The world of Supernatural is one of the most complex ones, involving several ‘supernatural’ entities and events that would leave even the most sane of us confused if one hasn’t been keeping track of it since the start. However, for fans of one of the longest-running series, it is precisely this complexity and its penchant for chaos that makes it as delightful and mesmerizing to watch.
While the Winchester brothers, aka Dean and Sam Winchesters, are the main draw of the show, Supernatural boasts a long list of memorable characters, both the nice and evil ones, that have now assumed the status of ‘fan-favorite.’ One of these characters is the demon Meg Masters.
Having made her debut in the first season of the show and later in the second season as possessed Sam, the production ultimately cast Rachel Miner for the role in season 5 after original star Nicki Aycox was not available. As it turns out, recasting (which is a normal happening on the show) turned out to be the best thing for Supernatural as well as the character.
It was Miner’s portrayal that made Meg so enjoyable and lovable to watch, despite her manipulative nature, deceit, and cunning ways. Despite being a fan-favorite, she had to meet her untimely death in season 8. But her death was a long time coming due to some heartbreaking reasons on Miner’s end. So without further ado, here is all you need to know about Meg Masters and why Rachel Miner had to leave the show in season 8.
Rachel Miner Was Cast as Meg Masters in Season 5 of Supernatural
One of the most iconic characters of Supernatural, Meg Masters is also a beloved demon who evolved into one of the most followed characters in the show. Introduced in Season 1 of the series, she initially served as an antagonist to the Winchester brothers after it is revealed she is the daughter of Azazel, the demon that killed Mary Winchester.
Portrayed by Nicki Aycox in the season, Meg is a cunning, unpredictable and manipulative adversary who uses her wits to make the life of Winchesters miserable. A loyal follower of Azazel, throughout the first season, she chases after John Winchester and sets various traps, only to end up being exorcised to Hell in the season finale. Despite her arc and evil nature, it was her complexity that attracted fans towards her, making her a memorable part of the show’s early story arcs.
However, not everyone was happy with how she was killed off given the potential she had. Even executive producer Kim Manners wanted Meg back, relating her to a kind of modern-day or Supernatural version of Cigarette Smoking Man (via IGN). Given fans’ love for the character and the cast and crew being interested in having Meg Masters back, she was revived in season 2 when she possessed Sam (portrayed by Jared Padalecki), and later as a ghost in season four.
But it was in season 5 finally that creator Eric Kripke brought back the character in a more prominent role. Since original actress Nikki Aycox was unavailable, the production decided to cast Rachel Miner (via Digital Spy). Having not seen the series before, the actress avoided copying Aycox’s performance and the result was a character so charming, cunning, witty, and unapologetically confident that the version ended up becoming the best of all (via Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 5).
Reason Why Rachel Miner Had to Leave Supernatural in Season 8
Meg Masters wasn’t just another traditional villain, but was fascinatingly complex and fun to watch. Driven by a deep sense of loyalty to her kind, aka the demons, everytime she clashed with the Winchesters or Team Free Will, the moments were electric, often blending dark humor with hard-to-miss s*xual tension. When Miner stepped into the role in season 5, these traits became more prominent and noticeable.
Instead of continuing what Aycox had made of the characters, Miner didn’t just fill her shoes but made Meg Masters a role entirely of her own. Retaining the signature characteristics of the character, her portrayal brought a new depth to her, occasionally showcasing her capacity to commit unexpected acts of good. Thus, capturing the essence of what made Meg masters such a great character, Miner also added a blend of new and interesting elements that made her one of the most beloved figures in Supernatural’s expansive mythology.
Having evolved from a complex and a morally ambiguous character to one of the best ones on the show, Meg Masters met her untimely demise in Season 8’s Goodbye Stranger episode, leaving many unhappy and heartbroken with her sudden exit. However, what many didn’t realize at that time was that Miner’s exit, although a cause of creative choices (see Entertainment Weekly), wasn’t entirely due to plot progression but the harrowing struggle she was facing behind the scenes.
In 2010, the actress was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but was quietly grappling with the physical and emotional challenges of the disease. By the time it came to the eighth season of the show, her symptoms were progressively worse, prompting the production to take a tough decision of killing Meg off to avoid causing further pain and struggle for the actress.
Well, interestingly, they had been supporting me throughout … I had MS with very pronounced symptoms for years, but wasn’t telling anyone. So they were very supportive through the years where I kind of said, ‘I hurt my back,’ or gave excuses, or basically kept it to myself. I tried never to lie flat out, but I just didn’t want to put the burden on anyone else, so I just tried to do my job.
Remarked the actress once to Health Digest. In another interview with Hypable (via Facebook), she praised the crew and cast for allowing her to work as long as she could before quietly developing a story arc to help her quit the show due to her more visible and pronounced health problems.
I was surprised they kept me around as long as they did… The fact that they kept me on is a testament to how decent and not superficial the are, and the fact they kept working around it. But, yeah, they knew something was wrong… it was obviously getting to that point where it was just too difficult.
Hence, aware of her health problems despite the actress not making them known, her character was given a proper send-off. In the eighth season, after Meg is captured by Mark Sheppard’s Crowley, who tortures her for the location of the Word of God tablet, Castiel, and Winchesters come to her rescue. When the King of Hell catches up to them, in a selfless act, the demon sacrifices herself in true ‘Supernatural arc fashion,’ allowing Dean, Sam, and Cass to escape.
Rachel Miner on Working with the Cast and Crew of Supernatural
Rachel Miner has always been candid about working on Supernatural. Even after the end of the series in 2020, the cast is famous for remaining friends and taking part in fan conventions and events as and when they could. Thus, literally being the embodiment of Supenatural’s ‘Family don’t end in blood,‘ Miner has remained close to the cast and crew and is outspoken about her love for them.
Often seen participating in fan conventions along with them, Miner has always spoken positively about her fellow cast and crew members. While talking about being part of the show, she once stated to Health Digest,
That’s just a very special, unique, and incredible experience. The most like a family that I’ve ever experienced in this industry, and I grew up in this industry… And I just feel like it’s a group of people that supports each other. Again, we’re all such different human beings, and yet, there’s so much room for all of it. And there’s such a kind of quiet, and not showy support of each other. And I feel constantly advocated for, just as a human being.
In the same interview, while talking about her diagnoses and struggle, and being supported by the cast and crew, the actress remarked,
I’m aware there was so much effort to help, from both the cast and the crew, just to make my life easier in whatever way that they could, without drawing attention in any way. And then, when I finally did feel like it hit that point where I had to be open, again, there was just a lot of quiet support — which is, I think, often for me, the nicest thing, as an introvert… Just keeping me as part of the conversation, and making me feel welcome in large and small ways, too.
She later even thanked co-star Misha Collins for making her the executive director of his non-profit organization Random Acts and Kim Rhodes for advocating for a ramp to be built to make conventions more accessible to her. Furthermore, such was her enjoyment of playing the character and being with the cast and crew that she even declined a film offer as it clashed with Supernatural’s filming schedule (via Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 5).
Having expressed her desire to return to the show multiple times (via Nerds and Beyond), the actress was brought back in season 15 of the show. Although she did not get to play Meg Masters again, she appeared as The Empty, a timeless being existing in void where supernatural entities end up in after their deaths in the show. Assuming the appearance of Meg, the entity only wanted to taunt Castiel since he had awoken it from a long eternal slumber.
While it was a pleasant surprise to see her back, it was commendable to see how the cast and crew accommodated to her disability by making her character appear seated. Thus, from embracing her challenges to accommodating her, Rachel Miner’s journey on Supernatural wasn’t just acting but was more about being part of a tight-knit community that continues to enforce the show’s very fundamental idea that ‘it is a family.’
Supernatural is available to be streamed on Netflix.
