Supernatural’s Groundhog Day Episode Explained A Season 15 Ending Plot Hole 12 Years Earlier

Supernatural tied up everything in season 15, but it also ended with a plot hole. Fortunately, an early episode in the series explains this.

A Supernatural season 3 episode can explain a plot hole in the season 15 finale. Sam and Dean Winchester have always brought each other back, or at least tried to. It all started with John Winchester when he traded his soul for Dean’s in season 2, “In My Time of Dying.” Dean then continued the tradition after Sam died in season 2, “All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 1.” An on it went for the majority of Supernatural.

There was one time Dean respected Sam’s wishes when he went to live with Lisa after they had trapped Lucifer in the cage. Dean intended to save Sam, but Sam didn’t want to risk Lucifer returning. Castiel didn’t listen to Sam, though. This time it was Cass that resurrected one of the brothers. He also brought Dean back in the Supernatural season 4 premiere, “Lazarus Rising.” So the brothers didn’t always ignore each other’s wishes.

Supernatural’s “Groundhog Day” Can Explain Why Sam Never Brought Dean Back

When Dean died at the end of the series, Sam didn’t try to bring him back, which was uncharacteristic of the brothers, but there’s an explanation for this in Supernatural season 3, “Mystery Spot.” Sam watched Dean die repeatedly as the Trickster (aka Gabriel) tried to teach Sam a lesson. That lesson was that no matter what he did, he couldn’t save his brother. He knew this was an inevitable outcome of their job. If it weren’t on this hunt, it would be on another, especially since it had already happened. Sam and Dean have died several times, with Dean dying the most in Supernatural.

Mystery Spot could also be why Sam went on one last hunt before he retired. He could follow in his brother’s footsteps if he continued the family business. Dean would never retire, but Sam always dreamed of a life outside of monsters. He kept getting pulled back in with a sense of duty, but after he gave Dean a hunter’s funeral, he could finally seek the life he once dreamed of.

Other Reasons Sam Didn’t Revive Dean After Supernatural

From a young age, Dean was in charge of keeping Sam safe. Dean practically raised Sam when their father was hunting monsters. Then John told Dean if he couldn’t save his brother, he would have to kill him. The burden always fell on Dean to protect his little brother. Sam never grew up with that burden. While Sam did try to save Dean at the end of season 3, when Dean was sent to purgatory in Supernatural, he didn’t look for him. All his family was gone, and Sam chose to leave behind the thing that caused it. That’s likely the reason he decided to leave hunting at the end of the series.

Another reason Sam could not have ignored Dean’s wishes was this was the first time either of them died without Chuck pulling the strings. It wasn’t clear if Sam could even bring Dean back since Jack was in charge and wouldn’t meddle in people’s lives. Sam and Dean could only come back to life in Supernatural so many times because Chuck wanted it to happen. While Dean would have likely tried no matter the odds, Sam learned his lesson from Mystery Spot and chose to let Dean die in peace.