This week on Supernatural, Bobby fights like hell to survive a bullet to the brain. Almost the entire episode takes place inside Bobby’s mind and he runs away from his Reaper and tries to find a way out. Does he succeed? That might be open to interpretation, but sadly, I think this may have been the end of Bobby Singer. On the bright side, Jim Beaver delivers one of his best performances ever.
Bobby’s World
In the immediate aftermath of the last episode, Sam and Dean rush Bobby to the hospital, but we go into the bullet hole to explore Bobby’s mind, where there are a number of important events, a little boy and a Reaper trying to take him away.
It begins with one of his most recent memories, hunting in the woods from the last episode. Bobby is smart, so he very quickly realizes that this is all in his mind and he’s fighting to survive.
One of the first key memories is hunting with Rufus, who has a near-death experience of his own. That gives Bobby a way out, as Rufus explains to him that to escape death, Bobby needs to find the exit door through his worst memory, the one he’s buried for his entire life and refuses to ever think about.
This takes him to a fight Bobby had with his dead wife three days before she became possessed and he had to kill her. She wanted kids, but Bobby told her he didn’t. But it’s not his worst memory.
He then travels to a cute scene where Bobby played catch with a young Dean. It’s all about fatherhood. Bobby didn’t want kids of his own, but he looked at Sam and Dean as his. He raised them, let them have fun and loved them every bit as much as a real father would and should love his own kids.
We then go deeper into a truly bad memory of a very young Bobby (the little boy running all around his mind) and his violent, drunk dad who always told Bobby that he breaks everything, one of the main reasons Bobby never had kids of his own. It’s heartbreaking, and Bobby can’t watch any more.
He then gets an idea. Instead of finding the exit, he’ll trap the Reaper and hold him off as long as he can. He succeeds, sort of, but it’s not enough because his memories are slowly disappearing as his brain is dying, limiting the number of places he can hide.
Bobby goes back to the dinner scene and we see one of the saddest and most tragic moments ever. Bobby’s dad beats his mother, so Little Bobby runs off and gets a shotgun, telling his dad to stop. When he refuses, Little Bobby aims and shoots, killing his own father. I think this definitely qualifies as the worst memory he’s ever had, especially since his mother immediately says that God will punish Bobby for doing it. No wonder the poor guy never wanted kids of his own.
Back in the Real World
Meanwhile, Sam and Dean are struggling with their grief. Dean yells, punches walls and threatens to kill Dick Roman when he shows up to pour gas on the fire. Sam, the practical one, is bracing himself for the worst. Bobby temporarily comes back to the real world long enough to write a number on Sam’s hand that is very important for some reason. He calls Sam and Dean “idjits” one last time and falls back into his coma.
Bobby’s Final Memory
Back in Bobby’s mind, his entire world has gone dark except for one memory in his house. The Reaper tells him to give up, but Bobby wants to savor his one final memory.
It’s a simple, completely unimportant night. Sam and Dean come over for a Chuck Norris movie marathon, and Bobby watches as the two bicker over snack foods. There’s nothing particular special about this memory except for the fact that it’s a purely happy moment of Bobby with the two boys he thinks of as his own, all having fun. It has nothing to do with monsters or demons or the Apocalypse, it’s just Bobby and his surrogate sons having a laugh.
Sam and Dean disappear, and with that, there are no more memories. Bobby’s brain is dead. As the show fades to black, we hear the Reaper’s pocket watch stop ticking. I truly hope that doesn’t mean what I think it does, but all signs point to Bobby being dead. For good.
We’ll have to wait until Supernatural returns Friday, January 6 for confirmation, but I’m definitely assuming that Bobby is dead. And I’m still shaken to the core over the thought that this great man and this great actor are gone.
If Bobby is really dead, then Supernatural will never be the same.
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
