MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

'Supernatural' Season 15 Episode 18: Is Cas really dead? Fans say they will 'riot', propose alternate theories

Cas sacrificed himself for his love and those he cares about, leaving the fandom swirling in a pool of tears and murkiness over whether he is really dead? Or alive in another realm?

Spoilers for Season 15 Episode 18: 'Despair'

It isn't even the series finale and the show bosses of 'Supernatural' have once again left the entire fandom all over the globe divided, depressed and devastated. While some might find thrill and joy that Dean/Cas aka Destiel aka Dean Winchester and Castiel's highly speculated ship or romance was finally established as canon through feelings from the latter, there was a brutal aftermath to it.

Cas was finally seen admitting his feelings to Dean, on-screen, vocally, and in as many words, only for Dean to correctly deduce the worst: it was a final goodbye too. Cas sacrificed himself for his love and those he cares about, leaving the fandom swirling in a pool of tears and murkiness over whether he is really dead? Or alive in another realm?

Right at the end of the most recent Episode 18 titled 'Despair' of Season 15, Cas and Dean teamed up to fight Billie in the Library of Death. Billie rains down all her powers in seeking vengeance by trying to kill Dean, and that's when Cas is reminded of his pact with the Empty: He will be swallowed whole by the void were he to feel true happiness.

At that moment, Cast has his whole life flash by as he tells Dean, ever since the pact, he has wondered “what my true happiness could even look like. I never found an answer because the one thing I want is something I know I can’t have. But I think I know now happiness isn’t in the having. It’s in just being.” Cas follows it up noting no matter how destructive and angry, Dean's always been driven by love.

Cas calls Dean the “most caring, selfless, loving human being”. “Knowing you has changed me. Because you cared, I cared,” Cas continues. “I cared about the whole world because of you. You changed me, Dean.” When Dean asks, “why does this sound like a goodbye”, Cas finally admits the inevitable: "I love you". All he says is "Goodbye, Dean”, as the entity absorbs both him and Billie, thus leaving viewers shocked, torn, tormented and every bit in tears. 

It was a joyous moment for all Destiel or Dean/Cas shippers who have claimed for years and years on end that there are genuine and legitimate feelings involved in their friendship. In others terms, Cas is hella gay for Dean. And to see it all materialize and addressed on-screen was an achievement indeed. But it was also accompanied by the devastating loss of Cas — the character played and popularized to insurmountable love and fame by Misha Collins.

Cas' loss rattled the fandom, leaving them spiraling with tweets like "Cas is f**king dead. i am- cas is dead. like actually dead. he will never come back. never. he'll never see his family again. he'll never see Dean again."

Other fans however were actually more sporting about this shocking development. Busying their minds immediately after the episode ended, fans theorized and explained why Cas couldn't remain dead. "*spoiler* #Supernatural ok but cas isn’t rly dead, right? he’s just going to the empty?? and remember he annoyed them so bad they woke up, so maybe they’ll just give him back again. i’m in denial," tweeted a fan.

"We still have two episodes left of #Supernatural this season. Let’s be optimistic. Cas isn’t staying dead, especially not with Jack being hinted at for the new Death. I think the whole fandom would riot if he stayed dead," wrote another.

Others made a point with the lead's happiness, saying "I'm bringing this back because there is NO WAY Dean is gonna get a happy ending knowing Cas is dead in The Empty because he loved him."

Many reasoned it pointing out: "Let’s remember that Cas isn’t dead, he’s just in a different dimension. #CastielForever." The reason? It's simple, as noted by a fan. "But like this can’t be the end to Cas' story. This can’t be the end to Dean and Cas’ story. Sam and Jack didn’t even get to say goodbye."

'Supernatural' Season 15 airs on Thursdays at 8 pm on The CW.