Supernatural: The Best Accident in Media
(Spoilers) On September 13, 2005, the show Supernatural aired for the first time. It started with two brothers looking for their missing father, and by the final episode on November 25, 2020, it had developed into so much more. This show had so much to offer, from weird references, uncomfortably long eye contact, all the way to killing Misha Collins (One of the main stars) and Eric Kripke (Original Director) in canon. The best Supernatural could give was not an intentional move.
The show's fifth season was about the coming of the apocalypse and the Winchester brothers choosing to look fate in the eye and laugh, and an angel of the lord caring for humanity. In season four the character Castiel was introduced as the angel who “Gripped (Dean) tight and raised (him) from perdition.” He was supposed to heed the brothers of the coming armageddon, and guide Dean to accepting the Archangel Michale as his vessel. By the end of the season, he was revolting against heaven in favor of staying on Earth. Later on, in season 12 the Nephlimin Jack Kline was introduced, he was created as the antichrist. Jack ended up saving the world and becoming the new God, a just and fair ruler. He changed his destiny and created the universe he wanted to be in, with his father figures, Dean, Castiel, and Sam. A recurring theme in Supernatural is that changing fate is a natural order. The show has taken on a life of its own, outside the main writer's intended purposes, much like the characters. The writers created the show to be aimed at younger male viewers, but it quickly was picked up by a largely female and queer demographic.
Many young LGBTQ+ folks found themselves reflected in Castiel, and entranced by the main ships of the show. After all, the show ended up being one of the main fandoms on the website Tumblr, with a population of mostly queer or female fourteen-year-olds at the time. It got paired with Doctor Who and BBC’s Sherlock, to form a trifecta known as SuperWhoLock. Many young queer people found themselves on Tumblr because of the focus on both personal intimacies within anonymity. Teens found that they could be themselves and make friends within the community more easily while remaining anonymous if they choose. Fame quickly dies out while the most popular blogs remain both largely famous and obscure. People could run blogs where they made incorrect quotes, roleplayed as characters, and much more. Supernatural became more than it intended with creating comfort characters and communities. In itself, it took on a life of its own outside of the young male audience it was pictured as, and for that reason, it is the best accidental Meta-canon detail ever.
