Comic-Con Supernatural Spoiler Roundup
Now that I've posted and processed all the wonderful interviews, panels, and other things "Supernatural" from Comic-Con, I'm ready to try to put it all together in one Spoiler Page! I'll list first the spoilers I got from my interviews and the panel, and then start accumulating from there. Come back often, for I'm sure I'll be updating this page a few times.
Spoilers from the Supernatural Panel
As we've already learned from the TV Guide and other spoilers, Dean will get out of Purgatory and be reunited with Sam rather quickly. Also, Sam will be getting a "love interest." So what else other than that was revealed?
First, they are really going to try and explore deeper relationships with the brothers and other people.
Jeremy Carver – “They are just as open to new relationships and new beginnings and endings as anyone else in the world. In all seriousness about the beginning of the season we’re going to see that when they were separated at the end of last season it had a profound effect on each of them. Each, obviously as hinted at, has gone a very, very separate way that they will each carry with them what happened essentially in their summer away from each other, it’s more than a summer. The relationships that they made in their time off from each other will carry forward and will be very, very important in each one of their lives. They’re going to have to terms like any partnership with dealing with the new relationship in each other’s life.”
Ben Edlund – “They’re kind of emotional shut-ins that have to learn how to deal with other people. They’ve spent a lot of time in that car together with just like crumpled up snacks and stuff. This is the way looking out to the outside world and connecting. In a way we get to play with another thing to play with we haven’t always. It’s a show that relationships are hard to chart. We’re actually trying to get into more complex and more real human relationships. We’ll see how it goes. Good luck to all of us. It’s a good try.”
Crowley and the Winchester boys will be “chasing after the same thing.” This will lead to a more antagonistic relationship between them this season.
Jeremy Carver had this to say about this season’s theme. “A lot of seasons past the boys have been reacting to things at the beginning of a season. This year for the first time in a long time they are starting the season on offense. They really want something, it ties in very deeply with the mythology, the over arching mythology of the show itself, and something that is very near and dear to their hearts. Notwithstanding all the luggage they bring from their time apart with each other they are very much united in going after this one thing.”
What is that one thing? Ben Edlund said that everyone will be in a chase for a power source of some sort. Yes, this was all explained with a very weird (and hilarious) roller coaster analogy, but that’s why the video needs to be watched!
The episode Jensen is directing is “pretty bloody.”
Jared said this about Sam. “The characters have grown up in front of you, now we get to see what the characters want to be.”
Jeremy Carver, when asked about mythology in season 8, said this. “We’re going to pull back a little bit from the heavy, heavy mythology, it’s always there and it’s always expanding. We’re going to give a chance for our brothers to come out a little bit. I feel like after seven seasons there was a real crushing amount of mythology which was all wonderful but we’re opening it up a little bit more to new areas. There will be one overarching mythology which hopefully carry on for many more years. (That’s) what we’re establishing.”
Interview With Jensen Ackles
The episode he’s directing, which will be episode three or four, is a standalone. It’s going to be a flashback episode on what Sam was doing while Dean was away.
There are going to be some new characters introduced. “There’s going to be a character that gets Dean out. Because “I need you and you need me. Separated we can’t get out but together we can get out.” Obviously that character, he doesn’t go away right away and Dean is indebted to him and of course he’s not a good guy. That is a character that gets introduced in the first episode.” It is a guy, but he won’t give the name.
“Because maybe there’s things that Dean hidden (he) doesn’t want to tell Sam that happened Purgatory, much like his experience in Hell when the floodgates that opened up that one time and he explained what it was like in Hell.”
He gave some good information on the mythology coming up. “We’re dealing with some Mayan Gods. A deal was made back in the Mayan days and it’s proving to affect a few different people in modern day. They are removing people’s organs to use for themselves and use for some sacrifices. Of course Dean doesn’t like that, so he rallies Sam. Sam is more focused on getting Kevin back. Dean is like, look fine, great, but we haven’t found him, we can’t ignore this because this is what we do. So they go off and try to save some people.
Interview With Jared Padalecki
Jared was asked about the love interest. “Her name is Amelia. Her real name is LeAnn. Very sweet girl, I met her Tuesday, we had our little flashback. Most of the love interest stuff we see is in flashback. When the season starts, Sam is no longer with her. I know she will come back to not-flashback at some point in time, but most of her this season will be in flashback form.
Essentially Sam, who walked away from the life when Dean and Castiel disappeared, when Kevin and Crowley disappeared. He was kind of able to for the first time in his life walk away because he wasn’t walking away from anybody as far as he knew. Bobby was gone, Cass was gone, Dean was gone, Kevin was gone. He had no idea where to even start. When Dean when to Hell, (Sam) knew he was in Hell, there was a crossroads deal you go to Hell after that. Sam went to the box, Dean knew he was in the box. Now, maybe he’s in Paris, he’s at the Louvre. There’s no guidelines.
I think Sam was finally able to go, “You know, they’ve vanished, probably not good, Kevin and the King of Hell are gone, who knows where, he doesn’t know where to start. I’ve given enough, given it all, I’ve died, (many times we joke).” I think Sam is able to walk away (with) a storied career, from a successful career hunting.
Jared was asked what he was most excited for the viewers to see this season. He’s looking forward to them fleshing out Sam and Dean a bit. “This is never going to be a show about Sam and Dean’s girlfriends.” He thinks they’re going to be able to add a lot of value to his character. “We saw Sam when Dean was in Hell. He was drinking and he was a mess. He didn’t live a good life and was torturing himself, and hooking up with Ruby. But now we see him able to live a normal life that he’s never been able to do. Even with Jess his brother was still out there, his Dad was still out there, everyone he knew was still out there, they’re still hunting. Now he’s able to just go, “I’m giving the life up. I’m worn.”
“You say the show is about two brothers, but there’s kind of a third character and it’s them. The most important thing is the Sam and Dean relationship, and then there’s some Sam and Dean. But I think fleshing out Sam and fleshing out Dean will add to the Sam and Dean relationship which is the show in my opinion is based on.”
Interview With Jeremy Carver
What’s the overall arc? “What you’re going to see is obviously the boys coming together after some time apart. That’s “to be determined” time right now. It’ll be through flashbacks exploring what each of them went through in the past. We’ll be spending a good amount of time with flashbacks, really informing us of how they are present day. We are really biting off on a slightly different structure for us. We’ve really gone whole hog with that, a story within a story.
You’re going to see the boys come together. How they come together in episode 1 could be interesting but they do come together. They’re going to come together in pursuit of one thing that’s very very personal for them. It harkens back to their earliest days. It signals the moment that these guys are really trying to play off as getting something that they really, really want. If there was a slightly cheesy sounding theme for the first half of the season it would be “This time it’s personal.” Put that on a poster, put that on a bumper sticker, there were go.
While they’re on this quest this together and we’re doing these flashbacks, I’m understanding that the two guys that are riding in that car are probably even more mature than they were at the end of last season.”
“A lot of the season is all about perception. You might think something will seems to be one way at the beginning, I think the fans hopefully will be pleased with that. It’s never quite how you think it is in a very raw emotional way.”
What can he say about monsters? “You’re going to see some ancient Gods again, you’re going to see the boys have a much more contentious relationship with Crowley, you’re going to see Vampires who enjoy boating, also we’ll encounter angels and demons.”
Are comedy episodes coming? Yes, they’re trying to come up with a few. He credited Ben Edlund for handling those types of stories.
What are his goals now that he’s taking charge? “I just feel like the boys have been together for eight years now and they’ve gone through so much, not that it wasn’t but even more so needs to be reflected growth in each guy. You’re a different a guy when your riding around in the car with someone when you’re 22 and when you’re however. He’s your buddy from high school, then at your ten year reunion there’s different kinds of implications. It’s a different way of talking to each other. It can be a little more upfront, a little bit more forward, a little less cagey. Because of the result of their time away from each other they’re sort of, and I think Jared said this in the panel, they’re re-examining who they are and what they want and they’re not afraid to express that with each other.
“Is that a reason why you brought in a love interest from Sam?” Carver had a one word answer. “Yes.”
I asked him if he could tell us exactly how much of a time jump there is. “Not yet,” he answered.
Interview With Misha Collins
Castiel will first be seen in episode two of season eight in flashback form. He will not be in the first episode of the season.
What about Cass in Purgatory in season 8? “We don’t even know if Cass survives Purgatory or not.” Cass goes into survivalist mode in Purgatory and that “stilled his crazy mind.”
Will this change Dean and Castiel’s relationship? “That’s a question that is briefly grappled with and then answered, why Cass abandoned and we get to find out whether it is for good or ill intent early on and that sets the stage for what the relationship’s going to be. So that question gets answered, but I’m not going to answer it.”
Interview With Ben Edlund
What is his first episode? It’s episode five, and it’s got vampires in it. There’s some debate about whether or not it’s vampires that boat. “Yes, they’re technically ‘Vampirates.’” It involves a new way for vampires to get the job done. He again boasts it was the first one he ever did on time. What about the Alpha? He said that will happen, but won’t confirm it’ll be his episode or not.
What was he told about the direction? Jeremy has this interest on the human relationship charged by the mythology underneath it all and it’s his job to hear what the showrunner wants to do and do what he can to get him there.
Any new monsters? He didn’t say, but there is a lot of hearts being ripped from their chests. “Probably by episode 12, maybe we can make a really funny joke about it. Rule of 3.”
Other Spoilers
Clarissa at TV Overmind (who was at a different press table than me) says that a year has passed, but in my interview with Jeremy Carver, he said the time was undetermined at this point. Jensen said at another table to Tim Surrette at TV.com , "I think it's a year or something." So, time frame still remains a question mark.
Clarissa get a soundbite from Ben Edlund that Dean will feel slightly resentful that Sam didn't try to find him and Sam will explain that there are other hunters out there and he chose to go on with his life. "Living a normal life made him realize what he was fighting for all this time. That will ultimately make him a better hunter."
When you put all the spoilers together like this it all sounds so much more compelling.
I’m very interested in Sam’s relationship with Amelia and not just because I am a Sam girl but I think Sam has been lacking in a real emotional storyline for some time now, he needs to make human connections/relationships again. He needs a reason to fight otherwise he’s just going through the motions and quite often standing around in the background not doing or saying much.
Love the idea that Sam gave up hunting and tried for normal, I didnt want him to fall into the same traps as he has before. I think this time was the perfect opertunity to do the right thing, learn from mistakes and walk away. Dean has often said they can not keep bringing each other back the way they do. Besides I’ve heard Sam has a dog and works as a handyman, so awesome and good for him. He deserves something good in his life for a change. I also think that having the expreience with allow him to gain his fighting spirit back, he’ll be fighting for a life he didnt think he would ever have again but now he possibly can.
I’m also interested to see how Benny will affect Sam and Dean’s relationship. Obviously Dean is going to be indebted to the guy (vampire) and he isnt going to be a guy. Something tells me Dean’s Purgatory dealings are going to come back top bite him in the ass as the season goes on. I kinda hope this season is to Dean what season 4 was for Sam or season 6 was for Cas.
Vampires-yes please especially Vampirates, alpha vamps and I’ve heard Benny is also a Vamp.
I dont really car that Dean is keeping secrets from Sam about Purgatory, I think its just part of how they work. Always trying to protect each other from the truth, always scared what the other will think. I like a little drama in their relationship, I certainly wont be jumping on the lets Bash Dean band wagon like so many do with Sam. Plus it adds to the mystery of what Dean got up to, the possibility of him having done questionable things, the possibility of Benny perhaps being able to hold stuff over Dean.
Also not too bothered about Dean being pissed at Sam for walking away from hunting, he himself walked away to persue normal, knowing what was out there. My guess is he’ll get over it pretty quickly.
Crowley as the seasons antagonist? yes please, the mythology sounds good and best of of the Winchesters being pro-active.
I will be very curious to see this new season, sounds very promising to me. From what I’ve read so far, some people are already pissed that Sam decides to lead a normal life instead of trying to find Dean, but I’m of a mind to wait and see how it’s handled before I form an opinion. I have faith in the writers and having Jeremy Carver back is definitely a big plus.
Thanks for all the hard work you put into these cons Alice. Not being able to attend any of them, I feel like I’m a part of them anyway with you there reporting.
Thank you Alice for all of these spoilers.The only thing i am worried after reading this is about the flashbacks..( as i am not a very big fan of flashbacks done badly e.g i know what you did last summer) …even then i am excited for the next season and see what JC and Co have up their sleeves