Supernatural Spin-Off News: Meet The New Gang

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We finally have some news about the proposed Supernatural spin-off. Unfortunately there will not be a female lead but, according to TVLine, producers are looking to cast an African-American actor as Ennis Roth the “de-facto star” of the supposedly ensemble cast. If The CW actually follows through, a POC lead might be enough to make what appears to be a rather boring bunch of characters watchable. So let’s look at what TVLine told us about the key players of Supernatural: Tribes.

While I wasn’t sure what to expect in a Supernatural spin-off, I have to say I’m not exactly enticed by what we have seen so far.  The list of characters provided by TVLine includes:

Ennis Roth is “likable, strong-willed, resolute, with a strong sense of justice”, a tragic death to mark his heroic origins and probably daddy issues.

David Hayden is a shape-shifter from some kind of supernatural mob family but lives as a human so clearly has a bunch of self-hatred.

Margo Hayden is David’s sister, “professional, strong-willed, determined” and ambitious. She’s the new head of her family in the wake of a tragedy.

Violent Durant is a werewolf and part of another supernatural mob family. She’s in a Romeo & Juliet romance with David.

Julian Durant is Violet’s brother, he’s “savagely handsome, strong, arrogant” and is Ennis’s arch nemesis.

Freddie Costa is “a world weary cop in his 30s”. He knew Ennis’s dad and he has a secret.

So basically, a dude with a daddy-inspired hero complex is thrust into the supernatural world after a tragic loss. He meets another issue-fueled dude who happens to be a shapeshifter who is in love with a werewolf he is supposed to hate. There’s also a dangerously ambitious woman, an irrationally protective brother and an older male mentor with a secret.

I’m certainly not falling of my seat in anticipation because this story doesn’t seem offer anything particularly new.

That said, if Ennis does end up being a POC that could add a little something to this otherwise bland premise. But it’s still disappointing that in a cast with six key characters there are only two women, one of which is doomed to a Romeo & Juliet romance (because that always works out so well).

To be honest, I wasn’t particularly interested in this spin-off before and I am even less now. We will just have to wait and see if the backdoor pilot will be enough to convert me. Heads up though, if the person close to Ennis that is murdered is a woman, I will not be watching this show.

Author: Undie Girl

Undie Girl (aka Von) has a BA (Hons) Major in Cultural Studies. The title of her honours thesis was “It’s just gay and porn”: Power, Identity and the Fangirl’s Gaze. She’s currently pursuing a Masters of Media Practice at University of Sydney. Von’s a former contributor The Backlot’s column The Shipping News and a current co-host of The Geekiary’s monthly webcast FEELINGS… with The Geekiary.


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3 thoughts on “Supernatural Spin-Off News: Meet The New Gang

  1. I’m remaining neutral on the spin off for now, but the thought of a POC lead has certainly perked my ears up. Looks like they might be trying to correct the “cis het white dude lead” problem of the original show. I love Sam, Dean, and Cas, but we need some reoccuring women, POC, queer, and/or trans characters in lead spots on shows. I’m glad they’re making an effort. Also 2 women out of 6, while clearly not equal, is sadly better representation than a lot of shows. I’m not saying we should be happy with table scraps, but putting it into perspective 1/3 isn’t too terrible. The fact that one is written purely for a romance plot, though, is depressing.

    I’m going to give this show a shot, though. We have so little information that these characters could end up being fleshed out. Maybe the romance won’t be cliche. Maybe we will have a POC lead. Maybe one of these characters will be queer. Maybe the women will have a bigger part to play than some of the men. Who knows. I share many of your concerns, but I’m hoping for the best.

    I hope they have a panel at Comic Con. I’ll definitely be there. 🙂

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