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John Winchester (Supernatural)
Encyclopedia
John Eric Winchester is a fictional character on The CW Television Network
's drama/horror television series Supernatural
, and the protagonist of the comic book spin-off
series Supernatural: Origins. Developed by series creator Eric Kripke
, the character is mainly portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
. John is the father of Sam
and Dean Winchester
, the show's protagonists.
Seeking revenge after his wife Mary was killed by the demon Azazel
, John Winchester became a hunter and raised his two sons to fight the supernatural. John disappears early in Supernatural, and the first season revolves primarily around Sam and Dean trying to find him. Morgan was also filming episodes of Grey's Anatomy
while the first season of Supernatural was under production, and future appearances of the character were hindered by his busy schedule. While Morgan's portrayal has been praised, fans and critics were generally frustrated at the character for keeping so many secrets.
, eventually attaining the rank of corporal. Serving in Vietnam
, he received many medals. After leaving the service, he got a job as a mechanic, and fell in love with Mary Campbell, whom he would later marry.
Following the mysterious death of his wife years later, John Winchester investigated the incident and learned of the existence of the supernatural. His desire to find and kill the being that took Mary's life led him to become a hunter of supernatural creatures. He took his sons, Sam
and Dean
, with him during his travels, but often left them alone in motels for long periods of time during his hunts, leaving Dean with instructions to "shoot first and ask questions later" while watching over Sam, who at first was unaware of his exploits. As revealed in the fourth season
episode "Jump the Shark", John slept with a nurse named Kate Milligan, whom he met after being brought into a hospital with wounds after killing a ghoul; he unknowingly fathered his third son, Adam, with her. John made occasional visits, doing normal father-son things with him that he did not do with Dean and Sam. Wanting to keep Adam from the supernatural world, he hid the truth from him, and never revealed to him the existence of Sam and Dean, nor vice-versa. Meanwhile, John trained Sam and Dean to become hunters. However, Sam later leaves this life to start anew in college, leading to a fallout between John and his son.
Twenty-two years after Mary's death, John disappears while on a hunt, causing Sam and Dean to reunite to find him, though they are unsuccessful. After Azazel, the demon that killed their mother, ends up killing Sam's girlfriend, Sam returns to the life of a hunter to find and kill it. John later tracks his sons in Kansas while they are investigating a poltergeist, but does not reveal his presence while staying with the psychic Missouri Moseley, claiming that he first needs to know the truth. However, he finally makes his presence known to them when he visits the brothers in Chicago, Illinois. Meg, a woman possessed by a demon, reveals that Azazel is after John. After escaping Meg's trap, the brothers split up from their father to keep him from the demons. John later meets back up with his sons when his old mentor, vampire hunter
Daniel Elkins, is murdered. It turns out that the vampire
s that killed him also stole the Colt, a mystical gun that can kill anything. The Winchesters succeed in getting the gun back and decide to go after the demon Azazel together.
Meg soon begins killing the Winchesters' friends, and threatens to kill more unless they deliver the Colt. John tries to give her a fake gun, and is captured. The brothers end up rescuing him, but he becomes possessed by Azazel and attacks. However, John manages to resist, allowing Sam to get the Colt and shoot him in the leg, temporarily subduing the demon. John begs Sam to kill him so that Azazel will die, too, but Sam cannot bring himself to do it. To John's dismay, Azazel then escapes. As the Winchesters later flee the scene in Dean's Impala
, a man possessed by a demon hits them with a semi-truck. After the crash, Sam and John awake in hospital with only minor injuries. However, a dying Dean is in a coma. John secretly summons Azazel, and seems to know what the demon wants from Sam and other kids like him. He then makes a deal to save Dean, giving up his life, soul, and the Colt. John then talks with Dean, telling him to take care of Sam. He then whispers something in Dean's ear, later revealed to be orders for Dean to kill Sam should he be unable to stop him from becoming evil. John then leaves Dean and returns to his hospital room, where he gives the Colt to someone. Sam later finds his father unconscious on the floor, and doctors are unable to save him. The fourth season episode "On the Head of a Pin" reveals that the demon Alastair tortured John in Hell for over a century, and offered to stop if he would torture someone else—agreeing to do so would break the first seal holding Lucifer in Hell. However, John never gave in.
Sam and Dean burn John's body on a funeral pyre, as is traditional among hunters, at the beginning of "Everybody Loves a Clown". A message on their father's cellphone then leads the brothers to Harvelle's Roadhouse, a waystation for hunters that John often visited. It is revealed that the proprietress, Ellen Harvelle
, and her deceased husband Bill were old friends of John's. Ellen reveals in "No Exit" that her husband died while on a hunt with John due to a mistake that John made. In "Born Under a Bad Sign", the demon formerly in possession of Meg takes over Sam's body and claims to Bill and Ellen's daughter Jo
that John killed Bill to put him out of his misery. The soul of John later appears in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2" when a gateway to Hell is opened. He saves Dean from Azazel, and distracts the demon long enough for Dean to grab the Colt and shoot Azazel in the heart, finally killing him. John then gives Sam and Dean a loving smile before becoming engulfed in a white light. However, during the fifth season episode "Dark Side of the Moon", it is revealed he has not yet been found in Heaven, nor has Mary, so his current state is unknown.
In the fourth season episode "In the Beginning", Dean is sent through time by the angel Castiel
. He meets his father's younger self, and ends up convincing John to buy the Impala that he eventually inherits. Dean then watches John go to a diner with Mary, whom he intends to propose to. However, Azazel attacks them and brutally snaps John's neck. Mary makes a deal with Azazel to bring John back to life in exchange for permission to enter her house in ten years, though he does not reveal his intentions of giving demon blood to Sam. When Anna comes back in time in order to prevent the brothers' births, John is forced into the world of hunting and learn some basic anti-angel measures; however, when they prove futile, he ultimately agrees to Michael as a temporary vessel to stop Anna. His memory of the angels, along with Mary's, is erased.
felt that John was a "tormented soul", motivated by an "equal combination of revenge and protecting his sons". Following the death of their mother, Sam and Dean became secondary to John's quest of killing the demon responsible, although Morgan felt that this aspect changed once John began spending more time with them again. Though he believed that John was not the world's best dad and "definitely made a lot of mistakes", the actor noted that "he did things, even when they were wrong, for the good of his sons". John regrets making Sam and Dean into hunters, and kept his third son Adam in the dark about the supernatural world in an attempt to protect him. Although he loves his first two sons, he tried to be more of a father to Adam by taking him to baseball games and visiting for birthdays in order to have some sort of normalcy in his life, as his relationship with Sam and Dean had changed forever after Mary's death. Because he was often away on hunts, many aspects of John were shrouded in mystery to his sons. At one point, the brothers comment that they keep learning things about their father after his death that they never knew when he was alive.
On the role, Morgan also commented, "I played him with extra angst. I think what was on the page, what I foresaw—not knowing where it was going, because no one would ever tell me anything—there was always a lot more going on in his head than he was going to show anybody, including his sons. Because, indeed, there was a lot more going on." Kripke later confirmed this, stating, "It's our view that John knew everything the producers of the show know. John knew stuff we're not even ready to reveal, that won't come out for a couple of seasons. He was an awesome hunter, and by the time he showed up in 'Dead Man's Blood', he knew it all."
Due to the fact that Morgan's scene in the pilot episode takes place 22 years before the series, he expected to be replaced by an older actor for subsequent episodes. Being only 12 years older than Jensen Ackles
, who portrays the eldest son Dean, Morgan was surprised when he was asked to reprise the role. Ackles and Jared Padalecki
often teased him about the age difference during filming. Throughout the season, Morgan became frustrated at times due to his character's avoidance of his sons, stating, "It pissed off everybody, it pissed off us as actors, it pissed off the audience watching, because none of us really knew where we were gonna go." However, he reasoned that John's motivation for his actions was due to having knowledge that nobody else had.
During production of Supernatural' s first season, Morgan was also working on the shows Weeds
and Grey's Anatomy
, so he was often traveling back and forth between Los Angeles
and Vancouver
. This interfered at times with Morgan's acting, as he had trouble getting "Winchester-y enough" after portraying the nice character of Denny Duquette
on Grey's Anatomy. Morgan commented, "I was stuck in Denny-land, where I was being too nice. Winchester's harder to find. Denny's more me. He's an intense guy, John is. And Denny, for a guy who's having trouble living, he's just a charming dude." Morgan was at first reluctant to return for Supernaturals second season due to his role on Grey's Anatomy
. Future appearances of the character have been hindered due to his busy schedule, although he lent his voice for the third season
episode "Long-Distance Call". Morgan feels that John's storyline ended too soon, and wishes to return for a future season.
Diana Steenbergen of IGN also criticized John for his lack of explanation, feeling that "it is not exactly easy to watch John treat Dean and Sam so dismissively, especially after they have been nearly killing themselves all season to find him". However, Steenbergen praised Morgan for his acting, writing, "Even though he is used sparingly throughout the series, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is always effective as John." She also felt that he brought "emotional weight" to the character, allowing the audience to "feel John's weariness, and his resignation that things will most likely not go well". While Brian Tallerico of UGO enjoyed Morgan's performance, he was happy that the character was killed off because John's presence made Sam and Dean into "followers" that were "merely existing in the wake of their father". With their father gone, the brothers are no longer prevented from "heading up the battle with the other side".
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
's drama/horror television series Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
, and the protagonist of the comic book spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series Supernatural: Origins. Developed by series creator Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the television series Supernatural.-Biography:...
, the character is mainly portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
. John is the father of Sam
Sam Winchester
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.-Background:...
and Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
, the show's protagonists.
Seeking revenge after his wife Mary was killed by the demon Azazel
Azazel (Supernatural)
Azazel is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. He serves as the primary antagonist during the first two seasons. A demon, he feeds his blood to infants so that they will grow up to develop demonic abilities. His endgame of using one...
, John Winchester became a hunter and raised his two sons to fight the supernatural. John disappears early in Supernatural, and the first season revolves primarily around Sam and Dean trying to find him. Morgan was also filming episodes of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
while the first season of Supernatural was under production, and future appearances of the character were hindered by his busy schedule. While Morgan's portrayal has been praised, fans and critics were generally frustrated at the character for keeping so many secrets.
Plot
Born in 1954—most likely in Indiana—John Winchester left high school to join the Marine CorpsMarine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
, eventually attaining the rank of corporal. Serving in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, he received many medals. After leaving the service, he got a job as a mechanic, and fell in love with Mary Campbell, whom he would later marry.
Following the mysterious death of his wife years later, John Winchester investigated the incident and learned of the existence of the supernatural. His desire to find and kill the being that took Mary's life led him to become a hunter of supernatural creatures. He took his sons, Sam
Sam Winchester
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.-Background:...
and Dean
Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
, with him during his travels, but often left them alone in motels for long periods of time during his hunts, leaving Dean with instructions to "shoot first and ask questions later" while watching over Sam, who at first was unaware of his exploits. As revealed in the fourth season
Supernatural (season 4)
Season four of Supernatural, an American television series, began airing on September 18, 2008. This is the third season to air on the CW television network...
episode "Jump the Shark", John slept with a nurse named Kate Milligan, whom he met after being brought into a hospital with wounds after killing a ghoul; he unknowingly fathered his third son, Adam, with her. John made occasional visits, doing normal father-son things with him that he did not do with Dean and Sam. Wanting to keep Adam from the supernatural world, he hid the truth from him, and never revealed to him the existence of Sam and Dean, nor vice-versa. Meanwhile, John trained Sam and Dean to become hunters. However, Sam later leaves this life to start anew in college, leading to a fallout between John and his son.
Twenty-two years after Mary's death, John disappears while on a hunt, causing Sam and Dean to reunite to find him, though they are unsuccessful. After Azazel, the demon that killed their mother, ends up killing Sam's girlfriend, Sam returns to the life of a hunter to find and kill it. John later tracks his sons in Kansas while they are investigating a poltergeist, but does not reveal his presence while staying with the psychic Missouri Moseley, claiming that he first needs to know the truth. However, he finally makes his presence known to them when he visits the brothers in Chicago, Illinois. Meg, a woman possessed by a demon, reveals that Azazel is after John. After escaping Meg's trap, the brothers split up from their father to keep him from the demons. John later meets back up with his sons when his old mentor, vampire hunter
Vampire hunter
A vampire hunter or vampire slayer is a character in folklore and fiction who specializes in finding and destroying vampires, and sometimes other supernatural creatures....
Daniel Elkins, is murdered. It turns out that the vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s that killed him also stole the Colt, a mystical gun that can kill anything. The Winchesters succeed in getting the gun back and decide to go after the demon Azazel together.
Meg soon begins killing the Winchesters' friends, and threatens to kill more unless they deliver the Colt. John tries to give her a fake gun, and is captured. The brothers end up rescuing him, but he becomes possessed by Azazel and attacks. However, John manages to resist, allowing Sam to get the Colt and shoot him in the leg, temporarily subduing the demon. John begs Sam to kill him so that Azazel will die, too, but Sam cannot bring himself to do it. To John's dismay, Azazel then escapes. As the Winchesters later flee the scene in Dean's Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
, a man possessed by a demon hits them with a semi-truck. After the crash, Sam and John awake in hospital with only minor injuries. However, a dying Dean is in a coma. John secretly summons Azazel, and seems to know what the demon wants from Sam and other kids like him. He then makes a deal to save Dean, giving up his life, soul, and the Colt. John then talks with Dean, telling him to take care of Sam. He then whispers something in Dean's ear, later revealed to be orders for Dean to kill Sam should he be unable to stop him from becoming evil. John then leaves Dean and returns to his hospital room, where he gives the Colt to someone. Sam later finds his father unconscious on the floor, and doctors are unable to save him. The fourth season episode "On the Head of a Pin" reveals that the demon Alastair tortured John in Hell for over a century, and offered to stop if he would torture someone else—agreeing to do so would break the first seal holding Lucifer in Hell. However, John never gave in.
Sam and Dean burn John's body on a funeral pyre, as is traditional among hunters, at the beginning of "Everybody Loves a Clown". A message on their father's cellphone then leads the brothers to Harvelle's Roadhouse, a waystation for hunters that John often visited. It is revealed that the proprietress, Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed by Samantha Ferris. Introduced in the second season in order to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the hunting world, the "gun-toting, beer-slinging" Ellen brought a "maternal energy" to the...
, and her deceased husband Bill were old friends of John's. Ellen reveals in "No Exit" that her husband died while on a hunt with John due to a mistake that John made. In "Born Under a Bad Sign", the demon formerly in possession of Meg takes over Sam's body and claims to Bill and Ellen's daughter Jo
Jo Harvelle
Joanna Beth "Jo" Harvelle is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural portrayed by Alona Tal. She was introduced in the second season in order to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the hunting world. Series creator Eric Kripke described...
that John killed Bill to put him out of his misery. The soul of John later appears in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2" when a gateway to Hell is opened. He saves Dean from Azazel, and distracts the demon long enough for Dean to grab the Colt and shoot Azazel in the heart, finally killing him. John then gives Sam and Dean a loving smile before becoming engulfed in a white light. However, during the fifth season episode "Dark Side of the Moon", it is revealed he has not yet been found in Heaven, nor has Mary, so his current state is unknown.
In the fourth season episode "In the Beginning", Dean is sent through time by the angel Castiel
Castiel (Supernatural)
Castiel is a fictional character portrayed by Misha Collins on the CW Television Network's American television series Supernatural. An angel, he first appears in the fourth season, and is used to introduce the theme of Christian mythology to the series...
. He meets his father's younger self, and ends up convincing John to buy the Impala that he eventually inherits. Dean then watches John go to a diner with Mary, whom he intends to propose to. However, Azazel attacks them and brutally snaps John's neck. Mary makes a deal with Azazel to bring John back to life in exchange for permission to enter her house in ten years, though he does not reveal his intentions of giving demon blood to Sam. When Anna comes back in time in order to prevent the brothers' births, John is forced into the world of hunting and learn some basic anti-angel measures; however, when they prove futile, he ultimately agrees to Michael as a temporary vessel to stop Anna. His memory of the angels, along with Mary's, is erased.
Characterization
Actor Jeffrey Dean MorganJeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
felt that John was a "tormented soul", motivated by an "equal combination of revenge and protecting his sons". Following the death of their mother, Sam and Dean became secondary to John's quest of killing the demon responsible, although Morgan felt that this aspect changed once John began spending more time with them again. Though he believed that John was not the world's best dad and "definitely made a lot of mistakes", the actor noted that "he did things, even when they were wrong, for the good of his sons". John regrets making Sam and Dean into hunters, and kept his third son Adam in the dark about the supernatural world in an attempt to protect him. Although he loves his first two sons, he tried to be more of a father to Adam by taking him to baseball games and visiting for birthdays in order to have some sort of normalcy in his life, as his relationship with Sam and Dean had changed forever after Mary's death. Because he was often away on hunts, many aspects of John were shrouded in mystery to his sons. At one point, the brothers comment that they keep learning things about their father after his death that they never knew when he was alive.
On the role, Morgan also commented, "I played him with extra angst. I think what was on the page, what I foresaw—not knowing where it was going, because no one would ever tell me anything—there was always a lot more going on in his head than he was going to show anybody, including his sons. Because, indeed, there was a lot more going on." Kripke later confirmed this, stating, "It's our view that John knew everything the producers of the show know. John knew stuff we're not even ready to reveal, that won't come out for a couple of seasons. He was an awesome hunter, and by the time he showed up in 'Dead Man's Blood', he knew it all."
Development
John's storyline for the pilot episode went through several revisions that would have impacted the rest of the series. The first draft of the script had Sam and Dean being raised by their aunt and uncle, though this was changed when Kripke realized that the backstory became much less complicated by having John raise them on the road. Another revision had John dying at the end of the episode instead of Sam's girlfriend Jessica. Though he survives in the final version of the pilot, it was decided halfway through production of the first season that John did have to die, as the writers believed his separation from his sons "split the show" by having him away "doing more interesting things than the boys are doing". Kripke also felt that John kept Sam and Dean away from the "front lines", his death being required to allow the brothers to "explore, investigate and confront the yellow-eyed demon directly". It was originally intended for John to die at the end of the first season, but this was pushed back into the second season premiere, as the writers believed it would have been too dark to kill John after everything else the brothers had gone through in the finale. Following the character's death and eventual escape from Hell, executive producer Ben Edlund stated that they are unsure of where John's soul ended up.Due to the fact that Morgan's scene in the pilot episode takes place 22 years before the series, he expected to be replaced by an older actor for subsequent episodes. Being only 12 years older than Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
, who portrays the eldest son Dean, Morgan was surprised when he was asked to reprise the role. Ackles and Jared Padalecki
Jared Padalecki
Jared Tristan Padalecki is an American actor. He grew up in Texas and came to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the television series Gilmore Girls as well as in several Hollywood films, including New York Minute and House of Wax...
often teased him about the age difference during filming. Throughout the season, Morgan became frustrated at times due to his character's avoidance of his sons, stating, "It pissed off everybody, it pissed off us as actors, it pissed off the audience watching, because none of us really knew where we were gonna go." However, he reasoned that John's motivation for his actions was due to having knowledge that nobody else had.
During production of Supernatural
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
and Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, so he was often traveling back and forth between Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. This interfered at times with Morgan's acting, as he had trouble getting "Winchester-y enough" after portraying the nice character of Denny Duquette
Denny Duquette
Dennison Duquette, Jr., more commonly known as Denny Duquette, is a fictional character on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and was created by Shonda Rhimes...
on Grey's Anatomy. Morgan commented, "I was stuck in Denny-land, where I was being too nice. Winchester's harder to find. Denny's more me. He's an intense guy, John is. And Denny, for a guy who's having trouble living, he's just a charming dude." Morgan was at first reluctant to return for Supernaturals second season due to his role on Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. Future appearances of the character have been hindered due to his busy schedule, although he lent his voice for the third season
Supernatural (season 3)
Season three of Supernatural, an American television series, began airing on October 4, 2007. This is the second season to air on the CW television network...
episode "Long-Distance Call". Morgan feels that John's storyline ended too soon, and wishes to return for a future season.
Reception
While critics praised Morgan for his role, their reaction to the character has generally been mixed. Don Williams of BuddyTV felt that John is a "rather divisive character", with some fans not understanding John's motivation for keeping his sons in the dark. However, Williams himself found the character to be "completely fascinating". He chose "In My Time of Dying" as the second best episode of the series, mainly because of John's contributions, stating, "Even if you're not a huge fan of Poppa Winchester, I think it's impossible not to be moved by the final ten minutes of this episode... John's final speech to Dean, where he finally tells his son that he's proud of him, is one hell of a tear-jerker, and both Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jensen Ackles knock that scene out of the park." Williams praised Matt Cohen's performance of a younger version of the character in the time-travel episode "In the Beginning", believing that he "did an excellent job at portraying a more innocent John Winchester than we've ever seen before".Diana Steenbergen of IGN also criticized John for his lack of explanation, feeling that "it is not exactly easy to watch John treat Dean and Sam so dismissively, especially after they have been nearly killing themselves all season to find him". However, Steenbergen praised Morgan for his acting, writing, "Even though he is used sparingly throughout the series, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is always effective as John." She also felt that he brought "emotional weight" to the character, allowing the audience to "feel John's weariness, and his resignation that things will most likely not go well". While Brian Tallerico of UGO enjoyed Morgan's performance, he was happy that the character was killed off because John's presence made Sam and Dean into "followers" that were "merely existing in the wake of their father". With their father gone, the brothers are no longer prevented from "heading up the battle with the other side".