Supernatural Watch It / Skip It Guide (Seasons 1–15)

Monster Hunting, Road Trips, Demons, and Bros being Bros.

The thought of starting CW’s Supernatural came with a lot of baggage. I jumped on around the time Season 7 was airing, and 7 seasons seemed like a lot of TV (little did I know). At first I was weary to start because I’ve never been one for CW (or WB, where it first aired) shows. So I assumed it was for teens, and the two leads had that teen “heart-throbby” kinda vibe going. I was looking for something new to watch and being a fan of horror, I thought I’d give it a chance. The 1st season had enough to keep me going, but phew…was it tough to get through. Once season 2 kicked in, it was one of the best shows I had ever seen. Now, there are some terrible seasons and really bad plot lines. But I can promise you it’s worth the investment.

Since the show has wrapped all 15 seasons, I thought I’d provide you all with a Watch It / Skip It list. Keep in mind, all of these are personal opinion. Some episodes I listed as skip might be wonderful to many, but this is just a list of good and bad in my humble opinion. Enjoy!

KEY::::::::::

WATCH = Watch it. It’s important to the plot or it’s a good episode

WATCH (bold) = Gotta watch it. It’s either super important to the plot or an AMAZING episode.

SKIP = Skip it. If you have time, go for it. Not important to the plot and maybe not that great. But still can have some fun things if you’re a super fan.

SKIP!! (italic) = MUST SKIP. So bad you’re not gaining anything by watching it. Just don’t.

MAYBE WATCH = Pretty good episode but not super important. If you have the time, watch it.

SEASON 1 [The Monster Season]

1x1 — Pilot: WATCH (first episode ever, duh)

1x2 — Wendigo: MAYBE WATCH

1x3 — Dead in Water: SKIP

1x4 — Phantom Traveler: WATCH (first time they expel a spirit!)

1x5 — Blood Mary: MAYBE WATCH

1x6 — Skin: MAYBE WATCH (shapeshifters are introduced)

1x7 — Hook Man: SKIP

1x8 — Bugs: SKIP!! (bad…just bad)

1x9 — Home: WATCH

1x10 — Asylum: MAYBE WATCH

1x11 — Scarecrow: WATCH

1x12 — Faith: WATCH

1x13 — Route 666: SKIP

1x14 — Nightmare: WATCH

1x15 — The Benders: MAYBE WATCH

1x16 — Shadow: WATCH

1x17 — Hell House: MAYBE WATCH (referenced later down the line)

1x18 — Something Wicked This Way Comes: WATCH

1x19 — Provenance: WATCH

1x20 — Dead Man’s Blood: WATCH

1x21 — Salvation: WATCH

1x22 — Devil’s Trap: WATCH

• Season 1 isn’t the greatest, but it introduces a lot of fun stuff that you’ll come to know and love later down the road. Lots of skip opportunities. But honestly if you got the time, most of these are still fun.

SEASON 2 [The Yellow-Eyed Demon Season]

2x1 — In My Time of Dying: WATCH

2x2 — Everybody Loves a Clown: WATCH (some don’t care for this ep, but it introduces a bunch of new characters)

2x3 — Bloodlust: WATCH

2x4 — Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things: SKIP

2x5 — Simon Said: WATCH

2x6 — No Exit: SKIP

2x7 — The Usual Suspects: WATCH

2x8 — Crossroad Blues: WATCH

2x9 — Croatoan: WATCH

2x10 — Hunted: WATCH

2x11 — Playthings: MAYBE WATCH

2x12 — Nightshifter: WATCH

2x13 — Houses of the Holy: SKIP

2x14 — Born Under a Bad Sign: WATCH

2x15 — Tall Tales: WATCH

2x16 — Roadkill: WATCH

2x17 — Heart: WATCH

2x18 — Hollywood Babylon: WATCH

2x19 — Folsom Prison Blues: WATCH

2x20 — What is and What Should Never Be: WATCH

2x21 — All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1: WATCH

2x22 — All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2: WATCH

• Season 2 is a big improvement from 1. Lots of storyline and character threads that still last to this day.

SEASON 3 [The Demon Season]

3x1 — The Magnificent Seven: WATCH

3x2 — The Kids Are Alright: WATCH

3x3 — Bad Day at Black Rock: WATCH

3x4 — Sin City: SKIP

3x5 — Bedtime Stories: MAYBE WATCH

3x6 — Red Sky Morning: WATCH

3x7 — Fresh Blood: WATCH

3x8 — A Very Supernatural Christmas: WATCH

3x9 — Malleus Maleficarum: WATCH

3x10 — Dream a Little Dream of Me: WATCH

3x11 — Mystery Spot: WATCH

3x12 — Jus in Bello: WATCH

3x13 — Ghostfacers: WATCH

3x14 — Long Distance Call: MAYBE WATCH

3x15 — Time is on My Side: WATCH

3x16 — No Rest for the Wicked: WATCH

• Short season because of the writers strike. Most episodes are great and move the plot forward.

SEASON 4 [The Castiel/Ruby Season]

4x1 — Lazarus Rising: WATCH

4x2 — Are You There God? It’s me, Dean Winchester: WATCH

4x3 — In the Beginning: WATCH

4x4 — Metamorphosis: SKIP

4x5 — Monster Movie: WATCH (super fun ep)

4x6 — Yellow Fever: WATCH

4x7 — It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester: WATCH

4x8 — Wishful Thinking: WATCH

4x9 — I Know What You Did Last Summer: WATCH

4x10 — Heaven and Hell: WATCH

4x11 — Family Remains: SKIP

4x12 — Criss Angel is a Douchebag: MAYBE WATCH

4x13 — After School Special: WATCH

4x14 — Sex and Violence: MAYBE WATCH

4x15 — Death Takes a Holiday: WATCH

4x16 — On the Head of a Pin: WATCH

4x17 — It’s a Terrible Life: WATCH

4x18 — The Monster at the End of this Book: WATCH

4x19 — Jump the Shark: WATCH

4x20 — The Rapture: WATCH

4x21 — When the Levee Breaks: WATCH

4x22 — Lucifer Rising: WATCH

• One of the best seasons of the series. The overall mythology and story arc for the series really ramps up. If you can, I’d watch all of these episodes (aside from the ‘skips’)

SEASON 5 [The Lucifer Season]

5x1 — Sympathy for the Devil: WATCH

5x2 — Good God, Y’all: WATCH

5x3 — Free to be You and Me: WATCH

5x4 — The End: WATCH

5x5 — Fallen Idols: MAYBE WATCH

5x6 — I Believe the Children Are Our Future: WATCH

5x7 — The Curious Case of Dean Winchester: WATCH

5x8 — Changing Channels: WATCH

5x9 — The Real Ghostbusters: WATCH

5x10 — Abandon All Hope: WATCH

5x11 — Sam, Interrupted: WATCH

5x12 — Swap Meat: WATCH

5x13 — The Song Remains the Same: WATCH

5x14 — My Bloody Valentine: WATCH

5x15 — Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid: WATCH

5x16 — Dark Side of the Moon: WATCH

5x17–99 Problems: WATCH

5x18 — Point of No Return: WATCH

5x19 — Hammer of the Gods: WATCH

5x20 — The Devil You Know: WATCH

5x21 — Two Minutes to Midnight: WATCH

5x22 — Swan Song: WATCH

• Easily the best season of the series. As you can see, I didn’t put any skips for this season. Although some episodes aren’t as high quality as others, there’s still a lot to love. Lucifer and Michael conflict is the pinnacle of Supernatural storytelling.

SEASON 6 [The Sam’s Soul Season]

6x1 — Exile on Main St: WATCH

6x2 — Two and a Half Men: WATCH

6x3 — The Third Man: WATCH

6x4 — Weekend at Bobby’s: WATCH

6x5 — Live Free or Twihard: WATCH

6x6 — You Can’t Handle the Truth: WATCH

6x7 — Family Matters: WATCH

6x8 — All Dogs Go To Heaven: SKIP

6x9 — Clap Your Hands if You Believe: WATCH

6x10 — Caged Heat: WATCH

6x11 — Appointment in Samarra: WATCH

6x12 — Like a Virgin: WATCH

6x13 — Unforgiven: WATCH

6x14 — Mannequin 3 The Reckoning: SKIP

6x15 — The French Mistake: WATCH (amazing and hilarious ep. One of the best of the series)

6x16 — And Then There Were None: WATCH

6x17 — My Heart Will Go On: WATCH

6x18 — Frontierland: WATCH

6x19 — Mommy Dearest: WATCH

6x20 — The Man Who Would Be King: WATCH

6x21 — Let it Bleed: WATCH

6x22 — The Man Who Knew Too Much: WATCH

• This season is considered to be the beginning of the “new” Supernatural. Season 5 was the end of the Apocalypse arc. Some might argue that the show got bad after 5, and although maybe not as intense as previous seasons, season 6 and on has plenty of amazing moments to experience. So if you got this far and still love it, you’ll have no problem.

SEASON 7 [The Leviathan Season]

7x1 — Meet the New Boss: WATCH

7x2 — Hello, Cruel World: WATCH

7x3 — The Girl Next Door: WATCH

7x4 — Defending Your Life: MAYBE WATCH

7x5 — Shut Up, Dr. Phil: SKIP

7x6 — Slash Fiction: WATCH

7x7 — The Mentalists: SKIP

7x8 — Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!: WATCH

7x9 — How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters: WATCH

7x10 — Death’s Door: WATCH (huge ep!)

7x11 — Adventures in Babysitting: SKIP

7x12 — Time After Time: WATCH

7x13 — The Slice Girls: SKIP

7x14 — Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magic Menagerie: MAYBE WATCH

7x15 — Repo Man: SKIP

7x16 — Out with the Old: WATCH

7x17 — The Born-Again Identity: WATCH

7x18 — Party On, Garth: WATCH

7x19 — Of Grave Importance: WATCH

7x20 — The Girls with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo: WATCH (important character intro)

7x21 — Reading is Fundamental: WATCH

7x22 — There Will Be Blood: WATCH

7x23 — Survival of the Fittest: WATCH

• Ugghh, Leviathans. Lots of skips here. Season 7 was not one of my favorite seasons. And in my opinion one of the worst in the series. Don’t worry, Season 8 gets better.

SEASON 8 [The God Tablets Season]

8x1 — We Need to Talk About Kevin: WATCH

8x2 — What’s Up, Tiger Mommy?: WATCH

8x3 — Heartache: SKIP

8x4 — Bitten: SKIP (but cool episode)

8x5 — Blood Brother: MAYBE WATCH (Benny character plot stuff, but not necessary)

8x6 — Southern Comfort: MAYBE WATCH (if you love Garth, watch it)

8x7 — A Little Slice of Kevin: WATCH

8x8 — Hunter Heroici: WATCH

8x9 — Citizen Fang: WATCH

8x10 — Torn and Frayed: WATCH

8x11 — LARP and the Real Girl: WATCH (super fun ep)

8x12 — As Time Goes By: WATCH

8x13 — Everybody Hates Hitler: WATCH

8x14 — Trial and Error: WATCH

8x15 — Man’s Best Friend with Benefits: SKIP!!

8x16 — Remember the Titans: SKIP

8x17 — Goodbye Stranger: WATCH

8x18 — Freaks and Geeks: SKIP

8x19 — Taxi Driver: WATCH

8x20 — Pac-Man Fever: WATCH

8x21 — The Great Escapist: WATCH

8x22 — Clip Show: WATCH

8x23 — Sacrifice: WATCH

• Big improvements this season from 7. One of the best parts of this season is all the fantastic Charlie episodes. In general, lots of great supporting cast moments this season.

SEASON 9 [The Fallen Angels Season]

9x1 — I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here: WATCH

9x2 — Devil May Care: WATCH

9x3 — I’m No Angel: WATCH

9x4 — Slumber Party: SKIP

9x5 — Dog Dean Afternoon: SKIP

9x6 — Heaven Can’t Wait: WATCH

9x7 — Bad Boys: MAYBE WATCH

9x8 — Rock and a Hard Place: SKIP

9x9 — Holy Terror: WATCH

9x10 — Road Trip: WATCH

9x11 — First Born: WATCH

9x12 — Sharp Teeth: SKIP (watch if you LOVE Garth)

9x13 — The Purge: SKIP

9x14 — Captives: MAYBE WATCH

9x15 — #thinman: WATCH

9x16 — Bladerunners: WATCH

9x17 — Mother’s Little Helper: WATCH

9x18 — Meta Fiction: WATCH

9x19 — Alex Annie Alexis Ann — SKIP

9x20 — Bloodlines — SKIP

9x21 — King of the Damned — WATCH

9x22 — Stairway to Heaven — WATCH

9x23 — Do You Believe in Miracles?: WATCH

• Ok season. Lots of angel politics which can get tiring after awhile. Follow the skips and you’ll be fine. The non story arc episodes are sorta my favorites this season.

SEASON 10 [The Mark of Cain Season]

10x1 — Black: WATCH

10x2 — Reichenbach: WATCH

10x3 — Soul Survivor: WATCH

10x4 — Paper Moon: SKIP

10x5 — Fan Fiction: WATCH

10x6 — Ask Jeeves: SKIP

10x7 — Girls, Girls, Girls: WATCH

10x8 — Hibbing 911: MAYBE WATCH (Jodi/Donna ep)

10x9 — The Things We Left Behind: WATCH

10x10 — The Hunter Games: WATCH

10x11 — There’s No Place Like Home: WATCH

10x12 — About A Boy: SKIP

10x13 — Halt & Catch Fire: SKIP

10x14 — The Executioner’s Song: WATCH

10x15 — The Thing They Carried: SKIP

10x16 — Paint It Black: SKIP

10x17 — Inside Man: WATCH

10x18 — Book of the Damned: WATCH

10x19 — The Werther Project: WATCH

10x20 — Angel Heart: MAYBE WATCH (if time)

10x21 — Dark Dynasty: WATCH

10x22 — The Prisoner: WATCH

10x23 — Brother’s Keeper: WATCH

• Things get dark this season. Lots of drama. Lots of mistakes repeated. But overall, pretty good season with some really shining moments.

SEASON 11 (The Darkness Season)

11x1 — Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire: WATCH

11x2 — Form and Void: WATCH

11x3 — The Bad Seed: WATCH

11x4 — Baby: WATCH

11x5 — Thin Lizzy: MAYBE WATCH

11x6 — Our Little World: WATCH

11x7 — Plush: SKIP

11x8 — Just My Imagination: WATCH

11x9 — O Brother Where Art Thou: WATCH

11x10 — The Devil in the Details: WATCH

11x11 — Into the Mystic: WATCH

11x12 — Don’t You Forget About Me: SKIP

11x13 — Love Hurts: SKIP

11x14 — The Vessel: WATCH

11x15 — Beyond the Mat: MAYBE WATCH

11x16 — Safe House: MAYBE WATCH (Bobby & Rufus episode)

11x17 — Red Meat: SKIP

11x18 — Hell’s Angel’s: WATCH

11x19 — The Chitters: SKIP

11x20 — Don’t Call Me Shirley: WATCH!!!

11x21 — All in the Family: WATCH

11x22 — We Happy Few: WATCH

11x23 — Alpha and Omega: WATCH

• One of my favorite seasons in a lonnnngg time. It feels like the epicness and grand scale of season 5 are on full display here. All the major players are on the board and this season does not disappoint! Even the skips on this list are fairly worth your time if you got it.

SEASON 12 [The British Men of Letters Season]

12x1 — Keep Calm and Carry On: WATCH

12x2 — Mamma Mia: WATCH

12x3 — The Foundry: SKIP

12x4 — American Nightmare: SKIP

12x5 — The One You’ve Been Waiting For: MAYBE WATCH (Nazi theme)

12x6 — Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox: WATCH

12x7 — Rock Never Dies: MAYBE WATCH

12x8 — Lotus: WATCH

12x9 — First Blood: WATCH

12x10 — Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets — SKIP

12x11 — Regarding Dean: WATCH

12x12 — Stuck in the Middle with You: WATCH

12x13 — Family Feud: MAYBE WATCH

12x14 — The Raid: MAYBE WATCH

12x15 — Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell: WATCH

12x16 — Ladies Drink Free: WATCH

12x17 — The British Invasion: WATCH

12x18 — The Memory Remains: SKIP

12x19 — The Future: WATCH

12x20 — Twigs, Twines, and Tasha Banes: MAYBE WATCH

12x21 — There’s Something About Mary: WATCH

12x22 — Who We Are: WATCH

12x23 — All Along the Watchtower: WATCH

• Ugghh, British Men of Letters. Lots to skip here. I just didn’t care about the BMoL plot. The only saving grace is the family dynamic and interaction stuff.

SEASON 13 [The Apocalypse World Season]

13x1 — Lost and Found: WATCH

13x2 — The Rising Son: WATCH

13x3 — Patience: MAYBE WATCH

13x4 — The Big Empty: WATCH

13x5 — Advanced Thanatology: WATCH (some important plot stuff)

13x6 — Tombstone: WATCH (fun episode)

13x7 — War of the Worlds: WATCH

13x8 — The Scorpion and the Frog: SKIP

13x9 — The Bad Place: SKIP

13x10 — Wayward Sisters: MAYBE WATCH (cool Jody episode but not essential)

13x11 — Breakdown: SKIP

13x12 — Various and Sundry Villians: WATCH (fun ep)

13x13 — Devil’s Bargain: WATCH

13x14 — Good Intentions: WATCH

13x15 — A Most Holy Man: MAYBE WATCH

13x16 — Scoobynatural: WATCH

13x17 — The Thing: WATCH

13x18 — Bring ’em Back: WATCH

13x19 — Funeralia: WATCH

13x20 — Unfinished Business: WATCH

13x21 — Beat the Devil: WATCH

13x22 — Exodus: WATCH

13x23 — Let the Good Times Roll: WATCH

• This season is an improvement from the last, but not much. Lots of complicated plot lines that didn’t feel important. Jack stuff is great. Non arc episodes are great too, especially Scoobynatural!

SEASON 14 [The Jack Season]

14x1 — Stranger in a Strange Land: WATCH

14x2 — Gods and Monsters: WATCH

14x3 — The Scar: WATCH

14x4 — Mint Condition: WATCH (so fun)

14x5 — Nightmare Logic: SKIP (maybe watch)

14x6 — Optimism: WATCH

14x7 — Unhuman Nature: WATCH

14x8 — Byzantium: WATCH

14x9 — The Spear: MAYBE WATCH

14x10 — Nihilism: WATCH

14x11 — Damaged Goods: MAYBE WATCH

14x12 — Prophet and Loss: SKIP (BUT watch last 17 min!)

14x13 — Lebanon: WATCH

14x14 — Ouroboros: WATCH

14x15 — Peace of Mind: WATCH

14x16 — Don’t Go in the Woods: WATCH

14x17 — Game Night: WATCH

14x18 — Absence: WATCH

14x19 — Jack in the Box: WATCH

14x20 — Moriah: WATCH!!!

• After 2 seasons of what seemed to be like the show was grasping at straws, we got this season. Loved this season. Felt like a mix between the old and new Supernatural. Plus it felt like this season was leading to something. And ohhhh did it. Last episode of the season is worth the price of admission and then some.

SEASON 15 [The God Season]

15x1 — Back and to the Future: WATCH

15x2 — Raising Hell: WATCH

15x3 — The Rupture: WATCH

15x4 — Atomic Monsters: WATCH

15x5 — Proverbs 17:3: MAYBE WATCH

15x6 — Golden Time: SKIP

15x7 — Last Call: SKIP

15x8 — Our Father, Who Aren’t In Heaven: WATCH

15x9 — The Trap: WATCH

15x10 — The Heroes’ Journey: WATCH (not important but fun)

15x11 — The Gamblers: MAYBE WATCH

15x12 — Galaxy Brain: WATCH

15x13 — Destiny’s Child: WATCH

15x14 — Last Holiday: WATCH (so much fun)

15x15 — Gimme Shelter: WATCH

15x16 — Drag Me Away (From You): MAYBE WATCH

15x17 — Unity: WATCH

15x18 — Despair: WATCH

15x19 — Inherit The Earth: WATCH

15x20 — Carry On: WATCH (functions as an epilogue. Some stuff I loved, some stuff I hated. That’s the nature of these things I guess)

• The final season. What a weird year. 15 years of the brothers Winchester doing their thing. Was this season perfect? Nah, but there was a lot of fun to be had. For any die hard fan, you’ll be hooked regardless. The first half of this season and the 2nd half are pretty different. I was hoping for this season to be as epic as they were setting it up to be, which met and and failed on some things. Overall, once I’ve had some time away from it, this was a solid season that didn’t really feel like a “final” season. Some really great stuff, and fortunately nothing horrible really…except for the Dean thing on the last episode. I will eternally have mixed feelings galore about the last episode.

FINAL THOUGHTS: What a ride it’s been. I think sometimes my love of the show and my expectations got the better of me. But this is Supernatural and it’s been sooo fun. At the end of the day, it’s a TV show. As fans, we got more than we deserved, so I’m ok with a lot of missteps. It’s a big undertaking to invest yourself in this show. Just pace yourself if you’re gonna do the whole run. Some things are better with a little simmer time.

There you have it. All 15 seasons. Good luck.