Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies

3. Discovering the Merger

Recent Depictions of American Angels

3.1. The Rebellious Messengers

In Angels: A History, David Albert Jones points out that “the word angel (malach) is simply the ordinary Hebrew word for a messenger” (Jones 54), which already suggests the fundamental nature of this trope in the context of the angel archetype. In fact, according to Keck, “prior to the revelation of the Law to Moses, angels constituted one of the most important means of communication from God to His chosen people” (Keck 28). This means that the angels’ position as the “middlemen” between God and humans was seen as vital, as they were the ones who dealt with situations on earth that required God’s assistance.

In general, the messenger trope can be interpreted in three basic ways. First, there is the idea of angels as actual message deliverers. Angels can be sent on specific errands by God – often to deliver some sort of information or to carry out holy missions. In the Bible, the best known angelic messenger is the Archangel Gabriel who was chosen by God to fly down to earth and give Mary the message about the birth of Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:30 – 31)

The second way to interpret this trope is by focusing on the dual nature of angels. As has been said, angels are neither on God’s level nor on the level of humans, which means they are somewhere in the middle. Moreover, since according to the Bible, God created angels before He created the world, it can be said that their first main role was also to witness the creation of men: “. . . who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:6–7) Furthermore, after God created human beings, angels were due to their position conveniently able to become His “representatives” or “ambassadors” on earth.

Third, delivering messages, being sent on errands, or carrying out holy missions may also be connected to the ability of the angels to cross boundaries as angels are not only capable of travelling between heaven and earth, but also between other spheres, such as good and evil, night and day, the future and the past, and most importantly, between life and death (which may also include hell in some representations). David Keck, for instance, considers “the presence of angels at the moment of death and in the life of the soul after its separation from the body” the most common angelic motif (Keck 203). In general, it can be said that accompanying souls to heaven or resurrecting the dead is another frequently referenced use of angels, particularly because it helps maintain balance in the world.

Overall, the messenger trope represents the relationship of angels to God in terms of angels being God’s intermediaries. In accordance with the stereotypical image of angels, this means that they are portrayed as obedient and selfless, without their own goals or motivations, such as it can be seen in Heaven Can Wait. In recent depictions this trope has been subverted by certain features or certain behaviours that may end up pushing the obedient angel further away from God. To put it differently, the more human-like nature of the angels may sometimes overpower their god-like nature, which can lead to rebellion or even abandonment of God and heaven altogether.

For instance, the TV series Touched By an Angel (1994–2003) offers an example of an angel whose motives for doing her job cannot be seen as one hundred percent pure. In the very first episode, the angel Monica (Roma Downey) has just been promoted by God from basic a “search & rescue” angel to an angelic caseworker whose job is supposed to be helping people who are at a crossroads in their lives. Right from the beginning, however, it is clear that Monica is far more interested in her own happiness and professional fulfilment rather than the fate of the people she has been sent to help. “Monica: I just thought casework would be more than babysitting” (“The Southbound Bus” 02:09) Even though this desire to enjoy herself rather than protect humans soon diminishes as Monica learns what it truly means to be an angel, it can still be said that the essential idea of an angel as an unconditionally selfless messenger of God has been disrupted.

Furthermore, this sort of arrogant behaviour often appears in connection with the angels’ powers within the angelic messenger trope. For instance, The Prophecy (1995) offers a depiction of an angel abusing his abilities in relation to crossing boundaries. The angel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) is shown bringing people back to life in order to turn them into his slaves (see Fig. 2). These people are shown to be suffering tremendously, as they are still in the process of decay even though they have been “re-energised” by the angel’s powers. Jerry, one of the resurrected humans, even repeatedly begs Gabriel to let him die. Although it is made clear that Gabriel’s powers are the direct cause of Jerry’s suffering, the angel does not seem to care as he is way more focused on his own goal – the winning of the second civil war in heaven. Again, his arrogant behaviour here suggests he has not only strayed from his original function as the messenger of God, but that he is also abusing his powers for his own merit.

In City of Angels (1998), the angel Seth (Nicolas Cage) literally introduces himself to Maggie as a “messenger of God” (00:37:35). In a way, this establishes him as a devoted angel who cares about the general good and happiness of humans. This, however, changes after he falls in love with Maggie. As fraternising with humans is forbidden by God, Seth struggles to find a way to separate himself from heaven in order to become human and be with his beloved. Consequently, his desire to become independent overweighs his devotion to God to the point where he rebels against his angelic nature and rejects God and heaven altogether.

The angel Castiel (Misha Collins) from Supernatural (2005–present) is originally sent to earth to raise Dean Winchester from hell. When he meets Dean for the first time, Castiel introduces himself as “an angel of the lord” (“Lazarus Rising” 39:45). In a way, this intentional reference of the Bible emphasises his devotion to God, which is also confirmed in the following dialogue:

Dean: Why’d you [rescue me from hell]?

Castiel: Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you. (41:25)

In the following episodes of the show, however – soon after meeting Dean and becoming his best friend – Castiel, who was initially only meant to be God’s messenger and the executor of His will, begins rebelling from his original mission and starts questioning his purpose and thinking for himself. In episode 4x7 “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester”, Castiel even admits that he does not consider himself a blindly obedient servant of God, which further emphasises the estrangement from his initial role of a messenger: “Castiel: I’m not a hammer, as you say. I have questions, I have doubts. I don’t know what is right and what is wrong anymore.” (40:10) This conviction develops further in the following episodes, leading to Castiel completely separating himself from God in order to be able to make his own decisions. (see Fig. 3)

By season 6, Castiel is so far removed from God’s influence and so confident in his powers he decides he is strong enough to raise Dean’s brother Sam from the dead on his own, despite the fact that raising Dean from hell required a whole garrison of angels. This does not end well, however. Because Castiel is too blinded by his own arrogance, he accidentally only retrieves the Sam’s body, leaving his soul behind:

Castiel: And so I knew what I had to do next. Once again, I went to Harrow Hell, to free Sam from Lucifer's cage. It was nearly impossible, but I was so full of confidence, of mission. I see now that was arrogance. Hubris. Because, of course, I hadn't truly raised Sam – not all of him.” (“The Man Who Would Be King” 00:08:07).

As a direct consequence of losing his soul (i.e. his moral compass), Sam sets off on a murderous rampage and even lets his own brother be turned into a vampire (“Life Free or Twihard”). In short, just like Gabriel in The Prophecy, Castiel is so fuelled by his own ego that he stops caring about what happens with his mission or the humans in his charge as long as he accomplishes his own goals.

Furthermore, the angels’ estrangement from God can also be related to their position as the intermediary between God and humans. For instance, in The Messengers (2014), unknown extraterrestrial beings are sent down to earth by God in order to prevent the Apocalypse. Notedly, this particular depiction of angelic messengers turns out to be very different from most of the others, as in this case, God chooses a seemingly random group of humans – a radio astronomer, an FBI agent, a troubled high school student, a televangelist, a single mother, a grifter, and a journalist – and transforms them all into angels by gifting each of them with special powers.

As all of these humans were de facto transformed into angels without their consent or even without being told in advance, and since, with the exception of the televangelist, none of them were ever particularly close to God in first place, it is implied that their human nature – meaning their everyday worries, personal lives, spouses, girlfriends and boyfriends – will always influence their mission and therefore pull them further away from God.

The televangelist – Joshua Silburn, Jr. (Jon Fletcher) is the only one who fully believes in their mission from the start because of his pre-existing relationship with God. Additionally, his belief is secured thanks to his special power of receiving visions of the future straight from God: “Joshua: For the great day of his wrath has come. Who shall be able to stand, hear my words, or perish. For I am a messenger of God.” (“Awakening” 23:00) The other angels do not share his passion, however. Moreover, Vera’s (Shantel VanSanten) refusal of her mission is further amplified by the fact that she is a scientist, and – as opposed to everyone else in the group – an atheist. Nevertheless, none of the chosen people is depicted as particularly enthusiastic about their new role, particularly at the beginning of the series:

Peter: I’m so not down with that.

Vera: You need to stop wasting my time. . .

Erin: Even if any of this was remotely legitimate… why us? (“Strange Magic” 10:02)

Thus, while the depiction of the messenger trope in The Messengers is different from all the others, the motive of doubting God’s mission is still very much there. Furthermore, along with the influence of humanity, it is the refusal of their mission and their skepticism that ends up pushing them away from God. In general, this motive clearly subverts the idea that God’s angelic servants are always entirely faithful to His orders, which, in turn, emphasises the angels’ desire for independence and autonomy.

According to these examples, it can be said that there are two recurring features in the “messengers of god” trope that clearly subvert the stereotypical understanding of angels: the desire for independence, which is represented by the characters straying from God’s original orders and acting upon their own will, and which is also connected to the act of rebellion and defying authorities, and arrogance – the conviction of the angel that it is smarter and better than everyone else (including God), which is also connected to carelessness, selfishness, and egotism as well as the abuse of angelic powers and abilities. Both of these features can be connected to the trickster archetype.

In general, the trickster, whatever his task, often strays from his mission in order to maintain his independence as it is impossible for him to silently obey orders. Lewis Hyde connects this independence to the trickster’s lack of direction: “Having no way, trickster can have many ways. Having no way, he is dependent on others whose manner he exploits, but he is not confined to their manner and therefore in another sense he is more independent.” (Hyde 45) As shown on the examples above, this correlates with the inability of the recent depictions of angels to stay close to God, as they would have to obey His rules, which they do not want to. In American Trickster: Thoughts on the Shadow Side of a Culture’s Psyche, William J. Jackson considers independence “a quintessential quality of America related to the trickster theme” (Jackson 11), which could be a further explanation of the popularity of this particular feature in America.

Furthermore, the trickster often gets himself into trouble because of his arrogance and egotism. According to Gates, Lewis, and McKay, “trickster’s unbridled egotism runs as high as his wit” (Gates, Lewis, & McKay 180), which is perhaps most visible in stories about the fox or the coyote. For instance, in the original Æsop fable “The Fox and the Cat”, the fox boasts to the cat about his skills and ability to trick others, but when the dogs come it is the cat who manages to save himself by jumping on the tree while the fox, suddenly unable to defend himself despite his previous boasting, is killed. (Jacobs 92) Again, the trickster obviously cannot help himself but boast and stroke his own ego whenever given the chance. His happiness never lasts long, however. This correlates with the arrogance of angelic messengers, especially in connection with the abuse of their powers – for instance, when Castiel, fueled by his ego, tries to use his powers to do something that is virtually impossible as well as dangerous, he ends up hurting his friend instead of helping them.

Overall, it can be said that the occurrence of independence and arrogance in the “messengers of god” trope has caused the angels to stray away from their missions and estrange themselves from God. Moreover, the abuse of their powers caused by their arrogant nature and egoistic behaviour has lead to negative outcomes. Hence, the presence of trickster features within the angelic messenger trope subverts the stereotypical understanding of messengers as obedient and selfless servants of God, which, in turn, transforms them into more relatable and sophisticated characters.

3.2. The Disruptive Guardians

According to Jones, “by the time of Jesus, Jews had come to believe that every human being was given into the care of his or her own guardian angels” (Jones 75). Given that the concept of good Christians having their personal angel watching over them has been around since over two thousand-and-sixteen years ago, the fact that it is still frequently emphasised in American popular culture is a testament to its popularity.

Based on Jones and Keck’s findings, the personal nature of the union between angel and its human is what has makes the trope so well-received. Specifically, Keck says that medieval Christians believed that praying to specific guardians “helped nourish the hope of an intimate relationship with an angel” (Keck 38), which corresponds with Jones’s claim that “the idea of guardian angels has an enduring appeal, because it makes particular the more general doctrine of angels and makes more personal the more general doctrine of providence” (Jones 75). Again, all of this enhances the appeal of the idea of prayer and worship as something personal.

In general, it can definitely be said the “guardian angel” trope is one of the most recurring angelic tropes across American narratives. When reduced to a stereotype, the guardian angel is then portrayed a devoted and faithful companion, who does its best to protect its human while fully abiding by the rules of heaven. In other words, it has no personality of its own. As will be shown in this chapter, this has, however, been subverted in the recent depiction of angels by having the angels interfere with their protégé’s lives.

This unauthorised intervention can lead to two possible outcomes: one, the disruption of the relationship between the angel and its protégé, as it is mostly motivated by the angel’s desire to gain something for itself as opposed to protecting its human, and two, it can function as a catalyst for both the character’s arc or even the whole story, depending on the importance of the angel. The latter outcome can then be seen as both negative or positive, depending on the context.

In the first season of Charmed (1998–2006), Leo Wyatt (Brian Krause) reveals that he is a whitelighter, a kind of guardian angel, who has been sent to earth to become the guardian of the Halliwell sisters. “Leo: I was sent here to watch over you and your sisters when you first got your powers to help out wherever I could.” (“Secrets & Guys” 13:48). Although Leo is initially depicted as a character-less and devoted protector with no ulterior motives, this devotion does not last long as he soon falls in love with one of the sisters, Piper.

Despite being aware that whitelighters are prohibited from fraternising with witches, Leo decides to maintain his relationship with Piper regardless, choosing to keep it a secret from his superiors while continuing to lie to the sisters about his true identity. (see Fig. 4) In other words, Leo is prioritising his own needs and desires above the safety of his protégés. This becomes even more obvious when his secret is discovered by Phoebe and Leo becomes frightened. “Leo: You must help me keep my secret or I could get in trouble. Piper and Prue can never know what I really am.” (15:21) This scene illustrates that since Leo is not only planning on carrying on with the lie for as long as possible, but that he is now also encouraging Phoebe to lie to her own sisters in order to help him too, the disruption of their relationship as well as any problems related to the fight of the evil forces in this episode could be considered Leo’s fault.

In addition, it is also important to mention Leo’s pivotal function in the series as a catalyst. Typically, guardian angels are supposed to be guiding people from afar or merely watching over them. In short, they are not supposed to be playing any important part in their protégés’ lives and decisions. In the recent depictions, however, it seems as if angels have had more chances to actually partake in the stories with their own individual story-arcs, usually serving as transformative tools. Thus, even though Leo has caused several problems with his deceitful behaviour regarding his relationship with Piper, his feelings have also served as a catalyst for a change of the system. Because of this change, Leo and Piper are even allowed to get married in season three and later on have two children.

Furthermore, in some depictions, the role of a guardian angel becomes so crucial in the context of the main storyline that disrupting it by having the angel lie or deceive its protégés can lead to major disasters. For instance, When Sam Winchester’s soul is injured to the point of being on the brink of death in Supernatural’s season 8 finale, an angel who introduces himself as Ezekiel (Tahmoh Penikett) answers Dean’s prayers for help. However, it is soon revealed to the audience that this angel’s true name is actually Gadreel and that he is a fugitive from heaven’s prison where he has been locked up for letting the snake enter the Paradise.

Since Gadreel is afraid of being recognised by other angels, he decides to lie to Dean about his identity and convinces him to let him possess his brother’s body with a promise that he will heal him from the inside. Because Sam does not want to be possessed, however, and angels are not allowed to possess humans without their consent, Gadreel and Dean end up having to trick Sam into saying yes first. Consequently, for the majority of season 9 Sam’s body serves as a “witness protection programme” for Gadreel without Sam’s consent and knowledge. Most importantly, despite claiming that his priority is to heal Sam’s soul, Gadreel is actually only helping himself. In other words, Gadreel is clearly content with lying and tricking Sam, not caring what might happen to him if something goes wrong with the healing process or if he finds out and becomes angry with his brother, as long as he himself stays safe. (See Fig. 5)

Similarly to Leo’s story, however, there is another side to this guardian angel’s actions. Even though his initial intentions regarding healing Sam have been just an excuse to be able to live in hiding, Gadreel in the end manages to cure Sam, which can be considered a positive outcome of Gadreel’s unauthorised intervention. In short, this example shows that regardless of the angel’s original intentions, its interference can result in both good and bad outcomes. One way or another, the stereotypical image of the guardian angel as a fully devoted being has been fully subverted here.

Moreover, Gadreel’s action can also be interpreted as transformative in connection with his status of a fugitive. This is especially visible at the end of his story arc, when he decides to ultimately become good and sacrifice his life in order to save the lives of other angels and humans in episode 9x23 “Do You Believe in Miracles”. “Gadreel: The only thing that matters in the end is the mission – protecting those who would not and cannot protect themselves – the humans. None of us is bigger than that. And we will not let our fears, our self-absorption prevent us from seeing it through. Not anymore.” (26:00) According to what he is saying here, it can be said that while Gadreel as a character clearly breaks the rules by lying and deceiving his proteges in order to save himself, his interference also serves as a transformative tool which helps him redeem himself before he is, ultimately, killed.

Not all recent depictions of guardian angels have to deal with these kinds of “heavy issues”, though. The subversion of the stereotype is also visible in more “lighthearted” examples. In fact, it is the more down-to-earth stories dealing with issues of personal nature such as love or career, in which the subversion can be seen more clearly. For instance, in the comedy TV series Drop Dead Diva (2009–2014), the angel Fred (Ben Feldman) – originally “the gatekeeper” of heaven – is sent to earth as a guardian angel after an accident in which a recently deceased soul – a model named Deb Dobkins – causes her soul to travel back into a body of an overweight lawyer, Jane Bingham.

Again, although the first two episodes depict Fred as a caring guardian, things soon start changing after he meets Deb’s best friend Stacy and falls in love with her.

Fred: Who is she and why is she and why does she make me feel the way I feel?

Deb: Who, Stacy? Oh no. We are not doing this. You are here for me, Fred, you’re not supposed to be ogling my friends. Are you even allowed to ogle? Isn’t that against guardian angel rules? (“Do Over” 10:50)

Thus, in a similar fashion to Charmed, while it is made crystal clear that angels are not permitted to fall in love with humans as it may affect their relationships with their protégés, Fred chooses to ignore it in order to accomplish his goal of dating Stacey. Moreover, as he repeatedly attempts to coerce Deb into helping him get together with Stacy, he soon becomes a distraction and burden to her. “Fred: I know I’m supposed to be your guardian angel, but I’m new here and you kind of have to be mine a little bit too.” (38:43) Deb, of course, does not like that: “Deb: You’re my guardian angel, you’re supposed to give me advice, not the other way around.” (“Second Chances” 24:45)

Ultimately, Fred’s story arc has an unhappy ending, as once he finally manages to ask Stacy on a date and they share their first kiss, he is sent back to heaven as a punishment.

Fred (in a letter): Jane, Turns out I broke like 62 rules when I kissed Stacey and I’ve been transformed back to the home office. I’d ask you to tell her it was worth it, but she won’t know what you’re talking about. When I left all memories of me were erased except yours. Rules are rules. Take care of yourself, Jane. I’m still looking out for you, just from higher up. Best, Fred. (“The Magic Bullet” 13:00)

Again, because Fred prioritised his own desire and goals over his actual job of watching over his protégé, and then lied to Stacey about his nature, Deb is left on earth without a guardian angel, which results in her feeling isolated and insecure, as he was one of the two only people who knew her true identity. Therefore, while initially depicted as a transformative tool that has the capability of changing Deb’s life, Fred’s seemingly stereotypical devoted guardian angel nature is subverted by his desire to lie and deceive in order to reach his own goals.

The audience is usually able to identify what the guardian angel’s intentions are basically from the beginning of their story arcs, although it might not be always clear whether these intentions are good. This is certainly not the case of the horror radio series Welcome to Night Vale (2012–present). While everything concerning the angels in this series is quite mysterious and confusing, the “guardian angel” trope can still be fairly easily identified in it. Cecil Palmer, the community radio host who is also the narrator of the series, first mentions the angels in connection with the character of Josie, an old woman who lives near the car lot: