What Is and What Should Never Be (Supernatural)
| "What Is and What Should Never Be" | |
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| Supernatural episode | |
In the new reality in which Mary Winchester never died, Sam and Dean were never exposed to the supernatural world. Real photographs of Padalecki and Ackles as children were edited together to depict their normal childhood.
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 20 |
| Directed by | Eric Kripke |
| Written by | Raelle Tucker |
| Production code | 3T5520 |
| Original air date | May 3, 2007 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"What Is and What Should Never Be" is the twentieth episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's second season. It was first broadcast on May 3, 2007 on The CW. The narrative follows series protagonist Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) who finds himself in an alternate reality after a confrontation with a djinn [sic]. The creature appears to have fulfilled Dean's greatest wish: that his mother had not been killed when he was a child. Dean is happy in the new world until it becomes apparent that his previous work as a hunter of supernatural creatures has been undone. At this point, he rejects the alternate reality, and attempts to find a method to bring himself back.
The episode was written by Raelle Tucker, and marked the directorial debut of series creator Eric Kripke. It featured the return of deceased characters Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith) and Jessica Moore (Adrianne Palicki). Kripke enjoyed expanding upon the character of Mary, who was only briefly depicted in earlier episodes. The production schedule had to be altered to accommodate Palicki, who was simultaneously working on the TV series Friday Night Lights.
Despite obtaining low ratings, the episode acquired positive critical reviews that both praised Ackles' performance and welcomed the return of Smith and Palicki to the series. Tucker also received a Constellation Award for her work on the episode.
The episode begins in an abandoned warehouse, where Dean (Ackles) is attacked by the djinn that he is hunting. He suddenly finds himself in a world in which his mother (Smith) was not killed by the demon Azazel. He and his brother Sam (Jared Padalecki) were not raised to be hunters of supernatural creatures, but are no longer close, as Dean is irresponsible, disloyal, and drinks too much in this alternate reality; when a confused Dean calls him for help, Sam thinks that he is drunk. In the new reality, Dean is dating the beautiful Carmen (Michelle Borth), and Sam is at law school and engaged to Jessica (Palicki)—another victim of Azazel. Although Dean enjoys his new life, a ghostly young woman seems to be haunting him and he is confronted by an image of corpses in his closet. He realizes that all the people that he and Sam had saved as hunters are now dead, that he and Sam have a distant and somewhat adversarial relationship. After visiting the grave of his father John, who died the previous year of a stroke, Dean decides that he must give up his new-found happiness to save them.
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