The Winchesters Fans Are Ecstatic To See Dean Back On Screen

"The Winchesters" may be a prequel to "Supernatural," but that hasn't stopped the show from directly following up with one of the original show's most major characters. The series is narrated by none other than Jensen Ackles' Dean Winchester, who appears to be taking a stroll down memory lane and reflecting on the lives of his parents after the events of "Supernatural." Yes, Dean did die during the ending of "Supernatural." No, "The Winchesters" has not yet revealed how the character has returned — just one of the show's many mysterious plot threads.

While Ackles may be narrating "The Winchesters" as Dean, however, his "Supernatural" character hasn't appeared in any episodes since the premiere — at least, up until now. Season 1, Episode 8 of "The Winchesters" finally features a new on-screen cameo from Dean himself, and while his appearance brings up more than a few plot-related questions, diehard "Supernatural" fans are nonetheless over the moon to see the beloved monster hunter once again.

Season 1, Episode 8 of "The Winchesters," titled "Hang On to Your Life," followed up on some major dangling plot threads that have been confounding fans. Notably, the episode finally revealed just who exactly gave John the mysterious letter from his father Henry. The answer proved to be rather shocking, as John identified a photograph of Dean as the man he met.

Of course, there's countless implications of what Dean's appearance in the past means plot-wise, but many fans were simply happy to see the character's face again. "Dean is alive!" @Pamy_Jensenfan tweeted. "I'm screaming." Some fans excitedly credited Ackles for managing to bring Dean back once again after his demise at the end of "Supernatural." "Jensen creating a whole new show purely to bring back Dean Winchester after the spn writers killed him off is so sexy of him," @TheStitchSoFar tweeted.

Fans also quickly took note that the date of Dean's long-awaited return happened to coincide with the character's in-universe birthday. It doesn't seem like the connection is a coincidence, as prior to the episode's premiere, Ackles posted a video on his Instagram wishing Dean a happy birthday and telling fans to remember to watch the new installment. While bringing Dean back is a welcome gift both to the character and his fans, it remains to be seen whether the monster hunter will be showing up more. Perhaps he'll be one of the familiar faces teased for "The Winchesters" Season 1 finale.