Supernatural’s Most-Watched Episode Is the Most Problematic 42 Minutes of Winchester Lore

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Over its 15 seasons, Supernatural dramatically changed its approach to storytelling. The show started as a series of self-contained episodes focused on individual monsters, but gradually developed a larger, season-long story arc. Despite some seasons being better than others, many fans often looked back fondly on the first season and the weekly encounters with ghosts and demons that Sam and Dean Winchester faced.

It’s likely that the first season of Supernatural contains the show’s most popular episode. “Route 66,” the thirteenth episode of Season 1, attracted 5.82 million viewers – more than any other episode, even the premiere and all the series finales. Despite its popularity, this episode also sparked the most controversy among fans, many of whom disliked the plot involving Dean and Sam.

What Was Route 666 About?

The story starts with a journey to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to look into strange murders that appeared to be motivated by racial hatred. The protagonist’s father then becomes a target, falling victim to a series of intentional car crashes caused by a driverless truck. This truck relentlessly pursued its victims until they were killed, then vanished without a trace, leaving investigators unable to identify the person – or thing – responsible.

Sam and Dean’s investigation into the haunted truck, which was targeting people of color, revealed a dark history. The truck belonged to Cyrus Dorian, a white supremacist from the 1960s. Years earlier, Cyrus had dated Cassie’s mother, Mrs. Robinson, but she left him for a Black man named Martin, sparking his rage. Cyrus then committed a series of murders targeting Black men in Cape Girardeau, worsening the existing racial tensions of the time.

Cyrus destroyed the church where Martin and Mrs. Robinson planned to get married, and tragically, a children’s choir was killed in the explosion. He then took Martin hostage. A violent struggle with a baseball bat resulted in Cyrus’s death, and Martin, along with his friends and a deputy, had to secretly get rid of the body and Cyrus’s truck, dumping them both in a swamp.

Simply destroying the truck and Cyrus’s remains wouldn’t work today, but bringing the possessed vehicle to the ruins of the church finally puts his spirit to rest. “Route 666” aimed to be both engaging and thought-provoking, but unfortunately resulted in a convoluted, flawed, and ultimately disappointing episode that hasn’t aged well.

Supernatural Had Good Intentions With This Controversial Episode, But It Fell Flat

Early on, Supernatural hadn’t tackled complex issues. It was a new show focused on Sam and Dean hunting scary monsters. So, deciding to address racism so early on was a big risk for the creators. The issue wasn’t that they chose to explore racism, but how it was presented in the episode “Route 666” felt insensitive and unbelievable.

The depiction of a menacing truck with racist undertones simply wasn’t frightening, and it failed to convey the seriousness of the historical mistreatment of Black people. Instead of feeling fear, viewers mostly found the visual to be ridiculous whenever the driverless, revving truck appeared. While Cyrus and Martin’s backstory was strong and based on real historical events, the story could have been presented in a more effective way.

It would have been much better if the character of Cyrus had genuinely returned, rather than possessing a truck and using it to harm people. The story had potential, but using a racist monster truck felt like it downplayed a serious issue that caused immense suffering. Ultimately, the execution came across as unintentionally comical. A less sensitive storyline with lower stakes would have been more appropriate, and it definitely should have avoided tackling racism.

The episode “Route 666” felt thoughtless and hurtful, despite any positive intentions the creators may have had. The way the story wrapped up was weak and relied on easy solutions, making it a particularly troublesome installment in the show’s history.

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2025-12-07 03:06