When a movie or television show, but especially something more “fluid” like a television show, is available for air in countries that do not speak English (this is how it goes on here, so I can only attest to this being my home country), the original script has to be sent to those in the other country who are in charge of generating subtitles in advance of that episode airing in that country. This is done so that they have plenty of time to generate accurate subtitles. And like I’ve said, it is usually the original script, barring anything catastrophically major that has to be changed before the episode or medium actually airs. But why is this relevant, you may ask? Of all things, to Supernatural? A lot of you may like the answer to this question…

In the original script of the episode where character Castiel confesses his love for Dean Winchester before being swallowed up by The Empty, Dean Winchester says that he loves Castiel back. However, the original script was changed in America from “I love you too, Cas,” to “Don’t do this, Cas”. We as fans and viewers are just now beginning to see that this change occurred by the subtitles that the show has in Latin America, comparing them to what was actually said on-screen here in the States. Actor Jensen Ackles even stated himself that there were changes to the “confession scene”, so we have an actor that was actually involved in this show and in this scene confirming this, and he did so at around the time that the episode originally aired in America. And furthermore, in the Portuguese subtitles, Dean is said to be saying “me too” (as in, “I love you too”) as he is sobbing beside the wall in the bunker that Castiel pushed him toward to get him away from The Empty before he could do something dangerous or reckless to try to protect him from his fate. Those who have watched the episode more than once, or a handful of times, think that Dean saying anything other than sobbing was intentionally cut (as in, the end part of that segment was intentionally shortened), but not after the original script had it in there, or why would Portugual air subtitles referencing it?

Both of them were silenced, even if — surprisingly — American CW did actually let Castiel say “I love you”.

This does not surprise me at all. Why can’t we have queer leads in prominent television shows? Why not?