Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women who inspire us. Each week, we will highlight a favorite female character or creator of geeky media. These ladies are a prime example of female empowerment and how crucial it is for young girls to have said example to follow.
DISCLAIMER: The following contains possible spoilers for Supernatural up to the current season. If you are not caught up with the CW show, then you may not want to read on, but if you don’t care about spoilers either way, then continue!
Mary Winchester
Fast Facts:
Mary Winchester (played by Samantha Smith) is the matriarch of the Winchester Family on the CW’s Supernatural. Mary literally died in the first episode of the series and was brought back to life in season eleven. The world of angels, demons, and monsters know the name Winchester well. So being the mother of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) can’t be easy, but Mary is no stranger to the danger. In fact, the boys inherited a lot of their hunter traits from Mary.
Mary Campbell Winchester was born into a hunting family. She caught the attention of the demon Azazel (Fredric Lehne) when she saved a friend from his grasp. Azazel killed her parents and then killed her boyfriend John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Mary made a deal with Azazel for John’s life. Azazel agreed to let her have a normal life away from hunting. In exchange, she agreed to let Azazel visit her in ten years. Mary married John, had two beautiful boys and lived a somewhat normal life. But when her ten years was up, their world would never be normal again.
The Real Deal:
The series begins the night that Azazel returns to Mary’s home. The demon fed his blood to a six month old Sam. When Mary tried to stop Azazel, he killed her. That was the night John became a hunter and set up the premise of the series. It took eleven seasons, but Mary was finally brought back to life as a Thank You from the Almighty himself.
Mary’s adjustment hasn’t been easy. She doesn’t remember her death, so she has basically time jumped 30+ years. Her kids are grown and they are doing the one thing she wanted to protect them from…hunting monsters. The boys look to her for support, while giving her space she needs to rediscover her own identity and aspirations. Of course, no one can be a hunter on their own and Mary had to find that out the hard way. She was brainwashed by the Men of Letters, British edition, and pulled into an alternate Apocalypse world with Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). But through it all, Mary has remained calm, resourceful and brave.
Yet, there is something very sad in Mary’s eyes. In the Apocalypse World, Mary never made that deal for John’s life. And she never married anyone or had any kids. The Winchesters just simply did not exist. So she has seen what her life would have been like if she had made a different choice. It’s obvious that she misses John. Perhaps some being somewhere will grant her the chance to see him one more time. If you haven’t heard by now, the 300th episode is a special one!
Why She Matters:
Mary Winchester represents a much needed female presence in Supernatural. She has had her own adventures where she displays that a female hunter can be just as resourceful and resilient as the boys. Mary isn’t just another Winchester to be reckoned with, she’s a pioneer, warrior, and mentor to all future hunters. The Queen Mother of monster hunters isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
RELATED: Check out our other Geek Girl Authority Crushes of the Week here!
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News Editor, Senior Contributor, and Press Editor. Coordinate breaking news, trailers and press releases. I also contribute reviews, recaps and interviews. Creator of the Indigenerd Wire, a column dedicated to the Indigenous creatives in pop culture.
GGA's resident Indigenerd, a little bit rez, a little bit classy...with a love for all things Star Wars, zombies, science fiction, and Indigenous. My ultimate goal is to start my own podcast.
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