Television

What You Need to Know About the SUPERNATURAL Spin-Off WAYWARD SISTERS

by Kendall Ashley
Jan 9 2018 • 10:00 AM

As much fun as the adventures of the Winchester brothers may be, Supernatural fans have long awaited a closer look at another team of masters-of-the-otherworldly: Sheriffs Jody Mills and Donna Hanscum, and Jody’s adopted daughters Alex and Claire. Heeding our prayers, Supernatural producers are gifting us with Wayward Sisters, a show that will kick off in the form of an upcoming episode on Supernatural before taking form as a series all its own.

The show will follow the extended Mills-Hanscum-Jones-Novak extended family and all the dangers they undertake. So to help you get ready for the backdoor pilot, which airs on January 18, here is everything you need to know about the Wayward Sisters so far.

What’s the story?

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While its backdoor pilot will largely play into Supernatural‘s 13th season arc, Wayward Sisters proper will follow the hunting adventures of Sheriff Jody, her adopted daughters, and her friend and fellow sheriff/hunter Donna Hanscum. While Supernatural has been pretty male-heavy, Wayward Sisters is going to give the chance for the women of this universe to shine on their own. As showrunner Robert Singer told us at San Diego Comic-Con this year, “We’ve always loved Jody’s character and the two girls…We think it’s really female-empowering. After 12 years of super-testosterone guys, we’re excited about watching what the women can do.”

Who are the returning characters?

Sheriff Jody Mills

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Sherriff Jody has been working with the Winchesters for years now (and she even had a low-key thing with Bobby before he died). She first joined the hunting universe when her son and husband died thanks to a horrific supernatural event that involved the rising of the dead. If anyone gets supernatural tragedy, it’s Jody. But she’s tough and super loving, and quickly turned her home into a refuge for Claire and Alex, two girls who lost their homes and families thanks to the supernatural.

Sheriff Donna Hanscum

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Sheriff Donna met Sheriff Jody on a sheriff’s retreat that was plagued by vampires. While it wasn’t her first interaction with the supernatural, it was the first she was made aware of. Since learning the truth about the supernatural, Jody and Donna have become great friends and hunters, both helping out the Winchesters and one another whenever possible.

Alex Jones

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Alex is Jody’s first adopted daughter. She was taken from her biological parents by a coven of vampires and used as “bait” to lure in victims. Jody was able to save her and took her in. Unlike Jody, Alex has chosen to stay out of the supernatural life as much as possible.

Claire Novak

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Claire is Jody’s second adopted daughter, and the biological daughter of Jimmy Novak, also known as Castiel’s vessel. Upon losing Jimmy, Claire’s mother spun out of control, leaving Claire to fend for herself. Claire’s mother was killed by another angel, Tamiel, who kept her captive for two years. Understandably, Claire has a lot of rage, and has channeled that into hunting, despite Jody’s desire for her to lead a normal life.

Who are the new characters?

Patience Turner

Patience is a powerful psychic and granddaughter of Missouri Moseley, also a psychic who was good friends with John Winchester. Patience’s father had begged her to stop using her powers and lead a normal life, but she felt too responsible for her friends’ lives when she could see the gruesome fates that awaited them.

Kaia Nieves

Kaia is a dreamwalker with uncontrollable powers. She finds she is often transported to what she calls “the bad place” when she dreamwalks, and had been seeking help from other dreamwalkers to find some peace. Kaia is on her own, but has helped the Winchesters find their mother in the apocalypse dimension.

Wayward Sisters Watch List

If you want a Wayward Sisters crash course, here are the episodes you need to watch!

  • Season 5, episode 15 – “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”: This episode will introduce you to Sheriff Jody for the first time and show you how she got into the supernatural life.
  • Season 9, episode 19 – “Alex Annie Alexis Anne”: In this episode, we not only get to see Sheriff Jody in action as a hunter, but also her rescue and “adoption” of Alex.
  • Season 10, episode 8 – “Hibbing 911”: Though this isn’t Sheriff Donna’s first episode, it is the first where she’s clued into the supernatural realm, and where she begins her friendship with Sheriff Jody.
  • Season 10, episode 9 – “The Things We Left Behind”: This episode reintroduces us to Claire and shows us the troubled, solitary life she’s been leading since losing her father.
  • Season 10, episode 20 – “Angel Heart”: Claire hunts down her mother in this episode, and ultimately loses her. While it’s tragic, the episode ends with Claire being sent to live with Jody and Alex.
  • Season 11, episode 12 – “Don’t You Forget About Me”: If you only have time to watch one episode, watch this one. This was the first episode where we got to see some glimpses of Wayward Sisters. It is our first look at the unique hunting family Jody has created.
  • Season 13, episode 3 – “Patience”: This episode introduces us to Patience, and gives us insight into her powers. It’s also where Jody and Patience first meet.
  • Season 13, episode 9 – “The Bad Place”: In our first introduction to Kaia, we learn about her powerful dreamwalking abilities, as well as the lonely life she’s been leading as she’s tried to find some sort of peace from “the bad place.” It’s also the last episode to air before the backdoor pilot.

Wayward Sisters is a show the fandom has been asking about for quite a long time. Everything about it is shaping up to make it great, namely a cast full of awesome women and some much-needed racial diversity. Unlike Supernatural‘s previous spin-off attempt in Bloodlines, Wayward Sisters will still feel very much like it’s firmly planted in the Supernatural universe. All in all, this spin-off looks like it will be a rad addition to the Supernatural family. We can’t wait!

Are you excited for Wayward Sisters? What are some other episodes you think someone should watch to get ready for the backdoor pilot? Tell us in the comments!

Images: The CW

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