5 Key Reasons Supernatural Should Have Ended With Season 5

Eric Kripke originally planned to make only three seasons of Supernatural but then extended it to five, leaving the project after he wrapped up the main storyline. And while there were plenty of great arcs and new characters after his departure, many fans feel that the show wouldn't have lost much if it had ended in Season 5.

Here are five main reasons for that.

5. The old villains were downgraded after Season 5

After the Apocalypse plotline was finished, the writers gradually brought the story to the point where the main villainous mastermind behind everything was God, posing as prophet Chuck. Actor Rob Benedict was certainly amazing in the role, but his character lacked the suspense and sense of grave danger that villains like Azazel and Lucifer exuded in earlier seasons.

4. Sam and Dean got too powerful

The Winchester brothers were regularly in mortal danger, and all the monsters and demons they faced seemed truly fearsome. By the end of the series, however, the protagonists had literally dared to confront God. Instead of underdog investigators of mysticism, the brothers became pathos-driven action superheroes, ruining the consistency of their arcs.

3. The worst episodes were made after Kripke left

Supernatural was one of the first TV projects for Eric Kripke, and we shouldn't idolize the showrunner because, apart from making the first five seasons of the show so great, he is also responsible for the series' many flaws — just think of such downright atrocious episodes as 'Bugs' or 'Route 666.'

And yet, there's no denial that the writing quality deteriorated after his departure in Season 5, with episodes 'Bloodlines,' 'Paper Moon,' and 'Dark Dynasty' becoming the ultimate low points of the entire series.

2. The story was already consistent and complete

Over the first five seasons, Supernatural had a clear structure with a beginning, a middle, and an epic ending in the form of the Apocalypse. In contrast, later episodes felt like fan fiction due to the amount of pointless filler and ridiculously high stakes. Previously, people appreciated Supernatural for how grounded it was and how it delved into urban legends and creepypastas, but all that was flushed down the drain in later installments.

1. Padalecki and Ackles' careers suffered

Yes, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are both talented actors, and fans couldn't get enough of Supernatural's main duo. However, with the dropping writing quality of each new season, the actors' performances also deteriorated, and it looked like the two were simply running out of steam. Perhaps both actors would have reached greater career heights and recognition had the show ended sooner — and they'd certainly have more time to work on other projects over the years!