First off is the relationship between the two lead characters. Sam and Dean (played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles respectively) are brilliant counterparts to one another; their personalities are similar enough for the brother relationship to work, but different enough for them to both have their own strengths and weaknesses, and feel like unique, individual characters. Dean is more confident and straightforward, more willing to jump head-first into action without thinking things through, whereas Sam is more cautious and inquisitive. The actors have great chemistry and, even when the stories are subpar, the two protagonists keep the show entertaining.
Another thing I really like about the show is the meld of different myths and legends from different cultures. Rather than let itself be pinned down by following a rigid system, the show dabbles in many various kinds of folklore - some episodes feature contemporary villains like Bloody Mary or the Hook Man, while others draw from the more traditional mythologies of Buddhism (the Tulpa) or Native American lore (the Wendigo). And of course, classic paranormal bad guys such as ghosts, demons and vampires all put in an appearance. This blend of cultures keeps the show's Monsters-Of-The-Week™ fresh and interesting, whereas a set system that followed a consistent thread of logic may have caused the show's many one-off villains to become repetitive and tiresome.
Then there is the overarching plot thread that runs throughout the full series. There's a very interesting division between British and American TV shows when it comes to plot threads; in British TV shows, the number of episodes in a series is usually drastically shorter, and as a result the overarching story line is often much more prominent, because it has to be told over a much shorter span of time. On shows like Being Human, for example, it is very difficult to understand an episode without first watching its predecessors, because strands of the plot from previous episodes play a vital part in the stories of current ones. In American shows like The Mentalist, however, the underlying plot is often left neglected for much of the series, as the writers have a lot more space to pad over the season (American shows tend to have series of 20-plus episodes). The plot line running through the entire series will only really make an appearance in a handful of the stories, with the rest of the episodes being mostly filler. This makes it a lot easier to watch an episode off-handedly without having caught up on all the previous stories; however, it can be frustrating for the viewers who are eager to see loose plot threads resolved.
Supernatural (to digress from a long-winded tangent) manages to strike a fairly efficient balance between these two. While the plot threads still unravel quite slowly over the course of the twenty-two episode series, there is enough forward momentum in the story that you never feel too bogged down in padded out material. At the start point of the series, Sam and Dean are going off to look for their father; and while it takes them most of the season to solve the mystery behind his disappearance, the plot still manages to move forward and stay interesting despite the lack of new information. I don't really want to discuss it in detail too much for fear of spoilers, so I'll just say that every couple of episodes contains a reveal or twist of some sort, regarding the central plot. It's not quite a continuous, ongoing story, but it's definitely a much more satisfying alternative to the many TV series that consist of predominantly filler.
The stories of the individual episodes, meanwhile, are always interesting if a little formulaic. The guys get a tip off that something strange might be happening, either from trawling through newspapers/the internet or getting a phone call from an old friend/client of theirs or their father's. They go to investigate, and find signs of something strange happening. Then members of the episode's supporting cast start to drop like flies as the Monsters-Of-The-Week™ ups it's game, striking again and again as Sam and Dean rush to figure out what they are dealing with and how they can stop it. Then, just as the Monsters-Of-The-Week™ is about to kill a particularly prominent guest character, usually the story's third protagonist in conjunction with the brothers, a solution to the problem presents itself and the villain is vanquished in the nick of time. Then Sam and Dean, happy with another day's work, get into their car and drive off onto another adventure. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but by and large the majority of the episodes follow this simple pattern. Fortunately the stories are usually entertaining, and the lead characters and enemies (as I've mentioned earlier) are what really makes the episodes worthwhile.
Thank you for reading this, and I'll see you again soon.
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