It's been 15 years since the series premiere of Supernatural aired. The episode revolved around the Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) reuniting with estranged brother Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) as they searched for their missing father and battled a mysterious supernatural killer named the Woman in White (Sarah Shahi).
Even though the episode isn't considered one of the long-running show's best offerings, it was the perfect foundation for what would be an addictive fictional tale. The show kept on improving, with Dean and Sam being beneficiaries of some of the best character development ever seen on TV.
Dean And Sam's Mother Died
The whole Supernatural journey began with a flashback to the year 1983. At the Winchester home, a 4-year-old Dean said goodnight to his little brother Sam Winchester, as well as his parents. Moments later as Mary Winchester was in bed, she heard Sam crying. She went to see what was happing and saw a figure standing over Sam's cot.
At first, she thought it was her husband, John but then she realized he was asleep in the living room. John was then awoken by Mary's scream and when he rushed to her aid, he found her pinned to the ceiling. Before he could comprehend what was happening, her body began burning up. Dean took Sam outside, with John being the last to leave before the house exploded.
Sam And Dean Weren't Initially Close
Sam and Dean established themselves as one of the best TV duos in the last two decades. But they weren't always close. Early in the episode, Sam and his girlfriend Jess were planning to go to a Halloween party. Sam talked about an upcoming Law School interview that he was nervous about. He also confessed that his family didn't know about it because he wasn't close to them.
Later in the night, someone broke in and when Sam confronted the intruder, he realized it was his brother Dean (now the age of 26). The brothers then disclosed that they hadn't seen each other in two years. But the reunion wasn't a happy one. Dean informed Sam that their father was missing after going on a hunting trip and they needed to find him.
A Teenager Was Seduced And Murdered By The Woman In White
Dean told Sam about a recent string of disappearances involving men who were driving. Moments later, a teenager was seen driving in Jericho, California. He saw a woman wearing white along the road and pulled over. When she got in his car, she seduced him and requested him to go home with her. The teenager couldn't believe how lucky he was.
When they arrived at her ramshackle cottage, she told him the words "I can never go home" before disappearing. Shocked, the teenager drove away quickly. Minutes later, he looked in the rear-view mirror only to see her in the back. He freaked out and crashed into a bridge barrier. Blood then splattered in the windshield.
Dean And Sam's Aliases
The Winchester boys stopped by the bridge where the teenager's car crashed. A number of police officers were present so Sam and Dean posed as US Marshals and began interrogating them.
One cop told them that the victim's name was Troy and his girlfriend would have more information about him. The brothers then located Troy's girlfriend named Amy. They told her they were Troy's uncles and were looking for him too. Amy's friend, Rachel, then told them about the legend of the Woman In White.
The Identity Of The Woman In White Was Revealed
Dean and Sam browsed the internet for news stories about the mysterious deaths of men on the highway. They came across an article about a woman named Constance Welch who had committed suicide on the bridge while dressed in white. She did this after her two children drowned under mysterious circumstances.
The same bridge where Constance took her life was the same bridge where Troy's car crashed. Later in the night, they went to check out the scene only to spot a lady wearing white clothing jumping off the bridge. Seconds later, the lady began attacking them, forcing them to flee in a hurry.
Dean Was Arrested
While Sam was away, police showed up at Dean's house and arrested him. They figured that he had something to do with the murders since he was at the crime scene pretending to be someone else.
The Sheriff interrogated Dean and showed him his dad's diary which had strange numbers in it. Dean couldn't understand what they meant. He was also shocked because his dad never left his diary behind. Moments later, the Sheriff received a call and Dean saw it as an opportunity to pick the cuffs and escape. It turned out that Sam had made the call to distract the Sheriff.
Sam Discovered The Woman In White's Motivations
Sam paid a visit to Constance's husband Mr. Joseph Welch and after interrogating him, he discovered that his father John Winchester had been there too a few days ago. After interrogating Joseph further, he learned where Constance had been buried as well as her real motivations behind the killings.
Apparently, Constance killed her own kids and then committed suicide after finding out that Joseph was having an affair. As a ghost, she now spent her days killing unfaithful men. That's why she had killed Troy who was more than willing to go home with her despite having a girlfriend.
There Was An X-Files Pop Culture Reference
This pilot episode had a nod to another '90s TV show that was a little similar to it—The X-Files. As Dean walked past two FBI agents that were sweeping through the crime scene at the bridge, he greeted them in a cheeky manner by saying: "Hello Agent Mulder, hello Agent Scully."
FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Special Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) were the main characters in the FOX television series. The two worked to solve unsolved paranormal cases dubbed the "X-Files."
The Woman In White Tried To Seduce Sam
As Sam was talking to Dean on the phone while driving, the Woman In White appeared on the road but instead of stopping, he simply drove through her. Minutes later, she appeared inside the car and Sam no longer had control of it.
The car drove itself to the abandoned home where the lady said the same words she told Troy "I can never go home." She then jumped on top of Sam and tried to seduce him but he wouldn't fall for her charms. Moments later, Dean showed up and shot her. Constance's dead children also showed up. It was revealed that she was scared to go into the house because of what she did to them.
Jessica Died The Same Way As Mary
In the final moments of the episode, the brothers discovered that their father was in Blackwater Ridge. Sam refused to go find him because of his upcoming Law School interview. He thus went home where he found cookies on the table and a note saying "Missed you! Love you!"
He lay down comfortably only for blood to splash on him. Looking up, he saw Jess pinned to the ceiling, the same way his mother was pinned years ago. She then burst into flames. Dean showed up in time to rescue Sam from the fire.