The new team has some true blue Scooby-Doo vibes, and at one point literally set off in a 1970’s shag-carpet van as they chase answers on the mystery that launches the series. It’s a choice that feels natural to the setting and mostly works due to the strength of the young cast, though also comes off a bit earnest and on-the-nose for a franchise that has reveled in the meta-corners of genre storytelling over the past decade.

Right now, it’s more of the two of them feeling each other out, and how the very experienced and skilled Mary and her friends will train the newbie in how to keep themselves safe. ... This isn’t This Is Us, after all. But given how quickly the “Scooby gang” of this show has been established, The Winchesters is off to a decent, albeit familiar, start.

Drake Rodger and Meg Donnelly work the two-hander dynamic well enough to anchor the series on their own before it introduces its Scooby gang (complete with Mystery Machine). (The rest of the ensemble is hit or miss, as are the comic beats that come along with them.)

The sleuthing quartet gives the show some “Scooby-Doo” vibes. “Winchesters” feels like it exists in the same world as “Supernatural.”

The durability of the format can be seen in “Supernatural’s” inordinate longevity, and there are references and callbacks to that show for those who celebrate. The principals here, though, are building a different kind of chemistry than that brotherly banter, and at least initially, it all comes across as pretty flat.

The Winchesters is an incredibly boring, lifeless prequel that’s unsure about who its audience is or even why it exists. It’s not so bad, it’s good; it’s not bingeable. Instead, The Winchesters is just… there.

I read the rest of the reviews... Opinions were strangely divided. Someone is delighted and sparkles with hearts instead of eyes, and someone has already managed to hate the series after one episode. There seems to be no middle ground. I can't say that I expected much from the prequel. I was hoping for the best, of course. And the fact that it was Jensen's project was encouraging, but... There were concerns. Mary and John are one of the most ambiguous characters of "Supernatural", few people loved them, and there's a whole series about them? I myself can't say anything definite yet - only one episode has been released. So far, there are pros and cons. Of the minuses, I can note a very rapid change of events. Stuffed a lot of actions in a small amount of time. The first series, you need to interest the viewer in everything you can, I understand everything, but... But everything else is definitely better than I expected. In the first minutes of the series, I sat with a somewhat puzzled expression on my face - instead of the atmosphere of the "Supernatural", the atmosphere of Indiana Jones appeared... But these minutes have passed, and the atmosphere has returned, more or less similar to the "Supernatural". The cast is really well chosen, the actors are very talented and fit well into the role. There was chemistry between the characters, especially between Carlos and John, John and Mary. Their interactions are interesting to watch. I can't say anything about the plot yet. As I said, only one episode has been released, it's too early to judge. While I put 9/10. I'll see what happens next.

It's nothing like Supernatural and worse in every way. Remember the Supernatural episodes that were way over the top for a reason? (the rabbit foot, the trickster episodes, etc.) This first episode already had several of those beyond silly scenes, but unfortunately, without any reason. And I havn't pointed out the biggest problem yet... who tf cares about John and Mary Winchester? It's not terrible, but below average for sure.

This should have been a home run but sadly like most shows that are coming out today, they are packed jammed with agenda-pushing woke garbage that spoils the entire show... News flash, the 70's were not more open than today. When the transgender dude hopped out of the van and saved them from a demon, I turned the show off... I was already white-knuckling through the first episode because the writing is even worse than the casting which is saying something, but the pointless addition to the show that added nothing to the story other than checking boxes was the straw.

The story tries to rewrite what we know from the beginning. Inferior actors and writing just makes us miss the real show even more. Thanks for the disappointment.