Winchesters Prequel Can Bring Back Supernatural's First Major Villain
Will Supernatural's The Winchesters prequel bring back Sam and Dean's very first arch-villain - the Yellow-Eyed demon? Though Supernatural ended with Sam and Dean Winchester tackling God himself, their first nemesis was a far more personal enemy. Raised into the monster hunting lifestyle by their father, the Winchester boys always kept one eye open for the mysterious Yellow-Eyed Demon that killed Mary in a hail of hellfire. Yellow-Eyes was eventually revealed as Azazel, one of the four Princes of Hell, and the Winchesters finally got their revenge in Supernatural season 2, gunning the demon down with the Colt.
Azazel's death feels a lifetime ago, but if The CW's production line is any indication, Supernatural's past is now its future. Produced by Jensen and Danneel Ackles, The Winchesters recounts the tale of John and Mary Winchester, parents of Sam and Dean. Supernatural fans will see how the couple meet, witness their pre-parental freedom, and perhaps even get a taste of Sam and Dean as babies. The entire shebang will be narrated by Jensen's Dean Winchester, and The CW has officially ordered a pilot - which is better than any other Supernatural spinoff managed...
While there's no details available on The Winchesters' tone, villains or casting, the prequel's timeline and focus on John and Mary points toward the potential return of Supernatural's first big bad. Thanks to flashback sequences, we already have a broad account of John and Mary Winchester's Supernatural backstory, and the cornerstone of their origin comes in 1973, when Yellow-Eyes kills John Winchester and offers Mary a fateful deal - her fiancée's revival in exchange for entry into the couple's home 10 years later. At this point, John and Mary are already on the precipice of engagement, so The Winchesters will likely begin before the 1973 Azazel incident. Nevertheless, Azazel's arrival will be hanging ominously ahead, his pee-colored eyes maybe watching with interest from afar. The Winchesters could reveal Azazel had some involvement bringing the pair together, or show how the Prince of Hell located the Campbell family. Heaven had decreed John and Mary must hook up, and Azazel targeted the couple because of their future importance. Yellow-Eyes must've been aware of Mary and John Winchester before making his move - a potential plot point for the prequel to pick up.
That Dean Winchester will be guiding viewers through John and Mary's origin suggests The Winchesters could be structured as a photo album-style prequel, dipping into different chapters of their relationship. If so, some episodes will inevitably take place post-1973, after Mary's deal with Azazel has been made. John and Mary are engaged/married during this period, and it'd be interesting to see Azazel popping in to keep tabs, reminding Mary that payment will come due eventually. She'd be carrying the burden of that secret, trying to keep the deal from John while Azazel checks on his future investment.
A Supernatural "John & Mary" prequel story will be difficult to tell without at least some involvement from Azazel, and thanks to demons' habit of switching vessels, any actor could portray the villain. Azazel's ever-changing appearance could even factor into The Winchesters' plot, with Yellow-Eyes secretly possessing Mary's best friend, or John's boss, or their landlord- anything to keep the Winchesters under his watchful lemon eye. However he makes a comeback, Azazel's presence in The Winchesters can provide a touch of Supernatural familiarity to the Ackles' prequel.