Supernatural – 9×03 “I’m No Angel”

SPOILER ALERT!  READ NO FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN 9×03!!!!

SPOILER ALERT!  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

SPOILER ALERT!

Guys, guys, guys!  I’m a little late to the party this week due to a Walt Disney World vacation (more on that later).  I tried so hard to resist any spoilers after Tuesday since I wasn’t able to watch but I gave in and went to Tumblr anyway.  Kinda wish I hadn’t.  The reviews were terrible.  People were upset that Destiel had been killed.  Twitter fights and insults and general angst ensued.  Drama with a capital “D”, and not the good kind of “D.

So I was expecting the worst, as in a poorly written show that was confusing, inconsistent, and contradictory.

And I was surprised that I enjoyed this episode more than 9×01 and 9×02.  It’s not without its problems, certainly, but is not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be.  For the sake of my review, I am going to ignore the construct of the scenes (i.e., how they were framed and shot), the lighting, and some of the more technical aspects of the actual camera work.  I will focus solely on content.  (P.S. – Even though I am a Dean/Cas shipper, my comments regarding the Dean/Cas storyline will not be from a shipping perspective.)

Here are my takeaways.

Opening Sequence:

CAS:

• Cas is adapting to humanity beautifully.  As he figures out how to find shelter, how to make money, and how to do some of the basic physical tasks being human dictates (brushing your teeth – although that was still adorably naive Cas – toilets, showers), he is not angry or resentful, nor do I get the sense that he feels sorry for himself, as he did in Purgatory with his need to do penance.

• At the same time Cas is still a BAMF.  He’s smart about his survival (and he does want to survive).  He uses an alias, knows he needs to keep moving, and be warded against angels.  He’s still got his angel blade and still has his fighting skills.  The way he drops the blade into his hand makes my nethers quiver.

• “I’ve gotta plan better.  I ran out of food very quickly today.”  There were a couple of subtle things in this episode that made me wonder if Cas was purposefully running away from the bunker and planning to stay on the run for a while.

DEAN:

• What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.  Oh Dean, lies upon lies upon lies.  You can start to see the edges fraying here – Dean is beginning to have a hard time maintaining continuity in his communication with Sam after speaking with Ezekiel.  He’s forceful with Ezekiel, telling him to go away until he (Dean) asks to speak with him.  When Ezekiel does so, Dean continues the conversation between himself and the angel, much to Sam’s confusion, only adding to the lies that Dean continue to tell to keep the charade going.

• This is the first time I can remember seeing Dean being so involved in “research”.  You can tell as he is looking at the map of where Cas may be that he is anxious.

SAM:

• Holy crap, Jared’s acting this season!  Not saying his acting is bad or otherwise sub-par in other seasons, but he is just blowing me away with the Sam/Ezekiel switches.  It’s freaking creepy to watch.

• The small reaction he gives to Dean’s statement about Cas “Unless they got him.”  Wow.  In one look he conveys that he knows how much Dean cares for and needs Cas.  He remembers what happened the last time Dean lost Cas.

EZEKIEL:

• His motivation is still unclear to me (why is he possessing Sam and what favor will he want from Dean?).

• Providing news regarding Cas to Dean is him manipulating Dean in a subtle way.  Remember he knows everything Sam knows, therefore he knows how much Dean cares about Cas.  Ezekiel needs to keep Dean on a short leash to play out his endgame – what better way to do that than to gain his trust by providing him information about Cas and offering to be useful in the search to find him?

BARTHOLOMEW:

• Dick Roman wanna-be – I want Naomi back.
• What was the point of letting the young woman take on an angel when it was clear that Bartholomew knew she was a not a good choice for a vessel?

GENERAL:

• We’ve never seen an angel possess someone through the mouth.  That is canonically the way a demon possesses.
• Nor have we seen angel grace split, then converging on the vessel as one.
• What happens to an angel’s grace when the vessel containing them explodes?
• “The Lamb of the Sacrifice” – so I’m a Christian and when I hear this phrase I immediately think of Jesus as the Lamb and the shedding of his blood as the covering of my sin.  SPN has not historically referenced Jesus, only God.  Maybe I’m seeing too much in that?  Either way, in Christianity, the sacrificing of a lamb and the offering of  blood is symbolic of cleansing and atonement to God.
• Is it an angel or a reaper in the bus?  If it were an angel, they should be able to sense that Castiel no longer has his grace and would not question if he’s human.  I’m not sure that a reaper (other than Death) would know.  Anyone?

Second Sequence:

CAS:

• Second reference to being on the run:  “No, he just said he had to keep going.”

• I thought the scenes in the downtown area were beautiful in that they highlighted what must be an overwhelming experience for Cas.  Even though he’s been watching humanity forever, he’s never been one of us.  Even in spending so much time with the Winchesters, he’s always has the experiences filtered through his grace.   The noise and honking horns and smell of food and the prostitute and the men fighting – did you see the swallowing down of tears?  I died a little right then.

• Dammit Misha, your acting!

• The church scene:  The immediate contrast of the street scene (noise) and the church (quiet) provided a clear contrast of what life must have been like for Castiel before with things filtered through his grace (quiet) and what is now (noise).  Also echoed by the “fragile” comment.

• Cas knows God exists but he has no faith.  Isn’t that what he said to Dean when they first met?  I am eager to see how this plays out and to see exactly who is listening.  After all, we know that Castiel is important enough to God that He brought him back to life.

DEAN:

• Dean is interviewing the homeless man alone and all I could think was “Why?”

• He cannot escape what he’s done to Sam.  It’s being thrown in his face at every turn and honestly, he deserves that.  Look I’m a Dean girl all the way, but he’s sunk to a whole new low here.  And honestly when Sam and Cas find out, Dean deserves whatever shit they throw at him.  How many times has he stood on his high horse and judged them for making bad decisions and lying about it?  If both Sam and Cas don’t walk away from Dean for a little while for this, I will be very disappointed.

SAM:

• Sam is gonna be so pissed when he finds out Dean let him be “body snatched” by an angel.

BARTHOLOMEW:

• Still a Dick Roman wanna-be – and I still want Naomi back.

GENERAL:

• Did you notice the plethora of blue-eyed men this episode?
• “Winchester” – we all know you mean Dean Winchester.

Third Sequence:

CAS:

• Third reference to being on the run:  “Think he was on the run.”

• Oh my god, Misha is killing me with his face.  The scene in the rain, the look he gives…again, I think I died a little.

• Why does Cas give April his real name here when he’s been using Clarence as an alias?

• For being a new human, Cas is pretty well in touch with his emotions already – he’s admitted to making mistakes out of vanity and the belief in his own self-importance.

• Fourth reference to running away.  “Now all I can do is keep running.”

• “Being all alone” – This reinforces the idea that he does not intend to reunite with the Winchesters.  They are his family, as they’ve told him time and time again, yet, he believes he is all alone.

• Love or hate the kissing scene, but those little sideways looks that Cas gave April were so adorable!  The post-sex scene was adorable too.  I love the smile and the giggles – I’m glad Cas had something to enjoy finally.

• Loved that he said he’d done some foolish and unwise things.  Given what comes next with April, it seems that pattern continues.

DEAN:

• His anxiety is off the charts.

• Back to torture…this makes me so sad.  How desparate must he be to find Cas if he is willing to torture again?  And the look on his face as he kills the reaper – there’s nothing there.  No regret, no angst, no doubt…it’s frightening and sad at the same time.

SAM:

• He’s just standing by and watching Dean torture the reaper even thought it seems like he doesn’t want Dean to do it, but he’s not protesting.  He’s just being passive about it.

GENERAL:

• April bringing Cas home wasn’t as creepy as I thought it might be.  I’ve protested that it is unreasonable for a single woman to bring home a homeless man but this worked.  It makes more sense in the context provided, assuming that April was possessed by a reaper before she left work, it makes sense.

Fourth Sequence:

CAS:

• “I only knew that I was the final ingredient.”  Oh my gosh…I’ve read several theories on why Metatron needed Castiel and Castiel’s grace specifically for the spell and this line gives me hope that the writers are going to address why it had to be Castiel!

• “My grace.  It’s why I’m human.  He took my grace for the spell.”  Holy.  Crap.  Misha’s acting here gave me shivers.  His eyes cast down in shame that he was tricked and the most intimate thing was taken from him against his will, admitting that he is human, and that it was his fault because of his naivety.  Damn.

• “It may be unwise to kill me.  If my grace was the key to empowering the spell, I may be the key to countering it.”  And that is exactly what is going to happen but DAMN CAS, skilled warrior, leader of a garrison of angels, you are a cunning survivalist and strategist.  BAMF.

DEAN:

• And our anxiety just hit an all-time high.

• Dean is starting down an even more dangerous path here by calling for Ezekiel.  He’s playing right into Ezekiel’s hands by relying on him, showing him another one of his weaknesses, and then by essentially begging him to help find Cas.

• And he’s manipulating Sam too by essentially giving Ezekiel permission to come forward.  Taking away Sam’s choice and his control over his own body.  Sleazeball move, Dean.

• Revenge, thy name is Dean Winchester.  Once again, when he ganks April, his face is so set and hard, very similar to the killing of the reaper.

• Twice in this scene we see Dean go to Cas first, before Sam.  I’ve thought a lot about that, because you know I want to see it through my Dean/Cas glasses, but the most obvious answer is that Dean knows that Sam will be okay because of Ezekiel so there is no reason to rush to his side.

• “Never do that again.”  Because I need you, Cas.

• But let me keep lying to you (do neither of them see Dean’s lying face?) because that’s all I can do to cover up my mess.

SAM:

• When’s he gonna start questioning these black outs?  This is the second time in what, 3-5 days?

EZEKIEL:

• He sees an opportunity to snare Dean further in his trap by healing Cas.  He could have let Cas remain dead, especially if he is in cahoots with Metatron, who would certainly not mind if Castiel is dead.  So why bring him back unless it was for the specific purpose of manipulating Dean and maintaining leverage against him.

GENERAL:

• As in last week’s episode where Abbadon sexualized her power over Dean, we see April do the same over Cas.

• Alright, starting with Dean rushing to Cas’ side after he’s ganked April, from there until the end, the scene is flat and awkward.  Even from a platonic view, I don’t get the sense that Dean is really all that distraught that his best friend was killed right in front of him and there is nothing he can do.  Now once Ezekiel revives Cas, he is tender and then in typical Dean style, gets gruff with the never do that again, but I was expecting more.  In past seasons when Cas has been killed we’ve seen Dean drink himself to (almost death), carry a bloody trench coat from car to car for almost 6 months, and hallucinate.  Hell, he was full-on almost in tears when the Leviathan drowned Cas in the lake.  And all that was when Cas was a supernatural being and there was more of a chance of him coming back.  Now he’s human and there is no coming back from death (unless you have an angel in your pocket), and Dean’s just like “Sam, he’s gone”?  Very anticlimactic.  Now I wouldn’t expect Dean to start wailing, but maybe tears in the eyes, his voice a bit more broken, a bit more begging at Cas to just be alive?  And to end a highly dramatic death scene with crap humor?  Uhm, no.  Just no.

• And why doesn’t Cas ask about Ezekiel or how Sam is miraculously better?

Last Sequence:

The reveal about Cas having sex was funny.

As for Dean telling Cas to go, totally heartbreaking but I’m not sure what Dean expected.  It’s obvious he doesn’t want Cas to go, but he has no choice.  He’s being threatened by Ezekiel and now he’s paying the price.  I’m sure the cost will continue to rise the longer he tries to keep this secret.  I believe he will set Cas up with fake ids and credit cards and money before throwing him out and I think he’ll tell Sam that Cas wanted to go.  Or maybe have Ezekiel manipulate Sam’s memory?  I guess we’ll see.

Last Impressions:

There were some problems with this episode that others have covered and I won’t go into.  Overall it was not the worst I’ve seen from SPN nor was it my favorite, but I think it had some brilliant moments.  I’m happy to see Cas adjusting fairly well to being human.  I’m glad to see the Dean and Cas still have a strong connection.

As for the uproar that some of the fans got into this week, I’ll say this:  I don’t see this episode as a death knoll for the Dean/Cas story.  I think it can be read as either platonic or romantic and I believe it was deliberately vague.  Let’s just all keep our panties on and see what happens.

Right now, I’m more interested in resolving the larger plot lines of Abaddon, the fallen angels, and the Sam/Ezekiel thing.

Whew!  That was long…so I’m signing off now.  Stay righteous folks!