Looking Back at When ‘Supernatural’ Brothers Saved a Hudson Valley Town

It goes without saying that everybody has a favorite show to watch. Sometimes your favorite show is the one that is the most popular, the one that everyone and their mothers watch and sometimes your favorite show is the niche show that some have never heard of.

Well as a 29 year old man my favorite show for as long as I can remember has been 'Supernatural'. The show starred Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki as hunters Sam and Dean Winchester. I've watched and rewatched every episode from the shows 15 season, 16 year run and while rewatching an episode recently, I was reminded of the time Sam, Dean and Baby (Baby is the BEAUTIFUL 1967 Chevy Impala they drive) payed a visit to the Hudson Valley.

Supernatural Introduction

The episode of 'Supernatural' that I am referring to came early on in the show's history. It was Season 1, Episode 19 titled: Provenance. Now for those that don't know Supernatural's overarching story involved both brothers saving the world on numerous occasions fighting all sorts of angels, demons, monsters and whatever else you can think of.

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However, early on in the shows history, 'Supernatural' followed what fans called the "Monster of the Week" format. Every week it was a new state, city or town where a rumor or piece of news caught the brothers attention and they'd investigate, discover, and defeat whatever it was causing trouble. At same time, they'd also look for leads on finding their dad John Winchester (played by Jeffery Dean Morgan) and the demon that killed their mother Mary Winchester.

Supernatural Provenance in New Paltz

In the episode 'Provenance', Sam and Dean found themselves paying a visit to the Hudson Valley, landing in the Town of New Paltz. In the episode Sam and Dean travel to New Paltz when two homeowners end up dead. These had just purchased a new and incredibly creepy, old portrait.

With some studying at the local library and some help from character Sarah, the daughter of the Auction House Owner, Sam and Dean discover the dark history of the family in the portrait, the Telesca's.

A Ghostly Climactic Ending

Upon discovering the truth regarding the portrait, Sam, Dean and Sarah are confronted by the spirit that haunts the it which also killed its previous owners. There's only one problem, they don't how to kill it.

In Supernatural, ghosts and spirits were dealt with usually by salting and burning the bones of the deceased. Destroy the remains, destroy the spirit, but in this case the spirit had already been cremated before, so how do you get rid of it now?

It's at this moment while fighting the spirit off that Sarah recounts to Sam that back in the past, items like toy dolls, used to be made in the image of their owner, some dolls would even use the real hair of the person they were modeled after. In this case the hair of the doll the spirit was originally entombed with acted as the remains.

While Sam and Sarah fight off the spirit, Dean races to the mausoleum and retrieves the doll. It's at this exact moment that Sam is knocked down by the spirit and Sarah looks to be the next victim. Sam throws himself in the way ready to sacrifice himself, while at the same time, Dean successfully sets the doll ablaze, destroying the remains and defeating the spirit.

The following morning, with the case closed, Sam and Dean are ready to leave New Paltz and head to the next town. Before they leave though, Sam and Dean say their goodbye's to Sarah. Throughout the episode, a romantic tension can be felt between Sarah and Sam. The two share a goodbye kiss, with what some may perceive as hopes of a potential return in the future.

Carry On

So yeah, I was not lying when I said how big of a fan of 'Supernatural'. Call me biased but it's a phenomenal show with loads of action, drama, comedy and much more. It's also pretty cool when a show like "takes place" in a place you know, even if it was just one episode.

For those that have watched it, I know you love it. For those that haven't watched it, I encourage you to watch it. Come on now, with streaming you'll be done with 15 seasons by 2025.