TVSquad

Creator Erik Kripke, and producers Ben Edlund and Sera Gamble talked a lot about Supernatural at Comic-Con on Sunday. The show is entering the fifth chapter in Kripke's five year vision. But check out this quote from the show's creator: "We're not going to stretch this one out past its expiration, we're not going to drag this one into a place it isn't. We're going to tell this one the way it's supposed to be told, and it's going to end, but another story can begin."

Imagine that. No pressure from the network to stretch it out and stall and add Nikki and Paulo to distract the audience for awhile. Letting a creator's vision play out as intended? How very ... modern of them. Less exciting is that Kripke was, well, cryptic as to whether or not he'd stay on for a sixth season should the show return; and it will.

Being a fan of a "cult" show is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, cult fans are a special breed that live and die with the show. Shows that manage to shore up a devoted (or rabid) fan base can expect to stick around for a decent amount of time. On the other hand, these fans are notoriously finicky and can turn on you in an instant.

I imagine that Supernatural creator Eric Kripke has to feel somewhat the same way. While it's the base that's kept him at the CW for the past four seasons, he must realize what a demanding, petulant and critical bunch we are. Supernatural fans haven't yet reached the Trekkie level, but they seem to have an endless stream of complaints. So, as we approach the season finale of Supernatural, I have to wonder, do fans have too much of a say in what's going on with the series?

Lead characters are extremely important for TV series, as they are the basis of the shows' storylines. However, to make said lead characters shine and make the storylines interesting, supporting characters must be introduced. Sometimes, those characters have a major impact on a series and even end up becoming leads. Just see how Ben Linus on Lost was set to appear in a few episodes, but ended up being so helpful to the storyline and loved (or hated) by the fans that he became an integral part of the series and is now a major player on the show.

That compelled me to make a list of new supporting characters who helped make their series better this season. Since my list only has 10 items and because I don't watch all current TV series, I will have missed tons of supporting characters, so feel free to add to the list by commenting below. However, note that I restricted my list to supporting characters that were introduced THIS season. So the Ben Linuses of the TV world are not on the list.