‘Supernatural’ Series Finale Hasn’t Changed Since Last Year, Showrunner Says
Supernatural had to wait a bit longer to say goodbye. Season 15 was the final season of the long-running show starring Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic delayed production on the final two episodes. They finally shot the series finale with some adjustments due to safety protocols. However, showrunner Andrew Dabb says the endgame plan hasn’t changed since last year.
Dabb spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet by phone about the series finale of Supernatural. He explained how they came up with the idea for the ending and stuck to it. Supernatural airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.
How they decided to end ‘Supernatural’
Supernatural has gone on longer than even The CW expected it to. CW President Mark Pedowitz tells the Television Critics Association every year that he’d renew Supernatural as long they wanted to keep making it. So it was after season 14 Dabb had the big talk.
“The May before our final season, I sat down with Bob Singer who’s been the EP [executive producer] on the show for 15 years,” Dabb said. “[Singer and I] kind of came up with an idea, what really ended up being a final moment where we really like that final moment. We really think that works. We really think it ties the show together for our characters and hopefully for the fans.”
‘Supernatural’ has stuck to that plan
Despite all the unforeseen circumstances in shooting the series finale, Supernatural still ends with what Singer and Dabb decided on.
“That moment became kind of our north star that we were always moving towards,” Dabb said. “The path could change as it always does, as it should over the course of the season and as other writers get involved and things like that, but that final moment has always been the same and remains the same. It’s the moment the show ends on. I think it’s been now a year and a half or more, but it’s been something we really stuck to. We weren’t wishy washy about it. I think that would have gotten us in trouble.”
Even Andrew Dabb agrees the show could return
Ackles and Padalecki have already said that they’re willing to return for a limited streaming series or a Supernatural movie. So is Dabb.
I would 100% be open to it and I think it’s something again, everybody’s schedules will have to work out and there’s a whole business side to it. I do think that this story’s not over. Not only just for the fans, but for us and for Jared and Jensen, and when you see the final couple episodes, even some bigger things like that. Look, if it doesn’t ever come back, that’s 100% fine. We wrote it as a final ending. It’s a grand finale, but if the opportunity came to tell more stories with these characters, I love these characters and I would jump at that chance, so yes, 100%.
Andrew Dabb, interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 10/1/2020
There was never a more definitive end to ‘Supernatural’
Dabb clarifies that the somewhat open ending, which leaves room for a revival, was always part of the plan. They never intended to end Supernatural in a way that would prohibit any kind of comeback.
“The ending has always been the ending,” Dabb said. “When you watch it, it is a pretty final ending. There’s no cliffhanger. There’s no question mark. It’s a period at the end of the sentence and that’s the way we wanted it to be.”
