John Winchester's Orchestrated Fall from Grace in Supernatural

The importance of family in the TV series Supernatural (created by Eric Kripke in 2005) established a significant supporting character from the beginning: the boys' father John Winchester.

The pilot opening shows him as the initial anchor by being a true father figure, despite flaws and mistakes, which are essential for realistic character development. Yet, this opening setting undergoes a drastic shift after the first two seasons of Supernatural, and it feels as if John Winchester is framed from a production and narrative standpoint, and becomes a scapegoat for the script writers. A fall from grace quickly grows without almost any pause as the third season begins.

It is worthy of exploring a three part evolution of the character. The first would be how John Winchester is originally a heroic figure, with a path that relates to the one researched by Joseph Campbell in his famous book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The second is the depiction of John Winchester as a paternal failure, which leads to the third aspect of his development in the television series: the collateral damage his narrative causes.