The "Supernatural" Season 9 premiere is mere hours away, so HuffPost TV caught up with Misha Collins -- who plays newly-fallen angel Castiel in the CW hit -- for some last-minute intel on what fans can expect when the show debuts in its new 9 p.m. Tuesday timeslot.
Below, we discuss Castiel's struggles with his newfound humanity, his relationship with Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki), and how the virginal angel will react to sex for the first time.
What would you say the driving force for Castiel's arc is in the first part of the season?
Cas is obviously stripped of his powers and he's left a lowly human, and he is grappling with what that means, and whether he even wants to be an angel again. He's finding the magic in humanity, and he also feels like he was a shitty angel to start with, so he's kind of down on himself. He realizes that he caused tremendous problems and he's, in a sense, grappling with whether to retire or not ... I mean, he has done some pretty awful stuff.
The other fallen angels are obviously out for his blood -- is his strategy to keep moving or to go to ground?
That's part of what he's trying to figure out -- whether he's just gonna stick his head in the sand and hope everything goes away or whether he's going to stand and fight. It is as yet unresolved in the first few [episodes].
Will he find any angelic allies in the foreseeable future?
He will find the occasional ally, but being an ally of Cas is a recipe for death.
Is he going to run into any demons in the course of hiding from the angels?
Not so much in the beginning of the season, because Cas is dealing more with angels than demons. But the demons are still a problem.
He's also finally getting laid this season -- is it more of a one-off, quick hook-up, given the example the Winchesters have set for him, or is this someone we might be seeing more of?
Well first of all, when talking about Cas' sexual experiences, I resent the use of the term "quick." He is a true lothario, and a magician. [Laughs.] It's not going to be the focus of the entire season, it's not going to be back-to-back gratuitous sex scenes, if that's what you're looking for. And this might be a little spoilery, but I should tell you that there will be no on-camera penetration.
He's a pretty sensitive guy, so I'd imagine losing his virginity is going to be a big deal for him -- what can you tease about that story?
I think that he's kind of like the sweet guy in high school that loses his virginity and then has rose-colored glasses for the deflowerer -- he's sweet and sentimental, our Cas, I would say.
We've seen a clip in which Dean prays to Cas, but obviously Cas can no longer hear him. How much of a priority is it for Cas to get back in contact with the Winchesters early on in the season?
That's a driving priority for Cas; he's on his way to the Winchesters at the outset. But he can't teleport there, he has to take the bus.
Since he has a bunch of vengeful angels on his tail, will he feel the need to stay away from the brothers to keep them safe?
Yes, he's a liability for the boys because the other angels are after him, so playing a hide and seek game with the angels becomes a big priority for him.
How do the boys react to Castiel's new status when they do reunite?
[Showrunner] Jeremy Carver gave a note to us -- I guess it was a note to Cas, to me -- that I was "acting like a jilted lover" with Dean, so there you go.
What is the biggest challenge in being human for him?
Absolutely every aspect of being human is a challenge. The most mundane aspects of humanity are a challenge for him; he doesn't how to brush his teeth, he doesn't know how to tie his shoes, he's never had to do anything so he has to learn it all from scratch -- eating, passing gas, it's all new and all very disconcerting. He's a six-foot tall baby with pubic hair.
Back at Comic-Con you were feeling pretty positive about the direction the show was taking Castiel's story in and the chance to explore his humanity. Now that you're a little further in the season, are you still feeling good about it all?
I am, actually. I think it's a fucking great season, I think it's gonna be really, really good. I haven't seen anything, I'm going to watch the premiere tonight on television, I think they call it cable ... The scripts have been awesome.
What's coming up for your charity, Random Acts?
We have one exciting new program we're starting right now called the Class Act, and we're basically having a competition between classrooms across the world to perpetrate acts of kindness as a class and then the winning classes will get donations to their schools, so I think it has the potential to be a really great way of engaging with kids, so I'm super excited about that.
"Supernatural" Season 9 premieres Tues., Oct. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.
What are you most looking forward to from the new season? Weigh in below!
