TV Surfing

Castiel (Misha Collins)

Gender: Male
Occupation: Angel
* First appeared on September 18, 2008 in the episode Lazarus Rising.

Castiel is an angel who first appears in the fourth season, and is used to introduce the theme of Christian mythology to the series. In the series, Castiel brings Dean Winchester back from Hell, and helps Dean and his brother Sam in their battles with various demons and angels. As an angel, he possesses a number of superhuman abilities, including immortality, telekinesis, and the power to exorcise demons with his touch. The character shows little emotion, though his interactions with Dean have humanized him to a degree.

Unlike some television angels, Castiel does not help people, and is willing to kill innocents if needed. Collins originally read for the part of a demon, as series creator Eric Kripke did not want fans to find out that angels were being introduced to the series. Collins prepared for the role by reading the Book of Revelation, and based his portrayal on his younger brother. Critics and fans have responded favorably to the character. In response, the show's creators expanded his role in the fourth season, and will upgrade him to a series regular in the fifth season.

Plot

At the end of the third season of Supernatural, main character Dean Winchester is in Hell after being killed by the hellhounds of the demonic antagonist Lilith. In the season four premiere "Lazarus Rising", the angel Castiel is introduced. He has brought Dean back from hell, resurrecting him. Castiel tries to communicate with Dean, but cannot because Dean is incapable of withstanding the power of his voice. For normal people, including those possessed by demons, merely perceiving his actual form typically results in blindness, though this can be prevented by shielding one's eyes. Thus, he takes a human host - James "Jimmy" Novak, a "devout man" who prayed for it - to communicate with Dean, and tells him that he has been brought back because God has work for him. Dean is skeptical, even after Castiel projects the shadows of his wings in an attempt to convince him, but both his brother Sam and fellow hunter Bobby Singer believe the claim to be true. After Dean's encounter with the Witnesses - forcibly conjured ghosts that kill the people who were unable to save them from death - in the subsequent episode, "Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester", Castiel reveals to him that Lilith is breaking the 66 seals, one of which was the raising of the Witnesses, in order to free Lucifer.

In an effort to discover the endgame of the demon and season one and two antagonist Azazel's plan, Castiel sends Dean back in time in the episode "In the Beginning", to when Azazel had made a demonic pact with Mary Winchester, Dean's mother. Dean is unsuccessful in determining Azazel's plans. When Castiel returns Dean to the present, he tells him that Sam is headed down a dangerous road, and that if Dean does not stop his brother, the angels will. In the episode "It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester", people in a small town are being sacrificed in order to summon the demon Samhain and break one of the seals. Castiel tells Dean and Sam that the angels would rather destroy the town than allow another seal to be broken. He has brought a "specialist" angel, Uriel, to facilitate this. Dean rejects this plan, and threatens to remain in the town. Castiel allows Dean to do as he wishes. After the Winchester brothers vanquish the demon, Castiel reveals that their real orders were to obey Dean. He then tells Dean that he finds humans to be "works of art", being creations of his Father, and that he was praying that Dean would choose to save the town. He confesses, in confidence, that he sometimes has doubt about distinguishing what is truly right and what is truly wrong any more. He leaves Dean with a warning that Hell would be brought to Earth if they failed.

Castiel returns with Uriel at the end of the episode "I Know What You Did Last Summer", seeking to kill Anna Milton, a fallen angel with the ability to "hear" the communications between angels. In the following episode, "Heaven and Hell", Anna uses a spell to send the angels away, though they manage to track them down later, having threatened Dean with Sam's life. Castiel chose not to deliver this message, as according to Uriel, he liked Dean too much. Once there, Castiel expresses regret at having to kill Anna. She coolly replies to him that he could not feel the full scope of that emotion. Before they can carry their duty, however, they are confronted by the powerful demon Alastair and two of his minions. A fight ensues, and Castiel exorcises one of the demons merely through touch. Alastair, however, is immune to this, and Castiel is nearly defeated in the battle. He is saved by Dean, and they in turn are rescued when Anna regains her powers. Although Uriel nearly vents his frustration on Dean, Castiel stops him, and the two leave peacefully.

Months later in the story, Castiel impersonates Bobby Singer over the phone in the episode "Death Takes a Holiday", warning them that another seal is in danger of being broken. After the seal is saved, the brothers are separated, and Alastair confronts Dean. However, Castiel arrives and captures the demon. Even after several days of interrogation, however, they are unable to extract any information from him, especially on how the demons are killing angels. Unable to turn anywhere else, Castiel and Uriel are forced to ask Dean to torture the information out of Alastair in "On the Head of a Pin". Castiel is reluctant to make Dean go through with it, but Uriel insists that Dean has no say in the matter.

Through mysterious circumstances, Alastair manages to escape the Devil's Trap - mystical symbols capable of imprisoning a demon and stripping his or her abilities - set up by Castiel and then nearly kills Dean. Castiel once again intervenes, and is again overpowered. An angel can only be killed by another angel, so Alastair attempts to banish him back to Heaven. However, Alastair is killed by Sam before he can complete the incantation. Suspicious of Alastair's escape, Castiel confronts Uriel and demands the truth from him. Uriel admits that he and certain other angels are now working together to free Lucifer, having grown weary of never hearing from God and jealous of His supposed favoritism for humanity. He asks Castiel to join him, but Castiel refuses and attacks him. Uriel eventually overpowers him, but is killed by Anna before he can strike the finishing blow. Later, Castiel visits Dean in the hospital, and tries to encourage the despondent Winchester by telling him he is the only person who can stop the Apocalypse. Dean remains unconvinced and tells him to search elsewhere for a hero.

In the episode "The Monster at the End of this Book", Dean finally breaks down and prays for help when a prophet foresees Sam being seduced by Lilith. Castiel appears and, though unable to directly help, drops a clue as to how to save Sam by explaining that if a prophet is in danger, an archangel will appear to violently protect them. Dean uses this information to drive Lilith away.

In "The Rapture", Castiel enters Dean's dreams and arranges a meeting to tell him something important. However, when Sam and Dean go to meet him, they instead find Jimmy, Castiel's host, who claims to have little memory of his life as a vessel. Anna theorizes that Castiel must have "pissed off" one of his superiors, prompting him to be taken back to Heaven. When Jimmy is shot at the end of the episode trying to save his family from demons, Castiel returns, taking Jimmy's daughter as his new host. After the demons are killed, a dying Jimmy begs Castiel to take him back as a host so that his daughter will not have to go through what he did, and the angel acquiesces. Dean then asks him what he needed to tell him, but Castiel coldly replies that his loyalty is to Heaven, not to mankind or to him. In "When the Levee Breaks", Castiel has Dean take the oath of allegiance to God and his angels, to which Dean agrees under the impression that it will keep Sam safe. Later in the episode, Castiel releases Sam, who is on detox from Ruby's demon blood, from Bobby's demon bunker. When Anna confronts him about his actions, other angels appear and capture her.

With Sam closing in on Lilith and all other cards falling into place, Castiel and Zachariah imprison Dean within an idyllic waiting room, where he will be made comfortable until the time comes for him to play his role in stopping the Apocalypse. Dean refuses to remain idle, and continually requests to be able to be see Sam, which is denied. Once Dean discovers that the angels are allowing the Apocalypse to happen, he implores for Castiel to help him stop the final seal from being broken. Though Castiel refuses at first, he returns ready to help not long after. He takes Dean to see Chuck for information on Sam. Their presence does not fall in line with Chuck's Gospel, so an Archangel begins to descend. Castiel sends Dean to Sam, remaining behind to hold back the Archangel and any others that might come.

Characterization

Castiel typically displays very little emotion and always exhibits an extremely somber disposition. He has not been observed expressing any strong emotions. According to the fallen angel Anna, angels possibly do not possess the ability to truly feel emotion. However, Castiel frequently exhibits what could be referred to as friendly affection towards Dean. He seems to at the very least come close to expressing regret, hesitance, and anger several times, and has once quietly laughed at a joke Dean made in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester", showing possibly a sense of humor. Collins feels that, through Dean, " learning a little bit about humanity and re-learning something about own humanity from that exposure. So I think that there's a humanizing of Castiel going on."

Contrary to angels in television series such as Touched by an Angel, Castiel and other angels are not out helping people in need. Though he has a conscience, Castiel is willing to kill innocents if the need arises. Speaking of his character, actor Misha Collins stated, "I think that these angels are at least loosely derived from some Biblical angel stories, and those angels are . They just destroy. I picked up Revelations, and they destroy, they destroy, they destroy. There's no mention of cherubs and harps or any of that." In spite of all his apparently emotionless countenance, however, it is later noted that he is beginning to develop an attachment for Dean. This growing ability to feel even causes him to be "demoted", as his superiors fear that emotions are clouding his judgment.

Development

When Collins auditioned for the role, he read for the part of a demon, as series creator Eric Kripke did not want fans to know of the introduction of angels to the series. Once Collins got the part, the main direction that Kripke gave him of the character was that there is "an otherworldly quality to the character, and that he hasn't been up close with human beings. He's been watching human beings from a great distance for the last two thousand years, so angels haven't been on Earth mingling with human beings for the last two thousand years. So when interacting with human beings, there's a naive curiosity about their behavior. It's as if inspecting some sort of alien beings." As well, director Kim Manners wanted to see a "piousness" to Castiel. Kripke based Castiel's appearance on the comic book character John Constantine.

To prepare for the role, Collins read the Book of Revelation. As well, Collins has said that he somewhat based his character around his younger brother, who has something "angelic about him", as he "has this way of, very calmly, just staring into someone's eyes" making one feel "like he can get into your soul." To avoid the biblically toned dialogue from sounding too "campy", Collins does his best to "play it as real as possible".

Reception

Critical response to the character has been favorable. Castiel ranked ninth on TV.com's top ten list of best new supporting characters of 2008. TV Squad also listed him as the number one reason to watch the series, noting that the "slightly awkward, frighteningly precise angel... has done an amazing job of selling the underlying menace and vengefulness of God's most heavenly creatures." Karla Peterson of the The San Diego Union-Tribune described the concept of Castiel as "genius" and the actor Collins as "fabulous". For his dual role as Castiel and the angel's host Jimmy Novak in the episode "The Rapture", Collins was deemed to be "deserving of an Emmy" by Firefox reviewer Tracy Morris, who praised the actor's ability to switch back and worth, noting, "As Castiel he radiated confidence and childlike wonder. But the second he was playing a human, he turned that all off. I could really believe that there were two different people inside that head."

Fan response to the character has also been positive. Collins believed that the character would end up being just another role for him, and never expected such a reaction from the fans. According to him, "The enthusiasm that I've been met with is something new and not something I'm really prepared for." The character was originally intended for only a six episode story arc, but this has been rewritten, and he will now continue the rest of the season. In January 2009, Supernatural was renewed for a fifth season, and this will lead to Misha being upgraded to a series regular, something Collins believes to be mainly due to fan support.