'Supernatural' First Impressions: This is kinda fun, even if I am late to the party

Over the last week I have been starting a show I never thought I would, and much of this comes down to a rather established narrative surrounding it, one that is a bit exaggerated while still holding some truth to it: this is a show that was completely swallowed up by a mostly female audience towards its later seasons. Supernatural, from what I've heard from many fans of it throughout the years, took a turn into a more narrative-driven exploration, a divergence from its original single-episode narrative that had its characters roaming through one location and to the next with the intent of saving lives and dealing with the evils of the supernatural world. There was still a narrative within the show that kept things moving forward, one that would spring up here and there to keep the ball moving, not all that different to similar shows like Psych or The X Files. But as the show gained in its popularity, and the times changed, the show changed with it. I think the narrative that surrounded the show really put a lot of people off over the years, and myself included as I assumed the show was something totally different to what it actually is. I always assumed that this would be a show I have zero ability to connect with, and I have been quite wrong in that regard. This is a show that (so far) reminds me a lot of the style of shows I enjoy best, with elements of fantasy, horror, and episodes that feel fresh and unique one after the other.

Some of my favourite shows are the ones in which one episode has little connection with the last, in a way that each one focuses on a different location and different problem. While there may still be aspects of a narrative within that hint at something larger, they stand out on their own, and can almost be watched in any order, albeit for the few episodes that would then start to carry off into something more. The first season has a mixture of these two styles, and I really found myself appreciating it for that. Though I can see that the stage is being set for something larger down the line, and how the show addresses the idea of character development within such episodes, giving us deeper looks into those characters and how they came to be who they now are. And this is essential given the way the show starts off, not really giving us a major look into their pasts, and how they came to be these hunters that roam the United States in search of the paranormal, somehow managing to survive with no income from it. This is no case of Ghostbusters, after all, but instead a nomadic roaming through a more rundown America in search of revenge. And for a revenge story at its core, I think it's effective, giving snippets here and there that hold your attention while again focusing on telling different stories with various fantasy elements.

So far Supernatural has been a lot of fun, though I'm sceptical over how it may turn out later on as the seasons add on. Season one so far has been quite a surprise though. Keep in mind there may be some spoilers from here on.

The show dives into the action with Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers that have been thrown into the chaotic life of dealing with the paranormal, an activity that has been passed down to them from their father after a lifetime of targeting from various entities. One of which killed their mother, and one killed Sam's girlfriend. This sets up the general story of Supernatural and is a recurring theme for the characters as the entire premise is one of revenge, as the characters roam through the United States of America in a vintage car in search of supernatural events, both saving other people from the odd events that plague them, as well as searching for the entity that caused the family so much harm in the past. A lot of the story is dripped to us in various episodes, with much of the emphasis of each episode really being about the strange beings they stumble across in their adventures. The nation seemingly riddled with paranormal events to which the average person is completely unaware of, even if they themselves are the targets. These episodes can range from the idea of vampires to nonexistent entities that only exist because a large number of people believe they exist. I quite like the creativity in many of the stories, remaining fresh and still distant from the rest. One of which was a simple episode about how two people entered a haunted abandoned asylum, to which it appeared the ghosts within were actually innocent and trying to find help from a more sinister spirit that tormented them in life and death.

It's this difference in its episodes that managed to quickly pull me in. I found it really engaging how it told these different stories while holding little elements of horror within them, all with snippets of comedy within the characters which are supposedly in their early 20s. The Sam and Dean combo is quite enjoyable to watch based on how different they are as characters, one a younger brother, the other the older one. And it's this that gives them more distinct characteristics. One in the pursuit of leaving this life behind, wanting to find someone to settle down with while struggling with the personal trauma of loss, wanting to get a regular job and return to education. Dean being broken to the point of no return, having little interest in anything beyond revenge and obeying their father who still trickles bits of information to them while he stays in hiding, pursuing his own moves. I like the differences in the characters given it allows them to stand out a bit more from each other, giving them a more personal tone that gives us something to connect with. Sam being more empathetic and wanting more out of life, and Dean being the more emotionless one. Their differences in character sometimes comes into play as they approach different events, one might be more direct, the other a little more stubborn and not attentive.

There's something about the earlier seasons that holds some soul to it, and I think some of this is the time period in which the show initially released around. It's a show that really screams of the earlier 2000s, and it's really evident in both the fashion and the music that ends up used. But it goes beyond that, one thing I found interesting was the more darker, earthly tones that the show utilises in its directing. It's a show that is quite dark, very high contrast. There's an odd decision of colour grading within it and it is very reminiscent of the era of the earlier 2000s when the "brown filter" was being plastered across most forms of visual media. I quite like this though, despite not always enjoying it elsewhere. I think this adds to the gritty and darker style of the show's narratives, to which a lot of the special effects side of things is also handled quite well, somewhat hidden by the lack of light. But the show doesn't utilise the special effects all that often; this is something I've appreciated a lot, as it seems more reliant on physical real locations for the show, and using practical effects or filmmaking techniques for the most part.

I'm curious as to how the show will progress from here, though I have been told to just stop watching from a certain season. I think I will do that as to refrain from spoiling the earlier seasons. And it's somewhat expected that a show that gains popularity from this era tends to lose its magic as it goes on. Especially when the show goes from film stock to digital!