Musical episodes have become more and more common in non-musical TV shows and are used to varying degrees of success — from an emotional rollercoaster ride that is “Once More With Feeling” in Buffy The Vampire Slayer to an overused time-filling technique that became far too common for Riverdale. However, while musical chapters are often used to amuse the audience, provide a glimpse at the characters’ inner thoughts, or creatively advance a story, few shows manage to hit multiple goals and do it so organically as Supernatural’s “Fan Fiction.”
“Fan Fiction,” Supernatural’s 5th episode in season 10 and the show’s 200th episode overall, is one of the clear fan favorites as it world on multiple levels. In it, Sam and Dean, while investigating the disappearance of a teacher, find out that the school is putting on a musical based on their lives. While this fact already sets up the premise for breaking the fourth wall and promises another fun episode — not unlike “The French Mistake” where brothers are transported to a parallel universe where Supernatural is a TV show, and they are played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki — there’s more to it. Here’s why it works so well.
‘Monster Of The Week’ Structure
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and even The X-Files — ‘Monster of the Week’ formula has proven successful for many classic shows. While Supernatural originally used the same structure, as the show progressed, the writers focused more and more on bigger plot arks, drama, and recurring armageddons, only occasionally going back to the show’s roots. The “Fan Fiction” episode, on the other hand, starts as another ‘case’ and features a monster — a scary Scarecrow, sent by the muse Calliope that goes after anyone who threatens the musical’s production.
The ‘Monster of the Week’ structure was one of the key elements that made the show so popular in the first place, and the fans certainly appreciated a return to it.
Plausible Setting
When other shows do a musical episode, its presence is usually explained by a drug-induced hallucination (Scrubs), a spell/curse (Lucifer), or a dream (Psych) — if it is explained at all. However, Supernatural built on the previous meta episodes that introduced a prophetic writer, Chuck (an allusion to the show’s creator, Eric Kripke), who has transcribed the protagonists’ lives and published Supernatural books. The fact that impressionable school girls could adapt these books into a musical seems plausible. At the same time, it removed the necessity for the heroes to break into a song themselves, which would have been out of character.
An Ultimate Love Letter To The Fans
The 200th episode is called “Fan Fiction” for a reason. It’s an affectionate nod to the fans, who supported the show for over ten years at that point, and an acknowledgment of the fact that there is an extensive amount of Supernatural ‘transformative fiction’ out there. While shattering the fourth wall, the episode references the fans’ favorite shipment Destiel (suggesting a romantic connection between Dean and Castiel), followed by Dean sarcastically looking straight in the camera, shows Samulet (the symbol of ‘brotherly love’ that many fans hoped to see on the show again), and even replicates the classic shot of the brothers closing the Impala’s trunk with the words “We’ve got work to do.”
On top of that, at the end of the episode, Dean acknowledges the fact that there can be multiple takes on the same story and encourages the writer (along with the show’s fans) to keep creating more fan fiction and realizing their unique vision, even if it involves robots in space. Unlike many other shows, where writers often mock the fans, this episode showed appreciation, understanding, and support for the viewers and their creations.
It Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously
The episode doesn’t only admit but embraces the show’s flaws. It points out the existing plot holes and forgotten characters (like Winchester’s half brother still locked in Hell), pays tribute to Kripke’s era while somewhat mocking the outlandish stories brought in by the next showrunners, and highlights the show’s stereotypical elements characterized by the fans — “BM” for Boy Melodrama or Brother Moment, “A single man tear” for Dean’s reserved emotional reactions, or Castiel usually left hanging and waiting for the brothers to call.
“Fan Fiction” recognized the show’s imperfections, and the fans certainly appreciated the honesty and the humor with which it did it.
Character Development And Introspection
Aside from its fun element, the episode works on another meta-level. It allows the protagonists to have a hard, honest look at themselves and their lives, laid out in front of them by the musical’s cast. It helps the brothers reconnect, realize the importance of family and their bond, and get back to what they do best — saving people, hunting things, and continuing the family business.
While “Fan Fiction” seemingly works as a standalone episode, it is essential for the characters’ development and ensuring they are ready to face the bigger challenges of the main plot ark.
It Hits All The Right Emotional Notes
And last but not least, “Fan Fiction” is an emotional ride not only for the characters but also for the audience. With Castiel’s sentimental ‘A single Man Tear’ song, the moving ‘The Road So Far’ as a heartfelt throwback to the original Kripke stories, a beautiful and tear-jerking version of the show’s recurring season finale song ‘Carry On My Wayward Son,’ and an actual BM shared by the brothers at the end, the episode hits all the right notes and sums up everything that viewers love about the show while paying tribute to the fans themselves.
By combining disarming humor, fan recognition, character development element, and intensely emotional vibes, “Fan Fiction” works on multiple levels and remains one of the most popular, rewatched, and beloved episodes more than seven years after its release.