Just something I've been pondering

[rogueslayer452]

I've been wondering about Castiel and his powers. It seems the general consensus of fandom thinks that Castiel has been losing his powers bit by bit since he returned, I've seen this being referenced a lot in fics and also in fandom discussions. However, are Castiel's powers really dwindling away?


He said in the beginning of the season that he's been cut off from Heaven so there are certain things he doesn't have full capability of doing such as healing and time travel. This doesn't necessarily mean his powers are slowly draining away from him episode by episode. If that were true, he would have been completely weakened by now. Instead, in the last episode Castiel seemed to possess a bit more power than we've seen from him in previous episodes, and perhaps even more badass than when he did have full capability of his powers from last season. So in my view from this, Castiel is only limited to certain abilities rather than losing them, as he's already stated in 5.02, since I'm sure to him this does feel like he's been weakened or made helpless because of being cut off from his home, but certainly not weak as in feeling his Grace drained from him. As for the 2014 future!Castiel, it's my belief that when the angels had left and Lucifer took power that is when he became completely powerless and "no longer an angel" (at least somewhat, he's still an angel just trapped inside a human vessel). Not before, not along the way, but in the moment when Lucifer had taken control did that occur. And even though we're now seeing Castiel subtly become humanized by his mannerisms with each passing episode, he still has BAMF skills and his some of his powers intact.

Overall, from what I've observed, I think with the knowledge of him having limited access to certain abilities people are confusing that with him losing more of his powers, especially since we've seen over the course of this season just to what extent does this limit him to.

Now I don't know if there's been any kind of articles or interviews explaining whether he is or isn't gradually losing his angel powers, since I don't read anything that could have potential spoilers in them so I don't know if this has already been discussed or confirmed or whatever. These are just my thoughts and opinions on the matter.


This is just me, having thinky-thoughts at like, early in the morning. And it has to do with Castiel, go figure. Heh.

Comments

[kriari.livejournal.com]

My fanwank on this particular front is just what you've mentioned. I don't think he's slowly becoming less of a BAMF. I think there are just things he CAN'T do without access to the Host. Healing and time-travel. The difference (for me) is that they're a different type of power - something external rather than internal. It's early in the morning for me too, and I'll have to mentally spool through the clips in my head later but that seems to be the unifying theme. He's still incredibly powerful, can teleport himself anywhere, can lay the smack down on some henchmen, etc. He seems to be losing his ability to effect the world around him with his angel mojo though and that may be because he taps into some secret angel mojo network to pull those things off. Since technically they're a collective and all.

RE: F!Cas. Similarly, I think those collective powers were what he lost when the Host departed Earth. I also think the loss of his personal power is tied intrinsically to that loss of faith and that the fact he still has any power at all means somewhere deep down he still has hope and a kernel of faith.

This is interesting and deserves a full-fledged meta.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It's interesting that you brought up the collective term because I was just thinking about that, esp in the last episode with how Castiel was able to get notified about something that was happening when Heaven was resurrecting Adam. He's obviously been cut off, but can still receive certain messages/warnings from them? But it makes sense because angels in Heaven are practically a collective, and with connecting that with future!Castiel and when the angels left Earth, that places things into a much clearer perspective concerning that.

And yes, I completely agree, this topic truly does deserve a full-on discussion.

[kriari.livejournal.com]

Now I'm just waiting for the ST:TNG crossover where the angels = Borg.

Yep, I figured. I have exhausted my pool of thinky thought before coffee already.

After coffee I will MUSE.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

lol! I have my BSG parallels still in my head where the angels are basically just like the Cylons. XD