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Nearly two decades ago, a fresh horror series premiered featuring a duo known for their other roles. Although the original network faded away, that series, Supernatural, persisted much longer than anybody could have expected. Those actors, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, transformed their parts as monster-fighting siblings into the heart of one of television's longest-running and greatest genre shows.

What allows Supernatural work so well, through 15 seasons, is the incredible range of horror it explored. Sometimes, it functions as a contained slasher, while other stories present large-scale, hellish conflicts between good and evil. On occasion, the series leaned into horror comedy territory. All of it, however, was firmly anchored in the powerful connection of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester. Their journey to defeat evil and the partnership that developed between them held viewer interest for many years.

Although originally conceived as a five-season arc, the show became a far larger phenomenon, embracing elements of practically every subgenre of horror. If you know the show, its appeal is well understood. If you haven't seen it, though, now is your chance.

Supernatural is departing from the platform on Dec. 17, leaving you with just under a seven days to cram in as much as humanly possible. Can you watch all over three hundred episodes? Likely not, but you can at least make an attempt. Otherwise, the vast quantity of Supernatural available allows for several ways to divide the show into curated mini-binges.

The Original Vision

The term "focused marathon" is relative, but if you want the purest form of what Supernatural set out to be from its inception, you'll need to prepare for the first five years. The series was developed by Eric Kripke, who, together with co-showrunner Robert Singer, had a five-year plan from the start.

That narrative began with the reunion of brothers Sam and Dean, as they hit the road looking for their missing, demon-hunting father. During their travels they face off against supernatural entities, and while each season had its own story arc, the series also had an overarching narrative that built to the potential arrival of the apocalypse in the fifth season.

The first five seasons tell a satisfying story, and had the show ended after that, fans would have been satisfied. Indeed, it was conclusive enough for Kripke that he stepped away, leaving others to carry on the story in his absence.

So if you want to experience the story of Supernatural as close as possible, set aside some time for the Kripke era, beginning to end. You can end your watch confident completely you got a definitive Supernatural experience.

The Folklore Episodes

To be fair, asking someone to watch five seasons of TV in a short period is a big ask. Fortunately, there are alternative methods to dip into Supernatural, especially if classic horror stories are your thing. Over its many seasons, but notably in its early years, Supernatural adapted a number of famous urban legends. From Bloody Mary to the wendigo, the series never shied away from the stories we all shared around a campfire.

So forget about serialized plots, and zero in exclusively on the episodes based on iconic myths. (Grabbing a bowl of popcorn and a viewing partner to hold onto is advised.)

For the Classic Horror marathon, add to your list:

• Season 1, episode 1: "Pilot" (Woman in white)
• Season 1, episode 5: "Bloody Mary" (Bloody Mary)
• Season 1, episode 7: "Hook Man" (Hook Man)
• Season 1, episode 12: "Faith" (Boogieman)
• Season 2, episode 1: "Wendigo" (Wendigo)
• Season 2, episode 8: "Crossroad Blues" (Cross Road Blues)
• Season 2, episode 16: "Roadkill" (Ghostly hitchhiker)
• Season 2, episode 18: "Hollywood Babylon" (Haunted movie set)
• Season 6, episode 4: "Weekend at Bobby's" (demon seductress)
• Season 6, episode 8: "All Dogs Go to Heaven" (Skinwalkers)

Watching 10 episodes is way easier than a massive commitment, but that’s nonetheless a sizable chunk. So if you are short on time and still want that satisfying Supernatural fix before it leaves, we have one more choice.

The Wacky Episodes

At some point in its run, the writers behind Supernatural realized they could do whatever they wanted, and the more meta they got, the funnier. Whether that meant sending the brothers to a fan gathering about themselves, plopping them into an alternate reality where they’re actors, or even making them cartoons, no concept was considered too weird for this show.

These are the episodes fans lived for over the long haul. From joining forces with the Scooby-Doo gang or watching a song-and-dance number based on their exploits, the madcap adventures the writers dreamed up were ludicrous and fitting for Supernatural.

For a playlist of the show's most meta episodes, check out these:

• Season 2, episode 18: "Hollywood Babylon"
• Season 4, episode 18: "The Monster at the End of This Book"
• Season 5, episode 8: "Changing Channels"
• Season 6, episode 15: "The French Mistake"
• Season 9, episode 5: "The Real Ghostbusters"
• Season 9, episode 16: "Meta Fiction"
• Season 10, episode 5: "Fan Fiction"
• Season 13, episode 16: "Scoobynatural"

All of these episodes dip into the more comedic side of Supernatural. Make sure to watch with them all, especially "The French Mistake" and "Changing Channels."

If you've read this far, chances are a dedicated fan. And when you are that plugged into the show, you've watched the Kripke cut, you know the urban legends, and your rewatch tally for "The French Mistake" is likely in the teens. Thankfully, the final mini-binge is tailored to you.

The Ghostfacers Cut

That's right, we must mention Supernatural without talking about the meta series, Ghostfacers. Introduced in the first season, the Ghostfacers were a team of very inexperienced ghost hunters making their own reality show. They were goofy, hilarious, and they always left you wanting more.

So, if you're extremely pressed, know Supernatural backwards and forwards, and still want to spend a little time with the Winchester brothers, these six Ghostfacers episodes are a perfect fit.

These are every episode with the Ghostfacers:

• Season 1, episode 17: "Hell House"
• Season 3, episode 13: "Ghostfacers"
• Season 4, episode 17: "It's a Terrible Life"
• Season 5, episode 19: "Hammer of the Gods"
• Season 9, episode 15: "Thinman"
• Season 14, episode 16: "Don't Go In the Woods"

That's multiple approaches to mount a Supernatural marathon without dedicating yourself to 15 straight seasons. So pick your binge of choice above and make the most of the time you have.

And if you really can't manage to catch Supernatural before it exits Netflix on December 17th, don't worry. It will be a different streaming service soon after.