Supernatural, by the CW, was one of a kind. As a long-running series, the show had the unique opportunity to flesh out characters and the overarching plot throughout 15 seasons.
The CW show amassed a loyal fanbase over the years, partly due to the stories they got a chance to tell. There was a certain novelty to the show, and the creators rarely veered off this path throughout its run.
Erick Kripke, the show’s creator, utilized the seasons to the best of their abilities, telling the stories that he wanted to. The 22-episode seasons also allowed him and his team to push the limits of their creative boundaries, and they delivered each time. Moreover, he was not above using his love for The X-Files on the show, and Kripke delivered one of its best episodes ever.
How did The X-Files inspire the creator of Supernatural?
As a show, Supernatural proved to be unkillable, much like the Winchester brothers, played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Not only did it survive the transition from the WB to the CW, but it also made it through the writer’s strike in 2007. By the time its fourth season rolled around, the show had carved a niche for itself.
The show chronicled the lives of the Winchester brothers, as they hunted down demons, ghosts, and all kinds of paranormal entities, sending them back to hell. Such was its popularity that even the network gave them free rein to tell whatever stories the creator wanted to.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Erick Kripke spoke of how he decided to make some bold choices with his storytelling. He was, of course, inspired by The X-Files, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. The scientific drama had a black-and-white episode, and Kripke wanted to use a similar format.
“I was an obsessive fan of The X-Files and in their prime, they got really bold and adventurous with their format, and they had a black-and-white episode. I was always hoping that we could start taking those same kinds of swings. I remember saying, “I want to do a black-and-white episode where Sam and Dean are up against the classic movie monsters.” But I think Ben came up with the shapeshifter. We were trying to figure out: How do you get a mummy and a werewolf and a Frankenstein and a Dracula in the same episode? That makes no f—ing sense. So this idea of a shapeshifter who loved those movies and was ultimately just a fanboy was the secret to cracking that one open,” he said.
The result was spectacular, as ‘Monster Movie‘ went down as one of the best episodes of the entire show. It currently holds a rating of 8.4 on IMDb, and the show itself might see a prequel soon.
What happened in the ‘Monster Movie’ episode of Supernatural?
The episode centers around a string of murders at Oktoberfest in Pennsylvania. The modus operandi confuses the brothers since the victims died in several different ways without a common thread between them.
One of the victims had bite marks that resembled a bite from a vampire, but her body was intact otherwise. Dean and Sam talk to witnesses around the town, hoping to catch the missing link.
As they hunt for clues, another murder is reported. Only this time, the perpetrator is described as looking like a werewolf from the movies. Moreover, the victim’s heart was still inside his body, indicating that the murderer was not an actual werewolf.
Next, when a mummy rises from a sarcophagus which showed up at the dock unexpectedly, the brothers make the connection. The killer is a shape-shifter, who is a fan of old classic horror films such as Dracula and Frankenstein.
Throughout its run, the creative team strived to replicate its success and was successful to some extent. Regardless, ‘Monster Movie‘ remains one of the best episodes of Supernatural.
