'Supernatural' Season 11 SPOILERS: How Is Dean Winchester Connected to The Darkness?

Supernatural Season 11 is off to an extremely strong start thanks to the introduction of The Darkness, which is perhaps the most dangerous and evil Big Bad the show has introduced to date. In the premiere, we learned that The Darkness is connected to Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), but how exactly does that play out? We've got some spoilers for you on that subject.

In the premiere, Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) was knocked unconscious in the Impala as The Darkness spread over the land. Dean, however, was dragged out of the car and met The Darkness personified in the image of a woman who said they were linked together.

In Episode 2, Crowley (Mark Sheppard) prepared to deal with Amara aka The Darkness on his own, at which point Dean uncharacteristically freaked out and told him not to touch her, which was another sign of their connection.

But what does this link actually mean? Dean had the Mark of Cain, which is what kept The Darkness at bay, so is it possible it's grateful to him? 

The "Matt's Inside Line" column at TVLine has more information.

"What does it mean for Supernatural‘s Dean that he and The Darkness are bound? What plans does Amara/Darkness have for him? Can one be killed without hurting the other? –DeMara
One can definitely be injured without affecting the other. 'It’s not like a voodoo doll' (or 'twinsies,' as Jared Padalecki jokes) 'or anything like that,' star Jensen Ackles clarifies. 'We will see… what exactly that relationship is' between Dean and The Darkness, Ackles adds. 'I don’t think that he knows what to make of it. What it all means and how it’s all going to tie into his destiny and his future and what that means for the brothers, he’s very nervous about. Obviously, those nerves are something that he’s going to be hiding, but we will see it get fleshed out a bit.'”

What do you think this connection means?