Casting features traditional leads Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as straight white males, with guest stars including diverse appearances like a black female love interest for Dean in Episode 13 'Route 666,' which involves a racist ghost truck targeting black victims—a minor thematic nod to racism critiqued through supernatural justice rather than systemic analysis or lecture. This single episode stands out as the only incidental progressive element in 22 episodes, feeling organic to the horror format rather than forced or narrative-driving.

No race/gender-swapping, prominent LGBTQ+ representation, DEI mandates, or identity politics; female characters are mostly victims or monsters, drawing some retrospective criticism for fridging but not for wokeness. Creator Eric Kripke's intent for the season was entertainment and mythology-building, with no contemporaneous statements on activism.

Audience reception at the time and retrospectively lauds the chemistry, scares, and fun, with no significant backlash labeling it woke—complaints focus on pacing or weak villains, not politics. Later seasons introduced more diversity, but Season 1 remains neutral and traditional.