Warning: spoilers ahead for The Winchesters episode 8.
Supernatural guest star, and in doing so changed pre-established lore. The Winchesters episode 8 featured the return of Supernatural guest star and director Richard Speight Jr. who played the Trickster (Loki) who later turned out to be the archangel Gabriel. While the episode revealed a lot about Carlos’ past, and Mary’s relationship with Samuel (Tom Welling), it also changed well-established lore from the early days of Supernatural.
The Winchesters episode 8 featured a different kind of Loki than what audiences of Supernatural . When the Trickster appeared in the first four seasons, he was being impersonated by Gabriel, but the real demigod was introduced and killed in Supernatural season 13, episode 20. Gabriel and Loki looked the same because Gabriel was in hiding, and Loki made Gabriel look like him so he wasn’t found by Chuck or any of the other angels. However, the character Richard Speight is playing in The Winchesters episode 8 is Loki and not Gabriel.
The Winchesters Says A Knife With Warrior Blood Kills A Loki
When researching ways to break Loki’s deal with Carlos in The Winchesters episode 8, Lata states that a knife with a warrior’s blood on it can kill Loki. While that doesn’t exactly pan out, considering Samuel stabbed him with one and he was okay, it is a big change from what was established in Supernatural season 2. In Supernatural, Sam and Dean Winchester tried to kill the Trickster using ordinary wood coated with his victim’s blood. This obviously didn’t work because the Trickster was Gabriel who couldn’t have been killed.
It's possible that Gabriel had tricked the Winchester brothers and they hadn’t read the real lore, but that would be something pretty odd to retcon now in a spinoff. It’s also possible, yet unlikely that both versions of the lore are correct and there’s more than one way to kill Loki. However, in Supernatural season 13, episode 20 Gabriel takes revenge on Loki and kills him using a special blade. This makes it seem like there are three different ways to kill Loki if the canon isn’t changed.
This Loki Isn’t Interested In Sweets & Now Has A Magical Mirror
One of the biggest differences with the version of Loki seen in The Winchesters episode 8 is that he doesn’t act much like the trickster version seen in Supernatural. That Loki was very into sweets and couldn’t live without them. It was actually how Sam figured out which one was the Trickster in Supernatural season 3, episode 11 “Mystery Spot” which saw Dean die over and over in a cruel Groundhog Day scenario. The real Loki introduced in season 13 also had a box full of different flavored lollipops, indicating his innate sweet tooth.
The Winchesters’ version of Loki had a magical mirror. While it’s unclear how it’s powered, Samuel made it clear that it was indestructible. The Winchesters characters including John, Mary, Samuel, Lata, and Carlos were able to trap Loki inside of the mirror by Carlos choosing to be unselfish and save his friends. It’s worth noting that in Supernatural there was never a mention of a magical mirror, by either Gabriel while impersonating the Trickster or by the real Loki. So the addition of the magic mirror is new to the lore.
Is This The Gabriel That Sam & Dean Knew?
The Winchesters is implying that the demigod the gang ran into in Kansas City is the real Loki; however, Gabriel had previously said that part of his and Loki’s arrangement was that Loki would teach Gabriel how to be him. So while the look and ruthlessness seen in The Winchesters is comparable to the real Loki, there’s no real way to tell, nor would John and Mary Winchester know that it wasn't the real Loki.
One clue might be that The Winchesters has so far steered away from any mention or inclusion of angels. If the show was to start including angels, it may start to feel a little too much like Supernatural and risk repeating storylines. Though it may be fun to see Misha Collins return as Castiel. It’s unclear from the information in Supernatural to know when Gabriel began impersonating Loki, so there’s just an added level of uncertainty. There is also the possibility Gabriel never even left heaven and took the place of Loki if The Winchesters takes place in a different universe.
With the tease of Dean Winchester returning in the final minutes of The Winchesters episode 8, it’s fair to say that more information will be revealed as the series continues. The reason why Dean delivered the letter to John in the pilot is still unanswered, but the answer may just resolve questions. It may even reveal that The Winchesters takes place in a separate universe and that’s why the lore changed. It could also reveal that the Loki encountered was just Gabriel playing a trick. It remains to be seen why The Winchesters made changes to the pre-established lore of Supernatural, but hopefully, audiences will get an answer in future episodes.