Carry On (Supernatural)

"Carry On" is the series finale of the American dark fantasy television series Supernatural. It serves as the 20th episode of the fifteenth season, and the 327th overall. The episode was originally broadcast on The CW on November 19, 2020, and was written by showrunner and executive producer Andrew Dabb and directed by co-showrunner Robert Singer. The show stars Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, two brothers who hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings. The episode shows Sam and Dean's final hunt together which ends in tragedy.

"Carry On"
Supernatural episode
Episode no.Season 15
Episode 20
Directed byRobert Singer
Written byAndrew Dabb
Production codeT13.21770
Original air dateNovember 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)
Running time42 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

The show's creator Eric Kripke originally planned for the show to last only five seasons, but due to increased ratings from the fourth and fifth seasons, the CW network renewed the series for a sixth season. Kripke did not return as showrunner; however, he remained a hands-on executive producer. The role of showrunner was the handed over to Sera Gamble (for the sixth and seventh season), Jeremy Carver (from the eighth to eleventh season), and Andrew Dabb & Robert Singer (from the twelfth to fifteenth season). In March 2019, it was announced that the show would end with its fifteenth season. The series finale was originally scheduled to air on May 18, 2020, but the production was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic with two episodes left to film. Production resumed on August 18 and ended on September 10. The episode was preceded by a special titled The Long Road Home.

The episode received positive reviews from critics, who deemed the episode a satisfactory conclusion.

Plot

Some time after the events of the previous episode, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) resume their regular lives hunting monsters. Sam is still expressing sadness with Castiel and Jack gone but Dean reassures him that they now have a chance to live a "more normal life".

In Akron, Ohio, intruders break into a family's house. The father is killed with his body drained of blood, the mother has her tongue removed and the children are kidnapped. Sam and Dean investigate and use their father's journal to identify the intruders as vampires he had hunted in 1986 and predict that their next target is Canton, Ohio. Following them, they kill one of the intruders and force the other to reveal the location of the children, who are being raised by the vampires in a barn. In the barn, Sam and Dean free the children but they fight the vampires, with Sam being knocked out.

One of the vampires is Jenny (Christine Chatelain), a woman that they had failed to save from being turned into a vampire 14 years ago. Sam wakes up and they kill the vampires but Dean is impaled in the back by a spike. Sam intends to leave to find medical supplies but Dean has him stay, as his wound is far more fatal than it appeared. Dean reassures him that this was always how it was going to end for him and thanks Sam for everything, telling him he loves him and is proud of him. After an emotional goodbye, Dean dies in Sam's arms. The next day, Sam burns Dean's body in a funeral pyre.

Dean finds himself in Heaven and reunites with Bobby (Jim Beaver) outside of the Roadhouse. Bobby reveals that after becoming God, Jack with the help of Castiel (who was resurrected) reshaped Heaven to give everyone anything they wanted. Bobby also mentions that Rufus, John, and Mary live in the surrounding area. Dean then decides to take the Impala for a ride through Heaven as "Carry On Wayward Son" plays on the radio.

Sam continues with his life, getting married and having a child, whom he names "Dean" in honor of his lost brother. As he grows older and his health deteriorates, he is visited by his son, who is revealed to have become a hunter as well. Sam then peacefully dies of natural causes. In the afterlife, he is reunited with Dean in Heaven on a version of the bridge from the first episode.

The show ends with Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and the show's crew thanking the fans for watching and keeping the show on the air for 15 years.

Production

Development

In January 2019, The CW renewed Supernatural for a fifteenth season.[1] In March 2019, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins confirmed that the fifteenth season would be the last. Ackles said, "We just told the crew that though we're very, very excited about moving into our 15th season, it will be our last. Fifteen years of a show that has certainly changed my life. And we just wanted you to hear from us that though we're excited about next year, it will be the finale. The big, grand finale of an institution." Series creator Eric Kripke commented that "In a show about family, it is amazing, and it is the pride of his life, that it became family. So thank you guys for that."[2] With 15 seasons and 327 episodes, the show holds the title as the longest-running show in The CW's history.

The series finale was originally set to air on May 18, 2020.[3] However, in March 2020, Warner Bros. Television shut down production on the series due to the COVID-19 pandemic with 2 episodes left to go, including the finale.[4] Andrew Dabb revealed that the season would go on hiatus after the March 23 episode. Dabb clarified that the series had completed production on 18 of the 20 episodes for the season, but the post-production process could not be completed on the episodes because of the shutdown due to the virus outbreak. Dabb also assured that the series' cast and crew, The CW, and Warner Bros. were fully committed to filming and airing the unproduced episodes with its proper finale.[5]

In August 2020, The CW announced that the season would resume airing on October 8, 2020, and series finale aired on November 19, which was preceded by a special titled The Long Road Home.[6]

Filming

After being delayed, filming on the last episodes resumed on August 18, and concluded on September 10, 2020.[7][8]

Reception

Viewers

The episode received 1.4 million viewers and was the most-watched Supernatural episode since April 2019.[9]

Critical reception

"Carry On" received mainly positive reviews. Emily Tannenbaum of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9 out of 10 and wrote in her verdict, "Finding a way to close the book on any series — let alone one that has been on the air for 15 years — is anything but simple. However, the Supernatural series finale took its time, gracefully balancing reference and nostalgia with a hunt and endgame worthy of its legacy."[10]

Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+ and wrote, "Admirably, it maintained a commitment to monster-of-the-week storytelling even during the most convoluted of season-long arcs, as though reminding us that life is mostly just a process of getting through the day, or the week, or month, so we can be here for the next one. That it ended with an emotional gut punch feels true to that spirit of workaday drive. Supernatural won’t be remembered as one of the all-time great series, but it should be remembered as a damn good one. This is the day it ends. And that's okay."[11] Saim Cheeda of Screen Rant praised the episode for focusing on the Winchesters, writing, "All in all, it turned out to be a wonderful episode that closed out Sam and Dean’s story fittingly...At the end of the day, the fact remains that Supernatural had always been a brotherly love story between Sam and Dean." [12]

Maryann Sleasman of TV Guide wrote, "I've been put into an odd place by the finale, as I've been an advocate for Sam and Dean becoming less self-destructively co-dependent since the whole Gadreel thing, and now I've actually gotten that and I don't love it. Be careful what you wish for, indeed. Still, I'm not here to tear apart what was clearly meant to be a love letter to these two long-suffering legends. I may not be thrilled by where we ended up, but the trip has been incredible."[13]

References
  1. Goldberg, Lesley (January 31, 2019). "CW Renews 'The Flash', 'Charmed', 'Riverdale', 'Supernatural', 6 More". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  2. Gelman, Vlada (March 22, 2019). "Supernatural to End With Season 15". TVLine. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  3. Gelman, Vlada (November 8, 2019). "Supernatural and Arrow Get Series Finale Dates at The CW". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  4. Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2020). "Coronavirus Impact: Netflix Shuts Down Film, TV Work in U.S. and Canada as Production Nears Standstill". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 15, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  5. Darwish, Meaghan (March 23, 2020). "'Supernatural' to Take a Break From Airing Due to Coronavirus Delays". TV Insider. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  6. Pedersen, Erik (August 17, 2020). "The CW Fall Sets Premiere Dates For 'Supernatural', 'Swamp Thing' & 'Devils'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (August 18, 2020). "'Supernatural' Starts Production On Final Episodes In Vancouver". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  8. Highfill, Samantha (September 10, 2020). "Supernatural cast, crew mark the series' final day of filming". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  9. Ausiello, Michael (November 20, 2020). "Ratings: Supernatural Draws Largest Audience in Nearly 2 Years With Finale". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  10. Tannenbaum, Emily (November 19, 2020). "Supernatural Series Finale - 'Carry On' Review". IGN. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  11. McLevy, Alex (November 19, 2020). "After 15 seasons, Supernatural's series finale went for one last drive". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  12. Cheeda, Saim (November 27, 2020). "Supernatural: 5 Things Fans Loved About The Series Finale (& 5 They Hated)". Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  13. Sleasman, Maryann (November 19, 2020). "Supernatural Series Finale Review: Why That 'Happy' Ending Still Feels Bittersweet". TV Guide. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
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