It could be hard to get friends intoSupernatural, but some episodes were made for it.Eric Kripke’s brilliantSupernatural, originally airing on The WB and moving to The CW, showed the world how it was done when it came to dark fantasy. WithBuffy the Vampire Slayeras one of its formative influences, it shouldn’t be hard to get someone with good taste hooked on the show. Its mainstream appeal is matched only by its honing ofBuffy’shorror-comedy formula. In many ways,Buffywalked so thatSupernaturalcould run, and some episodes communicate its unique offering perfectly.
Supernaturalstarted strong, but many would argue its quality petered off after season 6. However, just as many fans will confirm that this just isn’t true. The vast majority of TV series face a drop in caliber as they go on as a natural facet of the progression of a once-original story, most surprising in its first season. Supernatural seasons 1-3 may be the best, butSupernaturalseason 15swooped in with one of the best closers to a fantasy TV show ever. Along the way, there were many standalone episodes just right for beginners.
10What Is And What Should Never Be
Season 2, Episode 20
“What Is and What Should Never Be” nears the end ofSupernaturalseason 2, undeniably one of the whole show’s best seasons.This episode focuses on the ideal life of DeanWinchester, as envisioned by Dean when hypnotized by a djinn. This magical creature showed Dean moving moments of what could be if his mother and Jess had never died, and it makes for a great character study of Dean. It is also a great example ofSupernaturalcopyingBuffy the Vampire Slayer, which pioneered this idea in “Normal Again.”
10 Things About Supernatural Everyone Always Gets Wrong
Jared Padalecki’s Sam and Jensen Ackles' Dean were unforgettable in Supernatural, but there are many things that viewers do forget or get wrong.
This episode works well for beginnersas it proves that Dean would always choose to hunt monsters for the greater good in the end, even if offered the perfect life instead. His heroics shine, and Jensen Ackles is as good a reason to start watching the show as any. The episode also offers little in the way of challenging or convoluted plot elements, focusing only on Dean’s hallucinations. However, on the downside, this episode is more moving if viewers know Dean somewhat already.
9Mystery Spot
Season 3, Episode 11
Season 3 is one of the best seasons to introduce someone toSupernaturalwith, inclusive of the episode “Mystery Spot.” Season 3 gaveSupernaturalample time to warm up, displaying improvements since the first season.“Mystery Spot” charmed viewers with its cinematic referenceslike “What Is and What Should Never Be,” making it joyfully relevant to many, even those who had never seenSupernaturalbefore. This episode riffed offGroundhog Day, the beloved 1993 Bill Murray movie where the main character relived one day over and over again.
The last episode ofSupernaturalwas released on July 02, 2025.
Season 3 was probably the last season to fully retain the show’s episodic nature.From season 4 onward,Supernaturaldropped viewers in at the deep endwith its heaven and hell conspiracy plots. “Mystery Spot” was an episode that stood well on its own two feet, offering nuanced hilarity and poignant pain for Sam Winchester, who had to relive his brother’s death repeatedly. Even without prior knowledge ofSupernatural’sWinchester brothers, this was brilliant.
8The Magnificent Seven
Season 3, Episode 1
The premier ofSupernaturalseason 3 launched one of the show’s best seasons with a bang. This is a great season to start watching the show on, exhibiting the show’s hallmarks excellently. It carries the brother’s hilarious interactions flawlessly. However, uniquely,this episode is one of the show’s most terrifying. A must-see for horror fans, this episode could easily get a lover of slasher movies or the vampire genre intoSupernatural.
Isaac’s suicidal bleach-chugging must be one of the most creative deaths on-screen.
This episode tackles the fallout of season 2 with a fair amount of exposition and explanatory material, making it a nice entry point into a show just starting to get serious. With myriad demons just released from hell through the Devil’s Gate,the boys hunt down demons with particularly nasty personalitiesin “The Magnificent Seven.” Isaac’s suicidal bleach-chugging must be one of the most creative deaths on-screen and will be a hit with anyone looking for original and scintillating TV.
Season 1, Episode 3
“Dead in the Water” isSupernaturalat its best and hasn’t aged a day, even considering its 2005 air date. There may be no better way to get friends intoSupernaturalthan by simply showing them its finest moments. For many,Supernatural’sfirst season will always be its most amazing.Season 1 gave TV something it had never had before- a fantasy show set on the road, like a classic ’50s Jack Kerouac story. It was genuinely scary, and this episode shows that in spades. Horror fans will love the ambient chills and jump scares of “Dead in the Water.”
Lonely lives on the outskirts of society often fall prey to humanity’s worst impulses, a lessonSupernaturalis adept at teaching.
This standalone episode is also pureSupernaturalin its tone, mood, and aesthetic.Supernaturalis spooky and beautiful, with wide-reaching plains rolling away in the background of the Chevy Impala driven by Dean from episode to episode.“Dead in the Water” captures the haunted beauty of American suburbiaand the rural and isolated lifestyles that are vulnerable to paranormal invasion. Lonely lives on the outskirts of society often fall prey to humanity’s worst impulses, a lessonSupernaturalis adept at teaching. This could resonate with smart fans of visually stunning TV.
6The Monster At The End Of This Book
Season 4, Episode 18
The meta joy and creativity ofSupernaturalmay be best expressed by “The Monster at the End of This Book,” although it is a very tough call between various fantastic episodes.Supernaturalhad really started entering conspiracy territory in its fourth season, and that means thatseason 4 is less well-suited to beginners than those before it. However, it also means that it contains gems that were bolder than ever before, enabled by the story’s crazy twists and turns.
Supernaturalcan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S. and Amazon Prime Video in the U.K.
“The Monster at the End of This Book” is exemplary meta storytelling, with Sam and Dean getting to read comics about their own lives.This is contemporary TV doing what it does best, and it would be enthralling to anyone interested in a good laugh at the industry and a show that can poke fun at itself. Eric Kripke’s satirical sense of humor is gleaming in this, so fans ofThe Boysmight also be intrigued by this excellent episode.
5Wendigo
Season 1, Episode 2
Season 1 launched into its “monster a week” format brilliantly with “Wendigo” after the pilot episode’s brutal introduction toJared Padalecki’s Sam Winchesterand his gruff brother, Dean. The first episode ofSupernaturalhad some exposition to do, butepisode 2 could have been a movie in and of itself. The horror and wild west Americana ofSupernaturalwas on full display in “Wendigo,” with a muted color palette that drew out the elegance of the show’s scenery.
In this sense, “Wendigo” is perfect escapist TV. This level of earlySupernaturaloften is, with standalone stories that thrill with fascinating glimpses into folklore and its terrifying contemporary applications.“Wendigo” had impressive effectsfor its time and remains a genuinely imaginative and awesome look at the wendigo, a seldom-explored mythical creature. Alongside the brothers' banter, this creature makes “Wendigo” an idealSupernaturalintro.
4Tall Tales
Season 2, Episode 15
Supernaturalwas getting incredibly impressive by the end of season 2, and “Tall Tales” proves it. This idyllic standaloneSupernaturalepisode is just as confusing for long-term fans of the show as it is for those who have never seen an episode. As such, it demonstrates what is great about it.Supernaturalretained its ability to surprisethroughout fifteen seasons, and there were often moments that took full advantage of low fantasy to deliver ridiculous plots.
Sam and Dean experienced irreconcilably different versions of the same events in this episode, offering comedy gold with an undercurrent of sinister paranormal machinations. This simple and deeply entertaining psychological thriller of an episode would make a wonderful start for a newSupernaturalfan.“Tall Tales” was unforgettable, introducing Richard Speight Jr.’s Gabriel without ruining any of the former episodes' plot.
3A Very Supernatural Christmas
Season 3, Episode 8
Christmas is the perfect time to start watchingSupernaturalwith “A Very Supernatural Christmas.“This standout season 3 episode is one of the best episodesof the whole show and is naturally perfect festive viewing.Supernatural’sblasphemous undertones make this an entertaining watch for anyone, whether they celebrate Christmas or not. With a festive villain meant for chills, “A Very Supernatural Christmas” brings the pagan origins of this holiday to the forefront of the story.
This episode ofSupernaturaldoesn’t require former viewing to make sense of it, nor does it issue spoilers for the epic storylines before it. There are no inroads into the nextSupernaturalsubplot either, making this an uncomplicated watch.The Krampus of this episode is horrific, exemplifying the show’s exceptional costume design and prosthetics, which were industry-leading in their own way. By all measures, “A Very Supernatural Christmas” is a great episode for beginners.
2Ghostfacers
Season 3, Episode 13
Ed and Harry unforgettably barreled onto screens as the Ghostfacers inSupernaturalseason 3, providingSupernaturalwith one of the best ways to start the show ever. Eric Kripke’s constant parodying of iconic movies and TV was a large part of what madeSupernaturaloriginal and successful. It was never short of caricatures that built on the former glories of horror and fantasy, and"Ghostfacers” broughtGhostbustersmyth to a whole new worldof fun.
“Ghostfacers” has the ideal standalone plotto entice new fans, with the flawlessly named Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler fancying themselves paranormal detectives. This may be the funniest episode of the series, following Ed and Harry as they bite off far more than they can chew. The Ghostfacers could constitute one of the bestSupernaturalspinoffsever made if they got one, but newbies toSupernaturalget this episode, at least.
1Pilot
Season 1, Episode 1
Supernatural’spilot episode is still the best way to start watchingSupernatural, despite the variety of episodes that are watchable with no outside context. First airing on June 12, 2025, “Pilot” roared into being with the demonic incident that started off the Winchesters' misfortunes. “Pilot” confirmedSupernaturalas one of thefantasy shows that were great from their very first episode, pinning Mary Winchester to the ceiling in a storm of blood and fire.
This cataclysmic tragedy set John Winchester off on a lifetime of investigation and revenge, leading to Dean eventually following in his footsteps. This episode has the right balance of backstory and present-day intrigue to get viewers totally hooked, setting up weeks' worth of story and teasing mysteries that take a while to be satisfyingly resolved. “Pilot” is scary in its opening moments before quickly becoming full of the funny and tender interactions that makeSupernaturalso popular.
Supernatural
Cast
Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
