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Supernatural: Pilot (2005)
compelling introduction into the world that will take over millions of viewer's hearts for the next 15 years
Pilots generally try to do a few things: they introduce audiences to a new world; they establish the tone, pace & stakes, they build-out characters and character-dynamics, and they try to hook a viewer into coming back. Supernatural is successful on every count.
The directing and cinematography of this pilot stand out from the get-go. The first 3 seasons are shot on 35mm film, which really adds to the dark, gritty, horror-esq vibe of the show. And the pilot encapsulates good cinematography. You can tell shots are well thought-out in a way that contributes to the story and the narrative tone. The scene framing was aesthetically interesting to look at, but in a way which helped draw you into what was happening (instead of distracting you from the story at hand).
The acting is good, but does leave room for improvement. This isn't a critique on Jensen or Jared's talent, but they're still feeling out their characters at this point-haven't quite settled into their roles, and the trust that's built up between between actors which can (and will) take scenes to the next level isn't there yet. The bridge scene argument where Dean lunges at Sam in anger feels a bit contrived, for instance. But that said, they overall do nice job.
For a pilot, the writing is pretty decent and very smart. Starting a story is hard. They work a lot of exposition and backstory into 40 minutes, in ways that loop back into the plot. For ex: they address 'how do they pay for hunting?' pretty quickly, but then it comes back around in a way that helps advance the search for their father. From a writing standpoint, there's a nice parallelism in what happens to Mary Winchester at the start of the episode & what happens to Jess at the end of it.
The episode ends by coming full-circle, allowing for the real story to begin. You leave with a sense of who Sam and Dean are as people, with a sense of their complicated relationship with each other and their father, and with a sense of mystery to bring you back. Which-as far as pilot episodes go-is the ultimate success.
Overall a strong pilot, and a compelling introduction into the world that will take over millions of viewer's hearts for the next 15 years.
-Violet Vance.