As Jared Padalecki knows, fifteen seasons is a long time to fight crime, and it's even longer when the 'crime' you're fighting is of the Supernatural variety. Padalecki's Sam and Jensen Ackles' Dean have gone up against a host of very scary baddies (with the help of several allies, most of whom are currently very dead), and now that the Winchester brothers and the men who play them are coming to the end of the road, Padalecki has a clear idea of how he wants the always-battling-evil duo to head off into the sunset.
Jared Padalecki attended San Diego Comic-Con and spoke to CinemaBlend and several other outlets about ending the long journey that has been Supernatural and how he hopes the series finale wraps things up for fans.
I've been very public for a long time about saying I hope Sam and Dean die. It's probably on YouTube or something. I've said it. And I think what I was saying, in my head, I was saying they should die because otherwise I want to see them fighting. But I think what I was hoping for them but not putting into words is that I wanted them to have some version of peace. Whether that meant they were dead or alive but had found a version of peace that made them not hunt. My whole point was if they're not hunting, I'm gonna wonder why they're not hunting. If they are hunting, I want to watch them hunt and help put them on camera hunting. So I feel like, and I'm in front of some bosses and such [laughs], I feel like the way the show ends has them in some version of peace that I'm comfortable with.
OK, Supernatural fans, take a breath. Jared Padalecki is not confirming that Sam and Dean die in the series finale. Although, as we know, death is not an unusual situation for these two to find themselves in. Instead, what he's saying is that he always wanted the Winchester brothers (who have spent almost their entire lives fighting demons, vampires, rogue angels and so forth) to finally get something that looks like peace for the two hunters when the show wraps up.
Even though I don't necessarily think that death would guarantee a peaceful eternity for the Winchesters (they've pissed off a lot of angels since 2005, plus those winged weirdos are always fighting, anyway), I doubt that any Supernatural fan would balk at the notion of the guys finally getting to settle down and live somewhat normal lives. According to Jared Padalecki, the finale has managed to give the characters that peace, and if I don't stop thinking about Sam and Dean getting to do regular-people stuff without the threat of painful deaths constantly hovering over them...well, I might just cry.
I cannot even imagine how difficult it was to come to an ending that will (hopefully) satisfy the cast, crew and fans for a show that's lasted 15 seasons. It appears to be a good sign that Padalecki and his co-star are on board with the choices that were made to complete the Winchester Saga. Though, as Padalecki tells it, Jensen Ackles had some misgivings at first.
I thought it was brilliant. I think [Jensen Ackles] was more concerned about the semantics of it. He came around. I think it was more the way we got to where we were going. I think that was maybe a concern of his, not to speak for him. I dug it and I dig it and I also, and I think I mentioned this earlier, I don't think there's ever been a season finale written before the season's been shot that stayed the way... Like when Season 4 started, Genevieve [Cortese, now Padalecki] was gonna be in like four episodes. Obviously Season 4 ended with me killing, or Uncle Jensen killing her. If the series ends the way we all discussed, I will be pleased as pie. If it changes, then so be it.
Come on, doesn't this seem like a really good sign that the Supernatural finale will actually rise to the level of quality we expect from the series and satisfy us? Not only are Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles behind it, but Padalecki sounds like he's found his own peace in it being changed if need be once they begin to film Season 15. He's got faith that the creative team will come up with a good ending, either way, and I like the sound of that.
Supernatural's fifteenth and final season begins airing on The CW, Thursday, October 10 at 8 p.m. EST. There are a ton of TV options available to tide you over until the show returns to television this fall, but if you need more Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles in your life, you can stream Seasons 1-14 on Netflix.
