by Bob Teoh
via tvequals.com
Bobby, Dean and Sam’s dead mentor, officially returns as a ghost in this week’s episode of “Supernatural.” Once again, the series takes a break from its major story arc and returns to its roots by giving audiences a truly old-fashioned ghost mystery.
The Winchester brothers arrive at a haunted house after fellow hunter Annie disappears without leaving a clue. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Bobby has remained on Earth to assist the boys as a ghost. Through his eyes, we see a house full of ancient ghosts who appear to be trapped in the house by some mysterious force. Of course, the brothers cannot physically see any of these ghosts, leaving Bobby, who tries desperately to help them, extremely frustrated.
Bobby finds Annie, who has already been killed and turned into a ghost, trapped in the house. The two try to investigate the mysterious force in order to warn Dean and Sam. To do so, in a clear reference to the 1990 movie “Ghost,” the pair learns how to influence physical objects in the real world.
The two ghosts discover that the evil owner of the house has been trapping ghosts and killing teenagers in order to drain their power. They successfully warn the boys, and the ghost is vanquished.
After the case closes, the boys finally see Bobby, who manages to physically materialize before them. To his surprise, they have mixed feeling about having him back. Though they are happy at having him back, they are disappointed that he defied the natural order just to be with them. As the episode ends, Dean solemnly asks, “What do you think are the chances this will not end well?”
Though Bobby’s return is very emotional, I’m glad the writers did not stop the action just to have a teary reunion. The traditional ghost/monsters episodes remain some of the strongest episodes of the season, while the Leviathan story arc seems to be quickly running out of steam. Taking the easy route is a choice a hunter never can take, and Bobby gives up his eternal peace to prove that.
The Winchester brothers are obviously troubled by his newfound situation, and it will be interesting to see whether or not Dean will exorcise his own mentor. Overall, this was a very solid episode that brought new dimensions to a series in its seventh season.
Bob Teoh is a staff writer. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.
