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gwaevalarinI haven't seen the episode so I apologize for any inaccuarcies but I really need to talk about Ephraim for a moment.
From what I understand, Ephraim used to be a healer back in Heaven. But that didn't just mean nurturing his injured siblings back to health, it also meant giving them a quick painless death if they were beyond saving.
He never went to Earth before, so he never came into contact with humans.
Now he's fallen to Earth and he goes around killing people who are in pain. And yes, obviously he should not do that. Obviously killing people is not okay.
But here is the thing: He has no way of knowing that. He feels their pain. He follows it. And he kills them out of what he perceives as mercy.
He doesn't do it to hurt anyone. He does it as an act of kindness. All he wants is to end suffering. It's ingrained in his grace.
Which brings us to something Hael said: "In Heaven there was order. Purpose."
This is Ephraim's purpose. And it doesn't just stop being his purpose. The problem is not Ephraim. The problem is that this isn't his world, and that the people living in it are not his species.
He was probably considered kind and good back in Heaven. And now he finds himself in a world where the very same actions are suddenly considered bad.
But he can't just stop being what he is. You can't just ask him to not be a healer anymore, and to stop relieving others of their pain. It is what defines him. It is what he was created for.
And this is just one more reason why 'the angels should just learn human values' makes no sense. They can never be human. Their values and human values are just too different.
Ephraim is NOT evil. He simply has no place in the human world.
What I also find interesting - and incredibly depressing - is that he comes for Castiel. So Castiel's pain is so profound that, by angel standards, he is considered beyond saving.
I'm afraid, I find myself unable to argue with that.
Quite honestly, the only hope I still have for Cas is his Grace as the part of him that's truly Castiel, similar to a soul for a human. And that his gracelessness is basically the aequivalent of a soulless human. Except that being graceless manifests in slightly different ways.
Because otherwise... judging from what I see and hear, there is next to nothing left of the angel I love. Not even a spark of holy righteousness. Just utter hopelessness.
From what I understand, Ephraim used to be a healer back in Heaven. But that didn't just mean nurturing his injured siblings back to health, it also meant giving them a quick painless death if they were beyond saving.
He never went to Earth before, so he never came into contact with humans.
Now he's fallen to Earth and he goes around killing people who are in pain. And yes, obviously he should not do that. Obviously killing people is not okay.
But here is the thing: He has no way of knowing that. He feels their pain. He follows it. And he kills them out of what he perceives as mercy.
He doesn't do it to hurt anyone. He does it as an act of kindness. All he wants is to end suffering. It's ingrained in his grace.
Which brings us to something Hael said: "In Heaven there was order. Purpose."
This is Ephraim's purpose. And it doesn't just stop being his purpose. The problem is not Ephraim. The problem is that this isn't his world, and that the people living in it are not his species.
He was probably considered kind and good back in Heaven. And now he finds himself in a world where the very same actions are suddenly considered bad.
But he can't just stop being what he is. You can't just ask him to not be a healer anymore, and to stop relieving others of their pain. It is what defines him. It is what he was created for.
And this is just one more reason why 'the angels should just learn human values' makes no sense. They can never be human. Their values and human values are just too different.
Ephraim is NOT evil. He simply has no place in the human world.
What I also find interesting - and incredibly depressing - is that he comes for Castiel. So Castiel's pain is so profound that, by angel standards, he is considered beyond saving.
I'm afraid, I find myself unable to argue with that.
Quite honestly, the only hope I still have for Cas is his Grace as the part of him that's truly Castiel, similar to a soul for a human. And that his gracelessness is basically the aequivalent of a soulless human. Except that being graceless manifests in slightly different ways.
Because otherwise... judging from what I see and hear, there is next to nothing left of the angel I love. Not even a spark of holy righteousness. Just utter hopelessness.
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Date: 2013-11-13 06:18 pm (UTC)The angels are such complex beings. Every single one we meet had their own story, their own reasons, their own believes. This show has such a gem with this species. And the only thing the show really does it trying - and failing - to show how much better humanity is. Not that humanity is inferior to angels. It's different, and that's what makes having a world with them both so fascinating. At least in theory.
Imagine we could have seen Ephraim's struggle trying to ignore the pain that calls him if it comes from humans. Concentrating on finding other angels instead, and teaming up with Castiel to try and find a way back home.
It's the same with every new angel. They turn up full of potential, and by the end of the episode they are dead.
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Date: 2013-11-13 06:27 pm (UTC)