I Ranked All 22 Episodes From The First Season Of "Supernatural" From Worst To Best

    Saving people, hunting things, and carrying on.

    Jeremy Hayes
    by Jeremy Hayes

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    For 15 seasons, Supernatural has delivered some incredible episodes, but it all started in 2005 with Season 1. Here are all 22 episodes of the debut season, ranked:

    22. "Bugs" (Season 1, Episode 8)

    Dean Winchester screaming while spraying flames
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean head to Oklahoma to investigate a recent spate of insect-related deaths around a new housing development."

    Reason for ranking: I believe this is universally the lowest-rated episode of the first season. The show really does a good job trying to embrace playing on the phobias of viewers, but this one was a rare swing and a miss.

    21. "Route 666" (Season 1, Episode 13)

    Cassie talking to Dean Winchester
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Dean is contacted by an ex-flame who asks him for help when black men in her hometown are being murdered by a driver-less racist truck."

    Reason for ranking: Cassie, Dean's ex, actually carried this episode, but come on, the ghost truck was a little silly. We've had a lot of possessed-car films and books, and I just can't seem to get behind any of them.

    20. "Provenance" (Season 1, Episode 19)

    A ghost girl in white
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "A young husband and wife are killed in their home shortly after buying an antique painting of a family portrait from around 1910."

    Reason for ranking: Even when watching Season 1 as it premiered, I felt bad for this episode because it felt like the ultimate filler. Not really a bad episode, though I guess you can call it a desire to reach the finish line.

    19. "The Benders" (Season 1, Episode 15)

    Dean Winchester looking up at a street light
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean head to Minnesota, where a young boy witnesses a man vanishing into thin air."

    Reason for ranking: Great subversion of expectations in this episode. It really expands the possibilities of horror in a show called Supernatural and felt like a classic slasher.

    18. "Something Wicked" (Season 1, Episode 18)

    A black-hooded figure by white curtains
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean visit a small town in Wisconsin where children are falling into comas for no apparent reason."

    Reason for ranking: Not the most memorable episode, but good little aspects, like John making contact with his sons and the monster being one that Sam dealt with head-on as a child.

    17. "Nightmare" (Season 1, Episode 14)

    Max holding a gun
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "When Sam's visions start happening while he's awake, he and Dean investigate the unusual murders he foretold only to find them all to be true."

    Reason for ranking: Max was an incredible character, and I hated his death. That being said, this was an important episode that showed Sam was not alone in terms of his abilities. Plus, Sam moves a dresser with his mind!

    16. "Hook Man" (Season 1, Episode 7)

    Drawings depicting a hook man
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "In a small town in Iowa, Sam and Dean encounter the famous 'Hook Man,' a spirit who kills his victims with his shiny hook that serves as his hand."

    Reason for ranking: Again, not the most memorable episode, but I loved the show taking on urban legends and putting its own spin on it.

    15. "Phantom Traveler" (Season 1, Episode 4)

    Dean Winchester looking terrified on a plane
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "On United Britannia flight 2485, a man possessed by the spirit of the Phantom Traveler causes the plane to crash, leaving only seven survivors."

    Reason for ranking: Dean's fear of flying was a very relatable and well-acted gag throughout the episode, but this is also our first really close look at demons.

    14. "Shadow" (Season 1, Episode 16)

    A bloodied Dean Winchester staring at Meg
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "While investigating a mysterious death in Chicago, Sam and Dean run into Meg, who is thrilled to see Sam again."

    Reason for ranking: An episode to bait John Winchester to save his boys, and he actually shows up. It was a nice little tease for what the season's end had in store. I'll say, the shadows were a little silly, but Hellhounds were an upgrade in terms of "monsters we can't see."

    13. "Skin" (Season 1, Episode 6)

    Dean Winchester with white pupils
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean help Sam's old college buddy after he is accused of a murder he swears he didn't commit."

    Reason for ranking: Having "Hey Man, Nice Shot" by Filter blasting while Dean sheds his skin was one of the cooler moments of Season 1. I'm glad Supernatural never slept on shape-shifters and used them just the right amount, and this episode was the perfect introduction to the paranoia that comes with their existence.

    12. "Hellhouse" (Season 1, Episode 17)

    Sam and Dean following Ed and Harry
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean investigate a house that is haunted by the ghost of a man who killed his six daughters."

    Reason for ranking: The origins of Ghostfacers, as well as of Sam and Dean's prank war. I loved the concept of a belief in stories online resulting in the manifestation of supernatural beings, similar to internet monsters like the Rake and Slender Man.

    11. "Salvation" (Season 1, Episode 21)

    Meg on a flip phone
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "After Sam has a vision about a family being attacked, the brothers and their father head for Salvation, Iowa, to save the family in Sam's dream."

    Reason for ranking: A classic prelude and "calm before the storm" episode. Still very good, but it is hard to top the episodes that bookend this one.

    10. "Wendigo" (Season 1, Episode 2)

    A Wendigo in a shadowy mine shaft
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean follow the coordinates in their father's journal and land in Colorado, where they investigate the disappearance of several campers."

    Reason for ranking: The birth of "Dad wants us to pick up where he left off. Saving people. Hunting things. The family business."

    A solid monster episode. It proves that with the right ghoul and story, a filler episode can stand on its own and still entertain.

    9. "Asylum" (Season 1, Episode 10)

    Sam and Dean investigating an Asylum
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean investigate an abandoned sanitarium and discover that the patients had revolted against the cruel punishments of the head doctor."

    Reason for ranking: Not the most imaginative story, but the vibes in this one once again show how the show can add a variety of horror blends.

    8. "Home" (Season 1, Episode 9)

    An apparition on fire inside a home
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam is haunted by a vision of a woman trapped in the brothers' childhood home and convinces a reluctant Dean that they need to go back there."

    Reason for ranking: A great episode, from Missouri Moseley and Mama Winchester making an appearance to the shocking reveal of Papa Winchester at the end. Plus: Sam's visions playing into the episode and the brothers saving a family.

    7. "Dead Man's Blood" (Season 1, Episode 20)

    The colt and bullets resting on a table
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "After a vampire hunter who was John's mentor is murdered, Sam and Dean are surprised when John himself shows up to solve the case."

    Reason for ranking: The colt! Oh, and John working with his boys...but: the colt! A lot of good backstory in this one, and first light that John has found something capable of killing Yellow Eyes.

    6. "Faith" (Season 1, Episode 12)

    A white-faced reaper grabbing Dean's head
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "While battling a demon, Dean is electrocuted, resulting in permanent damage to his heart and leaving him with a couple of months to live."

    Reason for ranking: An extremely underrated episode in the series because beyond the cool storyline with the Reaper, this is the first glimpse we get of the brothers' desperation to save each other, to the point of seeking supernatural ways.

    5. "Scarecrow" (Season 1, Episode 11)

    Dean looking up at a perched scarecrow
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Sam and Dean finally make contact with their father, but he tells them to stop looking for him and sends them on a ghost-hunting job."

    Reason for ranking: Maybe my favorite monster design, but the story was a fun one, too. A little too close to mirroring The Village, but still a blast. It's easy to forget, this is Meg's debut and the first time we see the brothers on separate adventures.

    4. "Devil's Trap" (Season 1, Episode 22)

    John Winchester with yellow eyes
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "On a mission to save their father from Meg, Sam and Dean seek help from an old family friend."

    Reason for ranking: #BobbysDebut

    Supernatural has really become known for its finales, and this is the one that started it all. Bobby, Possessed John, having the chance to kill Yellow Eyes but by shooting your own father, "Carry On," the car crash...a phenomenal way to end a great season.

    3. "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)

    Mary Winchester on the ceiling
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Two brothers witness their mother's paranormal death and are trained to fight by their father, who aims to hunt down the thing that killed his wife."

    Reason for ranking: The infamous "Dad's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a few days" line that starts it all. The Netflix description above is not only inaccurate but really undersells the episode. It is the brothers' first hunt too, along with Jessica's demise. The final shot from the trunk really seals the deal to emphasize the greatness of a show that had 15 seasons.

    2. "Dead in the Water" (Season 1, Episode 3)

    Pale boy peeking his head out of the water
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "In a small town in Wisconsin, Sam and Dean investigate a series of mysterious drownings officially explained as suicides."

    Reason for ranking: I'll expose the bias quickly: This was the first Supernatural episode I ever watched. The kid in the water always creeped me out, and this episode got me hooked.

    1. "Bloody Mary" (Season 1, Episode 5)

    Dark-haired woman crawling out of a shattered mirror
    Warner Bros. Television

    Episode synopsis: "Several high schoolers dare their friend to look into a mirror and repeat a chant, not knowing it will unleash a series of mysterious murders."

    Reason for ranking: From Sam dealing with his guilt about Jessica to the creepiness of Bloody Mary, this episode is as good as it gets. It doesn't lean on being a vital episode to the overall plot and stands on its own nicely.

    This is probably the greatest episode of Supernatural. There is another that gives it a run for its money, but I don't want to spoil which one in the heat of the moment (looks at camera and winks).

    Which episode from Season 1 of Supernatural is your favorite? Comment below.