User:Ophois/bobby

http://www.buddytv.com/slideshows/dexter/the-best-drama-supporting-actors-on-tv-16797.aspx

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/05/supernatural-bobby-winchester-jim-beaver-sam-dean.html

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s6/supernatural/tubetalk/a184276/qa-jim-beaver-talks-supernatural.html

http://www.movieweb.com/news/NE64Wc9dthAq8f

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/supernatural-why-we-love-bobby-24399.aspx

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/09/supernatural-kripke-season-5-bobby.html

Characterization

Actor Jim Beaver described Bobby as a "rough but warmhearted" working-class man with the outlook that "sometimes there are things that need to be done and they're not fun to do, but they gotta be done anyway". When the "usually level-headed" hunter is confined to a wheelchair in the fifth season, he becomes "frustrated and angry"; instead of being able to join the battles, he is "stuck at home manning the telephones". This feeling of uselessness eventually leads to thoughts of suicide, though he deems himself too much of a coward to go through with it. On the situation, Beaver commented, "Bobby lives in a world where all kinds of strange things are possible. Somewhere along the line, he has a hope that one of these strange, miraculous things might happen to him. I think he is also a realist. He understands that even when you have friends that come back from the dead, not everything that you want to happen is going to happen.

“ There are fundamental differences between him and John, and as much as the boys clearly love their father in some ways they're more comfortable with Bobby. But everybody has parent baggage, and sometimes your favorite uncle is a more fun parent figure than your real parents. I've always felt that it's a cross between a father figure and an uncle... ” — Beaver discussing the dynamics of Bobby's relationship with the Winchesters

Though Bobby is "fairly content, at least on the surface, to be alone in the world", he slowly comes to be a surrogate father for Sam and Dean. On this relationship, Beaver feels that "Bobby's concerned about them both, with Dean's sense of self, but there's a sort of undercurrent of worry about Sam. Sam seems to have more of the heart of darkness about him than Dean does... I just sense that there's this ongoing watchful eye that Bobby's got on Sam." Although he loves each of them "like a son", Bobby is willing to allow the brothers to put themselves in harm's way if it is absolutely necessary. For example, when Dean wants to detoxify Sam from his addiction to demon blood in "When the Levee Breaks", Bobby instead suggests that Sam give in to his demonic abilities to prevent Lucifer's return, even though the amount of blood required to kill Lilith would "change [him] forever". Beaver noted, "Bobby is old enough that he's fairly clear-headed about what the priorities ought to be. Bobby's position is, more or less, 'if you have a family member with a drinking problem and you want to stage an intervention, you might not want to do it in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.'"

Development

Beaver had previously worked with executive producer Robert Singer on the television series Reasonable Doubts, and Singer gave him the part without viewing his audition tape. The character is named after Singer, though how this came to be is uncertain. Singer himself claimed Kripke secretly slipped the name into the script for "Devil's Trap"; contradicting this was Beaver, who claimed that the surname was not in the script but was rather jokingly added onto a salvage-yard sign—"Singer Auto Parts"—by the set designers. The actor thought his initial appearance would be a "one-shot deal", and was surprised when he was asked to return. Beaver feels that his longevity on the show is due to his chemistry with Ackles and Padalecki.

“ Partly because I know some fun things to do, it's sometimes hard to sit in the chair and fully commit to the unpleasant aspects of it. Wheelchairs weren't invented for people to have fun with, and I try to keep that in mind. As an actor, it's very intriguing. Anything you get to do that's different from your own life is interesting. But I don't take it lightly. ” — Beaver discussing the influence of the wheelchair

During production of the fourth season, Beaver joined the limited series Harper's Island. Although he initially feared that it would prevent future appearances of Bobby, he was able to maintain his Supernatural "quota" with seven episodes. The character's role increased for the fifth season, which made sense for the actor due to the apocalyptic storyline. The season also introduced a new story arc for Bobby: his confine to a wheelchair. Series creator Eric Kripke explained that this was a way to "make the Apocalypse matter"; the writers wanted there to be "real stakes and real loss and real obstacles thrown in our heroes' way" to differentiate it from prior seasons. Though he found it to be a challenge, Beaver enjoyed the experience because he could perform tricks on set that his wheelchair-bound college roommate had taught him. However, the actor did "[take it] very seriously", and commented, "I can get out of the chair at the end of the day and go home and I recognize that, so many people can't and I have to be considerate to them and respect that."

Reception

The character has received universal acclaim from critics. John Kubicek of BuddyTV ranked Beaver fourteenth on his list of the best supporting actors in a drama series from the 2009-2010 TV season, believing that the actor "did his best acting work ever" as Bobby. Likewise, Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune suggested, "May his trucker cap get its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame."

Tina Charles of TV Guide feels that Bobby "totally rocks", and "wouldn't mind him in every [episode]. OK, every other one". She pointed out Beaver's chemistry with Ackles, and wrote, "I have always loved any scene we get that involves [Bobby and Dean] - they're unexpectedly emotional. When Bobby finally realized he wasn't talking to a Dean shapeshifter or revenant [in 'Lazarus Rising'], that this was the real deal, it was just awesome." Charles was surprised by Bobby's paralysis storyline, but became "really interested" in finding out how it would affect him. However, she posited, "The guy's a spitfire...and it probably won't change him much." IGN's Diana Steenbergen also praised Beaver, calling Bobby "a valuable member of the team" that "broadens [the Winchesters'] tight-knit unit, reminding them that there is more to family than just blood ties". She found the actor to be "fantastic as the broken Bobby" in the fifth season, "despondent over his situation and feeling useless". Steenbergen noted, "Bobby has been through a lot this season, and Jim Beaver has done an outstanding job portraying his journey. Not solely a surrogate father figure and keeper of random supernatural knowledge, this season Bobby has run the gamut of sacrifice, loss, anger, and determination to keep fighting." After watching Bobby confess his suicidal thoughts to Dean in "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester", she felt that "Beaver conveys all of Bobby's vulnerability and also the shame that comes from being reprimanded by Dean for wanting to give up".

Jo http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/tv-tracker/2009/nov/20/supernatural-abandon-all-hope-really/

Criticism

Despite universal praise of Bobby by critics, Beaver commented on his blog that a minority of fans dislike the character. Don Williams of BuddyTV, however, defended him—he believes Bobby to be the show's "most important recurring guest star"—and noted that "people will complain about anything". In is response to the criticism—an article entitled "Why We Love Bobby Singer"—Williams wrote, "I think it's a shame when people like Jim Beaver or Eric Kripke have to step forward to address this vocal minority, especially when the minority is just a handful of people gathering at a certain TV website that's known for being snarky and negative about everything. The complaints of these supposed fans aren't even worth addressing, in my opinion."