Supernatural Thursdays: Why Our “SPN Family” Really is a Family

I originally got the idea to write this post right around Thanksgiving but decided to hang onto it until after the holidays as a way to ring in the New Year here on Supernatural Thursdays. I’ve been a part of this wonderful thing we like to call the Supernatural (or SPN) Family for five years now (I found Supernatural in its second season) and the more time I spend in it, the more I’m convinced that the term isn’t used inaccurately.

This idea was really brought home to me when I posted my article about how this show has changed people’s lives. Over and over again in the comments I heard people use this term ‘SPN Family’ and it made me smile.

We may not all know each personally and some of us may be separated by thousands of miles, continents, and oceans, but we are nonetheless a family and here are just a few examples of how.

My fantastic writing partner Kelly touched on this in her last article, but it bears repeating here as well. When people within the fandom (or those involved in the show) need a hand, the SPN Family does not hesitate to step up and help out. Donating money to charities like St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and other charities in the name of the actors and the fandom in general, fans are always willing to help when they are needed.

In fact, I’ve seen this happen on a much more personal level. I’ve seen friends reach out in the community for assistance with things as simple as asking for a few extra prayers and positive thoughts to help someone going through a rough time, as well as even tossing a few spare bucks to support someone in need.

I don’t know about you folks, but even though I live in the same town as a few of my family members, I still only get to see them once or twice a year. People have their own individual lives and those lives don’t always crossover on a regular basis. But when we do get together, it’s like no time has gone by and we immediately go right back to where we were when we left.

I’ve noticed this phenomenon within the SPN Family, too. Every year I try to make it to at least one Supernatural convention, and other larger conventions (like Comic Con) that have Supernatural activities. One of the reasons I love doing this is that I get to meet up with people I only see at those kinds of events. Yet, just like with “real” family gatherings, the moment we meet up it’s like no time has passed and we are all instant friends again.

Ever notice that even within families, there are still little groups that form based on age or similar interests? I always found it interesting how my family would break up into smaller groups throughout the holidays, forming and re-forming little clutches to chat, laugh, play games, etc. We all love each other but we can’t help but to have “favorites” – those people that we are instinctively drawn towards.

Within the SPN Family, I’ve seen this most often associated with the cast; specifically with the brothers, but also with Castiel too. There are Sam girls and boys, Dean girls and boys, and now there are definitely Castiel girls and boys. Personally I love everyone on the show, but that being said I can’t help but to be drawn more strongly to certain characters. Like those smaller gatherings on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I find myself more in tune with certain characters than others and I know I’m not the only one. Seems like nearly everyone who likes the show can also claim a “favorite” of their own.

What family gets along 100% of the time? And if your family does get along all the time then I just have two things to say. Number one, well done! Number two, what is wrong with you??? (just kidding!). It doesn’t matter how much we love each other, there are just some times when a family doesn’t get along. There are rivalries and jealousies that go back too far, old battles that have been going on forever and occasionally they just have to come to the surface.

Here again, this is quite easily seen within the SPN Family. Any time fans get together to talk about the show, they have to talk about what they love about it…….and what they don’t. Conversations discussing our “favorites” can often lead to arguments over who is better than whom. Luckily most of the time these little tiffs end as quickly as they begin, just allowing for a little healthy sharing of opinion.

Even when a family has problems and argues amongst themselves, there is that underlying love that keeps everyone close together. We may have our ups and downs but through it all, we know that each of us would do anything for the other and when the chips are down, we also know that our family is the one we can count on to help us out.

In many ways, I think this point applies to the SPN Family most of all. One minute you can have a group arguing over their favorite Winchester, and the next they can be rallying together to help collect money for a charity. Even when we fight, we all know that the reason we do it is for love. We all love this amazing creation known as Supernatural and no matter what comes along to break us apart, we always come back to that.

So how about you folks? Have you seen any examples of how the SPN Family is like your family? Got an uncle who reminds you of Bobby? Do you and your siblings fight like Sam and Dean? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think!

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If you are curious about what Supernatural Thursdays are all about, check out our introductory post on it and more articles here.