Eleven seasons of The CW’s Supernatural have defied expectations already, raising the eternal question of when Sam and Dean might finally park the Impala for good. Heading into Season 12, however, both stars and producers are aiming for 300 episodes, which could mean a series finale in a shortened fourteenth season.

Take this with a grain of salt for the moment, as CW bosses have repeatedly expressed intent to keep Supernatural alive so long as ratings hold, and stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki remain aboard. That said, recent Entertainment Weekly conversations with longtime producer Robert Singer, Ackles and Padalecki suggest a shortened 14th season might finally bring Supernatural closure:

Episode 300 would take the show 13 episodes into season 14, or all the way through season 14 if they did a shortened season, something Ackles and executive producer Bob Singer have talked about as a potential option. “We talked about wanting to be able to know when our end was, and if it was to be, let’s say, 300 episodes, we could tell a 13-episode story,” Singer says. “I think it would be bad for this show to just ride off in the sunset without a finale. I think we’ve earned that. I don’t know what that finale is, but we’d certainly like to do one.”

Both Padalecki and Ackles view 300 episodes as the next major milestone to strive toward, though Padalecki in particular seemed to agree with ending the series with such a robust milestone:

If we don’t make it to 300, I think Ackles and I will both be truly bummed. When we get to 300, I think Ackles and I will think it might be time to say bye. There’s a chance that changes, but we certainly do not take it for granted that we’re going to make it to 300.

In the meantime, Season 12 of Supernatural will premiere on Thursday, October 13, but might 2018 or 2019 finally bring an end to the Winchesters’ hunt?

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