Everyone should watch Supernatural

"A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are 5 people who have been tied to the track by a mad philosopher. Fortunately, you can flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch?" Supernatural tests this morality question again and again in so many different scenarios: What if the person is possessed by a demon? What if the only way you can get rid of the demon is to kill the person? What if you can exorcise the demon, but it takes time, and in the meanwhile, he might kill several people? Would you kill the demon and the person who's body it possesses? What if the possessed is a 5-year-old child?

Supernatural is not a philosophical series. It's not a horror series. It's not a comedy. And it's not a drama. It is everything all at the same time. It is a classic, and considering the number of people I've met who have seen it, it may even be a cult classic. Supernatural does what Lost should have if its creators had any sense of planning. It has a clear path, and it sticks to it until the end... well almost.

I had decided not to write a review about Supernatural because I didn't think it was possible to do so without ruining the plot. But ever since I finished Season 5, I've had this nagging feeling to express what this show meant to me and explain to people why it's a must see. I know I have friends out there who started watching it just to shut me up. So I went back on my decision and thought I'd give it a shot. Here goes.

Two brothers.. ehmm.. ok.. two hot, and eerily close, brothers travel the US in their black 1967 Chevy Impala hunting demons, ghosts and many other mythical creatures, found only in the scary tales told by your older brother to keep you from going to sleep at night. Trying to avoid being locked up in a prison/insane asylum in every episode, they work stealthily by coming up with various personas depending on the situation. Impersonating bloggers, health professionals and FBI agents, Sam and Dean investigate a strange death or phenomenon, solve the mystery and usually save a few lives. Although this is the format for each episode, the show tells a bigger story, one in which the brothers, whose fates are ominously linked, are at the center. It is a story of good vs. evil, freedom vs. fate, morality vs. humanity, heaven vs. hell, and an apocalypse just waiting at the end of road.

With 100 plus episodes to recount his tale, Kripke, the creator and writer of the first five seasons, experiments with different genres. You'll run into episodes shot Blair Witch-style, sitcom style, 50s horror style, and many more. The occasional political quip reveals his Democrat-leaning views (obviously!). Kripke's characters are not deep, but they are not two-dimensional either. They are not very smart (oh god the flaws in their plans), but they say the wittiest things on occasion. It is clear that the most intelligent person on the show is the writer himself.

In Supernatural, you will meet vampires who will not drink human blood, a trickster who adds a little irony to his kills, a couple of geeky bloggers with the power to compound a haunting, a cupid who overdoes his job, an angel who wants to rebel and a demon who wants to repent. All the while, you accompany Sam and Dean on their journey, feeling every pain they feel, enjoying every moment of rest they have, and those are few, and hoping at every step, that the power of their brotherly love can avert an impending apocalypse. You will sit at the edge of your seat. You will laugh. You will close your eyes for a scene or two (no matter how hardcore you think you are). And if you're as hooked as me, you will probably cry. Oh and yes. I promise you this, you will not be left untouched.

Important after note: Kripke had written the story for five seasons, but as usual, the producers got greedy and wanted to extend the show. So do as I did, and stop at Season 5. That's where the story really ends.

This post was originally published on www.whatshup.com.