Supernatural 5.07

"The Curious Case of Dean Winchester" should probably be renamed "The Heartbreaking Circumstance of Bobby Singer", but then there would be no movie tie-in.

What is billed as a Dean-heavy episode is actually a clever cover for the trauma that our beloved Bobby Singer is going through. This go-to guy, this lover of knowledge and hunter of skill, this dependable, warm teddy-bear of a man, is now jailed by cold metal and wheels. Paralyzed from the waist down, he no longer feels like a go-to guy, or a go-anywhere guy. As a result, this "curious case" has Bobby placing bets with a centuries old he-witch, trying to gamble back his better years. One would assume his better years would mean getting out of that chair. I wonder what Bobby would think as a younger man, still paralyzed. He loses the wager, and must sacrifice twenty-five years. Dean gambles them back for Bobby, only to lose more years himself.

Enter Chad Everett, whose portrayal of older Dean Winchester is a pure delight to see. From the John McCain jokes to Grumpy Old Men, to heartburn and creaky joints and a lack of stamina (though no lack of libido), poor Dean must come to terms with the fact that growing older isn't a piece of pie. It's humorous, and yet at the same time extremely sobering to watch.

The sobering reason probably isn't due to a portion of the viewing audience staring down this barrel, waiting for the signs of aging to hit them. Or maybe it is. But imagine seeing the signs of aging when one is alone, and trapped in a wheelchair. I think Bobby takes it rather well, especially when rejuvenated Dean comes out, jumping and clicking his heels.

This episode brings to light what Bobby had to be thinking to himself those days in the hospital, and during the subsequent days in his house while sitting in his chair. What next? Should they survive the apocalypse, what will happen to him? Daily tasks are probably hard enough. What will this man do when he grows older? What does his future hold? While watching Dean come to terms with regular old age, but still able to function normally, he has to feel more resentment than he's ever felt before. For the viewer, this episode is a stark representation of Bobby's innermost thoughts.

It isn't that he feels useless. Bobby is a learning machine. His contributions aren't a result of running after monsters, though he has been known to save Sam and Dean a time or two. His contribution is through his books, his catalog of knowledge, his ability to pull out that archaic bit of information when it is needed. This can all be achieved from a chair. No, what Bobby is experiencing, is pure fear. He is afraid no one will care for him as he ages. Hunters are notoriously self-sufficient. He can picture himself growing old alone, but not alone and in a wheelchair.

What Dean says to him at the end, Bobby needs to hear. He doesn't need to know that he's not useless. He needs to know that he's not forgotten, that someone is willing to help him, and that someone will continue to care for him. He needs hope. And Dean gives him that hope, just as Bobby had given it to him two years earlier.

That's what families do.