Misha Collins, Jensen Ackles
Supernatural, Season 9, Episode 6: “Heaven Can’t Wait”
Written by Robert Berens
Directed by Rob Spera
Airs Tuesdays at 9pm (ET) on The CW
One of the most intriguing aspects of Metatron’s spell to cast the angels out of heaven was the loss of Castiel’s grace in the process. While the angel had, at that point, already spent a lot of time around humans, it was nonetheless bound to be a big adjustment for him to be human. This week once again picks up on the thread of Castiel trying to survive on his own, in a gripping episode that manages to reveal another layer to the angels while once again revisiting the power struggle between Crowley and Abaddon.
Watching Castiel’s adjustment to human life this week continues to be fascinating. Castiel’s search for meaning, and doing the right thing, has been an integral part of the character since his appearance in Season 4, and this facet of his character has no doubt been magnified by his recent failings, both in releasing the Leviathan upon Earth and mistakenly letting Metatron expel all angels from Heaven. His search for meaning in what otherwise may seem like trivial human work can be seen in two ways; not only is it his way of adjusting to his newfound lack of grace, but his ability to do something right, even if it is just ensuring a store opens smoothly, also helps build his confidence. It will be interesting to see, moving forward, how his growing adjustment to the human lifestyle clashes with his desire to help angels.
Osric Chau, Jared Padalecki, Mark A. Sheppard
Revisiting Crowley and Abaddon’s conflict this week is also compelling. While the difference in the governing styles of the two have been illustrated in previous episodes, Crowley’s reaction to Abaddon’s takeover and methods says a lot about him, and firmly plants him as the lesser evil, an important distinction for the Winchesters to make for the inevitable fight between the two. It will be interesting to see how Crowley’s newfound humanity affects his approach to fighting Abaddon, particularly since the latter has proven her ruthlessness numerous times. It will also be worth watching to see how the presence of the angels, which Crowley now knows is permanent, affects the decisions of the two going forward. As Ephraim shows this episode, the angels still remain a formidable entity, and many are still intent on carrying out their heavenly roles and obligations, which could lead to either Abaddon and Crowley reluctantly teaming up to fight them together, or one of them forming an alliance with Bartholomew and his group. Both scenarios are promising.
Overall, this is another great episode to expand the season’s arc. The irreversibility of Metatron’s spell, if it holds true, is a real game-changer for the show, as the planting of the angels on earth permanently is bound to have reverberations on everyone’s actions going forward. The inability to send them back to Heaven forever alters the power dynamic on Earth, and how the parties react to this information once they learn of it is something to look out for. The juxtaposition of Abaddon and Crowley’s conversation against that of Ephraim and Castiel’s is also a nice touch, as it highlights the eerie similarities in the thinking process between the time-travelling demon and the fallen angel. It’s nice to see Kevin make a return as well, and his prowess in discovering a dead language to translate the tablet into continues to highlight his capabilities. Crowley’s injection of Kevin’s blood into himself is also an interesting development; if he is trying to cure himself, it might indicate that Sam’s treatment of him went farther than either of the Winchesters suspected, and makes Crowley even more unpredictable. The exploration of the finer functions of angels was also a fascinating aspect of this week’s episode, and whether or not they dive further into those aspects, as well as how Castiel continues adjusting to human life, are both aspects worth continuing to tune in for.
– Deepayan Sengupta