And I still feel that way. I hate the idea of the show without Bobby, who was originally only supposed to be a one-episode character. He, to me, is the real father figure of the show, and the sanity that always keeps the boys safe—and maintains what little sense of home they’ve ever had. He has a huge heart, despite his gruff, almost redneck appearance, and even though he calls the boys “idjit” every chance he gets, he loves them both dearly and unconditionally, which is more than I can say for their selfish father.
But after the beautiful episode we received—with a perfect balance of supernatural and drama, a tiny splash of horror and a huge chunk of Bobby’s background—I think it might do him a disservice if he’s brought back to life. That was a real hero’s way to go, much more than we got for, say, Rufus or the boys’ cousins (who may or may not have been heroes, for all we know), and it was such a lovely testament to Bobby’s love for the boys. He hung on just long enough to get them that small piece of information about the Leviathans, something that could prove integral to beating them this season.
We know the show is about Dean and Sam, and that we’ve always had other characters killed off. Anyone who gets close is in danger, of course; that is part of the hero’s tragedy. But Bobby is a hero, too. I think he’s almost getting too important, too interesting, to keep around; didn’t Shakespeare kill off Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet for that very reason—so he wouldn’t upstage the tragic lovers?
The scenes in Bobby’s head during his coma were so heartfelt and moving, many of them scary and sad as well. We now know who Bobby really is and what led to his lifestyle, and how he’s always had a hard life. I’m left thinking of Remus Lupin of the Harry Potter series, another poor but knowledgeable fellow who worked hard to rid the world of darkness, despite his own, and never really had much luck.
My heart breaks for Bobby Singer, and for the “sons” he left behind. If he is dead, what will the boys do without his always-vital help, his contacts (maybe we’ll finally meet more of them), his FBI phones and knowledge and general fatherly presence? We’ll all have to tune in January to find out.