The CW has grow to be well-known for his or her love of spin-offs, having launched a number of profitable sister sequence of hit exhibits like Arrow and The Vampire Diaries. It virtually makes you marvel why its longest-running sequence, Supernatural, would not have a spin-off or two at this level. The brief reply is that it is not for lack of attempting – the 2 occasions the community tried to spin off Supernatural, these potential sequence by no means bought previous the backdoor pilot stage.
Whereas followers brought about an uproar when The CW introduced it wasn’t transferring ahead with the female-led spin-off Wayward Sistersin 2018, it wasn’t truly the primary time The CW had handed on a promising sister present for Supernatural. Manner again in 2014, when Supernatural was solely simply starting to go grey, the community began planning for a wholly totally different type of spin-off known as Bloodlines, which aired as a backdoor pilot in Season 9. Initially titled Supernatural: Tribes and written by Andrew Dabb, the drama was constructed across the warring supernatural factions within the metropolis of Chicago, the place monsters not operated because the remoted predators Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) have been used to searching. As an alternative, these factions have been made up of highly effective households sure collectively by an interconnected community of treaties. The entire thing gave off a supernatural mafia vibe with vampires, shapeshifters, djinn, and werewolves continuously getting ready to warfare with each other. Sort of brings a brand new which means to the idea of dangerous blood, proper?
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The pilot was stacked with contemporary younger faces — a few of whom The CW had seen success with earlier than, like The Vampire Diaries‘ Nathaniel Buzolic and Arrow‘s Melissa Roxburgh — whereas others have been up-and-comers hoping this might be their huge break. With all these totally different parts working in its favor, Bloodlines was one of many buzziest dramas through the 2014 pilot season.
The backdoor pilot depicted the lavish life-style of the underground supernatural neighborhood, focusing much less on the grit of searching and extra on the finer issues that might be acquired once you’ve bought magical powers in your facet. Vampires drank from swanky blood bars, ghouls ate gourmand physique elements for dinner, and shapeshifters reworked into school professors to steal check solutions. On the middle of all of it, there was a powder keg of previous household rivalries simply ready to blow up, and a Romeo and Juliet romance able to mild the match. To borrow the phrases of Dean Winchester, this potential new sequence was mainly “The Godfather with fangs.”
With its excessive society backdrop, Bloodlines was a far cry from the horror and mythology that Supernatural was recognized for, however it boasted a compelling basis to construct a stable present on. Sadly, the fledgling sequence did not make a splash with followers or critics, and The CW opted to not order the present to sequence. All these years later, we glance again on the pilot’s failure as a missed alternative. However even on the time, it was clear Bloodlines’ grim destiny was the product of two main errors.
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One was timing. Within the fall of 2013, when Bloodlines was nonetheless within the improvement stage, Julie Plec launched her first spin-off of The Vampire Diaries, The Originals. Her new sequence centered on an historical vampire household in New Orleans as they struggled to ascertain management over the supernatural factions of werewolves, witches, and vampires continuously at warfare inside the metropolis. Discover any similarities? In reality, the unique pitch for this TVD spin-off even set the sequence in Chicago! By the point Bloodlines aired as a backdoor pilot in April 2014, The CW already had an analogous sequence on its roster, and one which had been launched on the backs of beloved characters from The Vampire Diaries.
And thus we come to the second and largest subject Bloodlines confronted: its unknown forged of characters. Whereas the backdoor pilot did function Sam and Dean, the present itself would not have starred the Winchesters or any of the characters we would come to like on Supernatural throughout its run. Consequently, the present’s loyal fanbase did not present as much as assist Bloodlines the way in which they supported Supernatural.
On the finish of that day, that non-transmutable affinity for the Winchesters was additionally a part of the explanation Wayward Sisters by no means took off, and it is why we most likely will not ever see a profitable spin-off Supernatural on The CW. The actual magic of Supernatural has all the time been and can all the time be the relationship between Sam and Dean Winchester, which is what sustained this epic sequence for 15 years. Bloodlines was a noble try at recreating that magic that in the end fell brief, however we’ll all the time marvel what may have been.
Supernatural‘s sequence finale airs Thursday, Nov. 19 at 9/8c on The CW. An hour-long retrospective, Supernatural: The Lengthy Street Residence, will air prior at 8/7c.
In honor of Supernatural coming to an finish after 15 seasons, TV Information presents Winchester Week, a celebration of Sam, Dean, and the whole SPN Household. Learn how the celebrities really feel about saying goodbye, look again on one of the best episodes and moments, and be part of us in sending the Winchesters off in model.