The Winchester family tree continues to expand with news that this season will introduce Henry Winchester, Sam and Dean’s paternal grandfather, who will time travel his way into the present day in episode 12 of this season.
And as executive producer Jeremy Carver reveals, the episode, which will air in the new year, will be a loaded bag for Sam and Dean. “The episode really allows them not just to delve into a piece of family lore that they really will carry with them moving forward in this season and seasons beyond, it also, frankly, forces them to deal again with some issues related to their grandfather and their father, John,” he says. “For me, that’s one of the most fun things about the show — all of these little patches of history and mythology that we can fill in.”
But will the episode, which Carver describes as “fun [and] heartfelt,” be the only time we see Henry, who will be played by ER vet Gil Mckinney? Or will he be a looming presence, much like Sam and Dean’s other grandfather Samuel Campbell, who we first met in season 4 and had a large arc in season 6? “That’s not to be disclosed,” says Carver.