The eighth season of ''

Supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

'', an American

dark fantasy Dark fantasy, also called fantasy horror, is a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporates disturbing and frightening themes. The term is ambiguously used to describe stories that combine horror fiction, horror ...

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

created by

Eric Kripke Eric Kripke (born 1974) is an American screenwriting, writer and television producer. Kripke came to prominence in the late 2000s for creating The WB/The CW, CW fantasy drama series ''Supernatural (American TV series), Supernatural'' (2005–2020) ...

, premiered October 3, 2012, and concluded on May 15, 2013, airing 23 episodes. It is the first season headed by

Jeremy Carver Jeremy Carver is an American television writer and producer. He developed the series '' Being Human'', ''Frequency'', and ''Doom Patrol''. Carver was also a writer and producer on the series ''Supernatural'', serving as showrunner during seasons ...

as executive producer and

showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...

. It aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm (ET) on

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on September 10, 2013, in region 2 on October 28, 2013, and in region 4 on September 25, 2014. The eighth season had an average viewership of 2.12 million U.S. viewers. In the season, Dean reunites with Sam after escaping from Purgatory. The duo team up with the prophet, Kevin, to complete a series of trials that will allow them to close the gates of Hell for good.

Cast

Starring

Jared Padalecki Jared Tristan Padalecki (born July 19, 1982) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Sam Winchester in the TV series ''Supernatural''. He rose to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the television series '' Gilmore ...

Sam Winchester Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of the American drama television series ''Supernatural'' along with his older brother, Dean. He is portrayed primarily by Jared Padalecki. Other versions of the ch ...

Jensen Ackles Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American actor and musician. He gained recognition for his portrayal of Dean Winchester in The WB/The CW, CW dark fantasy drama series ''Supernatural (American TV series), Supernatural'' (2005–2020 ...

Dean Winchester Dean Winchester is one of the two protagonists from the American drama television series ''Supernatural'', along with his younger brother Sam. He is portrayed primarily by Jensen Ackles. Other versions of the character having been portrayed b ...

Special guest stars

Misha Collins Dmitri "Misha" Collins "My mom went to Russia when she was in college, and ��she had a boyfriend whose name was Mitya, which she thought was the same as Misha, which it's not. And his real name was Dmitri, so my real name, actually—my birt ...

as Castiel *

DJ Qualls Donald Joseph Qualls (born June 10, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Citizen Z on the Syfy horror series ''Z Nation'' (2014–2018) and Ed McCarthy on the Amazon Prime Video series ''The Man in the High Ca ...

as Garth Fitzgerald IV

Special appearance by

Jim Beaver James Norman Beaver Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American actor, writer, and film historian. He is most familiar to worldwide audiences as Bobby Singer in ''Supernatural''. He also played Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO Western drama series '' ...

Bobby Singer Robert Steven Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's horror-drama television series ''Supernatural (U.S. TV series), Supernatural'' portrayed by Jim Beaver. Named after Robert Singer (producer), the show's executive prod ...

Guest stars

* Mark A. Sheppard as Crowley *

Osric Chau Osric Chau () is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Kevin Tran in the CW series ''Supernatural'', Vogel in the BBC America series ''Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'', and Ryan Choi in the TV shows set in the Arrowverse. Life a ...

Kevin Tran ''Supernatural'' is an American television drama series created by writer and producer Eric Kripke. It was initially broadcast by The WB network from September 13, 2005, but after the first season, the WB and UPN networks merged to form The CW ne ...

Liane Balaban Liane Balaban (born June 24, 1980) is a Canadian actress. Her film debut was in '' New Waterford Girl'' (1999) as Agnes-Marie "Mooney" Pottie. She has since appeared in the films '' Definitely, Maybe'' (2008), ''Last Chance Harvey'' (2008), and ...

as Amelia Richardson *

Ty Olsson Tyler Victor Olsson(born January 28, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Ord in the PBS Kids animated children's series ''Dragon Tales'' (1999–2005), real-life 9/11 hero Mark Bingham in the A&E television film ''Flight 93'' (200 ...

as Benny Lafitte *

Amanda Tapping Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' ''Stargate Atlantis,'' an ...

Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (born 1977 ...

Curtis Armstrong Curtis Johnathan Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Booger in the '' Revenge of the Nerds'' films, Herbert Viola on the TV series '' Moonlighting'', Miles Dalby in the film '' Risky ...

Metatron Metatron (Mishnaic Hebrew: ''Meṭāṭrōn''), or Matatron (), is an angel in Judaism, Gnosticism, and Islam. Metatron is mentioned three times in the Talmud, in a few brief passages in the Aggadah, the Targum, and in mystical kabbalah, Kabba ...

Alaina Huffman Alaina Kalanj (also known as Alaina Huffman) (born April 17, 1980) is a Canadian film and television actress, best known for the television series ''Painkiller Jane (TV series), Painkiller Jane'', where she played the character Maureen Bowers. ...

Abaddon The Hebrew term Abaddon ( , meaning "destruction", "doom") and its Greek equivalent Apollyon (, ''Apollúōn'' meaning "Destroyer") appear in the Bible as both a place of destruction and an angel of the abyss. In the Hebrew Bible, ''abaddon'' ...

Tyler Johnston Tyler Johnston (born June 14, 1987) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Stewart on the comedy series ''Letterkenny'' and Danny Lubbe in '' Less Than Kind''. Career Johnston's credits include appearances in the television ser ...

as Samandriel *

Felicia Day Kathryn Felicia Day (born June 28, 1979) is an American actress, singer, writer, and web series creator. She is the creator and star of the web series '' The Guild'' (2007–2013), a show loosely based on her life as a gamer. She also wrote and ...

as Charlie Bradbury *

Lauren Tom Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress. She began her career on stage, winning an Obie Award, and gained recognition for her role in '' The Joy Luck Club'' (1993). On television, she is known for her roles in the NBC sitcom ''Fri ...

as Linda Tran *

Jon Gries Jonathan Gries ( '; born June 17, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Uncle Rico in '' Napoleon Dynamite '' (2004), for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male, the recurring rol ...

as Martin Creaser *

Gil McKinney Mark Gilbert McKinney, known professionally as Gil McKinney, (born February 5, 1979, in Houston, Texas) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Paul Grady on '' ER'', Derek Bishop on '' Friday Night Lights'', ...

Henry Winchester Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainment ...

Hal Linden Hal Linden (born Harold Lipshitz, March 20, 1931) is an American stage and screen actor, television director and musician. Linden began his career as a big band musician and singer in the 1950s. After a stint in the United States Army, he began ...

as Rabbi Isaac Bass * Adam Rose as Aaron Bass *

John DeSantis John DeSantis, sometimes credited as John De Santis or John Desantis, (born November 13, 1973) is a Canadian character actor, best known as Lurch on the Fox Family show '' The New Addams Family''."A true rags to riches tale" ''Times Colonist'' ...

Golem A golem ( ; ) is an animated Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century ...

Rachel Miner Rachel Miner (born July 29, 1980) is an American actress. She made her feature film debut in Woody Allen's ''Alice'' (1990), and came to prominence with her portrayal of Michelle Bauer on the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' (1990–1995). Her o ...

Meg Masters Meg Masters is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series ''Supernatural''. Created by the series' writers to develop a story arc for the first season, Meg is an unnamed demon who assumes the name of t ...

Madison McLaughlin Madison Blaine McLaughlin (born November 5, 1995) is an American actress. She is known for playing Evelyn Sharp/Artemis on the CW superhero television series ''Arrow''. Early life Madison Blaine McLaughlin was born on November 5, 1995, the el ...

as Krissy Chambers *

Taylor Cole Taylor Cole (born April 29, 1984) is an American actress and former Model (person), fashion model. Early life and modeling Cole was born in Arlington, Texas. She attended Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas), Mirabeau B. Lamar High School, whe ...

as Sarah Blake *

Kim Rhodes Kim Rhodes (born June 7, 1969) is an American actress who is known for portraying Cindy Harrison on the soap operas '' Another World'' (1996–1999) and ''As the World Turns'' (2000–2001), Carey Martin on the Disney Channel sitcoms ''The Suite ...

as Sheriff Jody Mills

Episodes

In this table, the number in the first column refers to the episode's number within the entire series, whereas the number in the second column indicates the episode's number within this particular season. "U.S. viewers in millions" refers to how many Americans watched the episode live or on the day of broadcast.

Production

It was announced on April 4, 2012, that showrunner

Sera Gamble Sera Gamble is an American television writer and producer, best known for her work on Lifetime/Netflix's ''You'', Syfy's '' The Magicians'' and The CW's ''Supernatural''. Early life Born in New York City, Gamble was briefly raised in Cincinna ...

was leaving the show to work on developing other projects.

, a longtime writer on the series, took over as showrunner for the eighth season. On May 3, 2012, The CW officially renewed ''Supernatural'' for an eighth season. It aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm on the CW. Series star

directed the first episode to be produced for this season but the third to air. "Trial and Error" was the thirteenth episode to be produced this season but the fourteenth to air.

Casting

was cast as Benny, a dark and dangerous vampire who helps Ackles' character

escape from

Purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...

, where he ended up at the end of the seventh season. Olsson previously appeared in ''Supernatural'' as the vampire Eli in the second season episode "Bloodlust".

was cast as Amelia, a love interest to

's character

appears in seven episodes as the angel Naomi, described as being different from any other angel to have appeared in the series so far. Even though Khaira Ledeyo played the role of Kevin's mother in the seventh season,

was cast in the role for season eight.

returned as the hunter

Garth Garth may refer to: Places Canada * Garth, Alberta United Kingdom * Garth, Bridgend, a village in south Wales :* Garth railway station (Bridgend) * Garth, Ceredigion, small village in Wales * Garth, Treflys, Powys, a village in mid-Wales ** Gart ...

in "Southern Comfort".

returned as hacker Charlie Bradbury in "LARP and the Real Girl" and "Pac-Man Fever".

returned as Martin Creaser, a hunter and old friend of the Winchesters, in "Citizen Fang", he previously appeared in the fifth season episode "Sam, Interrupted".

reprised his role as Bobby Singer in "Taxi Driver".

Writing

The season features two flashback stories in parallel to the episode's main story, one showing Sam's relationship with Amelia and another showing Dean's time in Purgatory. Originally, series creator

planned only five seasons, but Carver drew up a plan which would carry the series through a total of ten seasons. Executive producer Robert Singer described the inspiration for the season as "''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...

''".

Reception

Critical reception to the season was mixed to positive. The

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

reported a 67% approval rating, with an average rating of 7.4/10 based on 9 reviews. Diana Steenbergen of

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

gave the eighth season an 8.5 out of 10 and called it an improvement over the seventh season, writing, "What we got was a solid season-long mythology storyline, some great supporting characters, and of course, a lot of the always reliable backbone of the show – Sam and Dean Winchester." She commented positively about the return of the demons/angels storyline and addition of new recurring characters such as Benny, Naomi, and Metatron, but criticized Sam's "regular life" storyline that got "fizzled" and dropping the tablet trials at the last minute.

References

External links

* * * {{Supernaturalnav Supernatural 08 2012 American television seasons 2013 American television seasons