After Castiel’s final heart-breaking scene in last week’s episode, “Despair“, emotions are high within the Supernatural family. Just before being taken away to The Empty for all eternity, Castiel opened his heart to Dean, confessing his love.
During his tearful goodbye speech, Castiel reveals that he has a secret deep desire that he believes is unattainable. Unfortunately, he never explains to Dean what that “one thing” is, however Castiel goes on to state that “happiness isn’t in the having. It’s in the being,” implying that happiness comes from within, and that he may already be living his dream. This is confirmed when The Empty is summoned, the result of Castiel’s deal to be taken by it when he experiences a moment of true happiness.
The scene is riddled with hints and innuendos, but the aspect of what Castiel’s inner desire (his “true happiness“) looks like is arguably the most vague and intriguing aspect. Castiel’s thoughts and emotions during this scene are open for interpretation to viewers, which is likely a technique from the writers in order to please all of the fans.
Today we’re discussing three different theories of what Castiel’s true happiness could be.
So – What is that ONE THING our awkward, adorable, fallen angel dreams of having (but knows he can never have)?
Number 1: DESTIEL
This is probably the most popular and well-known theory in the show’s history. Castiel’s true happiness is Dean loving him romantically. Castiel knows he “can’t have” this, because he believes that his love is unrequited and that Dean is heterosexual. Officially, Dean is straight but Castiel’s sexuality, on the other hand, is more complicated. Although we have only ever seen Castiel romantically with women, he is also an angel of the lord, a cosmic creature who may not have the same rigid rules for gender and sex that humans do.
We have seen Castiel in female vessels both when he briefly possessed Claire Novak in 4.20 “The Rapture” and during a flashback in 12.10 “Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets“, so we know Castiel does not have a personal gender preference. This could also mean that angels have no gender, and potentially experience a pansexuality by expressing love and romantic attraction solely based on the individual, regardless of species or gender.
There is a well-loved theory that Dean is bisexual, however this has never been confirmed and, in this scenario, Castiel believes that Dean is either straight or not interested, and therefore they can not be together romantically. In Castiel’s last moments, he tells Dean that he loves him. Seconds later, The Empty appears right on cue, encouraging this theory that Castiel has come to the realisation that loving Dean is enough, and that he doesn’t need love in return.
However, Is the love unrequited? is a whole other article. Either Castiel is correct in his assumption that Dean doesn’t love him in that way, or Dean is as dumb as Castiel and hasn’t made a move in 12 years because he also believes he will be rejected. Dean has minimal lines in their final scene together, but he is visibly shocked and understandably speechless. Either he has just found out that his best friend is in love with him romantically, or he has found out that his crush likes him too. Castiel disappears into The Empty before Dean has the chance to collect his thoughts and say “Aw man, that’s nice but I don’t see you like that” or “I love you too *kisses*”. The saddest part about this theory is that Castiel will never know whether Dean feels the same way. With the root that the writers are going down – maybe we’ll never know either!
Number 2: It’s all platonic!
For all those who don’t see the subtext of Destiel, there is a way that Castiel is referring to platonic love here. Hopefully Castiel knows how much Sam and Dean love him as a friend, but maybe he wishes that Dean would respect and appreciate all of him completely, the good and the bad. In the latest episode, Castiel reveals some of Dean’s insecurities and flaws, “destructive, “angry” and “broken“, but declares that he loves him anyway, which might be the type of devotion that Castiel desires for himself.
In this theory, Castiel may not feel that he deserves that kind of love from Dean, ashamed of his past mistakes, feeling that he has let Dean down so many times, and can therefore never have the type of strong, unbending friendship that he dreams of. A pivotal episode in Season 15, 15.09 “The Trap“, involved Dean praying to Castiel, forgiving him of his past misjudgments of Jack and apologising for always being so angry. As Castiel heard this prayer, he understands that Dean has forgiven him, but maybe Castiel hasn’t forgiven himself, believing he is not worthy of their friendship, and fearing that he will mess up again. Castiel may have expressed his love for Dean in his final scene, in realisation that he needs to forgive himself and stop rejecting Dean’s friendship.
Alternatively, Castiel may believe that Dean can’t return that kind of intense friendship due to his habit of burying his emotions and rejecting affection from those around him, a result of his self-hating attitude. Castiel dreams of a platonic love that is strong and eternal, which is compromised by Dean’s angry and destructive nature which Castiel mentions in this latest episode. As Dean is naturally hot-headed and tense, pushing Castiel away many times, Castiel knows that he can never have that perfect friendship that he wants. It’s in this moment that he realises that a relationship works both ways, and that giving true acceptance and pure platonic love to Dean is enough to single-handedly mend and strengthen their friendship, which completes Castiel’s “true happiness“.
Number 3: Castiel just wants to love
Looking at this scene in a completely generic way, instead of Castiel wishing for Dean’s love, he could just be wishing for anybody’s love. Maybe Castiel is lonely and wants someone, maybe even humanity as a whole, a species he has sworn to save and protect, to love him. However, he feels that he doesn’t deserve true love and acceptance because of his past mistakes and wants to redeem himself first. Maybe Castiel feels that he is damaged and can’t ever be loved.
In his final scene, Castiel then realises that he is responsible for his own happiness, and that he can give love wildly and freely, including loving himself, rather than waiting or searching for receiving love. In accepting Dean for who he is, whole-heartedly, shamelessly and selflessly declaring his love for him, without judgement or doubt, Castiel found true happiness in himself because he has given someone something that he has always wanted for himself – to be loved unconditionally.
Castiel has realised that happiness isn’t just “having” and being respected and adored, but can also mean “being” passionate and caring for something else. In addition to this, Castiel gives Dean absolution from all of the angry, violent things he has done, being that someone Castiel may have been searching for, wanting to be forgiven for his own sins. This type of unconditional loving emotion towards something allows him to feel more at peace and content with himself, and gives him a purer and happier heart which is why The Empty descends and takes him away.
Overall, for Castiel maybe it doesn’t matter whether his declaration of love is romantic, sexual, platonic, familial, brotherly or generalised, because he is an angel and all these different types of love are probably all the same to him. All that matters is that he is expressing love, and being the truest version of himself he can be in the process.
How did you guys interpret Castiel’s heart-breaking goodbye scene?
What is the ONE happiness that the angel didn’t think he would ever find?
Let us know in the comments!
Supernatural Fan No. 12949162 
The first one seems craxy imo.. the #2 or #3 answer seems alot more right.
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