Mary Campbell has a problem.
Her dad’s on a hunting trip and he hasn’t been home in a few days.
But unlike Dean Winchester her future son she doesn’t have a younger brother to help her find him.
Matt Miller/The CW
She does, however, have an almost equally as tall partner that she meets on her journey.
He might not know as much about the lore, but his last nameisWinchester.
Mary ends up on the ceiling of Sam’s nursery.
Bianca Kajlich as John’s mom, Millie, on ‘The Winchesters’.Matt Miller/The CW
And the idea was a hit!
After shooting a pilot on their iPhones, the CW wanted to bring the series to broadcast.
But that experience had sparked something.
Demetria McKinney as bookstore owner Ada on ‘The Winchesters’.Matt Miller/The CW
“That kick-started Danneel and I workshopping ideas and it also put us in theSupernaturalworld,” Jensen says.
It’s not the first time someone’s pondered whether there were moreSupernaturalstories to tell.
Neither idea took off.
Jojo Fleites as Carolos and Nida Khurshid as Latika on ‘The Winchesters’.Matt Miller/The CW
So, what was left?
I had the same kind of reaction when Jensen and Danneel pitched this to me."
If Sam and Dean thought saving the world was hard, they should try rewriting it.
“Everybody who’s involved in this project loves this show.
We have lived this show for 15 years; it’s a family member.
So just trust us that we’re going to take care of it.”
Thompson adds, “TheSupernaturalfandom’s extremely passionate, but I consider us part of that.
How do we do this but keepSupernaturalexactly the way it is?
That was the intriguing challenge to me.”
For starters, you have to cast the right people.
And you have to find them on Zoom.
“Unless it’s Godzilla, it’s real.”
But they’re also completely different.
(For one, I doubt we’ll be seeing Mary in a pink nightgown anytime soon.)
“We talked about that contrast a lot.
“She’s not very vulnerable,” Donnelly says of her Mary.
That’s why he wasn’t sure he’d want any part of a prequel.
“When I came in for the pilot, I was like, ‘Okay, cash grab.
Let’s see what we’re doing.’
I was so skeptical,” Rodger says.
Unlike the show that came before it, this isn’t a story of two brothers against the world.
John and Mary find themselves more consistently working with other hunters.
Together, they will take on monster after monster.
Put another way, they’ll take on monsters of the week.
“A touch point for us was those early seasons ofSupernatural.
And we’re gonna be scary.”
For those working on the show, the scary part comes with legacy.
Because joining theSupernaturaluniverse isn’t just about learning exorcisms and getting used to an endless supply of fan-made Gifs.
It’s about joining theSupernaturalfamily, one of the most passionate fandoms out there.
“There’s such a unique relationship between the cast ofSupernaturaland the audience ofSupernatural,” Thompson says.
“The actors are extremely aware of the legacy that they are stepping into.”
And if anyone can help prepare them for that legacy, it’s Sam and Dean.
Jensen’s an expert in both.)
So, with a support system in place, there’s nothing left to do but dive right in.
“you’re able to’t recreateSupernatural, you just can’t,” Thompson says.
“What we wanted to do with this show was shine a light on new corners of theSupernaturaluniverse.”
And they’re doing just that.
So, what’s their story?
That’s what Dean wants to know.
And if anybody’s good at getting answers, we hear it’s that guy.
The prequel’s first season has 13 episodes to establish what they hope will be the first successful Supernaturalspin-off.
This time around, there will be less Sam and Dean and therefore, probably less flannel.
But there will be monsters.
There will be lore.
And most importantly, there will be Winchesters.
The Winchesterspremieres Tuesday, Oct. 11 on The CW.
