if we're entering the last act, which is the hypothetical plan, Bobby is more valuable dead than alive.

So, he's the Mercutio of the piece, then? (Except instead of "a plague on both your houses," we get a heartfelt "idjits," I suppose.)

In other news, Perkins is evil. EVIL.

What? I didn't make you read the whitefont.

So, he's the Mercutio of the piece, then? (Except instead of "a plague on both your houses," we get a heartfelt "idjits," I suppose.)

One of their Mercutio Chorus! Which, at this point, they kind of have enough for. The Winchesters burn through allies like whoa.

One of their Mercutio Chorus! Which, at this point, they kind of have enough for.

True. Pamela fits the role a little too well.

(Trying to think if there's a better Shakespearean counterpart for Bobby...)

On a different topic, I'm still mulling over Castiel's new attitude towards Dean. Given how paranoid he was about being overheard while in the relative privacy of Dean's dream*, were we really seeing the genuine result of some heavenly re-programming, or was that a case of Castiel trying to keep Dean at a safe distance?

* I found it heartbreaking that Dean was dreaming of peacefully doing not much of anything.

(Except instead of "a plague on both your houses," we get a heartfelt "idjits," I suppose.)

Hee!

A flistie mentioned that Dean's dream of fishing came after finding out that John took Adam fishing. Fishing never seemed the kind of thing Dean would be interested in--unless it was The Deadliest Catch sort of thing.

Oh that is an awesome thought Bev. It would also be a way to show that they lost a brother they never knew they had and even though they naturally won't talk about it, it did have some effect.

Also...

Plei and Perkins are Evil and so is Anne for her alternative version. Jilli is the only one who speaks the truth.

Remember the Friends episode where Joey was reading Little Women and they would put the book in the freezer when it would get to a part that was upsetting him like Beth's death? I wonder if I can just tape the next two weeks and put the tivo in the freezer?

For the sake of the narrative, I completely understand why Bobby's death is necessary. I really do. I just don't WANT it to happen.

Also, yes, Perkins is evil like an evil thing.

Okay, since I brought up Bobby's death: I see Bobby's death as narratively necessary because at the end of every season the Winchesters have to lose something.

S1: John died (Dean told he might have to kill Sam)

S2: Sam died (Dean made the deal with Lilith)

S3: Dean died (Sam started working with Ruby)

What's left to lose but Bobby? You can't kill either one of the boys again with the same emotional impact. But if Bobby dies, he's not coming back: that might be one of the things Adam's death told us. In the end, it's only going to be Sam and Dean.

Which also plays into the whole coming-of-age theme of the show: they have to learn to stand on their own, do their own work, make their own choices--so long as Bobby's there fixing things for them, they're not full adults under the terms of the narrative.

Additionally, if they're really playing out this addiction storyline for Sam, he's not yet at the point of agreeing that the cost of the addiction is too high compared to what he's getting out of it. In other words, he's not going to agree to go off the stuff, not without going further down, hitting bottom. And he's going to be feeling utterly betrayed by Dean and Bobby.

So one way to have Sam hit bottom is to have him kill someone who matters (i.e., not the nameless possession victim he murdered last week), and as above, it can't be Dean. Who's left but Bobby? It doesn't have to be on purpose, could be kind of accidental, but I think that's what is going to happen.

Anyway. That's my thinking. I don't want to see Bobby die, but more and more I'm not seeing any way out of it.

I don't know, just looking at that list, going John dies -> Sam dies -> Dean dies -> Bobby dies seems like stepping down the emotional impact.

Not to say that's not where there going, but it doesn't seem that compelling to me.