Supernatural's Best Episode Is Indisputable, But Another Comes Extremely Close
Supernatural has had so many great episodes that it can be hard to decide what the best ones are, and while the #1 episode is arguably undeniable, there is another that comes awfully close to surpassing it. Running for 15 seasons, Supernatural is often considered the best CW show of all time, leaving a lasting legacy across 327 episodes. During its long run, Supernatural experienced a lot of highs and some lows, but always remained engaging, blending great action with incredible scares and hilarious moments. The show likes to jump around in terms of tone, and some of the Supernatural's best episodes of the show are vastly different from each other, with the top two showing that perfectly.
Even Supernatural's Cast Agrees That "The French Mistake" Is The Show's Best Episode
The French Mistake Is A Certified Classic
The absolute best episode of Supernatural has been hotly debated over the years, with most settling on two that prove just how great a show Supernatural is. Debates about the most superior episode could be laid to rest after several Supernatural cast members all agreed that "The French Mistake" is the best of what the series has to offer. Season 6, episode 15, "The French Mistake" sees Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) sent to an alternate dimension where their alternate selves are TV actors on a show called Supernatural. It's all very meta and gives both Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles a chance to play "themselves," pulling in some of their personal lives into the storyline.
With such a silly premise, "The French Mistake" could have been terrible, but the show is so good at often taking silly concepts and making them into something spectacular.
With such a silly premise, "The French Mistake" could have been terrible, but the show is so good at often taking silly concepts and making them into something spectacular. "The French Mistake" acts like a love letter to the entirety of Supernatural, and it makes sense that actors like Padalecki and Misha Collins (Castiel) agree that it's the best.
Supernatural's Best Episode Is Obvious, But There's One Other That Comes Close
"Swan Song" Ended Season 5 Perfectly
While "The French Connection" sits atop Supernatural's best episodes, the season 5 finale, "Swan Song", comes extremely close to being even better. In fact, Supernatural was only envisioned to be five seasons when it began. Original showrunner, Erik Kripke (The Boys), talked to EW about leaving the show after season 5, making "Swan Song" the last episode he created, stating:
We were reaching the end of this five-year storyline [so] I thought the timing was right. I knew that we were closing this chapter and opening a new one. It felt like it was the right time to take a step back and focus on new projects.
"Swan Song" sees the culmination of the battle between good and evil as Lucifer and the Archangel Michael battle once more, with Lucifer using Sam's body as a vessel. The episode ends with Sam sacrificing himself to trap Lucifer back in Hell, while Dean attempts to live a normal life in the aftermath. "Swan Song" was spectacular from start to finish, with a lot of fans ranking it at the top of the list when it comes to Supernatural's best episodes. There will always be discussions about whether Supernatural should have continued past season 5, but if it had, "Swan Song" would have easily been the best episode the show ever produced.
"Swan Song" Does One Thing Better Than "The French Mistake"
It Is More Emotionally Satisfying
"The French Connection" and "Swan Song" are vastly different types of episodes, but perfect examples of what makes Supernatural so great. That being said, "Swan Song" does do something better than "The French Connection." The emotional beats that "Swan Song" hits are better than any other time in the series, and set the episode apart from the rest. Supernatural was arguably at its peak when the season 5 finale rolled around, and it largely wrapped up all the major threads that had been built up during its entire run at that point. This resulted in some of the most emotionally resonant moments in the series overall, especially when it comes to Sam and Dean.
"Swan Song" is actually the highest-rated episode of Supernatural on IMDb with 9.7/10.
Sam's character arc was nearly perfect by the time "Swan Song" wrapped up, and his sacrifice was poetic in a number of ways. Seeing Dean living a normal life, finally away from hunting, was incredibly touching. Of course, the show continued for 10 more seasons, while Sam and Dean continued to find themselves in increasingly dire situations.
"The French Mistake" Is Still Supernatural's Best Episode For One Key Reason
It's The Perfect Representation Of Supernatural
"Swan Song" might have bigger stakes and be more emotionally resonant, but one reason that "The French Connection" is often considered the best episode is the way it perfectly represents what makes Supernatural amazing. It's also incredibly well-written, which really elevated the episode altogether when it could have failed spectacularly. Supernatural wasn't afraid to be meta or have a number of self-referential moments throughout, but "The French Connection" is when the show really began to lean into it, which also helped make it a defining characteristic of the series. It also just feels like a love letter to everything that people love about Supernatural, especially Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Supernatural will always be iconic, leaving a lasting legacy after 15 years of the Winchester brothers fighting monsters, gods, ghosts, and everything else spooky. With 327 episodes to its name, there is something to love for whoever watches Supernatural, but "Swan Song" and "The French Connection" are inarguably the cream of the crop.
Supernatural
8/10
Release Date
2005 - 2020
Showrunner
Eric Kripke
Directors
Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund
Writers
Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway
