How Fandoms Shape Us: Why We Become So Obsessed with Our Favorite Characters

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There’s something about getting swept up in a fandom that makes it feel less like you’re just watching a show and more like you’re living it.

It’s those nights where one episode turns into five, and you’re too invested to sleep. You find yourself yelling at your screen as if the characters can hear you or discussing plot points with the kind of conviction that makes your friends wonder if you need an intervention. It’s the adrenaline rush from reading fan theories that are either spot-on or hilariously off-the-mark.

Lately, this has been my reality as I’ve plunged into Supernatural, that beautifully chaotic show that’s about way more than just hunting monsters. This series has been my latest rabbit hole, and let me tell you—it’s been a wild, emotional ride.

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Why do we get so attached? Why do we let these characters take up real estate in our heads and hearts? It’s not like Sam and Dean Winchester are going to burst through my front door, grab a beer from my fridge, and ask me for my two cents on saving the world (although, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t hate it).

But here’s the kicker: these characters, with all their messy, flawed humanity, become more than just fictional figures. They reflect the parts of us that we might not even be brave enough to admit out loud.

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Take Dean Winchester, for instance.

He’s the epitome of the emotionally guarded, fiercely loyal older brother who hides his vulnerability behind layers of humor and bravado.

Watching him fight for his family, carry burdens he doesn’t share, and try to make the world a safer place—sometimes at the expense of his own happiness—hits close to home. It’s raw. It’s real. And it’s impossible not to see glimpses of yourself in those moments, even if your own battles aren’t with actual demons.

It’s that connection that makes you nod and think, “Yeah, I get that.”

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Then there’s Sam, the gentler, introspective sibling who’s always questioning his place in the world. Sam’s need for something more than the life laid out for him, his constant search for meaning, feels almost too relatable, especially as you edge into your 30s and wonder if you’re on the path you’re supposed to be.

You start to ask yourself if it’s time to take a risk or if you should keep playing it safe. Sam’s relentless pursuit of a “normal” life feels like a mirror reflecting our own dreams and uncertainties.

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The magic of a show like Supernatural doesn’t end with the screen; it spills out into the spaces where fans come together. The second you find yourself on a Tumblr thread, reading someone’s painstakingly detailed analysis of an episode, or scrolling TikTok where someone belts out “Carry On Wayward Son” with tears in their eyes, you feel it—that sense of belonging. You’re not just a solo fan; you’re part of a community that gets the highs and lows, the inside jokes, the heartbreaks. It’s a silent nod across the internet that says, “I see you, and yeah, I feel it too.”

Fandoms like this one turn TV shows into shared experiences that stay with us. They become more than entertainment; they’re emotional touchstones. Rewatching Supernatural now, as an adult, is a mix of nostalgia and newfound appreciation. I see its themes of loyalty, redemption, and finding family in unexpected places with a clarity that wasn’t there the first time around.

It’s like rediscovering an old friend who somehow understands where you are in life now, even though nothing has really changed.

So when we talk about the “fandom effect,” it’s not just about being obsessed with a show. It’s about what that obsession brings into our lives: connection—to the characters, to others who love them as much as we do, and ultimately, to the parts of ourselves that we might only let surface when the credits roll.

And sometimes, diving headfirst into that world is the self-care we didn’t even know we needed.

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🌷  Signed, MJ