Honestly, I'm not even sure what to say right now. I loved "Death's Door." It was an extremely emotional hour of television, and I'm not ashamed to say I cried. A lot. The acting was phenomenal, I adored having Rufus around again, and learning more about Bobby's backstory was a treat. That being said, once the tears dried and the dust cleared, the emotion I'm left with is anger. I'm kind of pissed off right now, and here's why: I'm really tired of everyone getting killed off this show. I'm sure this is an argument other people have made before, and probably more eloquently, but why is it necessary for everyone to die? I get that this show is about Sam and Dean at its core, but they're allowed to have friends and allies and acquaintences that populate their world. It's not necessary for it to literally be them against the world. That's so oppressive and claustrophobic.
I'm tired of caring about characters only to have them ripped away from me. It's really beginning to feel manipulative, and I don't like it. And to make matters worse, after the way Cass' death has been mostly glossed over and barely mentioned, I'm not even confident at this point that the writers will let Sam and Dean really feel Bobby's loss. I'm worried we're going to get another time jump to justify the next episode's plot.
Don't get me wrong; I really hope Bobby isn't dead because I love that guy, and I'd hate it if Jim Beaver was gone from the show for good. But if he's somehow miraculously not dead, then I feel like his almost death is cheapened and even more manipulative. We go through all that, we mourn him, but don't worry, he's okay! But I really don't want Bobby to be dead, so now I'm stuck with being pissed off if he's really dead and feeling manipulated if he's not. It's really a lose/lose situation at this point.
Argh. I love this show, and I hate being angry at it! I hate when we fight, "Supernatural"! Bring back Cass and I'll forgive you. All right, let's move on to some random thoughts about things I liked in the episode before I say something I really regret.
Odds and Ends
A number of moments made me cry, but the ones that got me the most were when Bobby told his father he'd adopted two boys who grew up to be heroes and the part at the end when Sam and Dean faded out of existence as Bobby lovingly watched them argue. Because according to the episode, that means that the part of Bobby's brain that had Sam and Dean in it died, so they no longer exist to him. Copious tears.
Dean telling Dick Roman he was either laughing because he was scared or because he was stupid was epic. The look on Dick Roman's face when Dean called him stupid was priceless. More badass Dean, please!
Sam having a hallucination in the midst of everything else that was happening was just so sad. Oh, Sam, I really hope you're okay.
Every single moment of Rufus was a delight.
Dean and Bobby playing catch instead of shooting guns. Win.
I'm not a very big fan of John Winchester, but even I'm starting to think they need to lay off him a bit.
I loved the lighting in dream world. It was subtly shiny and oversaturated, if that's the right word, like it was in heaven during "Dark Side of the Moon."
I'm glad Sam thanked Bobby. We all know how much he meant to both Sam and Dean, but it was still nice to hear it out loud. I just hope Dean doesn't regret not saying anything due to his epic levels of denial.
Bobby calling them idjits as his last word was perfect, just perfect.
That's about all I've got. Am I the only one who's feeling pissed like this? Am I just overreacting to the emotional nature of the episode? What do you guys think? (But be nice! Personal attacks aren't tolerated in the comments section.) We have a whole month before the next new episode to hash this out, so let's get cracking!
Comments
Right now I'm with Dean. I refuse to discuss the posibility that Bobby may actually die.
As much as I love Cas, I can live without him (though I am pretty pissed over the fact that his death has been almost totally ignored.) But Bobby? Not a chance. He's like Sam and Dean's dad, their last ally, their family. It's not Supernatural without him. The writer's have to realize that, right?
All that aside, I have to agree that this was an amazing episode. The writing and the acting were absolutely phenomenal. And yes, I cried. A lot.
As a fan of John They need to lay off of him, no John Winchester wasn't a saint, hell he wasn't even necessarily a good father, but Its time to put the 'john winchester is a dick' flags away.
I Agree that they need to bring Cas back.
Loved Dean going all BAMF on Dick Roman. It was Poetic and Beautiful to me.
Bobby watching the boys fade out, as a last memory and the loving use of the word 'Idjits' as his final word of the episode, was both funny and heartbreaking.
I have no idea how they'd bring him back or even if they could since we watched him flatline but it would be nice to see the old guy again. Jim Beaver is Awesome. And last time supernatural got rid of a father figure of the boys(yes I mean John), we haven't seen him since, except for what like 5 minutes in all hell breaks loose 2, and a picture of JDM in what is and what never should be.
C'mon Supernatural, Like everyone else, I hate it when we fight. Just give us back one thing we'd want. Give us bobby or Cas back. Hell at this rate...I'd take John or Gabriel. Give me something guys!
Love that Dean seems to have been knocked out of his apathy. Much needed. He once again has a reason to fight and a motivated Dean Winchester can be a scary thing indeed.
And I also (sadistically) love that Sam seems on the brink of a breakdown. That little scene in the waiting room spoke volumes about his fragile mindset. I can only imagine what Lucifer must be saying to him.
Does anyone have any freaking idea what the next episode is about? The promo looked like it included the next two. I think.
I'm so thrilled that whole Leviathan drama was left to one scene. I like it, but it really wasn't needed to be crammed in here. But yeah, Bobby gets this and Castiel gets two minutes of becoming goo in a lake? It boggles the mind.
Oh, and I think I got the answer to the burning question that's been on this site the past two weeks. Sam Winchester is NOT okay.
One more thing. DRAT you Sera Gamble. I'm out of freaking kleenexes.
the revelations about his past(especially the one at the end)made me cry like a baby.
Sera`s both scripts for this seasons were really good and emotionally touching.
I thought it was an incredibly written, beautifully realised and performed hour of television. A shining light in the season. I'm a big fan of Sera Gamble, many of her episodes are amongst my favourites and even though this was incredibly painful, I know it's going to become another in that long list. It might take me a while until I can watch it without blubbering, but like Swan Song before it, I will get there, eventually!
I loved how both the boys were portrayed in this episode. Dean in angry denial, Sam silently struggling to hold on. For me, everything seemed spot on. The confrontation with Dick Roman was perfection, because as I was saying in regard to the last episode, being famous is a double edged sword and something that the boys could use in their favour. I'm glad Dean acknowledged that, called him out in public, made sure there was an audience. And that, you're either scared or stupid line? There is nothing better than Dean Winchester with fire in his belly.
From day one, everyone close to the Winchesters have always died. I agree though that I don't get why everyone needs to be taken from them (and us), but I really should be more specific and say I don't get why Bobby needs to be taken, because if I'm honest, out of everyone that has gone before him, this for me is the most impactful and the character that I will miss the most. I can live without everyone else (yes Cas too) but not Bobby and like a few commenters above me, I'm pretty much in denial! Until I see 7.11 I will not believe it...but in my heart....ugh.
I don't know what the arc of this season is moving toward because unfortunately, I'm not a fly on the writer's room wall, so I will, as always, assume there is a reason for this and have faith in being taken on that journey.
Wow, even just thinking about this episode makes my heart ache from sadness and zing from how wonderful this show can be when it really hits one for six (sorry for the cricket reference).
Now...hurry along January!
I love Supernatural, hell, I do a weekly podcast about it. I don't know that I can watch anymore. If Bobby is dead, I can say to a certainty, this was my last episode. If not, I really don't, because then it would feel like we were played. Not cleverly. Emotionally manipulated. I've enjoyed most of season 7, the Amy fiasco aside, but I'm tired of what basically amounts to emotional abuse.
It was a beautiful episode. It was gorgeously written and shot. It was arguably the most beautiful sendoff for a character I've seen on TV. For me, this a great way to end on a high, if not somber and melancholy, note.
I agree with others...I'm in denial about Bobby and I don't think they'll kill him off. At least, I'm hoping that they won't.
Glad to see the old Dean is back, but I'm really worried about Sam. I'm not sure how much longer he'll be able to hold himself together.
I suppose in a way all great stories, whether they be in print or on film, manipulate our emotions. The way I've felt about Bobby's story these last episodes reminds me of when Charlie died on Lost. If I can remember correctly, there was an episode centered around him that seemed to be his swan song, but he was still alive at the end of that one, only to die in the next. Emotional roller coaster there. So I don't know what to think about where Bobby's character goes from here.
I would love to see John's character given a little respect again. He wasn't father of the year, but he certainly was nowhere near as awful as Bobby's dad. I caught "All Hell Beaks Loose" on TNT this week, & that image of love on John's face as he looked at his boys after climbing out of Hell just reminded me that he gave his life for them.
Dean with his complete & desperate denial but controlled anger (especially with the organ donor guy), Sam with his determined attempts to remain calm & rational despite obviously having hellucinations. .. oh, how these guys break my heart!
::sniff:: darned cliff hanger.....
My gut instinct is that Bobby will be back, but it may not be an easy path.
Taking all that into account, and the fact that his 'sons' were by his side when he died (if he died....) I think it'd be a pretty damn good way to go. Much better than bleeding to death on your own somewhere. I think this is the end that Bobby would have wanted.
I miss Rufus. I think I might have another bit of a crush on an older man. (And you see his earring? Quite the rebel. Imagine if a ghost or something caught a hold of that earring. Eeeek.) I kinda wish we’d found out what happened at Omaha though.
I’m glad that Dean was the one who had the words with Dick Roman while Sam got to be the one to thank Bobby and hold his hand. Again, it shows both sides of the boys; the hunter and the human. I admittedly was a little ticked when it showed Bobby playing ball with Dean with no Sam in sight, so this balanced it out a little. And thank God Bobby didn’t write the message on Sam’s scarred hand, it probably wouldn’t have lasted very long! (And Sam's never washing that hand again....)
It’s interested that, in this episode, despite his emotional state, Dean was the one who refused to accept that Bobby could die while Sam, while hoping and praying it wouldn’t happen, was considering it. He was the one who said the word ‘die’ and he was trying to prepare Dean for this possibility as well. I wonder how many times he saw Bobby die / Lucifer kill him. It will be interesting to see how Bobby’s death (if it happens) affects Sam. I wonder will he have difficulty accepting it or will he think the whole thing is an hallucination. It would be quite heartbreaking to see that play out.
I said previously that I don’t want Bobby’s death (again, if it happens) to be the catalyst for Dean’s renewed interest in hunting. I feel that doing it for revenge instead of ‘saving lives’ could put Dean in danger of turning into a Gordonesque figure. Dean is standing on a tightrope right now and he needs to decide which way he’s going to fall.
I liked that in this episode, death really wasn’t portrayed as something to be feared. Rufus seemed happy, as did Bobby’s wife (initially). It really was a stepping into a white light side of it, as opposed to the hell and torture side to which we've become accustomed.
And while I know Bobby came back to help the boys, John did the same thing back in season 2, ok, so he wasn’t all bad. (I know I’m clutching at straws here but come on! The show is making it so freaking hard for John.) And Bobby, the boys were heroes before they came to you, so technically they became heroes under John’s watch (straws rapidly slipping through fingers....)
I know it might have seemed a good idea to have Dean have it out with Dick Roman in public but as far as the world knows, Dean’s dead. Course when those recorded clips hit Youtube it’ll be pressure on once again.
I know that there are people out there who blame Sera Gamble for everything from global warming to split ends (I’m not one of them) but you can’t deny that she’s a hell of a writer. This episode was both heart-warming and-heartbreaki ng without being schmaltzy. Good job, Ms. Gamble, and thanks.
Strange, I wasn’t upset at all while watching the episode but I am now. I think it was the poignancy of that final thirty seconds when we realised that Bobby would no longer be privy to moments like that from Sam and Dean that has done me in. Not only that but the realisation that that Sam and Dean are also gone. The carefree nature, the friendly jibing, the inconsequential arguments about sandwiches, we haven’t seen that from the brothers for so long, and I don’t think we can get it back. Not from a show point of view (because the show could bring it back if it wanted) but those two people are gone. They’ve both gone through so much now that even rare moments of relaxation will forever be clouded by worry or loss. Honestly, I don’t see hallucination Sam and depressed Dean fighting about which is the better movie snack (salted popcorn, hot nuts and a packet of Maltesers all mixed into one box, with a diet Coke to wash it all down). They might do it as a semblance of normal for the other’s sake but it wouldn’t be true. That’s really very depressing.
Thanks for this, Ardeospina. Hope you are all doing well.
This episode saddened me so much, I couldn't even cry. I am weird like that sometimes. When I feel like on the brink of a breakdown, I become really quiet, very matter-of-fact, and it somehow feels like that right now.
Bobby has done enough, indeed. He's had his share of authenticity, and it would last for three lifetimes. He's earned some peace, and he deserves it. There might even be a little part of him that yearns for peace, despite his efforts to stay with "his" boys.
It's not the dead that suffer when they are gone, I'd say. Hopefully they go to a better place and be, really, at peace. That happened to my loved ones, I hope. I've lost too many people, and the only hope that came out of it was the thought that they are at a better place.
We, the ones who stay behind, we suffer. We miss them. We cling to memories. We want the pain to stop. We can't imagine living without them. Loss lodged a sharp, gruesome knife in our soul and keeps twisting it.
I just want to hug Sam and Dean big time, make them believe that everything will be alright in the end.
But will it? I don't know. There are some wounds that never heal. They have, indeed, been through enough.
Though I hope that no one of us gets more burdens than we can carry, I, myself, have often felt like I can't go on anymore. Somehow I have managed, but there might come a time when my strength fails.
Sam and Dean seem to be at such a junction right now. The confusion in their eyes speaks of the terrible place they are in.
Orphans. Survivors. Lost ones. They are in a horrific place the eye can't see. And I am so, so sad.
trembling, Jas
post scriptum: Is there a more beautiful memory than the one Bobby chose to be his last? They all felt so much at home there. And home is a place they lost long ago...
He killed his own father and even though his father was a "monster" (a person not possessed by a demon, but by alcohol), He did himself justice to his father.
Despite killing his own father, he saved many people. That's gotta count for something.
But I will keep my hopes up high that Bobby will make it through this. We saw how they were about to bring him back, we never heard a doctor call the time of death. So, maybe there is a chance for Bobby to come back.
I know, if he comes back, he will be a vegetable but he will be able to get all his memories back. My dad went through a head trauma and when he woke up he was like a newborn. He had to learn how to walk, eat, talk etc. just like a baby. But we got him back. So I hope that Bobby can do it too.
I liked how Bobby told the reaper that he saved the best memory for last. One of the (very likely) few moments when the three of them had a normal family TV night. The boys argueing over something else besides there hunting live.
By the way, I agree with Sam. Licorice is disgusting.
True - licorice is...
I have to with Dean on this, black licorice is classic.
Many people treat Sera Gamble as if she were the Devil himself, but man the woman writes with such heart. This episode is going in my pantheon of favourite Sera Gamble penned episodes. Bobby's last memory with the boys had me in tears, because I truly believe that happy memories are probably the last thing you see before you go.
On a lighter note, Sam is so right, licorice is gross. A nice bag of Lay's with a Canada Dry gingerale, my snack of choice for watching a movie. And I think Jet Li would kick Chuck Norris's ass!
But there's one other reason why I hope that Bobby will be back - if he were not, it would mean that Jim Beaver was out of (this) job.
Ahem, anyways, a bit to say here. This episode was bags of awesome, well written, well acted, kudos all around.
OTOH it left folks as weepy weepers
Here's the thing, this is about the Winchester family- and let's face it, Bobby is family. He'll be back. I was thinking that maybe Bobby would die and become the new Cass, but Bobby as a willful cranky ghost a la "the Frighteners" would be kinda cool too. We'll know it if there is a funeral scene next ep.
The other thing is, as family, each member has made huge sacrifices to save the world. John died and has come back from the grave a couple times to save his boys. Sam and Dean have both had trips to hell. It figures that Bobby has to fight and scratch as well in this big struggle against a new evil, his time was due... beyond the wheelchair stuff. But like the boys, IMHO Bobby will be back.
I loved watching the evolution of Bobby's role as adoptive father. That really lead to some insight, and how proud he was of his two "sons", wow. Bobby and his wife. wow. I'm still burning a candle for him and the sheriff tho', I like happy endings. Right now this one felt like John Wayne in "The Searchers", as he gives it his all to bring a girl back kidnapped by Apaches and then goes off into the sunset. Fitting? Yes. Do I want it to end like this for Bobby? Not so much.
Random thought: if I were Dick Roman, I would be very, very scared right now. Because I don't think I've ever seen Dean this angry, and man he is scary when he's like that.
My theory is that Bobby will live but have forgotten everything, including the boys, which to me is worse than death. But I guess we'll see.
I'm not even sure what to say. I've hit anger and sadness, but acceptance is a long way off. I miss him already. Show feels so much emptier and grayer.
I just hope he's not a ghost, and got to move on.
But, if the show decides that Bobby must die, I'm with you on hoping that he will be allowed to move on to greener pastures and be at peace. The man's done enough.
You said it Dean. I agree totally.
I can't believe what they are doing to our boys.
Although it was good to see Dean all fiesty with Dick (oooh that sounds horrible. They just had to go with the name Dick),
to see him and Sam lose Bobby, their last true friend, mentor, loved one, it's too much.
It's tearing my heart out.
I had figured Bobby was going to have to make a big decision.
but I had delucioned myself to believe it was either to cross over or to live and deal with what ever hardships/damag e the bullet might have done to him.
I wasn't expecting to either cross over or remain in Limbo.
I can't see Bobby chosing to stay behind.
To possibly turn into an enbittered spirit and some day have his bones salted and burned by some hunters.
He has been the voice of reason and information.
He has been the one to lecture and preach the reality of the hunting world.
For the writers to turn around and have Bobby chose to stay would not be true to his character.
It would go against everything that Bobby represented and believed in.
For me if they are going to kill him off for good and not be saved either by some miracle or the help of Crowley, Cas or Death, than I would rather he chose to cross over and be rejoined with the Karen we met in 'Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid' (pre-zombieism).
I wouldn't like his character to become some "Bobby the Friendly Ghost", popping in and out, time to time helping or rescuing the boys.
Ok...I'm done ranting.
Aside from my emotional breakdown on the fate of Bobby, the episode was wonderfully written and acted.
The three J's were fantastic. I can't say enough about these three.
I loved seeing Rufus again. Him and Bobby working together as a team is always a joy to watch.
As for our boys....I'm scared for both of them. They are both hanging from a thread.
Their last thread that is built only on their love and determination not to let the other down.
Trying desparately to be strong enough to pull the other from their plight without cracking or breaking themselves.
This show is going to be the death of me.
Is it January yet?
They show the whole season. I like that much more than these unpleasant breaks that leave us hanging.....
I think Bobby is going to be in a coma and will have along recovery ahead of him. I also think this episode was a wakeup call to Dean and Sam, as well as Bobby.
I think John did his best, and he did admit his shortcomings to Dean before he died. I truly believe he loved his sons, but his thinking was twisted by everything he had gone through. Unfortunately, Dean and Sam suffered for it.
My hope is that Cass will be back and heal Bobby. The Winchester world needs to have people like Bobby and Cass; otherwise, what’s the point of going on if all you fight only to lose those you love to the monsters of the world. Not to mention, he left off the 5 so he was not able relay the full message so I have to believe Bobby will be back.
In her eagerness to dismantle Kripke's series and replace it with her own, SG depicted John as an absentee, tyrannical father, clearly similar to the cruel, abusive dad she created for Bobby.
Why was John depicted as a creep in this episode? Why did we suddenly learn that Bobby shot his father in the head and buried the body in the yard? Because, like many (adolescent-min ded) people in Hollywood, SG and her team seem to have serious biological daddy issues. I wish they'd quit distorting Kripke's characters to take a little personal vengeance against Pop.