'Supernatural' season 12 news, spoilers: Castiel, Dean, and Mary Winchester to rescue Sam

In season 12 of The CW's fantasy horror television series "Supernatural," Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) will reportedly be saved by his brother Dean (Jensen Ackles), his mother Mary (Samantha Smith), and the angel Castiel (Misha Collins).

The show recently released production photos that revealed the gist of the forthcoming season. The photos showed Sam held captive by the Men of Letters, a secret society responsible for chronicling all the supernatural events around the world. Sam was tied to a chair with his arms bound behind him. One of the members of the British division's Men of Letters, Lady Toni (Elizabeth Blackmore), appeared to be threatening him with a blowtorch.

Meanwhile, Mary seems to be getting used to being alive again. Moreover, her previous experience as a hunter might be put to good use this season, particularly when saving Sam. However, she might need to brush up on her skills.

For the uninitiated, the series started when Dean and Sam assumed their father's role of hunting supernatural creatures and saving people from harm. Their mother Mary died when she was killed by the demon Azazel (Christopher McCabe). The brothers spent a good deal of time and energy into hunting their mother's murderer. Last season, Mary was resurrected by Amara aka The Darkness (Emily Swallow).

In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Andrew Dabb teased that fans of the show might get to know more about Mary's background in season 12.

"The story's always been, 'Once Mary married John and settled down, she stopped hunting,'" Dabb told the news outlet. "But we're going to find out maybe that's not the whole story," he added.

Ackles admitted that the forthcoming season will delve into the consequences of their mother's death, particularly their great involvement with the supernatural world.

Moreover, the actor revealed that the Winchester boys will have some adjustments to make. Although Mary is their mother, "she's also a stranger," Ackles told TVLine.

"Supernatural" season 12 will return to The CW on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 9 p.m. EDT.