Why the Supernatural series finale didn’t include many past characters

Why weren’t there many past characters on the Supernatural series finale

Caution: Minor spoilers for the Supernatural series finale in this post.

The Supernatural series finale has received some mixed reviews. That’s not surprising. It’s very hard to end a series that’s ran as long as Supernatural has.

One thing everyone can agree on was that it felt a little odd not seeing a lot of past characters. This is a show that has routinely brought the dead back. And series finales tend to, in general, include a few past characters.

More from CW

• The CW’s culture of pulling shows continues as Everyone Else Burns and Run the Burbs are removed from the schedule
• All American: Homecoming season 3 release updates, strike delay, and more
• The CW is out of the superhero business with Superman and Lois canceled
• The Spencer Sisters filming locations: Where is the CW drama filmed?
• The Librarians: The Next Chapter release updates and everything we know so far

The only one to pop up was Bobby. Yes, our own Bobby and not the Apocalypse World version of the character. We got to see the Roadhouse and there were mentions of other characters, but that was it.

So, why didn’t the other past characters turn up? Where were Charlie, Ellen and Jo, Ash, Mary and John, and even Eileen? I think we were supposed to assume that Sam got his family and life with Eileen in the end, but that wasn’t Shoshannah Stern at the end. So, where were the actors?

Watch your favorite shows on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

It was difficult to film the Supernatural series finale in the pandemic

A lot of things had to change for the finale. Supernatural was one of the first shows to return to filming during the pandemic in the summer. It set the bar for testing, contact tracing, and protocols. The easiest way to handle all that was to avoid as many people on set as possible.

That meant skipping a lot of the past characters, including Castiel. Misha Collins, like the others, lives in the States. He would have come to Canada and quarantined for two weeks. Sure, he could have done it, but for the sake of one episode when he could have been mentioned instead?

This was one of those cases where the safety of everyone was going to trump the wishes of the fans. And it is certainly a shame, but understandable when you factor in everything the cast and crew had to work with.

I will admit that I wished Jack could have at least turned up in the Supernatural series finale, but he said in Episode 19 that he was going to be a hands-off God. He was going to be with the Winchesters but not physically be there. The show had set us up for him not returning for that last episode.

When you look at the final moments with the thank you and goodbye, you’ll see that not all the crew had returned. The number of people on that bridge was tiny compared to previous season-end photos. Only those who needed to be there for the final two episodes returned.

It’s a bittersweet way to say goodbye to a show that has been part of our lives for 15 years. We’ll always remember 2020 as the worst year ever.

What did you think of the Supernatural series finale? Who would you have loved to see return for the final episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below.