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Time travel is Supernatural’s best shot at a happy ending

By Paul Zuniga

Supernatural "Pilot" Pictured (l-r): Jared Padelecki as Sam, Jensen Ackles as Dean Photo Credit: © The WB/Justin Lubin
Supernatural "Pilot" Pictured (l-r): Jared Padelecki as Sam, Jensen Ackles as Dean Photo Credit: © The WB/Justin Lubin /
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After 15 seasons, the Supernatural series finale could be extremely dark but time travel can give the show and the fans a positive yet satisfying end.

It’s difficult to say how a TV show that’s been on the air as long as Supernatural should conclude, especially when the main characters have already gone through every ending imaginable. The Winchester brothers will wrap up Supernatural‘s story one way or another, the question is: How?

Out of all the theories proposed so far, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) riding off into the sunset together is the least likely to happen. They’ve been to hell and back — literally –and the Winchester brothers seem destined for a tragic end regardless of what they do. It would be okay for them to die in the end, but they’ve done that already, on multiple occasions. A happier ending may require Sam and Dean to change history.

As a literary and cinematic trope, time travel can be messy however you look at it. But if utilized in a simplified manner, it could be what Supernatural needs. What we’re suggesting is the Winchester brothers change one event in the show’s timeline: Mary’s murder.

The Yellow-Eyed Demon a.k.a. Azazel killed Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith) at the beginning of the series and that event led Sam and Dean to where they are today. One might ask how Mary’s death can be avoided and the answer is simple: Have the boys save her. If Sam and Dean were to travel back in time and prevent ole Yellow Eyes from killing Mary then the family never gets splits up. They can choose a different path and close the loop before their tragic future ever takes shape.

The whole reason the family found themselves on that track is the Yellow-Eyed Demon killed one Winchester and led the others on a hellbent path of revenge. Had that murderous night never happened, the Winchesters wouldn’t be heading towards a bleak end in season 15.

That said, there’s one other thing that needs to happen for time travel to work here: The Sam and Dean of the future need to speak with Mary. They can help stop the Yellow-Eyed Demon, but more importantly, Sam and Dean Winchester need to have a heart-to-heart with their mother.

Despite traveling to the past before and involving Mary on occasion, they’ve never told their mother the one thing that could alter their destiny. That is, to be honest with them. Mary originally agreed to keep her deal with Azazel (Fredric Lehne) a secret so Sam and Dean could live normal lives but we know that didn’t work out so well. The Yellow-Eyed Demon still came knocking and took what he wanted from them. To avoid that from happening a second time, Mary needs to tell her family the truth from the get-go.

John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) should be looped in on the conversation as well. Both he and Mary are equally responsible for the boys and they need to be completely transparent with each other if it’s to change anything.

The Winchester parents also have to reassure the younger versions of Sam and Dean that they’re safe. The boys are eventually going to see a monster with their own eyes and the initial sight could traumatize them. Thinking about how a Wendigo could tear them apart or how Azazel’s blood is capable of transforming them into demons is just as terrifying to contemplate. But if Sam and Dean are taught about hunting at an early age, they can grow accustomed to the idea of killing monsters before the curtain is pulled back entirely.

Nevertheless, Sam and Dean will still need to figure out how to change the night of their mother’s death because that’s probably the only way they’ll survive the finale. And it’s going to require Chuck’s assistance, though dealing with an angry deity is a problem all its own.

Chuck (Rob Benedict) is currently at odds with the Winchesters after they insulted him, calling him out on his past failures. In response to their blaspheming, he’s unleashed hell on Earth and doomed Sam and Dean to horrific deaths. They were surrounded by zombies in the season 14 finale and will presumably die when season 15 picks up in October. The good news is Castiel (Misha Collins) can use the last of his angel strength to whisk them away before they’re consumed.

Regardless of their current dispute, the Winchesters need to come to some sort of compromise with Chuck. He’s God and whatever he decides, goes, that is unless the Almighty Creator changes his mind about destroying the world, which is very unlikely since Chuck admitted to creating other universes and abandoning them.

On the other hand, Sam and Dean could search for alternatives to asking Chuck for help. Casting a spell is the next best option if the Winchester brothers choose to travel back in time. Channeling energy through Jack (Alexander Calvert) seems feasible too but that may not be enough. Their Nephilim ward also has to be resurrected before he can provide any assistance.

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Leaked set photos have confirmed Jack’s return in Supernatural’s final season, though the circumstances around his resurrection are unknown. There’s also the matter of his blindness. Images of Calvert on set show him with makeup around his eyes which indicate Jack’s eyes were burned out in season 14. The same thing happened to Pam (Traci Dinwiddie) though under slightly different circumstances.

In any case, traveling back in time to prevent the Yellow-Eyed Demon from murdering Mary Winchester is the perfect way to end the show. Sam and Dean get a second chance at life, and their former selves are written out of existence as the past changes to create a brighter future in its place. Rewinding the clock also sets the story up for a possible revival in the future — but maybe it’s too early to think about that.

The final season of Supernatural premieres on Oct.10, 2019.

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