Ode to Supernatural’s Bobby Singer

It should have been a quiet, uneventful night. Except, it wasn’t. Parents said good night to their four-year old son. A six month old baby lay in his crib.  A shadowy figure invaded the nursery. A mother’s piercing scream. A wall of flames. Her fiery death on the ceiling.

There would be no normal life for Sam and Dean Winchester. Instead, their lives centered around the “family business,” burning the back roads of countless small towns in their Impala searching for supernatural evil to hunt. Their father, largely absent from their lives, was consumed with thoughts of revenge against the demon that killed his wife. Sam and Dean, trained as  warriors, only had each other.

Fortunately for the Winchester brothers, they also had Bobby Singer. Despite his gruff manner and often brusque remarks, Bobby had a soft spot for these wayward brothers he dubbed “idjits” and became their surrogate father. He provided sage advice and a kick in the pants whenever Sam and Dean needed one. Bobby could identify with the brothers tragic legacy. His personal narrative had been framed by heartache. The once mild-mannered junk yard owner had to kill his own wife after she was possessed by a demon.  Consequently, Bobby became a hunter. He taught the boys many things (how to exorcise demons and construct a devil’s trap), saved their lives on several occasions and loved them as if they were his own sons.

Whenever the Winchesters battled ghosts, witches, demons or angels, they knew they had a reliable ally in Bobby. His guidance even continued beyond the grave. When he was killed by Leviathan leader Dick Roman, Bobby refused to follow his reaper into the light. Ghost Bobby hunted with Sam and Dean until he realized his vengeful urges against Roman turned him into a deadly spirit. Finally, Bobby made the painful decision to leave “his” boys and go to Heaven. But he ended up in Hell (courtesy of Crowley) until he was rescued by Sam and his spirit returned to Heaven. But ghost or not, Bobby is there to help Sam and Dean.

Thank you, Bobby Singer. Happy Birthday, Jim Beaver!