9EXPECTATIONS from S9 by Clarissa

The season 9 premiere of Supernatural is still months and months away (it's happening on October 15, to be exact), but with Comic-Con just beginning, now is the perfect time to think about what's coming next. When we last saw the Winchesters, Castiel, Crowley, Kevin and the crew, the brothers and Cas were witnessing the spectacular scene of falling angels (just after Metatron had taken over Heaven and stole Castiel's grace for himself). While spoilers have been sparse, a few have popped up in the special Comic-Con edition of TV Guide from Jeremy Carver and Robert Singer (now on sale and available at Comic-Con at the Warner Bros. booth) and I will quote a few of them here. But spoilers aside, I wanted to take a few minutes to put together my own personal wishlist for season 9.

Here's what I'd love to see going forward:

1] Healthy Winchester Relationship. Plus, a Joint Task :

I know some people weren't crazy about the conversation between Sam and Dean at the end of the season finale, but I thought that they arrived at a good place afterwards where Sam had expressed his despair over failing Dean (which I saw as a "I failed you, forcing you to turn to others" confession, instead of a "you can't have friends" thing) and Dean had reminded his brother how much he loved him. Given the strife between the brothers in the first half of season 8, I hope that this leads to more brotherly cohesiveness in season 9. Since Dean has been harboring slights from Sam since season 4 and Sam has been feeling shame for failing Dean for just as long, I'd like to see them take the time to mend their relationship properly. I thought that the "Sacrifice" talk was a good starting point and I want to see more dialogue to address their issues so that we can feel they're really moving past them. Speaking of healthy Winchesters, I want Sam to get better. Jared Padalecki and the makeup team really sold sick Sam last season, but he can't spend another year being ill as a result of the trials. We need him back in fighting shape! It seems like this is the direction the show will go in as the TV Guide article quotes Singer as saying that Sam is ill when Supernatural season 9 begins but "how he comes back from that is a real spoiler". The point is that it sounds like he does come back, and while I am, of course, interested in the how, I really just want to see him well again. Finally, the brothers often trade off on storylines over the years. Sometimes they're working at cross-purposes, like in season 4. Other times, one of them is the focus of the mytharc while the other is assisting (like Dean as lead in season 3 or Sam as lead in season 8). I think this year the writers should shake things up a bit and have a big, joint task for them to work on. I think that Sam doing the trials made sense in terms of bringing him back into hunting, but imagine if they worked on something truly together without one of them being all "I have to do this to save you/the world, and you have to let me." While the brothers have shared storylines before (like finding John all the way back in season 1), it's been a while since they truly worked together as equals on the mytharc that didn't also involve them working at cross-purposes. I think it would be an interesting thing to see in season 9.

2] Castiel as Human….and Heaven's Savior :

I've always thought it would be a nice piece of symmetry if Dean was an important part of the Angel Tablet storyline, but given the events leading up to the loss of Cas' grace and the falling angels, I have to admit that I think it's important if Castiel plays a big part in saving Heaven from Metatron. Cas has fallen prey to manipulation several times throughout the course of Supernatural and while I believe he always has the best of intentions, I think that helping to save Heaven now would go a long way for his redemption. While I still believe that Dean can play a large role in the Angel Tablet – as Sam did with the Demon Tablet – that doesn't mean Cas can't help defeat Metatron. I'm also eager to see Castiel's first few days as a human, particularly "learning" to be a human under the guidance of the Winchesters. The former angel has learned a great deal about humanity since the first moment he officially met Dean back in episode 4.01, but he's never actually experienced life as a human before (other than in episode 5.04, which doesn't really count). Imagine Castiel ditching the trenchcoat to don the trademark Winchester plaid! It seems that he, unlike the other angels, won't really retain any powers and will be fully human (at least from what we know), but Dean has never really had supernatural powers and he can hold his own in a fight (even occasionally with angels). I think that under the Winchester tutelage, Cas will become a skilled hunter and will find a way to save Heaven and take down Metatron. But the question remains: if given a choice, will Castiel remain as a human forever or try to regain his grace? That's a rather large dilemma I'd also like to see explored next season. That's a rather large dilemma I'd also like to see explored next season. I'm completely fascinated with the prospect of fallen angels, what it will mean for Heaven, and how to take down Metatron while having no known access to Heaven now, and this is a story I think Castiel has a big role in.

The Supernatural season 8 finale brought back Jodi Mills only to try and kill her. Fortunately, the Winchesters made a deal to save her life (and ended up screwing Crowley over in the process), but we never saw her walk away from that bathroom unscathed. Is she still alive? She better be! This show has killed far, far too many people over the years (more on that soon) and Jodi is one of the few awesome female characters left on the show. I want her to be OK and to reappear in season 9. The other awesome female character is Charlie, who also needs to come back. I liked that "Pac Man Fever" flushed her out as a character and established her as a firm player in the Supernatural universe. The Winchesters need to stop losing friends and friends like Jodi and Charlie need to return. While we're at it, let's bring back Garth too. He's also a fun character and while I don't believe he can ever replace Bobby (for Sam and Dean or for us), I think that he's been a good addition to the world. Then, of course, there's Benny. I rather enjoyed Benny. I actually admired the calm way he dealt with Sam's more irrational hatred towards him (even if I get the source of it – or, at least, hope I do – that doesn't mean it was always justified). I like that Benny was enlightened enough to realize that Purgatory was where he was meant to be, even if it took him away. The TV Guide article indicates that we could very well see Benny again and I would really want to do that, but would it make sense? The truth is that characters like Jodi or Garth or Charlie can flit in and out of a story and don't need to justify their presence on the show. But someone like Benny – who we know doesn't feel right on Earth – needs a bit more justification. If they bring Benny back in season 9 I would like for them to address his feelings of not-belonging. And given his tremendous sacrifice for Sam, I would like to see the two of them burying the hatchet…but not in each other's backs.

The existence of an Angel Tablet wasn't as big of a surprise to the audience as it was to Crowley, but the truth is that we still don't know exactly what's on that thing. Would God really have given humans instructions on how to fully close the Gates of Heaven the way he did with the Gates of Hell? What would that mean for souls who wanted are destined to spend the rest of eternity in "paradise"? And, for that matter, despite God's obvious knowledge about the mistakes and weaknesses of angels (see: Lucifer) would he really have trapped them away the way he would with demons? We don't know. We know next to nothing about the Angel Tablet after Metatron's deception about its trials and I've always speculated that it could contain some different instructions than what was on the other tablets (but, then again, I could be wrong). The TV Guide article indicates that the tablets won't be front and center in the beginning of the season, but that's not a surprise what with Sam's illness, Castiel's new humanity and the fallen angels. But, Carver does mention that the tablets are still coveted and we have to wonder whether they might be a key in helping defeat Metatron and restoring balance to Heaven. Not to mention there's the fact that only three tablets have been uncovered: Leviathans, Demons and Angels. Could there be more? Everything we've heard indicates that Carver and company are going for the long play with the tablets story, setting up a mythology that could very well take the show to the end of the series (maybe in season 10?). So learning about more tablets or having the brothers find a way to use them without discovering a terrible price in the 11th hour would be a great way to tie up the story.

Kevin Tran was thrust into a life he clearly didn't want when he was activated as a Prophet of the Lord and while he's sacrificed a great deal to help the Winchesters (including – possibly – his mother), we saw how eager he was to leave it all behind. In fact, he was prepared to walk out of the Men of Letters bunker just before the falling angels started lighting up the mechanical boards in the bunker like a Christmas tree. We know from the TV Guide article that Kevin will be sticking around next season on Supernatural because there's still an Angel Tablet to translate. But more than that, I'd like to see Kevin fully embrace his destiny. Like Sam, he seems to struggle against a role he never really chose for himself, but the truth of the matters is that neither man can ever escape their destinies. Dean has embraced a life of hunting and while the life is often hard-going and comes with a great deal of sacrifice, I would like to see Kevin fully embrace his role. He's a full-fledged member of the team, a necessary part of the Winchester's circle and Castiel was correct in saying he can't stop being a prophet until he's dead. So maybe it's better if he learns to protect himself (he's already getting pretty good at it) and starts fighting back. We've seen Badass Kevin facing down Crowley and that's the kind of Kevin I'd love to see more from. Kevin is no softie and while we might forget that he's still just a kid, I think he's confident enough in his abilities and his intelligence to become a terrific team member for the greater good. Plus, I love Osric Chau and I never want to him to leave! Not to mention, how awesome would a meeting between Chuck and Kevin be? Two amazing prophets (one of them is even probably God) meeting one another for the first time? That's a once in a lifetime scene!

6] Angelic Posse

With the angels front and center this year – both on Earth and possibly in Heaven – I think it's high time to bring back some fan favorite angels. I'm going to be asking for the return of Gabriel and Bathlazar from now until the end of the series, especially Gabriel. These were great characters that should return in some capacity one day. Then there's Naomi, who met an untimely end just when she started acting good instead of evil. I'm curious as to how the probe killed her and whether it means she can be brought back. Of course, there's also Chuck, who I consider God and, therefore, part of the angelic posse. I've been calling for the return of Chuck for a while now and I don't buy that throwaway line from Castiel that he must be dead. And there's Bobby. Jim Beaver recently tweeted that he's returning to Supernatural and (assuming it's not a joke, despite his insistence that it's not) if I had to guess, we might first see Bobby up in Heaven. Maybe Metatron goes after his soul in order to torment the Winchesters. Whatever the reason, I'm thrilled to see him come back, although I think it's important that they do it right. I wasn't crazy about his ghost story or his quick appearance in "Taxi Driver" because they didn't really do his character justice. I'd prefer if he was brought back in a more permanent and consistent way and involving him in what's going on in Heaven is a good way to do it. And I definitely want to see Bobby and Garth meet. I'm also eager to find out what's going on with the angels on Earth. How many of them will cause problems for the Winchesters and Castiel? Will any of them be willing to team up with the boys in order to bring down Metatron? My only hope is that the show doesn't have most of the pertinent storyline occur off screen like they did with the war in Heaven in season 6. Even after angels like Gabriel, Zachariah and Balthazar died, we've met some pretty interesting one-off angels along the way and I think this is a great opportunity to develop some of their personalities and show us a new side to the angels.

Alaina Huffman was a jewel of an actress on the series, able to go toe-to-toe with heavyweight Mark Sheppard as a fan favorite demon, even after just one appearance (and a later reappearance). So I'm sure you'll understand that I'm understandably upset that Abaddon's vessel got burned up in the season 8 finale. That being said, I'm eager to see who they cast to be Abaddon's new vessel, because I think there's a lot of value in Supernatural featuring her as a villain next season. It's been a very long time since we've seen a power struggle for control of Hell on Supernatural. Once Lucifer was defeated at the end of season 5, Crowley took over and while we know he helped the Winchesters to defeat his old boss, the truth is that we never saw a struggle for Hell the way we saw for Heaven (between Castiel and Raphael). Heaven seemed directionless after the loss of God and the archangels (especially Michael), but Hell has been chugging along despite the loss of its original leader. Sure, Crowley has complained of problems, but so far we haven't seen a legitimate threat to his rule. So imagine what could happen if Abaddon were to make a bid for control over Hell. No one came to Crowley's aid in the season 8 finale when he was being held hostage by Sam, so it's not too hard to believe that there are people unhappy with his leadership, which means that control of Hell could be up for grabs. I'd love to see Abaddon and Crowley struggle for control, because despite Crowley inevitably being affected by the events of Sam's "purification" against him, the Crowley we all know and love probably won't take a coup lying down. Plus, it could very well give the Winchesters another huge problem. After all, they were often able to make deals with Crowley that were in both side's best interest. Methinks Abaddon might not be so eager, especially if the boys still possess the ability to close the Gates of Hell (the whole inevitable "death as the final sacrifice" thing aside). The TV Guide does quote Singer as saying "There's someone else who wants to take over the reins of Hell. That person is an enemy to the boys". Is it Abaddon? Is there a mysterious third party out there? That might be strange because we haven't really been introduced to anyone else who might want to challenge Crowley, so until I know differently I'm going to assume it is Abaddon. And if it's not, then I'm dying to see a three-way power struggle for Hell.

8]Expanding the Men of Letters Mythology

The Supernatural writers messed up some canon in season 8, particularly in the episode "Taxi Driver" and while I was bothered about the fact that past hints indicated John didn't lose his father at a young age, I have to admit that the unexpected tale of Henry Winchester's history and the introduction of the Men of Letters mythology was a very good thing for the series. Not only did it give Sam and Dean a cool-looking home base, but it's also given them access to a great deal of information. I don't think that the Men of Letters library can ever replace Bobby, but I think we've only begun to scratch the surface of both the secret society and that bunker and I applaud the writers for introducing an important new element – and one that has been largely enjoyable to uncover – to the mythology so late in the series. What else do they have hiding in there that could help them? Does the falling of the angels and the fact that the bunker seemed to "turn on" mean that it could be useful in dealing with the angels and Metatron? I'd love to see Henry Winchester again (even via time travel) and for the boys to learn more about their unexpected heritage and use the Men of Letters bunker as a terrific hunting tool. I've lamented over the years about the fact that while we know the hunting community is fairly cohesive, but we haven't seen a great deal more than glimpses of it. If the Winchesters can get over some of the bad blood that has inevitably sprouted up with other hunters (remember the events that led to "Dark Side of the Moon"?) perhaps the Men of Letter bunkers could become a hub for that community. The TV Guide article hints that the Men of Letters mythology will continue to play out in season 9 and give us new characters, so I'm excited to see it.

9] Closing the Gates of Hell:

The Endgame I never thought the Winchesters would close the Gates of Hell in season 8. After all, this seems like an end of the series type accomplishment, particularly given the importance that demons have played over the course of Supernatural. And I'm not thrilled that closing the Gates would require personal sacrifice (can't God ever give anyone a break?!), but I still think that this is the type of task that should close out the series. The show began with a demon destroying the Winchesters' lives and it feels appropriate that the series eventually end with the boys getting rid of the demons. The problem, however, is the personal sacrifice. I don't want the series to end with only one of the Winchesters dying while the other lives. It just doesn't seem like an ending that anyone could be truly happy with. The truth is we don't know if Sam would have died, but even if the trial-doer has to give up their life, I still want the Winchesters to find a way to close the Gates. Otherwise, it sort of seems like the big task for season 8 was all for nothing, even if it did introduce Metatron for the show. I'm prepared to wait until season 10 (if Supernatural ends then) to have the Winchesters or someone else close the Gates of Hell, but I'd like to see more development on this front in season 9.