Unpopular Opinion Time

[gwaevalarin]

People keep telling me (or the world in general) that that "whether you look at it platonically or romantically, you cannot deny that Castiel loves Dean" and I'm starting to get really tired of it.

So let me give you a different, 100% shipping free interpretation of canon:

Castiel is the Winchesters', and more specifically Dean's guardian. He very clearly states so in "The Man Who Would Be King".

I'd say it's reasonable to assume that protecting and supporting your charge is something that is about as deeply rooted in an angel's instincts as obeying your superior is.

Side note: That does NOT mean that I don't think Castiel ever cared about the Winchesters, or that he wasn't friends with them. I believe he was in the second half of season 4, and for the most part in season 5, though I do already see first hints of Castiel being snapped back by this guardian-charge bond when he doesn't really want to during season 5.

Before his rebellion, all of this wasn't much of a problem because these two instincts (protect your charge and obey Heaven) kept each other balanced when they needed to. Heaven's old order was by no means a good thing, but it wasn't entirely pointless either.

But then Castiel lost his connection to Heaven in more than one way, by rebelling, by rewriting the rules, by cutting himself off because he can't deal with his guilt. Add to that Castiel's need to belong, the way he used to with his family, and things inevitably get out of control.

There are quite a few moments where he wants to fight it, and gets frustrated that he can't, because he has nothing left to use as a counter balance. Mainly, because he has nothing left.

"Of course, your problems always come first."
"Always happy to bleed for the Winchesters."

Just to name two examples.

Whether he actually WANTS to help the Winchesters in some of the cases becomes pretty much irrelevant because he doesn't really have a choice.

This isn't love by any definiton I will accept, and, to be entirely honest, I believe that the Winchesters are the one thing that still stands between Castiel and actual free will.

The good news is that it seems he's starting to find the strength he needs to pull away, and "rebell" against this second force in his life, in himself - sometimes, tragically, in his own pain: Staying behind in Purgatory for himself. Deciding to face his biggest fear and returning to Heaven, and then, when Naomi doesn't allow it, staying in the retirement home. I have hope that Samandriel may be able to help him as well when/if they finally find each other again. Or Inias, should he ever return. Basically anyone who can give him something to hold on.

The bad news is that I doubt the show will ever truly let him pull free. Which is a shame, really, because this is the ONLY way I see how Cas may actually be able, some day, to build a friendship with the Winchesters again. Just like Heaven needed to change in order to prove that the angels do care about each other, and that they are a family, beyond the former order that gave them no choice, Castiel's relationship with the Winchesters has to change to see if they can actually still be friends (which I sincerely doubt at this point but that's a different topic).

(This post was supposed to go on Tumblr because that's mainly where I've read this in the past. But I realized that if I post it there, it will probably be ripped out of my hands faster than I can say "unpopular opinion", and will most likely regret posting it for as long as it gets notes. As much as I love Tumblr, there is reason why I still prefer LJ for these kinds of posts.)

Comments

[cassiopeia7.livejournal.com]

Unpopular Opinion Time

Oh, bb, you weren't kidding. That's some hornet's nest you're poking at. Yes, "unpopular opinion," yes, you would've gotten reamed for this on Tumblr, and yes, you may get grief for this on LJ, too.

I'd say it's reasonable to assume that protecting and supporting your charge is something that is about as deeply rooted in an angel's instincts as obeying your superior is.

Agreed. Castiel was assigned The Righteous Man as his charge. He certainly didn't choose to follow those two around, to become involved in their issues. HIs (understandable) curiosity about humans was obvious, but that curiosity doesn't translate to the Big Epic Love Story that's presented in some parts of fandom. (If you want to get truly clinical about it, you could even say that the Winchesters corrupted him.)

Then, Castiel got lost. First, his faith in Heaven was shaken (and geez, look who was giving the orders -- Zachariah -- no wonder Cas lost his way.), then he lost the Host connection entirely. Agreed that he did grow to like the Winchesters, and, quite possibly, begun "hanging out" with them in an effort to replace what he'd lost by rebelling -- the cameraderie of his old garrison. Look at his interactions with Uriel, Anna, Balthazar, and Inias -- true friendship. Not so much with Dean (and Sam.) What I saw between Castiel and the Winchesters was an attempt to replace what he once had in the form of his garrison. But the Winchesters are only human, and it was never to be. Then Castiel lost his support system and his powers, and thus began the downward spiral. (I like to think that Rachel's no-nonsense approach would've eventually pulled him back, but we know what happened there.) :(

Just like Heaven needed to change in order to prove that the angels do care about each other, and that they are a family, beyond the former order that gave them no choice, Castiel's relationship with the Winchesters has to change to see if they can actually still be friends (which I sincerely doubt at this point but that's a different topic).

Agreed that the "friendship" boat has pretty much sailed. It's a true tragedy what Show has done to Cas, and what parts of fandom have done to him is equally awful. I miss the old Castiel, the angel who walked through those barn doors in 4.01, the badass, no-nonsense angelic soldier. I want that Castiel back like whoa.

Unpopular Opinion Time

[enchantersnight.livejournal.com]

Oh hun, I agree with everything you have said.

and with the better part of valour for NOT posting on Tumblr!

[littlehollyleaf.livejournal.com]

I know you've probably been dreading me commenting on this, but I sort of had to, I'm sorry! I'm not here to argue, just wanted to clarify something I notice is different in my understanding that I didn't realise existed between us before (This seems to keep happening, I know! I guess I just find your interpretation really tricky to get a handle on, which makes it fascinating to me tbh, which is why I keep prodding you to explain more) -

I don't think Cas WAS the Winchesters' guardian in the sense you describe. There was NO mention of guardian angels existing in S04 and Cas outright told Dean he was NOT there to 'perch on Dean's shoulder' because angels are NOT guardians, they are warriors of god. So the deeply rooted instinct you describe to protect a 'charge' is not something I believe exists in SPN!angels or ever existed in Castiel towards the Winchesters. SPN!angels, as I understand it, don't HAVE charges (it's always bothered me when that term is used in SPN fic, especially in reference to Dean, because I've never felt it to be canonical).

I think when Cas said that line in TMWWBK he was talking about a role he had come to place ON HIMSELF in regards to the Winchesters. He left Heaven partly because of Sam and Dean, and as a consequence he took it upon himself, of his own free will, to be a guardian to them, in a way no angel (that we know of) had even done with humans before. So when Cas says he still considered himself the Winchesters' guardian, to me he is referring to how he came to consider himself to them through S05.

That you think differently explains LOTS.

Because it means you and me (and you and tumblr :p) interpret ENTIRELY OPPOSING things from the same thing, namely Cas' relationship to the Winchesters. To you it's obligation and thus an object to free will, to me/us it's a emotional connection that exceeds obligation and IS free will.

It's fascinating that we see it so radically differently, it really is.

The kind of obligated love/emotional connection you describe is more in line with how I feel about Cas' relationship with Heaven and angels. You think he needs to pull free from the Winchesters to properly establish his free will, while I feel he needs to pull free from Heaven for the same reason. I don't believe Heaven and angels have changed in the way you say and proved themselves a family and that they genuinely care about each other. Individual angels have come to genuinely care about each other, yes, and start forming family-like relationships, but I do not believe Heaven as a whole has reformed enough that it is a good place for Cas to go back to and be able to build a proper family relationship with his brothers and sisters.

There's no need to discuss this - we know we can't change each other's opinions, we've already tried! - I'm just sorry, sorry, sorry that we see such opposing things about a character we both love, because it makes it kinda tricky to share in our love for Cas, huh? And I'm sorry too that the show and the majority of the fandom seems to be against your interpretation x I do sympathise, even though I can't quite get my head into your thinking. What you're going through reminds me so much of how I felt in the Smallville fandom. I WISH I could be more on your side x And I wish I could tell you it's going to be okay... but I have my doubts about the show being kind to your understanding :(