After 15 seasons, Supernatural finally came to a close on November 19th, 2020. After defeating God/Chuck in the penultimate episode, there were several questions as to how the series finale would conclude the show since the main storyline was already over.
When it finally became clear that not only would the real "swan song" of the series be a throwback to the show's Monster of the Week episode, it was also going to end a story that started with the brothers all along. Unfortunately, the reception for the final episode was not all that positive, as many fans expressed their outrage with the content of the series finale.
Dean Died From A Rusty Nail
Many fans were shocked to witness the fate of one of the most beloved characters in Supernatural as Dean Winchester officially died in the series finale. The way that he died was the most shocking and disheartening part. Before the series finale, Dean died several times before, such as mauled by Hellhounds, stabbed by Metatron, and overdosed on pills. Sadly, Dean's ultimate demise occurred by being impaled by a rusty bit of metal after being pushed into it by a vampire.
While some fans will claim that Dean always wanted to die while hunting, many fans argued that the way he died did not make sense. Most viewers would have anticipated a badass, heroic death. Furthermore, most fans found this to be anti-climatic, throwing away 15-year character development of Dean Winchester.
Cas Sacrificed Himself To Save Dean Only To See It's Meaningless
Many fans were puzzled with the conclusion given the events that occurred two episodes before. In season 15, episode 18, "Despair," Castiel and Dean were being hunted by Billie for revenge after Dean mortally stabbed her. Realizing that they could potentially die, Castiel made the difficult decision to sacrifice his life to have the Empty kill Billie and save Dean so that Dean can live a long life.
If fans were not quick to criticize Dean's death, several Castiel fans shared their backlash about the lack of appreciation for Castiel by the show's makers. While his intent to sacrifice his life was to allow Dean to live a long life, Castiel's sacrifice eventually becomes meaningless as Dean dies in just weeks.
Dean Deserved A Better Ending
While some of Dean's final moments were satisfactory with him going to Heaven, several fans were quick to share that Dean deserved a better ending because Dean never had a childhood and always took care of his baby brother. When he finally had the chance to write his own story, his "free will" was crushed with his unfortunate death.
Many fans even pointed out that earlier in the finale episode, Dean was applying for a job. This indicated that Dean was not only going to take a break from hunting, but that he was ready to retire, maybe have kids one day, and finally, have a life outside hunting - only for that to be snatched away from him.
Where Is Jack?
Following Dean's death, some fans were quick to ask why Jack was not summoned to save Dean. While Jack made it clear that he would not make changes in the universe, it also appeared that Jack already changed how souls lived in Heaven. Even the original Bobby shared that Jack managed to get Castiel out of the Empty and helped him change Heaven.
If Jack was indeed making some pretty hefty changes as God, it then leaves the question of why Sam did not call Jack to save Dean. This left several fans confused as this leaves a plothole regarding Jack's role as the new God.
Who Is Sam's Wife?
While Sam lived the rest of his life without his brother (before eventually reuniting with Dean in Heaven), Sam managed to have a semi-normal lifestyle. Sam decided to have an apple pie life with his wife and his son, Dean Winchester Jr.
Unfortunately, the revelation of Sam's wife remained pretty vague. Several fans speculated that Sam's wife was likely Eileen, who probably returned to Earth once Jack became God. However, the lack of appearance of Eileen, played by Shoshannah Stern, was likely due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Despite the legitimate reason for its ambiguity, some fans were still upset at the lackluster depth in the epilogue of Sam's remaining story.
Sam's Grey Hair Wig
During the montage of Sam's remaining story, Sam seemed to live a long life, which meant seeing an older Sam Winchester. The opportunity to show his old age backfired as fans took to the internet to comment on Sam's grey hair.
The opinions regarding Sam's grey hair debacle is pretty mixed. Some fans found it comical as a way to lighten up the mood regarding an already disappointing final episode. Other fans thought the grey wig to be ridiculous and lazy, showing a disservice to the fans for the lack of effort.
No Winchester Family Reunion
When Dean does arrive in Heaven, he meets Bobby Singer at the Harvelle's Roadhouse. Yet, he was the only past character to make a return to the final episode. Bobby revealed that both John and Mary Winchester were living in a house together not too far from the bar.
However, fans were baffled by the lack of on-screen reunion from the Winchester family. However, it is very likely the restriction from COVID-19 made it difficult for any past member to make a final appearance on the show. Regardless, a moment where the Winchesters were finally together as a family in Heaven would be quite an emotional moment, which, unfortunately, fans would not be able to see on-screen.
Dean Does Not Reunite With Castiel In Heaven
After Castiel professed his love for Dean, several fans were upset to see that Destiel was finally becoming canon, only for it to be squashed with Castiel sacrificing his life seconds later. With two episodes left, some fans were hoping this moment would be redeemed before the show's conclusion. While most fans would think that Dean would reunite with Castiel, this does not happen at all. Instead, Dean takes a long drive with his Impala until he finally meets Sam.
The internet exploded after fans realized the show's lack of respect for Castiel. An angel who has been an integral member of the show since season 4 never makes a peek of return in the final episode or at least a meaningful closure with Dean. Several fans even called out the people behind the final season to be homophobic.
Sam Looks Miserable While Dean Is Smiling In Montage
Though Sam appeared to have a life that he was destined to live, his expression throughout the final montage says otherwise. While Sam at times looked happy with his family, some of the later parts of the montage showed Sam to be somewhat sad and lonely.
Even worse, this montage occurred with Kansas's "Carry On My Wayward Son" in the background with interchanged scenes between Sam and Dean. Sam looked miserable while Dean was enjoying his life with the Impala in Heaven. Fans were quick to judge this creative decision given that the polar opposite emotions and feelings from each brother in the montage. This further added to some of the fan's argument about how the series finale did not do justice for many of the main characters and not concluding their perspective stories on a fair note.
A Rushed Series Finale
After the scene turned black one last time, the final remarks from fans showed that most of them were pretty disappointed with the outcome. Many fans were quick to point out the overall disappointment of season 15, where the main plotline had already concluded by episode 19.
Many fans expressed that the ending for the series finale was too rushed. Nothing made sense of the character's conclusion and the buildup to it within season 15. Everything happened so quickly with Dean's death and Sam having a family that there was no development to finalize the episode. It sadly left more questions than answers, which left some fans pretty upset.