Bobby ain't got a book for this one...

[Spoilers]

For a while there, fans were worried. Despite his talent – and the creative minds of the show's talented executive producers – Eric Kripke seemed determined to end Supernatural’s run come season five. Dean and Sam’s (Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki respectively) existence hung by the balance, and all seemed lost.

However, in a fitting turn of events for the Winchesters, CW managed to convince Mr. Kripke to continue the show's incredible run for a minimum of two more seasons, with an option to further extend its run dependent on viewing figures.

So, as many of the show's dedicated fans begin to digest the first half of season six – released on DVD and Blu-ray on the 29th August, and reviewed by yours truly here – talk has now turned to the upcoming season seven, due to hit US screens Friday, 23rd September; and, from the looks of things, the season is set to be as eventful as ever.

Talking to Tvguide.com, Sera Gamble, the show’s recently promoted executive producer, said: “We were really inspired by one of our touchstone movies when we think about Dean and Sam and their relationship – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. We wanted to pit them against a force far superior to them – with great resources – and take away the tools that Sam and Dean are used to having. They feel outmatched and cornered. It's very much a thriller”...woah.

In its six season run, the Winchesters have fought vampires, shapeshifters, hybrids, angels, demons – you name it, they’ve defeated it. Heck, the boys even managed to stop the Apocalypse, so just how much worse can it get?

[Big spoilers follow--if you haven't seen Season Six, stop reading now]

Eager to shed some light, Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) revealed that season seven will pick up directly from where six left off. “Castiel (Misha Collins) looks at Sam and Dean and tells them that they're essentially ants in the scheme of things. Now that he's God, he has no need for them and to stay out of his way... When they track Cas down, they realize that when he took in all those monsters souls from purgatory, there were much older things that got into him as well. There's a new, basically unknown, enemy in the world. It's something that the guys have never dealt with.”

From here, Ackles went on to explain just how new the experience would be; the boys will have very little help. No Cas; no well known spell; no book to learn from – they really are on their own. Furthermore, Sam continually has to deal with fresh revelations from his soulless lifestyle, as the wall erected by death begins to come apart.

A number of recognisable faces will be reappearing throughout. Mark A. Sheppard returns as Crowley, devious as ever; Jim Beaver looks set to continue his remarkable run as Bobby (a role he first thought would be a one-off appearance!); and, to really spice things up, Death himself (Julian Richings) is set to appear in the season opener. As for new additions, Ackles let slip that Jewel Staite – of Firefly fame – will be appearing within his second, self-directed episode, and that hunter Jo (Alona Tal) is set to be reborn in spectacular form.

Ultimately, it’s a bag of mixed emotions here. While one has to feel for the Winchesters and their continually depressing plight, as a fan I cannot wait. Castiel’s “promotion” at the end of season six was as tantalising as any of the previous finale cliff-hangers, and if Gamble’s and Ackles' predictions are as good as they seem, season seven has the makings of a true classic.

See also:

Supernatural S7E3 review

Supernatural S7E2 review

Supernatural S7E1 review

Top 10 Episodes of Supernatural

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