The Winchesters
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The Winchesters
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Winchesters is a prequel to the long-running spooky series Supernatural. Demons travel from body to body, possessing their victims, and are cast out of their hosts' mouths in clouds of black smoke. Occult themes, grisly confrontations, and scary moments might be too intense for sensitive teens, but the camaraderie -- and flirty tension -- among friends lightens the mood. Expect monsters to be decapitated, exorcisms to be performed, and no rest for the "demon hunters." Perseverance and communication are themes.
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What's the Story?
In THE WINCHESTERS, a young man arrives by bus to his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas, haunted by flashbacks of the war he just left in Vietnam. His name is John Winchester (Drake Rodger), and his good-natured outlook is about to be further clouded by the darkness that surrounds his own father's past. In Lawrence, he meets an intriguing young woman, Mary (Meg Donnelly), who knows a lot more about the demons haunting their town than he does. Their librarian friend Latika (Nida Khurshid) and a wavy-haired musician named Carlos (Jojo Fleites) join them, casting holy water on demons and helping them find Mary's father. They careen from town to town in Carlos's van, hunting demons and trying to solve a mystery that proves to be a matter of life and death.
Is It Any Good?
This prequel to Supernatural has big shoes to fill -- can it follow in the long-running series' footsteps and gained a devoted following? Supernatural is a flirty, scary, action-packed romp that sees itself for what it is -- Scooby-Doo on steroids (the series even did an animated Scooby/Supernatural crossover episode, to the delight of fans).
The Winchesters' action starts quickly, giving little room for backstory, but the haste seems intentional. There's not any time for backstory when you're hunting demons, man! Yes, it's gory and scary, but if the formula continues to get it right, it's bound to be a proper recipe for fun teen viewing. Frights will scare, some flirty scenes will raise eyebrows, popcorn will disappear, and a little humor ("I figured you'd like your coffee the same as your world view...") will get the adults to stay in the room.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
In The Winchesters, teens must communicate with each other to successfully battle demons. How do you use communication to solve your problems?
Scary movies can thrill and bring viewers together. What about the real-life scary stuff that you see in the news? How do you cope?
The older teens in this show chase a mystery until they solve it. How do you persevere when you want to know the answer to things?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 11, 2022
- Cast: Drake Rodger, Meg Donnelly, Bianca Kajlich
- Network: CW
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures
- Character Strengths: Communication, Courage, Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 24, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Supernatural
Terrifying guilty pleasure is iffy for sensitive teens.
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Parallels
Beware: TV pilot marketed as movie -- all setup, no closure.
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Stranger Things
Dark 1980s-set sci-fi/horror drama is gory but great.
For kids who love spooky stuff
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