As the longest-running sci-fi/fantasy series in American television history, Supernatural quickly became a show about family just as much as the monsters of the week. The central Winchester family has had an integral history within the show, so it’s fitting that any prequel to the original had a focus on the Winchester parents, John (Drake Rodger) and Mary (Meg Donnelly).
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The Winchesters was just confirmed for a full season order by the CW, and while there are a few details on the plot, the main storylines are still unclear. Given the intricate lore of Supernatural, the prequel has the opportunity to showcase canon stories and subplots to further explore the Winchester mythology.
John and Mary Meet
For all that is known about John and Mary, there are still a few things that remain unexplored about that fateful day. Fans may remember Dean telling Mary how she and John first met, to help her regain her memory once Amara resurrected her. It’s obvious that John has shared these details with Dean, and it helped him form knowledge of his parents together.
While it’s wonderful to hear the rich history of the elder Winchesters, getting to see this meeting actually take place would be incredibly rewarding. Fans would get to see a different side to both John and Mary, and hopefully, their meeting won’t just feel like a scheme manufactured by Heaven as previously stated on the show.
Their Reno Wedding
Another detail that came up during Dean’s little speech in Supernatural’s season 12 premiere, is John and Mary’s wedding. Fans learn that the wedding happened in Reno and that it was Mary’s idea to elope and tie the knot.
The decision speaks a lot to Mary’s rebellious character and her relationship with her parents, as they don’t approve of John for her. It would be interesting to see how the idea of eloping comes up in conversation between the couple, and eventually, what plays out once Samuel and Deanna find out about them getting married.
The Men of Letters
Season 8 of Supernatural brought with it the storyline of the Men of Letters. The organization was long forgotten until Sam and Dean met their grandfather, Henry (Gil McKinney), once he traveled through time and told them they were legacies. Since its inception, the Men of Letters plot has provided several intriguing episodes, including one set within the Bunker itself.
Despite all the mythology on the flagship show, there is still a lot that could be explored with the Men of Letters. Flashbacks to Henry Winchester starting the process of initiation could develop the lore fans already know and would continue to provide a meaningful history to the world of Supernatural.
Josie Sands
Along with Henry Winchester, fans were introduced to Josie Sands (Alaina Huffman) in season 8 of Supernatural. Much like Henry, Josie also goes through initiation to become a full member of the Men of Letters, and possibly the first woman to do so, before she is possessed by Abaddon.
Given that Josie doesn’t get a lot of screen time before she is possessed, the prequel is the perfect way to explore her character through flashbacks and possible connections to the timeline of the 70s. Like Sam and Dean being legacies, she could have descendants of her own that could further the Men of Letters storyline.
Mary As a Hunter
In Supernatural’s fourth season, viewers learned that Mary was a hunter long before John ever had knowledge of that world. She came from a long line of Campbell hunters, showing that the boys have great history from both sides of their family. Her return in season 12 only solidified her importance as not only their mother but as a hunter as well.
The prequel will be the first time fans get to see Mary in proper action as a young hunter. Episodes such as "In the Beginning" and "The Song Remains The Same" provided glimpses of her in the role, but the new show could allow her to grow and become the fierce warrior fans know her as.
The Bunker
Like Dean’s beloved Impala, the boys' place of residence from season 8 onwards became a character in itself. The bunker was the first home that Dean had since he was four, and soon enough Sam acknowledged this fact too. It was introduced as the place where the Men of Letters had their meetings but became the focus of several episodes throughout Supernatural.
The bunker was most likely vacated sometime in the 1950s before the organization was destroyed, but its origins are still unclear. The Winchesters could take another shot at exploring the Men of Letters story, and establishing when and how the bunker came into existence could make for an interesting episode of the prequel.
John in the Vietnam War
From the news about the prequel so far, it’s been established that the show will take place once John returns to Lawrence from the war in Vietnam. The episode "In the Beginning" gave viewers the smallest implication of John’s time as a marine, showing that despite the toll it probably took on him, he was still the young, wide-eyed man in love.
With The Winchesters, the audience finally has a chance to see John in a different light. The show can provide insight into his relationship with his mother, with Mary, but also how the war changed him and made him the hardened hunter he later became.
Henry and Millie Winchester
In Season 9’s "Mother’s Little Helper," fans finally learn the name of Henry’s wife and Sam and Dean’s paternal grandmother, Millie Winchester. Apart from this, there are no further details on her character in the rest of the series’ storylines.
While the flagship show could’ve benefited from a flashback about her, The Winchesters could have the chance to tell her and Henry’s story in more detail. Now that the role of Millie has been cast (Bianca Kajlich), it’s more likely that the prequel will deal with her as a fleshed-out character with her own arc within the show.
Aftermath of Henry’s “Disappearance”
Sam and Dean meet their grandfather when he traveled to 2012 to find John, but unfortunately, Henry dies before he can make it back to his own time. The boys learn that it’s because of this that John always had resentment towards his father, believing he left him and Millie.
In The Winchesters, it’s been announced that John and Millie will be trying to navigate their lives as they live with the fact that Henry is longer a part of it. Fans could see how John deals with it, and how Henry’s absence not only influenced John in the current timeline but also later in life as a father to Sam and Dean.
Connections to Familiar Hunters
Supernatural has introduced the fans to several hunters throughout the 15 seasons of the show. Some were born into the hunting life, and others got into it through tragic circumstances, but each one offered their own importance to the legacy of the show.
From Rufus Turner to Daniel Elkins, each of them provided Supernatural with a unique storyline or connection to one of the Winchesters. With the prequel being ordered for a full season, it is quite possible that younger versions of these hunters could make an appearance and continue to enhance the supernatural world. While Bobby became a hunter much later in life, it would be interesting to see if he ever came across the hunting world a little earlier.