Blu-ray sneak peek: Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles talks ‘trying to hold back tears’ on series finale set

Supernatural may be gone from its perennial place in TV time slots, but The CW’s long-running series is about to settle into a long and well-earned afterlife. Next week marks the home video arrival of Supernatural’s just-concluded final season; as well as a mammoth, series-spanning set compilation that covers all 15 seasons on Blu-ray and DVD.

That means plenty of behind-the-scenes extras, gag reels, featurettes, and more — including this exclusive sneak peek at star Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) and executive producer Robert Singer, who along with the show’s longtime crew members were deep in their feels as the series wound down its emotional last days on set.

Right from the start of the clip, it’s clear that turning the lights out one final time on 15 seasons’ worth of memories was tough for everyone involved. Ackles and costar Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester) took the Supernatural faithful on an epic journey; the kind of long-term road trip that served up real-life mile markers as the years rolled by — not only for the fans; but for the stars, creative team, and crew themselves.

Ackles’ eyes get misty as he lets the very last page of the script do the talking:

“The scenes that were filmed on our last day on the sound stages were filled with the most emotion of the final episode,” Ackles reflects, as he and Singer talk about the bittersweet mood among the cast and crew. “…They’ve been working on this set and been a part of this family for just as long, if not longer, than the set’s been around. I was like, ‘It’s really sad seeing this get taken down’ — and the other guys said, ‘I’m trying to hold back tears while I’m swinging this hammer.”

Whether it’s retracing the series' final season or going back the very beginning to relive the entire show from its 2005 debut, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is giving fans a taster’s choice next week, when both Supernatural: The Fifteenth and Final Season and Supernatural: The Complete Series arrive on Blu-ray and DVD.

Supernatural: The Fifteenth and Final Season contains the series’ final 20 episodes, plus a bonus disc packed with more than two hours of special features — including the special retrospective episode Supernatural: The Long Road Home, as well as a pair of disc-exclusive featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

If that sounds deluxe, the full 15-season set pretty much spares no expense to give fans the complete Supernatural experience. Supernatural: The Complete Series contains each and every one of the series’ 327 episodes, “as well as countless hours of bonus features from all 15 epic, not-to-be-missed seasons,” the studio teases. On top of that, The Complete Series comes with a 68-page collectible book loaded with new images, set designs, and even “letters to the Supernatural Family” from Singer, as well as series creator Eric Kripke.

Both collections are set to arrive on May 25, with Supernatural: The Fifteenth and Final Season ringing in at $44.98 (DVD) and $49.99 (Blu-ray). To ride along for the full 15-season experience, hop in the Impala with Sam and Dean by picking up Supernatural: The Complete Series for $329.99 (DVD) and $359.99 (Blu-ray).