Spoilers ahead for the fall finale of The Winchesters, “Reflections."
The fall finale of The Winchesters has aired on The CW, and while there were some shocking bits that happened, there was one in particular that made viewers happy. John and Mary finally shared their first kiss, and showrunner Robbie Thompson is opening up about the long-awaited moment.
Since The Winchesters is John and Mary’s origin story, their relationship was obviously bound to blossom into something more than friendship. While the two hunters were trying to keep safe from the Akrida, they shared a short but sweet moment and kissed. Robbie Thompson tells TVLine why that scene was the right moment for the two and what the fallout will be like in the second half of the season:
When we first got together in the writers room, it was obviously top of mind when you’re dealing with a show that’s a love story. At what point do you want to really show them take that leap? We always knew we were going to have a winter break or midseason finale of some kind, and it felt like, from a dramatic standpoint, that was very quickly on the board as it felt like the right place to put it. And then it was a question of, ‘Why this moment?’ To your point, obviously, life-or-death moments have a tendency to exacerbate things… The fallout of that kiss is something that we’re going to play for the rest of this first season. You have those moments where you’re swept up in the moment, and it’s like, ‘OK, here we go.’ And then it’s like, ‘Oh, wait, the world didn’t end. OK. Now, what do we do?’ There’s a direct pickup of that in the eighth episode, which I’m excited for fans to see.
It was only just a matter of time before John and Mary got together, or at least were finally starting to open up about their feelings. The season thus far has been building up their relationship, slowly going from friends to colleagues to something more. Seeing the aftermath of that kiss, especially now that Mary’s dad is in the mix, is a solid hook for the second half of the season.
Robbie Thompson went on to praise Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger for their portrayals. It’s never easy taking on a role that’s already been established by different actors, but it’s clear the young stars have been killing it and that slow-burn relationship:
It was a really great moment to finally see, and Meg [Donnelly] and Drake did such a great job of playing the slow-burn leading to this moment. This isn’t necessarily leading to them living happily ever after or anything like that because we still want to play the complexity of this relationship and the ups and downs of it that was certainly hinted at in the mothership.
When Donnelly and Rodger were announced to be portraying Sam and Dean’s parents, there was a question of how they would fill the shoes of Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith, who originated the roles on Supernatural. Jensen Ackles gave the cast a pep talk to make sure that the legacy of the original series lives on. The Winchesters cast is definitely a talented bunch, and it should be interesting to see what else happens for them when the show returns.
Meanwhile, on top of the kiss, the fall finale also included the return of Supernatural alum Gil McKinney, who portrayed John’s dad, Henry Winchester, in a few episodes of the original series. Although he appeared as a spirit, it gave both John and Millie the chance to get closure with him, which they had never gotten since he disappeared. Seeing how that affects them both and whether their feelings about Henry and the Men of Letters change could be important in the 2023 part of the season.
As for what else to expect when The Winchesters returns, Mary and John’s relationship should be an exciting storyline. It’s also coming at a time when Mary is finally reunited with her father, so a lot of her focus will likely be on Samuel, played by Tom Welling. At least we know that they do eventually end up together, so that’s something.
The Winchesters returns on Tuesday, January 24 at 9 p.m. EST on The CW. Check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what else is coming in the new year.
