Supernatural Review: Being Human

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Supernatural Season 9 has dealt with the initial consequences of the fallen angels in "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here" and the resurgence of Abaddon and the demons in "Devil May Care."

So, of course, "I'm No Angel" centered on the third major problem this season for the Winchester brothers: human Castiel.

Not only did the graceless angel have some full-on scruff, he was learning to sleep, eat, urinate and deal with general people stuff. He's still the same Castiel, just lacking in his superpowers.

Castiel's On the Run

It was great to see him try and cope with his new situation that really opened up his eyes to the goodness in humans. It's not only about survival, and not everyone is focused on power and greed. He may have been homeless and financially broke, but the people around him were there to lend a hand or a meal.

And I liked his conversation with the woman in the church about faith. Yes, Castiel knows God has left heaven, the angels have fallen and Heaven is "closed," but it didn't dissuade the woman's faith. It was just a further look into the humans that Castiel had not quite fully grasped.

It really takes walking in someone else's shoes to get to know them theory to light.

While it was great that the good Samaritan chick fed Castiel, touched up his wounds, gave him a place to stay and then hopped in bed for some sex, I knew things were too good to be true. Sure, Misha Collins pulls off a sexy homeless guy vibe, but it would have been a real stretch of extending our disbelief that there was no ulterior motive behind it all and April just quickly fell for Castiel.

So it was interesting that the angels under the leadership of Bartholomew (don't call him Bart) were using for-hire reapers to hunt down Castiel. Turns out the pretty one tricked him.

The new in-charge angel, the protege of Naomi, was menacing, commanding and persuasive. A threatening combo for not only the brothers, but anyone else that wants to get in his way. Or help for that matter. I guess I forgot that not every human can be a vessel.

It's clear that Bartholomew is building his faction of angels on the hunt for Castiel, and he's going to do everything in his power to get him. I'm looking forward to seeing this side of the angels continue to be explored. But aren't reapers supposed to be invisible to humans, unless they want to be seen?

As cool as it was that a reaper was trailing Sam and Dean to get to Castiel, why would he make himself known? Why not follow them around invisible until they led him to his target?

I guess it makes sense April made herself known so as to gain Castiel's trust. But I wonder if it would have been easier to get at Castiel by being a little more incognito.

And her interrogation did reveal the possibility that if Castiel's grace was the ingredient to cast the angels from heaven, maybe he could also be the way to restore and fix things.

I was surprised that April killed Castiel, but if you've got another angel on your side who can easily fix that, death really isn't a problem.

And while it was humorous seeing Dean try and deal with talking to two people in the same body, I was a little disappointed in the whole Sophie's Choice move at the very end.

Sam and Dean were able to save Castiel and return him to the Men of Letters lair. They were able to joke about his use of protection during intercourse (what better way to be safe than with an angel blade?) and then offer up an extra burrito afterward. But to then have Ezekiel say that Castiel can't stay with them? It's either him or Castiel?

Why wouldn't Ezekiel say that before Sam and Dean spent all their time trying to hunt Castiel down to bring him back. Wouldn't that have saved them all the time and trouble?

I get it causes a new problem in the whole situation, and it's a dramatic turn of events, but it nullified the whole trip for the brothers. I just hope that once they kick Castiel out of the clubhouse, Dean gets to work on figuring out how to fix the mess and being blackmailed by the angel helping save his brother. Not cool, Ezekiel. Still don't trust that angel.

After just three episodes, Supernatural Season 9 has plenty of strong possibilities and stories it can tell. And definitely Sam and Dean are going to have their work cut out for them. Then again, that's just another day in the life, isn't it?

Review

Editor Rating: 4.2 / 5.0
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Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.

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Supernatural Quotes

Why do they call this place The Empty? It's full. It's full of sorrow and despair playing over and over again of angels and demons dreaming about their regrets. Forever.

Ruby

Weird, creepy, off-the-grid "Children of the Corn" people? Yeah, I’m in.

Dean