Review
Send a Compliment at 16:09 PST, 21 November, 2008The previous episode challenged a number of sensibilities. I canââ¬â¢t imagine that this episode will be any different. My only true regret is that some fans may end up tossing the remote and taking the show off their ââ¬Åmust watchââ¬ï¿½ list before taking the time to consider what the writers were trying to do. As blasphemous as some of the concepts might appear to be, this is nothing more than another attempt to take a very broad concept and apply it to the ââ¬ÅSupernaturalââ¬ï¿½ universe.
I will be honest and say that I cringed when Anna was revealed as a fallen angel, especially when she gave Dean her long list of reasons for wanting to become human. Iââ¬â¢m sure the notion of angels having to take the existence of God on faith was incredibly galling to those of far more devout belief. Nor was it particularly thrilling, I imagine, for Anna to describe angels as cold and unfeeling, utterly rigid in their thinking.
For all that, however, I canââ¬â¢t help but notice that these comments were coming from a fallen angel. In other words, not an angel who was still part of the flock, but one that had fallen from grace on more than one level. And one that was specifically designed by the writers to play on all of the concerns and fears that the Brothers Winchester might have, particularly Dean. I would expect a fallen angel to describe the angelic life in a negative light!
Since the series is ultimately told from the perspective of the Winchesters, focusing on their reactions to things, Anna is seen in a more positive light than the angels. The angels are seen as rigid and uncaring, because to the brothers, Anna hasnââ¬â¢t done anything wrong. Of course, part of that is their inability to internalize the context. Anna may be a rather pleasant and sexy fallen angel, but sheââ¬â¢s in the same category as Lucifer. Her self-awareness on that point doesnââ¬â¢t change very much, because sheââ¬â¢s denying her integral decision to disobey.
In a larger context, what weââ¬â¢re also seeing emerge on ââ¬ÅSupernaturalââ¬ï¿½ is a continuum approach to free will. God created angels and gave them just enough free will to do their job. The drawback is that some of them get a taste of it and rebel, especially when theyââ¬â¢re close to humans, who have quite a bit more. Should humans go too far in the free will department, really breaking the rules, then they slip into the demonic territory. One can then interpret Lucifer as the polar opposite: the ultimate excess of free will and pride.
Because humanity is in the middle of the continuum, they see everything in extremes on both sides. They accept those extreme interpretation perhaps too readily. Humans would see the apparent rigid obedience of the angels as oppressive: they get to bask in the light of the Lord, but they are bound tightly by chains of Godââ¬â¢s authority. The rules of their existence feel restrictive and cold.
On the other hand, the demonic side of the equation is seen as unbearably depraved. Itââ¬â¢s everything horrible a human can do, unleashed without a hint of moral reason. How many Hunters automatically equate demons as pure evil? Yet weââ¬â¢ve already seen examples of demons with more or less human qualities, especially Ruby. And now, as of this episode, we see how the line is blurred more than we realized.
This is still a bit of oversimplification, and the amazing thing is that this is still setting the stage for what must, inevitably, come of this wave of information and perspective. We might see how all of this is adding up for the Brothers Winchester, but speaking in terms of storytelling, this is preparing the audience for something bigger. These episodes are defining the rules of the game so that the implications are clear when the clock strikes midnight.
While itââ¬â¢s possible to reconcile most of what happens in the episode, not everything works. Annaââ¬â¢s true nature was revealed in one of the most awkward scenes in recent memory, and the whole concept of t
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maxgt Send a Compliment at 14:57 PDT, 31 July, 2009
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Comments (14 comments)
Thank you! I am not the only one who doesn't like the story about Anna. From my point of view she was too negative.
For me it was such a disappointment to hear that she is a fallen angel. I thought about her being a prophet or something, but a fallen angel?! Naaah, I don't like that. And I really hate the way she talked about heaven, angels, god and everything else. If it is so awful in heaven why does she want to live on earth? Everybody - every human, demon, angel - knows that earth is worse, so why does she prefer that? Just so that she does not have to obey? How stupid is that? But I really loved it when she compared herself to Lucifer. It was like "Yeah girl, now you got it!".
Moreover I didn't like the way she can get her grace back. So now Lucifer could come up from hell, find his tree or flower or whatever, get his grace back and can go back up to heaven?! Greeeat! Way to easy. I mean - angels fall for a reason, so I thought they have to do at least a little to get their grace back. Or... be faithful!
she didnt say that she hated heaven, angels and god and all that she just said that she wanted to "feel". which is understandable.
and also, Anna said in the episode that she ripped her own grace out and thats why she could find and get it back later. Lucifer was chucked out of heaven by God so i think thats different.
But I think she is too much comparing how being human is much better than being angel and giving anything not to go back.
What all of you forget is that she said she had not been in heaven for at least 200 years. For all we know she had never even been in heaven. She also said she was awaiting orders.
So this angel had to be on earth with nothing to do but look at people, focussing on thair goodness of corse, for 200 years. Not knowing what gods plan was for her.
Notice that nothing is said here about how great or bad heaven is. It just says she couldn´t stand seeing all these people do what they want, love, and her only able to wach. I think it would turn any person crazy. So an angel who doesn´t believe 100% two.
2000 years to be exact, But the funny thing is Sam makes out with a demon (Ruby) and Dean makes out with an Angel (Anna). LOL. Anna wanted to give anything not to go back because she wanted to know and feel feelings. I can't blame her. I hope Anna is still gonna play in more episodes of Supernatural because there are 3 words I like to describe her. Beautiful, dashing, and HOT!
Interestingly enough, when Anna was talking about the cold rigidity of the angels, I kept remembering the talk Dean had with Castiel. That angel's proof that they're not all rigid and uncaring - likely no more uncaring than an old veteran who doesn't see his general, and has spent all his life (literally tens of thousands of years for an angel) following orders and fighting the other side. Of course some will want "more" and to be "normal" and "human", while others like Uriel will become cold and hard.
Well in the angel hierarchy there are only four Seraphim which are the Caretakers of gods throne and of which supposedly no other divine being can even look at so I would guess that means other angles canât see god if they canât see them. So they would just have to take it on faith when you think about it. Iâm just guessing theyâre basing the set up loosely on the actual mythology.(Christian mythology).
Anna isn't a fallen angel like Lucifer or Azazel (who are angels turned bad). It's more likely that she excercised her free will, choosing to become a human pretty much like in the movie 'City of Angels'. I'm OK with that, however I got really disappointed at the lame "angel juice" deal. Come on, grace once lost can't be regained!
And Castiel is on the verge of following Anna's footsteps.
Like most people here, I didn't like Anna either. Or the concept of her being a fallen angel. Not to mention that she's a higher ranked angel then Uriel.
Isn't he said to be one of the seven archangels?
And also, I believe Castiel is proof that not all angels are rigid and have no feelings. Sure, I can understand why Anna, having being stuck on earth just observing humans for 2000 years, would want to be able to feel and love like humans do.
Still, she takes about heaven like it's an iceberg or something.
If hell is so bad as we've found out from Deans experience, shouldn't heaven be better then Anna describes it? But then again, she is a fallen angel.
Also Francaska, she never said she hadn't been in heaven.
Just that she'd been on earth for 2000 years, not being able to go home.
And when she fell, she said she fell to earth so I do believe she's been in heaven^^
40 years in hell... with all that pain and torture?
its a shocker that any soul, having been subjected to a demoralization and lost all of its senses of humanity, can manage to reinhabit Earth...and dare to crack a smile...
I have to say that as a fan of this show, I am really disappointed in how they are portraying angels and Heaven and God. They make God sound like he is this uncaring, cold, unloving being who's hiding away from everyone. I also dislike how they are portraying the angels. I'm kind of confused as to who are the goods guys and who are the bad guys. And that whole diatribe Anna spewed about angels not being able to feel any emotions is total bull. I don't know about the rest of you, but Uriel looked a lot like he was demonstrating the little known emotions of hatred, disgust, and jealousy of us humans.(said in heavy sarcasm, by the way!) Castiel's a little different. There are moments he appears completely apathetic and unfeeling, but then there are moments when he talks to Dean that it's clear he "feels" things, like in the Halloween episode, where he opens up to Dean about his feelings of doubt toward God's plan. The whole Anna storyline, has somewhat destroyed my liking of this show. After I saw the first episode of Season 4 and we found out that an angel pulled Dean out of hell, I was so happy. Finally, God enters the picture in a show that emphasizes evil and demons. I thought, "It's about time". But now as to how they are portraying angels, it's very disappointing. I hope it improves in the new year. It would be a shame if they ended this series by angering its many fans, me included.
I like the way the angels are being portrayed. Angels are nothing more than 'tools' to serve god. When one of the 'tools' becomes faulty, they become 'fallen'. Now fallen angels in hell are the top of the food chain because most demons were people who became demons through torture/torment in hell. As for Anna, she seems to be giving us some hints about where the story is heading. Sam has demon blood in him, if he keeps using the powers he has then the evil within will grow (sucks because Sam is generally the voice of reason). We hear from Anna that angels have no real 'free will', and don't have any emotions. Dean dies, goes to hell, comes back. Now we hear that he was in hell for 40 years and now he wishes that he didn't feel anything (just like an angel). My guess is that by the end, Sam will fall, Dean will ascend. I can't wait to see what happens in between
i think the episode was really good...it was credible enough.
i liked the " anna" character and the idea that she was an angel once. it is clear to me that she has some kind of free will and if she sees heaven cold...maybe it's because most of the angels she has seen don't posses as much free will as her.
in my opinion....cass is a sweetheart and he really tries to keep his faith....because i think he loves his father so much...it kinnda reminds me about dean in the first season.
i do not want to make assumptions on how the show will end because it makes me sad that it will, but i am sure it will be awsome as the whole show is...
in my oppinion...i think uriel is a hammer..but sometimes i think he get's too deep with his hatred for humans and 'very close to blasphemy' as cas put it, maybe he will fall...i hope..because he can get too bad, mean... not how an angel should behave. yes there are some harsh times but it does not mean he has to get that ganky.
anyway i relly like the show and i look forward to see what will happen next...