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Recap of Supernatural
Season 7, Episode 10
Death's Door
Written by Sera Gamble.
Directed by Bob Singer.
Air Date: December 2, 2011.
Comatose after a gunshot wound to the head, Bobby asks Rufus for help dealing with a Reaper. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean struggle to deal with Bobby's impending death.
Body Count:
For this episode = 1 human.
For the series so far = At least 769 humans (of which 6 were witches), 89 demons, 55 angels, 36 ghosts, 36 Jefferson Starships, 26 vampires, 19 zombies, 14 gods, 9 hellhounds, 7 skinwalkers, 6 changelings, 5 shapeshifters, 4 ghouls, 3 djinn, 2 Arachnes, 2 dogs, 2 kitsunes, 2 werewolves, 1 crocotta, 1 dragon, 1 fairy, 1 Khan worm, 1 lamia, 1 Leviathan, the Mother of All, 1 okami, 1 phoenix, 1 Purgatory creature, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 reaper, 1 rugaru, 1 shtriga, 1 siren, 1 wendigo, 1 whore of Babylon, and 1 wraith.
Tropes
- Abusive Parents: Bobby's father.
- The Alcoholic: Bobby's father.
- Almost Dead Guy: Bobby wakes up just long enough to write the information he learned from Dick's files.
- Artistic License – Medicine:
- An MRI is displayed next to Bobby's bed with a T2 image and a dark track ending in a bullet shaped object in his left frontal lobe. This is clearly a manipulated unrealistic image with no evidence of bleeding, metallic artifact from the bullet, or the swelling, which the physician cautioned Dean about. But more to the point, it would be extremely dangerous to do an MRI on a person who has a bullet in his brain. The 'M' in MRI stand for the very large magnet which one has to enter to get an MRI. Any ferrous metal can heat up and be moved by the magnet
, and Bobby could have been killed by undergoing an MRI. - The MRI is displayed backwards with the left brain on the left side of the screen. The convention is to have the images appear as if you were looking at the person, so the left side of the brain is displayed on the right side.
- Even if someone in a coma is breathing on his own, the endotracheal tube would not be removed as the person is unable to protect his airway.
- An MRI is displayed next to Bobby's bed with a T2 image and a dark track ending in a bullet shaped object in his left frontal lobe. This is clearly a manipulated unrealistic image with no evidence of bleeding, metallic artifact from the bullet, or the swelling, which the physician cautioned Dean about. But more to the point, it would be extremely dangerous to do an MRI on a person who has a bullet in his brain. The 'M' in MRI stand for the very large magnet which one has to enter to get an MRI. Any ferrous metal can heat up and be moved by the magnet
- Badass Boast: Dean dares Roman to kill him in front of witnesses. Then he says he's coming to kill Roman himself, and if Dick finds this idea amusing, it's because he's Too Dumb to Live.
- Battle in the Center of the Mind: Bobby attempts to escape his Reaper through his memories.
- Blank Book: Type 1.
- Call-Back: Bobby's first memory is a scene from the previous episode. However Clip Show is averted, as Bobby quickly realises it's a memory.
- Calling the Old Man Out: "I was a kid! Kids ain't supposed to be grateful. They're supposed to eat your food and break your heart, you selfish dick!"
- "Cavemen vs. Astronauts" Debate: One of Bobby's memories has Dean and Sam argue over who is the bigger badass, Chuck Norris or Jet Li. They later argue about which snack foods are better; Dean loves licorice, Sam doesn't.
- Children Forced to Kill: Bobby fatally shoots his father after seeing him threaten his mother.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends before we see whether Bobby decides to stay or go.
- Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: Lampshaded by Bobby. Even though he saved his mother's life, she is still mad at him.
- Continuity Nod:
- After Sam gets in an argument with Dean, Sam sits down in a chair in the waiting room and rubs his hand in the same way he started to do in "Hello, Cruel World" (S07, E02).
- Dean also mentions John's death.
- Dead Person Conversation: Kind of. Rufus is more of a memory than a ghost.
- A Death in the Limelight: Bobby
- The Dog Bites Back: Bobby's worst memory is the night he shot and killed his abusive father.
- Do Not Go Gentle: Bobby puts every bit of willpower he has towards staying alive.
- Dying Dream: The episode revolves around Bobby's
- Empathic Environment: The newspaper being read by Bobby's father has an article headline: The Past is Best Left in the Past.
- Evil Gloating: Dick Roman stops in his limo outside the hospital.
- Flashback: Bobby goes through his own darkest memories to try and evade his Reaper.
- Flatline: Followed by Slow Motion
- Freudian Excuse: Bobby was so disturbed by his father's abuse that he attributes that to the reason he never wanted to have children himself, even as he acknowledges that Dean and Sam are basically his adopted sons.
- Happy Flashback: But it quickly changes to Troubled Backstory Flashback.
- Hope Spot: Bobby wakes up and delivers the crucial information to the Winchesters, only to Flatline.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Bobby to his younger self, after he shoots his father.
- Irony:
- Bobby dies from a gunshot in the head, just like his father. Bobby's Reaper lampshaded the irony.
- The Leviathan leader choosing to look like a celebrity like Dick Roman bite him in the ass, as he's unable to kill Dean without attracting bystanders who recognize him.
- It's Personal: Now, Dean swears to kill Dick after what he did to Bobby.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Bobby's Reaper is a dick, but he really is just trying to help.
- Jump Scare: Lampshaded
- Kill It with Fire: Bobby burns the ghost's bone with a blowtorch.
- Like Father, Like Son: Bobby is afraid of becoming his father. Both Bobby and his father die from a gunshot wound in the right forehead. Bobby's Reaper lampshades it: "You got the only genetic case of bullet-in-the-brain I've ever seen".
- My Life Flashed Before My Eyes: The episode revolves around this happening to Bobby.
- Near-Death Experience: The episode revolves around Bobby having one after being shot in the head.
- Only a Flesh Wound: Averted. The seriousness of even one bullet to the brain is emphasized several times.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The Winchesters panicking after they realise Bobby has been shot.
- Parental Substitute: We see Bobby be more of a father to Dean than John, taking Dean out to have fun and toss a ball around instead of shooting double-barrels. We see Bobby arguing with John about allowing Dean and Sam to act like kids instead of shooting guns (implied to be the reason why Bobby threatened John with a shotgun long ago). Later he refers to Dean and Sam as his adopted children.
- Patricide: Bobby turns out to be a character who has killed his own father.
- Punch a Wall: Dean punches a window just next to the head of the man who asks him about organ donation, breaking the glass covering a sign and bloodying his fist.
- Self-Made Orphan: Bobby killed his own abusive father when he was a child.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Bobby to his Dad's "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
- Slow-Motion Drop: The glass of milk.
- Turn Out Like His Father: Why Bobby never wanted kids.
- The Unreveal: What decision did Bobby make? Move on to the afterlife, or stay as a ghost to watch over the Winchesters?
- Villain with Good Publicity: Subverted; the moment Dick Roman winds down his window, bystanders recognise him and start filming the famous entrepreneur with their cellphones. Dean dares Dick to kill him under those circumstances.
- We Have to Get the Bullet Out!: It is unclear why they would take Bobby to remove the bullet if he is actually appearing more responsive.
- Wham Episode: Bobby dies.
