Gabriel returns to Supernatural after 8 seasons
In season 5 of the hit CW series 'Supernatural', Richard Speight Jr's character, the archangel and trickster known as Gabriel, was killed off by his older brother Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). Ever since, the show has hinted at the beloved character's return with Speight actually appearing in the season 9 episode 'Meta Fiction' though it was suggested that it was just a clever trick. Now with season 13, Gabriel is back and embittered.
In episode 20 of the latest season, the boys find Gabriel alive and unwell in Asmodeus' basement. The archangel is understandably enraged after enduring extreme torture and getting his lips sewn shut by the demon and decides to drag the Winchesters along for his revenge. As Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) hunt down the demigods who sold Gabriel to his captor, they are forced to deal with unresolved conflicts from all the times they were played by the Trickster.
"He's had such a back and forth with them," Speight told TV Guide. "They have an interesting journey together in a very few number of episodes. He's not the same Gabriel we last saw. He's had a lot happen to him and that's gonna leave some emotional scars. But for certain, the Winchester/Gabriel dynamic is gonna be in full bloom coming up."
Speight is also the director for the episode. The actor also revealed that fans will not get to see the archangel's old trickster personality resurfacing any time soon. The Winchesters have plenty of reason to want to stab the archangel with an angel blade, especially after he trapped Sam in a time loop and forced him to watch helplessly as Dean died in a variety of hilarious ways in season 5's 'Groundhog Day'.
"Right now, I think Gabriel is just dealing with getting out of captivity. [Now that] he's finally rescued from his purgatory, we'll have to see what he decides to do now. Is it worth going back to be the old, snarky guy that he was or has this brutal history he's faced and escaped from changed him beyond his ability to bounce back?" Speight added.
