Supernatural finally returns with new episodes on January 15 at 9pm. It’s been a long wait since Dean broke down after admitting the truth about his time in Hell, but this next episode seems to put the angels and demons story on the backburner for a good, old-fashioned horror show.

In “Family Remains,” Dean and Sam try to protect a family living in a haunted house. It’s a simpler, more traditional horror plot than writer Jeremy Carver is used to: his recent episodes include such wild rides as “In the Beginning” and BuddyTV’s best episode of 2008, “Mystery Spot.”

The CW released two video clips from this episode, and they show Supernatural rediscovering its horror roots. In this creepy first clip, a little kid tries to befriend something hiding in the shadows. The scene is pretty creepy without showing anything scary, which is one of the oldest lessons in great horror films: less is more.

The second clip has what every Supernatural fan loves: Dean kicking ass. He takes command of the house and orders around the family, vowing that he won’t let any of them die. While this has always been Dean’s M.O., the recent revelation about his time in Hell certainly adds nuances to his motivation, as he now has concrete proof about how awful the afterlife can be.

Tune in to “Family Remains” Thursday, January 15 at 9pm on the CW.

-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image and videos courtesy of the CW)

Preview of '' Episode 4.11

John Kubicek

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire DiariesSupernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.