This past fall on the set of Supernatural in Vancouver, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles sat down with a group of reporters to talk about their series, as well as the upcoming spinoff titled Wayward Sisters. The new series will get a backdoor pilot with the upcoming (aptly titled) “Wayward Sisters” episode, which will also serve as Supernatural’s midseason return. In it, Sam and Deal go missing, and Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes) will call in rogue hunter Claire Novak (Katheryn Newton) to come home and find the Winchesters. Jody also calls in her friend Donna Hanscum, played by Briana Buckmaster, who also gave us a sense of what to expect from the spinoff this year. Up first is the Q&A with Ackles and Padalecki, followed by Buckmaster’s thoughts on Wayward Sisters, and how it closely it ties into Supernatural:

QUESTION: Can you preview the Wayward Sisters episode, and how the brothers are involved?

PADALECKI: Episodes 9 and 10 are, we’re sort of calling it a two-parter, though Wayward Sisters is more Episode 10. Episode 9 builds up to it and we see Sam and Dean in a situation where they are out of sorts and they need help. And so Jody is calling to check in or maybe tell us about a case and she can’t get ahold of us. And we’re not returning her calls. So she reaches out to her wayward daughter of sorts [Claire Novak] and says “Hey, I think something’s going with the boys. I know you’re out doing your thing but they were there for us when we needed them; I think we need to be there for them.” And so we get to see these girls fleshed out quite a bit, and see what their world is like, and the return of some characters that we introduced this season with Patience and obviously with Kaia [Nieves].”

ACKLES: I also love the fact that it’s a direct homage to the beginning of Supernatural in how it’s coming together. Because Jody calls Claire and says “the boys have been on a hunting trip and haven’t been home in a few days.” Which is the exact same thing that Dean said to Sam in Episode 1, that Dad has been [on a hunting trip]. The genesis is very similar in that aspect. Obviously the stories will be a little different, but it is this gathering of characters to go and save their friends. Or their family. So right then and there that’s a great foundation to build stories on.

PADALECKI: It worked for us, I guess.

ACKLES: It’s been working for us for a while, so…

Would you like to do a crossover with the spinoff?

PADALECKI: Yeah. I hope to God to do it. We obviously are buddies with all the crossover gangs here. It’s fun to hear them talk about dad’s on a hunting trip — it gives me chills to hear. I remember reading that in the pilot. And Jared didn’t know anything about Sam or hunting or whatever, but they wanted Sam to know, so they had to correct me a few times and be like “hey, this isn’t a big surprise to you. You know your dad hunts.” It’s not like, “he did what? Remember, this is your life too.” I was like “OK, cool.” Now that it’s fleshed out I kind of become a fan of Supernatural, and as a fan of Supernatural I would love to help it keep going with the Wayward Sisters and vice versa, and have them come back to our show.

ACKLES: There’s a reason that this is hinging around them, because they were [fan] favorite characters on the show. I know they’re favorite guests of ours, and when they get to come on the show it’s really fun for us. So in order to kind of keep that alive and keep those family ties alive, I would absolutely encourage those crossovers.

PADALECKI: And this is a really neat family that we’re all a part of, but that he and I specifically get to be a part of because we’re friends with these women outside of set. We do conventions and we see them on weekends in different cities and their loved ones and their friends. So we know each other. It feels like they’ve been on the show for a lot longer than they have even though we’ve done three episodes with one or whatever it is, it’s like “I’ve seen you a dozen times in a dozen situations!”

ACKLES: It’s this community that’s been together for well over a decade now. And everybody’s really excited to be a part of this. I think if we can certainly help them get their foothold, then absolutely.

PADALECKI: I don’t want to spend the rest of my life acting, but I would happily guest star on their show.