Supernatural's Richard Speight Jr. Weighs in on Gabriel's Complicated History With the Winchesters

Ever since Gabriel (Richard Speight Jr.) showed up in Asmodeus' basement bruised and battered with his lips sewn shut, one question has been plaguing Supernatural fans: What the heck happened to our favorite trickster? After all, he was supposed to be dead after being stabbed by Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) with an archangel blade back in Season 5. But now that we know he faked his own death to avoid conflict, it looks like even more answers to those burning questions about how he got to where he is now will start coming to the surface.

According to Richard Speight Jr., who directed this week's episode, we're going to get some much-needed insight into how the hedonistic archangel managed to be kidnapped by demigods disguised as porn stars and then sold to the Prince of Hell.

"[Thursday's episode] does touch on some of where Gabriel's been and what he's been up to. It helps us better understand how he ended up in this pickle and how it might be affecting him going forward," he told TV Guide.

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Still reeling from being tortured while in captivity, Gabriel will embark on an all-important journey of revenge on those responsible for his kidnapping, and he won't go at it alone. He's also bringing Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) along for the ride which, given their complicated history (like the time he forced Sam to relive Dean dying in comically horrific ways over and over again), probably won't be a smooth one.

"He's had such a back and forth with them," added Speight. "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."

And while Gabriel appears to be getting back to his old self, don't expect to see the Trickster part of his personality popping up anytime soon.

"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 said.

Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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