If Supernatural leaves behind just one legacy when the Winchesters finally drive their Baby off into the sunset for the final time, it will be the series’ ability to go totally meta in the most genius ways.

All of you internet buffs may know this already, but for those who might not be familiar with the terminology, ‘meta’ basically means being consciously self-referential, usually for the sake of humor.

It can be quite a challenge to successfully break the fourth wall in a universe. Even great writers sometimes fail miserably in doing so. (Sorry Studio 60… 30 Rock just did it better.)

Supernatural has been blessed by the TV gods with a writing staff that loves to inject laughs into their serious show about brothers who hunt demons and save the world…a lot. (Hey, that sounds a little like another show!)

Those laughs have become the beating heart of the series, which is entering it’s network-record 12th Season on October 13.

Here are some of Supernatural‘s best meta moments:

7. Dean Hasn’t Seen House of Wax — Season 5 Episode 5 “Fallen Idols”

Remember when Paris Hilton and Jared Padalecki co-starred in the totally successful (and not at all terrible) re-make of House of Wax?

Sam and Dean go hunting a demon in a wax museum. (House of Wax, wax museum…ha!) As fake Paris Hilton demon is giving her villain speech, Dean mentions that he’s never seen House of Wax.

And Sam (whose alter-ego starred in the film) looked a little bummed that his brother never saw his movie.

Not many people did Sam…it’s really a good thing.

6. The Writers Write a Slashfic About Supernatural — Season 5 Episode 1 “Sympathy for the Devil”

Becky is a huuuuuuge fan of Supernatural, the book series (see below). Becky decides to write a “Wincest.” For those unfamiliar with Supernatural fan-fiction that, indeed, DOES exist, that means a fan written story in which the brothers are in a relationship…like, a sexy one.

Here’s where it’s a little meta: the writers actually had to write an incest slashfic about the Winchesters that Becky would then write on the show.

It also gave the writers the chance to nod to those real-life Wincester fans, letting them know that the writer’s room totally got it.

5. Sam Doesn’t Want to See Stars Hollow — Season 2 Episode 18 “Hollywood Babylon”

In an episode loaded with gooey layers of meta (we all saw you, McG!), the biggest laugh-out-loud meta moment comes as Dean and Sam are taking a backlot tour.

When the tour guide mentions that they’re coming up on the set of Gilmore Girls, and that they may possibly get a chance to see one of the show’s stars, Sam immediately goes on high-alert…and demands that he and Dean get off of the tour.

Jared Padalecki starred as Dean Forrester on Gilmore Girls for five seasons before moving on to Supernatural, as Sam Winchester, not Dean (a concept that I continue to struggle with to this very day).

Oh Sam, everyone knows that you were Dean first. It’s a demon you can never escape.

4. The Best Supernatural Convention EVER — Season 5 Episode 9 “The Real Ghostbusters”

If you ever go to a real Supernatural convention, you’ll discover that this episode wasn’t so far off in painting a picture of the events that go down.

Sam and Dean have to deal with many Sam and Dean cosplayers (who don’t realize that Sam and Dean ARE the real Sam and Dean) who think that they can totally find the fictitious (but actually real!) ghost that’s haunting the convention.

Meanwhile, Chuck, or “Carver Edlund” (a combination of the names of Supernatural writers Jeremy Carver and Ben Edlund) is dealing with the type of Q&A questions that make you cringe during panels:

Fan: Uh, yeah. Why in every fight scene, Sam and Dean are having their gun knocked away by the bad guy? Why don’t they keep it on some kind of bungee?

Chuck: I…yeah, I really don’t know.

Fan: J’ya…follow up. Why can’t Sam and Dean be telling that Ruby is evil? I mean she is clearly manipulating Sam into some kind of moral lapse. It’s obvious, nein?

At least no one asked for a hug. I hate it when that happens during panels, don’t you?

3. The Books that Inspired the Series that Inspired the Books — Season 4 Episode 18 “The Monster at the End of This Book”

Sam and Dean discover that an entire book series has been written about their lives, and they had no idea! Not only that, all of it is there — every last detail.

This episode marks the first time that series creator Eric Kripke let fans know that he was listening…and reading…and watching. He does it by taking the time to poke fun at, what he believed to be, some of the more ridiculous sects of the Supernatural fandom. (See above: Wincesters.)

This is also the episode that introduces Chuck, who we later learn is pulling all of the strings in the universe.

2. Supernatural: The Musical Season 10 Episode 5 “Fan Fiction”

Speaking of those Supernatural books (again), an all-girls private school decides to use the books as fodder for the most epic musical that the school’s tiny stage has ever seen.

The episode is a chance for the writers to inject some real-life fan fiction into the Supernatural universe.

Take for example, the young lady playing Dean seen hugging the young lady playing Castiel, a clear nod to all of those Destiel ‘shippers. (Don’t worry, they explored it in Act 2.)

Or the word “Samulet” being used to describe the amulet that Dean wears which was a gift from Sam, a phrase which was coined by fans many years beforehand.

The stage production also begins with a sign that says, “The Road So Far” and ends with the cast singing a haunting rendition of, “Carry On My Wayward Son,” a song that appears during each season finale during its “recap.”

And don’t forget about those BM’s. While fan fic’ers have used BM to describe Brother Moments since like, forever, Dean and Sam learned the term here…and mistook it for meaning, “Bowel Movement.” (There’s a joke here, but I can’t find it.)

1. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles star in ‘Supernatural’ — Season 6 Episode 15 “The French Mistake”

In what is perhaps the most meta moment to ever happen in the history of entertainment, Sam and Dean end up in an alternate reality — one where they discover that they are actually actors named Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.

They star in the “fictional” series Supernatural (based on the books, see above) alongside their Twitter obsessed co-star, Mischa Collins, who plays Castiel. (Side note: I love Mischa Collins tweet-fests, don’t you?)

And not only that! Sam (er, Jared?) is married to an actress named Genevive who looks EXACTLY like Ruby, the demon they fought last season! And Dean (or Jensen) was on a soap opera called Days of Our Lives?!

This episode goes all-in meta, and the result is one of the most beloved episodes of the series to date.

There are obviously many other meta moments from Supernatural‘s vast archives. Which ones not mentioned are on your “Best Of” list? Sound off below!

Supernatural returns on its new night, Thursday, October 13th at 9/8c on The CW.