Supernatural should’ve given this beloved side character a prequel instead of The Winchesters

When The Winchesters came out, the Supernatural universe gained even more interest among fans. The prequel series attempted to tell the romance of John and Mary Winchester, but it did not succeed in capturing the essence and excitement of the original show. Focusing on Sam and Dean’s parents might have seemed like an obvious decision, but it raised the execution question: was this truly the best story to tell?

The franchise certainly did not lack for appealing characters. However, one character in Supernatural, in particular, stood out as a missed opportunity: Bobby Singer. The franchise’s no-nonsense, tough-as-nails hunter with a gold-tinged tragic backstory was beloved by fans and brought depth to every episode he was featured in. A prequel centered on his life would have offered fresh emotional stakes and enriching storytelling.

While attempting to maintain fan expectations and Supernatural’s list of lore, the short-lived series certainly struggled. Trying its best to dive deeper into John and Mary’s past, it often felt like retreading familiar ground. Fans understood more than enough of their backstory because of the original series, making a full prequel feel redundant. And even with the retreading of such grounds, the prequel undermined the emotional heartbeat of Supernatural—the bond shared between the Winchester brothers—leaving it impossible to replicate with a different pair of leads.

Bobby Singer had the perfect origin story for a spinoff

Bobby wasn’t just another hunter in the Supernatural Universe; he was family. His bond with Sam and Dean was intricately woven with loyalty, grief, and hard-won wisdom endured over the years. Unlike John and Mary, who were fleshed out motivically and personality-wise, Bobby’s past was largely left untouched. We learn through the main series that his life as a hunter commenced with tragedy. Bobby was forced to kill his wife after she was possessed by a demon. That kind of personal horror would have made a gripping pilot episode.

A Bobby prequel could have examined how an angered, grieving man came to find purpose in the form of hunting. It would have also given the opportunity to highlight other fascinating but underused characters like Rufus Turner, whose dynamic with Bobby was a captivating window into the show’s core theme of brotherhood. Watching them evolve from reluctant allies to lifelong friends could serve as an emotional core just as compelling as Sam and Dean’s.

More importantly, they could have provided a glimpse into how Bobby's adventures taught him how to battle and defeat a variety of supernatural beings, enabling him to teach the cherished Winchester brothers.

A Bobby-centric series could have expanded the lore without overlap

One of the main problems facing The Winchesters was the attempt to hit the bow on the bigger, more problematic picture. It clumsily stitched together elements with pre-existing materials like a witch with references, thus showing it from near the start of the timeline, leading to a loss of innovation and imposing restrictive narrative boundaries.

A Bobby Singer backstory, however, could’ve been its own thing. Bobby-focused narrative could provide scope for occasional cameos featuring prized Winchester characters—John in his youthful years and maybe even little Sam and Dean could be shown in zany montages—but wouldn’t have to exhaust their entire arsenal to craft the focus around them.

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More importantly, Bobby’s journey could have deepened the existing character's story. His early years as a hunter, coupled with the tussles of losing oneself blended with his eventual metamorphosis to the soft-hearted, potty-mouthed mentor we grew to adore, could have enhanced the emotional foundation of the Supernatural universe. Plus, while Jim Beaver is brilliant in that role and the mantle is always his, the right actor could have offered something different playing “younger” Bobby.

If Supernatural decides to take another whirl at a spin-off, the lesson here should be: go where the intuition tells you to. In this case, their primary guidance for this suggestion is Bobby Singer.

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