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Image may be NSFW.
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As unsatisfactory as this episode was for Cas at the time, these gifs especially highlight something I have ALWAYS appreciated when it comes to Castiel’s storyline through S06-7. Which is that whenever something happens to or with Cas - DEAN’S REACTION GETS PRIORITY.
It’s not always obvious, sometimes it’s as simple as the cutting to Dean’s expression before Sam or Bobby’s, but in various subtle and not so subtle ways the show HAS BEEN visually implying Dean’s responses to Cas are more important for a long long time now. Thus reaffirming their profound bond, regardless of how at odds the two of them might be in the story or how little Dean seems to actually be reacting.
I mean look at this. Dean is not the leader of this group. All three of them ran out after Levi!Cas together. But the set up here puts DEAN at the centre and in the forefront. And it’s DEAN we get a close up of. It’s his reaction here that matters. Because Cas mattered to Dean most. That in itself is telling us - THERE IS SOMETHING THERE BETWEEN THESE TWO CHARACTERS.
So while the scripts may not always have given Dean and Cas’ relationship the attention it deserves, at least the direction and the camera work always has. And that’s something :)
