Supernatural
Back in 2005 when this show first aired I was going through a big X-Files thing, which was fortunate because a local channel started sydicating the episodes in order, and I caught the first one. When I heard that Supernatural had some of the same writers and was filmed in Vancouver I was intrigued. While the first season had some pretty hit-or-miss episodes and a pretty standard formula, the chemistry between the two leads was solid and it's not like there was much else for paranormal drama shows at the time so I continued watching it. Second season upped the ante and fixed a lot of the problems in the first and did a good job on expanding the world. Season three was the most consistent and had some really cool episodes, but it was Season four that really exalted the show and mythology. Season five was pretty epic as it had Sam and Dean Winchester fighting Lucifer so the stakes were stacked about as high as they could go and everything was leading up to a satisfying ending that would cement the show's cult status.
We didn't get that, and instead the show's rising popularity during the 3rd and 4th season and the lead actors' contracts having a clause for a 6th season, led to a rather bizarre season that reminded me so much of The X-Files' sixth season after they left Vancouver and changed the tone of the show, downplaying the mythology and world building for more "Monster of the Week" episodes. It makes sense from a production standpoint because they're relatively easy to write and pad out a season as you try to cobble together a cohesive story arc. While it exceeded my expectations, last year's 7th season was a complete disaster that was just so baffling stupid that I stopped watching.
After much insistence from my mother and other people's opinions I sometimes pretend to respect, I gave the 8th season a chance, and by god has it ever redeemed the awkward 6th and 7th seasons and has actually made me intrigued for the first time since 2009. They have an ultimate goal, that if achieved, will effectively end the show for the most part, and it seems like they're going to go for it rather than milk it dry(er). They've really managed to fix the previous problem of bringing in new characters, and then just putting them in this cryo-stasis until Sam and Dean need them, instead opting to show their lives and how they deal with a world full of demons and monsters. It also seems they're expanding this comedic relief character into something more than a "Watson".
Overall I'm actually excided for a show I've been watching and-and-off for 8 years now, and that's kind of cool.
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