Supernatural Prequel Stars Praise Jensen Ackles' Involvement

Stars of The Winchesters are praising Supernatural alum Jensen Ackles' involvement in the new series. Roughly a year after The CW flagship series ended its wildly successful 15-year run, original star Ackles announced that he and his wife Danneel were executive-producing a Supernatural prequel TV show focused on Sam (Jared Padelecki) and Dean's (Ackles) parents, John and Mary. Titled The Winchesters, the spinoff show also sees Ackles attached as a narrator, with the franchise's veteran writer Robbie Thompson contributing in a significant creative capacity. The CW handed out a series order to The Winchesters in May 2022, and now, the show is tipped to premiere on the network as a part of its upcoming fall slate.

As The Winchesters show trailer had indicated, the spinoff show will take viewers back in time to the year 1972, when John and Mary first met after the former returned from the Vietnam War. Mary is looking for her missing father when she encounters an imperiled John. And as she rescues him from a demon, the two are propelled into an unexpected, high-stakes monster-hunting adventure. Drake Rodger and Meg Donnelly are leading The Winchesters cast as John and Mary, with Nida Khurshid, Jonathan Fleites, Demetria McKinney, and Bianca Kajlich appearing in key roles. Although the feel, tone, and premise of The Winchesters wholly depart from Supernatural's, the lead stars are still seeking guidance from the original cast, hoping to honor the legacy of the much-beloved parent series.

In a new interview with TVLine, Rodger and Donnelly shine some light on Ackles' involvement in the Supernatural spin-off show, detailing the support he provided them to prepare for their new roles. During the filming of the pilot, in particular, Ackles was on the sets daily, and he familiarized the new leads with the Supernatural universe, giving them useful advice and notes for approaching their characters. Read what Donnelly says below:

"He was on set every single day of the pilot, just like being super collaborative, giving us notes, telling us about the universe that we might not know about. So it was really good insight."

When the show was first announced, The Winchesters immediately ran into controversy after Padelecki called out Ackles for keeping him out of the loop about the prequel TV show. The stars were quick to resolve their differences, however, and Padelecki has since extended his support for the show. As for Ackles, his new roles in The Boys and Big Sky have been keeping him busy, yet he is intimately fulfilling his commitment to The Winchesters. But for when Ackles isn't available, the spin-off's cast leans into the performances and stories from the original show, drawing inspiration for their work. As Rodger acknowledges, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's portrayal as the adult John in Supernatural has really helped him prepare for his role, defining the path and trajectory his character will chart.

Although fans are passionately looking forward to the expansion of the Supernatural franchise, the continuity issues posed by The Winchesters have cast some doubts about the new show. Rodger and Donnelly's new comments about Ackles' association with the series should ease some of these tensions, as he obviously knows what he is doing and what loyalists expect from his prequel show. With both new and old stars working together, all the coherence issues will surely be addressed, allowing The Winchesters to properly fit into Supernatural's canon. To learn more, audiences need to keep their eyes peeled, as a release date announcement for The Winchesters seems to be just around the corner.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Finale Draws Comparison to BvS Most Hated Scene

The finale of Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi draws a tongue-in-cheek comparison to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's most-maligned scene. As Zack Snyder's follow-up to Man of Steel, 2016's Batman v Superman continues to be a controversial film—which was reportedly hampered by studio interference and critically panned. Arguably its most criticized/discussed moment comes in its third act when a mech-suited Batman gets the best of Superman. As Clark Kent prepares to accept his fate, he pleads for Bruce Wayne to "save Martha" – his mother, who is held hostage by Lex Luther. Since Bruce's mom is also named Martha, the plea allows Batman to recognize Superman's humanity.

Obi-Wan Kenobi's finale highlights the much-hyped "rematch of the century" between its titular Jedi Master and his fallen apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. With a renewed sense of purpose, Obi-Wan can go toe-to-toe with the mechanical monster that is Darth Vader. The standout moment of the duel comes at the very end, when Obi-Wan slashes Vader's mask, revealing Anakin's charred face beneath. Almost as if he didn't realize humanity still existed amid the machine, Obi-Wan breaks into tears saying, "I'm sorry, Anakin" before leaving "Darth" defeated again. While the latter quote doesn't sound anything like "save Martha," both scenes do feature a cracked mask and some life-changing words.

TheSnyderKnight on Twitter recently shared an image of Ben Affleck's Batman sporting the cracked mask from Batman v Superman alongside a picture of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. The post also jokingly credits Snyder for that scene in Obi-Wan Kenobi's finale. Check it out below:

The animated series Star Wars: Rebels did indeed lay the blueprint for the scene between Obi-Wan and Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi. In Rebels' season 2 finale, "Twilight of the Apprentice," Anakin's former Padawan Ahsoka Tano also damages Vader's mask in combat, resulting in the Ahsoka refusing to leave her fallen friend as the temple closes in on itself. Christensen watched The Clone Wars and Rebels ahead of Obi-Wan Kenobi, revisiting that specific Rebels scene in preparation for the live-action finale.

"Ben" and Darth's moment in the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale isn't one fan will soon forget. In addition to episode 5's sparring flashback, the series brought Christensen and Ewan McGregor's iconic characters face-to-face for the first time in 17 years. Obi-Wan Kenobi's cracked-mask scene is extraordinarily well-acted, directed, and emotional. However, like the sequence in Batman v Superman, it will inevitably be mocked online countless times and spawn a barrage of memes. While Obi-Wan Kenobi has certainly endured criticism and is far from perfect, at least it doesn't actually have a Martha moment.

Better Call Saul Kim Actor Teases A Tragic Fate For Her Character

Kim Wexler actor Rhea Seehorn teases a tragic - but not necessarily deadly - fate for her character when Better Call Saul season 6 returns to AMC.

Rhea Seehorn teases Kim Wexler’s tragic fate when Better Call Saul season 6 returns. Bob Odenkirk’s Jimmy McGill was very much the focus of AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff show when it debuted back in 2015. But over six seasons the character of Kim Wexler has become arguably as central to the series’ drama as McGill.

Seehorn’s Wexler began Better Call Saul as McGill’s love interest and foil, who later became mildly wrapped up in his shady schemes. But not only did Wexler come to be increasingly embroiled in Jimmy’s plans, she ultimately came to be his complete accomplice (not to mention also becoming his wife). The turning-point for Kim, or at least the audience’s perception of her, came in season 5 with the infamous “finger-guns” moment – a scene that implied Kim possessed a lot more darkness than fans may have first realized. Season 6 has now seen Kim become an equal partner in Jimmy’s plan to ruin Howard Hamlin, making her fully complicit in the horrible thing that befell Howard in the midseason finale episode "Plan and Execution."

The cliffhanger at the end of “Plan and Execution” unfortunately left fans having to wait awhile to find out what happens next, as Better Call Saul season 6 is divided into two parts, with the second not premiering until July 11. In the meantime, Seehorn has offered a tease of what might be coming for her character in season 6, part 2, and it seems fans have good reason to be worried about Kim. But if something bad does happen to Kim, it may not necessarily be death. Speaking to Variety, Seehorn teased “Death is not the only tragic end.”

Better Call Saul fans have of course long speculated that something bad must happen to Kim at some point during the show. The biggest evidence for this is Kim’s complete absence from Breaking Bad, which takes place after the events of BCS. Of course it could just be that Kim fell out with Jimmy and left Albuquerque before the events of Breaking Bad. But as Kim has gotten in deeper with Jimmy, and by extension Jimmy’s cartel friends, a tragic fate for Wexler has seemed more-and-more likely.

The Breaking Bad universe has of course never been shy about killing fan-favorite characters. The original show obviously saw not only Walter White die, but also Hank Schrader and Steve Gomez, as well as Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut. The body count has been lower on Better Call Saul, but things are ramping up as season 6 has now seen both Nacho and Howard meet a tragic fate with a shot to the head.

Kim taking a bullet to the head would obviously be the most blunt and horrifying thing that could happen to her, and certainly seems possible given Lalo’s apparent desire to tie up loose ends as he seeks revenge on Gus. But Seehorn’s latest remarks open up the door on something bad but not necessarily deadly happening to Kim instead. Prison obviously seems like one possibility for Kim given the fraud she’s become involved in with Jimmy. Indeed it would seem very unfair if Kim went to jail and Jimmy walked away free to go on being Saul Goodman (as we know he does). Kim and Jimmy breaking up would also be a sad way for things to play out, though not necessarily tragic. Kim doing something horrible that scars her soul forever also counts as tragedy, and arguably she’s already done that, having unwittingly contributed to Howard’s death. Answers to all fans’ questions are of course coming soon, as Better Call Saul returns to AMC on July 11, 2022.