10 Things I'd Want Supernatural Season 16 To Change About The Original Show

Supernatural had an incredible run for 15 seasons, but if the show comes back for season 16, there are some things I would love to see change. When the Winchester’s first appeared on the small screen, every episode felt gripping and exciting. Over time, the stakes of the show managed to be increased as the heroes died gruesome deaths, new monsters began to appear, and angels joined the fight, but there were also things that became stagnant over the course of the show.

While I still pushed through and watched right to the finale of season 15, the show that appeared at the end of the series and the one that began in 2005 looked very different. On top of this, the stakes felt out of balance, because every season, it felt like one of the brothers was going to die, but death was never permanent. But, if the show returns, there are several things I’d like to see changed in order to make season 16 of Supernatural the best it can be.

10 Monsters Exist Outside The US

One thing I always found kind of odd was the lack of interest Sam and Dean had in exploring and hunting monsters outside of the continental US. The boys would rather traverse the distance between Heaven and Hell, then hop on a plane and hunt in Europe. While this isn’t a massive dealbreaker, it just makes sense to explore the world of monsters, rather than just the world of monsters in America.

Considering there is a British branch of the Men of Letters, there are clearly supernatural threats all over the world. Supernatural season 16 could make this more clear, and a part of the show, by traveling to new places and fighting monsters on a global level. This would also open up a world of new myths and local legends that the boys never encountered in the States.

9 Supernatural Must Follow The Winchesters’ Lead With Diversity

This would also perfectly lead into a way that the show could improve on an issue that was never properly covered in the original show, but the spin-off, The Winchesters, handled quite well, diversity. Supernatural did feature characters from some different backgrounds and ethnicities, but for the vast majority, it was mainly just white guys. By exploring diverse characters, it opens the story up for more people to connect with the heroes on screen, but it also benefits the story with characters who have complex and unique backgrounds.

Rather than simply having the team be just white men, and when it expands, it expands to include more white men, it would make a lot of sense to have different types of people. Like the issue above, this would then open up new lore, legends and cultures that have yet to be explored in the incredible 327 episode run. The groundwork is already set up by the spin-off, so there is nothing stopping season 16 from moving beyond a stereotypical team.

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8 Supernatural Season 16 Should Move On From Heaven And God

In fact, Supernatural season 16 should attempt to make major changes to the core story, starting with moving on from Heaven as part of the show. In the season 15 finale, Heaven appears to be at peace. Jack is doing a great job as the new God, and people are at peace. However, if a new season came out and the angels appear again because Heaven is on the ropes, it would undo the progress of the other episodes.

In addition, Chuck is now gone. So, creating new issues about God and Heaven feels like a way to repeat history in the show. There are plenty of monsters, demons, ghosts and ghouls, so why would so much attention focus on heaven, when hunters have a lot of more pressing, dangerous issues to attend to? I just think it would all be better if the show switched focus to fighting the monsters, and angels kept to themselves in heaven once again.

7 Bigger Focus On The Men Of Letters Secrets

One of the aspects that I thought was incredibly interesting when it was introduced is the secret organization, the Men of Letters. This refers to a group of intelligent hunters, who rely on magic and research, more than muscle and weapons, to take down the monsters. As soon as they appeared, I was dialed in. From their super secret hideout, to the library full of books on monsters and mythology.

In future seasons, it would be great to see the Men of Letters get a lot more attention. Their knowledge is invaluable, but if none of the hunters pick up a book in the Men of Letters hideout, then it may be lost forever. Training new recruits, seeing Sam put his attention into practicing good magic, and exploring the hideout are all details that I genuinely believe would add to Supernatural going forward.

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6 Supernatural Should Not Revive Sam And Dean

When Sam and Dean first died, it was a gut-wrenching moment. However, over the course of the show, both siblings had several more run-ins with Death, and they always managed to find a way back. Ultimately, this made death feel cheap, and lessened the impact whenever a character died. However, if the show is to continue, constantly reviving core characters like Sam and Dean should remain a thing of the past.

Other hunters lost loved ones, friends of Sam and Dean died, and all of those people stayed dead. With Dean having died in the finale, and Sam growing old, the show should leave the characters to their rest. It’s not like the show can’t find clever ways to feature Sam and Dean in more reduced roles, like when Bobby became a ghost. Maybe they could drop in as angels to help out, but the show should avoid the whole resurrection idea, since it was already so overdone.

5 Supernatural Has To Let Go Of The Winchesters

This could be seen as controversial, but Sam and Dean’s story came to an end. While the actors are fantastic, and I would love to see them again, even in the same roles, I think it’s important for the original endings’ integrity to not tamper with it. Sam and Dean both eventually pass away, so either pick up in a time when Sam is still living his life, potentially married and with a kid, or leave both Sam and Dean behind, and focus on new hunters.

Throughout the original series’ run, there were dozens of other hunters introduced, all of which could create some interesting new stories. Instead of trying to rehash the Winchester story, just lean more into the monster hunting aspect and the lore, with connections to the Hunter network, to make the series feel more connected. But ultimately, it makes very little sense for Sam and Dean to return, so why push a narrative that will be forced?

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4 Supernatural Needs To Go Back To The Monster Of The Week Formula

While there are plenty of details that the show could change when making season 16, I think there is one vital piece that it should bring into any new seasons, and that was the monster of the week stories. When Supernatural began, every episode featured a new scary threat that Sam and Dean would learn about. They’d drive to the spot, do some digging and interviews, and then set up to fight the monsters. This is a simple and repetitive format, but procedural shows like this can be incredibly engaging.

By the end, everything got more existential, and while Sam and Dean still went on regular hunts, there was a focus shift to following a larger story, with God, angels, demons, monsters and everything else. This was also a good approach, but the tones make for two very different styles of the show. In order to be consistent, and return to what made the show popular initially, I think it should return to that formulaic storytelling approach.

3 Season 16 Should Spend More Time Investigating The Monsters

One of the best details in these procedural adventures is how the boys go about their investigation. From research on the computer and the library, to interviewing citizens and law enforcement, and local legends, the investigative work is a huge chunk of what makes the show so good. If Supernatural were to return, it would be great to see more of the investigation going on, with time and effort spent considering what weapons to use.

The investigation is a pivotal part of the story, and one that can effectively be spread out across an episode. While the final battle takes at most a few minutes, the work that leads to finding the monster is more intriguing and satisfying when the audience can guess along too. This is another part of the reason that procedural shows are so successful.

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2 Supernatural Needs To Have A New Big Bad

As mentioned above, Sam and Dean ultimately find themselves fighting the creator of the universe himself, God, aka Chuck. This was a fun storyline, but it creates a complex issue as there is no real way to make a more impressive or intimidating rival than God. Despite this, the show would need to find a new ultimate villain to continue the story. Even if the show does become a lot more monster of the week in season 16, there should still be some thread tying them all together.

Without God, any new villain risks looking weak in comparison, but that doesn’t make it any less important. The show needs to have a bigger mission to work towards. In the earlier seasons, Sam and Dean were on the hunt for the Yellow-Eyed Demon. This helps to focus the story, and create more compelling and tense drama throughout.

1 Lean Into The Alliance Between Hunters And Friendly Supernatural Beings

Sam and Dean became good friends with Crowley, the Cross-roads demon, his mother, the witch, Rowena MacLeod, and they frequently used contacts who were not human. However, this relationship between hunters and the supernatural is an interesting dynamic that created some of the most interesting ties in the show. If Supernatural got a season 16, it would be great to see the Hunters use these connections more to aid their investigations.

Supernatural occasionally had supernatural creatures, like werewolves and vampires becoming friends with Sam and Dean. These connections were tense, and often ended with these beings being killed. However, it could make for an interesting approach to have them working as a regular part of the team. While Supernatural season 16 is yet to be confirmed, it’s clear that there would need to be some changes to make it the best it can be after 15 years that had its fair share of ups and downs.

Supernatural

Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural is a fantasy/drama series that premiered in 2005. The series follows the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester – two men wronged by supernatural beings as children who now spend their days investigating and hunting demons, ghosts, and monsters across the United States. 

Release Date

September 13, 2005

Seasons

15

Franchise(s)

Supernatural

Writers

Eric Kripke , Andrew Dabb , Robert Berens

Directors

Philip Sgriccia , John F. Showalter , Robert Singer

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

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