Supernatural Fans Don't Think Sam And Dean Got Equal Treatment From The Writers

One of the essential elements of The CW's beloved fantasy drama series "Supernatural" is the relationship between brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively). Perhaps what makes this monster-hunting duo so interesting is that both Winchester brothers are immensely different: Sam is far more reserved and cynical than Dean. The enthusiasm for monster-killing of the latter is almost comical when the series begins, with some scenes in "Supernatural" going too far. 

As in any good sibling dynamic, the brothers' inherent differences often lead to plenty of colorful insults and conflicts that fans get to watch on screen. That said, the series still makes it abundantly clear that the brothers care very deeply for one another and respect the fact that they both have value as members of the same team. Unfortunately, some fans claim that the series' writers may not feel the same way — as it seems like one brother is constantly favored over the other.

Fans on Reddit have expressed their annoyance at the series' treatment of Sam Winchester in particular, saying that it's clear (especially in later seasons) that the writers favored Dean and always seemed to give him the most relationships with side characters. "One of my biggest pet peeves [is that] Sam has very few interesting dynamics throughout the show, especially compared to Dean," wrote u/Ultra_Amp. These thoughts were echoed by u/Terrestrious, who explained, "Jensen would largely get all the side-character relationships ... yes, this bothered me."

Even Jared Padalecki has taken note of Sam's apparent lack of close friends within the series, although in his eyes, at least there's a good reason for that. During a panel at JIB Con 2018, Padalecki explained that Sam is "an intellectual ... he finds solace and friendship in books and research, and he enjoys whoever's around them, but he's also a bit more reserved." The actor described how (in the past) Sam ended up losing almost everybody he got close to and that those experiences led to him becoming so reserved in the first place.

Padalecki's comments make it clear that, while Dean certainly has more friends than Sam, this is more a result of their differing personalities and not necessarily a result of unfair treatment by the writers.