Castiel's Trench Coat

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John Constantine; artwork by Tim Bradstreet.

Castiel's trench coat has become a trademark of the character. Creator Eric Kripke wanted to base the look of the character on the DC Comics character John Constantine, also a trench coat wearer.[1]

Misha has described how when he was cast in the role he had to fly to Vancouver to be fitted for the wardrobe, and he pretty much agreed to the first suit they had him try on - little knowing it would be all he would ever wear in the role![2]

The trench coat has not had an easy life - it was shot up by Dean on its very first appearance. Yet while it is always rather rumpled, it miraculously appears repaired at Castiel's next appearance. Misha explained it thus: “Not only can Castiel heal the human body he’s possessing, but he has magical clothes mending abilities as well.”[3]

Castiel and the trench coat.
The impostor trench coat in season 6 photoshoot.
Castiel's new coat as of 9.10 Road Trip.
Castiel's new coat as of 13.05 Advanced Thanatology.
Bloodied trench coat from 7.02 Hello, Cruel World; pic by Guy Bee.
Castiel's Purgatory trench coat; pic by Dawn Grey.
Detail of Castiel's costume tweeted by Tara Larsen.
Detail of Castiel's costume tweeted by @kauriemac.

The photo above shows the distressed trench coat in Purgatory. According to assistant costume designer Dawn Grey, "Our breakdown artists used a combination if dyes and air brush paints with sanding techniques."

When the Leviathans take control of Castiel, he is last seen 7.02 Hello, Cruel World as he walks into a lake before his vessel explodes. His trenchcoat washes to shore, and Dean fishes it from the water, folds it up, and takes it with him. Director Guy Bee said that there was no specific direction in the script for what should happen to the trench coat but that he suggested to Jensen that he fold it up like "a flag at a soldier’s funeral..."

Jensen said: “I've been playing Dean so long I feel like I have a pretty good handle on how he would react to a situation – his relationship with Cas was very deep, there was a deep friendship there, and I discussed it with Guy Bee, and said if he ever comes back, he’s gonna need the trench coat. And there was just something like, almost a closure, I was just folding it up, like a flag... I wanted to take care of it, it belonged to somebody who meant a lot to Dean."

All that remains of Cas in 7.02 Hello, Cruel World.
Dean retrieving the coat in 7.02 Hello, Cruel World.
Dean returns the coat to Castiel in 7.17 The Born-Again Identity.

At Salute to Supernatural Toronto 2011 when asked what had happened to the trench coat after Dean took it out of the water, Jared mimed Dean smelling it, and rubbing it all over himself. Jensen said "he used it as a pillow - or as kindling. One of the two."

At Jus In Bello Italy 2012 Misha was asked about Dean hanging on to Castiel's trench coat:

"What do I think about Dean keeping my trench coat? Well we kind of talked about this, but I - I think it’s a little gay. Not in a bad way, just - it’s… it’s - y’know, he definitely [laughs] - it seems like, uh, it seems like he is definitely pretty, uh, pretty attracted to Cas… [audience cheers] And possibly, borderline obsessed. Um… so… yeah. I mean, it’s a little creepy, too. I kind of shudder to think what he did with that trench coat. Uh… came out, maybe. What’d you think about it?" [audience cheers]

Jensen also commented on the scene. In the promo for the episode, Dean says to Cas "Part of always believed that you'd come back," a line cut from the actual episode:

"Misha and Bob Singer, who was directing that episode, we were crying-laughing at how ridiculous it was that I had his jacket nicely folded in the trunk of the car... and not even the Impala, but a stolen car. There was no reason for the jacket to be in the trunk of that car. And Bob was like 'just do it, alright?!' Then we started saying the dialogue out loud and it...it was so bad. There was a line [Misha] said that he couldn’t get out because it was so ridiculous, so we changed it. [The trench coat] was so perfectly folded with the tie and the collar and Bob’s like ‘can you present it so we can see what it is’ and I was like 'no! No, I can’t!' Know that we have problems shooting scenes sometimes.

Dean keeps the trench coat with him, even moving it from car to car after they stop using the Impala to avoid the police. It is glimpsed in the trunk of the car in 7.07 The Mentalists. Months later Dean meets up with Castiel in 7.17 The Born-Again Identity - who has been living with amnesia as a healer called Emmanuel.

After Castiel remembers who he is, Dean returns the coat to him. Both Jensen and Misha have mentioned that they, along with director Bob Singer revised some of the dialogue as originally written, as they felt like a cheesy romantic speech and out of character for Dean. Watch Jensen and Misha discuss the scene at Jus In Bello Italy 2012.

Afterwards, Castiel is once again seen with the trench coat even while insane. After waking up, Castiel puts it back on over his hospital gown.

Metatron checking himself out in a trench coat.

The trench coat get extremely distressed in Purgatory, but again Castiel was able to restore his clothes after he returned to Earth.

In 9.01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here Castiel, without his grace, is human. Covered in blood after killing Hael, he finds a laundromat and strips down to his boxers in order to wash his bloody clothes. However he is also experiencing thirst and hunger, and decides to spend his money on water instead. He steals clothes from another person's washing basket and leaves the laundromat, abandoning the trench coat.

In 9.10 Road Trip after Castiel has stolen the grace of the angel Theo, he returns to wearing a suit, sans tie, and a new trench coat, that is slightly shorter than the original one.

In 9.22 Stairway to Heaven Metatron is seen in his office trying on a trench coat much like Castiel's, when Gadreel walks in on him, he appears to be quite embarrassed being seen like that.

By 13.04 The Big Empty, Castiel has regained his original trench coat when he was brought back from the Empty by the Cosmic Entity.

Stolen

In September 2010 new promo shots were being done for the upcoming season 6. The shoot was in Los Angeles and the wardrobe was flown down from Vancouver a few days before, and was stolen somewhere along the way. Items taken included one of Castiel’s trench coats and Dean's leather jacket. The person who replaced the items didn’t know anything about the show, which is how Misha ended up wearing a black trench coat.[4]

Missing in Action

There are a few occasions when the trench coat is absent.

4.20 The Rapture

Not Castiel, but rather his vessel Jimmy Novak, is seen not wearing the trench coat. Jimmy later puts it on when confronting the demons possessing his wife and holding his daughter, and Castiel is thus wearing it again when Jimmy allows Castiel to possess him again.

5.04 The End

In a possible version of 2014, Future Castiel has disposed of the trench coat and appears in more relaxed casual wear, in keeping with his changed persona. However, the current version of Castiel is seen wearing it when talking to Dean on the phone and after rescuing him.

5.21 Two Minutes to Midnight

Castiel is seen in hospital wearing only a hospital gown but is shown wearing it the rest of the episode.

6.15 The French Mistake

In the alternate reality, Misha is seen wearing the trench coat as he plays Castiel, but also without it in a fetching blue sweater.

7.17 The Born-Again Identity

Castiel is living with amnesia as a healer called Emmanuel. Dean returns the bloodied coat to him when he regains his memories.

Season 9

Following the end of 9.01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here, the trench coat no longer appears due to Castiel abandoning it, until 9.10 Road Trip when he begins wearing a shorter trench coat.

13.04 The Big Empty

By the end of the episode, after the past four seasons, Castiel has gotten a new trench coat and suit when he was returned from the Empty courtesy of the Cosmic Entity.

Link to Grace

It may be theorized that the trench coat symbolizes the status of Castiel's grace. The first time he is seen without it in 4.20 The Rapture signifies the time when Castiel left Jimmy and returned to heaven. Thus, his grace was not present. Similarly, through seasons 4 to 8, every time the coat is missing, Castiel is either unable to use (5.04 The End, 5.21 Two Minutes to Midnight, beginning of season 9) or is unaware of (7.17 The Born-Again Identity) his grace. From season 9 onward the slightly different trench coat that Castiel uses may allude to the fact that the grace that he possesses is not quite his own. The shorter size of Castiel's trench coat also signifies his weakened status after he got a portion of his grace back since it was used in Metatron's spell.

Cosplay

Jim Beaver as Castiel

The trench coat has become a staple of Supernatural cosplay. At Salute to Supernatural Vancouver 2009 even Jim Beaver got in on the act, saying it was the only way to get girls in this fandom.

Some fan cosplay as Castiel:

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ Eclipse Magazine 2008
  2. ↑ Salute to Supernatural New Jersey 2009
  3. ↑ Eclipse Magazine 2009
  4. ↑ Winchester Family Business from Salute to Supernatural Chicago 2010
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