Is it time for Supernatural (and all shows) to move to half season orders?

As much as we love 23 episodes per season, there could be an argument for half season orders on all TV shows moving forward.

Supernatural has a whopping 23 episodes per season. This is more than most full season order shows on various networks, as many will have around 22 episodes. A lot of shows are actually starting to move to half season orders. Look at The Gifted, American Horror Story, Game of Thrones and more. All these shows have success with the shorter seasons and people still tune in the following year (or the year after for Game of Thrones fans).

As much as we do love 23 episodes per year of Supernatural, there are arguments for reducing the number of episodes to 13-16 per season. Put it in line with Season 3’s episode order (although that was for the writer’s strike and we won’t go there right now!) and offer a range of benefits for all.

Fewer episodes for the series to film

One of the big benefits is for the number of episodes that would need filming. By reducing to 13-16 episodes, the cast and crew would be needed for less time throughout the year. They’d be able to spend more time with their families—or even add more conventions to the schedule? The cast and crew would suffer less burnout, making for better episodes and happier people.

We wouldn’t need the mini-Hellatuses in the middle of the seasons, since the show wouldn’t need the time to catch up with filming. In fact, the show could be fully filmed by the time a new season is on the air. There would be a full 13-16 episode run of new episodes.

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But wouldn’t there be a longer break in between seasons? Well, yes and that is a downside. However, there’s always the opportunity for more cons and we love reruns, right?

Maybe they could do two seasons per year or have some webisodes to fill in the gaps. Or, if Wayward Sisters is picked up, have Supernatural running in the fall and Wayward running off the back of it for its shorter season run.

More focus on overall plot lines

The standalone episodes are fun, but they’re not what they once were. When the series first started, most of the episodes were standalones. They gave us the chance to learn more about the Winchesters and the world they grew up in.

Photo Credit: Supernatural/The CW by Dean Buscher Image Acquired from CW TV PR /

Now, the standalone episodes act more as filler and for comedy value. They add little to the world of Supernatural anymore, although Season 13 has used them to bring back a few memories of seasons past. A lot of the episodes discuss the overall story arcs, whether it’s where Castiel is now or the reminder that Lucifer needs dealing with.

There’s little need for the filler episodes, especially the large number of them. Season 13 could be cut down to just a handful of episodes so far for the main storyline. This could reduce the episodes to 13-16 for the season, with fewer standalones to fill in the gaps.

More chance of holding the attention

TV is an escape for many and longer seasons don’t allow for that too much. They can become a chore to watch, especially when trying to remember which weeks the new episodes air or not. Having shorter seasons will require less of an attention span. There are fewer episodes to hold the attention, encouraging people to tune in from one week to the next.

Photo credit: Supernatural/The CW by Dean Buscher, Acquired via CW TV PR /

There’s this constant need for the “Then” part of the episodes. While they are awesome at the start and end of a season, they can become a little too much midway. In fact, sometimes the “Then” can take up 5 minutes of airtime, as they try to remind people of the major plot points. Shorter seasons wouldn’t need this as much.

In fact, shorter seasons would lead to people wanting more. There’s more want for the next season sooner and good marketing will help to continue that. Just look at Outlander and Game of Thrones!

This could also allow for the show to be available on Netflix in full and sooner. Binging is a popular way to take in a full season, so getting the whole season of Supernatural on Netflix in a shorter space of time would be beneficial for some.

Next: Is this the end to Supernatural's prophets?

While you may love 23 episodes, be honest and share your thoughts on 13-16 episode seasons. Could it work better for the Winchesters? Would you be happy if all networks moved to this for all shows?

Supernatural Season 13 returns with new episodes on Thursday at 8/7c on The CW.

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