The Boysshowrunner Eric Kripke rose to fame withSupernatural, and one scene from the 15-season CW series is so much like his Prime Video show, I can’t believe I’m only now realizing it. Kripke served asSupernatural’s showrunner for its first five seasons, departing from the series after season 5’s last episode, “Swan Song.” The season 5 finale wasSupernatural’s original ending, though the series wound up continuing well past this installment. And now, its maincast will reunite inThe Boysseason 5, bringing Kripke’s career full circle.
And those waiting forThe Boys' next outing might be inclined to revisit Kripke’s previous TV show, as rewatching Supernatural can be a lot of fun. There are minor things you’ll pick up on when following Sam and Dean Winchester for a second or third time. And while returning toSupernaturalseason 5,I noticed that one 15-year-old scene feels hilariously similar toThe Boys’most gruesome moments. Even years before Prime Video’s anti-superhero show, Kripke was showing his talent for capturing gory and outlandish moments on-screen.
One Scene From Supernatural Season 5’s “Swan Song” Feels So Much Like The Boys
Lucifer “Killing” Castiel Is Both Grim & Absurd
Supernaturalseason 5’s “Swan Song” features many big emotional moments, especially as Sam sacrifices himself to ensure Lucifer can’t wreak havoc on Earth. But this installment isn’t all doom and gloom; it also has some comical scenes interspersed throughout its 40-minute run. Among the funniest is Castiel throwing a Molotov Cocktail of holy fire at Michael, with the angel uttering the words, “Hey, a**butt” as he does. It’s a ridiculous line, and it perfectly fits Castiel’s character. Unfortunately,Lucifer doesn’t find his antics hilarious, and he responds by trying to kill Castiel.
The scene is grisly for the CW show, but it’s also as shocking and absurd as anything that’s happened onThe Boys.
All it takes is the snap of Lucifer’s fingers to reduce Castiel to nothing, andSupernaturaldepicts this as a gruesome death for the character.Castiel quite literally explodes, with blood and guts splattering all over Bobby Singer and the surrounding area. The scene is grisly for The CW show, but it’s also as shocking and absurd as anything that’s happened onThe Boys.And with Castiel returning mere minutes later, viewers are spared the emotional fallout. This makes it more humorous and out there than anything else, and that sort of action is par for the course in Kripke’s later series.
Castiel Exploding Isn’t As Gruesome As It Would Be In The Boys, But It Feels Similar
It Was An Early Sign Eric Kripke Was The Right Person To Helm Prime Video Show
Given that Supernatural aired on The CW,the image of Castiel exploding in “Swan Song” isn’t totally on par withThe Boys’most gruesome moments— but it still feels similar.The Boysis known for its blood splatters, regularly showing its characters covered in guts.Hughie Campbell gets covered in bloodin just about every season, and he’s not the only character to deal with such gore. In fact, it seems like the Prime Video series is constantly trying to one-up itself when it comes to disturbing and graphic violence.
And Castiel exploding inSupernaturalmay have been one of the earliest signs that Kripke was the right person to helmThe Boys.Even if it couldn’t go to the extremes the Prime Video series often does, it highlights that the showrunner understands the sense of humor and approach to violence that’s needed for the adaptation. Kripke strikes that balance as well inThe Boysas he did in his prior hit.
There Were Hints Of This Greatness In The CW Series
Although I loved Kripke’s work onSupernatural— his seasons of the series remain its best — I’m so glad he was able to move on toThe Boysand embrace a darker storytelling approach. There are hints of that throughout the CW show, but the obvious constraints of network television prevent it from going too far, even when it leans into its horror roots.The Boysallows Kripke to deliver on thingsSupernaturalcould never dream of, and that’s precisely what makes the series so entertaining.
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.
The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
