#spn: weekend at Bobby's

[fandom-hoarder]

The talk about Dean's fear of flying at the end of Weekend at Bobby's 😂😂😂😂

"At least I was sober. If some nutjob decided to try something, I was ready. I had a FORK."

[shallowseeker]

I was thinking about Cas's little sarcastic dig in Family Matters here ("Of course. Your problems always come first.")

Sam, and especially Dean, don’t want to be treated like they’re being babysat by Cas, yet in the early days, they often hope Cas will be endlessly available, invincible, and strong.

(And it's complicated because... compared to them, Cas kinda IS!!!)

Cas, for his part, occupies a complicated space for them. While he is given room to be vulnerable at times, he’s also relied on to be everything at once: Dean's partner in times of trouble, someone who will "be there when Sam calls" and "tear the attic up for Sam," all while shouldering cosmic battles.

The irony is even deeper when Cas gets referred to as "a child" or "a baby in a trench coat"—yet his strength, sacrifice, and loyalty are counted on without question.

(Cas is often goaded into being stronger, of course, because Dean is scared and needs that strength from Cas more than Dean needs it from anyone else, even if Dean doesn't understand why that is. And even if Cas doesn't catch everything in those references, Cas can't help but FEEL that expectation.)

///

BY ANYWAY, BOBBY. In Weekend at Bobby's, Bobby is SOOooooo parent-coded in this episode in a way that kinda parallels Cas in s6.

It's an off-key parallel, but both Bobby and Cas are expected to be there. Bobby without "selfish" complaint, Cas without visible weakness.

Their struggles often go unnoticed unless voiced outright—something Bobby, in true crusty Bobby fashion, has no prob doing in Weekend at Bobby’s:

INT. BOBBY’S HOUSE – NIGHT BOBBY: I – I hear you, son. I – it just ain’t a good time. DEAN (over the phone): Yeah, okay. You know what – Forget it. I mean I'm baring my soul like a freaking girl here and, uh –And you've got stuff to do. So that is – that's fine. That's fine but, seriously, a little selfish. Not all about you. [Bobby gets angry and leans forward.]

///

Dean is going through a LOT, but it's funny how like a child he comes off here. He's spinning out, and he has "no one to talk to," and Bobby's his DAD!

Dean invokes his own emotions like "baring his soul," and is clearly taken aback when Bobby isn't immediately receptive. It shows how Dean expects Bobby to always be there, without question, no matter what Bobby might be dealing with.

That’s classic "invincible parent" territory: the idea that their needs are secondary, or even non-existent.

(Aside// This is sometimes a bit how Sam can treat Dean throughout the run of the series, and how both boys occasionally treat Cas in s6).

///

And then Bobby tears them a new one!!! :D Yay!!! It's a real family moment and I LOVE IT:

DEAN (putting Bobby on speaker after Bobby tells him to go get Sam): You're on speaker, Bobby. BOBBY: Sam. Dean. love you like my own. I do. But sometimes [Bobby pauses and takes a long drink.] Sometimes… You two are the whiniest, most self-absorbed sons of bitches I ever met! I'm selfish? Me? I do everything for you! Everything! You need some lores scrounged up – You need your asses pulled out of the fire –You need someone to bitch to about each other – [Sam looks at Dean, puzzled.] BOBBY (over the phone): You call me and I come through – Every damn time! And what do I get for it?Jack with a side of squat! DEAN: Bobby – BOBBY: Do I sound like I'm done? Now look. I know you've got issues. God knows I know. But I got a news flash for you. You ain't the center of the universe! Now, it may have slipped your mind …that Crowley owns my soul! And the meter is running! And I will be damned if I'm going to sit around –And – and be damned! So how about you two sack up and help me for once? Dean looks very humble and Sam calm. SAM: Bobby, all – all you got to do is ask. DEAN: Anything you need... we're there.

Hits like a tired, overlooked parent.

He reminds them he gets nothing in return from them, which is a HUGE call out to how invisible and thankless his role as caretaker has become.

Bobby’s "sack up and help me for once" is both a plea and a challenge, demanding they grow up and recognize that he, too, is vulnerable and needs support.

It's the parent figure finally voicing the toll of always being strong—for once, asking to be seen.

Dean especially is humbled here. He's been the caretaker for his family, so he gets it immediately.

How hard he was leaning on Bobby.

///

Aside/// This season, Dean's actual support group is small, maybe even consists of just Bobby and Cas. Dean is short on "Dean understanders" this season; that is, he's short on people who see his core experience as not merely a brother, but an actual *pseudo-parent. Dean is a parent of Sam Winchester: and Sam is a complicated, apocalyptic-torn person who's often saddled with shouldering waaaay too much cosmic responsibility...

...which in turn has Dean shouldering too much responsibility too!

So when it comes to Bobby and Cas, Dean puts what he can't take on them! His family!

///

But unlike Bobby, Cas doesn't ask for help.

Which... it's complicated. (And very human.)

For starters, thanks to his upbringing, Cas WANTS to be strong. He thrives and is comfortable being that. Second, there are definitely little ways Cas gets the not-so-coded message that it's bad to be weak, even if those weren't the messages Dean intended to send. (Dean is desperate for everyone to be okay, and he needs someone to want to shoulder the real, complete Dean, with all his duties and complications. And for some reason, subconsciously, Dean wants that someone... to be Cas.)

Regardless, lines like "Babies whine" and "Without your powers" dig a lot deeper than intended for Cas, because Dean didn't have the full scope of the angelic war or Cas's fears about Raphael. And even when Dean DID get glimpses of that, it didn't yield the full story.

///

For his part, Cas is keeping Sam and Dean at arm's length, trying to place them in a "these are my charges to protect" role.

Bu unlike with Bobby, who Dean firmly places in a parental role, something is trying to FUNDAMENTALLY shift between Cas and Dean.

They often find themselves eye-to-eye in the kitchen, making decisions together in a way that feels imho very spousal, creating a dynamic where Dean doesn’t quite know how to navigate this growing sense of wanting to be an equal partner with Cas.

So you get their weird push-pull power struggle between them, sniping and bitching, mirroring what happens in real-life couples early in the relationship when responsibilities are heavy and scary. It's this swirling mix of "Oh shit, I don't know what to do! And YOU don't know what to do! What do WE DO?!" And "You are such a baby / be careful you idiot / be stronger plz for the love of god"

But yeah.

So... Cas holds himself in the role of an ANGEL, remaining largely invisible throughout the season and trying his best to keep his struggles INVISIBLE too, including the war he's fighting on humanity's behalf. Cas prefers that. From a distance. Emotions are scary af; he even calls them CRIPPLING in Mommy Dearest.

(Aside///Call-forward to Mary’s: "I was trying to make things right. Just from a distance, because... being here with you was too hard. Seeing what I'd done to you and to Sam, I..." /// Mary was ashamed of her deal; And Cas was ashamed of his brothers, of angelicity itself, of what they KEEP doing to humanity.)

Anyway, Dean doesn’t quite know how to handle their strange bond, that longing, that closeness, especially as Cas insists on remaining emotionally and physically distant, trying to handle a war they can't even see.

//

As for Bobby and Cas...

While they have their moments of pushback (Bobby’s explosion in Weekend at Bobby’s, Cas’s barbed sarcasm in Family Matters), and it definitely reveals the strain they’re under...

...it often also works to underscore just how invisible their labor has become to the very people they love.

But while Dean begins to grow up enough to see and name Bobby's sacrifices, his understanding of Cas's struggle is murkier, tangled up in pride, love, and the deep, unspoken hope that Cas will always be strong enough for both of them. (Save-me-save-US-but-let-me-help-you.)

I think the thing I love about it all… is the dualistic (subconscious) desire for Cas to make everything okay versus the worry for Cas not to shoulder these burdens alone. It's SOOOOO! HNNNNNnNNnngg. It's very real.

///

EDIT DISCLAIMER: This wasn't exactly the point of this post (Bobby and Cas feeling misunderstood/underappreciated), but for completionist's sake:

Dean's grief is attenuated by the experience of being a "pseudo-parent," and definitely a caretaker in the context of "cosmic-inflicted illness," and that's a riptide that runs through season 6 in a big way. Dean needs the people he loves to SEE this aspect of his life in order to feel understood.

That's what 12x22 is all about. The thread from season 6 to season 12 is surprisingly thick! That's why this:

prefaces this: BEING SEEN

It's not a question of how fair or unfair it is, or if he "should be" or "shouldn't be" "a parent." It's about those very real efforts being seen and understood by those around him, including the grief and continued sense of responsibility this has wrought under worsening and frankly, incredibly unfair cosmic circumstances.

[castielfucks]

6.04 Weekend at Bobby's

[shirtlesssammy]

Dean Winchester every day -- 108/326

Supernatural 6x04//Weekend At Bobby's

[lovealwayssay]

Getting through season 6 was such a struggle for me. Season 5 is my absolute favorite of any television season ever, so following that up is already a challenge, but something about Sam being so out of character because he's soulless combined with the Campbell family and Dean's whole thing with Lisa and Ben just makes the show drag. I don't dislike the Soulless Sam plot, I just could do without either the Campbell plot or the dragging out of the Lisa and Ben storyline, and the combination of the three is what makes it so hard for me. French Mistake and onwards I really enjoy the season, but getting to that point is so hard.

[spn20rewatch]

Season 6, Episode 4: Weekend at Bobby's (February 6th)

After Bobby discovers Crowley has no intentions of returning his soul, the hunter takes matters into his own hands. -Super-wiki

Originally aired on October 15th, 2010.

Written by Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin. Directed by Jensen Ackles.

Fun fact: This was the first episode directed by Jensen. It was the first filmed in the season to allow Jensen time to prepare over the hiatus.

Enjoy the episode, and tag any posts with #spn20rewatch!

[follows-the-bees]

Weekend at Bobby's aka How Bobby Got His Soul Back is such a pinnacle episode for both S6's plot and characters.

It is one of the rare episodes that doesn't revolve around Sam and Dean. Part of this is because it was the first episode Jensen directed & less screentime helps.

Characters

Many characters are brought front and center this episode.

Jody is brought back and is shown to already be an ally to Bobby and the Winchesters. She tried to help with the FBI agent and also risks her career to save Rufus from jail. Her and their loyalty will just grow stronger as the show goes on.

Rufus is also brought back here and we get to see Bobby with his oldest friend. Their chemistry is unmatched and they should have had more episodes!

Garth is mentioned for the first time.

And of course Crowley. We learn about his past, his name, son, where he's from, as well as that he has been promoted as the King of Hell.

Sam and Dean get their asses handed to them by Bobby because he is right. Sam and Dean can be selfish, I would argue that that is a small theme of the season that leads to the ultimate conflict with Cas at the end.

But mainly we get to see Bobby in his every day element. How many other hunters he helps, always answering the phone, staying up late into the night to help, even breaking into the library. I love this character deep dive of him we get.

Foreshadowing

- Burning of bones. We learn that you can burn a demon's bones. Later used as the reason why Bobby & Sam suspect Cas of betrayal.

- Crowley becoming King of Hell, making him a big bad for further in the season/series

- When Bobby is yelling at Sam and Dean about their selfishness, he mentions how he does everything for them. He is always there to help them when they need it. This same sentiment and words will come out of Cas' mouth later that season when he talks to Dean.

- Did I mention Garth?

Comedy

The amount of dry and dirty jokes in this episode is high. Crowley is just dripping with semi dirty jokes, from the I hope this is paint, to the reason he sells his soul, he is at peak evil villainy. I love it.

WAB offers so much as an episode and it deserves to be in the top episodes of the season.

Camerawork is used to create visual gags, there is even physical comedy with Bobby going through the window.

Sam and Dean are brought into the plot and only really shown through phone calls.

Overall, the style of this episode is different than others and makes it standout.

[aterimber]

Description: The boys try to have a BBQ using Bobby's dinosaur of a grill.⁠ ⁠ Crobby (Implied), Destiel (Implied)⁠ ⁠  Words: 1,057⁠ ⁠ Check out my newest short story on Patreon! ⁠ I post new short stories every 2 weeks on Fridays, have 100+ already posted AND Patreon is now offering 7 Day FREE trials!⁠

(This story is in the same AU as the 10 fic Unlearning Series and takes place some time after the events of the last fic! So, possible spoilers!)

[dark-ethereal-visions]

What did you do this weekend?

[waihtie]

God, please help this to work

Season 6 Episode 4 - Weekend at Bobby's

○ "Bite me" "If that's your thing"

They gotta learn that everytime they say that, Crowley goes for it

○ Crowley tryna get out of giving Bobby's soul back.

Bobby was prepared, but Crowley was more

○ This is just not Bobby's day. Poor baby. I wish we could see more into his daily life like this.

Bobby's just got someone tied up in the basement

(Demon. He wants to know Crowley's real name)

So burning demon's real bones hurts them? That doesn't make sense.

She says Crowley's the King of Hell. When did that happen? How'd that happen? I thought we got to see how that happens?

○ Bobby's daily life is soo interesting

People calling, people showing up to bury bodies in his yard

○ Once again, monsters are being weird

○ Real FBI showing up at Bobby's lol

Jody coming in clutch bc she knows he's got bodies around

○ Rufus knows about Crowley aka Fergus MacLeod's son. And his ring that's in a museum or something so he can summon the son in exchange for his soul

○ Dean's worried that something's wrong with Sam awee. Bobby doesn't have time to listen 😭

Dean's so hurt. And he's passing that hurt back to Bobby

"Sam. Dean. I love you like my own, I do, but..." He's calling them out. Good for him.

○ Rufus is in jail, and Bobby's all stressed about getting him out.

Jody got him out 🩷🩷

○ Woah, Bobby summoned the ghost of Crowley Jr. (Gavin)

He used him to dig up dirt on Crowley

Lmao Crowley sold his soul for "and extra 3 inches below the belt"

"Yeah, well, I was tryna reach the double digits"

Lmao the boys are in Scotland and dug up Crowley's bones. Bobby's playing his cards right for his soul. That ain't easy to get out of.

Lmaoo

○ Awee the boys showing their appreciation to Bobby

No wonder Dean never learnt to deal with and is so uncomfortable with emotions

This episode is so special to me. The boys were barely in it, but it's such a special look into Bobby's life.

[a-vibing-potato]

Weekend at Bobby's is such a cute episode, even more than I thought it would be :) but Bobby deserves all the credit and kudos in the world like my man does everything for everybody, bails everyone out of so much shit, does nothing for himself, and he absolutely deserves the world.

And that cobbler.

[ananke-xiii]

I think the only thing I'll never change my mind about SPN is that I moderately enjoy Bobby (until he's alive at least, after that I wish they had just stopped but no, I was stuck with the ghost of Bobby past and the ghost of Bobby AU forever) but I'll never agree to see him as the "Good Father Figure" that fandom (heavily fuelled by canon, I have to admit, it's not a fanon thing or something like that) makes him out to be. And I say "fandom" because, while it makes sense for the characters to see Bobby as "Good Father", I'm very limited in my understanding as to why people usually don't question this view and take it at face value.

And I blame "Death's Door" for this because, on one hand, the "death is a door/ the door of death" concept is something that I deeply, deeply ADORE so this ep. is just SOOO enjoyable to watch. And, also, the implications that whatever you didn't deal with in life you'll have to deal with in death? This is my jam, LOooOOOoooVE this. Not only do we get to see Bobby's GIGANTIC trauma but we get to see it via him re-living it? Uhm, yes, more of this, thanks.

On the other hand, the bad: side characters' backstories that become really interesting only before they die is a meh for me. I can't make myself like this type of overly-emotional writing cop-out so this is a me-problem. Well, the other thing is also a me-problem, lol: Bobby's death reframes his life as "worthy" because he was "a good father to two heroes" or whatever he says in the episode and to me this is very boring. It shouldn't be, because it's a noble and wonderful thing, I just find it boring precisely because of what the episode has just showed me, i.e. Bobby's HUUUUGE trauma. As far as I see it, you can't explain trauma away like that. It's a very mediocre view of healing from trauma but still understandable from a writing pov because, well, Bobby is a side character and his death his functional to the main characters' story, sadly. But my point is that it could've been so without the resolution of his, I repeat, BIIIIG trauma thanks to him rejecting his own father's accusations by saying that, after all, he did something good with his life and this something was Sam and Dean. I think Bobby should have had his own moment there, face to face with the fictionalized version of his father but should've engaged with him differently. We had 6 seasons of implied parent-child relationship between Bobby and Sam and Dean, this extra glorification wasn't necessary, imo.

It's this over-explanation that bores me and it's also, I think, a huge factor in how lots of people seem to interpret Bobby as this "Good Father" type which he, let's just say it, isn't. And it's totally okay because that's the core of his character! Like, he was a deeply traumatized man who was aware enough of his own issues to decide that having children wasn't for him and this decision caused him (and Karen, his wife) some big problems. And then, and theeeeen, after tragedy hits him again, he finds out that, yk what? perhaps not only does he LIKE being a father, he'd also make, probably, a good father. But he's not. We think he's good because compared to John anything and anyone are better parents than him. The bar is in hell (lol) and all that. And because the show itself can't really imagine what being a good father actually means. Like, in SPN playing baseball and learning how to drive are portrayed as peak father-son moments but they're definitely not. They can be but, per se and without context, they're not, they're just conventionally accepted images of what a "good father" is supposed to do with his son.

It's, of course, way, waaaaaaaaay more complex than this but, essentially, a "good father" is "just" a parent who Loves his children. But, like, the very first STEP you need to take in order to be able to Love your children is to start working toward loving your inner child, which is another way of saying that you have to give yourself the Love you haven't received or, at least, some grace. Which is WEEEERK, loads and loads and loads of it. And this is impossible on Supernatural, duh, because it's the self-loathing people show where the "work" they have to do is something else entirely and it's more like a "job". But they went SOOOO close to get this in "Death's Door", all they had to do was for adult Bobby not to confront his own, imagined father but to hug himself as the scared little child he was. That was it. That would've been a huuuuuuge first step for the show as a whole.

So, to me, Bobby couldn't actually be a "good" father because he hadn't resolved his deep, deeeeeep, immeeense trauma that he brought to his DEATH. But the interesting thing about him is that he could have been a great father. It's the unexplored potentiality that makes him compelling and quite tragic, frankly. I mean, he's "The One Who Tried To Do The Very, Veeeery Minimum At Least" and that's actually already a lot in that show.

This, thiiiiiiiis I like. So this is the Bobby that I moderately enjoy.

[spn-here-we-go-again]

man i love bobby and rufus's friendship so much. just two grumpy men grumping at each other lmao

[thebeautyofspn]

6x04 Weekend At Bobby’s

[staticcas]

whenever i try to coerce someone to watch spn i tell them they only need to watch the first 5 seasons bc thats the big main arc (and i just hope they want more by the time they’re done), but damn if my rewatch hasn’t spelled out the absolute bangers season 6 has — vampire dean! weekend at bobby’s! dog dean! profound bond! soulless sam! the french mistake! cowboy episode!! TMWWBK!!!!! like its bangers all the way down!!!!

[softsophos]

Break #1: Midway through season 6

We're quite enjoying Soulless Sam

Good Cas and good Meg!

My friend says "this season... you can tell they meant to end before this."

Now we're making demon cake! I'll explain when it's in the oven lol