It’s going to be a long lonely holiday season for Supernatural fans. Following last night’s emotional cliffhanger—two beloved characters died, then Death (one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse) was exhumed—Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester will be missing from TV screens for a two-month hiatus. So we asked executive producer Sera Gamble to share some upcoming plot points.

СпойлерыWe need some teasers to get us through a cold dark December without Supernatural. What can we look forward to?
We are continuing to deal with the overarching storyline of the Apocalypse. The personal cost for our boys is real; they will suffer in every possible way. This season has been really funny but also very dark. The Supernatural palate has escalated due to the Apocalypse. We’re able to tell stories on a slightly larger scale.

Can you give us some peeks at those stories?
We have several closed-ended episodes. In the first [“Sam, Interrupted,” airing January 14], the boys are contacted by a hunter who had worked a case that was so traumatic that he went crazy. He’s been voluntarily living in an insane asylum and something not right is happening there, and he calls the boys. So Sam and Dean check themselves in. The challenge of an episode like this is that it’s well-trodden territory in horror movies and television shows, so we made sure we had a different take. You don’t have to be crazy to be a hunter, but it helps. That’s what Sam and Dean explore. We’re also doing our twist on a zombie story. It’s different from the Croatoan virus zombies. These are post-modern with lots of personality.

Don’t they chomp on flesh?
I can’t say too much. [Laughs] They’re not necessarily bad zombies. At least not right off the bat. They’re zombies that make you think.

Will we finally see God?
Not any time soon, but people are definitely looking for him. It’s an ongoing quest for Castiel [Misha Collins]. It’s vitally important for him and increasingly interesting for the boys. Historically Sam has more faith. The jury is out for Dean as to whether or not God currently exists. We might be the only show on the CW actively searching for God.

Has God been cast yet? Misha Collins told me it would be cool if it were Miley Cyrus.
[Laughs] I can’t tell you anything about God.

What’s Lucifer’s next move?
You’ll be seeing more of Lucifer. I really dig the actor [Mark Pellegrino]. You’ll learn more about how his taking Sam over figures into his plans. And how he came to find Nick, who’s his current [host]. And you will definitely start to understand the Archangel Michael’s perspective. He’s trying to become embodied and Dean is the only possible vessel for him. He’s not walking around in the here and now, so we have to be creative in introducing Michael. You will meet him.

Are there any holiday deconstructions this year, like you’ve done with the pagan roots of Christmas and Halloween?
We will be doing a very dark and sinister Valentine’s Day episode. It’s an exploration of the nature of love and desire, which can be very destructive.

Anything else you can share?
We’re also doing a body swap episode, Sam with a human—that’s all I will say. Fans have been clamoring for it for five seasons. The last thing I can tell you is that we will be further exploring the secrets of the Winchester family and Sam and Dean’s past. There’s more to reveal there.

Any Winchester family members showing up?
Yeah, actually. You might get a flashback here and there.

Still hoping for a return from Jeffrey Dean Morgan?
Let me tell you, we’ll do back flips the day we hear he’s available to play John Winchester again.