Why is the Supernatural Season 14 finale date so much earlier than previous years?

Since Supernatural began, it’s season finales have always been in May. Supernatural Season 14 is the exception to the norm but why?

Before Supernatural Season 14 began, we knew that the season would be shorter than usual. Season 3 is the only one to deliver fewer than 22 episodes (once only considered a full season order) and that was due to exceptional circumstances. But that doesn’t mean we’re looking forward to the Season 14 finale coming sooner than we’re used to.

Of course, I’m going to start this by saying I fully support the shorter season order. I love that the stars want to find a way to get to spend time with their family but still continue doing a show they clearly enjoy. They’re balancing life and family and work, which is something we can all learn from.

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However, a shorter season means an earlier than normal finale date. We’re so used to May (and usually the middle of May) that it’s going to feel odd getting a finale at the end of April.

Why is it so early? Why not hold off a few episodes for May? Well, there are a few reasons I can think of.

To hold off until May, The CW would need to create a longer than normal Hellatus around March/April. There’s no way the fans would want this. A month-long break in March is already hard enough but it is necessary to film the final episodes.

That’s not the only reason the network will want to avoid a wait. There are a lot of shows still airing on The CW. Supernatural‘s shorter season has actually worked well. It means iZombie can return for its final season in May instead of later. There’s more time to run more summer scripted shows, too.

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A longer break would mean the need for more reruns or the need to air a few episodes of another show and then hold off until later to give the timeslot back to the Winchesters. It gets messy and fans of iZombie (or any other show The CW decided to do that to) wouldn’t appreciate that. It ruins the ratings for a lot of shows.

It’s best to bring Supernatural Season 14 back in April and air the finale earlier than normal. It may mean a longer break for the (I’m sure it’s happening) 15th season premiere, but we can cope with that, right?

Are you disappointed at the longer summer break? What do you think about the April finale date? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Supernatural Season 14’s finale airs on April 25 at 8/7c on The CW.