Supernatural will be hosting a family reunion that has been a long time coming. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's John Winchester will be reuniting with sons Sam and Dean in the horror hit's 300th episode. How will the brothers Winchester handle the reunion? Supernatural co-showrunner Andrew Dabb opened up about it, saying:
The way you react to your dad when you're 25 is much different than the way you react to that person when you're 40. The fact that the guys were older now and could have different reactions to John was what made it exciting because they're not going to have the same conversations they had in Seasons 1 and 2 of the show.
It sounds as though Supernatural fans can rest assured that John will not retread old conversations when he reunites with his sons. Sam and Dean are not twenty-somethings anymore. Armed with that new perspective, their reunion with their dad should be different than it would otherwise be, according to what Andrew Dabb told EW.
Supernatural's co-showrunner did not leave it there when discussing the father and sons' reunion. Dean and Sam will be able to get a sense of something that has long-eluded them: closure. The episode should create an experience that will impact them going forward. Andrew Dabb continued, saying:
They finally get some closure with their father in a way that doesn't feel like the end of the show. It's not like, 'And now roll credits, we'll never see you again!' It feels like it allows these guys to put some, not all, of their 14 years of baggage down and move on to the future maybe with some new knowledge, maybe a little bit more unencumbered. Because if we had just brought him back and it had been like, 'And then they go and hunt a demon together,' it wouldn't have been satisfying.
If you thought, Supernatural's big return would be a one-off anthology-style storyline, you can take comfort. It seems the time Dean and Sam have with their dearly departed father in the 300th episode will reverberate throughout the season and beyond.
There is nothing worse than a long-awaited character return that yields no long-term impact. Supernatural will not be playing things like that. According to the co-showrunner, Sam and Dean will be left more "unencumbered" following the episode. That indicates the brothers should walk away carrying a lighter emotional load.
That is great news for the Winchesters' emotional health. Jeffrey Dean Morgan previously discussed John Winchester's return and hoped to bring closure to the father and sons' relationship. Especially Sam, with whom he shares a lot of baggage. So, what will bring John back for this second chance at reconciliation? A wish.
That wish yields unexpected results, as John's return comes from Dean's desire for closure with his dad, according to what Andrew Dabb told EW for their cover story. One of the consequences of this wish is the previously reported return of Zachariah. Sounds intense!
Sam and Dean's relationship with their dad was one of the founding cornerstones of Supernatural. So, revisiting that for the 300th episode makes a ton of sense. Hopefully, Dean and John's relationship gets to have some special attention too. While John and Sam's relationship was notoriously tumultuous, it is Dean's desire that makes the brothers' reunion with John possible.
One thing not exactly clear is if the brothers will bring up John's third son, Adam. Fans will have to wait and see whether it is broached when Supernatural's 300th episode premieres.
New episodes of Supernatural air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Find out how John's reunion with Sam and Dean goes when the horror series' 300th episode airs February 7 at the same time and place. Supernatural is among many shows airing new during the midseason.
