Supernatural

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Network: CW

Premiere: Thursday, September 18, 9pm

Cast: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki

Previously on Supernatural: After making a deal with the Crossroads Demon to bring Sam back to life at the end of season 2, Dean's time finally ran out.  Despite Sam and Ruby's (Katie Cassidy) attempts to save him, Dean was mauled by hell hounds and dragged off to the great beyond.

Supernatural creator Eric Kripke is an evil genius.  That's the only way to describe the man who had the guts to leave Dean (Jensen Ackles) dangling in the depths of Hell as season 3 came to a close.  Fans have been waiting all summer to find out how Dean will return, and while that remains a mystery, there is one thing we can reveal: He'll definitely be back before the end of the season premiere.

Dean's return to Earth isn't a surprise, but what may leave fans shocked is just what happened to the elder Winchester while he was in Hell.  That'll be one of the mysteries that unravels throughout season 4, and another will be what Sam (Jared Padalecki) experienced while his brother was six feet under.  Fans should prepare to see more of Sam's dark side as the season progresses.

As the brothers attempt to repair their bond and deal with what happened while they were apart, they'll of course travel the country facing down strange creatures.  One episode will be a black and white homage to the monster movies of the 1930s, while another will find the boys time traveling to the past and meeting their parents when they were teenagers.  An episode later in the season will feature a town with a wishing well that actually grants wishes, which may force the brothers to face off with a seven-foot-tall teddy bear.

Something viewers won't have to worry about in season 4 is a return from Ruby or Bela (Lauren Cohan), both of whom died last season and won't be returning.  However, Sam will have a mysterious new friend named Kristy in the season premiere, played by former Wildfire star Genevieve Cortese.

Though it's not official, Kripke continues to insist that he wants to end Supernatural after its fifth season.  If so, that's all the more reason to tune in to what may be the show's penultimate season premiere on September 18.


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)