In Defence of the Secondary Character
For some reason, it seems to be quite en vogue to criticise the character of Castiel simply because his last name is not Winchester, he has only been in the series since season 4, and his role is considered redundant at this point in the series. He is a useless character, apparently, because he is secondary.
I have also seen some similar, equally nasty remarks about Bobby Singer. Thank God he’s dead for good this time, right?
Wrong. Wrong. This is all incredibly wrong.
If you think that Supernatural exists solely as the Sam and Dean show, where the majority of the audience is happy to sit and watch these two loveable idjits bumble along week after week whilst working the same, tired monster-of-the-week formulaic drivel, I would suggest you need to rethink why you watch Supernatural, or anything for that matter.
Because we all love Sam and Dean Winchester. We would not still be watching the show, 7 seasons in if we hated the two leading characters.
But you know what makes Supernatural great? What makes the Winchesters reach and exceed their potential? The supportive secondary characters.
This is true of all great films, television series, and books. A man is only as good as the company he keeps, they say.
What would To Kill a Mockingbird be without Boo Radley? The man we never see till the end of the book and/or film, but whose very existence shapes the imagination of young Scout Finch? And in the end, the big bad boogeyman next door? The monster/man who was in the shadows the whole time? He is the very same man who saves her and her brother from the not-so-friendly neighbourhood racist.
There was also poor Tom Robinson, whose tragic life also informs much of Scout’s later childhood, preparing her for the grim reality of adulthood in a world where injustice and inequality reign supreme. Boo and Tom are both secondary characters to the Finch family, but are they any less significant to the story or the development of the characters? No. In fact, they are integral.
Gone With the Wind is unabashedly about Scarlett O’Hara, but tell me: who was there for her when Atlanta had burned, Tara was in shambles, and her mother was dead? Was it Rhett Butler, the primary male lead? No. It was Mammy, Scarlett’s one true constant, and the only person to ever tell her like it is. Mammy continued to be there for Scarlett and played a crucial role in helping the audience to sympathise with an otherwise bratty character.
Let’s go outside of the box: let’s talk Citizen Kane. Let’s talk about the protagonist’s final words, and the film’s most important secondary character: Rosebud. The fucking sled. Yes, an inanimate object was a crucial supporting character. The sled was the tangible remnant of Charles Foster Kane’s humble beginnings, and the only article in the world he wanted in his final moments of life, even when his wealth could have given him anything. But he wanted Rosebud.
What about Cat in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? That poor slob without a name. And Holly Golightly refused to give him one, either. They did not belong to anyone, especially not each other. They were just two wild things, both liberated from their cages. Only you cannot live life without connections. Sometimes, though, it is nice to belong somewhere and with someone. And Cat belonged with Holly. Cat was the primary catalyst for Holly’s self-actualization. Cat was a crucial character, even though he was just a cat. Even though he was so secondary, you do not even notice him in the scenes for most of the film.
We could go on and on about Star Wars. You could even argue everyone without the surname “Skywalker” is a supporting character, considering the series revolves around Anakin and Luke, respectively. Han Solo is just a scruffy-looking nerf herder, right? A rogue pilot with swank to spare. And his trusty first mate Chewbacca. Can you honestly imagine any of the original Star Wars films without them? And then there is old Ben Kenobi, who was struck down in A New Hope, but whose influence on Luke lasts throughout the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Where would Frodo be without his fellowship? Where would he be, most especially, without Samwise, Merry, and Pippin. Yes, they are all secondary characters. But their sacrifices spur him on to finish the difficult task that was given to him. Sam carries the heaviest burden of all: he carries Frodo up the side of Mount Doom. And in the end? Frodo departs to the Grey Havens, leaving good, old Sam with his own part of the story to fill. Sam was secondary, yes, but he had a story to tell and was shown respect and courtesy through this acknowledgement that he deserved to tell his own tale.
Harry Potter is another series we could go on about. The title itself tells us that Harry is the protagonist. But who are Ron and Hermione, then? Are their roles any less significant because their names are not on the covers of the books or the film posters? Even more poignantly, what about Neville Longbottom, who is as secondary as you can get? He is played off as a talentless buffoon for most of the series, but in the end it was Neville who stood up to Voldemort. It was Neville who pulled the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat and vanquished the final horcrux.
And then there is Severus Snape: dubious secondary character extraordinaire, whose entire adult life was lived as a lie to protect Harry and bring about the ultimate end of the Dark Lord. Snape sacrificed everything and lived in an endless web of deception. Snape was forced to kill the man he considered a mentor so as to maintain his cover. Snape was the silent engineer of important plot points for seven books, working with Harry even when Harry thought Snape was as bad as you could ever get without being Voldemort himself. Snape was the bravest man Harry ever knew, and he was secondary.
Can you honesty say that any of these books or films would be the same without these (and other!) secondary characters? Can you honestly say that any of these books or films would be better off without them?
Secondary characters keep the wheels spinning. They are foils for our heroes. They are catalysts for change. They encourage and they discourage; they incite and they rebuke. They stand as points of contrast and comparisons for the protagonists; they are mirrors for the primary leads, and for the audience, as well.
What would Supernatural be without John Winchester? He was certainly secondary throughout the first season. We never even met the guy till the end of the season. But his role was fixed and important. Just as the memory of Mary served as the catalyst for the Winchester’s job.
Did you know Bobby Singer only exists because Loretta Devine was unable to return to fill her role as Missouri Moseley? And his character was accepted so strongly by the Winchesters (and the fans) that he was made into a permanent secondary character. The boys needed a father figure in their lives. They needed a base. They needed a place to call home when the Impala was not enough. And Bobby gave them everything that he had, time and again.
And the Harvelles! Not only did Ellen and Jo provide insight into John that the boys would never have discovered otherwise, they also served as the substitute mother and sister figures the boys never had. Their sacrifice in “Abandon All Hope” not only gave the boys a chance to have a shot at the Devil, but also gave them the push forward that the boys needed. Like Phil Coulson in the Avengers, Ellen and Jo gave the Winchesters something to avenge.
Ash and Pamela were amazing secondary characters whose deaths provided a similar impetus for the boys’ work, but also served to place them in Heaven where they could act as the Virgils to the Winchesters’ Dantes.
There are also the darker secondary characters, like Gordon, who Dean first views as what he could have in a hunting partner. Maybe even what he needs. He soon realizes how wrong this thought is, however, when Gordon reveals himself to be a total psychopath. But Gordon’s role was important because he showed Dean what he could become if he is not careful with his choices and attitudes.
Of course, there was also Ruby. Sam would not be the Sam we know today without Ruby and her temptations, after all. Her entire motivation was to move Sam closer and closer to his destiny. Without Ruby, Lucifer would never have escaped the Cage.
And this brings me to Castiel, a secondary character, but an important character nevertheless. Castiel has given up a lot for the Winchesters. Without him, Dean would never have gotten to Sam at all in the season 4 finale. Without Castiel, Dean would have said “yes” to Michael and the Supernatural world as we know it would be over. Castiel is the third part of Team Free Will. He is a de facto Winchester; Dean said it himself, Castiel is like a brother.
Yes, Castiel has screwed up. But so have Sam and Dean at times.
Yes, his character has been used as a pawn to create a poorly written plot arc of angst. But he is (and has been since his introduction) an important member of the cast and a crucial member of Team Free Will.
He is Dean’s wingman, and Dean is his. He is Dean’s best friend. Without him, Dean was a shade of his former self throughout much of season 7. Dean mourned Castiel all season. He had nightmares about his death; where Dean once dreamed of Hell, season 7 showed him dreaming of Castiel walking into that lake. Castiel dying became Dean’s Hell.
Without the secondary characters, the boys would not be the seasoned hunters they are today. At the end of the day, the show is about two brothers, but it is also about the people who have come and gone and who continue to give the boys a reason to fight. All secondary characters are important. To assert that the show would be better off with only Sam and Dean is to completely ignore 7 seasons of history, development, and cause.
