Cas is back! He was briefly seen in purgatory with Dean, but was left behind when Dean and Benny escaped. On tonight's Supernatural, though, our favorite angel mysteriously returns to Earth.

On a recent visit to the Supernatural set in Vancouver (trip provided by Warner Bros. TV), Misha Collins talked about both Cas' time in purgatory and what is waiting for him when he gets out....

How is Castiel's attitude a different this season because of his experiences in purgatory?
I think that Cas’ experiences in purgatory are actually shaped by everything that has come before. Purgatory for him I think is a kind of penance, which actually plays out a little bit as the season unfolds but yeah, it’s a tough place for Cas. It’s actually really tough and I think that he kind of feels like he deserves that.

It’s been a rough year down in purgatory. What’s Cas’ mental state going to be like?
I think we’re seeing a Cas that’s actually kind of closer to the Cas in seasons four and five. Somehow the process of paying that penance has regained a bit of his innocence and all of his sanity. His screws are not nearly as loose as they were last year.

What kind of powers will Cas have this season?
When Cas comes out of purgatory, he is a bit diminished, but then seems to regain his powers and can do things that we didn’t previously know that he could do, like transport other people into other people’s heads. It worked pretty good.

Does Cas have any allies other than Sam and Dean at this point?
No, no. There are people trying to align themselves with him but I don’t think they’re genuine allies.

Sam and Dean are on a quest with Kevin to find the tablet of God, is that something that Cas will be involved with?
I think that that’s sort of the pivotal object of the season, that’s what everyone is after from, you know, every realm, and Cas is definitely involved in that process and caught in the crossfire.

Carla Day is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.