Supernatural Thursdays: Castiel is Coming Back – Time to Celebrate or Say Goodbye?

Castiel

I don’t know about you folks, but when I heard the news that Castiel was making a return to Supernatural in episode 17 (plus two more!) of this season, I was as happy as a schoolgirl in pigtails with a lollipop. There may even have been some dancing involved, and probably more than a little bit of squealing, but I can neither confirm nor deny those rumors.

Now that the dancing (and the squealing) has ended, I’ve spent some time reading a bunch of interviews from various people at the SPN camp talking about Castiel’s return and I gotta say, not all of it makes me want to keep my dancing shoes on.

Believe me, I’m not trying to be maudlin here. Of course, all l I really want to do is celebrate this wonderful news, but I can’t help but to feel worried that they’re just bringing Castiel back to give him a proper send-off. Originally, back when I wrote my article about why the fans wanted Castiel back, I thought I’d be happy with a scenario like that. I *thought* I was mostly upset at his lack of big goodbye (like Bobby, who got one so good it still makes me weep at the thought), but now it turns out I want more.

I know, stingy thing aren’t I?

Now on the one hand, I find myself gleefully thinking about the possibilities of how Castiel will return and how his story will progress. We’ve gotten some tidbits from the writers but with no real confirmation, my imagination runs wild with possibilities. Will he be an angel? A powerless angel in a human vessel? A leviathan? The choices are almost endless and all of them have me pretty freaking excited.

Also, I can’t help but to hope that, however he returns, these episodes will lead into a whole new character arc for him. Even if he’s not around as much, I’d love to see Castiel continue to pop up as long as the series is on the air. Not to jinx us or anything, but I personally feel like we’ve got a pretty good chance for at least one more season with the Winchesters.

Now on the other hand, so far I’ve only heard of him coming back in those three episodes and while I’m sure that’s because no one over there wants to reveal too much, my cynical side (the one without the dancing shoes) can’t help but to think that those final three episodes could be….gulp…his last.

Have the Powers That Be planned to bring Castiel back only to break our hearts again with another farewell? Even if he gets the heroic send-off this character so richly deserves, I know I will be one very sad fangirl if that happens.

As much as I understand the writers intentions to tear Sam and Dean’s world down this season and take away all the people they had come to count on (heck I even admire the whole idea), a part of me is still hoping that Castiel won’t actually be killed off for good (as “good” as it gets on Supernatural).

So how do you guys feel now that you know our favorite angel is going to return? Are you cautious like me, still celebrating like mad, or ready with a box of tissues to cry your eyes out?

Follow me on Twitter @mokibobolink

If you are curious about what Supernatural Thursdays are all about, check out our introductory post on it and more articles here.

By Michelle Carlbert | January 19, 2012 | 61 Comments

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ptjackson

I have not read the interviews, but I will not be at all happy if the kill off Cas, in more ways than one. In fact, I mentioned him in my most recent article, along with Bobby, and truthfully, want the killing off of favorite characters to stop.

So, I’m placing my fingers in my ears, and humming loudly, hoping it will all be a bad dream.

Anonymous

Sigh, I kind of wish that I had done that from the beginning. If I had never read anything at all, I wouldn’t have any doubts. Maybe I’ll just join you now… *puts fingers in own ears*

http://twitter.com/BlackFalconik Agnieszka

I was happy, very, very happy. One day, maybe two. And then I read the interviews…and I bought the tissues. I’m sure they want to kill him again…and break my heart again. It’s like a shooting in open wound again.

Anonymous

Yep, that’s pretty much exactly what I did. Sigh.

http://twitter.com/Nunney2584 Kati

I’m cautious too. After steadfastly believing that Bobby would survive and he’d be fine (coz he’s always fine, damnit. Seriously, think Dean’s anger & denial in ‘Death’s door’ & you’d be getting close to how unwavering my faith in Bobby surviving was), I was beyond devastated that the writers actually went there.
Now, I honestly don’t trust em to save my own life, let alone Castiel’s. I’ve adopted the self preservation, pessimistic view that he’ll die, so I can’t be disappointed.

On a side note, I do think the season as a whole (aside from that damn wedding ep, that i’m STILL trying to believe didn’t exist) has been magnificent so far in terms of powerful and daring writing, but at the same time I HATE it for how they seem to be, not only tearing down Sam & Dean’s world, but also our own.
It really makes me hanker for the apocalypse & angels vs demons all over again, because at least then we all still had hope for the boys. The story arc this season (whilst incredibly compelling and evocative) seems to be systematically trying to destroy our will to live with all this angst going on, and I think because of that, a big part of my inner Spn fan died when Bobby did.
As it is, despite how cliched it would be, I’d give anything for them to press the reset button & magically make Bobby & Cas better again right now. Because I don’t know how much longer I can watch Sam & Dean being broken into teeny tiny pieces all for the sake of ‘good tv’.
http://twitter.com/Blosspet Wenj

It has always been about the two boys for me..I miss Bobby and Cas, but I don’t ‘need’ them back…I need Dean and Sam..just as it was in the beginning. Might be the only one *shrugs*

http://twitter.com/Nunney2584 Kati

No, i totally agree in that it’s about the boys. It’s ALWAYS been about the boys, and as much as i LOVE Bobby, the show is about the Winchesters, first and foremost, and always will be.

Where as I may not like the way they’re alienating the boys atm, I will never give up on the show just because my favourite character’s been killed off and it REALLY grates on me to read that some ‘fans’ of the show would because of Castiel.
This isn’t the Castiel show. It’s about two brothers, their car & their quest to save the world one Supernatural monster at a time.

Where as Cas has been a great addition to the show in terms of the boys’ relationships, he’s not the be all & end all when it comes to the show. How could he be? He’s only been there since season 4,and there was never the guarantee that he’d still be there after the Apocalypse played out. He’s an angel in a world that doesn’t need angels any more.

And where as I admittedly do miss the apocalypse & that story arc (& from an emotional POV, I’d love a reset button right now), the story of the Winchesters (which is what the show is about) has CLEARLY moved on from Angels vs Demons. So if they bring back Cas as an angel & try to force the remainder of a storyline that’s now pretty much dead in the water (no pun intended, lol) then everything the boys have suffered this season will be for nothing.

If this isn’t going to be a proper goodbye like with Bobby, I’d much prefer Cas come back as a human or an angel without powers for more than a couple of eps. It widens the character’s scope & range, & resets the board for a potential Season 8 which doesn’t rely on the angel of Thursday to save the Winchesters with a click of the finger or touch of the forehead.
Shell369

I agree 100% wenj…i liked cas and bobby so much…esp since bobby has been there and been more like family than anyone in the whole show…but it all comes back to the fact that i signed up for this show when it was about two brothers trying to take care of each other and help out their fellow man. that is what i loved in the beginning and what i want for this show til the end. others are not strictly necessary, no matter how loved.

Manz666

I really think they are just bringing him back to kill him off permanently. Which absolutely breaks my heart. I think the Executive Producers made a huge mistake killing off Bobby. Jim Beaver and the character of Bobby deserved to go right through to the end of the show with Sam and Dean. They have said they wanted to leave the boys without any support systems. But haven’t they now got Frank and Sheriff Mills??? It seems to me they killed off two characters and just introduced two others. I hope with all my heart Misha/Castiel’s return is permanent. He brings so much to the show. When I watch Supernatural now it is with sadness not the delight I used to watch it with.
cas ryan

the day i say goodbye to castiel is the day the world freakin ends i swear if they bring him back just to kill him again ill kill someone seriously spn has been really lacking something lately and now i realise that its the lack of cas is why i havent really been enjoying it im praying to god that they decide to keep him around but the way the writing has been lately i literally have no faith in the writers what so ever
Mimi

I’m optimistic. I think once this season draws to a close, their reasons for sidelining Castiel will have expired. The season arc of stripping it down to Butch and Sundance against the world will have played out. Presumably, part of the whole point was to reboot Castiel to get rid of the deus ex machina powers. (My hope is they will bring him back as mostly human but with just a little bit of mojo left that would make him useful on a hunt so that he has a part to play, something to contribute.) They even seemed to be addressing the other complaint, that Sam was excluded from the relationship with Castiel when it was him who contacted Cas in the premiere. I see this as rebooting Cas so that he fits better into the story, now that the angel-demon war and the angel civil war are over. It made sense in that context of huge cosmic forces battling it out to have a character so powerful, but not anymore. I think they’ll bring him back as mortal for his redemption.
http://twitter.com/JPD723 Angie Rogers

I really want him back for good. I want Bobby back in some capacity too. I don’t know how it will be, but I want it. I am not confident that this will happen, but if it doesn’t, it’s going to be really hard to me to be happy about watching the show. I used to really get excited about it – gleeful even. When Castiel melted into goo, I sank into glum, but I bounced back when I knew there was hope that he’d be back. When Bobby died, well… the only way to describe it is that watching is now a compulsion. I enjoy it, but not in the same sense. The fangirl joy is now gone, and it’s more about finding out how it all ends… yes – ends. Because if they kill all our wonderful characters for good, I really do think it is ending.
Anonymous

I have come to see the Supernatural show-runners as pretty sadistic lately. It’s like they enjoy upsetting us Cas Fans. They saw how we reacted with glee and happiness over his return, so they just had to put the idea that he would be killed off again out there. I’m sort of getting a little tired of it, myself. A previous comment was perfectly correct. They are not leaving Sam and Dean alone against the world, they are simply replacing the much loved characters with new ones that we don’t really care about. They still aren’t facing anything alone. I have decided that since we really can’t believe most of the rumors that we hear anyway, it’s best to just sit back and see how they decide to break our hearts next.
Rachael

I’m thinking it’s going to end with me still waiting for him to come back even after Supernatural is over. The standard, “I’ll just wait here then.” If they’re just going tot kill him off again, I’m going to be disappointed. My view is that they should have just killed him off properly the first time, or should (preferably) keep him on for the rest of the show’s span. (Whether that’s every episode or an occasional pop in)
http://twitter.com/CosmikFool Juliette Curran

Exactly the same as everyone else. I was so happy when I heard he’d be returning… but the interviews cancelled it all out. If they kill him off I will be both doubly disappointed and also angry.
http://twitter.com/batalene Alene Nascimento

Cas is my favorite character in Supernatural. Dean is the second one and I also really like Sam. But Cas… there is something about him that makes me love him so much it hurts. I know Dean and Sam are the main characters, but I really don’t think the show is complete only with them. I know that it was like that in the beginning, but the show evolved so much since that time. I also know that not everyone loves Cas as I do and, even if don’t get how someone is able to not fall for him, I don’t want to disrespect them. But I don’t see how keeping Cas in the show would be a bad thing for anyone. Dean and Sam won’t stop being the center of the show, this isn’t going to happen, but I don’t get how someone that love the boys want Cas away from them. All that Cas did until now was to help them, to defend their vision of what’s right. All he learned was from them, specially from Dean. And I also don’t know why someone would create an amazing character like Cas that is played by an amazing actor like Misha and give this character and amazing evolution, just to throw it all away. It isn’t the smart thing to do. There are so many things that can be made with Cas, even after everything he still has a lot of potential and it would be a shame to ignore it. And I’m tired of being sad because of this, I need Cas back in the show, I need to see he and Dean side by side again. I just hope I can get it.
http://twitter.com/Starshelle M.P.

I want him back for good. They’ve seriously overplayed the death card enough as it is, ESPECIALLY with this character. If they kill him off in a “permanent” fashion, I’m definitely done with this show. I have no desire to watch more Supernatural without my favorite character being a part of the series.
http://twitter.com/BriannaBelland Brianna Mee Belland

I want Castiel to be around as long as Supernatural is around. He doesn’t have to be a regular, but I want his character “alive” in Supernatural world, so that a good amount of guest appearances would be set to happen. Even in instances where they refer to him as they would Bobby, especially since Bobby is also out of the picture (for now). If there is to be a Season 8, then I would want to see a hell of a lot more Castiel, than we have in Season 7.
Melalucci

I’m cautious. I feel exactly the way you do. I’m thrilled that he’s coming back and can’t wait to see what happens, but I want him to stick around, even if he’s not in every episode. Even if he pops up just three or four times a season!
http://twitter.com/amylane67 Amy

I’m not gonna lie; my faith in the SPN writers is practically non-existent at this point. Of course, the first five seasons were so incredible and fluid and exciting that practically anything after is going to be a disappointment, but really. I can handle weak storylines, but what I cannot handle is such poor treatment of these amazing characters. They went into season 6 with an arsenal of characters, even the bloody metallicar, that the fans love desperately, passionately. What have they done with them? They either misrepresented who they were (Dean and Sam, s6) or villainized them (Cas), and now half of them are gone. Dead, abandoned, but mostly not being used to their full potential.

Killing Bobby was not the only way to utilize that character to maximize the drama. Villainizing and then killing Cas was not the the only (or anywhere near best) way to take advantage of the fans’ impassioned response to that character. THIS IS LAZY WRITING. Give them stories, give them purpose!

And as for the whole “Sam and Dean ARE the show”…sure. Okay, I’m not arguing. But, even the writers seem to realize that two characters alone can not carry a show like this in its 7th season. This is why we have Frank and Sheriff Mills, trying to fill Cas & Bobby’s shoes in a way that feels entirely forced and awkward. This isn’t season 1. Sam and Dean and the monster of the week just isn’t cutting it anymore, mostly because these characters have already been developed to an incredible degree, as has their relationship. There’s no where left to go, there.

Look, I could ramble on (and have) forever on this, but the bottom line is that the writers have alienated a lot of the fans over the past two seasons (I have a lot of friends in the fandom, and most of them aren’t even watching anymore) over things like Castiel’s shoddy storyline. I cannot even fake the same level of emotional involvement I had at the end of season 5 for these new episodes. I just don’t care anymore–because I can’t afford to. I KNOW if I let myself get too excited over Cas’ return, I’ll just end up angry and hurt when they pull this same move after his 3 episode arc is up.

That’s not to say I’m not a “true fan”–I caugh a rerun on TNT the other day and was bawling my eyes out within about 5 minutes. I have fic open in the adjacent tab as I type this, and my s1-5 DVDs are never far from my DVD player. And I still love Jared, Jensen and the rest so much it’s absurd. Truly.

I still care about Supernatural, and I want Cas back with a stoyline that utilizes his incredible potential. I just don’t think the writers care enough to make it happen.

Littledeathrobot

This. All of my feelings and thoughts summed up.

valeen

I have to say, I’m a scared fan right now because I have an oh so bad feeling that Cas’s 3 episodes this season will be his last. They’ve already taken our boys’ only family away, why wouldn’t they take away our favorite angel?
http://profile.yahoo.com/X6YIAJ35NSHI5WR664LNR66EDI Shelby

Um I didnt wanna say it but Im gonna go ahead and say it….. Im scared/Cautious I screamed and jumped up and down when I found out he was coming back even my mom looked at me like I was insane xD then i read that hes not coming back as”Himself” and yeah im scared that… there bringing him back as a Levi or bringing him back to kill him……. I cant say goodbye a third time Ive/We’ve *other fans* have had to do that twice (three if you count the end of season five) and I just cant go through it again I know this time itll break my heart hell first time I barely made it past moping and mourning for a chara who stole my heart with his blue eyes and incredibly funny retardation (I dont mean that in a mean way but in the way he didnt understand alot) like dean said “Weve been through enough” which they disbelievingly have theyve given themselves they lost there mother, father, guardian angel, uncle and friends and even like i said enough theyve again Quote dean “Sacrificed so much” and I dont want to say goodbye to Castiel again I/we have had to say goodbye to to many people in the boys life and personally they deserve a break dont you think? I dont want Levi!Cas I dont want Levi!Misha I dont want Ghost/Memory!Cas I dont want Ghost/Memory!Misha I just want Angel!Cas or Fallen Angel!Cas or even human!Cas just someone that the boys have back finally I dont wanna say goodbye again but Im not counting on Cas sticking around till I see the first or second ep and Im trying and Failing to tell my self to be prepared that there gonna kill Cas but I cant help but think like that God believe me I dont want to but Im scared for the boys sake and Castiels sake I dont wanna see any more killed/disappeared anymore this season…… The boys need there bestfriend back and we need our angel….
mike

The very best thing they could do is resolve everything in those 3 eps, NOT kill castiel off again and just let him pop in every now and then. It would keep everybody happy. I don’t keept my hopesup, however, as the show lately tends to do exactly what we DON’T want…
http://twitter.com/DestielChild Castian

Cas needs to stay! He had been a long time fan-favorite, it should count!
http://twitter.com/beata1000 Beata Zawadzka

I hope time to say goodbye. Castiel is a past. Bad past.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VZ7ZXQZ6BC7TC4DU2W2AJWDAUM Kit

Castiel is the best part of Supernatural. Without him the show would’ve been cancelled a couple seasons ago. So get a life.

http://twitter.com/mparantha Matt Parantha

My impression from the interviews is that these 3 are episodes are designed to both give Cas. a good send-off and to give Dean closure about Cas. and his betrayal. Sounds like good story-telling, but I’d much rather continue to have Cas. and Bobby full time. Hell, I’m still pissed that Jo, Ellen, Ash, Pamela, and Rufus are all gone. I guess I’m just selfish that way.
http://twitter.com/Harper47 Gerrie

I want him back. I do not want to say goodbye. He’s my favorite part of Supernatural and I have missed his profound bond with Dean so much. I do NOT want closure of any kind.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VZ7ZXQZ6BC7TC4DU2W2AJWDAUM Kit

I am legitimately depressed about the way they’ve been treating Castiel’s character. He deserves so much better. He is another main character, Ben Edlund said it himself. Can you imagine if they treated Sam or Dean this way? They wouldn’t. Castiel is compelling and interesting and his own character, he doesn’t need to be a plot device for the Winchesters. He needs to continue his storyline and grow and live. If he’s killed off again I’ll just lose hope in humanity and I’ll NEVER watch Supernatural again.
http://twitter.com/ceecaw Cee Cee

Going off recent spoilers, it’s fairly obvious they’re bringing him back for what I can only hope is a decent send off. And if it turns out to be a fair goodbye to his character, I can get behind that. I’d like him back forever, but if he at least gets the redemption he deserves, I can get over it.

What concerns me is that the recent spoilers point to more of the hypocritical crap that led to Castiel’s poor send off in the first place. Everyone seems to be emphasizing Sam and Castiel’s “beef” (which is news to me-remember when Castiel looked Lucifer in the eye and told him not to touch Sam,? Remember when Sam was the only one in 6×22 who reached out to Cas to help him?), and it makes me concerned that it’s going to be the same sloppy characterization and inconsistencies we’ve all had to deal with the last few seasons.

So at this point, I’ll be happy if he gets the redemption he deserves and gets a decent send off. That’s more than I’m hoping for, because if the show is good for one thing, it’s letting me down.
http://www.twitter.com/anangeloflight Brittany Thornton

I’m not getting my hopes up at all since this season has been even worst than my lowest expectations (which have nothing to do with the lack of Castiel, but I DO want him back). The recent interviews I’ve seen around are making me even less excited because it seems as if he’s only being brought back as a tool yet again. None of us know what will happen yet, of course, but if he is brought back just to exit again, I’m not going to be very happy.
Jhawksmoor

yeah, I was happy, but then the interviews popped that bubble quick. I am going into it expecting to be miserable at this point.
http://twitter.com/bellsoftroy john m

i think that his character still has lots of room to develop and killing him off would just waste all that untapped potential. the very concept of his character gives so much room to build on and i think it’s a testament to the writers that a character who’s already been through and learned so much still has space to grow. i don’t think that they can really do him justice with just three more episodes. he deserves more than that.
Renegade McFly

I’m not going to be happy if they kill Castiel off. He has been such an important character to the Winchesters and just like Bobby, things just don’t seem right without him there. It would just be wrong. I’d catch myself asking where he was and then remember that he wasn’t coming back. I really hope the writers aren’t getting rid of him for good.
dkfja a;ldskf

I’m with you there. Initially there was hope, and now there’s only MAJOR trepidation after having gone through the interviews.
We just want Cas back. PERMANENTLY.

(and make this MISHA as Cas–no funny business)
Mishazvsyncollins

i personally dissapointed about this. Because somehow they just bring Castiel back to kill him again?I mean, c’mon, you can just bring him back and kill him so easily, like you’re god. Are the producers didn’t notice that castiel has gain bunch of fans out there? It seems that the producer just presented Castiel character as a joke and played pranks on him and then laughed. I think that the producers has not intentionally mocked Castiel’s fans by doing this. They have no respect of the character they made.

And also maybe this show is about two boys who hunting things and save the world, but they can’t do that alone. THEY NEED HELP!Just imagine if Bobby or Cas doesn’t on their side, who will help them or save them when they’re in danger?Who help them to kill creatures like Lamia?Who save them from a bunch of demons?THEY NEED A FAMILY!!That’s what this show teach us about!I don’t care if Castiel been here since season 4 or whatever. THEY’RE FAMILY!THEY SHOULD BE TOGETHER!So i suggest the producers to think twice about killing him (again)

That’s all i can say.
http://twitter.com/Ksiquot Carolina Siquot

I WANT HIM BACK FOREVER. NOt just for three episodes. I don’t care about what “plans” they’ve got for Sam and Dean, but you can’t just DITCH a character and a great actor as MIsha collins like that. I really hope they don’t kill him AGAIN (otherwise he may beat Dean’s death record) just, IDK, send him off somewhere as I think they should have done in the first place. Bobby’s death is not something i’m ok either. Sera says she plans on bringing him back and then Jared says they can’t just keep bringing people back, that we have to take seriously when a character dies. Well, too late for that. It’s not that I want the writer to do whatever the fans ask for, it’s just that when they make certain decisions they should take our opinions and devotion on account. Like, if they had thought of how much the fans would suffer with Castiel’s loss, given him a less doubtful “exit”. And, please, stop saying that you’ll “keep the characters on the show if you like to write them”. It’s about what you like to write, and what the fans want to watch.
textbacktempo

Castiel is by and far my favourite character on Supernatural, and he was the reason I started watching the show in the first place. I honestly don’t think I’ll continue to watch the show if they kill him off for good.
Lady Marzipan

I’m trying to be cautiously optimistic, but I’m wary of getting my hopes up to high. I want, I really want, Castiel to return, to be redeemed, and to get, at the least, a proper conclusion to his story. He can even go back to heaven or whatever at the end of it (though of course I’d prefer it if he stayed!), so long as we know he’s still out there, and that he WILL continue to be on the show again in future, even if it’s only as a celestial correspondent of some sort. If they kill him off again though… I’m still fragile first Cs, then Bobby, then frickin’ Reichenbach on Sherlock… I can’t go through that again.
Anna

Over the past 4 months that Castiel has
been gone (or perhaps even long before that, ever since the season 6
finale) I have probably gone through every single emotion I possess
when thinking about the fate of Castiel. I’ve gone from bouts of
extreme optimism to incredible mourning, sometimes within the span of
a couple days of each other as more and more information about his
return is released. But I have to say, over the past couple days,
I’ve almost reached a cautiously optimistic place, if anything just
because it doesn’t compute within my head that the show should kill
him off again.

Because we’ve had Castiel’s death.
We’ve had Castiel’s death again, and a third time even, when he was
thought lost briefly at the end of 7.01. We had his death a fourth
time, too, and that’s the one that’s seem to stick the longest. And
though I and many others might criticise the lack of mourning the
show has shown for him (their brother, their friend),
the show has dealt with the ramifications of his supposedly
permanent death this season, on an emotional and practical front.
Which is all to say then, if the show were to kill him off a FIFTH
time? There is no impact in that story, there is no new story
to TELL, because it’s already been told, and can’t believe the
writers would be that blind when there’s evidence to suggest that
they can be amazing writers when they choose to.

It’s so weird to me that often people
(perhaps people less inclined to see Castiel as a permanent fixture
again) tend to take them two as separate entities: Castiel and
Supernatural, as if they are two friends who knew each other once and
then went their separate ways. But that’s not quite right, is it?
Castiel is Supernatural, in the same way that Supernatural is
Sam Winchester, is Dean, is Bobby Singer, is
everyone we’ve come to love (and maybe hate), because Supernatural is
a show about family, and Castiel has been a part of that family for
quite a long time.

And as part of it, god, I just want him
to come home.
Caswinchester24

SPN doesn’t feel the same without Cas. I was celebrating too, but I got cautious when I came across a certain article that said that Cas is definitely coming back but that no mention was made as to what condition he’ll be in when he comes back. I never saw it mentioned anywhere after that, but that made me sad…especially after the episode where he returned all the souls to purgatory and looked okay for long enough to make me think for a moment that the worst was over, when he turned all “Leviathan-y” and then exploded. I hope that doesn’t happen again. I always wanted him to stay a part of the dynamic trio that rocked heaven, hell and earth alike. Like Dean, I felt like Cas was a third brother to them, and you know how these guys are when it comes to family, ryt? That’s why I want it all back…desperately.

cas ryan

Like Dean, I felt like Cas was a third brother to them<— this is a great comment its exactly how i feel too they cant just kill him off hes got so much potential

Nat

I hope they give him that send off. please no more Castiel.
http://twitter.com/angel_kink angel_kink

I should learn to stop getting excited about spoilers involving Cas. :/ I really want him to come back, but not if it means they are just going to kill him again.
http://twitter.com/Rinienne Rinienne Asturias

It would be just terrible if they bring Castiel back to simply get rid of him again. Castiel is a wonderful character and I’m truly sad I can’t see him more often on my screen.
Guest

I was really happy when I read Castiel would be back but the recent interviews made me question my happiness, it seems like they want to bring him back to kill him off again. Now, I know the show is about the boys and it will always be about them but no show can survive with only two characters. They need someone else if they want to have a nice character development, which was truly lacking in the last two seasons (6 and 7), I felt that the angels and the demons brought a new dimension to the show and it made me enjoy it better, the plot was better and it left me hanging until the last episode. This season I’m torn between loving certain episodes and not enjoying it fully because of the lack of plot (Leviathans? Who are they?). Season 6 could have been good but it was messy, there are some of my favourite episodes in it but there are a lot of weak points in the plot.
Not only I miss Castiel but there are endless possibilities for him as a character, he doesn’t need to be a plot device, he can have his own stories and arcs (he doesn’t need to be in every episode). I feel like most of the characters are treated as plot devices and that saddens me. I would have loved to see more of Jo, Ellen, Anna, Balthazar and even Ruby. They were all characters with a good potential for the show but alas, they felt the need to kill them off. My hopes are that we will see Castiel a lot more, I don’t want a closure, I want a new beginning for him. He deserves it.
heyassbutt

I just found out that Cas’s comeback episode’s name is The Born-Again Identity.. It might be a good thing, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t. I haven’t been able to watch season 7 even now when I know Cas is coming back, so if Castiel is really gone for good after those coming episodes, I don’t think I will be able to watch Supernatural any longer. :/

cas ryan

i also read that sera gamble wrote the ep so ive got a feeling cas is screwed =(

Anonymous

I am fervently hoping for a reprieve for Castiel. Ideally, I would like him to stick around as a recurring character. If they kill him off for good, I’m not sure how I’ll react. There will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Kay

I was feeling really happy about Castiel’s return till I read Jared Padaelcki’s interviews about Cas and Sam apparently having never been friends (news to many who watched Season 5 avidly), and that Sera Gamble is writing the episode. I am extremely ambivalent now about how much Cas’ story will be twisted and how much more villified he will be, and how OOC Dean will act wrt Cas, since 6.21 and 7.01 written by Gamble are very fresh in my memory.

I just hope this episode doesn’t slap fans of Dean and Cas’ wonderful friendship even more than the Show recently has. I just hope this episode doesn’t leave me even angrier with the show than I have been since Season 6, which is terrible, because I am a long-time fan who loved this show from Season 1 onwards. But if it follows the pattern of Gamble’s last two episodes about Cas, it is inevitable.

In an ideal world, I’d like Cas to be a semi-regular and written as the writers wrote him in Seasons 4 and 5.

http://twitter.com/Starshelle M.P.

Cas will be in a total of three episodes, so Gamble writing one of them doesn’t necessarily mean Cas is screwed, but I definitely have a bad feeling we’ll be saying good-bye once again to our favorite angel by the time his third episode comes around. I hope not though, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

MarisolM

I was beyond happy when I heard he would be coming back, though to be honest I always knew he would (they based the whole promotion for the season around his character, for cas sakes!). But the interviews and spoilers have been damping my spirits a lot as well.
It makes me feel very frustrated to get the feeling that they’re just bringing him back to kill him properly this time. It’s like they read all our posts/comment/mail and decided to bring him back for a couple of episodes JUST to make us all shut up, and I can’t help but feel a bit let down by them in this. To make matters worse I feel like they’re bringing him back to be nothing but an aid to the boys, and I understand that the show is centered around Sam and Dean (I’ve been watching from the start) but does that mean that no other character can actually have their own storylines explored unless they’re about to die?
I’m holding irrational hope that they come to their senses and recognize all the potential that this amazing character has. I don’t care if he pairs up with other hunters and we just see him every now and then like we did Rufus or Ellen, or if he gets a new job in heaven or whatever. He deserves something.
But to be honest I’m sure they’ll do the same thing they always do; show us Cas being super close to the Winchesters and starting to rebuild his relationship with them, perhaps even start planning for the future or giving us some insight into the past[to make us "care" for him (as if we didn't already do)] and then kill him because they’re so innovative like that -_-
So…I’m holding a smidge of irrational hope, but I’m still getting the tissues (and pillow, to punch and scream into) and preparing for the nightmares that are most probably going to follow.
http://twitter.com/Starshelle M.P.

I keep hearing some people say the show is only about Sam and Dean anyway, but that assertion has never held much weight with me. Sure, the show initially started about them, but then it expanded. Most shows as years go on DO expand and will add new characters to the cast and evolve to mean something more. For awhile it seemed like Supernatural was going in that direction with Team Free Will. When it was Sam, Dean, Bobby, and Castiel, together against the world, THAT is when I fell in love with this show and became a fan. Prior to season 4, I just didn’t care enough about Sam and Dean to watch it very often.

Furthermore, Misha Collins was made a regular in season 5 and 6. If you look on the back of your DVD it says: “Supernatural” starring “JARED PADALECKI, JENSEN ACKLES, MISHA COLLINS”. Why would Misha Collins be starring in a TV show if the show JUST about Sam and Dean and not Castiel too? Why would he have had his own storyline, his own character arcs, and his own very important role to play in the series if it was only and EVER about Sam and Dean?

No, Supernatural is a show that became about Castiel too, and new fans like me were attracted to the show because of it. Now, for reasons I don’t fully grasp, they seem to want to do away with both Castiel and Bobby and revert it back to being about Sam and Dean. Now, for people who only watch the show for Sam and Dean anyway, I’m sure that’s no big deal for them, but even they can surely understand why those of us who became fans BECAUSE of Bobby and Castiel would be unhappy that the show has chosen what seems to be a regressive path?

I’m happy we’ll get to see Castiel again. I hope very much these episodes won’t be his finally farewell as I’d like to continue to watch and enjoy the show. However, I make no apologies for not being a “loyal fan” that will watch to the bitter end. Life’s too short for me to watch a show that makes me unhappy, and I don’t see why I should watch a show that seems intent on destroying everything I used to love about it. I very much hope though that it will improve, and we’ll see more of Cas in season 8, but if not, then I’m gone.
megan

i’m really disappointed they’re just going to kill him again. i wish he was coming back to STAY back. i love him. he was exactly what the winchesters needed.
http://twitter.com/Mabulatious Maheen

Ugh. I don’t know. I’m definitely excited for Castiel’s return, however small it might be.
I just need to stop expecting. My brain has short-circuited and I have cried, screamed and danced all the way. Now, I’m too tired.
But I hope for the best and when episode 17 comes, I will sit there and watch and be optimistic.
Right now, not so much.
http://twitter.com/devout_castian Bonny O’Connor

I’m cautious but optimistic. So far I’ve been able to interpret the spoilers in a positive light, but I am also trying to prepare myself for the worst. :/
http://twitter.com/JessicaBreaux1 Jessica Breaux

I know I’m a little late to the party, so I haven’t read all the comments. But here’s my two cents. I’ve made no secret of my disdain for TPTB killing off all the major supporting characters in the SPN universe. I’ve been saying this since they had the bright idea to destroy The Roadhouse in S2. And although I understand the dramatic motivations for killing off Bobby this season, I don’t think it was necessary to achieve the stated goal of isolating the Boys. But in regards to Cas, I hope these 3 episodes will serve as a more fitting farewell for Castiel. Let me be clear. I love the character of Castiel, and Misha Collins is obviously a fantastic actor (exhibit A: Meet the New Boss). However, Castiel is part of a storyline that has concluded. I thought the introduction of the angels in S4 was fantastic, and I enjoyed the way that Sam and Dean were woven into that storyline during S4 and S5. The angels were much more powerful than anything the Winchesters had ever faced, but at the same time, the Boys were not without agency. The angels still needed them (the Winchesters) to make their (the angels) plan work. Sam and Dean could still fight, and they were central to that storyline. Contrast that to S6. Overall, I enjoyed S6 but one of the major problems I had with it was the fact that TPTB were trying to cram Castiel (and all the angels really) into a story of which he (and they) was no longer a part. It marginalized Sam and Dean in a way that made SPN seem forced and unsteady, which it had never felt like before. The major story of S6, the civil war in heaven, was something completely removed from Sam and Dean’s journey. They didn’t really have a stake in that conflict and there was nothing they could do to help or even hinder in that endeavor. My opinion then, and it remains the same now, is that we got S6 the way it was because everyone loves Castiel (and Misha Collins) so much that we wanted to keep him around even after his storyline was done.

That being said, there are a number of ways that Castiel could come back this time. I thought the idea of a fallen angel learning to be human was interesting, and I would’ve enjoyed that in S6. Maybe it’s something they’re planning to do now. Maybe they’re planning for him to come back so Dean can decide to either forgive him or not. I don’t know. I’m interested to see what they have in store, but if Cas is still going to be a full-on angel, then I hope these 3 episodes are there to give him a proper good-bye.
http://twitter.com/SimplyMariel Mariel!GLEE

LITERALLY, YOU HAVE SAID EVERYTHING I FEEL IN THIS INTERVIEW. The way the news hit you and then how subsequent news affected you and made you nervous? That’s how I felt. This whole year has been such a bittersweet and frustrating ride. It seems we fans can get great news one moment and then horrible news the next. We had a great twist to the Cas arc and such a wonderful season opener only to then lose him for the rest of the first half. Now we’re getting him back but we can’t even celebrate for more than a few days because then we get news of how we’re getting him back and it all comes wrapped around with what feels like a “goodbye” bow. *SIGH*