The reason Supernatural is coming to an end
When the final season of The CW's Supernatural hits screens on Thursday, October 10, the dark fantasy series will have been running for more than 14 years and totted up an impressive 15 seasons.
(UK viewers will be able to catch it on E4, but we don't currently have an air date.)
It's a blow for fans who, we're sure, would have been more than happy to watch Dean and Sam Winchester kick demon butt until the end of their days.
So, why is the long-running series, which has maintained steady ratings throughout its run, wrapping up?
At a Television Critics Association press tour earlier this month, Jared Padalecki, who plays Sam, spoke about wanting to bow out on a high rather than running Supernatural into the ground.
"So [Jensen Ackles] and I had several conversations for many, many years about the show ending," said Padalecki (via Hypable). "Because for a long time, we thought the show might end, and how are we going to make peace with that?
"And so I feel I came to a situation where you don't want to be the last person at a party, even if it's the best party on the planet. You don't want to be the guy or gal walking around going, like, 'Hey, where did everybody go?'"
He added: "So the show is going so strong right now. It's going so well right now that the story is strong, the actors are talented, the directors, writers. We're such a well-oiled machine.
"We thought it would be almost poetic to end what Supernatural is all about, to almost have to say goodbye too soon."
Ackles also discussed how he felt that it was important to draw the series to a close at the right time, and not run the risk of destroying its solid reputation.
"There were lots of conversations... [showrunner] Andrew [Dabb] came to us several years ago and kind of picked our brain about... how much gas we had in the tank," he said.
"So it was always something that we wanted to have a plan for and to structure a plan for because we didn't want to just continue to go and go and go until we were the last folks at the bar until we run out of gas, whatever kind of metaphor you want to put.
"We didn't want to be that show. And we felt it a duty to our audience, and to ourselves, and to the work that we put in to do it when it feels right, and do it right. And that just all signs kind of pointed to this season, and we all kind of gave each other hugs and agreed, and said, 'Let's do it and let's do it right.'"
Another reason that potentially motivated Padalecki to hang up his Supernatural hat was his responsibilities off camera.
"I just know I want to see my family more," he previously told Digital Spy.
"If it gets to the point where the network says they need at least 15 [episodes], or 18, or we can't do less than 20, then that's a question we'll figure out at the end of this year."
But clearly that wasn't something The CW wanted, settling on 20 episodes for the final season.
Had there been plans to shorten their length, however, Padalecki would have been on board.
"That'd be just like heaven," he continued. "We'd go for 30 more seasons if we did that.
"We did talk about it. That was a big discussion with the network and the studio...but mainly the network, because they're the ones who need the content, in order to sell it."
Alas, what could have been.
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