The Winchester Family Business

Best one yet this season. I'm so happy to have an episode from Bobby's perspective. The Kenny Rogers musical montage - Friggin' EXCELLENT!! I love Kenny Rogers. 'Balls' everywhere and then a mirrored statement from Crowley, 'Bullocks'. That was perfect. I loved seeing all of the relationships that Bobby has outside of the boys. The hot to trot neighbor (I had fingers crossed for Bobby. Damn, maybe the next neighbor), his friendship with the Sheriff and Rufus, the head to head w/ Crowley and the other crossroads demon. Nice addition to the mythology, the burning of the bones. Dang what didn't I like? I can't really think of anything right now. The commercials? yeah, didn't care for those.
Really, really loved Bobby chewing the boys out scene, including Dean's bearing his soul like a girl part. I do love vulnerable Dean. But, there's not a one of those guys (including Bobby) that know how to say please, thank you and help me without being cued.
You'd never know that this was Jensen's first go-round as director. I was so very impressed and actually had to keep reminding myself that it was him calling the shots. I'm sure Kim would be proud. aww, now I'm gonna tear up.

I didn't really like the last Bobby episode that much...but I LOVED this. I loved how we finally got to see what Bobby does in between Winchester calls. I loved how hilarious Jim Beaver is when he gets the chance. I loved the continuity of Dean hating airplanes and when he was driving on the left side of the road I laughed out loud! I loved how Bobby just wanted the damn cobbler, how he answered like sixty telephone calls for a whole bunch of people, not just Sam and Dean... "how are you still alive?!" I love how Bobby was clever and I love how we were totally unaware of how obnoxious Sam and Dean were to him until he pointed it out... "You're so selfish...it's not all about you, you know." And then the talking to. So much speakerphone in this episode! I loved what Crowley sold his soul for. ; ) Embarrassing! And the image of Bobby in a claw thing...so gratifying! "I have a body in the basement." "Well there you go!" "I have another one buried outside!"

I cheered in delight when Jensen's name came up as director, and then I completely forgot about it because it was perfect. Only a couple times when I appreciated a shot did I remember. Could he be a little more flawless? : )

This episode was nothing short of perfect. I am a huge Jensen(DEAN) fan and he is an amazing actor. But i will tell you his directing is over the top. They could not have given him a better script and the whole Gambler(montage ) was awesome. As a country music fan i was in heaven and the song was perfect as a theme for bobby. Jim Beaver is an amazing actor and this why all the other shows want him and that is why he is not a series regular on Supernatural. I cannot say enough about the rest of the cast. this episode will be raved about by everyone as the best of the season.

I truly love this show.

I admit I know NOTHING about directorial tricks but I thought this was a really great episode.

Dear Bobby, fair play to you, dude. You rock, a lot. This is the real life of a hunter. The hours of toil and mind numbing research. It’s not all just driving into a town, stake in hand, looking sexy, y’know.

And Marci? Bobby, she seemed really nice (and she dug you...) If she can put aside the woodchipped Lamia body you showered her with, she might be a keeper... (nah, not really)

Rufus, you’ve just moved up like 17 spaces on my ‘awesome’ list. You are so making it up as you go along. ‘I’m swallowing it...’ And you have a little smig!

Bobby and Rufus together are like the Donkey and Shrek of Supernatural, the banter between them is hilarious and there’s nothing they wouldn’t do for each other (except hold a recently um... evacuated ring, obviously)

You know the way a true friend is someone who, when you tell them you killed a person, shows up at your house with two shovels? It’s nice to see that Bobby has true friends outside of the Winchesters.

I love how every second sentence out of Crowleys mouth is some sort of sexual innuendo. He has a comeback for everything. ‘Just trying to hit double digits!’ Crowley, you dirty demon, you!

I’ve now scrapped everything I had on my ‘things I’d like to see on SPN' list and replaced them with just one. I want to hear Sam and Dean speak with a Scottish (or Northern Ireland) accent. Just once.

‘A deals a deal.’ Um, what? Sam, did you make a deal? Sammy, DID YOU MAKE A FECKING DEAL??

I tried to pay attention to the directing, but there was too much stuff going on! I would never have guessed it was a novice director. That means Jensen was doin it right. I loved that Bobby got a great ep, after all the criticism about his character last year. Now we know how he built the panic room so fast, he doesn't sleep!

As someone who works in the film industry I was really looking forward to seeing what Jensen would do as a director. The highest compliment I can pay is that when I watched the ep I completely forgot to analyze it because I was having too much fun just watching. I thought it was a great episode. Many of my favorite characters and lots of laughs. It will definitely be on the heavy rotation list. I'm sure get around to dissecting it eventually but I can already say he did a masterful job.

Loved it.

I know little about directing, but I second the commenters above who were amazed that an episode without Sam and Dean captivated me (The Rapture and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid were really uninteresting to me when the Winchesters were not around). And I agree with Ashke that the highest compliment I can pay this first-time director was that I forgot about the directing a few minutes in because it was such a good ride!

Loved the story - kept thinking, 'now it is going to end, it’s already had to much good stuff in it’, but it kept getting better. The only thing that jarred was Dean saying 'you are selfish, it's not all about you, you know'. I think his affront at not being listened to rang true and I think Bobby's chewing them BOTH out together was brilliant, I just do not think that Dean would have said that to Bobby in that way. But, a small quibble in an overall phenomenal episode.

Over the course of the series I have wavered on Bobby. I think Jim Beaver is fantastic, but Bobby sometimes has, to me, been a caricature of himself and some of the rants have come off as forced, out of place and just yelling because Bobby is supposed to play the grumpy all man (e.g. the 'boohoo' speech which I thought was a load of rubbish).

Same with Crowley. I think Mark Sheppard is brilliant as well, but sometimes Crowley's one-liners SOUND like one-liners you know? Rather than spontaneous clever quips in a real conversation between real people. Stuff like that snaps you out the journey you are on living a story, and reminds you that these are actors speaking scripted lines on a television show. Which is surely the opposite of what is intended.

Reminds me of the ‘appalling one-liner’ gold standard of Arnie stabbing someone in (I think?) Predator and then saying 'Stick around'. But this episode, Crowley was real, flawed, snarky, but likeable. And even a little pathetic when he gathered up his bones at the end. The height contrast between him and the guys as he moved past them in that last graveyard shot served to emphasize the whole ‘sad little man in real life’ angle. If that was a Jensen choice of shot, kudos to you sir.

I thought Rufus went from flat to a rounded character in this episode and the Sheriff was really likeable as well. The timing of Rufus in the scene where he swallowed the ring was great. And the neighbour was really well cast and did a good job. Sad to see Bobby alone again at the end. But it all felt like the Supernatural universe as a whole was rounding itself out and settling in nicely.

This episode was practically perfect in every way. Even Kenny Rogers! I agree with Alice. How can Dabb and Loflin write Dark Side of the Moon and Weekend at Bobby's, and then turn around and write Hammer of the Gods? Talk about the sublime to the gorblimey. Perhaps the metaphorical equivalent to lithium is in order?

Jim Beaver. Stellar work, no overacting in sight. Just pure class. Kudos, sir.

And Jensen Ackles. As always, sir, you rock. Seriously impressed. I was hoping it would be good. You blew me away. Oh me of little faith. You are a scarily talented guy, you look the way you look and then you do not even have the decency to be anything less than an amazingly charming, kind, funny human being! Some people might call that ‘not sharing’ or ‘greedy’ (I mean, come on. You even have a beautiful voice). I, however, like to think of you as the universe’s way of balancing out having to put up with Sarah Palin and Tony Blair (please feel free to substitute a talent-free, charm-free person of your own choosing).

But, as for the episode?

Loved it.

My Show is back ! Really, the first three episodes appeared like they didn't know it's Supernatural. And now this one - so little Sam & Dean, but so much Supernatural!
I simply loved, loved the story!! So much happened in 40 minutes!
Loved to learn so much about Bobby - it was about time, wasn't it? Kudos to Jim Beaver, one of the best actors in the universe!
And to Jensen, wow, he's so talented! Good job!
I liked Rufus and sheriff Mills before, but now I like them even better. Good job there, too!

All in all, a perfect Supernatural episode. Thank you!

Sam has changed, hasn't he? :cry::