The Winchesters are back for another season of Supernatural to deal with the threat of a newly born Nephilim

Supernatural ended its twelfth season by killing off not one but two of its main characters. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) were left alone without help to face a newly born Nephilim named Jack (Alexander Calvert). The season thirteen premiere started right where the previous season ended. Dean was left standing over Castiel’s (Misha Collins) dead body as Sam came face to face with Jack. While Sam attempted to use a calm, quiet approach to dealing with the godlike being, Dean, in his panic and grief over the recent passing of Castiel, shot at Jack, who then promptly unleashed his powers in self-defense. When the brothers woke up, Jack was gone.

While tracking Jack to a nearby town, the Winchesters continued a debate that has been held throughout much of Supernatural’s long run. Are monsters born evil or can they be taught to control their darker impulses and be forces of good in the world? Should they all be killed with the assumption that they’ll always go bad in the end? Sam once again wanted to take a more compassionate approach. Dean, on the other hand, believes Jack should be killed as soon as they find a way. (Note to hunters and angels: angel blades can’t kill this Nephilim.)

RELATED | 5 Reasons We Are Excited for Supernatural Season 13

Jack’s powers are immense and he lacks the ability to fully control them. Early on, he largely reacted on instinct. But there is a potential silver lining in all of this. While he was in his mother’s womb, she imparted the notion that Castiel is his father despite Lucifer being his biological father. Cas had all the traits she wanted Jack to have. Despite him being dead, Jack still wants to be like the angel his mother admired.

With Castiel dead, their mother Mary (Samantha Smith) trapped on a parallel Apocalypse-stricken Earth and presumed dead, and little to no hope, Sam, Dean, and Jack paid their final respects to Castiel and burned his human vessel. Meanwhile, we found out that Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) wants to use Mary for…something.

The premiere episode wasn’t incredibly action-packed but it still gave us plenty to talk about. So let’s meet our roundtable guests and get right into discussing things!

Cat Bow (@Pathryn34) - Mother, wife, kind, and loving

Chhany (@waywardhunters) - A student who is maybe a bit too much obsessed with Supernatural

Tricia (@tricia_16_) - Wayward wife and mother of two who found my people, my passion, and myself through Supernatural and its fandom

Lindsay (@lindieface) - Beleaguered grad student, unrepentant fangirl, whiskey aficionado

Donna (@DeeMacNY) - Supernatural fan since season 1

1. Supernatural has been on the air for over a decade. How do you feel season 13’s opening stacks up overall against previous season premieres? Was it among the best season premieres or was it one of the worst?

Cat Bow (@Pathryn34): Though not the very best, this is certainly one of the better ones. I love that the show can make us feel. Make us hurt. And this episode did that. But it also had enough light heartedness to not be over melodramatic. It was both a great wrap up of the finale and an introduction to the new season.

Chhany (@waywardhunters): Season 13’s premiere was amazing. It had everything I wished for! Drama, grief and they still did include some jolly scenes to maintain the famous sense of humor that only Supernatural has! In my opinion it was one of the best premieres so far!

Tricia (@tricia_16_): Definitely one of the best, in my opinion! In fact, I’d go so far to say it was the best season premiere in the last five seasons. It answered questions from the season 12 finale, there were a lot of funny moments (the “drunk girl” was hilarious!), and it left us with enough at the end to make me anxious to tune into the next episode. I loved it!

Lindsay (@lindieface): I felt like this was a pretty solid season opener. I love that it picked up directly where the season 12 finale left off (even if I’m still emotionally compromised by that finale!). It had a good balance of humor and heart-wrenching pain, which was pulled off in spectacular fashion by Jensen. It’s hard to believe that a show I’ve been watching for so long can still feel fresh after so many years.

Donna (@DeeMacNY): I think it fits somewhere in the middle. My favorite premiere has always been “In My Time of Dying.” It was a powerful story that was the culmination of the entire previous season’s events, and it set up so much of the story and mythology for what was to come. I liked 13.1 because it introduced a new, compelling character. I’m very interested to watch Jack and his interactions with both Sam and Dean. The showrunners have been calling the opening storyline “My Two Dads,” and I’m excited to see a new side of Sam and Dean as Jack’s “parents.”

2. Wow! Alexander Calvert really made quite the entrance as Jack. What are your thoughts on his inclusion so far?

Cat Bow: I love Jack! He is so adorable! I believe he is going to bring a nice new dynamic to the show that I’m excited for. He is a great mix of innocent and powerful. And truly a blank slate. That likes candy.

Chhany: I’ve been following Alexander Calvert before and knew that he was an amazing actor. But I was still very impressed! His acting skills are incredible! Jack was one of the main reasons why I was so excited for season 13 and he didn’t disappoint me yet! As Lucifer’s son he’s supposed to be evil and mischievous, but he seems to be completely different. It’s probably because he sees Castiel as his father, both are very similar what I absolutely love! But he also could be still that innocent and pure just because he’s still very young. I guess we’ll find out soon! All in all, I’m very excited for Jack’s upcoming appearances and to see how his character develops!

Tricia: I’m a big Castiel fan, and when I saw that they were making Jack into another angel very similar to Castiel, I admit I was wary. I don’t want Castiel replaced… I just want to see more of our Castiel! But with that being said, I ended the episode liking Jack. (Maybe it started with that shirtless scene? haha) I didn’t want to like Jack, but the way he was written, and the way Alexander Calvert played him really didn’t leave me much of a choice, so kudos to the show for that! I was laughing at how many of my fellow Cas fans on Twitter were quickly changing their display icons to photos of Jack!

Lindsay: Alexander did a great job – there was a little tinge of season 4 Castiel mixed in with some frankly alarming powers. He’s got an innocence about him that’s very charming, though. I can’t quite figure out if I think he’ll be totally good or have a bit of his biological father thrown in, but hopefully Cas’s inherent goodness rubbed off on him.

Donna: I think Alex has done a wonderful job so far. He’s made Jack into a compelling character with whom the audience can both sympathize and be wary of.

3. Sam and Dean have very different ideas about what to do about a Nephilim. Sam wants to nurture and guide him. Dean thinks he should be killed. Who’s right and why?

Cat Bow: I usually side with Dean, but I think his pain is blinding him. I get a sense that he blames Jack for all he lost. So, I’m siding with Sam. For now. I think Jack has the potential to be good. And with parents like the Winchesters, well, you couldn’t ask for better role models.

Chhany: Sam’s definitely right, they should give Jack a chance and let him live. He’s not just because he is very young and still innocent, also because he also could be very helpful to the boys. I can totally understand that Dean wants to kill Jack after his mate Castiel got killed by Lucifer aka Jack’s father. He’s angry and mad, wants to take vengeance, but he needs to realize that it’s not Jack’s fault. Sam on the other hand wants to give Jack a chance because he could help them but also because he can understand him and knows how it feels to be different. A lot of people saw a monster in Sam when he was one of the ‘special kids’, even though he didn’t choose to be one of them. He knows that no one is born evil.

Tricia: Ugh. The never-ending “optimistic Sam” vs “pessimistic Dean” debate. On this one, I think I’m going to have to agree with Sam. In Dean’s defense though, I was thinking the same as he was after the first part of the episode where Jack kind of went nuclear on the Winchesters. But after seeing him in the jail cell with Sam, I think Sam’s right this time around.

Lindsay: That’s a tough one. I definitely empathize with Dean; he’s reactive, he’s hurting and grieving, so of course he wants to deal with the “problem” in their usual way. However, I think I lean more toward Sam’s way of dealing with him. Hopefully the wait-and-see approach doesn’t end badly.

Donna: As usual, I think Sam and Dean are two sides of the same coin. They have different ideas, but have come together to move forward. Sam definitely sees himself in Jack, as someone whose destiny seems to be predetermined, but who can rise above it. He also sees Jack as the only way to open the rift to Earth 2. Sam hasn’t lost hope that they can get Mary back. Dean, on the other hand, sees Jack as a threat. His first encounter with Jack was walking in on what he perceived as Jack posing a threat to Sammy. That never goes over well with Dean. But Dean stopped seeing the world of monsters in black and white a long time ago. He knows that there are many shades of gray. He has seen that demons can become allies and angels can become enemies. I think he will remain wary, but will begin to give Jack the benefit of the doubt. It remains to be seen which path Jack will ultimately follows.

4. Kelly had a significant influence on Jack while he was in her womb. So much so that he sees Castiel as his father. Will that be enough to help him strive to be a force for good? What other values was Kelly able to instill in him before his birth?

Cat Bow: I think Kelly’s influence will help him be good. Kelly was a good and loving person. Also, that he chose Cas as his father makes my heart swell. That was so wonderful. Predictable, but wonderful. I think she was also able to instill her hopes. She envisioned a better world that he would help create. Also, I hope she instilled a love for humanity. She was human. She proved how good they can be. How loving, how accepting.

Chhany: Of course it’s already a big step in the right direction but it’s not enough to say that he’s gonna be one of the good guys. Kelly taught him a lot already: who’s bad and who’s good, he also said that he’s sorry what in my opinion shows that he has a good soul. Now he needs to learn how to control his powers. I guess that should be the main focus. Of course he should also get taught how to behave in the public sphere, how to eat, drink etc. If there’s no bad influence on him, I’m sure he’s gonna be on the side of Team Free Will soon.

Tricia: That’s really the question that Supernatural has been asking us since the beginning, isn’t it? Can you overcome something you were “destined” to be or do? I think the Winchesters have shown us that you can. I think Jack wants to be good, but considering he came from Lucifer, I think his first instinct will always be to be bad. Just like Sam had to overcome his addiction to the demon blood, and Dean had to fight through Lucifer’s hold on Sam, and Castiel was able to break through Naomi’s mind control (none of which should have been possible), Jack will have to fight against his inner evil. As for Kelly, I’d say she’s left him with a healthy dose of optimism, and obviously with instructions on how to best survive past infancy, which has definitely come in handy already.

Lindsay: I think if anyone can steer Satan Jr. in the right direction, it’s Cas! It was very touching that he chose Cas to be his father – I feel like he picked up on his kindness while in utero, and Kelly was a good person overall as well. Hopefully the combined impact of Cas and Kelly outweighs any bad traits he may have unconsciously picked up from Lucifer?

Donna: I think Jack’s real chance of becoming a force for good will be the time he spends with Sam and Dean. If Kelly imparted anything on him, I hope it is a willingness to trust and to have hope.

5. That scene with Dean praying to Chuck/God for help was pretty powerful. Do you think Dean will have his prayer answered or are Sam and Dean still truly on their own?

Cat Bow: I think Chuck hates answering prayers. There was a whole chapter on it in his biography. But I feel they will get what they need, even if it’s not directly from Chuck. It’s going to take awhile though.

Chhany: First of all, this scene was impressive! I can’t remember when I cried that much over a TV show the last time. Dean is not that much of a guy who goes to church every Sunday and prays before he’s eating his meal. He only prays in the most complicated and hopeless situations and now he’s in one of them, probably the most hopeless situation ever. But as we all know, Chuck’s not that much of a listener when it’s about prayers, especially now that Amara is with him he has ‘other’ things to do. In the end it will be the Winchesters on their own who need to find a way on how to get Mary out of the alternate universe but most importantly on how to get Castiel back.

Tricia: Pretty powerful!? Whew! Give Jensen Ackles an Emmy! That man can act. But do I think Chuck is going to bring everybody back just because Dean asked him to? Absolutely not. That hasn’t really been Chuck’s style up until now, has it? Nah. Sam and Dean are truly on their own for now. They’ll have to figure out how to get everybody back on their own, but I do think they’ll succeed with getting the majority of them back.

Lindsay: Oh god, that scene. That incredible scene. My heart still hurts for Dean – his pain and grief were so evident, and that’s really the rawest emotion we’ve seen from him in a while. I hope his prayers are answered. I have no idea how Mary is going to get away from Lucifer and the AU/bizarre/apocalyptic world (whatever we’re calling it these days), but at least we know Cas is coming back. As long as Team Free Will is together again, I think the boys will be okay. It’s just going to be a painful journey until they’re reunited with their dearly departed.

Donna: I think it would be impractical for the show to set up the premise that every time something bad happens, the Winchesters can call upon Chuck to intervene. I think we will be going back to the “God as an absent father” premise.

6. Castiel always seems to find a way to come back from the dead, but his death felt pretty final in this episode. They even burned his body. With Misha Collins still listed as a series regular, what kind of role do you think he’ll have going forward?

Cat Bow: They have burned bodies before, and people still came back. I’m really interested to see where this is going. I used to think Cas would become a villain. But now, I’m not so sure. I’m greatly looking forward to comparing parenting styles, though.

Chhany: Castiel died a lot of times, I think Dean Winchester is the only one who can surpass him in that case! I really hoped they wouldn’t burn his vessel but when they did it just showed how hopeless they are. As we know, our beloved Cas is gonna come back. But we don’t know in what form yet. I have a lot of theories, most of them are ridiculous! But I think the most probable one is that he comes back in order to protect Jack. He’s going to be his guardian and also a kind of father. But he’s also going to be the one to help the others to get Mary out of the alternate universe and finally end Lucifer.

Tricia: I don’t think there’s that big of a significance to burning his body, personally. In Swan Song Castiel was literally blown to smithereens, and he also kind of exploded into black goo when he had the leviathans inside of him, so what’s a little salt and burn in comparison? He’ll be back. I don’t know what version of Castiel we’ll see when he comes back, but as long as Misha Collins is on my screen I’m a happy girl.

Lindsay: If anyone can come back from a salt-and-burn, it’s Cas. While that’s going to be a huge relief to us and the boys, I’m really curious to see the “how” of his resurrection. Will Chuck rebuild him again? Will someone come to his aid in the Empty? No matter how it unfolds, I can’t wait to see how he returns this time – and the aftermath of how this death will affect him. I know he’s coming back with his memories, so at the very least I think his relationship with the boys will be strong as ever. After all, the hallmark of any Winchester (official or unofficial) is the ability to come back from the dead. I know we have a death count floating around somewhere for Sam, Dean, and Cas.

Donna: We already know that Misha will be back as Cass. The showrunner has already made that clear. What remains to be seen is what incarnation of Cass will return? I personally hope they will switch it up and have Cass come back as a somewhat different character. His story has been repetitive for some time, i.e., he has a bad idea with good intentions that blows up in his face, and the Winchesters have to deal with the fallout. Jack is a good example of this. Cass coming back as something different would be a breath of fresh air for his character.

7. “Maybe I need you.” That isn’t something you ever want to hear Lucifer say. What do you think he has in mind for Mary?

Cat Bow: My first and main thought is that he is keeping her around because the Winchesters are going to come for her, and that will be his chance to escape. To get back to his son. That is what he wants her for.

Chhany: Lucifer’s a very evil but clever guy. He’s gonna try to get out of the alternate universe, no matter what. Maybe he needs her to somehow get out of there or he needs her in order to survive in the alternate universe since Mary is a tough woman. She could also just be there for him to entertain him, maybe he just doesn’t want to be lonely?

Tricia: You know, I’m pretty clueless on this one. The best idea I can come up with is that Lucifer knows that the Winchesters don’t give up on their loved ones easily. Maybe he figures if he keeps Mary alive, he can use the Winchesters wanting to get her back to get himself out of the alternate universe? Or maybe it’s a “better the the devil you know” kind of thing. He knows at least a little bit about Mary, and nothing about anything else where they are. I’m not sure. All I know is that it can’t possibly end well for Mary.

Lindsay: That line got a full-body shudder from me. Honestly, that’s not something you ever want to hear from Lucifer. A few things come to mind, but knowing how calculated he can be, my first thought is that he’ll use her for leverage. Maybe a hostage? He knows her value to the boys, so killing her is not in his best interest at this point in the game.

Donna: I think Lucifer realizes that Sam and Dean will eventually try to find Mary and he can use her as bait to find a way out of the AU.

Final Verdict: Supernatural managed to inject just the right amount of its usual brand of twisted humor into what was otherwise a rather somber yet strong start to the season

Supernatural has been on the air for over a decade and our roundtablers were impressed by how the show is still able to hit all the right emotional and humorous beats while also managing to feel fresh. Between Alexander Calvert’s highly memorable and nuanced introduction as Jack and Jensen Ackles’s portrayal of Dean during his heartfelt prayer to Chuck/God begging for help, “Lost and Found” stands out as a great example of what Supernatural is able to achieve when coming back after a long hiatus. The show has never forgotten to inject lighter moments into the doom and gloom, and the thirteenth season premiere is no exception to that rule.

Despite the episode hitting a lot of the right emotional and story beats, we felt that the Sam vs. Dean debate of optimism vs. pessimism is a bit tired now that we’re in season 13. We’re also greatly concerned about the future of our favorite, trenchcoat-wearing angel. With Jack feeling like an early version of Castiel, will he actually end up replacing him? We certainly hope not.

Even if not all of our concerns about Castiel’s future and the aging Sam/Dean debate were addressed, the premiere still managed to neatly tie up the twelfth season finale, gave us some amazing acting from the whole cast, and set up what promises to be a very turbulent yet intriguing season of Supernatural. The show might be aging but the writing is still sharp and has us waiting impatiently to find out what the Winchesters (and Jack) will get up to next.

SUPERNATURAL returns next THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19th at 8/7c on THE CW.