Could I go more than 2 minutes without ranting? No, of course not, it would be BORING
Set off by a comment over at the CW site, which means, really, I have no good reason to rant but I'm going to anyway.
How on earth do angels make the show any more into Judeo-Christian mythology (and, by default, into denying other religions) than Lilith? Or exorcisms in Latin partially pulled from the Catholic church being the one way to banish a demon using supernatural/religious forces (rather than, like, a knife)? Or the fact that, if I remember correctly, Casey mentioned the dread G-word when talking about the fall of Lucifer, a story taken directly from Judeo-Christian mythology? Or Azazel, for that matter?
What's interesting about all of those things is that SPN has always manipulated them to fit its own purpose. Why would it do anything different with God and the angels, especially since the writers are paralleling them with the demons, which I'm pretty sure religious lore has steered clear of doing?
Honestly, the angels that they're using? Not quite the clearly kind and benevolent creatures you'd expect, for which I think SPN deserves congratulations. Those black wings, Dean's ears bleeding from the pitch of Castiel's voice, the burned-out eyes (stolen from The X-Files...), Castiel's callous disregard for Bobby, for the person he left dead at the diner, for the psychic (although he did warn her and I think it's actually pretty important that he seems to have had no choice but to show her his true form there because it, again, parallels the angels with demons in that both can be summoned by humans) all point to something kind of dark. You know, I almost suspect it wasn't all an accident; he tried to speak to Dean three times using his 'true voice' (if we believe that)though you'd think that after maybe one attempt that left Dean on the ground covering his ears he'd have gotten that talking to him like that was a bad idea. Maybe he did it because he was reluctant to take a host body, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was just to begin proving to Dean exactly how powerful he is before meeting him in human form, no matter how much it hurt him.
That's the thing, neither angels nor demons have free will, meaning they have to follow orders, and they have to follow them in any way that they can. And, clearly, collateral damage isn't really a big deal to either side (though at least Castiel did leave Bobby alive where a demon might have killed him). So I highly doubt it's going to get preachy any time soon.
If anything, this bucks the Judeo-Christian trend, or at least exposes a lot of things about it that people like to overlook, like the sheer violence of a lot of it, for which I think SPN should be applauded. Ignoring the other side of the mythology they've already set up would be the coward's way out. SPN has always been about people and really emphasizing the ways in which people experience the supernatural, and though I know that the Bible at least (I can't speak for the Torah) likes to emphasize the miraculous nature of the experience and the glory that comes with it, the fact is, whenever anyone encounters an angel, they're pretty much always scared shitless and/or permanently damaged by the encounter.
And wow, I'm going straight to hell for that one but it's true.
Which is why I think Kripke's still telling the truth when he says hunters are the real angels and bringing literal angels on can only emphasize that. Angels, like demons, do what they do because they're ordered to (every demon we've met so far has been looking for a master to serve); humans do it because they want to. Like I think blacklid and house Slytherin pointed out, when it's free will, you know it's real love and (since Castiel doesn't seem to be working off of anything but orders), ironically, I think the angels might bring that home.
Dean's unconditional love for Sam has always been one of the brightest and most incredible thing about the show. That he has always lived his life guided by that love is more incredible than any kind of belief. Dean parallels Castiel in that, just like him, he was given a command by his father, but unlike Castiel, that's clearly not why he does it, not why he's always done it. He said it himself; from the moment his father put Sam in his arms, he knew he was his to protect. Dean owns that love in way that it's looking like Castiel can never own his orders from God and I don't see that changing any time soon
How on earth do angels make the show any more into Judeo-Christian mythology (and, by default, into denying other religions) than Lilith? Or exorcisms in Latin partially pulled from the Catholic church being the one way to banish a demon using supernatural/religious forces (rather than, like, a knife)? Or the fact that, if I remember correctly, Casey mentioned the dread G-word when talking about the fall of Lucifer, a story taken directly from Judeo-Christian mythology? Or Azazel, for that matter?
What's interesting about all of those things is that SPN has always manipulated them to fit its own purpose. Why would it do anything different with God and the angels, especially since the writers are paralleling them with the demons, which I'm pretty sure religious lore has steered clear of doing?
Honestly, the angels that they're using? Not quite the clearly kind and benevolent creatures you'd expect, for which I think SPN deserves congratulations. Those black wings, Dean's ears bleeding from the pitch of Castiel's voice, the burned-out eyes (stolen from The X-Files...), Castiel's callous disregard for Bobby, for the person he left dead at the diner, for the psychic (although he did warn her and I think it's actually pretty important that he seems to have had no choice but to show her his true form there because it, again, parallels the angels with demons in that both can be summoned by humans) all point to something kind of dark. You know, I almost suspect it wasn't all an accident; he tried to speak to Dean three times using his 'true voice' (if we believe that)though you'd think that after maybe one attempt that left Dean on the ground covering his ears he'd have gotten that talking to him like that was a bad idea. Maybe he did it because he was reluctant to take a host body, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was just to begin proving to Dean exactly how powerful he is before meeting him in human form, no matter how much it hurt him.
That's the thing, neither angels nor demons have free will, meaning they have to follow orders, and they have to follow them in any way that they can. And, clearly, collateral damage isn't really a big deal to either side (though at least Castiel did leave Bobby alive where a demon might have killed him). So I highly doubt it's going to get preachy any time soon.
If anything, this bucks the Judeo-Christian trend, or at least exposes a lot of things about it that people like to overlook, like the sheer violence of a lot of it, for which I think SPN should be applauded. Ignoring the other side of the mythology they've already set up would be the coward's way out. SPN has always been about people and really emphasizing the ways in which people experience the supernatural, and though I know that the Bible at least (I can't speak for the Torah) likes to emphasize the miraculous nature of the experience and the glory that comes with it, the fact is, whenever anyone encounters an angel, they're pretty much always scared shitless and/or permanently damaged by the encounter.
And wow, I'm going straight to hell for that one but it's true.
Which is why I think Kripke's still telling the truth when he says hunters are the real angels and bringing literal angels on can only emphasize that. Angels, like demons, do what they do because they're ordered to (every demon we've met so far has been looking for a master to serve); humans do it because they want to. Like I think blacklid and house Slytherin pointed out, when it's free will, you know it's real love and (since Castiel doesn't seem to be working off of anything but orders), ironically, I think the angels might bring that home.
Dean's unconditional love for Sam has always been one of the brightest and most incredible thing about the show. That he has always lived his life guided by that love is more incredible than any kind of belief. Dean parallels Castiel in that, just like him, he was given a command by his father, but unlike Castiel, that's clearly not why he does it, not why he's always done it. He said it himself; from the moment his father put Sam in his arms, he knew he was his to protect. Dean owns that love in way that it's looking like Castiel can never own his orders from God and I don't see that changing any time soon