For all the creativity and oftentimes brilliance Supernatural presented to its loyal fandom, not everything the show did worked; in fact, a handful of things it attempted came off as painfully cringeworthy. The series had some big ideas, but some of those concepts could not translate to the screen, resulting in television that left fans wincing in embarrassment of the show they so adore.
The show was limited in its budget and resources, so that contributed to some of the things that did not work. But, as the Supernatural side of Reddit can attest, the show has many cringeworthy parts, from whole episodes to certain Winchester enemies.
Updated on November 6th, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras: With the arrival of the Supernatural spin-off The Winchesters which focuses on Dean talking about how his parents Mary Campbell and John Winchester fell in love, fans are revisiting the popular drama. It's fun to see more of this backstory since it's so important to Dean and Sam's story and how they become involved in the paranormal cases that they work on. But while viewers like to watch older episodes, there are always some quotes, character-driven moments, and even full episodes that don't seem like they fit in with the rest of the series. These things feel easy to cringe at and Redditors often discuss what they think is confusing and awkward about Supernatural.
Ruby's "Awesome" Speech
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The demon Ruby is a huge part of Supernatural but not always someone who pleases viewers. Redditor Fred_the_skeleton said that when it comes to cringeworthy aspects, "For me, it's Ruby's 'I'm awesome' speech."
While Ruby is a confident character and that is great to see, the fact that she says that she's so awesome does grate a bit, and it doesn't seem like something that she needs to say. Fans can tell that Ruby has high self-esteem.
Dean's "We're A Family" Speeches
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The best part of Supernatural is the bond between Sam and Dean, but this can go a bit too far at times. Redditor Slidity said "Whenever Dean gives his 'We’re a family speeches' they were nice" yet they are used so often it doesn't seem necessary.
Since fans can tell that Dean and Sam are close and that not only do they enjoy each other's company but they care deeply about each other, it doesn't feel necessary for Dean to remind viewers often that they are always going to be there for each other because they're blood.
Castiel And Meg's "Pizza Man" Moment
In season 6, Castiel watches an adult film about a character called the Pizza Man and he then mentions this to his love interest Meg. When he kisses Meg, he explains, "I learned that from the pizza man." Redditor CourageousWren said "So forced. So random. So cringeworthy. It came out of nowhere and was so uncharacteristic of the character, and just didnt work at all."
While Castile is a fan favorite character and his romance with Meg is sweet, this scene was too much for many fans who find it awkward. As the Redditor mentioned, it doesn't seem like something that Castiel would actually say. It makes the moment feel strange, not super romantic.
Alex, Claire And Jody's Dinner Scene
In the season 11 episode "Don't You Forget About Me," Sam has dinner with three female characters, and this isn't something that everyone finds necessary. Redditor heathahR wrote that "the awkward dinner scene with Claire, Alex, and Jody was pretty cringe-worthy."
While the episode is heartwarming in some ways, because Jody Mills is looking after two high schoolers and trying her best to help them out, fans felt that this dinner scene was tough to get through.
"Sam, Interrupted"
In season 5, Dean and Sam are working on a case where a monster is hurting patients in a mental hospital. They decide that the best way to handle this is to become patients themselves for a brief time. Redditor Breannaofarth said "The episode Sam, Interrupted I avoid as a whole because it was so cringey, but mostly the whole pudding scene."
Although this makes sense to Sam and Dean, it doesn't actually seem like the smartest way to figure out the mystery. Since the brothers are so clever and so good at working through paranormal problems, there were higher expectations for this episode that weren't met.
"Dog Dean Afternoon"
"Dog Dean Afternoon" is generally seen as a great and rewatchable episode of Supernatural. There are a good few Redditors, such as The_Bravinator, who believe the episode and specific aspects of it are incredibly cringey.
"The one dog that makes Sam pet it, to be precise." is the moment pointed out by the Redditor that stands out. There is no doubt that the episode has a pretty wild concept and that its jokes were never going to land for everyone. It is interesting to see the fact that so many deem it cringeworthy when it has otherwise gotten praised as a brilliant episode of the later seasons.
"Bloodlines"
One of the most infamous parts of Supernatural's fifteen-year run is "Bloodlines," a backdoor pilot that did not work in any way and was viewed as cringeworthy by Redditors like SupressiveFire.
The Redditor initially lists the acting of the witch in "Regarding Dean" as one of the most cringiest moments of the show before stating at the end, "That, and of course the entire episode of 9x20: Bloodlines." That sentiment is mutual amongst most of the Supernatural fandom who often skip "Bloodlines" and try their best not to think about it.
The Racist Ghost Truck
Season 1 of Supernatural has brilliant monster-of-the-week episodes such as "Bloody Mary," "Devil's Trap," "Scarecrow," and more. "Route 666" is not one of those and is viewed as cringeworthy to many, to which rachelgraychel can attest.
They claim that "The entirety of the racist ghost truck episode." is the cringiest moment in the show's history, and it is easy to see why. The ghost truck from the episode is seen as one of the worst monsters of the week ever, coming in a very weak entry to the show's storied catalog of episodes. Possessed cars and vehicles rarely work, and this episode of Supernatural was no different.
The Season 15 Ghosts
At the start of season 15, the various spirits from Hell got released by Chuck and roamed the streets looking to cause chaos, and they did not look good doing so. Redditor Kaikbakura points out how cringeworthy the three opening season 15 episodes were in that regard.
They note that when ghosts were "literally running," it was "Such an absolute embarrassment for the show." The various ghosts seen in broad daylight looked ridiculous, and it is easy to see why longtime fans got frustrated seeing them in such a manner. Supernatural never had a considerable budget for grand CGI or top-tier effects. Still, spirits never looked as bad or as cringeworthy as they do in the opening episodes of the show's last season.
"Bugs"
Up there with "Bloodlines" as the episodes most often deemed the worst of the show by the fandom, "Bugs" definitely have a cringe factor that makes it harder to get through, something Redditor theblankpages agrees with.
They say it is possibly the worst episode of the series, saying that they "think mostly it's the cringe factor involved in that episode." From the bugs themselves to the lack of resolution to the story to the use of a Native American curse, it is an early swing and miss from the creators.
The Dragon
As mentioned before, Supernatural didn't have a huge budget for expensive episodes or brilliant computer-generated villains and monsters. That meant that the series' iteration of a dragon was, as Redditor LucasLavoie12 says, pretty cringeworthy.
They say that the Dragon "made me question how low the show's budget is." It is easy to understand how the dragon could leave fans wondering this. It is, after all, just a guy. Audiences can easily forgive the show for stuff like this, but that does not change how cringe and painful to watch some things get.
Sam's Memories Of Amelia
Season 8 of Supernatural is looked at pretty favorably. However, almost all fans hate the romance between Sam and Amelia, with much of it deemed cringeworthy by the likes of a deleted Redditor.
They say that "the Sam flashbacks about Amelia are absolutely HORRID." in response to the question of what is the show's cringiest moment. This is a shared opinion by many in the fandom who cannot stand the flashbacks or Sam and Amelia's romance. Viewing the scenes knowing Dean is in Purgatory with Sam showing no real urgency or desire to find him only makes them worse.
Becky Drugs Sam
One of the most disliked and controversial characters in the series is Becky who amps her love for Sam up way too far when she drugs and marries him, one of the show's most uncomfortable stories, branded cringeworthy by Redditor Impossible_AD_6167.
Along with a couple of other episodes, they list "Becky drugging sam, marrying him, and tying him to a bed" as the cringiest moments in Supernatural. Most fans, certainly those who understand how truly awful it is what Becky is doing, feel - at the very least - uneasy watching Becky do this to Sam. It made her pretty unredeemable to a lot of people.
Sam's Old Man Wig
"Carry On" is deemed an unworthy finale by most of the fandom. One of its weirdest and worst moments is nothing to do with the narrative, though, but rather a costume. Old Sam's, to be specific, which is ragged on by many, including Redditor seriouslaser.
In reply to the question of Supernatural's cringiest moments, they say, "Finale Sam's "old man" wig. That hurt me." There is low-budget, and then there is this. The wig is so bad and so staggering that it takes away from what should be an intensely emotional sequence where Sam remembers Dean. It leaves fans - for a few minutes - cringing rather than enjoying their heartbreaking goodbyes to the Supernatural characters.
Michael Vs. Lucifer
When talking about the most cringeworthy things to happen in Supernatural, most fans, including Redditor yuukitakeda, will point towards Apocalypse World Michael's fight with Lucifer.
The Redditor says they "cringe at the fighting scene, especially when they're brawling in the air," and they are not the only ones. After season 5 promised a battle that would tear the Earth apart, season 13 gave audiences a lackluster fist-fight between two people on wires. It is hard to watch, not only due to the cringe factor but also due to knowing what it could have been compared to what it was.