‘Supernatural’ 12x19 recap and review: ‘The Future’ brings back Castiel but takes him away again

Courtney Ford (Kelly Kline) and Misha Collins (Castiel) in "Supernatural" 12x19 episode "The Future" The CW Television Network

Castiel (Misha Collins) is back on “Supernatural” season 12 episode 19. “The Future” brought back the Winchesters’ personal angel straight from heaven, but things didn’t end well.

Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers and review from ‘Supernatural’ 12x19 ‘The Future.’ The show aired Thursday on The CW in the US and will air Monday on Eleven in Australia.

Castiel finally returned to the bunker, surprising Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles). Sam, though taken aback with his sudden return, was more welcoming than Dean, who berated the angel for basically abandoning them without telling them.

Dean later admitted to Castiel that he was worried. He told them whatever would happen, Team Free Will – him, Sam and Cas – would face it together. But that’s when Cas “played” him and took the Colt from under his bed pillow to meet with his fellow angels.

With only two bullets in the Colt, Castiel and Kelvin (Nathan Mitchell) and another angel went to where Dagon (Ali Ahn) and Kelly Kline (Courtney Ford) were hiding, intending to kill them both. Dagon was hard to kill, though, and Castiel only managed to get Kelly away from there. Kelly recognised that Castiel saved her rather than kill her, and for that she was appreciative. When she had Cas feel the nephilim growing inside her, the baby showed her a future where Cas would save her.

The Winchesters caught up with them, but Cas and Kelly again left them. Kelly took over the Impala and drove her and Cas to Heaven’s gate, claiming her baby told her to stick with the angel. She wasn’t fond of the brothers’ plan for her and Lucifer’s nephilim, which was to take its angelic grace to make it human.

But Dagon was waiting for them at the playground (where the gate is hidden). She found that location from Kelvin, whom she killed. She killed the angel Joshua (Paul Barton) as well. And just as she was about to off Cas, the Winchesters arrived on Castiel’s truck. Dagon managed to take the Colt from Dean and destroy it. The Colt is the only known thing that could destroy the Princes of Hell, of which Dagon was one.

Castiel told Kelly to run from Dagon, but Kelly refused, instead holding his hand. And then the nephilim sort of lent its powers to Castiel so the seraph could kill Dagon. All appeared well after that, but then Castiel again chose to act against Sam and Dean’s wishes. He swore to protect Kelly and the nephilim even though the brothers wanted to at least talk about it.

“I’ve been lost. I’m not lost anymore. And I know now that this child must be born with all of its power,” Castiel said. “I have faith. … You just have to trust me.”

Kelly and Satan’s nephilim

After initially trying to kill herself, Kelly became steadfast in her belief that her child must be born with its complete powers. It apparently saved her, and this convinced her that her unborn child was good. Dagon, Castiel and practically everyone else tried to tell her otherwise, that the child wanted her to live so just it could be born, but Kelly claimed she felt the child’s goodness.

Dean gave Castiel a mix tape of his favourite Led Zeppelin songs

In a scene that made Destiel shippers scream in delight, it was revealed that Cas has been holding onto a mix tape that Dean gave him. And when Cas tried to return it to a disgruntled Dean, the human didn’t accept it back, saying it was a gift and therefore Castiel must keep it.

Sam had been understanding, though also perhaps slightly annoyed, that Castiel just went off without any word. Dean appeared not to accept Castiel’s explanation at first, but he actually understood him better. As Cas told him, he needed a win for them because he failed so many times.

Brainwashed Castiel

When Castiel held Kelly’s hand and the nephilim’s power somehow was transferred temporarily to him, it didn’t just look that he was powered by it; it also looked like he was brainwashed by it. And if this sounds familiar, it’s because Castiel being controlled by someone else is the writers’ go-to trope.

Can the writers just stop with a brainwashed Castiel? It seems every bad move he has done ever was from when he was possessed, manipulated or brainwashed. Coincidentally, this episode was directed by Amanda Tapping, who played Cas’ tormentor, Naomi, in season 8.

This certainly wouldn’t bode well for Team Free Will. Castiel, again, is being branded as a traitor, albeit someone who was acting on what he thought was the best for everyone. Sam has learnt his lesson, being open to Dean about joining the British Men of Letters rather than just going behind his back. Dean learnt to accept his brother and mother’s decision even though he didn’t like it. So why hasn’t Castiel learnt his?

It’s just a cycle of Castiel going behind the brothers’ back and doing his own thing, thinking that he is saving them from harm that way. He is, of course, wrong again. How is this not stopped? When will they make Castiel smarter than this?

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