility for Dean to return, and allows the franchise to explore other worlds within the multiverse.

Dean Winchester’s Appearance In The Winchesters’ Finale Confirms The Show Is A Supernatural Epilogue

The Winchesters Depicts An Alternate Timeline In The Supernatural Multiverse

While The Winchesters initially appeared to contradict what had already been established on Supernatural, the finale revealed the truth. Everything depicted on The Winchesters took place in an alternate universe separate from the one shown throughout Supernatural. The John and Mary in The Winchesters were not the same ones who gave birth to the Sam and Dean of Supernatural. Dean's appearance in The Winchesters finale and his commitment to saving the multiverse made The Winchesters feel more like an epilogue to his story than a true prequel to Supernatural.

Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) and Jack Kline also made an appearance in The Winchesters series finale, reinforcing the idea of the series as a follow-up to Supernatural. Dean reconnected with Bobby in Heaven, where Jack had taken on the role of God. Jack revealed that he restored the multiverse, but he didn't want anyone from Heaven to interfere, although he didn't stop Dean from saving the day yet again. The Supernatural series finale was divisive among fans, but The Winchesters helps soften the blow a bit when it's viewed as an epilogue for the series rather than a prequel.