Supernatural is America’s longest-running live-action fantasy show, and one of its best in many ways, but some season 1 episodes could be skipped in order to get to the meat of the plot quickly. With the Supernatural season 15 finale leaving Sam and Dean tragically pᴀssed on but happily reunited, it remains to be seen if the show will ever return for a season 16, a reboot, or a movie. As such, new fans may well have lots of time on their hands to get to know the show in all its glory.

However, some may be keen to grasp the core plot in a hurry. To do so, several standalone episodes could be put on the backburner. Sometimes, a movie or series marathon is just what is required of a weekend with friends, and if Supernatural season 10, for instance, is on the cards, a quick catch-up may be necessary. Season 1 contains vital exposition on Sam and Dean Winchester, but the brothers’ relationship develops steadily and reliably across the course of the show’s fifteen seasons. So, Supernatural season 1 can be skimmed over in certain places.

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Wendigo

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 2

As brilliant as “Wendigo” is, it isn’t essential viewing for someone trying to get to grips with the show’s wider canon. Every season of Supernatural introduced some kind of terrifying new beast to viewers, but season 1’s introduction of the Wendigo was particularly impactful. A lot was riding on this episode, in a way, after the essential exposition of the pilot episode (“Pilot”).

Ideally, while no Supernatural fan would skip the very first episode of the show the next episode was a standalone story — and, a powerful one, at that. Supernatural was right to get started with its episodic storytelling as soon as episode 2, letting viewers know that they could expect to be able to dip in and out of it as suited them without feeling like they’d missed too much.

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ᴅᴇᴀᴅ In The Water

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 3

Episode 3, “ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the Water,” is another epic standalone Supernatural season 1 episode that could be missed in an overview of the series. Relationships in Supernatural were explored to a greater extent as the show went on, and season 1, episode 3 dove deep into the hell that was love and loss in the family. As such, this episode remained relevant to the show’s wider themes while standing well on its own.

It was wise for Supernatural season 1 to be so episodic, rather than having a serialized feel so early on. This enabled fans to get accustomed to the show’s characters, settings, look, and feel, while they decided if they would be long-term viewers or not. This episode starts to ramp up the tension between Sam and Dean while introducing another terrifying enemy for the brothers. Wendigos and ghosts were fair game for the Winchesters, all by episode 3 of season 1.

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Phantom Traveler

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 4

Jared Padalecki’s Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles’ Dean ensured hilarity throughout “Phantom Traveler,” but didn’t create a complex plot arc that made the episode indispensable for a quick watch-through. This episode was one of season 1’s finest, and comes highly recommended for those looking into Supernatural’s demon lore or simply for some fantastic horror comedy TV. But it doesn’t contain major twists pertaining to the season’s finale.

This episode also doesn’t contain any major tie-ins to future seasons. However, as far as standalone episodes in season 1 go, it may be one of the better ones to watch. If a standalone or “filler” episode makes it to the cut-down Supernatural marathon, this should be the one, with viewers’ first experience of holy water providing comedy gold.

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Bloody Mary

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 5

Riffing on abundant urban myth, “Bloody Mary” exemplifies what is so great about Supernatural, but doesn’t need to be watched to understand show. A scary ghost story, this episode is more filler than “Phantom Traveler,” but has fearsome thrills that make it worth a watch for those with time. Supernatural showrunner Eric Kripke said to The Daily Telegraph that American urban legends like that of “Bloody Mary” are a core founding concept of the show.

Stories like those in “Bloody Mary” often say all people need to know about those who tell them. Revenge and drama abound in this highlight of Supernatural season 1, but it can be left out for the most urgent of viewers.

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Hook Man

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 7

“Hook Man” is probably one of the less memorable standalone episodes of Supernatural’s first season, operating on the scary thrills of a Captain Hook-type figure. This ghostly monster derives from urban myths as much as the ghosts of previous episodes, but may be slightly less original and scintillating than the spine-tingling terrors of “ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the Water.” It is probably the first season 1 episode that should be cut from a season 1 marathon.

That said, the episode does involve Sam getting close to a character called Lori, which provides an interesting setup for future episodes and seasons, at least emotionally. Despite Dean Winchester’s reputation as a ladies’ man, Sam Winchester actually had more love interests than Dean in Supernatural.

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Bugs

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 8

“Bugs” lacks reference to Azazel, the yellow-eyed demon that serves as the series’ main villain in Supernatural season 1. As such, it doesn’t move the plot forward significantly or drive any of the action in future seasons. However, it does deliver some seriously disturbing visuals.

“Bugs” plays on the fear of creepy crawlies that inhabits the hearts of many viewers. The episode sends various bugs on murderous rampages when an old curse is triggered by a new building site. Exploring themes of Native American tradition and colonialism, this episode pulls no punches in the social commentary underlying its gruesome horror

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Asylum

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 10

“Asylum” is classic teen horror, but it’s not necessary to watch for an essentials-only Supernatural viewing session. “Asylum” is about a coming-of-age story around a naive, gormless couple exploring a dilapidated psychiatric ward. This will please a younger audience, but possibly play into the idea that Supernatural lacks adult themes.

This Supernatural mid-season finale of season 1 aired on November 22, 2005, creating a fireside story for an autumnal evening. The method acting part of the episode is classic Kripke, somewhere between breaking the fourth wall and clever meta storytelling.

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Scarecrow

Supernatural Season 1, Episode 11

“Scarecrow” may be the last episode in Supernatural season 1 that could be described as filler before the series’ canon really starts kicking in. As the Winchesters hunted the yellow-eyed demon that appeared to kill Mary, they barreled closer to season 1’s epic finale.

Supernatural‘s “Scarecrow” episode is a suitable end to season 1’s standalones. It is a wintry love letter to classic horror movies like The Wicker Man, whereby small town vibes end up being the death of the town. This important message points to the underlying charm of the series, which always highlights the value of individuality over an organized status quo that is dangerous in its uniformity. Supernatural keeps up its strong moral core and humor all the way past this episode and long into season 15.

Source: The Daily Telegraph