Supernatural (TV Series) Pilot (2005) User Reviews

An Episode that Pulls You into the Show

[katierose295 · 9/10 · 13 March 2008]

"Supernatural" is a show that sneaks up on you. Or at least it did on me. I had this image in my mind of a lame "X-Files" meets "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" rip-off with cute guys. And yeah, the guys are cute. And there are parts of "Supernatural" that have a spooky "X-Files" feel. And it does have episodes that mix continuing story arcs and Monter-of-the-Weeks, like BTVS perfected. Really, it has some of the best parts of both shows. However, "Supernatural" also has an identity all its own. It's an intimate show, mostly focusing on a relationship between two brothers. As the shows moves along, it becomes more and more character driven. Something that's hard to achieve when a show is about battling ghosts, hookmen and werewolves. "Supernatual" uses its demon tales to tell smaller stories about the lives of Sam and Dean Winchester. It's a family drama, modern Western, an endless road trip and horror movie all rolled into one. I love this show and the "Pilot" sets up everything that unfolds over the next seasons. If you're planning to watch the show, you need to start with this episode.

The "Pilot" episode revolves around Sam Winchester, the youngest child of Mary and John Winchester. Nice biblical names for the parents of a child who's destiny seems cloaked in darkness. When he's 6 months old, a demon comes into Sam's nursery. As his mother tries to save him, she is levitated on to the ceiling and incinerated. John rushes in and grabs the baby. John instructs his other son, Dean, to take Sammy outside and rushes back in to save Mary. But it's too late. Mary is dead. John takes his sons and trains them to be warriors; Soldiers against the demon world.

Twenty-two years later, Sam had left the "Family Business" of hunting evil and is headed for Stanford Law. He's living with his girlfriend, Jessica, and trying to lead a "normal" life. Dean's the obedient, if wise-ass, son and is willing to follow in John's evil fighting footsteps. Except, John goes missing while on a case and Dean arrives at Stanford to enlist Sam's help in finding him. Sam reluctantly joins the search, and soon they're in a small town where a hitchhiking woman in white is picking off any men who stop to give her a lift home.

Sam and Dean work on stopping the ghost of the woman and on finding John. Their father has left behind one clue: His journal filled with all his notes on supernatural lore. The boys make a surprisingly good team as they work together. Sure Dean whacks Sam in the back of the head. And -Yeah- Sam rolls his eyes at Dean's music selections. But in short order they've exorcised the woman in white and have a set of coordinates that they hope will lead them to John. Except, Sam still not thrilled with the idea of living out of a car and hunting monsters professionally.

Dean is hurt and trying to hide it as he drops Sam back off at Stanford. However, he loves Sam enough to let him go. Sam walks back into his apartment. He lays down on the bed, looks up at the ceiling and above him he sees Jessica's body. Sam screams as she catches fire, dying just as his mother did. Dean rushes in and drags Sam out of another burning room. Sam, having lost everything that he thought made his life "normal," gets into Dean's beloved 1967 Impala and re-joins the quest to find the demon that's stolen both of the women he loved.

There are some great parts to this episode. The first five minutes of "Supernatural" are the best opening sequence of any TV series I ever seen. Before the title screen comes up the show had already introduced the 4 Winchesters (5 if you count the Impala), explained their mission and established the motivations of every character. Dean: Who just wants to get his family to safety. Sam: Who is haunted with questions about why the Demon came after him. John: A man often blinded by his obsession for vengeance. The episode also establishes that "Supernatural" can do scary stuff really well. The Woman in White "statics" in and out, and even the lighting manages to be atmospheric and spooky. There's also a lot of humor, though, mostly contributed by Dean. From being arrested for credit card scams (He has to pay the bills somehow, since "Hunting isn't exactly a pro-ball career), to labeling Sammy a "control freak" for not letting Dean use the computer (after Dean refused to let Sam even pick a song in the car), Dean is just a joy to watch.

The theme of "home" comes up repeatedly in this episode. The Winchesters are always searching for a home, even as it becomes obvious that Sam & Dean's home is each other. First their home in Kansas burns, killing Mary and setting them on their rootless hunt for evil. John vanishing rips away Dean's shaky sense of home, leaving him alone and needing his little brother. For Sam, the apartment he made with Jessica is destroyed in this episode along with any illusions he had about leading a normal life. Like the Woman in White, the Winchesters can never return home. Instead, Sam & Dean have to forge something new together.

On the down side, I had to watch the outtakes of this episode to figure out why Dean went back to Sam's apartment. It turns out his car radio got all weird and lights flickered like a demon was near. Still, that really should have been in the episode itself, because otherwise there's no explanation as to why Dean returned.

My favorite part of the episode: Sam and Dean's "B*tch" & "Jerk" exchange. One of the most realistic, recurring sibling exchanges ever.

Hooked from the start - I love Supernatural!

[on-the-road-so-far · 10/10 · 28 June 2014]

I've only started watching Supernatural about two months ago. I've watched all seasons in one go and I don't think I've ever been so involved in a show before. After finishing season 9, I wanted to start over again immediately and take my time to fully appreciate a second viewing. So here I am, back at the beginning... (please note that while I'm not telling any explicit spoilers about any future episodes, I may allude to some story arcs)

Let me tell you, I was hooked from the start. The pilot has everything it needs to set up the theme of the first season. We have the two brothers, reuniting and struggling to understand each other, but already "making a hell of a team". We have great music, brotherly banter ("Jerk." - "Bitch.") and a scary ghost story. We have the promising and tragic mystery surrounding Mary's and Jessica's death, as well as the disappearance of John and the subsequent quest of the brothers to find their missing father.

And of course we have our two leading men.

The chemistry between Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki is amazing right from the start. I have to admit, when I first started watching the show I wasn't a big fan of Jared (having only seen him on Gilmore Girls) and I didn't really know Jensen (though I did watch Dark Angel back when it aired). But I was instantly drawn in by both actors in this episode - especially Jensen.

At the first glance, Dean seems to be the typical devil-may-care, sarcastic, tough "bad boy". He's the kind of character you love to watch for his sassy attitude and his charming smile (Sheriff: "You got anything that's real?" - Dean: "My boobs.").But even here in the pilot, you already get the feeling that there's so much more to him. His confidence seems to be in total contrast to him not wanting to do this all alone. It's right there that we get a first impression of how important family is to Dean.

Sam on the other hand is trying to lead a normal life and making plans for his future. Of course, by the end of the episode those plans are firmly squashed, and Sam decides to join his brother on his quest. There's obviously also more to Sam than the slightly innocent and idealistic boy we first get to meet here, and I think Dean's words to him - "You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are." - foreshadow the immense struggles Sam will have to face regarding his own identity in the future.

The atmosphere in the first episode is kinda dark and in part very eerie. I've always loved ghost stories and I love being scared by a good horror movie or show. Supernatural truly delivers. Those scenes on the highway and on the bridge with the Lady in White were awesome! I'm really looking forward to watching this season again (I really miss the good old ghost stories!).

Favourite quote: House rules, Sammy. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole. ~ Dean Winchester

The beginning

[aura772 · 10/10 · 22 May 2009]

22 years ago in Lawrence, Kansas John and Mary Winchester kiss their two sons goodnight. In the middle of the night Mary wakes up to discover that someone or something is with her baby Sam. Soon after, John hears Mary screaming and rushes in to Sammy's room, where his wife was attached to the ceiling, bleeding. A fire starts around her, then the entire ceiling is burning. Dean takes his younger brother outside and John follows after an unsuccessful attempt to save Mary.

Many years later, in the present day, Sam receives a visit from his older brother Dean, in the middle of the night at Stanford. After a Winchester brothers style confrontation, we find out Dean bears news that their father is missing... And they set out to investigate! Most of the fourth season was stupidly boring and watching the first episode again reminds me of why I watch this show. Jared and Jensen fighting, delivering hilarious lines combine perfectly with the show's strong sense of irony and sarcasm.

Supernatural can offer some seriously frightening scenes and after that we also get a good laugh.

In this episode, I personally appreciated the pentagram statement. In Christianity it is a symbol of protection against evil, but it's a common mistake to associate it with Satanism. Also, a really interesting fact is that in Supernatural they base some of their episodes and monsters on real urban legends.

A ghost made the famous Impala chase Dean on the mission, that was a nice kick in the ass for him, given Dean's attachment to the car. In the next seasons we will find out what he'll do if somebody messes with his Impala.

Watching this again makes it quite hard to digest the fact that Dean will be chosen by God and saved by angels... it almost makes me hysterically laugh, but that's just irony. That's Supernatural.

Oh and to satisfy my inner naturalist, I hope they're not using real salt.

The beginning of a phenomenon...

[Red_Identity · 8 September 2010]

I remember watching the Pilot years ago, and remember getting scared. Of course, I was a kid back then, but the Pilot remains just as intriguing as one can hope for.

I first thought that the whole series would be about this Lady in White AKA Mourning Woman. Being the network the WB was back then, I would have expected that, but then I realized how much of a horror show this was. The Pilot remains one of the scariest TV episodes of all time. It is masterfully executed and directed, it has stood the test of time.

Of course, the series has definitely changed over the years, from being a horror show to a show that has horror, comedy, and much more deeper story lines involved. But the fact remains that this remains the key beginning of a great start!

Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole.

[tinytinka · 8/10 · 23 August 2010]

What a great start to an awesome show! I really liked this first episode it made you wanting more from the first sec.

The woman in white is just a classic tale and the Supernaturla version is amazing. From the first watching on I loved both them. Well, okay, Dean a bit more XD I really felt sorry for Sam at the end of this episode, first his mother, than his girlfriend. Okay I think everyone who started to watch this episode knew it will be about the brothers on the road, so a girlfriend would disturb it. Okay killing her was hard on Sam, but it kinda resurrected the hunter in him. I also love the humor of this show. Dean is probably one of the most funniest show characters ever created XD

Because I was kind of bored, I made a personal ranking. A "Top 104" if you like ^^ I wanted to wait until season six has aired, but I just couldn't ^^

The Pilot is my number 66 out of 104

Welcome To The End

[ayubhamza · 10/10 · 24 February 2019]

So what's it all add up to? It's hard to say. But me, I'd say this was a test... for Sam and Dean. And I think they did all right. Up against, Good, Evil, angels, devils, Destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice. They chose family. And, well... isn't that kinda the whole point? No doubt - endings are hard. But then again... nothing ever really ends, does it?

The show may be ending but the fandom will live on.

The Beginning.

[snwbatz · 8/10 · 3 June 2022]

It's kind of hard to judge this episode because it's the first episode of the show. Obviously there are better episodes later in show. If you love Supernatural you need to thank this episode for starting it all. This episode is pretty small scale in comparison to other episodes but it actually works in the episode's favor. You don't need the first episode to be huge in scale but you need it to good and effective and that's what we got. For a pretty small and simple plot it's iconic. The relationship between the brothers is the best part and even though this is the first episode Jared and Jensen's chemistry is so good it's no wonder they made a whole show with these guys. In the end it's a very simple episode but it sets every thing up so well that I can't help but love and appreciate it.

The Beginning of an Era

[SirFreckles · 10/10 · 2 February 2015]

Wow! This show is fantastic! I can safely say that I enjoyed every single second of it. I actually watched this and was actually getting scared for the first time in a very long time from a TV show, I was hooked from the start.

The story starts with Mary Winchester waking up and checking on her youngest child, Sam. She finds a figure in there standing over Sam which she believes is John Winchester, her husband. She walks downstairs and finds John, sleeping in front of the TV. She runs back upstairs and finds the figure who uses levitation to push her onto the ceiling, she then explodes into flames and incinerated. John rushes in and grabs Sam and runs out and passes him to Dean telling him to run outside the house as fast as he could. He then rushes in trying to save his wife Mary but then realising that there is no hope for her as the house is already in flames.

Then 22 years later, Sam had already left the "Family Business" which is hunting evil, Dean breaks into his house at night to tell him that their dad, John, has been on a "Hunting trip" and hasn't been home in a few days. Sam joins the search for their father and they find themselves in a town hunting a "Woman in White".

The chemistry between the two actors, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki is fantastic. I haven't seen any of their work in TV/Movies before but they work great together.

The first episode is one of the best pilot episodes I have seen, it has some very scary moments. Jensen and Jared are great at portraying Sam and Dean and if you are planning to start this series, you should definitely start on this amazing episode.

'Supernatural' Pilot: A Review with Minimum Spoilers

[tamoghnacu · 9/10 · 25 June 2015]

The 'Supernatural' Pilot is one of the best first episodes ever to appear on TV. In the following lines, I will try to explain why. As promised, I will also try to keep my use of spoilers to the bare minimum because spoilers do live up to their names and spoil all the fun.

As the simple but effective title tells us, this show is all about the supernatural. It is also about the Winchesters, a family that hunts and fights evil supernatural entities, but I digress. If you enjoy stories about ghosts, ghouls, vampires, witches and every other kind of thing that goes bump in the night, this series is a must-watch for you. And the 'Pilot' is not just the perfect place to start. It is the only place to start if you ask me.

It gives you a glimpse into the Winchesters' past to reveal the primary motivation behind their chosen profession, pushes to the present-day and lets you catch up with the protagonists' current situations, throws in a nasty surprise near the close, and ends with a promise for so much more to ensure that you are kept on tenterhooks and will go back for more. Very smart storytelling, I must say. Moreover, this episode, or some of the events depicted in it, continues to have a huge impact on the plot as well as the major characters till date (the show is moving into its eleventh season now). One more reason for you to not miss it.

As far as the scare-factor is concerned, the 'Pilot' remains one of the creepiest episodes in the ten seasons-long 'Supernatural' story- line. There are multiple deaths, an undertone of tragedy and loss, and a clever adaptation of a popular folk legend. In other words, there are bloody, violent, downright chilling moments aplenty to satisfy the average horror buff. And that is not even the best part of the episode. I'll confess that I too was sold on the promise of shivers and jitters. But I stayed with the show this long because of two brothers and the endearing rapport they share. It is, by turns, intensely emotional and outright hilarious. The two lead actors, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, are both spot on in their characterizations of the two brothers, divided in their respective life choices, but united in family, and a common, higher purpose.

Go watch the 'Supernatural' Pilot. It has an entertaining blend of comedy, horror, action and drama. What more can you ask for?

Brothers against Evil: The Lady in White

[Coventry · 8/10 · 1 March 2007]

Wow, this new TV-series seems to be created especially and entirely for me ... as well as for all you other fanatics of horror, occult, monsters and suchlike types of evil, of course! "Supernatural" finally is a properly budgeted and professionally scripted TV-series revolving on two young brothers battling all kinds of malevolence they encounter during the search for their vanished father. Sam and Dean Winchester aren't easily shocked, as they literally grew up fighting monsters. When they were little children, an unidentified evil force burned their mother alive and ever since their father raised them to search & destroy evil all around the United States. This pilot-episode merely just introduces the characters, but still there's room for an intriguing type of malice, namely the Woman in White. Dean – the oldest brother – comes to visit Sam at university and informs him their father is missing. Sam is reluctant to join Dean on his search, as he finally hopes to live a normal life. Of course Dean convinces him and the brothers soon confront a beautiful white appearance in the dark night. The Lady in White represents the restless soul of a deceived woman, forced to commit murder and suicide and forever doomed to dwell around to kill unfaithful men.

The first episode of "Supernatural" is excellent, but not entirely flawless. The two main characters are introduced as likable and identifiable guys, but the inevitably remain stereotypes. They're brothers but with severely opposite characters. Dean is a witty daredevil, always fearlessly facing danger and providing the show with the obligatory sense of humor. Sam on the other hand is a shy guy, happy with his girlfriend and his anonymous life as a student. Probably because this is the pilot, and most of attention went to the character drawings & theme-introduction, the mystery surrounding the Lady in White remains rather vague and unsolved. That's a crying shame because it's a fascinating topic and it could have resulted in a petrifying little horror tale. The rushed finale also immediately exposes what presumably is the series' biggest weakness. Less than one hour of playtime isn't always suffice to resolve a supernatural case and/or to defeat a complex & powerful enemy. Hopefully this will be different in the next couple of episodes, when it's no longer necessary to show flashbacks about the boys' childhood. I already saw episode two – The Wendingo – and it definitely showed improvement. Even so, the pilot episode is hugely atmospheric and often chilling. The special effects are pretty amazing and far better than the visuals used in the majority of nowadays released horror movies. The creative mind behind "Supernatural" is Eric Kripke. He didn't really impress me with his "Boogeyman", but this TV-initiative is more than promising.

Without revealing too much, the pilot's ending assures the collaboration between the two brothers and even offers Sam a morbid motivation to carry on exterminating evil. Now I just hope the TV-stations in my country don't decide to prematurely cancel the airing due to disappointing viewer ratings....

The Woman in White

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 24 November 2006]

Twenty-two years ago, in Lawrence, Kansas, a family is attacked by a poltergeist and Mary, the mother of the brothers Sam and Dean, is burned to death in front of their father John Winchester, who dedicates his life from this moment on chasing the evil spirit that killed his beloved wife. In the present days, Sam moved to Stanford University, where he is living with his girlfriend Jessica. One Friday night, his brother Dean shows up in Sam's place and tells him that their father is missing, and asks Sam to help him to track the last steps of John. They drive to Jericho, California, and arrive in a small town called Centennial, where the urban legend tells the story of a hitchhiker highway killer, actually a violent fiend called "The Woman in White". Together, the brothers face the diabolic Constance Welsh and their desire of revenge.

This pilot of "Supernatural" has some scary moments, mostly in the beginning when Mary Winchester sees the thing in her baby's room and then John in the living room watching television. The two lead actors acting like FBI agents are very silly, but in the end this series seems to be a promising entertainment. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Piloto" ("Pilot")

Set the pace for the series

[mm-39 · 9/10 · 17 August 2007]

Set the pace for the series. I found the Pilot episode well directed, written, and acted for a TV series. Many TV shows are quickly and cheaply made, while 'Supernatural' is made of movie quality. The story subplot where there is a need for the Winchester brothers' to find their father is the driving storyline for the first series. The lady in white mystery story shows the contrast and personal chemistry of the two brothers Sam and Dean. Dean is more personality streetwise, while Sam is more personally academic. The personality faults and infamous stunts create humor for the series. The blend of storyline, the character's personas, and the driving need to find their father create a great mixture for this episode and the first season. 9 out of 10. Very 80's oriented if you understand lines like the best of mullet rock.

Don't Stop for Hitchhikers

[injury-65447 · 7/10 · 16 June 2020]

So, this episode was interesting enough. However, the whole time I was acutely aware that this was an episode designed to get the brothers together as a team, ready to kick supernatural butt. Therefore, the story felt a little contrived. The fact that Sam is roped into this by the death of his girlfriend, rather than naturally making the choice or learning what his true calling is - I didn't love that.

Ghosts aren't the most original idea, but at least they put a nice little spin on it. The show is a little darker than I expected, talking about child murders and whatnot.

I enjoyed the Nutty special effects. At times it looked really trippy.

The chemistry between the brothers is good. However, casting guys that are so handsome is a little distracting.

The dialogue felt a bit clunky and forced at times. Hopefully that gets smoothed out in later episodes.

Does this mean Sam isn't going to law school?

How could you, Sammy

[Aries_Primal · 1/10 · 16 September 2023]

Ok, it's obviously good episodes ended at season 4, but this is ridiculous. Those guys were in all diverges, lands, worlds, and still kicking and screaming. Producers get out of ideas I see, first demons and witches, then hell, angels, spitting black worm-human monsters called after bible thing, and now purgatory. Seriously?

Now, let's talk about Sam. He freak out when Dean went to chase that Phoenix and stuck in time, but when Dean disappear and Crowley was the first in line he just left and had a girl and a dog... People who write the scrip are working so hard me hating him. After all at sudden he just doesn't care. Or he never gave a damn about anything. Maybe that's the deal, Sam left in a first place to go to college, if Dean wasn't there to pull him off he would still be there.

And not to forget Cass who came back one episode ago and he is dead again... You can't kill and resurrect the most important characters like 100 times in a row and expect people to take serious this show.

My love

[zsy-74095 · 10/10 · 20 November 2020]

It's the beginning of everything. Thank you for all of this great show.

Best Pilot ever

[sn-watcher · 10/10 · 21 October 2008]

If you have never seen Supernatural then you can't watch it with out first seeing the Pilot basically the show evolves around the first 5 mins of the show. and the events that took place 22 yrs ago. it sends the father obessive path to hunt down the thing that killed his wife. Driving his 2 sons around the country and hunting down ghost stories and urban ledgends and killing things that are evil. Dean is just old enough at the time to remember his mum (or mom) and understand his fathers goal. Where as Sam is a mere 6mnths old and doesn't remember any of it.

Sam appears to be a typical law student at Stanford university until his brother drops in. Telling him his dad is missing and they have to go and find him. Sam is loyal enough to his family to drop what ever he is doing and go help his brother.

We are also introduced to the 3rd character in this show th Impala. That's part of the lour of this show is the tone and the vibe of a story of 2 brothers driving, in an unreal car, the back roads of America, leather jackets, trunk full of sawn off shotguns, rock salts gasoline and all kinds of weapons for fighting evil. This is where I think it differs greatly from what other people comparing it to the "x-files". They even manage to put humor into the show and poke fun at themselves, even in the pilot when Dean calls 2 FBI agents Moulder and Scully.

The first place they go is the last place they heard from Dad and encounter their fathers previous case. With the 'Woman in white' who appears on the highway at night and ask unfaithful men to drive her home. The actress who plays the ghost is awesome even if she is a suppose to be a ghost. The blinking effect they use on her to make her a supernatural ghost is a great effect. and having her disappear and reappear in the car is really creepy.

The Winchester brothers investigate the disappearance of local men in the area and also using fake IDs and credit cards find their fathers hotel room. We see he has left all his stuff there so he must of been in a hurry.

i love the bit where the cops arrest Dean after the cops are looking for the dad, and ask him if he has anything real on him and he says 'My boots.' And Dean is able to get his dad's journal and sneak out of the sherries office. There is areally well done shot of Dean escaping down a ladder. the DOP of this show is awesome.

After they figure out who the Woman in White is there is also a great scene with Sam interviewing the husband of the dead ghost. He was really intense he was great.

The ending of this one is really good to and it's great how they can improvise at the last second (Sam - 'What were you thinking shooting Casper in the face, you freak!').

All in all as the other comments said they fit a whole heap of stuff into an hr show and it was awesome.

And I fully understand the writers killing off Sam's girlfriend at the end and pushing him over the edge. He is a stubborn character and they had to motivate him out his life and put him in the car with Dean. and this seemed like the thing to Join them together.

I like how the show used to be : Fresh

[zombiehigh18 · 25 October 2011]

Spoiler Alert..... watching the show for like the hundredth time (So! yeah I'm a big fan) I finally write my first review. I watched every episode to date and each time I find myself carving for more, never having enough of the guys which never used to happen before on any show ever. okay let's skip this.... So, looking back at the old episodes I find out why I liked this show more than any other, well mainly because it was so fresh full of new ideas from epic horror shows and famous novels rolled in it's own ingredients and it's own perceptive other than just copying or remaking old things. Plus those amazing well written characters and the funny light moments which defines the show and makes it what it is. this is a story of two brothers who travel through the country in their classic 67 Chevy Impala fighting monsters and saving people while watching out for each other. Which brings me to the main characters: First and of course my favorite , Dean. The handsome young man who looks so self-assured from the outside with his "I don't give a damn attitude" and his witty jokes from the outside and his totally insecure personality from the inside. Dean, unlike his younger brother, actually experienced the normal life and knew what he was missing (which is harder in my point of view)he saw his mother and knew how it feels like to lose her and to lose her love which affected him so badly to the extent that he is afraid to lose anybody again so he took it upon himself since his young ages to be the one watching out for his family even sacrificing his life for the sake of any of them because he knew he can't live with the loss any more. He saw his father before he became obsessed with hunting whatever that killed his wife and knew how much his father had changed yet he idolized the man thinking he was some kind of a superhero never wanting to disobey him or letting him down so he became his daddy's good soldier acting like him wearing his clothes listening to his kind of music and driving his car. Young Dean had to become Sam's parent, to watch over him to protect him, to even try to make him live as much of a normal life as he can provide so as to protect him from the truth, to make him have a childhood for as long as he can. Dean's only life evolved around Sam and Sam only. He had to give up every thing for him. So Dean never had anything, never had a long term relationship and never pursued any dream of his own, he had nothing except the Impala which was not only just a car it was the image of his father as invincible to him as his father seemed, besides the Impala was the probably the only home Dean knew since their house in Kansas. Secondly, Sam. Sam is a character that grows on you his not your favorite from the beginning but definitely as you go on with the episodes you will feel as if he is your younger brother "Little Sammy" that you care about. And you watch him grow through the years and find out how much he has changed and matured. Sam was first introduced to us as the college boy (Pre law with a great opportunity for a full ride to Stanford law school) "The golden boy of his family" smart with the pretty girl friend and a bright future ahead. A young man who never liked the life he grew up into, who hated his father for the way he brought him up, who longed for a normal safe life(which was his mother's wish as we will find out later) claiming that he was different and that he , unlike Dean, had a mind of his own. Yet when his girlfriend was killed he acted exactly in the same obsessed way as his father did. A Young man who first looks to be self- centered and selfish who ran away from his family and cut himself totally from them. Even from Dean, who was his kind of the only stable character in his life. But what do we know, their life was pretty hard, you can't blame the guy. The two brother set out on a journey to find their missing father and to find their mother's and Jessica's killer, helping people along the way.

The show started out great with the stand alone episodes that casual viewers will find interesting without being lost in the main arc of the show. The Lady in White story was good was some emotional moments like that when Dean got mad at Sam when he said that their mother is dead and no matter what they do she is not coming back which showed that Dean never really got over his mother's death. I also liked the part when Sam tried to apologize for what he said and Dean just hushed him saying "No chick flick moments" which is exactly what his character is (not the sharing kind, just bury it deep with some humor, a beer and a one night stand. forget about it and save people). The casting is really great. The chemistry between the brothers is fantastic. Applaud to Jensen Ackles who really mastered his role and made it so different from his previous ones. Dean is nothing like Alec (Dark Angel), CJ(Dawson's Creek), Jason Teague (Smallville) or even Priestly (Ten Inch Hero). He is really a good actor and you will see that along the way. Jared Padalecki definitely took out the role of Sam the always in trouble younger brother pretty good and became better along the years.

A solid opening of a great show

[CubsandCulture · 8/10 · 29 August 2019]

The pilot does everything a good first episode should do. It gives you a flavor of the characters, gives a pretty good sense of the possibilities of the world and makes you want to watch the second episode right away. If I had one complaint about the opening it would be it is not as comedic as the show ended up being. It is true that over the years the show has shifted into more a melodrama, but the monster of the week format that plays for much of the early seasons is used to good effect here. The weeping woman (woman in white) is a good antagonist to build the pilot around as it is lore focused and a ghost with personality. Nutter's direction is very atmospheric. I wish the show kept the washed out look...it is just moodier.

This episode introduced the world to Sam and Dean; it is a classic of the show.

Decent start

[shwetafabm · 8/10 · 20 May 2020]

I love supernatural 1-5, stopped watching it at 9, it loses its charm a bit but well saw the newish scooby doo episode and with the series ending i thought why not just watch the whole thing. Babyfaced Dean and Sam try to find their dad, have some brotherly squabbles, Sam seems like the center of the show whereas Dean seems like the goofy sarcastic confident guy who is there for laughs and giggles, he really has the best one-liners. We get backstory of their family, a bit cramped up but ok its the pilot they gotta introduce stuff fast. The ghost is average but well its hard to make a truly frightening horror tv show, spn shines in its bond and comedy. The ghost starts off promising though the end is ehh. Its enjoyable and makes the time pass and you have a mystery you are invested in, the premise also sets up our characters well with the little info we get. The start of a legendary show.

compelling introduction into the world that will take over millions of viewer's hearts for the next 15 years

[violet-vance · 9/10 · 8 September 2021]

Pilots generally try to do a few things: they introduce audiences to a new world; they establish the tone, pace & stakes, they build-out characters and character-dynamics, and they try to hook a viewer into coming back. Supernatural is successful on every count.

The directing and cinematography of this pilot stand out from the get-go. The first 3 seasons are shot on 35mm film, which really adds to the dark, gritty, horror-esq vibe of the show. And the pilot encapsulates good cinematography. You can tell shots are well thought-out in a way that contributes to the story and the narrative tone. The scene framing was aesthetically interesting to look at, but in a way which helped draw you into what was happening (instead of distracting you from the story at hand).

The acting is good, but does leave room for improvement. This isn't a critique on Jensen or Jared's talent, but they're still feeling out their characters at this point-haven't quite settled into their roles, and the trust that's built up between between actors which can (and will) take scenes to the next level isn't there yet. The bridge scene argument where Dean lunges at Sam in anger feels a bit contrived, for instance. But that said, they overall do nice job.

For a pilot, the writing is pretty decent and very smart. Starting a story is hard. They work a lot of exposition and backstory into 40 minutes, in ways that loop back into the plot. For ex: they address 'how do they pay for hunting?' pretty quickly, but then it comes back around in a way that helps advance the search for their father. From a writing standpoint, there's a nice parallelism in what happens to Mary Winchester at the start of the episode & what happens to Jess at the end of it.

The episode ends by coming full-circle, allowing for the real story to begin. You leave with a sense of who Sam and Dean are as people, with a sense of their complicated relationship with each other and their father, and with a sense of mystery to bring you back. Which-as far as pilot episodes go-is the ultimate success.

Overall a strong pilot, and a compelling introduction into the world that will take over millions of viewer's hearts for the next 15 years.

-Violet Vance.

If Only I Knew

[blamethegrass · 9/10 · 13 January 2023]

If only I knew the absolute carnage and betrayal I would feel while watching this show from start to finish. I will never get to experience all of the emotions I did while watching this series and I'm glad that it's a special experience only for Supernatural. No other show had broken me, picked up the pieces, glued them together and then smashed them over my head before.

Yet I absolutely love it, this show was apart of my adolescence and it is still apart of me to this day. I remember being absolutely terrified of their older episodes and scared for the characters future in later ones. Just one word about Supernatural will bring me to my knees in the middle of Walmart. But this show will be forever apart of me, the good and the bad it has shaped me to be the person I am today. It is the type of show I will never forget. Thank you and goodnight.

A rather bland beginning

[asphodelhawthorne · 6/10 · 30 October 2017]

I finally started to watch Supernatural, after several of my friends recommended it to me. Usually I love everything Fantasy and Horror. I'm a big fan of Buffy and Angel. I also liked Charmed (even if it was kinda cheesy) and all the supernatural stuff on Lost. But somehow I was always reluctant to start this TV Show. The commercials made it look like a less funny Buffy Rip-Off. And now after watching the Pilot Episode I'm still on the fence with this show.

It's definitely not bad. The beginning with the burning mother on the ceiling was really suspenseful. Also the two protagonists Dean and Sam are likable and their preexisting knowledge of the supernatural is refreshingly new in this genre. Very often we get Pilot Episodes where the main character is clueless at the beginning. But now to the part I didn't like that much. Which is the whole plot with the Woman in White. I'm guessing that this show has a monster of the week formula (like Buffy or Charmed). And for the first monster to be introduced to us, I though this ghost woman was very bland and boring. Even the reveal that she killed her own children, didn't surprise me that much. So, as a whole the episode was pretty mediocre. A boring ghost, but also the promise of an interesting mystery of who killed the mother and Jessica.

I fell in love

[BookCas · 10/10 · 22 December 2021]

Supernatural is the only series I loved from first sight.

The prologue that showed me what will be the main theme of the first season was the best bait. Ghost hunting was great and the ending was perfect.

It's pretty good for a pilot

[yeahoksurethatsfine · 6/10 · 15 February 2021]

It's more of a prologue for the show. It gives us background for the story and establishes the characters. It's definitely a pilot.

Awful FX. Unbelievable.

[MidoriAi · 1/10 · 4 April 2022]

...I remember when it first came out. I watch it until season 3 or 4, can't remember... .....and now I watched again this pilot.. wow!! Terrible!! Those lousy and ridiculous FX!! The woman in white was the worse!! What did I liked about this show??