The "Supernatural" Season 8 premiere is fast approaching (Wed., Oct. 3 at 9 p.m. ET -- mark your calendars!) and though much remains a mystery, The CW has offered a few tantalizing glimpses of what we can expect when the cult favorite debuts on its new night in less than a month.
After the intense -- if all too brief -- teaser (which we've included below for your replaying pleasure), the network released 10 new stills from the first episode of the Season 8, which is titled "We Need To Talk About Kevin."
We know that the recently discovered prophet Kevin (Osric Chau) will play a greater role this year, so it's no surprise to see him in the photos, but we're more intrigued by our first direct look at Benny (Ty Olsson) the vampire who supposedly helps Dean (Jensen Ackles) escape from Purgatory. Intriguingly, he's standing out in the daylight -- though we know "Supernatural's" fanged foes don't turn to dust or sparkle when they're in direct light, they're still not too fond of the harsh rays, so it'll be interesting to see how he'll interact with Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean in the present day.
Showrunner Jeremy Carver previously described Benny as a "strange bedfellow" for Dean and Castiel (Misha Collins) in Purgatory, noting, "I feel like it’s a very challenging storyline and the actor that we cast in the role is wonderful." Collins also hinted that Castiel might not be too pleased about Benny's appearance, describing the vampire's relationship with Dean as "budding ... I think Cas is a bit jealous of it, as a matter of fact."
There's no sign of Collins in the episode stills, though, since he won't be returning until the second episode of the new season. Collins recently told HuffPost TV's Mo Ryan that his first appearance would be a flashback: "We're picking up a year later, and it's a flashback of Dean's memory of Purgatory ... Purgatory really sucks for Cas. He's loathed, hunted and hated by everyone."
No matter what happens in the season premiere, we're just relieved to see Sam and Dean back together, and even better, back in the Impala once more. Click through the gallery below to see the new stills.
Supernatural
"Supernatural" Season 8 premieres Wed., Oct. 3 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.
Are you excited for the new season? Weigh in on the photos below!