SPN month, angel week day (6)
Can we talk Michael, you guys? I am so intrigued by him.
Michael is such an enigma to me. It's not the archangel deal, because Lucifer, I get. I'm not particularly proud of that, but whatever, judgy, nobody cares what you think. But Michael's a mystery. When he's actually on screen, I really do feel for him, and I am such a sucker for one-character-multiple-actors situations that work as seamlessly as Adam-Michael and John-Michael. But...try to apply thought! Go on I will wait! PFFBLART, what even is a Michael?
The mastermind behind the apocalyptic machinations of Heaven? I kind of get the feeling that Raphael was the main man getting his hands dirty on that. But Michael certainly let it all happen and gave it his stamp of approval with his involvement. And if he's doing it reluctantly - and it's my interpretation that he is - then that's kind of worse. The insistence with which he avoids moral responsibility - letting Zachariah do all the nasty ego-destroying business; the I-have-to-because-Dad song and dance he does every time he's on screen - suggest that he does know this whole plan is wrong.
Which, I wholly support terrible characters. In any event, I don't have too much trouble from a character perspective laying aside the whole human/demon genocide plan. They're angels; from their perspective they might as well be wiping out smallpox. He still clearly knows what's the what on the fratricide, and he goes pretty goddamn far out of his way to make sure that happens, brooding and moping and poor-meing the whole way there.
And Lucifer offered him peace, I believe genuinely, and Michael turned it down. I mean, not that Lucifer's version of peace was going to be a picnic from the human perspective, but within the humans-are-junk angel framework, which is the kindest interpretation of Michael's actions? I just don't get that level of deliberate, uncoerced, active desire to buy into a patriarchal system (I mean, literally, DAD SAID SO) with the blood of someone you love. And really, I don't think Michael does either, I think at this point it's just a justification, and I don't get that visceral, personal need to control someone he cares for which looks to me like the real cause of Michael's actions.
qed, Michael might be the actual most terrible character in the entire verse. So...why do I not hold him responsible/totally love him for that? Why am I seriously all "awww, poor sad puppy, go away now" or if anything just kind of like him?
Because I don't think that's a narrative failure. (hahaha, when I think a narrative fails, I THINK WE ALL KNOW.) I think the show is really good about trashing him as roundly as Lucifer, and they both get precisely their just deserts of being sent to their room with no television FOREVER. And I think the fact that just a few scenes with him are this packed speaks to really strong writing and character work. I see intellectually how it all parallels Dean, but I always have Strong Feelings about Dean, one way or the other. I DON'T KNOW. Does anyone else react this way? Has anyone else had this many thoughts about Michael? or any thoughts about Michael? Explain me to me!
What, we thought there was a topic other than ME?! AWWWWW.
(also, what the fuck? #SAVE ADAM WINCHESTER)
Michael is such an enigma to me. It's not the archangel deal, because Lucifer, I get. I'm not particularly proud of that, but whatever, judgy, nobody cares what you think. But Michael's a mystery. When he's actually on screen, I really do feel for him, and I am such a sucker for one-character-multiple-actors situations that work as seamlessly as Adam-Michael and John-Michael. But...try to apply thought! Go on I will wait! PFFBLART, what even is a Michael?
The mastermind behind the apocalyptic machinations of Heaven? I kind of get the feeling that Raphael was the main man getting his hands dirty on that. But Michael certainly let it all happen and gave it his stamp of approval with his involvement. And if he's doing it reluctantly - and it's my interpretation that he is - then that's kind of worse. The insistence with which he avoids moral responsibility - letting Zachariah do all the nasty ego-destroying business; the I-have-to-because-Dad song and dance he does every time he's on screen - suggest that he does know this whole plan is wrong.
Which, I wholly support terrible characters. In any event, I don't have too much trouble from a character perspective laying aside the whole human/demon genocide plan. They're angels; from their perspective they might as well be wiping out smallpox. He still clearly knows what's the what on the fratricide, and he goes pretty goddamn far out of his way to make sure that happens, brooding and moping and poor-meing the whole way there.
And Lucifer offered him peace, I believe genuinely, and Michael turned it down. I mean, not that Lucifer's version of peace was going to be a picnic from the human perspective, but within the humans-are-junk angel framework, which is the kindest interpretation of Michael's actions? I just don't get that level of deliberate, uncoerced, active desire to buy into a patriarchal system (I mean, literally, DAD SAID SO) with the blood of someone you love. And really, I don't think Michael does either, I think at this point it's just a justification, and I don't get that visceral, personal need to control someone he cares for which looks to me like the real cause of Michael's actions.
qed, Michael might be the actual most terrible character in the entire verse. So...why do I not hold him responsible/totally love him for that? Why am I seriously all "awww, poor sad puppy, go away now" or if anything just kind of like him?
Because I don't think that's a narrative failure. (hahaha, when I think a narrative fails, I THINK WE ALL KNOW.) I think the show is really good about trashing him as roundly as Lucifer, and they both get precisely their just deserts of being sent to their room with no television FOREVER. And I think the fact that just a few scenes with him are this packed speaks to really strong writing and character work. I see intellectually how it all parallels Dean, but I always have Strong Feelings about Dean, one way or the other. I DON'T KNOW. Does anyone else react this way? Has anyone else had this many thoughts about Michael? or any thoughts about Michael? Explain me to me!
What, we thought there was a topic other than ME?! AWWWWW.
(also, what the fuck? #SAVE ADAM WINCHESTER)