The recent Entertainment Weekly episode listed some episodes for people new to the show to watch. This made me think…what episodes would I suggest to someone just getting started in the show? (It gets harder as the season progresses because of the mythology, but here are my picks.)
1) The pilot. In my opinion, it’s one of the all-time best pilots, with a balance of backstory (though Kripke laments the awkward dialogue between the brothers relaying the information), humor, urban legend and scariness. Hey, I watched the pilot and bought the first season. We’re introduced to John’s journal and Dean’s love for the Impala.
2) Bloody Mary. Creeeeeepy, great interaction between the brothers
3) Hook Man. Creeeeeeeeeepy, one of my favorites. I love the urban legend, the girl, the brothers. This interaction:
Dean: I told him you were a dumbass pledge and that we were hazing you.
Sam: What about the shotgun?
Dean: I said that you were hunting ghosts and spirits were repelled by rock salt. You know, typical Hell Week prank.
Sam: And he believed you?
Dean: Well you look like a dumbass pledge.
4) Scarecrow. One of my very favorite episodes. It’s on my iPod and I watch it all the time. It’s scary and has terrific conflict between the brothers, but is a self-contained episode.
5) Faith. Oh, man. Great episode. Emotional, scary, also with some great lines to diffuse the tension.
Dean: That fabric softener teddy bear. Oooh! I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down.
6) Hellhouse. The pranks, the Ghostfacers, the scary tulpa. Another one on my iPod.
Dean: Man I hate rats.
Sam: Would you rather it was a ghost?
Dean: Yes.
Harry: What are you guys doing here?
Dean: What the hell are you doing here?
Ed: Uh, we belong here, we're professionals.
Dean: Professional what?
Dean: What's the matter, Sammy? You afraid you gonna get a little Nair in your shampoo again, huh?
Sam: All right. Just remember you started it.
Dean: Oh, bring it on, baldy.
7) Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things. Zombies! Woot! Also, Dean cries.
Dean: Neil, it's your grief counselors. We've come to hug.
8) Bad Day at Black Rock. Funny, with enough history to clue in a new watcher.
Sam: I lost my shoe.
Dean: I’m Batman!
9) Bloodlust. We have the return of the Metallicar and badass Dean, who starts to doubt his job after all these years.
Sam: (talking to Dean) Give you a couple of severed heads and a pile of dead cows and you're Mr. Sunshine.
10) A Very Supernatural Christmas. Funny, different, a bit gross, but poignant
Dean: You fudge'n touch me again, I'll fudge'n kill you!
11) Ghostfacers—funny, creepy, shows the work the brothers do, and that they can’t save everyone.
Dean: Hey, Ed, listen to me. There's some salt in my duffel. Make a circle and get inside.
Ed: Inside your duffel bag?
Dean: In the salt, you idiot!
Considered and rejected:
1) Monster Movie—too light overall
2) Croatoan—one of my FAVORITES but too much mythology to start. Also, the boys don’t solve the problem.
3) Yellow Fever—too violent at the end, though this is the Denim Shirt show. Guh.
4) The Monster at the End of This Book—another favorite, but too heavy on mythology
5) Hunted. Too much about the psychic powers for a new watcher, but terrific tension
6) The Benders. Can you tell I loved Season 1? But since these aren’t supernatural beings, not a good starter episode.
7) Jus in Bello. LOVED this episode, but you’d have to know about Henrickson and all the Lilith/Ruby stuff.
8) Nightshifter. Another terrific episode, but you’d need more history to watch, I think.
What episodes would you recommend to a new viewer? Can you think of other ways to hook someone on Supernatural?
