For those Supernatural fans who are always wanting more Castiel, we’ve got good news. Season 12 is going to give you a bit more about Castiel’s (Misha Collins) past. After all, he’s an angel, so there’s a lot of history to work with.

When talking about his approach to season 12, new showrunner — but longtime writer — Andrew Dabb tells EW that coming off a story as big as God and his sister in season 11, this year is a bit more personal. “It’s about telling smaller stories that impact more of our characters,” Dabb says. “For example, this year, especially toward the middle of the season, we’re using Castiel in stand-alone episodes in a way that he hasn’t been used in a long time.”

Referencing episode 12, Dabb says, “That’s very heavily about Castiel and the journey he’s been on, some things from his past that we’re not aware of are getting brought to light.”

Supernatural returns for season 12 Thursday, Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

Image zoom