Rewatching 9-6 Heaven Can't Wait
I’ve rewatched this episode several times preparing for this and on each rewatch I have just been warmed by Cas trying hard to be human and Dean and Cas’ feelings for each other as well as the obvious concern by Sam, and all the feels for Cas’ depression at having lost his mojo. This ep is mainly about the parallels between Crowley and Cas in what they are going through since the Fall of the Angels, both fallen from grace and trying to figure out their future. There are a lot of very good scenes with Sam, Kevin and Crowley as well, and the time is divided pretty evenly between the two, I felt. Cas has lost all of his powers and heaven taken over by Metatron, Crowley has been captured and Hell has been taken over by Abbadon. The angel in this ep used to be a great fan of Cas but now feels he has abandoned his family and given up on life with his choice to become human. Cas himself is scared of pain and death now that he doesn’t have his powers and doesn’t feel like he is any good at hunting. He has made many mistakes and these are haunting him. Crowley also has made mistakes as the King of Hell. Abbadon tells him he is essentially nothing now, the other demons don’t trust him either, and Crowley is more human too because of the trials. So he is also feeling vulnerable and powerless. From the parallels we can assume his self-esteem is pretty low as well. It is the turning point for Cas and Crowley. .
Let’s start at the beginning with a man calling the suicide hotline and, as the staff tries desperately to keep him on the line, deciding to hang up. He takes a gun and is about to blow his brains out… but then he looks at a picture of his wife and son... or maybe his mother and himself - it looks old...stops and puts it back in his drawer crying. What went through his mind we can only guess but from his actions, I get the sense that it spoke to him, and gave him courage. Then a guy with a cross earring all of a sudden appears. The man thinks maybe he was sent by the hotline, but no. The guy says, You did. From outside of the house, we hear a scream and see a bright light flash and a pink splat.
This man had decided against killing himself. If the angel hadn't killed him, he would have courageously lived through another day and maybe become stronger for it.
Then we have a lovely scene of Cas being a sales assistant making the coffee and then takes a break with a cup of his own, carefully watching the mannerisms of a customer drinking coffee with a friend and copying him as he licks his stick;
tosses it into the wastebasket (success!) ;
and high-fives his friend (tries that with a delivery guy and fails - boo).
I can’t do it justice with just a summary. He is studying and trying really hard to be “human.” His manager comes in and she is impressed with him.
NORA:You're not like the other sales associates. There's... something different about you.
CASTIEL:I can assure you, there's - there's not.
NORA:I know these things. You're... you're special.
She tells him you are different, in a good way, but he insists he is just normal because different, to him, means strange and out of place - which I guess is what he really feels :( But she tells him he's special! On rewatch we know she doesn't mean what he thinks.
As she leaves, Cas notices the story about the man who became pink goo in the newspaper and decides to call Dean.
At the bunker around that time, Kevin, Sam and Dean are discussing the angel tablet. Kevin has translated it into another unknown language because that was easier than into English and it is still a bunch of gibberish. They decide to do some research and get out the encyclopedias of which there are many.
Dean is not happy. Luckily, just then he gets the call from Cas.
CASTIEL:Um … I've got my hands full over here. I just - um...
DEAN:Cas? Hello?
CASTIEL -thought you would want to know about the case.
After this brief phone call, Dean decides to go on the hunt on his own and leave Sam and Kevin to the research. Sam gets quite worked up about it. He is obviously worried for Cas and wonders why Dean is going to check out something that may not even be a hunt at all without even going to go check on Cas. Kevin thinks it's so Dean doesn't have to do any research, and Dean agrees that is the reason. I am not quite sure why, but it could be to dissuade Sam from going too and make sure Zak/Gadreel knows that he is not going to jeapardize his safety.
Cas is talking with the manager again. She is curious of the sleeping bag and toothbrush in the back. He is obviously sleeping there because he doesn't have a place to sleep. He tells her though that it's so he can finish inventory.
Then she asks him whether he is free on the weekend.
NORA:I've been afraid to ask. I-I don't want to take advantage of you as my employee, and I certainly don't want to jeopardize our working relationship. But as a working single mom, it's hard enough to get a date, let alone meet a really great guy. And … tomorrow's my night off, and I know you're off, too, and … I was just wondering if there's any chance you're... free tomorrow night?
CASTIEL:Um... Yes? Yes.
NORA:You're the best!
She is a terrible lady - dooping a guy into babysitting by making them think it is something else - really?
Next we see Dean at the crime scene, checking out the home with the completely pink interior. The pink is not actually the color of choice, it is the murdered guy’s body splattered all over the room. Wow. He also finds out that the four people who died were all unhappy, but only in this in one case in particular, suicidal.
After checking the scene, Dean phones Sam to catch him up. This is a nice domestic scene, with Sam and Dean both holding coffee cups, Sam in a chair at the bunker and Dean leaning against his car. I love this particular scene of Dean. The colors are super pretty. He looks good with green backdrop :) Sam confides in Dean that they haven’t been able to find anything and the anthropologist they know is on sabbatical and unable to help. Dean suggests they try someone who has a ton of time on his hands: Crowley.
DEAN:Well, there's one guy there who is nothing if not well-rested.
SAM:Crowley?
DEAN:I'm just saying we're not keeping him chained up for the one-liners.
SAM:It's worth a shot, I guess.
DEAN:Just be careful, all right? Don't fall for any of his "quid pro quo" crap.
Sam asks about Dean’s case too and when Dean tells him about the vaporized people, Sam suggests that maybe he should be there too.
SAM:That sounds like a real case. Dean, I should be there.
DEAN:Naw, man. That's - That's uh ... not necessary. No, I, uh - I got this one covered.
When Dean gets off the phone, we see that he is right in front of the store Cas works at. So, Dean obviously wanted to do this alone because he wanted to see how Cas was doing - he felt bad for throwing him out of the bunker and was worried about him.
I love his face here; watching Cas with obvious care on his face. Maybe wondering how to face him after throwing him out of the bunker, maybe wondering what on earth Cas is doing working at a convenience store, and worried for his wellbeing.
Here we have another murder scene - this time of a highschool(?) girl who was just dumped by her boyfriend in front of everyone in the cafeteria. She is talking about it with her friend on the phone behind a school bus when the angel arrives and does his work.
Then we see Cas telling a customer “good luck!” after selling her a lottery ticket. I love this scene and got a gif of it the first time too :D
He turns to the next customer and is totally surprised by the smiling face of Dean. Dean is so cute here. He's such a dork :D
DEAN:I'll have some beef jerky and a pack of menthols.
CASTIEL:What are you doing here?
DEAN:Gee, it's nice to see you, too, Cas.
CASTIEL:It's … Steve now.And... uh, you know you surprised me.
I just want to say, that from the first phone call, we are already sensing a bit of hurt on the part of Cas for being thrown out of the bunker - and here as he acts surprised that Dean has come to see him. There is more of this later.
DEAN:Well, the feeling is mutual. I mean, I knew you had to lay low from the angel threat, but, uh, wow. This is some cover.
Dean doesn’t get it - at least he doesn’t get why anyone would want to work at a convenience store.
CASTIEL:My Grace is gone. What did you expect? Do you have any idea how hard it was? When I fell to earth, I didn't just lose my powers. I - I had nothing. Now... I'm a sales associate.
After all his failures and being kicked out by Dean, this job has given Cas a semblance of stability, security and a feeling of accomplishment - or at least he is telling himself that. My heart goes out to him.
DEAN: Wow, so you went from heavenly battles to... nuking taquitos.
CASTIEL: Nachoes too.
Dean here points out something similar to what the Angel does later on - Castiel has literally fallen. He feels that Cas should be doing something more. He doesn't really understand the difficulties of having lost powers you took for granted... because he never has.
Meanwhile, we have Sam asking Crowley to read the dead language. Crowley can read it, but he won’t. He sounds like he is being a total douche - and Sam reminds him of that night back at the church, when he showed his human side a bit, and urging him act on the conscience that he seemed to have acquired then. Then as he goes out the door, he suggests that since Crowley is not being useful, they might as well give him over to Abbadon. Crowley scoffs and says Abbadon is too emotional, and doesn’t know how to run Hell properly. Sam tells him, well, we met her and she seemed much more scary than you have been in a long time.
Good one. Sam is not trying very hard here. Reminding Crowley that he showed vulnerability (humanity) at the church, then going on to say that he wasn’t scary any more is really not going to get Sam what he wants. It is obviously a writer's ploy to show how Crowley is in between these two and feeling vulnerable just as Cas is. He's not completely human but he is not completely demon either. As the King of Hell, he is expected to be scary. Remember how scary he was before? As a demon having gone through the trials he has lost that scariness and yet because it wasn't completed, he is not fully good either. I have said this before but I wish the boys had completed the transformation for him, if not as part of the trials. It was cruel to leave him in limbo. In any case, maybe this reminder by Sam makes Crowley realize that he has to decide on which path to choose. Go back to being a scary demon or helping the boys and trying to be more human.
Crowley gets pissed, wads up the translation and throws it at Sam.
Meanwhile Dean is trying to persuade Cas to quit his job and go back to something more dignified.
CASTIEL: I failed at being an angel. Everything I ever attempted came out wrong. But here … at least I have a shot at getting things right. I guess you can't see it, but … there's a real dignity in what I do - human dignity.
And right there, the manager tells him that he needs to clean the toilet because someone had an accident. Which of course emphasizes the point that it is hard to find human dignity when you are reduced to cleaning up such messes. She also mentions his “date” tonight, and Dean thinks that’s the reason Cas works there of course, because he can understand it if it was to get close to a girl.
DEAN:That's what this is about!
CASTIEL:What?
DEAN:The girl.
CASTIEL:No, Dean. It's not. Nora - she's a very nice woman, I'm pretty sure she's not a reaper intent on killing me … and she's asked me out. Going on dates - that's something humans do, right?
Here Cas again emphasizes the importance of becoming more human, to fit into the role he has been cast.
Dean then gets the call about the girl and urges Cas to come with him.
CASTIEL:I wouldn't be much use. I don't have my powers.
DEAN:So? I've never had powers.
CASTIEL:You are a hunter.
DEAN:And you're a hunter in training, remember?
CASTIEL:Yeah, I remember. You said I sucked.
DEAN:I didn't say that. I said that there was, uh, uh, you know, "room for improvement." Come on.
Aww. Poor Cas. He is hurting and still remembers Dean telling him he sucked :( And he is feeling vulnerable without the crutch of his powers. I guess it is almost like getting one of your limbs amputated. It's something he has taken for granted all this time as an Angel. But Dean finally persuades him to come with him between work and his “date.”
CASTIEL: Not just yet. I have to clean the bathroom.
When we see them next, they are checking out the scene. Dean talks to the girl’s friend and there is a funny scene where the friend tries to explain (to an old man LOL) that yeah the girl was upset that she was dumped in front of everyone, but not suicidal.
JACE:Ew. No. I mean, she was kind of bummed that dick-bag Travis broke up with her in front of the whole school.
DEAN:'Kind of bummed'?
JACE:Yeah. Like more bummed than when she got a "C" on a quiz, and... less bummed than when her parents split up. 'Kind of ... bummed.'
Cas is checking out the pink stuff and realizes this is one of the angels, a Rit Zien’s doing.
CASTIEL:The Rit Zien home in on pain, it's like a beacon to them. So, when this angel fell to earth, he heard the victims' cries, and their anguish, same as he'd hear an angel's in heaven. He's continuing his heavenly work down here. One suffering human at a time.
DEAN:Yeah, but this last victim was not suffering. She was just a normal, moody kid.
CASTIEL:But he just got here. The ebb and flow of human emotion - Dean, I've been on earth for a few years, and I've only begun to grasp it. To him, pain is pain.
This part about Cas knowing human emotions a bit, while this angel new to earth can’t understand it is very interesting. It shows how different these two species are at the very least, and how, despite how much he still has to learn, he is much more knowledgeable about humans than other angels. When he tells Dean that pretty much anyone is fair game, Dean is like alright, we’ve got to stop him, but Cas says no. Dean has got to do it. He can’t help.
DEAN:You're scared.
CASTIEL:It's different now, Dean. Everything feels different.
DEAN:You're right. All right, I'll track down this, uh, Kevorkian wannabe, and I'll put him down.
CASTIEL:Okay.
DEAN:You stay safe. Go on that date, all right? Go live a normal life.
Cas here, feeling so vulnerable, so scared, and Dean telling him to just keep safe and have a normal life… man… the feels.
Back at the bunker, Sam goes to check on Crowley again. Crowley asks for a phone call to hell in return for the favor. Despite Dean’s warning not to give into Crowley’s quid per quo, Sam considers it. He goes to discuss it with Kevin.
Dean is pulling up to the manager’s house with Cas.
He looks at Cas and decides he has to help. First take off the vest, open a few buttons of your shirt, ask the girl a lot of questions, and pay for the dinner even if she says dutch is ok. This is also adorable, like I can totally imagine him looking out for Sam in the same way.
Finally they say goodbye and Cas, the romantic! Picks a rose from the manager’s garden (lol) to take her and rings the bell.
DEAN:Nice touch.
Aww, Dean approves! And thankfully drives off before Cas finds out the sad truth. BUT not before he notices a truck parked in front of his.
Despite all the woman's talk about Cas being special, all she wanted to do was use him so she could go on a date with someone else. She tells him her baby never cries but of course, the kid starts crying as soon as she leaves.
Back to the bunker.
Crowley insists on using Kevin’s blood instead of Sam’s. Why, if he just needs it for the phone call? There wouldn't be any reason for this unless he wanted to ingest it and I don't really know why Sam gave the ok without thinking it was odd at least. Maybe it was all an act. He made the call just so he could get some blood to shoot himself up with. I am thinking that maybe Kevin's blood, with all that hurt and anger, tastes better? or he is afraid of becoming more human by ingesting Sam's blood? We also see how intently he watches as Kevin finally agrees and draws blood with a syringe and find out later that he stole the syringe.
Crowley doesn’t get much out of his phone call. He is treated badly - being put on hold LOL, and finally connected to Abbadon, who tells him he is useless. And we have a bit of a parallel here between Crowley and Cas, both feeling useless. They are in very similar situations too - what with Crowley going through partial return to humanity and Cas’ grace being ripped out of him and also feeling partially but not wholly human (even though he is as weak as one).
Cas picks the crying baby up and starts singing her a song, “Believe it or Not.” It works and she quiets down, but as soon as he tries to put her down, she starts crying again, and she also feels a bit hot to touch.
CASTIEL:Nobody told you. Nobody explained. You're just … shoved out kicking and screaming into this human life, without any idea why any of it feels the way it feels, or why this confusion, which feels like it's … a hair's breadth (The baby stops crying.) from terror or pain. You know, just when you think you do understand, it'll turn out you're wrong. You didn't understand anything at all. Guess that's just how it is when you're new at this. You know, it wasn't that long ago when all I'd need to do to ease your pain was touch you.
This little speech is pretty special, because it shows pretty much how Cas feels - the confusion, of being a hair’s breadth from terror and pain. But also, how he feels so useless because he used to be able to help people in pain with just a touch of his fingers and now he can’t.
Meanwhile, Dean gets a call from the Sheriff and finds out that only the wife was killed in the first murder and the husband had disappeared. The wife had been an athiest, the husband a devout Christian who was taken in by the TV preacher - which made a whole lot of sense to Dean. Obviously, the angel had used the husband as a vessel. Now he had a face and even better, a truck that could be tracked and which he had actually seen in front of the manager’s house! Cas was in danger!
Cas is still holding the baby and now is calling the mom who is unavailable. He is worried and wondering if he should be taking the baby to the hospital. Then the death angel appears and at first Cas thinks he is after the baby - but no. He has come for Cas. Now this is again worthy of a heart-pang. IS Cas feeling more emotional like a human? Is he just a little “bummed” like the girl? Or is he feeling worse, like the suicidal guy? Is he legitimately feeling the angel blues which this angel recognizes as something he should help?
CASTIEL:How'd you find me?
EPHRAIM:Because you're warded? The same way I find all my patients - I just followed the sound of your pain. You have no idea how loud it is. I could hear you for miles.
Oh man… So it is really bad.
CASTIEL:Earth can be a hard place. But these humans, they can get better. They're just doing the best they can.
EPHRAIM:Is that what you think you're doing, Castiel - the best you can? Well, I'm sorry. But if this is the best that the famed Castiel can do, you're a more urgent case than I thought. I used to admire you. You failed more often than you succeeded. But at least you played big.
I think this is kind of a wakeup call for Cas. In any case, he is drawing blood with the rose thorn and trying to make a sigil when Ephraim notices and stops him.
EPHRAIM:Now what are you doing? Burying your head in the sand. Right when your kind needs you the most.
At this point we have a parallel scene with Crowley and Abbadon. Abbadon is telling him that she is nulling all his contracts and taking it all down brick by brick.
ABADDON: The days of Crowley the King of Bureaucrats are done.
CROWLEY:It may look like bean-counting to you, it may lack a certain adolescent flair, but my way... Works!
CROWLEY:You think you can control Hell with chaos alone, without the support of those who are still loyal to me?!
ABADDON:No one's seen you in weeks, and last I saw you, Howdy and Doody had you tied up nice and tight. Seems to reason, they've turned you into a kennel dog. How does it feel, Crowley, to be the Winchesters' bitch? It's been fun indulging in your bluffs, but we both know you have no real authority left, no leverage. You have nothing to offer me. You have - nothing.
CROWLEY:Your way will backfire. You. Will. Burn.
ABADDON:I can't wait.
The call finished, Crowley is discouraged ... or maybe his anger at Abaddon has given him an even better reason to help the Winchesters. He keeps his agreements (he is different from Abaddon and proud of it!!) and translates. They find out that the spell cannot be undone. The angels are there for good.
CROWLEY: The new world order, we're stuck with it.
Note the word "we" here. Obviously, this has a great impact on him too, and this is probably why he helps Dean later as well.
Then another cool scene.
Dean has been thrown to the corner of the room as he tries to help Cas, but as Ephraim revels in his own voice, Dean finds a chance to throw Cas the angel blade right as Ephraim is going to kill him. Cas stabs Ephraim. It is a great coordinated scene, as often seen between Sam and Dean. Also, Ephraim's last words before Cas stabs him are interesting.
EPHRAIM: By choosing a human life, you've already given up.
Dean is talking to Sam on the phone and Sam tells him what Crowley told them. When Sam asks if he is going to tell Cas, he doesn’t answer. I wonder how Dean explained what happened on his end to Sam. Cas wasn't supposed to be with him. Dean must have lied about the whole thing.
Meanwhile, Nora the Manager is back. Cas apologizes for calling her back - he notes that his "friend" told him to give her a low dose of acetaminophen and the fever went down right away. She says something nice and quite meaningful and true.
NORA:Oh, that's okay. Date was a bust anyway. Steve? The part of you that overreacted, that cares so much? That's what makes you special.
As has been pointed out earlier, Cas cares. He cares too much, maybe, and this is what makes him do stupid things, but it is also what makes him special. Still, this woman is the worst.
Sam notices that Crowley has the syringe and is getting a hit of some of Kevin blood.
Hehe... Sam's face is cute.
I love the camera moving away in this scene.
Dean turns to Cas as he finishes his phone call with Sam. I add this because I just like seeing Dean's reflection on Baby. There is no bro talk like Sam and Dean always have at these moments, which is disappointing.
DEAN: Where to, Cas
I will note that Dean does take Cas somewhere after this. Is it to the convenience store so he can spend the night in his sleeping bag after doing inventory? The thing is, the next scene is in front of the store and it's morning. So... maybe they get some food and a room together? There is room for a nice little fic here.
Cas and Dean are saying farewell.
DEAN:Listen, Cas … Back at the bunker, I, uh... Sorry I told you to go. I know it's been hard on you, you know, on your own. Well, you're adapting. I'm proud of you.
CASTIEL:Thank you, Dean. (Sighs) But there's something Ephraim said. The angels - they need help. Can I really sit this out? Shouldn't I be searching for a way to get them home?
DEAN:Me and Sam will take care of the angels. You're human now. It's not your problem anymore.
Cas unlocks the doors, starts on the coffee and gets his cup'a as usual. The news reminds him and us of all the angels that had fallen.
Those words by Ephraim have hit him hard - that by cowering in fear because of losing his powers, he has chosen to die. Maybe through his run-in with the angel and being able to hold his own in the fight, he has gained some courage and confidence too.
Crowley must also feel the same - since this is the parallel. He has also found the energy and courage to continue on and find a way to be King again and save his demons from Abaddon. And the best way to do that is to get the boys to help him kill Abaddon.
Let’s start at the beginning with a man calling the suicide hotline and, as the staff tries desperately to keep him on the line, deciding to hang up. He takes a gun and is about to blow his brains out… but then he looks at a picture of his wife and son... or maybe his mother and himself - it looks old...stops and puts it back in his drawer crying. What went through his mind we can only guess but from his actions, I get the sense that it spoke to him, and gave him courage. Then a guy with a cross earring all of a sudden appears. The man thinks maybe he was sent by the hotline, but no. The guy says, You did. From outside of the house, we hear a scream and see a bright light flash and a pink splat.
This man had decided against killing himself. If the angel hadn't killed him, he would have courageously lived through another day and maybe become stronger for it.
Then we have a lovely scene of Cas being a sales assistant making the coffee and then takes a break with a cup of his own, carefully watching the mannerisms of a customer drinking coffee with a friend and copying him as he licks his stick;
tosses it into the wastebasket (success!) ;
and high-fives his friend (tries that with a delivery guy and fails - boo).
I can’t do it justice with just a summary. He is studying and trying really hard to be “human.” His manager comes in and she is impressed with him.
NORA:You're not like the other sales associates. There's... something different about you.
CASTIEL:I can assure you, there's - there's not.
NORA:I know these things. You're... you're special.
She tells him you are different, in a good way, but he insists he is just normal because different, to him, means strange and out of place - which I guess is what he really feels :( But she tells him he's special! On rewatch we know she doesn't mean what he thinks.
As she leaves, Cas notices the story about the man who became pink goo in the newspaper and decides to call Dean.
At the bunker around that time, Kevin, Sam and Dean are discussing the angel tablet. Kevin has translated it into another unknown language because that was easier than into English and it is still a bunch of gibberish. They decide to do some research and get out the encyclopedias of which there are many.
Dean is not happy. Luckily, just then he gets the call from Cas.
CASTIEL:Um … I've got my hands full over here. I just - um...
DEAN:Cas? Hello?
CASTIEL -thought you would want to know about the case.
After this brief phone call, Dean decides to go on the hunt on his own and leave Sam and Kevin to the research. Sam gets quite worked up about it. He is obviously worried for Cas and wonders why Dean is going to check out something that may not even be a hunt at all without even going to go check on Cas. Kevin thinks it's so Dean doesn't have to do any research, and Dean agrees that is the reason. I am not quite sure why, but it could be to dissuade Sam from going too and make sure Zak/Gadreel knows that he is not going to jeapardize his safety.
Cas is talking with the manager again. She is curious of the sleeping bag and toothbrush in the back. He is obviously sleeping there because he doesn't have a place to sleep. He tells her though that it's so he can finish inventory.
Then she asks him whether he is free on the weekend.
NORA:I've been afraid to ask. I-I don't want to take advantage of you as my employee, and I certainly don't want to jeopardize our working relationship. But as a working single mom, it's hard enough to get a date, let alone meet a really great guy. And … tomorrow's my night off, and I know you're off, too, and … I was just wondering if there's any chance you're... free tomorrow night?
CASTIEL:Um... Yes? Yes.
NORA:You're the best!
She is a terrible lady - dooping a guy into babysitting by making them think it is something else - really?
Next we see Dean at the crime scene, checking out the home with the completely pink interior. The pink is not actually the color of choice, it is the murdered guy’s body splattered all over the room. Wow. He also finds out that the four people who died were all unhappy, but only in this in one case in particular, suicidal.
After checking the scene, Dean phones Sam to catch him up. This is a nice domestic scene, with Sam and Dean both holding coffee cups, Sam in a chair at the bunker and Dean leaning against his car. I love this particular scene of Dean. The colors are super pretty. He looks good with green backdrop :) Sam confides in Dean that they haven’t been able to find anything and the anthropologist they know is on sabbatical and unable to help. Dean suggests they try someone who has a ton of time on his hands: Crowley.
DEAN:Well, there's one guy there who is nothing if not well-rested.
SAM:Crowley?
DEAN:I'm just saying we're not keeping him chained up for the one-liners.
SAM:It's worth a shot, I guess.
DEAN:Just be careful, all right? Don't fall for any of his "quid pro quo" crap.
Sam asks about Dean’s case too and when Dean tells him about the vaporized people, Sam suggests that maybe he should be there too.
SAM:That sounds like a real case. Dean, I should be there.
DEAN:Naw, man. That's - That's uh ... not necessary. No, I, uh - I got this one covered.
When Dean gets off the phone, we see that he is right in front of the store Cas works at. So, Dean obviously wanted to do this alone because he wanted to see how Cas was doing - he felt bad for throwing him out of the bunker and was worried about him.
I love his face here; watching Cas with obvious care on his face. Maybe wondering how to face him after throwing him out of the bunker, maybe wondering what on earth Cas is doing working at a convenience store, and worried for his wellbeing.
Here we have another murder scene - this time of a highschool(?) girl who was just dumped by her boyfriend in front of everyone in the cafeteria. She is talking about it with her friend on the phone behind a school bus when the angel arrives and does his work.
Then we see Cas telling a customer “good luck!” after selling her a lottery ticket. I love this scene and got a gif of it the first time too :D
He turns to the next customer and is totally surprised by the smiling face of Dean. Dean is so cute here. He's such a dork :D
DEAN:I'll have some beef jerky and a pack of menthols.
CASTIEL:What are you doing here?
DEAN:Gee, it's nice to see you, too, Cas.
CASTIEL:It's … Steve now.And... uh, you know you surprised me.
I just want to say, that from the first phone call, we are already sensing a bit of hurt on the part of Cas for being thrown out of the bunker - and here as he acts surprised that Dean has come to see him. There is more of this later.
DEAN:Well, the feeling is mutual. I mean, I knew you had to lay low from the angel threat, but, uh, wow. This is some cover.
Dean doesn’t get it - at least he doesn’t get why anyone would want to work at a convenience store.
CASTIEL:My Grace is gone. What did you expect? Do you have any idea how hard it was? When I fell to earth, I didn't just lose my powers. I - I had nothing. Now... I'm a sales associate.
After all his failures and being kicked out by Dean, this job has given Cas a semblance of stability, security and a feeling of accomplishment - or at least he is telling himself that. My heart goes out to him.
DEAN: Wow, so you went from heavenly battles to... nuking taquitos.
CASTIEL: Nachoes too.
Dean here points out something similar to what the Angel does later on - Castiel has literally fallen. He feels that Cas should be doing something more. He doesn't really understand the difficulties of having lost powers you took for granted... because he never has.
Meanwhile, we have Sam asking Crowley to read the dead language. Crowley can read it, but he won’t. He sounds like he is being a total douche - and Sam reminds him of that night back at the church, when he showed his human side a bit, and urging him act on the conscience that he seemed to have acquired then. Then as he goes out the door, he suggests that since Crowley is not being useful, they might as well give him over to Abbadon. Crowley scoffs and says Abbadon is too emotional, and doesn’t know how to run Hell properly. Sam tells him, well, we met her and she seemed much more scary than you have been in a long time.
Good one. Sam is not trying very hard here. Reminding Crowley that he showed vulnerability (humanity) at the church, then going on to say that he wasn’t scary any more is really not going to get Sam what he wants. It is obviously a writer's ploy to show how Crowley is in between these two and feeling vulnerable just as Cas is. He's not completely human but he is not completely demon either. As the King of Hell, he is expected to be scary. Remember how scary he was before? As a demon having gone through the trials he has lost that scariness and yet because it wasn't completed, he is not fully good either. I have said this before but I wish the boys had completed the transformation for him, if not as part of the trials. It was cruel to leave him in limbo. In any case, maybe this reminder by Sam makes Crowley realize that he has to decide on which path to choose. Go back to being a scary demon or helping the boys and trying to be more human.
Crowley gets pissed, wads up the translation and throws it at Sam.
Meanwhile Dean is trying to persuade Cas to quit his job and go back to something more dignified.
CASTIEL: I failed at being an angel. Everything I ever attempted came out wrong. But here … at least I have a shot at getting things right. I guess you can't see it, but … there's a real dignity in what I do - human dignity.
And right there, the manager tells him that he needs to clean the toilet because someone had an accident. Which of course emphasizes the point that it is hard to find human dignity when you are reduced to cleaning up such messes. She also mentions his “date” tonight, and Dean thinks that’s the reason Cas works there of course, because he can understand it if it was to get close to a girl.
DEAN:That's what this is about!
CASTIEL:What?
DEAN:The girl.
CASTIEL:No, Dean. It's not. Nora - she's a very nice woman, I'm pretty sure she's not a reaper intent on killing me … and she's asked me out. Going on dates - that's something humans do, right?
Here Cas again emphasizes the importance of becoming more human, to fit into the role he has been cast.
Dean then gets the call about the girl and urges Cas to come with him.
CASTIEL:I wouldn't be much use. I don't have my powers.
DEAN:So? I've never had powers.
CASTIEL:You are a hunter.
DEAN:And you're a hunter in training, remember?
CASTIEL:Yeah, I remember. You said I sucked.
DEAN:I didn't say that. I said that there was, uh, uh, you know, "room for improvement." Come on.
Aww. Poor Cas. He is hurting and still remembers Dean telling him he sucked :( And he is feeling vulnerable without the crutch of his powers. I guess it is almost like getting one of your limbs amputated. It's something he has taken for granted all this time as an Angel. But Dean finally persuades him to come with him between work and his “date.”
CASTIEL: Not just yet. I have to clean the bathroom.
When we see them next, they are checking out the scene. Dean talks to the girl’s friend and there is a funny scene where the friend tries to explain (to an old man LOL) that yeah the girl was upset that she was dumped in front of everyone, but not suicidal.
JACE:Ew. No. I mean, she was kind of bummed that dick-bag Travis broke up with her in front of the whole school.
DEAN:'Kind of bummed'?
JACE:Yeah. Like more bummed than when she got a "C" on a quiz, and... less bummed than when her parents split up. 'Kind of ... bummed.'
Cas is checking out the pink stuff and realizes this is one of the angels, a Rit Zien’s doing.
CASTIEL:The Rit Zien home in on pain, it's like a beacon to them. So, when this angel fell to earth, he heard the victims' cries, and their anguish, same as he'd hear an angel's in heaven. He's continuing his heavenly work down here. One suffering human at a time.
DEAN:Yeah, but this last victim was not suffering. She was just a normal, moody kid.
CASTIEL:But he just got here. The ebb and flow of human emotion - Dean, I've been on earth for a few years, and I've only begun to grasp it. To him, pain is pain.
This part about Cas knowing human emotions a bit, while this angel new to earth can’t understand it is very interesting. It shows how different these two species are at the very least, and how, despite how much he still has to learn, he is much more knowledgeable about humans than other angels. When he tells Dean that pretty much anyone is fair game, Dean is like alright, we’ve got to stop him, but Cas says no. Dean has got to do it. He can’t help.
DEAN:You're scared.
CASTIEL:It's different now, Dean. Everything feels different.
DEAN:You're right. All right, I'll track down this, uh, Kevorkian wannabe, and I'll put him down.
CASTIEL:Okay.
DEAN:You stay safe. Go on that date, all right? Go live a normal life.
Cas here, feeling so vulnerable, so scared, and Dean telling him to just keep safe and have a normal life… man… the feels.
Back at the bunker, Sam goes to check on Crowley again. Crowley asks for a phone call to hell in return for the favor. Despite Dean’s warning not to give into Crowley’s quid per quo, Sam considers it. He goes to discuss it with Kevin.
Dean is pulling up to the manager’s house with Cas.
He looks at Cas and decides he has to help. First take off the vest, open a few buttons of your shirt, ask the girl a lot of questions, and pay for the dinner even if she says dutch is ok. This is also adorable, like I can totally imagine him looking out for Sam in the same way.
Finally they say goodbye and Cas, the romantic! Picks a rose from the manager’s garden (lol) to take her and rings the bell.
DEAN:Nice touch.
Aww, Dean approves! And thankfully drives off before Cas finds out the sad truth. BUT not before he notices a truck parked in front of his.
Despite all the woman's talk about Cas being special, all she wanted to do was use him so she could go on a date with someone else. She tells him her baby never cries but of course, the kid starts crying as soon as she leaves.
Back to the bunker.
Crowley insists on using Kevin’s blood instead of Sam’s. Why, if he just needs it for the phone call? There wouldn't be any reason for this unless he wanted to ingest it and I don't really know why Sam gave the ok without thinking it was odd at least. Maybe it was all an act. He made the call just so he could get some blood to shoot himself up with. I am thinking that maybe Kevin's blood, with all that hurt and anger, tastes better? or he is afraid of becoming more human by ingesting Sam's blood? We also see how intently he watches as Kevin finally agrees and draws blood with a syringe and find out later that he stole the syringe.
Crowley doesn’t get much out of his phone call. He is treated badly - being put on hold LOL, and finally connected to Abbadon, who tells him he is useless. And we have a bit of a parallel here between Crowley and Cas, both feeling useless. They are in very similar situations too - what with Crowley going through partial return to humanity and Cas’ grace being ripped out of him and also feeling partially but not wholly human (even though he is as weak as one).
Cas picks the crying baby up and starts singing her a song, “Believe it or Not.” It works and she quiets down, but as soon as he tries to put her down, she starts crying again, and she also feels a bit hot to touch.
CASTIEL:Nobody told you. Nobody explained. You're just … shoved out kicking and screaming into this human life, without any idea why any of it feels the way it feels, or why this confusion, which feels like it's … a hair's breadth (The baby stops crying.) from terror or pain. You know, just when you think you do understand, it'll turn out you're wrong. You didn't understand anything at all. Guess that's just how it is when you're new at this. You know, it wasn't that long ago when all I'd need to do to ease your pain was touch you.
This little speech is pretty special, because it shows pretty much how Cas feels - the confusion, of being a hair’s breadth from terror and pain. But also, how he feels so useless because he used to be able to help people in pain with just a touch of his fingers and now he can’t.
Meanwhile, Dean gets a call from the Sheriff and finds out that only the wife was killed in the first murder and the husband had disappeared. The wife had been an athiest, the husband a devout Christian who was taken in by the TV preacher - which made a whole lot of sense to Dean. Obviously, the angel had used the husband as a vessel. Now he had a face and even better, a truck that could be tracked and which he had actually seen in front of the manager’s house! Cas was in danger!
Cas is still holding the baby and now is calling the mom who is unavailable. He is worried and wondering if he should be taking the baby to the hospital. Then the death angel appears and at first Cas thinks he is after the baby - but no. He has come for Cas. Now this is again worthy of a heart-pang. IS Cas feeling more emotional like a human? Is he just a little “bummed” like the girl? Or is he feeling worse, like the suicidal guy? Is he legitimately feeling the angel blues which this angel recognizes as something he should help?
CASTIEL:How'd you find me?
EPHRAIM:Because you're warded? The same way I find all my patients - I just followed the sound of your pain. You have no idea how loud it is. I could hear you for miles.
Oh man… So it is really bad.
CASTIEL:Earth can be a hard place. But these humans, they can get better. They're just doing the best they can.
EPHRAIM:Is that what you think you're doing, Castiel - the best you can? Well, I'm sorry. But if this is the best that the famed Castiel can do, you're a more urgent case than I thought. I used to admire you. You failed more often than you succeeded. But at least you played big.
I think this is kind of a wakeup call for Cas. In any case, he is drawing blood with the rose thorn and trying to make a sigil when Ephraim notices and stops him.
EPHRAIM:Now what are you doing? Burying your head in the sand. Right when your kind needs you the most.
At this point we have a parallel scene with Crowley and Abbadon. Abbadon is telling him that she is nulling all his contracts and taking it all down brick by brick.
ABADDON: The days of Crowley the King of Bureaucrats are done.
CROWLEY:It may look like bean-counting to you, it may lack a certain adolescent flair, but my way... Works!
CROWLEY:You think you can control Hell with chaos alone, without the support of those who are still loyal to me?!
ABADDON:No one's seen you in weeks, and last I saw you, Howdy and Doody had you tied up nice and tight. Seems to reason, they've turned you into a kennel dog. How does it feel, Crowley, to be the Winchesters' bitch? It's been fun indulging in your bluffs, but we both know you have no real authority left, no leverage. You have nothing to offer me. You have - nothing.
CROWLEY:Your way will backfire. You. Will. Burn.
ABADDON:I can't wait.
The call finished, Crowley is discouraged ... or maybe his anger at Abaddon has given him an even better reason to help the Winchesters. He keeps his agreements (he is different from Abaddon and proud of it!!) and translates. They find out that the spell cannot be undone. The angels are there for good.
CROWLEY: The new world order, we're stuck with it.
Note the word "we" here. Obviously, this has a great impact on him too, and this is probably why he helps Dean later as well.
Then another cool scene.
Dean has been thrown to the corner of the room as he tries to help Cas, but as Ephraim revels in his own voice, Dean finds a chance to throw Cas the angel blade right as Ephraim is going to kill him. Cas stabs Ephraim. It is a great coordinated scene, as often seen between Sam and Dean. Also, Ephraim's last words before Cas stabs him are interesting.
EPHRAIM: By choosing a human life, you've already given up.
Dean is talking to Sam on the phone and Sam tells him what Crowley told them. When Sam asks if he is going to tell Cas, he doesn’t answer. I wonder how Dean explained what happened on his end to Sam. Cas wasn't supposed to be with him. Dean must have lied about the whole thing.
Meanwhile, Nora the Manager is back. Cas apologizes for calling her back - he notes that his "friend" told him to give her a low dose of acetaminophen and the fever went down right away. She says something nice and quite meaningful and true.
NORA:Oh, that's okay. Date was a bust anyway. Steve? The part of you that overreacted, that cares so much? That's what makes you special.
As has been pointed out earlier, Cas cares. He cares too much, maybe, and this is what makes him do stupid things, but it is also what makes him special. Still, this woman is the worst.
Sam notices that Crowley has the syringe and is getting a hit of some of Kevin blood.
Hehe... Sam's face is cute.
I love the camera moving away in this scene.
Dean turns to Cas as he finishes his phone call with Sam. I add this because I just like seeing Dean's reflection on Baby. There is no bro talk like Sam and Dean always have at these moments, which is disappointing.
DEAN: Where to, Cas
I will note that Dean does take Cas somewhere after this. Is it to the convenience store so he can spend the night in his sleeping bag after doing inventory? The thing is, the next scene is in front of the store and it's morning. So... maybe they get some food and a room together? There is room for a nice little fic here.
Cas and Dean are saying farewell.
DEAN:Listen, Cas … Back at the bunker, I, uh... Sorry I told you to go. I know it's been hard on you, you know, on your own. Well, you're adapting. I'm proud of you.
CASTIEL:Thank you, Dean. (Sighs) But there's something Ephraim said. The angels - they need help. Can I really sit this out? Shouldn't I be searching for a way to get them home?
DEAN:Me and Sam will take care of the angels. You're human now. It's not your problem anymore.
Cas unlocks the doors, starts on the coffee and gets his cup'a as usual. The news reminds him and us of all the angels that had fallen.
Those words by Ephraim have hit him hard - that by cowering in fear because of losing his powers, he has chosen to die. Maybe through his run-in with the angel and being able to hold his own in the fight, he has gained some courage and confidence too.
Crowley must also feel the same - since this is the parallel. He has also found the energy and courage to continue on and find a way to be King again and save his demons from Abaddon. And the best way to do that is to get the boys to help him kill Abaddon.