This week’s heart-breaking episode was pivotal to Castiel’s story and may have just confirmed the biggest and most well-known fan theory regarding his relationship with Dean. The fallen angel seems to be receiving love and gratitude for everything he has given to the show, but just what makes him so special?
Even though Cas has been pushed to the side over the years, in terms of central and juicy storylines, screen time, the reduction of those original bad ass powers, and the occasional treatment from Sam and Dean as a weapon or a liability because of his past mistakes, I feel that in this final season particularly, the show has really paid tribute to the character, and given him a weight and responsibility over the show like never before.
In Season 15, we’ve seen Castiel lose and find his son, Jack, again, and we’ve had Dean pray for forgiveness for being so angry with him all the time. However, what’s really intriguing about Castiel being respected this season, is that he was noticed by God himself.
“Spare me your contempt, Castiel, the self-hating angel of Thursday. You know what every other version of you did after “gripping him tight and raising him from perdition”? They did what they were told, but not you. Not the one off the line with a crack in his chassis.”
In Chuck’s last scene, he spent more of his precious 1 and a half minutes with our protagonists talking about Castiel, instead of Sam and Dean (the actual stars of the show as well as the messengers of God’s destruction). It could be that Chuck finds Castiel interesting; a strange oddity. After all, the Winchesters have been Chuck’s playthings since they were born, and he knows absolutely everything about them, even manipulating some of their life decisions, however his small speech in 15.17 “Unity” implies that Chuck never really paid any interest in Castiel, assuming he would follow in the footsteps of his past draft versions – doing what he was told and not really being a part of the Winchesters’ story. It’s hinted that this version of Castiel has an unmatched love for the brothers which makes him unique and caring of humanity.
Earlier on in this season, Sam was experiencing visions of God’s many alternative universes, discovering that all of Chuck’s stories end the same way – with one brother killing the other. We see Sam kill Dean whilst being possessed by Lucifer, and whilst being under the influence of Demon blood, and we see Demon Dean kill Sam. In all three visions, Castiel is absent and, from what we learn from Chuck in “Unity”, we can assume those other versions of Cas were simply doing as they were told and weren’t getting too close to the brothers. To put it plainly, Chuck didn’t write about Cas, because he didn’t think he was important, expecting him to follow his orders and not interfere, allowing Sam and Dean to kill each other, like all of his other versions do. This implies that Sam and Dean are still alive, are still fighting and saving people, because Castiel is by their side. Castiel has single-handedly made this world, this show, special, and made the brothers stronger.
Rather than following his orders, this Castiel, our Castiel, was banished from Heaven soon after meeting the Winchesters, and continued to be a thorn in the side of their enemies. At the end of the famous Season 5 finale, “Swan Song”, Castiel helps Sam and Dean save the world, and proceeds to rescue Sam from Hell (albeit without a soul but he tried). He also refused to watch Sam and Dean sacrifice themselves to save each other in 12.09 “First Blood”, confiding “This sad, doomed little world – it needs you. It needs every last Winchester it can get and I will not let you die…and I won’t let you sacrifice yourselves. You mean too much to me, to everything.”
It seems that the individuality of this Castiel is his big heart, his desire to save people and, that in turn, manifests into loving Sam and Dean because they are so influential to the safety of this world. Castiel admires everything that the Winchesters represent, and he strives to protect them whenever he can. He has admitted, both in the most recent episode, and in Season 12’s “Stuck in the Middle (With You)”, that being with Sam and Dean has “changed” him, indicating that he has become more loving, accepting of humanity, and passionate about freedom, since meeting them. Compared to the other universes, Castiel has a deep, profound connection with Sam and Dean, which has molded him into an angel like no other, strong, rebellious and unpredictable to all their enemies, including God himself.
It’s beautiful that Castiel is getting the recognition he deserves, because the show wouldn’t be the same without him (which is non-negotiable because God said so himself).
Supernatural Fan No. 12949162 