Jensen Ackles stars in “Supernatural”

No one has your back quite like a brother -- two minds thinking alike and working together, like a secret society. When two guys as close as twins keep coming back against all odds, people pay attention. And these two guys? They seem bulletproof. The Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, from the hit fantasy horror series "Supernatural" are the textbook definition of brethren, even when they don't see eye to eye, or, say, when one is possessed by an angel or demon. Even then, they stick together.

Fans of "Supernatural" sure are used to leaps of faith -- be it a network switch or a stretch of logic -- and the unpredictability surrounding the show could be part of what keeps this series fresh and exciting. Making the jump to a new time-slot on Wednesday nights, "Supernatural" airs a new episode Wednesday, March 18, on the CW.

This year marks the series' 10th season, and one thing we hear each time around is that no one expected the show to last quite this long. Consider that each season (with the exception of writers strike-influenced, 16-episode season 3 in 2007) is made up of 22 or, more recently, 23 hour-long episodes, each putting the "super" in "Supernatural." That's well over 200 episodes over its decade-long run, an accomplishment very few shows can boast. But size alone is not what makes this series special.

In an interview with “ScreenFad” at the 200th episode red carpet event in Vancouver, executive producer and show creator Eric Kripke gave credit to the show's two leading men for keeping "Supernatural" alive so long.

“It’s two words: it’s Jared and Jensen," Kripke said. "It’s their charisma, separately, but then much more than that, the connection they have together and sort of this third character that is the brotherhood between them that I think people really cling to. No matter how bad things get, you’ve got family to watch your back. And the way that you fight with your family but you also fight for them. ... I think that’s something that people find very relatable and really connect to.”

Jared Padalecki (“Gilmore Girls,” “House of Wax,” 2005) and Jensen Ackles ("Smallville") -- who play Sam and Dean, respectively -- are the two men Kripke is talking about. They are the driving forces behind one of the most dedicated TV fanbases, but Padalecki insists that the fans are very forgiving for what they do, especially since there's an elasticity to playing Sam, which he explained in an interview with “Flicks and the City.”

“Usually the character becomes stagnant or stale or boring, but we do so many crazy wild things, and we are able to because the fans forgive us and stay with us. 'Supernatural' is such a show that you can do anything. You can become a demon, become an angel … we can literally go anywhere and we almost have.”

Jared Padalecki as seen in “Supernatural”

This kind of elasticity and willingness of the creators to experiment is found in the character Castiel, an angel who has become like family -- for better or worse -- to the Winchester brothers. Fans fell for the angel’s cold charm, and a character originally introduced for a six-episode story arc was suddenly written into the rest of the season. Castiel, played by Misha Collins (“ER,” “Divine: The Series”), became a series regular five years ago and has been included in most storylines since.

“I didn't expect for my character to survive past the first three episodes,” Collins told KSITE-TV during the red carpet event, “let alone past the first year, nor did I expect the show to last more than a couple years at that point. I don't think that any of us ever dared to imagine that we'd be here at the 200th episode.”

Collins also told "ScreenFad" that he thinks there's a variety of reasons why "Supernatural" has survived and thrived for so long, and it centers heavily on the fact that the show's loyal following is so close-knit and involved.

"I think it’s a combination of different factors," he said. "One, the show is just something that [fans] have loved watching over the years. They’ve gotten to know the characters, they’ve gotten to know the mythology. It’s something that really gels and obviously works. Also, we have a great interaction with the fans."

It is the brotherhood, the teamwork and the togetherness on- and off-screen that has kept this show rolling for over a decade. Sebastian Roché (“General Hospital,” “The Originals”), who plays the corrupt angel Balthazar, summed up the sentiment.

"I think the thing that resonates the most is that we truly don’t take ourselves seriously," he told "ScreenFad." "I mean, the [fans] also love the characters, the sort of archetypes of Sam and Dean, two brothers who love each other. It’s not only the adventures they go on, it’s the bond that they have as a family. I think it really is the love that all the characters have for each other."

"Supernatural" has been a staple on the CW (and formerly WB) for a decade, now. Clearly they're doing something right, and the fans keep coming back. Follow Sam and Dean Winchester from heaven to hell and back again, and scare up something wicked Wednesday, March 18, when "Supernatural" rides in to the CW with a new episode on a new night.