Supernatural Season 6, Episode 20 recap: The truth about Castiel revealed

Supernatural Season 6, Episode 20 tells the story from Castiel’s perspective. It’s finally time to get some answers.

For the whole of Supernatural Season 6, there’s been one running theme. It’s been all about souls. Finally, Episode 20, titled “The Man Who Would Be King,” gave us some answers, and it was told from Castiel’s perspective.

This is certainly one of the strongest episodes of the whole series. In fact, it’s Castiel’s best episode of Season 6. Here’s a look back at the events.

Opening the door to purgatory

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The episode starts with Castiel sharing a brief recap of events up to this point focusing on how averting the apocalypse ripped up destiny. We already knew that, but what we didn’t know why was Castiel and Crowley were working together.

We quickly learn that Castiel wants a way to get to purgatory. Crowley isn’t happy with the fact that Eve was killed since she’d be able to tell them how to open the door.

The demon is also annoyed that Castiel keeps going back to the Winchesters. Our angel is distracted.

Naturally, Castiel admits that he’s conflicted. The Winchesters have taught him so much. This is also when we find out that Castiel was the one to bring Sam back from the Cage, and he hadn’t realized that he’d left Sam’s soul behind. And Castiel can’t bring himself to kill the Winchesters.

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Sam and Bobby search for answers

Dean is on his way to Sam, who is apparently dealing with a djinn. It turns out Sam and Bobby are interrogating a demon for answers about Crowley. We already knew at the end of the last episode that Sam and Bobby think something is off about Castiel. They’re sure that Cass and Crowley are working together.

Dean doesn’t want to believe that, but he does go along with Sam’s request to lie to Cass for now. However, Castiel knows where the Winchesters are and is following them unseen. He watches as the demon shares that Crowley is working through a dispatcher called Ellsworth.

Castiel knows who Ellsworth is. He’s a demonic counterpart to Bobby, and Castiel heads to Ellsworth to kill him and all other demons at HQ.

By the time the Winchesters and Bobby get there, there’s nothing at all. Castiel watches in secret, but he doesn’t appear when Sam prays for Castiel. However, he does appear when demons appear to kill the Winchesters and Bobby just to get them out of there.

At first, the Winchesters believe that Castiel is actually on their side. However, something Castiel says makes it clear that he was spying on them. Dean now knows that his angelic best friend is working with Crowley.

The real events after the apocalypse

When the apocalypse was averted, Heaven was lost. The angels believed that God brought Castiel back to lead the angels, but he told them that they had free will. Naturally, the angels couldn’t deal without a leader. They’d been raised following orders.

That’s what Raphael stepped in to offer himself as a leader. The catch for Castiel was to follow him. They would raise Lucifer and Michael and restart the apocalypse. That wasn’t something Castiel was interested in doing.

With Raphael being so powerful, Castiel needed help. He did consider Dean at first, but instead, he turned to Crowley. They could open purgatory, get the monster souls, and become more powerful than Raphael. Crowley gives Castiel an advance of 50,000 souls, giving Castiel just enough power to fight against Raphael and start civil war.

The Winchesters trap Castiel

With the knowledge that Castiel is working with Crowley, the Winchesters need answers. They lure him into a trap and catch him in a ring of burning holy oil. Finally, Castiel tells the full truth, but makes a point that they need to trust him. Of course, the Winchesters don’t feel like they can do that.

Crowley sends his demons to help Castiel. The Winchesters and Bobby flee, allowing Crowley to let Castiel out of the trap. However, Castiel wants to make Dean see his reasoning.

Dean tells Castiel one thing. If Castiel continues to try to open purgatory, Dean will do what he can to stop him. Castiel leaves.

At the end of the episode, Castiel prays to God for a sign that he’s doing the right thing. If he doesn’t get a sign, he’ll do what he must.

No sign appears.

What did you think of Castiel’s actions in Supernatural Season 6, Episode 20? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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