What will happen after we hear “Carry On Wayward Son” with the opening credits/montage for the last time? The only thing we can be certain of are tears.
Season 15 spoiler (but we all know I’m a cry-baby) pic.twitter.com/BxTXKMIw4H
— Jared Padalecki (@jarpad) August 25, 2020
With Supernatural‘s finale right around the corner, it’s only natural to anxiously speculate on how the show will end. Fans know very well the unique type of pain that the writers like to put us through and as such are nervous about the sendoff for our favorite plaid-wearing, monster-hunting family. While fan theories range from retirement to giant explosion, one thing is for sure: the finale will be something to remember. Buckle up and grab your tissues because today we’re theorizing on how Supernatural will conclude its amazing fifteen-year run.
Team Everyone Dies – No Seriously
There’s a faction of fans that are desperately clinging to the hope that the Winchesters will live happily ever after and get to go live on a beach somewhere; I’m here to tell you that I don’t think that’s going to happen. Much like Jared Padalecki, my vision of the show ending has always involved the Winchesters and Co. going out in a blaze of glory – a theory that perfectly matches up with the themes presented in the lyrics of “Carry on Wayward Son”. We all know that Sam and Dean will never be able to rest when there are people out there that need helping – and there’s always someone who needs help. There’s only one way these guys are going down: swinging.
First off, I predict that Castiel will lose his powers. Cas’ power level has constantly fluctuated since the introduction of his character back in season 4 but in the past few seasons, we’ve seen a drastic reduction in his ability to pack a heavenly punch (we still love him though) due to events like Metatron burning up a portion of his grace. Cas’ fall will negate his deal with The Empty, as that particular plane is reserved for angels and demons. Cas, now fully human, will permanently move into the bunker (without Dean kicking him out this time thank you very much) and TFW 2.0 will continue to work towards a solution to defeat Chuck.
Secondly, Amara will be recruited by TFW 2.0 in the fight against Chuck. Despite the two siblings making up in the finale of season 12, the last time we saw Amara in 15×01, she wasn’t too thrilled to see Shurley. Amara believes that she has changed into a better version of herself as a result of the events that transpired in season 12 but Chuck has remained the same petulant narcissist he’s always been. After abandoning Chuck in his time of need as retribution for him locking her away all those years ago, I can’t imagine Chuck will be too happy to see her either. Seeing how destructive her brother has become, it’s not a stretch to think that Amara will jump at the chance to help take him out. The thing is … she’ll probably die in the confrontation too. The whole concept of balance between Chuck and Amara has been stressed on many occasions – if one is left without the other, the world will descend into chaos and eventually end. Will Chuck and Amara mutually getting ganked result in balance? I’d like to think so – in lieu of the world ending any way this story plays out.
Finally, everyone dies. Now I know this isn’t what the people want to hear but just hear me out. As aforementioned, Sam and Dean can’t keep doing this forever (let’s be real, it’s a miracle they’ve survived this long – oh wait, they haven’t). The lyrics “There’ll be peace when you are done” perfectly represent the Winchesters’ lifestyles. Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jack are never going to stop helping people while they’re still alive; saving people, hunting things, the family business – it’s what they do. It’s going to take every single one of TFW to defeat Chuck, the biggest of the bads and it’s going to be an uphill battle (when isn’t it?). It’s only natural to think that everyone will get taken out valiantly fighting to save the world from Chuck’s tyranny. The boys’ sacrifice will allow the world to keep on spinning and that they can finally just rest. The exception to this is Jack.
I believe that Jack will take over as the new ruling entity and that Sam, Dean, and Cas will ascend to heaven, acting as his guide. With the help of Sam, Dean, and Cas, Jack will restore balance to the afterlives (i.e making more angels, stabilizing Heaven, abolishing Chuck’s old assignments and rules) and consult Sam and Dean when needed. In the final scene, all of the people that the boys have lost over the years would be gathered at The Roadhouse as the brothers make their entrance into Heaven with Cas and Jack at their sides, greeting them as “Carry On Wayward Son” plays in the background. Although this theory seems bleak on the surface, Team Everyone Dies ultimately has a happy ending – something that I think everyone can get behind. – Kenedi
New World Order
When we last saw our heroes, Jack had just retrieved his soul after visiting the Occultum, AKA the garden of Eden. With his soul restored and his body strengthened (refer to the angel hearts he stole and ate), I predict that the boys will continue to follow Billie’s plan to get Jack to full power and ready to take on God.
Chuck, who had already sought out the assistance of Amara, who had refused him with pointed indifference, will attempt to secure other allies. He has already put the call out, but upon realizing that Michael was not going to return to his father’s side, Chuck will turn to his old favorite Lucifer and will persuade him to accept. What elaborate lies Chuck will spin in order to accomplish this remains to be seen.
The boys will spend the rest of the season putting out the fires that the ghosts (and demons, leviathan, rugaru, horsemen, etc.) of seasons past have lit, whilst also executing steps to prepare them for the final showdown. One such piece of business that needs to be taken care of is “the deal” and it’s going to be paid in full. At some point, our dear, beloved, Castiel will be taken by the Empty. We all knew it would happen, especially after the narrow escape in 15×13 seconds before he was secured within the Empty’s clutches. Why else would both Cas and Dean have tears in their eyes in the season return trailer?
One theory that has proliferated within the fandom as a result of the extended trailer is that the way in which Cas’ reaping will unfold is through the Empty disguising itself as Billie (on account of the boys hurtling down the bunker corridor and Billie’s seemingly silvery knuckles as she raps on the door and the bloody hand-print on Dean’s jacket).
Regardless of how it unfolds, I predict that Cas’ death will be sacrificial and whatever advantage he provides the rest of the boys by going through with this will profoundly affect the narrative going forward. After some serious convincing, the boys will recruit both Amara and Michael for their own crew, much like the team up with Crowley and Rowena for the Season 12 finale. They will all go head to head with Chuck and Lucifer in an epic final battle, and despite whatever odds have been stacked against them they’ll win – of course they’ll win, they’re the WINchesters, not the LOSEchesters (I’m sorry, I had to do it). As an aside, I would not be surprised if Lucifer betrays his father at some point, probably realizing that he couldn’t possibly survive against both Amara and Jack and that Chuck is, and has always been, a liar.
After Billie reaps Chuck and Amara, as both would need to be taken out for the universe to be balanced, the boys would still be left with some unfinished business.
Earlier in the season, we saw that Chuck didn’t send Kevin to Heaven where he belonged and that in the case of him and Eileen, “souls from Hell can’t go to Heaven” (this would also mean that the boys wouldn’t be able to go to Heaven and we are NOT having that). We also know that in 5×16, Ash hadn’t seen the Harvelles in heaven and Jo returned to the show as a spirit called on by Osiris during 7×04. Cas’ chat with Ruby illuminated once again that the final resting place for angels and demons alike is “full of sorrow and despair playing over and over again.” I believe that this was all by design and that Supernatural has been directing our attention to the fact that the afterlives Chuck designed don’t function as they should. We also know, from one of the promotional stills, that Sam and Dean go and speak with Charlie. I predict that in an episode prior to the finale, their visit takes place in Heaven and it reinforces the same concept: Heaven’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Now, particularly because Cas is in the empty, Jack and the boys have extra initiative to change things, as there’s no way that they would leave Cas there for eternity. I predict that this is how Jack fulfills his prophecy of creating “paradise on Earth”, by fixing the system that governs the afterlives. In the process, Cas will be transferred from the empty to the newly revamped Heaven where he will be at peace.
After accomplishing all of this, Sam and Dean will finally have peace as well. The boys have long since let go of the “apple-pie” dream, so they will continue to hunt every now and again when a case pops up in their vicinity or to help out a friend. I predict the boys will return to their season 1 roots, at ease saving people and hunting things, because we all know that despite the lack of apocalyptic plot twists, hunters still have work to do.
And when the boys reach the end of the road they’ll have Cas, Charlie, Kevin, the Harvelles, and the rest of their old friends waiting for them in Heaven. – Shaneshi
Rewind / Snap Back to Reality
There’s been speculation from a multitude of fans that the series will end with one or both of the brothers learning that all of the events of the past seasons … haven’t happened. There are many variations of this theory, all equally perplexing. Some believe Gabriel will snap and bring the brothers back to reality with all of the pain and suffering the boys have gone through being framed as one big trick (cue “Heat of the Moment”). Others believe that Sam will wake up at Stanford with Jessica at his side – everything we’ve seen having been a vision. Some factions even believe that time will somehow reset, bringing Sam and Dean back to the beginning of their journey; whether that is with or without the knowledge of their past misadventures is a toss-up. Regardless of the differences between the varying details, the fact of the matter is that a substantial amount of the Winchesters’ history will have been erased … poof! While this might save them a lot of pain, this would also erase all of the good things and all of the character development that made them into the people they’ve become as a result of their arduous journey – the guys who save the world – and something about that just doesn’t sit right.
With a 15-season buildup, the end of Supernatural is something that we could speculate about for hours on end. However, the important thing to remember is that no matter how the little show that could concludes, the impact that Supernatural has left on the lives of so many will never be forgotten or erased; the legacy of the show will always be carried on by the unique community that Supernatural has created. – Kenedi
Supernatural will return to The CW on October 8 to begin the airing of the final 7 episodes. If you haven’t already, check out the extended trailer for the last episodes and our breakdown of it. Do you have a theory on how the show will end? Let us know in the comments!
