Supernatural Season Seven Introduces God

With all the spoilers being shared at Comic Con San Diego 2011, one show that has managed to keep much of its plot under wraps is Supernatural. One of the biggest mysteries revolves around the full implications of Castiel (Misha Collins) and his transformation into God. The big question is what kind of God Castiel will be. Fortunately, Misha Collins has some answers to that one when he discussed the show with BuddyTV and other reporters at SDCC.

"Castiel is definitely drunk with power," Collins shared with reporters at SDCC. "He's trying to do what he thinks a god should be doing -- I think he's making, in many respects, the world a better place, but there's a fair amount of smiting going on, too."

God has gone through many characterizations on popular television programs. Perhaps the most famous of these was Touched By An Angel, a Sunday-night CBS drama that David Zurawik describes as "the first overtly religious drama to crack Nielsen's Top 10 during its 46-year history." The show featured two angels sent from heaven who inspired people who had reached crossroads in their lives to choose the right'"and righteous'"path.

TNT's Saving Grace offered a grittier look at God and angels. The show featured a tobacco chewing angel who showed up at various points to give the protagonist, Grace, advice and scare her into following a morally right path.

The ever-popular Law & Order often dealt with religious zealots and religion-based crimes. However, in the nineteenth season, the show took a bit of a new turn by having ADA Connie Rubirosa engage in prayer with a suspect that leads the suspect to confess his crime. Later, Connie declares that just as she prepares for court, she prepares for church.

Another NBC drama to deal more heavily with God was the short-lived Kings. Kings recast the tale of David and King Saul (here, King Silas). In the series, while we watch Silas slowly lose control of his kingdom'"through sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle, signs from God as interpreted by Silas himself and his prophet, Samuel'"the story also deviates from the biblical account by having David refuse the kingship, instead working to ensure the man he sees as God's chosen one maintain his rule.

Supernatural is a program that has dealt heavily with spiritual battles, but only recently moved toward dealing with a more Christian-focused representation of spiritual warfare. The transformation of Castiel into God is a controversial twist on traditional religious ideas, but also opens a door to a perhaps more religiously based season seven. The seventh season premieres on Friday, September 23, at 9 p.m. on The CW.

Sources

David Zurawik, "GOD in his prime Television: There's a heavenly emanation coming from the small screen, as angels lend helping hands and religious themes get major play", Baltimore Sun

Laurel Brown, "'Supernatural' Interview: Misha Collins at Comic-Con", BuddyTV.com

John Kubicek, "Comic Con 2011: 'Supernatural' Adds More Returning Favorites for Season 7", BuddyTV.com

TVTropes.org, "Recap: Law And Order S 19 E 14 Rapture," TVTropes.org