Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki in SupernaturalImage via The CW
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Michael John Petty
Published Feb 16, 2026, 10:13 PM EST
Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features and reviews, and has interviewed the cast and crew of Dark Winds. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His first work of self-published fiction – The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain – became a #1 Best Seller in "Religious Fiction Short Stories" on Amazon in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.
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With nearly as many episodes as there are days in a year, Supernatural has built an enormous catalog across its 15 seasons. Some episodes are genuinely scary, self-contained horror stories, but the series has always been bigger than its scary monsters. What kept fans coming back for more was the relationship between Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester, a bond strong enough to carry the show even when an episode didn’t fully stick the landing — and there were, most fairly, a few. Ackles has gone on record about his favorite hours, but Padalecki’s top pick is a more surprising choice, and it’s also one of the most debated episodes of the entire series.
The 'Supernatural' Series Finale Is Jared Padalecki's Favorite
Ahead of the series finale, "Carry On" (which aired on November 19, 2020), Padalecki spoke with Entertainment Weekly in an effort to tease the show's remaining episodes and reflect on Sam and Dean's nearly two-decades on television. When asked about his favorite moment from filming the 15-season series, the actor's response was somewhat surprising and gave fans hope for the remainder of the series.
"The series finale is my favorite episode of all time," the actor said, but that wasn't enough. Soon after, he doubled down on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account. "I love all of my children equally, but this one is my favorite," he teased. Now, some folks may prefer the first episode, which sets the Winchester brothers on their dark path.
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Posts 12 By Ryan HeffernanIt's not exactly a secret that "Carry On" is one of the most debated episodes of Supernatural. Some fans love it, considering it the best ending that the Winchesters could have gotten under the circumstances. Others maintain that the show should've ended years earlier, possibly when series creator Eric Kripke departed after Season 5. But whichever camp you fall into, the series finale was something special for those involved in the making of Supernatural, and it left a powerful mark on the show's star.
Interestingly, years before he had gotten the script for "Carry On," Padalecki had another episode in mind as his most beloved, this one a fan-favorite all-around. No, this one wasn't some monster-of-the-week special that put Sam and Dean up against a ghoul, ghost, or Djinn, but rather Season 6's "The French Mistake," which the star held onto for the next four years until Season 15 came around (via EW). But considering that "The French Mistake" is something of a love letter to Supernatural's production, it doesn't come as a surprise that Padalecki would cling to "Carry On" by the time they'd completed filming.
"Carry On" Is the Perfect 'Supernatural' Finale, According to Padalecki
Although showrunners like Andrew Dabb and Robert Singer famously wanted "Carry On" to serve as a satisfying conclusion for all Supernatural fans, it didn't exactly live up to fans' expectations. In many ways, Season 15's final bow — which was originally meant to have a different ending before the COVID-19 pandemic — felt more in step with the show's earlier years. It even re-inserted Sam's desire for a normal life apart from hunting into the narrative, something we didn't know the character still wanted after all these years. While Dean's ending was maybe a bit anticlimactic (something The Winchesters thankfully fixed later on), Sam got to live a full life and die in peace. Sure, he had to wear a terrible wig, but it was an ending that Padalecki adamantly approved of.
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Dive into the world of entertainment with Collider, delivering the latest news, reviews, and exclusive updates from movies, TV, and pop culture Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime."I think I cried every time I read the script," the actor told Entertainment Weekly after the fact, arguing that the finale's dual "wonderfully tragic" and "wonderfully optimistic" tones were just what the show needed. However, you feel about the series finale, it's clear that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles were happy with how things turned out. It's not often that a series finale is so impactful that one of the show's leading stars believes it to be the show's finest hour, but Supernatural is a rare exception. "I feel really proud to have been a part of this," Padalecki reflected. Yes, they're still open to returning for more, but if another season of the beloved low-fantasy horror series never happens, "Carry On" offered Sam and Dean Winchester the closure they'd long desired.
Supernatural is available to stream on HBO Max.
Supernatural
Like Follow Followed TV-14 Drama Mystery Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action Supernatural Release Date 2005 - 2020 Network The WB, The CW 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
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Jared Padalecki
Sam Winchester
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Jensen Ackles
Dean Winchester
Two brothers follow their father's footsteps as hunters, fighting evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and gods that roam the earth.
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