This week’s episode began with a brief recap of the chaos from two weeks ago. The important part, it seems, was the last 30 seconds of the show when Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) was shot in the head. In true Supernatural fashion we get a sweet shot of the inside of Bobby’s head – the path of the bullet- and then Bobby wakes up in another time.
Bobby’s “limbo” is going to be a puzzle. Remember that information that he found in Dick’s office? Well, he needs to get some information to Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles). While he tries to figure out what’s going on – Rufus (Steven Williams) appears in Bobby’s “custard”. By this point Bobby has figured out what’s going – and so have we with the help of some flashbacks to the Winchesters watching over Bobby in the hospital. In between the glimpses of worried Winchesters Bobby is also seeing a small boy.
The great thing about Bobby is that even in limbo he’s Mr. Cool. He doesn’t panic and sets out to find a way to communicate with the Winchesters. Every time the little boy appears Bobby tries hard to find out who he is or why he’s there (gotta know that’s gonna come back later).
Bobby reminds Rufus of a time when he too had a near-death experience and drills Rufus about it – until he discovers that the way that Rufus was got back was to dig into his worst memories; all the ones he didn’t want to remember. Bobby uses that information to get back to one of the memories he regrets the most. And he wants his hunting partners back – he begs Rufus to go with him and then Bobby goes back to the moment when he broke his wife’s heart.
Rufus nudges Bobby onward, urging him to open the door again. And Bobby does – to find a bright, white light. The light quickly becomes a park where a younger Bobby is teaching a young Dean how to play ball when he should be learning about guns. Another door, another memory and this time we get a glimpse of Bobby’s childhood. While reaching across the table young Bobby accidentally spills a glass of milk and his alcoholic father. But Bobby’s convinced that’s not the memory he needs to find.
Back in the real wold – Dean is taking out his anger on everyone who gets in his way. He punches a glass message board in the hospital because administration asked him about his Uncle’s organs. Outside, Dean runs into Dick (James Patrick Stewart) who is clearly hanging around because he knows Bobby is going to die.
This isn’t going to go well for Dean, is it? Even when Sam tries to talk to him about Bobby dying, Dean just gets angry and leave.
Rufus and Bobby and back in Bobby’s “dunce cap” trying to figure out how to stop the reaper, or at least slow him down. The two grizzled hunters try to prepare some magic to slow the reaper down and Bobby goes back to a time when hew as talking to John Winchester on the phone. He was telling John on the phone that the young Sam and Dean were entitled to have a childhood – only to have John tell him that wasn’t Bobby’s business. Very sad.
Ingredients gathered, Rufus and Bobby manage to the spell and the reaper appears again. He’s trapped but the problem is that Bobby is dying. There’s no way around it and Bobby’s “limbo” is disappearing as his brain starts to die cell by cell. Rufus makes a good point; that Bobby doesn’t want to hang around and become a ghost. After all, they might think they can help, but you can’t stay sane. And then he says that he won’t give up because Sam and Dean are “his boys.”
The younger version of Bobby appears again – and clearly that’s the path that Bobby has to take.
Back to the kitchen with Bobby’s parents. Bobby’s father (Edward Foy) , drink in hand punches Bobby’s mother (Chelah Horsdal). Bobby fights back though, even when his father tells him that he breaks everything he touches. He tells his father that he adopted two boys and they grew up to be heroes. Then young bobby appears with a gun and tells his father to stop yelling at his mother. And then the unthinkable happens and he shoots his father in the head. “God is gonna punish you,” his mother says. Bobby tells his younger self that he “did what he had to do” and that people never say thanks when you save them.
The reaper returns but Bobby makes a break for the door in time to return to his body. Sam thanks him for everything and Bobby wakes up… he smiles as he finally manages to write down some numbers on Sam’s hand. He says “ijits” and then he flat-lines.
One last scene with the reaper and we get to hear Bobby say how his best memories are with the boys. That shouldn’t be a secret to anyone. The reaper assures Bobby that he only has a few moments left to choose whether to go or stay. Bobby doesn’t choose – after all – it’s the mid-season cliff-hanger. But I know what I think happened. You?
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