Top 10 Small Details in Supernatural You Never Noticed

You’d have to be supernaturally perceptive to pick up on these tidbits. Welcome to MsMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 small details in “Supernatural” you missed.

For this list, we’ll be going over some of the most interesting details that you likely missed while watching the hugely successful series, “Supernatural.”

It can be tough to find good locations for a TV show, particularly if you don’t have the budget, so sometimes great places get reused... often multiple times. Such is the case with Riverview Hospital, located near Vancouver, Canada, where “Supernatural” is filmed. Since its first appearance as a mental institution, which it is, or was, in real life, Riverview has “played” a prison, apartments, and other hospitals. The hospital can be distinguished from other locations via its easily recognizable red bricks and long, rectangular windows.

In several episodes of “Supernatural,” Sam and Dean either read or claim to work for the “Weekly World News,” an all too real mock tabloid newspaper that has since gone out of print. Famous for its sensational, outlandish covers and articles that often featured paranormal subject matter, the paper not only appeared on “Supernatural,” but, during its publication, also ran a feature on the show in 2007. The “interview” in question is actually with the characters Sam and Dean, making for a perfect fourth wall breaking media experience.

For much of the show’s run, Dean is in possession of an unusual amulet of a strange, horned person’s face. Within the show, the amulet acts as a symbol of Dean’s relationship with his brother, having received it from Sam as a gift. Clearly more than symbolic however, it glows when in the presence of God. The origins and purpose of the amulet remain unclear however - people are still trying to figure out its real world cultural origins. The horned figure it depicts has been speculated to be derived from Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and several other ancient cultures, but none have been confirmed.

Just like locations, actors have also been reused on this long-running show, both because of how many years the show has been on and because of availability. Although some actors have played multiple characters due to illusions, shapeshifting, or possession (all common occurences on “Supernatural”) there have also been some guest stars and extras that attained greater or additional roles over the years - sometimes multiple times. For example, before landing her role as recurring angel, Hannah, actress Erica Carroll played several roles 8 years earlier, in season 1.

The Winchesters receive plenty of punishment throughout the many seasons of “Supernatural,” but the actors behind them, particularly Jared Padalecki, who plays Sam, have received several so notable that they were written into the show. Early in the second season, Sam claims to have broken his hand while fighting a zombie. This is because Padalecki broke his wrist while filming the previous episode; leading to his wearing a cast for several episodes. His bad luck with arm injuries continued years later, before season 10, when Padalecki had surgery on his shoulder, causing Sam to get injured while fighting a demon.

Dr. H.H. Holmes is one of the United States’ first documented serial killers and in “Supernatural,” he continues his killing spree after death as a spirit. The episode where he appears contains several references to his real life, such as his using a grotesque “murder castle” and Holmes being sealed in concrete after death. While researching the case, the Winchesters come across photos of Holmes’ victims, but one of them is actually a victim of Jack the Ripper. While this initially seems like a mistake on the part of the creators, it may be a reference to the fact that some believe both killers to be the same man.

Like many other long-running shows, Supernatural has developed a habit of hiding easter eggs. Given their mobile lifestyle, the Winchesters are on the road for much of their lives and that means staying in a lot of hotel and motel rooms. The folks behind the scenes actually use the numbers of these rooms to make references, such as the 100th and 200th episodes both featuring the brothers staying in rooms 100 and 200 respectively. There are also more obscure references, such as a Christmas episode seeing Sam and Dean stay in the Thomas Kinkade suite, a reference to Jared Padalecki starring in the film “Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage.”

“Supernatural” deals with family as a major recurring element and theme, both in the brotherly bond between the Winchesters, as well as the supporting characters - and that’s something that carries through behind the scenes too. While Jared Padalecki met his wife on the show and his parents appear as extras, several other cast members’ relatives, like Mark Sheppard, who plays Crowley, have had small, uncredited appearances too. Jensen Ackles’ extended family in particular has appeared heavily in cameo roles throughout the series, both on camera and even through small prop details, like a gas station being named after his nephew.

“Supernatural” is a highly metafictional show - a large part of that stemming from the book series written about their lives, also titled “Supernatural,” by an apparent prophet and terrible writer, Chuck Shurley. These books are referenced every now and then throughout the series, particularly as reference material for fellow hunters, including the duo’s friend Charlie Bradbury. In one episode, Charlie displays the book covers of the series on a tablet as reference for a case and ruling out which creatures were not responsible. Of course, eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the names listed don’t correspond to the pictures.

The episode “The French Mistake” follows Sam and Dean as they’re transported to the world of the viewers, and find themselves on the set of “Supernatural” in the place of their actors, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. As you might imagine, the whole episode is chock full of fourth wall breaking jokes and references, but one of the less noticeable ones can be found when Sam and Dean go to Padalecki’s house. Although the house itself is not his real one, the wedding photo on the mantle is, something that came as a surprise to the actor, who didn’t know it would be used.