Kurt Fuller's villainous angel character Zachariah has been added to Supernatural season 14's landmark 300th episode, his first appearance since dying in season 5. It really can't be overstated how rare it is for a scripted TV show to reach 300 episodes, outside of perpetually running things like professional wrestling programs and soap operas. Even at its current count of 296 episodes aired, Supernatural has already produced more episodes than long-running classics like Frasier, NYPD Blue, and Married with Children.
To put things in perspective, the vast majority of TV series that make air are lucky to last for one whole season, much less two. Reaching 100 episodes is a long shot goal for most shows, with 200 episodes nearly an impossible dream. Hitting the 300-episode mark - and subsequently crossing it - puts Supernatural in a pretty exclusive club, alongside hits like Grey's Anatomy, Family Guy, ER, and CSI. As is apparent by the other shows being named, it's also even rarer for a sci-fi or horror series to last this long, as usually the longest-runners are mainstream comedies, dramas, and crime procedurals.
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While little is known about Supernatural's plans for its 300th episode, one can bet it's going to be big, as the cast and crew are fully aware of the magnitude of this milestone. To that end, EW reports that episode 300 - entitled "Lebanon," - will resurrect Zachariah, a smarmy but ruthless angel that tormented heroic brothers Sam and Dean Winchester during seasons 4 and 5. Professional bad guy actor Kurt Fuller will return to reprise the role.
While angels naturally tend to be the good guys in many works of fiction, in the world of Supernatural, the vast majority of them are despicable jerks. The main exception to that rule of course being Castiel, Sam and Dean's close friend and brother-in-arms in their enduring struggle against the forces of evil. Zachariah at first pretended to be on the Winchesters' side when it came to stopping Lucifer's rise and the ensuing apocalypse, but in actuality wanted to make sure it happened, believing that Heaven's army would beat Hell's, and the result would be a paradise on Earth. Of course, Zachariah didn't care about the millions of humans who would be killed in the war.
Zachariah also orchestrated Sam and Dean's half-brother Adam's recruitment to be the archangel Michael's replacement vessel, after Dean proved unwilling. Adam of course still remains locked in Lucifer's cage to this day. Zachariah was eventually killed in the season 5 episode "Point of No Return," when Dean stabbed him to death with an angel blade. It's unclear how he'll be resurrected, or exactly what episode 300's story is about. However, "Lebanon" will also see the return of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as John Winchester, in his first appearance since the season 2 finale. Supernatural opting to bring back two important characters in the same episode points to what might be a pivotal turning point in season 14's story.
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Supernatural season 14 returns January 17 on The CW, with episode 300 airing February 7.
Source: EW