After rewatching theSupernaturalpilot, I’m shocked that one story arc teased in that first episode took several years to finally be developed.Supernaturalhad an incredible 15-season run, which saw leading characters Sam and Dean Winchester overcome a number of daunting obstacles, to say the least.
That 15-year run was not always the plan; the season 5 finale, “Swan Song,” wasSupernatural’soriginal ending. Because of that longevity and the shift in plans, plenty eventually happened that was not known at the outset. That is not the case for one critical Sam Winchester plotline, though, sowhy didSupernaturaltake so long to explore this story?
After Rewatching Supernatural’s Pilot, I’m Shocked Sam’s Villain Story Took So Long
Sam’s ‘villain’ arc was among the most important stories inSupernatural, especially when considering the first five seasons of the show. This plot, which sadly briefly saw brother against brother, involved Sam increasing his power by drinking demon blood, which of course had myriad serious implications (not the least of which being accidentally freeing Lucifer).
Yet,it took several seasons for this story to really be explored inSupernatural, which is surprising given how apparent it was even in the pilot that Sam could potentially have a dark path ahead. It wasn’t really until season 4, though, that Sam began to take steps toward this darker side.
Following the first ofDean’s many deaths inSupernatural, which saw him torn apart by Hellhounds and dragged to Hell after making a one-year deal with a demon to bring Sam back to life, Sam was left more or less alone. Yes, he still had Bobby, but the death of his brother had clearly and understandably devastated him.
That sent Sam directly into the hands of Ruby, the demon who had seemed to be a friend but would ultimately manipulate Sam into killing Lilith and kicking off the Apocalypse. Even in that sense, Sam hadn’t really become a full-fledged villain; he was just a grieving brother who was manipulated into believing he was doing the right thing.
Supernatural Gave Sam Every Reason To Become A Villain (& He Still Didn’t Fully Commit)
As mentioned, in the pilot, it was clearSam had more than enough reason to eventually become a true villain. For one, Sam made it very clear that he had wanted to walk away from the life of a hunter and live a normal life instead, yet he felt dragged back into this by Dean and, by extension, his father.
Even worse, the pilot ends with Jessica, the woman Sam loves, on the ceiling, dying the exact way his mother did. This alone would be enough to cause someone to become a villain, but that isn’t what happens. In fact, these aspects of Sam’s story only make it all the more notable that Sam doesn’t really become a true villain.
At no point inSupernaturaldoes Sam intentionally do something evil. There were several points at which he was severely misguided, which is something he eventually realized and felt immense guilt about, yet he never intentionally went bad. This is especially interesting because of what the pilot set up for Sam’s future.
Supernatural’s Very First Scene Set Up A Darker Turn For Sam
TheSupernaturalpilot’s very first scene established a truly dark fate for Sam, as there was a demon (who we now know was named Azazel) after him when he was just a baby. Although there was so much more to come regarding that story, this scene alone signaled that there was something much more nefarious in store for Sam.
This could have led in a very different direction for Sam, particularly now that we know what Azazel really wanted. Namely, he was identifying a cohort of ‘special’ children to be infected with demon blood so that they could one day compete to become the vessel Lucifer would embody upon his return.
Sam follows this destiny in part, seeing as he does eventually become a vessel for Lucifer, but this obviously did not go according to Azazel’s plan. Rather than wanting that power or embracing becoming Lucifer’s vessel, Sam made this painful choice so that he could sacrifice himself and trap Lucifer once again.
This obviously could have been considerably worse, had Sam actually become a villain and decided to help Lucifer—and, again, it’s easy to see how Sam could have ended up that way. Sam’s eventual ending could not have been more different from that one, however.
Sam Winchester’s Ending Is Impressive Considering His Early Character Arc
Sam certainly made his fair share of mistakes, and that shouldn’t be so easily swept under the rug, butSam’s fate in the show is truly commendable given how much potential he had to go bad.TheSupernaturalfinaledevastatingly revealed that Dean died while on a hunt not all that long after the brothers defeated God.
That decision remains controversial, even five years after the show ended. However, audiences were generally happier with Sam’s fate, which included retiring from hunting, getting married, and having a son named Dean. He was obviously crushed to lose Dean, but this was what Sam had wanted from the time he was young.
However controversial this ending may be, it is impressive that Sam was able to overcome all that he did and ultimately led a normal, happy life and died at an old age. This ending for Sam Winchester really is beautiful, although it makes it even more surprising thatSupernaturalnever really gave Sam the villain story that the pilot teased.
