The Winchester brothers are back on the road in the tenth season of the CW’s Supernatural with Sam and Dean facing their darkest batch of episodes to date. If you’re not up to date with the show, then be warned as there be spoilers ahead.

After the cliffhanger conclusion to the previous season, Dean’s resurrection as a demon (or a Deanmon) has given Crowley (Mark Shepard) the chance to explore his bromance with the elder Winchester. Naturally, Sam is trying to figure out a way to bring him back as that’s what a Winchester does. The demon Dean arc doesn’t quite live up to expectations as it is dealt with early on, Jensen Ackles has a blast playing the darker side of Dean, and I for one would have loved to have seen more.

Now that he’s back in charge of hell Crowley is getting his house back in order, but his grand plans are interrupted by the arrival of his mother, Rowena. A powerful witch in her day is now seeking some retribution against some wicked fellow witches, so she sets about manipulating Crowley to get what she wants. Meanwhile, Castiel (Misha Collins) gets another chance to get in touch with his humanity and attempts to help the daughter of the body he indefinitely borrowed. Should the CW ever reconsider a Supernatural spin-off, a strong case could be made for giving Claire Novak (Kathryn Newton) her own show.

Season 10 is also home to the 200th episode and celebrates the lives of the Winchesters in typically self-aware fashion. Fan Fiction sees the brothers investigating a haunting at a local school theatre who are staging a production of Supernatural. There’s even a surprisingly effective cover version of Carry On My Wayward Son, what more could you possibly want. Without wishing to ruin the series for you, there was one thing that happened this season that sent a shockwave through the fan base and one I hope will be corrected in future seasons. I won’t say what it is, but you’ll know it when you see it.

Balancing the episodes between serving the main season story arc and detouring for a monster of the week is a tricky task, but it is one that Supernatural has managed since its debut. Aside from a few minor niggles, the tenth season is another strong run that will satisfy the loyal fans. The good news is that a twelfth season has been ordered, and rumour has it that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles have signed new deals that will see Supernatural remain a fixture for a while to come.

Season 10 sends our heroes down their darkest road yet and still find the capacity for some of the funniest episodes in years. The mixture of the silly, scary and occasionally hilarious is what has made Supernatural last over a decade, well that and our investment in the Winchesters and that loveable angel.