A few months ago Supernatural’s eighth season ended, bringing about some large changes for the show. Following their Hall H panel at Comic-Con this past weekend Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard, Robert Singer, and Jeremy Carver spoke to the press about what we can expect when season 9 gets under way. Be warned that there are SPOILERS for the season 8 finale and season 9. You have been warned!
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We start with Executive Producer Jeremy Carver explaining where season 9 begins:
“It’s a broken landscape this season so we don’t start out with the big, big bad is right there at the get-go like, “I'm going to kill you.” Because even our big bads – Crowley found a stroke of humanity in him at the end of last year. So suddenly we find ourselves in the position of “Wow is there something more to this guy? Is there something more to watching this guy’s journey?” And I feel like that’s what we’re trying to do with all of our main characters this year in terms of we’re always trying to find another aspect of their personality that maybe we haven’t showcased. I'm really excited about the character moves that we’re making. There may be certain moves that some of our characters make that some fans don’t like, but I think they’re going to understand them, and we’re all going to have to live in that world. Particularly the characters that make those decisions are really going to have to live in that world. We’re really going to be driving the mythology around a big thing we can’t talk about. But we created a lot of stories this year that feel really fresh and a little bit different than the past in that we are taking time to do B stories in a way that we have never done before. We’re spending a lot of time with Crowley, we’re spending a lot of time with Castiel as these two guys who come to grips with their new reality.”
Robert Singer, who has been Executive Producer from the beginning of the show, is excited for the opening episodes of season 9, saying:
“I think this season’s first three episodes that are setting up our world are all pretty special. I think the fans are really going to dig what we’re doing. We start and put a lot of balls in the air that will take us through 23 episodes. Will they be surprised? I think there’s a real surprise in the first episode that nobody’s going to see coming and there’s going to be a few gasps. I'm really happy with the first three. They pretty much set the season mythology up…We’re off to a good start.”
With the Brothers choosing one another over the trials, Jensen Ackles talks about the new dynamic between Sam and Dean:
“Well obviously, we know that they chose each other over the trials and the closing of hell. And I think that was probably not shocking to most people because it is what the show is about, this brother bond that they have. The fact that they have wilfully chosen each other means that they are now going to need each other more than ever. Because now they are going to have all this other stuff to deal with. And it’s going to be…a free for all on earth now with all these fallen angels, still got the demons, and they've got to find a way to exist amongst all this and still fight the good fight.”
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Secrets being kept has been a long running theme. This season it appears that Dean will be holding back on Sam. When asked what about the new season will surprise fans the most Singer replied:
“I think what happens to Jared and Jensen in the first episode. I think the fans are going to give a palpable gasps and that story plays out over a good period of time and develops. It’s something new for them, we've never done it before, I've never seen it done before…I don’t want to over sell it but I think you guys will like it.”
Ackles also emphasized the importance of Dean’s secret:
“There’s a situation that is happening that Dean is aware of and having to keep quiet about, and it’s a very substantial secret. How that plays out I'm excited to see. That’s what I'm excited about so I guess that would make me excited for other people to see it to. It’s the secret that dean is harbouring right now.”
Jared Padalecki's explanation appears to say that the secret is linked to the after effects of the trials that Sam partook in:
"It’s the cause of another secret and rift between the brothers – and it hasn't happened yet because Sam doesn't know about the secret. But Sam obviously didn't get better when he stopped the trials. It wasn't like, “Dude, stop the trials or you’re going to die” “Oh, okay.” And then they skip off…It’s going to be in every episode, but it happens in the first. It’s continuous, and Sam doesn't know, but he is heavily involved. It’s so cool. It has made me more excited about shooting this season than any other season we've shot.”
We see the angels fall from heaven in the season finale. How will that effect the world? According to Carver:
“It changes the world in a serious way. It’s a main story threat for the year. Jeremy was saying that this is the first time that they've chosen themselves over a mission and the consequences of that [decision] is really what this season is about. And the angels are a big part of that. Because they’re kind of lost down here so there are factions that’ll group together, they’re trying to get back into heaven, how do you do that? So it’s really rich stuff. That’s a big part of the season.”
Will the angels blame the Brothers for their new predicament?:
“Not totally. I think the blame is being spread around a little bit and I think in the search for answers the angels are cutting quite a wake. Because they can. They have the power. They want to know why they ended up here, how they ended up here, and what they’re supposed to be doing.”
When asked if we might see Gabriel now that the angels have been expelled to earth, Carver side-stepped the question, saying:
“Well there’s various interpretations as to who’s still kicking and who isn’t. I will say that all the angels fell. So well be seeing angels that even other angels haven’t seen for reasons that will become apparent.”
The Supernatural team did drop hints on some other returning fan favourites. Ackles noted the creative team’s responsiveness to audience reactions:
“I think one of the great things about our show is that the writers and directors pay attention to feedback. They know when things stick and they know when things don’t stick. I think it’s very intelligent of them to utilize the ones that work. Look, Jared and I having characters that we can have a relationship with – it’s very difficult to establish a relationship with just one episode, so the more characters that we get to create story lines and relationship with, the richer the show becomes. Benny’s been one of my favourite characters since day one. I love how we tie it in with the character, I love how he’s written, and I love the bond that he and Dean have. I think that was really richly layered in a way that we haven’t seen in some time. I hope they bring him back.”
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Jim Beaver, who plays fan favourite Bobby Singer, has announced that he will show up at some point this season. Carver confirmed this, saying:
“We’re going to see Bobby and I can’t say too much about it, but we’re going to see in him a way you won’t expect, but also in a way that’s true to our show mythology and our lore. We are not suspending the laws of Supernatural to bring this person back. There’s a very understandable way in which we’re seeing this guy. Many people are making guesses, and with the landscape the way it is you can probably imagine…or not.”
Robert Singer (who Bobby gained his name from) also mentioned Bobby’s return:
“Jim Beaver’s coming back…we’re going to see him in a way that hasn't been seen before. Fans of the show know that nobody that they really love or really hate is gone forever.”
Singer went on to describe the issues that Castiel will be facing now that he is mortal:
“It’s a really interesting character development for him. He has a real progression over the first half of the season of being really lost. He doesn't have any money, he can’t teleport, and he doesn't know how to drive. He says at one point to another character, “Wow, this having to urinate regularly is really a drag.” He has to feed himself. He has to live as a human. As he goes along and becomes more adept he kind of embraces the human life, but as the war between the angels becomes more heated there’s a real push-pull. ‘Do I stay here and do this and be a worthwhile human being? Or do I have to get back into the fray? And if I do how do I do it?’ ”
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Castiel himself, Misha Collins, is looking forward to exploring the day to day aspects of his characters new life:
“There’s this movie called Wings of Desire…it stars Peter Falk and it’s about an angel who wears a trench coat, and I think his name is Casiel…I think maybe the writers saw it before they wrote my character. He falls in love with a woman, and falls to earth because he wants to be with her, and gets to experience all the joys of smelling flowers and sipping coffee and things like that for the first time. From the beginning of my tenure on Supernatural I’ve always wanted to do that with Castiel. We dipped into human territory for a moment in season five when he started losing his powers, but we never really explored it and I was kind of disappointed. I’m really happy now because we’re getting into that full on. That’s a huge part of Cas’s story for season nine.”
Castiel is known for his suit and trench coat look. Will we see anything different now?:
“That wardrobe has been the bane of my existence. When I first started I thought it was only going to be three episodes so I went in for the fitting and I was like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, this is fine.” And then I had to wear it for going on six years now and it was quite ill-fitted, pleated – I don’t like pleats. So I did a very subtle reboot of my wardrobe at the beginning of last year. I got a better fitting suit without pleats and a shirt that wasn't actually two sizes too big for me. Cas begins the season in his trademark trench coat, I will tell you that…It’s always possible that Cas could change his clothes. I would love that. And if you think about it now that he’s human, at least change his underwear.”
Singer added:
“The trench coat will always be around somewhere.”
It seems we’ll pick up with Crowley, the King of Hell straight away, with him beaten down and locked up. Actor Mark Sheppard explained:
“I'm still kind of contained where I don’t want to be. I think the biggest problem for Crowley where we left off is Sam trying to cure Crowley, for want of a better phrase, having not happened. They backed away from that. They made the choice to pick each other rather than follow through with the quest, which is the usual way that we've done the show over the years. It leaves a lot of unanswered questions about what happened to Crowley as a result. He hasn't been cured, yet I think the experience has had a profound effect on Crowley. It’s certainly not something he would enjoy experiencing. So we may see the effects of that as we go through.”
Sheppard also talked about the intensity of shooting his finale scene:
“That was so much fun to shoot, the end of last season. Jensen, Jared and I were locked away in that church on that set. Brilliant set, the exterior of it was built there and the interior of it was built on the stage. It was an extraordinary place to be. It was one of the best set designs and set creations I've ever seen. It looked indigenous to the area and it really wasn't. It was an amazing place to be. It was dirty and wet on stage. Three days we were there. Truthfully Jensen was off camera for most of that whole end section. Because we shot my breakdown, or revelation, or journey first, and then we turned around to film Jared’s portion of that, which is just as equally heavy, and just as equally complex to do. And then we went to Jensen finally. So Jensen was off camera for hours and hours and hours and he was delivering exactly the same performance and the same intensity as the rest of us. It was the quietest time we've ever had. No joking. It was very intense. And I think it shows. It plays. It was fabulous. It was a really good ending.”
Padalecki jumped in to say how those scenes were some of this favourites:
“The end scene with Sheppard…that whole build up. It was such an experience. It took me a week to come off of shooting that. It was super intense. It was intense day and night, day after day. It was really, truly a painful experience…I think it worked really well and I think it’s awesome that the writers are giving us stuff 172 episodes in that we still can push ourselves.”
Supernatural has been known to throw in amusing episodes with odd set ups before. Can we expect anything else this year? Carver had this to say:
“We’re going to see a loveable character, Charlie. We’re going to see her early on in a really fun episode that doubles back to the earliest days of Men of Letters. Literally the first to Men of Letters turning a key into a bunker that’s never been used before in 1935. And the first case they’re going into involves a case that goes into the Wizard of Oz in a way that we've never seen that story approached before. We’re going to see a character who I think some people may have thought perished at the end of last season, We’re going to see Sheriff Jody Mills. We’ll see her I think in episode 8. Of course we’re going to see Kevin. We’ll see him right from the get-go.”
Robert Singer joins in to mention an episode he is looking forward to:
“I think the craziest one that’s in the works for us is this Dr. Doolittle episode where dean can talk to the animals. Something went a little awry. That’s our first crazy one, but I’m sure they’ll be some other ones down the line.”
The Winchesters will be returning to the family business on October 15th.
“It’s a broken landscape this season so we don’t start out with the big, big bad is right there at the get-go like, “I'm going to kill you.” Because even our big bads – Crowley found a stroke of humanity in him at the end of last year. So suddenly we find ourselves in the position of “Wow is there something more to this guy? Is there something more to watching this guy’s journey?” And I feel like that’s what we’re trying to do with all of our main characters this year in terms of we’re always trying to find another aspect of their personality that maybe we haven’t showcased. I'm really excited about the character moves that we’re making. There may be certain moves that some of our characters make that some fans don’t like, but I think they’re going to understand them, and we’re all going to have to live in that world. Particularly the characters that make those decisions are really going to have to live in that world. We’re really going to be driving the mythology around a big thing we can’t talk about. But we created a lot of stories this year that feel really fresh and a little bit different than the past in that we are taking time to do B stories in a way that we have never done before. We’re spending a lot of time with Crowley, we’re spending a lot of time with Castiel as these two guys who come to grips with their new reality.”
Robert Singer, who has been Executive Producer from the beginning of the show, is excited for the opening episodes of season 9, saying:
“I think this season’s first three episodes that are setting up our world are all pretty special. I think the fans are really going to dig what we’re doing. We start and put a lot of balls in the air that will take us through 23 episodes. Will they be surprised? I think there’s a real surprise in the first episode that nobody’s going to see coming and there’s going to be a few gasps. I'm really happy with the first three. They pretty much set the season mythology up…We’re off to a good start.”
With the Brothers choosing one another over the trials, Jensen Ackles talks about the new dynamic between Sam and Dean:
“Well obviously, we know that they chose each other over the trials and the closing of hell. And I think that was probably not shocking to most people because it is what the show is about, this brother bond that they have. The fact that they have wilfully chosen each other means that they are now going to need each other more than ever. Because now they are going to have all this other stuff to deal with. And it’s going to be…a free for all on earth now with all these fallen angels, still got the demons, and they've got to find a way to exist amongst all this and still fight the good fight.”
Secrets being kept has been a long running theme. This season it appears that Dean will be holding back on Sam. When asked what about the new season will surprise fans the most Singer replied:“I think what happens to Jared and Jensen in the first episode. I think the fans are going to give a palpable gasps and that story plays out over a good period of time and develops. It’s something new for them, we've never done it before, I've never seen it done before…I don’t want to over sell it but I think you guys will like it.”
Ackles also emphasized the importance of Dean’s secret:
“There’s a situation that is happening that Dean is aware of and having to keep quiet about, and it’s a very substantial secret. How that plays out I'm excited to see. That’s what I'm excited about so I guess that would make me excited for other people to see it to. It’s the secret that dean is harbouring right now.”
Jared Padalecki's explanation appears to say that the secret is linked to the after effects of the trials that Sam partook in:
"It’s the cause of another secret and rift between the brothers – and it hasn't happened yet because Sam doesn't know about the secret. But Sam obviously didn't get better when he stopped the trials. It wasn't like, “Dude, stop the trials or you’re going to die” “Oh, okay.” And then they skip off…It’s going to be in every episode, but it happens in the first. It’s continuous, and Sam doesn't know, but he is heavily involved. It’s so cool. It has made me more excited about shooting this season than any other season we've shot.”
We see the angels fall from heaven in the season finale. How will that effect the world? According to Carver:
“It changes the world in a serious way. It’s a main story threat for the year. Jeremy was saying that this is the first time that they've chosen themselves over a mission and the consequences of that [decision] is really what this season is about. And the angels are a big part of that. Because they’re kind of lost down here so there are factions that’ll group together, they’re trying to get back into heaven, how do you do that? So it’s really rich stuff. That’s a big part of the season.”
Will the angels blame the Brothers for their new predicament?:
“Not totally. I think the blame is being spread around a little bit and I think in the search for answers the angels are cutting quite a wake. Because they can. They have the power. They want to know why they ended up here, how they ended up here, and what they’re supposed to be doing.”
When asked if we might see Gabriel now that the angels have been expelled to earth, Carver side-stepped the question, saying:
“Well there’s various interpretations as to who’s still kicking and who isn’t. I will say that all the angels fell. So well be seeing angels that even other angels haven’t seen for reasons that will become apparent.”
The Supernatural team did drop hints on some other returning fan favourites. Ackles noted the creative team’s responsiveness to audience reactions:
“I think one of the great things about our show is that the writers and directors pay attention to feedback. They know when things stick and they know when things don’t stick. I think it’s very intelligent of them to utilize the ones that work. Look, Jared and I having characters that we can have a relationship with – it’s very difficult to establish a relationship with just one episode, so the more characters that we get to create story lines and relationship with, the richer the show becomes. Benny’s been one of my favourite characters since day one. I love how we tie it in with the character, I love how he’s written, and I love the bond that he and Dean have. I think that was really richly layered in a way that we haven’t seen in some time. I hope they bring him back.”
Jim Beaver, who plays fan favourite Bobby Singer, has announced that he will show up at some point this season. Carver confirmed this, saying:“We’re going to see Bobby and I can’t say too much about it, but we’re going to see in him a way you won’t expect, but also in a way that’s true to our show mythology and our lore. We are not suspending the laws of Supernatural to bring this person back. There’s a very understandable way in which we’re seeing this guy. Many people are making guesses, and with the landscape the way it is you can probably imagine…or not.”
Robert Singer (who Bobby gained his name from) also mentioned Bobby’s return:
“Jim Beaver’s coming back…we’re going to see him in a way that hasn't been seen before. Fans of the show know that nobody that they really love or really hate is gone forever.”
Singer went on to describe the issues that Castiel will be facing now that he is mortal:
“It’s a really interesting character development for him. He has a real progression over the first half of the season of being really lost. He doesn't have any money, he can’t teleport, and he doesn't know how to drive. He says at one point to another character, “Wow, this having to urinate regularly is really a drag.” He has to feed himself. He has to live as a human. As he goes along and becomes more adept he kind of embraces the human life, but as the war between the angels becomes more heated there’s a real push-pull. ‘Do I stay here and do this and be a worthwhile human being? Or do I have to get back into the fray? And if I do how do I do it?’ ”
“There’s this movie called Wings of Desire…it stars Peter Falk and it’s about an angel who wears a trench coat, and I think his name is Casiel…I think maybe the writers saw it before they wrote my character. He falls in love with a woman, and falls to earth because he wants to be with her, and gets to experience all the joys of smelling flowers and sipping coffee and things like that for the first time. From the beginning of my tenure on Supernatural I’ve always wanted to do that with Castiel. We dipped into human territory for a moment in season five when he started losing his powers, but we never really explored it and I was kind of disappointed. I’m really happy now because we’re getting into that full on. That’s a huge part of Cas’s story for season nine.”
Castiel is known for his suit and trench coat look. Will we see anything different now?:
“That wardrobe has been the bane of my existence. When I first started I thought it was only going to be three episodes so I went in for the fitting and I was like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, this is fine.” And then I had to wear it for going on six years now and it was quite ill-fitted, pleated – I don’t like pleats. So I did a very subtle reboot of my wardrobe at the beginning of last year. I got a better fitting suit without pleats and a shirt that wasn't actually two sizes too big for me. Cas begins the season in his trademark trench coat, I will tell you that…It’s always possible that Cas could change his clothes. I would love that. And if you think about it now that he’s human, at least change his underwear.”
Singer added:
“The trench coat will always be around somewhere.”
It seems we’ll pick up with Crowley, the King of Hell straight away, with him beaten down and locked up. Actor Mark Sheppard explained:
“I'm still kind of contained where I don’t want to be. I think the biggest problem for Crowley where we left off is Sam trying to cure Crowley, for want of a better phrase, having not happened. They backed away from that. They made the choice to pick each other rather than follow through with the quest, which is the usual way that we've done the show over the years. It leaves a lot of unanswered questions about what happened to Crowley as a result. He hasn't been cured, yet I think the experience has had a profound effect on Crowley. It’s certainly not something he would enjoy experiencing. So we may see the effects of that as we go through.”
Sheppard also talked about the intensity of shooting his finale scene:
“That was so much fun to shoot, the end of last season. Jensen, Jared and I were locked away in that church on that set. Brilliant set, the exterior of it was built there and the interior of it was built on the stage. It was an extraordinary place to be. It was one of the best set designs and set creations I've ever seen. It looked indigenous to the area and it really wasn't. It was an amazing place to be. It was dirty and wet on stage. Three days we were there. Truthfully Jensen was off camera for most of that whole end section. Because we shot my breakdown, or revelation, or journey first, and then we turned around to film Jared’s portion of that, which is just as equally heavy, and just as equally complex to do. And then we went to Jensen finally. So Jensen was off camera for hours and hours and hours and he was delivering exactly the same performance and the same intensity as the rest of us. It was the quietest time we've ever had. No joking. It was very intense. And I think it shows. It plays. It was fabulous. It was a really good ending.”
Padalecki jumped in to say how those scenes were some of this favourites:
“The end scene with Sheppard…that whole build up. It was such an experience. It took me a week to come off of shooting that. It was super intense. It was intense day and night, day after day. It was really, truly a painful experience…I think it worked really well and I think it’s awesome that the writers are giving us stuff 172 episodes in that we still can push ourselves.”
Supernatural has been known to throw in amusing episodes with odd set ups before. Can we expect anything else this year? Carver had this to say:
“We’re going to see a loveable character, Charlie. We’re going to see her early on in a really fun episode that doubles back to the earliest days of Men of Letters. Literally the first to Men of Letters turning a key into a bunker that’s never been used before in 1935. And the first case they’re going into involves a case that goes into the Wizard of Oz in a way that we've never seen that story approached before. We’re going to see a character who I think some people may have thought perished at the end of last season, We’re going to see Sheriff Jody Mills. We’ll see her I think in episode 8. Of course we’re going to see Kevin. We’ll see him right from the get-go.”
Robert Singer joins in to mention an episode he is looking forward to:
“I think the craziest one that’s in the works for us is this Dr. Doolittle episode where dean can talk to the animals. Something went a little awry. That’s our first crazy one, but I’m sure they’ll be some other ones down the line.”
The Winchesters will be returning to the family business on October 15th.