I feel like I can write an entire post on the queerbaiting aspect of the last few episodes of Supernatural. One of the things that gives me hope about this show, sans the final three episodes of it, is the fandom, and the potential that almost all of the characters have. Supernatural‘s fandom is actually quite amazing, you know.

Anyway.

For having been on the series since the fourth season which ended up working out to a full decade as the character, for having as many close… encounters as he did with Dean Winchester, for having other characters in the show make passing jokes about their “relationship”, and for it even being parodied in the episode “Fan Fiction”, it honestly did not seem like Supernatural wanted to address the budding relationship (which, might I add, became canon with the episode “Despair”, and Misha Collins’ admissions at varying points that Castiel’s love for Dean was romantic and that Dean had to love him back, or loved him back… I’m not quite sure what the wording of that last part was). But then, when “Despair” aired, and Castiel told Dean that he loved him, they actually finally did, and the fans of the show who were also fans of the idea of a relationship between them (or a “ship”, as some people like to call it) got the “ship name” Destiel Trending on Twitter higher than election-related news or Russian-related news, and that says a lot. Their feelings and thoughts were validated. This was finally becoming canon, or something that was officially in the show.

Fans thought that the last two episodes of the series would expand on that, or at least elaborate on it, starting with finding out if Dean reciprocated Castiel’s feelings, and so they eagerly tuned in to find out.

If I am not mistaken — I hope I’m not — Castiel was casually mentioned three times since then.

You never actually saw him on screen again in Supernatural in any capacity.

Dean did not say anything to anyone on screen about the conditions that Castiel went to The Empty for.

Fans with their hopes up were left devastated, and that doesn’t even take into consideration the devastation that the series finale left in fans’ wakes, although that had to have been a part of it… this literally never being followed up on or even talked about, and essentially used for shock value. Some people have even said “why did they have him say it in the first place if they weren’t ever going to talk about it again,” and I’m inclined to agree with that sentiment. The writers clearly knew what they were doing penning their interactions in such a way as to suggest that there could be, and very likely was chemistry between Castiel and Dean, but to expose one’s feelings for the other and then literally never include that character in the show again aside from three nonchalant references reeks of queerbaiting being “taken care of” in the form of Bury Your Gays (since that’s what happened) And Forget About Their Very Existence. LBGT individuals, especially minors — the show is rated 14+, after all — were tragically let down by the inept mishandling of this. Hell, Supernatural fans were let down by the inept mishandling of this, but my focus is on the LBGT individuals who may finally have seen themselves on screen in a seemingly meaningful way, just to have the rug yanked out from underneath them. This entire plot arc was a decade’s worth of queerbaiting just for shock value.