Everything You Must Know Before Supernatural Season 12 Premieres

The CW has set Oct. 13 as the premiere for Supernatural. Kind of fitting, right?

Taking a page from Memento, this full look at season 12 happens almost entirely in reverse. And it's EPIC.

According to a report from TVLine, Jeremy Carver has stepped down from the show to work on another project. He's got two stellar replacements, though: Robert Singer, who's been executive producing, directing, and occasionally writing for the show since season one, and Andrew Dabb, who has been working on the show since season four.

Since last season — featuring an appearance from God and a battle against The Darkness — was so huge, the creators are dialing it back for season 12. Executive producer Robert Singer gave more context during the show's Comic-Con panel: "We can't top all that, so we're going to try to get back to basics a little bit, tell smaller stories. Some good old-fashioned horror stories."

While the season finale left Sam's fate — at the end of Men of Letters member Lady Toni's gun barrel, mind you — ambiguous, Jared Padalecki recently confirmed our deepest fears. "She shot him," Padalecki revealed in a brief chat with TVLine. "I don't know where, but I know she shot him . . . What else is new, Sam gets injured! At least I'm not getting tortured, yet."

In an interview with Bustle, Misha Collins (who plays angel Castiel) revealed that a new face is emerging in season 12. "I know one person who's been hired in Season 12," he said, "but I can't tell you. I'm sorry to be completely useless there, but I do know that their character is going to be on the show."

At Comic-Con, we learned that the new season would have tons of old favorites coming back into the fold. Sheriff Jody, Donna, Claire, Alex, and Crowley’s son, Gavin, have all been slated to return.

The rock star will play Lucifer — or rather the "meat suit" Lucifer inhabits — in the upcoming season.

That's right, Mary Winchester is really back, for real. It's not all going to be fine and dandy, though. New showrunner Andrew Dabb talked about how "she’s been mythologized to [the Winchesters]. [But] she has a lot in common with them. She'll be coming back into that." Jared Padalecki also revealed, "We find out more about what family means and how you become family. Sam and Dean with their mother are starting anew. Does blood make you family, or is it more than just DNA?"

It may seem like Supernatural only just aired that incredible 200th episode, but it's almost been two years! This season, the show will reach 250 episodes. That's pretty damn impressive.