Supernatural had a staggering 327 total episodes, but over the show’s 15 seasons (and just as many years), these 10 stand out as the true masterpieces. Much has already been said about the ranking of Supernatural’s episodes, from the best Supernatural episode according to fans to what many believe to be the worst episode of Supernatural.

However, while myriad factors go into a ‘best’ and ‘worst’ ranking, there are some episodes of Supernatural that stick out specifically because they are widely considered masterpieces, be it for their storytelling, inventiveness, poignancy, or any combination thereof. These 10 Supernatural episodes in particular stand out as masterpieces, particularly number 1.

10

Fan Fiction

Season 10, Episode 5

Although certainly not the most tonally serious inclusion on this list, Supernatural season 10, episode 5, “Fan Fiction,” is generally considered one of Supernatural’s best episodes, and it would certainly qualify as a masterpiece. While it’s easy to laugh off the musical component of the episode, it’s actually proof of the writers’ brilliance that this episode works.

Yes, it’s hilarious to see the brothers’ lives turned into a school musical production, and there are plenty of nods to the fanbase (such as with the romance between the actors playing Dean and Castiel), but there’s also something surprisingly profound about this episode as well.

Particularly because of Dean and Sam’s responses to the version of “Carry on Wayward Son” sung at the end of the episode, where they look momentarily as though they are really reflecting on their lives, this actually feels like a meaningful story. Of course, it’s also simply one of the most fun episodes to watch.

9

What Is And What Should Never Be

Season 2, Episode 20

On a more serious note than “Fan Fiction,” Supernatural season 2, episode 20, “What Is and What Should Never Be,” is a powerful episode of the show, and it’s revealing in terms of Dean’s own story and what he holds important. In the episode, a djinn effectively puts Dean in a trance, but that isn’t how it feels to Dean.

Rather, Dean seems to wake up in an alternate reality in which his mother never died (just as he’d always wished). In addition to how interesting it was to see another version of the Winchester family dynamics, this episode also shows just how deeply Dean really does care, even when he at times acts like he doesn’t.

As just one example, in the alternate reality, Dean imagined Sam being with Jess, although he had only ever met her once and in earlier episodes seemed almost to downplay the significance of that relationship by constantly pushing Sam to be with other women.

Yet, this small detail alone reveals that he knew what Jess meant to Sam, and that stayed with him. This episode also has genuinely charming moments, such as Dean being enthusiastic about cutting his mother’s lawn because that was a ‘normal’ chore that he’d never actually gotten to do while growing up.

8

Changing Channels

Season 5, Episode 8

Supernatural season 5, episode 8, “Changing Channels,” is one of several episodes featuring the Trickster, who eventually turns out to also be Loki and the Archangel Gabriel. Even with those massive reveals about his character, though, the term trickster remains entirely accurate, as this episode proves.

In the episode, Dean and Sam are cycled through several types of TV shows, from a stereotypical sitcom to a game show in Japanese that leaves Sam with an unfortunate injury. Beyond just being funny (although that’s also a major strength of the episode), “Changing Channels” really is genius, especially in terms of the stylization.

It’s clear that the people behind the scenes took great care to truly give each show within the show its own design, tone, and feeling, and that’s just one reason it absolutely falls into the category of Supernatural’s best masterpieces. It almost goes without saying that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles’ performances cement how brilliant the episode is as well.

7

Lazarus Rising

Season 4, Episode 1

It took little time for Castiel to become a fan-favorite character in the show, and that’s for good reason. Over the 11 seasons in which Castiel appeared, he proved to be hilarious, charming, complex, and a true member of the team. Yet, his introduction in Supernatural season 4, episode 1, “Lazarus Rising,” painted a very different picture.

At first, Castiel was absolutely terrifying, and angels seemed to rank alongside demons in terms of their power and strength, and with how brutal they could be (this remained true of other angels in the show, but it was less true of Castiel with time). It is in part this introduction that makes this episode feel like such a masterpiece.

In fact, Castiel’s now-famous line, “I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition” is said in this episode, and that’s become an iconic part of the show. This also serves as the beginning of Dean and Castiel’s relationship, which came to define the show.

6

Death’s Door

Season 7, Episode 10

Although Bobby was introduced in the show as another one of John Winchester’s friends, he proved to be a true father to the boys, and no other episode drives that home more than Supernatural, season 7, episode 10, “Death’s Door.” Sadly, this is the episode in which Bobby dies, but it is also a beautifully-crafted story exploring Bobby’s history.

In the episode, Bobby quite literally goes from door to door, each containing a specific memory—good or bad—from his life. The bad memories include some horrifying revelations about Bobby’s backstory, including that Bobby’s father was violent, and Bobby shot him to death as a child to protect his mother.

The best parts of this episode, though, are Bobby’s memories with Dean and Sam, including throwing a ball with young Dean to give him a normal day. In that way, “Death’s Door” revealed just how much Bobby really was a father to Dean and Sam, and while it was bittersweet that this ended with Bobby’s death, it was masterfully done.

5

Swan Song

Season 5, Episode 22

There’s been plenty of debate about which Supernatural finale was best for the show, the original ending planned in Supernatural season 5, episode 22, “Swan Song,” or the actual series finale 10 seasons later. No matter where one falls in this argument, though, it’s generally agreed upon that “Swan Song” is one of the greatest masterpieces in Supernatural.

In this episode, Dean and Sam fully confront Lucifer and Michael, both of whom want to use the brothers as vessels to have their epic showdown. In the end, neither Michael nor Lucifer gets exactly what they want, as Michael gets Adam, not Dean, as his vessel, and both end up trapped in Lucifer’s cage, along with Adam and Sam.

While this storyline would be compelling enough, the episode is also beautifully done, particularly because it is narrated in a way that admittedly does make it feel like the story coming to a close. However, it is also a story that brings together all that has transpired over five seasons in an emotional but satisfying way.

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Supernatural’s Original Ending Would Have Robbed Us From The Show’s Best Episode

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4

Ghostfacers!

Season 3, Episode 13

Easily one of the most well-known and highly-praised Supernatural episodes, season 3, episode 13, “Ghostfacers!” felt like a truly new spin on the show, even as the first three seasons had already done so much to break the mold. This episode introduced the titular Ghostfacers, who, as their name suggests, hunted ghosts.

While that alone makes it clear that the episode is poking a bit of fun at the idea of paranormal investigators and other concepts of that nature, “Ghostfacers!” also made use of a hand-held camera style of filming that made Supernatural actually feel different yet was still equally good.

This was also among the first significant deviations the show took from Sam and Dean as primary subjects—something that was toyed with more in later seasons—and, even that early on, it worked brilliantly. The Ghostfacers had a handful of other appearances in the show, but this was easily the best in terms of masterpieces.

3

Mystery Spot

Season 3, Episode 11

Supernatural season 3, episode 11, “Mystery Spot,” is an incredibly popular episode of the show for many of the same reasons it can be considered a masterpiece. Yet another Trickster episode, “Mystery Spot” sees Dean repeatedly dying from various causes while Sam is trapped living the same day over and over again (starting over each time Dean dies).

Those circumstances prove to be as maddening for Sam as they sound, and while it could be grim to watch a beloved character die repeatedly, “Mystery Spot” manages to make it absolutely hilarious. This episode also features a number of things that have become iconic within the fanbase, such as Dean’s declaration of “Rise and shine, Sammy!”

Likewise, Sam wakes up each morning to the song “Heat of the Moment,” which only adds to the agonizing cyclical nature of Sam’s days. Of course, Dean doesn’t actually stay dead in this episode, and it was ultimately the Trickster trying to prove a point, but this episode has become a classic and is certainly a masterpiece.

2

Baby

Season 11, Episode 4

Supernatural season 11, episode 4, “Baby,” is something genuinely unique in the show, as the entire episode takes place inside of the iconic Impala, Baby. While so much has obviously occurred inside Baby already in Supernatural, the stylistic choices this episode makes to pull off a narrative told only from within the car are seriously impressive.

This is also notably when Dean does his incredible trick to get the Impala turned around quickly, only making this episode even more iconic than it already was. However, what truly sets this episode apart as a masterpiece is the way the setting drives the story.

It was no doubt difficult to do, but it was also so much more than a gimmick. Baby really did become a character in Supernatural, and this episode played with that idea by gearing an entire episode around Baby as the setting. While it isn’t quite the single greatest masterpiece in Supernatural, it does rank second.

1

The French Mistake

Season 6, Episode 15

The single greatest masterpiece episode in Supernatural is season 6, episode 15, “The French Mistake.” This episode is largely considered one of the show’s best, if not the single best, particularly because of how witty and original it is. In this episode, Dean and Sam get sent into yet another alternate reality, this one mirroring real life.

That is, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki play Dean and Sam, who are in turn (in the episode) playing Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki playing Dean and Sam. As confusing as that may sound, it was absolutely genius in the episode, especially because they didn’t shy away from tapping fully into real life.

As just one example, Jared Padalecki’s real-life wife, Genevieve Padalecki, who had played brunette Ruby in Supernatural, returned to play Jared Padalecki’s alternate reality wife (or, as Dean said, “fake Ruby”). From details like this to the entire story the episode tells, “The French Mistake” is truly the greatest masterpiece of Supernatural.

Supernatural

8/10

Release Date

2005 – 2020

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

Directors

Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund

Writers

Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway