The Winchesters is coming to The CW in fall 2022. Will you need to watch Supernatural first to understand the prequel series?

In many cases, if you want to watch a new series then you’ll want to check out the original shows. Just look at Angel and how we needed Buffy the Vampire Slayer to get to know some of the characters first. Look at how Legacies brought in characters from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

Now there’s a new spin-off coming. It’s all about the Supernatural spin-off, The Winchesters. This spin-off is a prequel series, so does that wipe out the need to watch the 15-season series first to understand it? Would it be better to watch Supernatural first?

The Winchesters may not follow Supernatural canon

While you can watch Supernatural first to get to know the Mary and John Winchester introduced there, it could actually cause some confusion. Looking at the synopsis and trailer for The Winchesters, it looks like the original canon is changing.

In Supernatural, we’re told John didn’t know anything about hunting before he met Mary. In fact, it was Mary’s death that introduced him to the supernatural world. That isn’t going to be the case in the prequel series. We see John find out all about monsters and demons from Mary Campbell.

If you don’t want to be disrupted by the canon created, then it’s worth giving the original series a skip. If you don’t mind canon changing and are intrigued by how the prequel will eventually catch up to the show’s canon, then you’ll want to watch the series.

Get to know the supernatural creatures first

One of the benefits of watching Supernatural* first is getting to know the mythology surrounding the creatures. We know demons at least will show up in the prequel series, and we know there will be something about the Men of Letters. It is possible other creatures will show up.

If you want to get to know the mythology now, watching the 15-season series is something to do. However, a good prequel series will explain the mythology without having to watch the original series. There are going to be new fans to the universe, so the mythology needs to be explained for them.

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Are you rewatching Supernatural before you jump into The Winchesters? Are you ready for the spin-off series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Winchesters will air on Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW in fall 2022.