And that leaves me with the cliff hanger: Bobby! The final sequence was very effective, as I relaxed when the hunter finally jumped in the van. Yet Dick’s final shots were so coolly aimed I had a sinking feeling he would hit something . . . or someone. As a cliff hanger leading up to the mid-season finale, Bobby getting shot is a corker. I cannot believe the writers would kill Bobby. And yet . . .
The next part of the review will deal with pure speculation on my part. I have no knowledge of any spoilers.
My suspicion is Bobby will die. The description of this season is the Winchesters will lose everything that helped them in the past. Bobby is the last connection the boys have to their usual way of handling enemies—other than Crowley, I guess. Let’s say Bobby is the last clearly on their side connection Sam and Dean have. Killing him really sets the boys adrift, which is where the writers want them to be.
From one standpoint, I see the attraction. It does reboot the story and shake it up. I’m certainly on pins and needles and can’t wait to see what happens in the next episode. Sam and Dean would have to reach out to each other to get through Bobby’s loss and I love seeing relationship development between the two.
But from another standpoint, I wonder about the wisdom of taking away every reference point to the boys' past history. Supernatural has a very rich back-story at this point. We've bonded with several characters who were with Sam and Dean in dire circumstances and those characters opened up story telling. One blush from Jo reminded us she had a crush on Dean, while he viewed her more as a sister, leading Ellen to act as a pseudo-mom to him.
Castiel and Dean bonded over the pain of an absent father, making Castiel’s betrayal all the more poignant, particularly when he hurt Sam. Castiel’s entrance into the story would bring up the idea of forgiveness on both Sam and Dean’s parts without it needing to come out of subtext. The audience can fill in the gaps. We know the history. We have our investment in what we want to happen (in all the many permutations those hopes come in!).
Taking away both Castiel and Bobby in one season takes away so much history that can be referenced without having to write anything on the nose. And to me, referential writing makes richer writing. I like being able to read subtext based on what I know. I like having expectations as soon as I see a character. I don’t really see it benefitting the show to pare Sam and Dean down to, well, Sam and Dean.
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Article comments
1 - Amy
I don't know that they'll kill Bobby. I really hope they don't for a lot of the reasons you have stated, but also because I just really adore him. If Bobby is injured to the level he appears to be, that would mean, even if alive, he'll be out of the game and recuperating for quite sometime, this will leave the boys alone, they won't be able to rely on his help because he'll be healing. I think this will throw them together and make them have to believe in and trust each other again because they don't know if Bobby will ever be able to help them on the level he did. This is my hope at how it pans out. I've been desperately trying to remember Jim Beaver's movements of late...he is on holiday in Japan at the moment sharing with us a lovely travelog. I just think, with doing away with Cas, though is he really gone for good, can they afford to do away with Bobby forever? Take him out of action yes, lose him once and for all, I hope not, because I think that will be a huge mistake.
2 - Gerry
I would love it if that was the scenario the writers go with, too. Take Bobby off the board for a while, but keep him as a playing piece. I adore him, too. Jim Beaver is a marvelous actor who can sell whatever he's given to act.
But I have a bad feeling . . .
3 - Laurie
I think it's both simple and worse. I think it depends if they hear of a renewal for season 8. Bobby will make it if they do.
But I also think they don't want a renewal, for whatever reason. So Bobby dies, giving the brothers a huge reason to get the leviathan, and go out in a blaze of glory, saving the world again. Reuniting in heaven would be a nice touch. I wonder if Kripke is in the picture at all anymore?
4 - Gerry
That's an interesting perspective!
If the key players didn't want another season, though, I wonder why they renegotiated to get one. I'm pretty sure the CW wants another season. SPN has the third highest key demo ratings and on a Friday to boot. It fills the same place Smallville did for the network--the steady performer. Most TV ratings pundits put SPN in the most likely to be renewed category, because for the CW, it's doing well.
Maybe the writers are trying to sabotage their own show, but I can't really see the benefit. I suspect that even if Bobby dies, they can see a way to go on for next season.
Whether they can convince the fans of that is another question. (-:
Is Bobby a deal breaker for the majority of fans? He's not for me on the face of it. I'm game to follow where season seven goes. I'm a little worried about losing so many beloved supporting characters, but I'm ready to be shown the story will continue to gripping and moving.