Castiel – The Angel Knows How to Make An Entrance
This is for my friend Jenniffer, who has been oh so patient in letting me get this done. A lot has been going on in the last month. Jenniffer is my longest and one of my best online friends. She’s the only one that followed me from another fandom and I’m so thrilled to have introduced her to this show. She’s a major Castiel fan, so hopefully this gives the angel the credit he deserves.
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So, if you were a being with impressive powers over inferior beings, those powers might as well be used to their coolest advantage, right? If one thing’s a given about our blue-eyed angel, his stealth like appearances creating a fascinating mystique to his character, one that has plenty of us either pumping our fists or just plain drooling. He’s the obedient angel that had no idea what he was in for when he was assigned to rescue from Hell a human by the name of Dean Winchester.
In this homage to this angel in a trench coat, I’m recalling all those wonderful entrances that make him so loved.
Lazarus Rising
Yes, we’ve brought this one up countless times. Many fans have brought up the fact (including to Misha himself) that this is the greatest introduction to a new character ever. How could it not be? Dean and Bobby brazenly decide to summon whatever being it is they’re up against. The wind blows, rafters jiggle, and the doors bust wide open. Enter the stoic man in a suit and trench coat, that’s so powerful the lightbulbs bust as he walks by. He isn’t stopped by gunshots, and Ruby’s demon killing knife has no effect either. So what is he?
“I am an angel of the Lord,†he tells Dean matter-of-factly. He has the dark badass angel wings to prove it! It isn’t just the bombshell that angels are walking the earth for the first time in 2,000 years. It’s his ultimate fascination over Dean’s reaction to seeing an angel and his complete lack of faith. Castiel had no idea at that point where his relationship with Dean would take him, for humans end up being the most challenging beings he’s ever faced. He gets the perfect closing too! “Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you.†Hell yeah!
Are You There God It’s Me Dean Winchester
Sure, this was a little less grand that his last entrance, but his quiet and sudden appearance lurking in the dark shadows of Bobby’s kitchen during Dean’s dream only deepens this mystery behind the heavenly being.
In The Beginning
We were still getting used to the idea of angels, so Castiel’s quirks of coming and going in a flash is still a novelty to us when he did it numerous times in “In The Beginning.†Showing up on Dean’s bed in the teaser to zap him to 1973. Being right there when Dean turns the corner while following John out of the diner. Appearing in the passenger seat of Dean’s time warped 1979 Pinto, thus triggering the great “God Is my co-pilot line.†My favorite appearance though comes at the end, after Mary makes the deal with Azazel. Dean shares a look with Mary of devastation and the Cas appears out of nowhere, giving Dean a soul crushing look of sympathy. Then in a flash they’re both gone. It goes to show that for a tough angel, he has a heart too.
Death Takes A Holiday
This is my personal favorite. Dean has exited the building and comes face to face with Alastair. His foe has a menacing grin, pleased that he has cornered his once star student. But wait, Alastair is obliterated in a flash of light. One very taken back Dean doesn’t know what to say. “What the Hell?†“Guess again,†that familiar voice says behind him. Wow Cas! Now that’s the way to make an entrance. Too bad that smug attitude doesn’t last for long for his Alastair plan goes very wrong.
On The Head of A Pin
Duh, Dean is about to get killed by Alastair. He’s choking poor Dean and the eyes are a fluttering. Enter a badass angel with a demon killing knife and the ability to twist it with his mind. Oh, except it can’t kill demons like Alastair. At leave Cas managed to save Dean’s life before Sam came along with his demon killing mojo and saved Cas from a return trip to Heaven.
As an honorable mention, this isn’t exactly a surprise entrance, but it’s still really cool nonetheless. Dean awakes in the hospital after being in a coma, and guess whose there by his bedside. Castiel is just as rattled as Dean over the recent events, and his desperate “they don’t tell me anything†mirrors Dean’s distressed state of mind perfectly.
The Monster at The End of This Book
Dean has had enough with Mr. Chuck Shurley and is now threatening violence to get the truth out of him. “Leave him alone,†says the thundering voice. Castiel’s sudden appearance only makes this weird situation weirder. Cas gets to deliver the bombshell, Chuck cannot be touched. He is a prophet of the Lord. A wha? Silly Castiel and his stunning revelations. Angels love delivering little secrets.
The Rapture
Dean is…fishing??? Okay. He’s tranquil, content, everything is beautiful and oh this must be a dream. Too bad, I’d love to see that for real. This time, Castiel’s sneaky entrance isn’t so stoic and commanding. Our favorite angel is suddenly next to him and he’s freaked. Something bad is about to happen and Cas needs Dean. Aww!
When The Levee Breaks
For once, it’s Sam Winchester that gets the stealth visit of this baffling angel. Sam awakes in the panic room to find he’s still handcuffed to the cot. Not good! Then to his shock (and ours) the handcuffs snap open, and the panic room door slowly opens. Sam doesn’t know what’s going on, but he’s not about to look at gift horse in the mouth. He’s gone. Thanks to one savvy director (thanks Robert Singer), Sam may not see what’s happening, but we do from the POV of the stairs. Castiel is there under them. What are you doing Cas? This can’t be good. Oh, that’s right, it wasn’t.
Lucifer Rising
Dean is stuck in the green room and is finally giving into the temptation of the cheeseburgers from Delaware. Suddenly he’s, Cas appears out of nowhere, grabs him from behind, and pushes him against the wall. Castiel covers Dean’s mouth, pulls out the knife, and somehow Dean trusts him. Good thing, for the knife helps Cas get the blood he needs from his arm to draw the angel banishing symbol, zap Zachariah, and get them the flock out of there. Wow, that’s a way to defy Heaven and fall from grace.
Lovely hommage to our favourite angel, Alice! I adore Castiel! Even though we were told that angels did not have feelings and that their existence was an empty one due to that (as Anna explained to Dean once) – that is clearly not true.
This angel feels, loves, fears, is in pain, desperate, dead-pan. He developped into a true brother in arms, he’s family now.
My favourite Castiel scene (I don’t know if that’s an entrance though it’s at the beginning of the episode TheEnd) is his phone chat with Dean and Dean stopping him in his tracks with his I-need-to-attend-to-human-stuff speech and Cas is left standing on the street.
‘The voice says I’m almost out of minutes’ and ‘Okay, I’ll just wait here then’ – I love that.
But – I love the scenes you picked,too! These entrances indeed do him justice, Alice, and what great gift to your friend Jenniffer!
Love Jas
Good article Alice. I’m sure Jennifer will love this to no end.
Cass has had some great one-liners in his episodes. Especially liked him in The End. And he does make entrances so well!
Thanks for sharing this!
Loved this! Cas is so cute
Well done Alice. Castiel definatly deserved this and it shows once more how special this show is. Not only are the characters done well but also the special effects to enhance everything.
This was really fun, Alice! I didn’t realize Cass had so many fun exits and entrances! Now what I’d really like is for him to re-enter the show. 😉
Thanks Alice! This was awesome – Cas has a very special place in my heart.
As for my favourite entrance – well, I’m reserving judgment until his NEXT entrance – because even if he drives in on a tricycle, it’ll be great because he’s ALIVE!! Of the ones we’ve seen so far – his intro followed in a close second by Death Takes a Holiday.