The WFB Admins’ Top 15 “Supernatural” Episodes List: #7
Ardeospina’s #7:
“Weekend At Bobby’s”
Why: Remember when I said “Dark Side of the Moon” was Dabb and Loflin’s best combined effort? I lied. I forgot they wrote this episode! And honestly, do I really have to explain why it’s so good? I mean, BOBBY! BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come back to us, Bobby. I miss you so. I want to write a stern note to everyone who thought killing him off would be a good idea. A stern note!
The glimpse into Bobby’s daily life apart from the Winchesters was just inspiring. He mans the phones, does tons of research, traps Crowley in an awesomesauce Devil’s Trap to try and get his soul back, he burns a demon’s bones to kill her for good (and oh, I wish this would come into play again) he tries to brush off a flirty neighbor, who adorably brings him peach cobbler, he grumbles with Rufus, saves Marcy from an Okami by running it through a wood chipper, and sends Sam and Dean to Scotland to get Crowley’s bones! I’m sorry, Fergus MacLeod. AND he lays into Sam and Dean about being selfish sometimes, which, if we’re honest, they needed to hear. They do sometimes act like the world revolves around them. Which is understandable when, you know, the fate of the world has revolved around them. Still, no one takes Bobby for granted!
This episode was the perfect showcase for Jim Beaver, who is such an actor, I can’t even express how amazing he is. He’s incredible. If you haven’t already, go watch “Deadwood” and try not to fall in love with his character. It can’t be done! Jim is incredible in everything he’s in, and he’s the kind of actor that makes everyone around him better. He’s a treasure. I’m so, so pleased he got this episode to show everyone how it’s done.
And let’s not forget that this was Jensen Ackles’ directing debut, as well. He did a fantastic job, really nailed it his first time out of the gate. I think the highest compliment is to say this looked like any other episode of “Supernatural,” which is always well-directed and gorgeous to look at. High marks all around.
Favorite quote: there are a lot of good lines in this episode, so I’m not even going to try and pick just one.
Rufus: So you just happened to have a bamboo dagger blessed by a Shinto priest laying around?
Bobby: Woodchipper.
Rufus: Oh, okie dokie. Woodchipper. That pretty much trumps… everything.
Bobby: BALLS!
Crowley: It feels good to get that off my chest. We should make this a thing.
Bobby: Do I look like Dr. Phil to you?
Crowley: A little.
Dean: Did you really used to wear a skirt?
Crowley: A kilt. I had very athletic calves. (My husband is fond of kilts, so I loved this line!)
Favorite scene: I’m gonna go with the montage of Bobby trying to research, but his car breaks down, the library is closed, he falls through the window. It was hilarious, and really great physical comedy acting from Jim Beaver.
(On Page 3, sweetondean’s #7)
sweetondean-Hee, looks like I became a fan just a few short months after you did, on Thursday, August 10 2006 (Yes, I know the exact date, too which I came across randomly one day while looking at something unrelated).
I watched most of season 2 before I got to go back and watch season1, but I love that scene where they shove each other in the library. They just really look like brothers. In just that scene, you could believe they grew up together, so when I found out Jared and Jensen hadn’t even met before the show, I was even more impressed.
Oh, man I so want the series to end that way too, except I want to it go a little further, they slam the trunk, get in the car, turn on the music and drive off into the sunset.
P.S. Still enjoying all the picks!
I think you girls are doing a great job of selecting your top 15 episodes… I made my short-list today and I’m currently sitting on 43 episodes, so I’ve got a bit of work to do before I can whittle it down to my top 15. In the meantime I’ll keep enjoying reading your selections.
I’m really glad that you picked ‘The Pilot’ sweetondean because I would also include that in my top 10… it never ceases to amaze me when I re-watch it just how many things from that episode have become so iconic over the years including those two quotes you mentioned: ‘Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole’ and ‘No chick flick moments’. I really love it!
Totally agree with those picks… almost…
Weekend at Bobby´s is ne of my alltime favorites and one of those, I can watch over and over again. And again for good measure. Because it´s just that good and Bobby is just THAT awesome.
The Pilot is not. I´m doing a rewatch right now and had to laugh out loud at the boy´s acting in the scene at Sam´s dorm room… talk about awkward.
The episode itself is not bad, but not the big moment it´s for others.
Pilot with me is replaced by Wendigo and Dead in the Water.
I love those episodes to pieces! Wendigo has absolutely awesome moments between the brothers and Dead in the Water… Dean and the kid and Sam´s expression in the background.. man it breaks my heart everytime!
Ardeo, I’m so glad you picked “Weekend at Bobby’s”, what a great episode. I love Jim Beaver, he elevates every scene that he’s in, and this was a full Bobby episode, I was so stoked. 😆 My favourite scene was the montage of him doing research with Kris Kristofferson playing in the background. No wonder the boys always got great information, look at the time spent on it! Bring Bobby back!!!
And Sweetondean, thanks for putting the “Pilot” on your top 10, it certainly is on mine. I got myself a t-shirt with the quote “Diver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole”, cause that’s exactly how I feel when I got Zeppelin cracked up and my passenger asks me to turn it down. No friggin way! 😉 My favourite scene from the episode is the beginning when Dean creeps in and he & Sam get into a fight. Everything was perfect, and the fact that they repeated that exact same scene in “What Is and What Should Never Be” just brings it full circle.
The pilot was definitely a good one, and I can see why it would earn a spot for introducing an amazing show. For me, not even on my top 30, but it is a more a testament to the quality of the episodes that beat it. 🙂
In fact, no episodes from the first season made it on my list, but I must say that I do miss having scary episodes once in a while. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that as the show goes on, there is less of the atmospheric spookiness that the first few seasons offered. Even into the fourth and fifth, Lucifer and Lilith and the demons were still a bit frightening. Don’t get me wrong, I think the show is improved in countless other ways, but I would love to see one or two episodes a season that had a more unknown, suspenseful atmosphere. You wouldn’t know that looking at my top 15 list, which heavily favors the humorous episodes, but I do miss the chills too!
Coming in at #7, I got “Monster Movie”. This is one of those episodes that I didn’t love the first time I watched it, because it occurs so early in season four. At that point, I was hooked on the mythology and on the edge of my seat to get more, so I was a little impatient for an episode that didn’t reveal much in that sense. Now, each I watch it, I love it a little more! It’s so unique and so well done – Todd Stashwick was an excellent Dracula. And like someone said, it’s zany! I love zany!
“Tell me… Is there garlic on this pizza?” – Dracula
“The Pilot” is also in my top five, sweetondean. So thanks for that one.
In fact, every episode in season one is in my top five with the exception of only 3, and they are in my top ten. As you can guess, I’m loving season one. Love the spooky plots that we don’t see much of any more, and the young brothers? Love the shoving and the snark and the cocky Dean and moralistic Sammy and his disapprovals. Can’t get enough of “those” boys!
And, sweetondean, I agree with your wish for the finale of the last episode. I want them alive, together, and jonesing for the hunt. Back to the “Saving people, hunting things, the family business”, which has gotten lost among the “saving the whole world” for the last 3 or 4 years. When they would exorcise demons without killing the hosts, and really regret it when that was not possible.
Don’t get me wrong. Still love those awesome brothers and always will, but a little of that “Saving people” could go a long ways about now. :-*
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Don’t get me wrong. Still love those awesome brothers and always will, but a little of that “Saving people” could go a long ways about now. :-*
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I agree with you there! They kill so easily now… I’m hoping that gets brought up and resolved. Saving people is part of the family business, too, and they should try a little harder to do so!
Thanks again, ladies. Loved all these episodes too – and hey the Pilot is even in my top 15 – so yes, finally starting to match up with you all. I have the Pilot as number 1 because it totally hooked me. The chemistry was there between the brothers right off the bat, and it was beautifully directed. The silhouette scene where they are fighting in Sam’s kitchen is gorgeous.
Oh, I do love the pilot episode! This is the introduction to the greatest story every told.
I would have put the pilot in the top 5 but #7 is close enough. The entire episode encompasses 22 years in a mere 43 minutes. You learn and understand the dynamics of these brothers and their dysFUNctional family.
I love the total look of defiance on Sam’s face while standing next to Jess, when he says, “No what every you want to say you can say in front of her”, but once Deans says” Dad is on a hunting trip and has not been home in a few days” everything changes.
The look on Sam’s face and then “Jess excuse us we have to go outside”. As badly as Sam does not want to help find Dad, Dean is able to talk him into. “In almost 2 years I have never bothered you or asked you for a thing” OMG for some reason this line kills me
The fight on the bridge,explains why Sam wanted out, he does not even remember what mom looks like, and no matter what they do it will never bring her back. Dean on the other hand does remember Mom and will do what ever it takes to find out who/what killed her.
The motel room “No Chick Flick Moments” (Dude 5-0 take off), the fake 911 call…if you screwed up my car I am going to kill you. This episode has some of the most memorable lines in the history of the show, Driver picks the music… and lets not forget Sammy is a chubby 12 year old, it’s Sam. (I am 51 and my family still calls me by a nickname by Dad gave me when I was 2, I feel your pain Sammy 😀 )
At the end when Dean drops Sam back at Stanford and tells him they made a good team. Sam agrees and says maybe we can hook up later. This goes against everything Sam said in the beginning “he wants out”, but because Dean asked he is willing to help when necessary.
The expressions on their faces when Dean pulls away is very touching. This is also the beginning of “Dean to the rescue”.
We get to see the emotional side of Dean when he looks at Sam (after Jess is dead) while they are at the trunk of the car and Sam is loading a shot gun and is crying. You don’t know who to feel sorrier for Sam or Dean at that moment.
Love this episode!
Monster at the end of the book is like my all time top 5 fav!! It was truly a genius idea to have Chuck the Prophet on the show!