It has been a long road for Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. They have been traveling down the dark highway in their classic Impala since 2005, and the idea of a rest is starting to take hold in their minds.
Supernatural started as a monster-of-the-week program, dedicated to find and solve problems with the clever Sam (Padalecki) and sardonic Dean (Ackles), usually through violent but efficient means. The popularity of the program took off, and after eleven years at the network, the boys have faced off against gods, angels, and have even killed the man known as Death.
With their twelfth season well underway, the stars of Supernatural are beginning to wonder when it might be time to put away their knives and call it a day.
In an article by Entertainment Weekly, Padalecki said this on his idea for a future end date: “If we don’t make it to 300, I think Ackles and I will both be truly bummed. When we get to 300, I think Ackles and I will think it might be time to say bye. There’s a chance that changes, but we certainly do not take it for granted that we’re going to make it to 300.”
As insane as it may seem, Supernatural‘s journey to 300 episodes may not take that long. The series has already completed 241 episodes, and Entertainment Weekly has done the math on where the series will be when that 300th episode airs. According to their math, episode 300 will land 13 episodes into season 14. As most of Supernatural’s seasons fall under the 23 episodes category, this leads us to speculate whether or not they will shorten that final season to just as 13 episode arc.
Bobby Singer, the executive producer, is considering the notion.
“We talked about wanting to be able to know when our end was, and if it was to be, let’s say, 300 episodes, we could tell a 13-episode story. I think it would be bad for this show to just ride off in the sunset without a finale. I think we’ve earned that. I don’t know what that finale is, but we’d certainly like to do one.”
But fear not, Supernaturalists. With the production team still undecided on future storylines, we can still focus on the upcoming twelfth season, which will no doubt have the one-liners and gore that we have all grown fond of.
In one last comment by Ackles, he remarks that he and Padalecki are still loyal to the show.
“I feel like if I ever show up to set and I feel like I don’t care, or if I feel like he doesn’t care, then that’s the canary leaving the mine. To this day, I have not really ever sensed that from myself or him… They’re paying us to bring that little bit of magic to what they wrote, and I still feel that magic today. The day that I don’t feel that magic will be a very sad day, and I hope that day never comes. I’d like to get to 300 before that day comes.”
No judgments here, Ackles. It may be time to give the boys a well-deserved break.