Without Castiel, Would Supernatural Even Have Made it Past Season 5?

Undoubtedly, The CW's Supernatural has been among the most popular shows over the past few decades. This is not just because of Dean and Sam Winchester's weekly battles with various supernatural foes but also due to the incredible chemistry among the show's main characters. This chemistry transformed a fairly mundane concept into something truly special. However, as the years passed, the initial cast of characters introduced in the first season began to feel somewhat stale. Then came Castiel.

This potent angel of the Lord first appeared in Season 4. His introduction sent the entire fandom into a frenzy, as this socially awkward character was brilliantly portrayed by the charismatic Misha Collins.

The Angel Who Saved The Show

Within hours of Castiel's first appearance, fans were penning fanfics about him and Dean, as the chemistry between the two was instantaneous and palpable. As the seasons progressed, Castiel and Dean became the most popular pairing among fans, significantly boosting Supernatural's ratings and attracting thousands more viewers.

Therefore, it's safe to say that the introduction of Castiel made the show more popular than ever before. It revitalised the narrative of Supernatural and gave fans a beloved pairing. However, Castiel's storyline quickly got lost and ran out of steam.

Fallen From Grace

Although Castiel was a key reason Supernatural remained popular throughout its 15-season run, the character itself was poorly developed from season 5 onwards. The writers seemed to struggle with keeping Castiel relevant to the overarching story. He was utilised as a beloved character, but he wasn't given interesting scenes and storylines, and the fans seem to know why.

'I mean, imagine you’re one of the show's writers and you've got to navigate the line of keeping an extremely loved and well-received character around but need to keep his story unique enough that it doesn't seem like you're copying one of fanfic writers most popular shows - how easy would that be?' a fan said.

Indeed, it seems that fan fiction has undermined the character, as the writers didn't understand how to develop Castiel without borrowing ideas from the audience.

Source: Reddit.