Supernatural ran for fifteen seasons, delivering several spectacular episodes on its way to becoming one of the longest-running fantasy shows. The series crossed the milestone of 200 episodes during its tenth season. The episode also became one of the show’s highest-rated and most beloved episodes across the fifteen seasons.
However, for all the positives of the 200th episode, it neglected two of the most important supporting cast members Misha Collins and Mark Sheppard. Instead, the episode primarily focused on Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, which angered at least some fans. Here is everything you need to know about the story behind Supernatural‘s episode 200.
Supernatural Abandoned Misha Collins and Mark Sheppard For Its 200th Episode
Supernatural is primarily the story of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. However, across the duo’s several monster-hunting adventures and apocalyptic showdowns, Crowley and Castiel, played by Mark Sheppard and Misha Collins became important allies.
Despite their importance in the overall lore of the show, the two characters were completely ignored from the milestone 200th episode. The fifth episode of season 10, which was also the 200th overall episode, did not feature Collins and Sheppard as their respective characters.
I sent an email, and I was like, I would love to be in the 200th episode because it’s such a milestone and it’s such a big deal.
Collins made the above statement in an interview with E! News, expressing that he was eager to be a part of the episode. However, Collins added that showrunner Jeremy Carver explained why Castiel could not be in the episode in a traditional way.
The episode features a fictionalized version of Castiel who appears in the school musical which recaps the adventures of Sam and Dean. Collins admitted that he thought it was a good idea to recast Castiel for the episode’s musical recap of the road so far.
Supernatural Stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki Were Concerned About the 200th Episode
The 200th episode, titled Fan Fiction, focuses on Sam and Dean Winchester as they investigate the disappearance of a teacher at a girls’ school only to discover a musical based on their adventures. The episode received praise for the tribute elements and holds a rating of 9.4 on IMDB.
Despite the positive reception, Jensen Ackles admitted in the same interview that he was initially unsure about the episode’s narrative and tone, which was a departure from most of the previous entries. Ackles stated:
The first time in I think 200 scripts I went and sat down in the showrunner’s office and said, what in god’s name are you doing?! Why? I need to understand why this is happening.
While Ackles did not specify his concern with the episode, it is likely that the actor either had an issue with the self-referential elements or the exclusion of important supporting characters like Castiel and Crowley.
However, Ackles admitted that showrunner Jeremy Carver provided him with eloquent answers and did a great job of explaining why the milestone episode was taking such an approach. Similarly, Jared Padalecki voiced his concerns about the episode’s musical elements but was relieved to learn that he did not have to sing in the episode.
Supernatural is streaming on Netflix.
