When Supernatural debuted in 2005, the plan was never for it to run 15 seasons. The original Supernatural ending was meant to come in season 5, with creator Eric Kripke stepping away after wrapping up the apocalyptic showdown between heaven, hell, and two brothers in the middle. It was a tightly plotted arc that gave viewers a satisfying resolution, but also one that almost cut the show off just as it was finding new, unexpected ways to evolve.
Had the original Supernatural ending gone ahead and the show concluded with season 5’s “Swan Song”, we wouldn’t have gotten 10 more years of monster hunts, meta mayhem, and character arcs that pushed Sam and Dean to their limits. More importantly, we would’ve missed out on the best episode of Supernatural ever made – season 6’s “The French Mistake.”
“The French Mistake” Would’ve Never Happened If Supernatural Ended In Season 5
This Season 6 Episode Proved Supernatural Had Plenty Left In The Tank
“The French Mistake” arrived in season 6, episode 15, a full 15 episodes beyond the original Supernatural ending point. If Eric Kripke’s five-season plan had gone ahead, it never would’ve seen the light of day. That would’ve been a huge loss, because this episode became an instant fan-favorite, showcasing a wildly creative side of Supernatural that rarely got a spotlight during the earlier, darker seasons.
In “The French Mistake,” Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) are thrown into an alternate reality where they’re not monster-hunting brothers – they’re actors named Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles filming a show called Supernatural.
The meta setup flips the script completely, letting the characters interact with a hilariously exaggerated version of the real world.
The meta setup flips the script completely, letting the characters interact with a hilariously exaggerated version of the real world. From Misha Collins playing a cringingly earnest version of himself to fourth-wall-breaking jokes about the CW and showrunner Robert Singer, “The French Mistake” ispacked with the bold, bizarre brilliance Supernatural is now known for.
However, beyond the laughs, “The French Mistake” marks an important turning point. It proved that Supernatural could take major creative swings and still land them. The show didn’t just continue past season 5 – it reinvented itself.
“The French Mistake” wouldn’t have fit within the original Supernatural ending because its tone and structure were too playful for Kripke’s biblical finale. Yet its success helped justify the show’s extended run, giving fans a clear reason to keep tuning in.
Why “The French Mistake” Is A Lot Of Supernatural Fans’ Favorite Episode
The Episode’s Creativity, Humor, And Self-Awareness Made It Unforgettable
There are countless great episodes across Supernatural’s 15 seasons, but “The French Mistake” stands out as the most beloved for good reason. For many fans, it represents everything that made the show special: its ability to be self-aware, hilarious, genre-bending, and emotionally grounded all at once. Even after so many monster-of-the-week stories and apocalyptic arcs, nothing hit quite like this.
A key reason it works is that the cast fully leans into the absurdity. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles deliver some of their funniest performances, playing off their fictionalized lives with awkward charm. Misha Collins, in particular, steals the show – especially when he tweets “Ola, Mishamigos!” while chaos erupts around him. It’s a surreal, wink-to-the-audience experience that rewards longtime fans without alienating newcomers.
“The French Mistake” also functions as a love letter to the production crew, poking fun at real-life showrunners, VFX teams, and network quirks. However, underneath all the in-jokes is a story that still centers Sam and Dean’s brotherhood and purpose, grounding the madness in emotional stakes. That balance is hard to pull off, but Supernatural nailed it here.
If the original Supernatural ending had been the last word, we’d never have seen the show at its most inventive. “The French Mistake” proved that Supernatural could take huge risks and still deliver something deeply memorable – a reminder that sometimes the best moments happen after a planned goodbye.
Supernatural
8/10
- Release Date
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2005 – 2020
- Showrunner
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Eric Kripke
- Directors
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Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund
- Writers
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Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway
