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“Saving people, hunting things – the family business”– this was the iconic notion thatSupernaturalintroduced us to nearly two decades ago in 2005. And this was the very rule that both Jensen Ackles’ Dean and Jared Padalecki’s Sam adhered to throughout their life. But both of them had to understand what it truly meant without their dad, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s John.
As many fans would agree, John Winchester was far from what we would call a ‘good dad.’ Leaving his two young kids, throughout the first season, he would go on hunts to revenge his late wife. Yet, Morgan, who portrayed the character in all the appearances he had throughout the 15 seasons of the saga, believes John was, in fact, a good father.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Defends John Winchester Over ‘Bad Father’ Criticism
Anyone who has watched a bit ofSupernaturalwould realize what kind of a father wasJeffrey Dean Morgan‘s John Winchester. Having lost his wife, Mary, to the yellow-eyed demon Azazel, he worked tirelessly to get his revenge, which he ultimately did in the season one finale of the series.
Throughout the time he spent ‘hunting’ and tracking down this demon, he failed to play the role of a father that Dean and Sam Winchester deserved. Practically having raised his younger brother, Dean had to grow up faster and take responsibility, while at the same time mourning his mother’s loss after witnessing her death and keeping up with John’s rough and tough parenting.
Yet, Morgan believes his character was after all a good father. While making a return in the 300th episode ofSupernatural, Morgan spoke toEntertainment Weeklyand remarked,
I don’t think he’s as screwed-up as other people do. I think he is a guy who’s got a tremendous amount of love for his family. He was willing to die for his sons, willing to put himself in a place to where he could lose his life for revenge on what killed his wife.
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Adding to this, the 58-year-old actor continued to say,“Maybe he wasn’t a big hugger and he didn’t say the right things when he should’ve — and there’s a bigger picture about getting your kids into hunting ghosts that I should acknowledge — but I think at his core he really loved his family and was willing to sacrifice everything.”
Despite John Winchester’s ‘wrongdoings’, long-term fans of the series would acknowledge that, after all, he was, in fact, a good dad. He too was unaware of his wife’s ‘hunting past’ and the deal she made with Azazel to keep him alive.
While navigating this sudden realization of ‘reality’, grappling with the loss of his wife, and his desire for revenge, his actions – although unpardonable – do deserve some empathy. Even though he might not have been the Dad thatJensen Ackles’ Dean andJared Padalecki’s Sam deserved, both brothers loved and admired their dad, given how he died trying to save his sons.
At the Same Time, He Also Acknowledges John Could’ve Done a Better Job
In spite of defending hisSupernaturalcharacter, Jeffrey Dean Morgan does believe John Winchester could have done a better job. While navigating his grief and dealing with his wife’s tragic death, John ignored his young boys.
Not only would heleave them aloneat motels while going on his hunting trips, but he was also a rough and strict father, especially and occasionally only to Dean. While Sam got his brief chance of making an escape, it was Dean who had to sacrifice his life again and join the ‘family business’, only because John got him into it at the start.
Instead of just making his sons soldiers and monster killing machines, he could have also been present for them emotionally – something that his friend Bobby usually ended up doing. Hence, while Morgan believes John was inherently a good father, he added that the hunter could have done a better job.
As a parent, he could’ve done things better certainly, and I think whenever we get a chance to look back at our lives, we all think we could’ve done things better. In this episode, he sees what he has done and what he has created with his sons, and there’s going to be moments where we get to address those with each son separately and as a unit, and that’s what makes this episode special.
Addressing hischaracter’s returnin the series’ 300th episode, Morgan is right after all. John did end up apologizing to his sons, acknowledging the many mistakes he made. While Dean and Sam might have hated him growing up, they too realized that being a hunter and losing people close to them was not easy for John, hence, they had already forgiven their Dad a long time ago.
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While the debate regarding John Winchester being a good father will continue to brew, we can’t deny the fact that it was, in fact, his parenting that made our favorite TV brothers so good at their jobs. If John hadn’t taught them to survive or played the rough parent, Dean and Sam might have died on a hunt a long time ago or might not even have the beloved brotherly bond that madeSupernaturalso special.
Supernatural is currently available to be streamed on Netflix.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
