There are so many greatSupernaturalepisodes out there that manage to tug at the heartstrings, but there’s only one episode thatJensen Acklesdeemed his absolute favorite. Considering that the show ran for 15 seasons and 327 episodes, there’s no shortage of Winchester hunts to choose from. But Ackles' favorite episode, Season 7’s “Death’s Door,” is easily the series' toughest hour — and having watched it live back in the day, I can fully understand why the actor would choose this haunting hour as his favorite. In case you may have forgotten (and how could you?), this is the episode where Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) dies, and the show never got sadder.
Jensen Ackles Thought “Death Door” Was ‘Supernatural’s Finest Hour
While we know thatJensen Ackles’ favorite scarySupernaturalepisode is “The Benders,“his actual favorite is a bit more emotional. According to an article byEntertainment Weekly,Ackles named Season 7’s “Death’s Door” as his favorite of the series, and it’s not hard to see why. There are plenty ofgut-wrenching episodes ofSupernaturalto choose from, but this is by far the show’s most emotionally gripping. It’s here that Bobby Singer bites the bullet. After being shot in the noggin by Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart), Bobby goes on a spiritual mind-quest as he tries desperately to escape the reaper on his trail. As he does, he and his own mental companion, Rufus Turner (Steven Williams), recount some of Bobby’s worst memories, culminating in a triumphant standoff against his father where Bobby takes ownership of the Winchester boys as his sons. In the end, he dies, but not before seeing Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Ackles) — who are basically side characters in this episode, but still quite dynamic to watch as they wrestle with the circumstances — one last time.
Of course, Bobby returns later that season as a ghost, but"Death’s Door” is an intimate and intenseSupernaturalhour that emphasizes all the reasons we love the character. For all intents and purposes, this was the last time we saw Bobby Singer as he was originally on the show, and his death marked a drastic turn in the way the series functioned. The whole episode, we know exactly how it’s going to end even as we hopelessly hope for the alternative. In fact, I remember watching it live and wishing thatSupernaturalwasn’t going to kill Bobby off. The problem was, I could see the writing on the wall. Season 7 was trying to rebrand the show, and that sealed Bobby’s fate. It’s no wonder that this episode is Ackles' favorite, because it reminded Sam and Dean that even though theirbiological father was emotionally distant and borderline abusive, their surrogate father was always there — at least, until he wasn’t.
“Death’s Door” Is an Earnest, Eleventh-Hour Exploration of Bobby Singer
What really makes an episode like “Death’s Door” worthwhile is the dynamic performances by its stars. Jim Beaver acts his chops off here, leading the charge for the second time afterthe previous season’s “Weekend at Bobby’s.“For years, Bobby had been in the Winchesters' corner as their not-so-plucky sidekick and surrogate father (“Family don’t end in blood”), but it’s in an episode like this that we really get to see what Beaver can do with the character on a deeper, less comedic level. What I especially love about Beaver’s performance here is the wayhe buries Bobby’s fear of death with determination as he fights to give Sam and Dean the final edge they need to defeat Roman and the Leviathans. Of course, we also have the pleasure ofseeing Bobby confront his past mistakes and childhood trauma, which add eleventh-hour layers to the character that make his demise all the more tragic. It’s such an impressive display that I couldn’t help but crave more Bobby-centric episodes. Unfortunately, that ship sailed long ago.
This isn’t to say that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles don’t give it their all here either. Despite the fact that Sam and Dean play minor roles here, by comparison, both actors — and Ackles especially — bear their souls on the screen.Just as I felt the weight of Bobby’s death as a fan, so too were Sam and Dean, distraught by their surrogate father’s critical condition. While future episodes would dive a bit further into Dean’s battle with grief, it’s here that the elder Winchester’s cries that they had “suffered enough” ring truest and most sincere. Although one of Ackles' best performances on the show, theSupernaturalstar was undoubtedly thinking most of Jim Beaver’s work here when naming “Death’s Door” his favorite — as were we.
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‘Supernatural’ Was Never the Same When Bobby Exited The Show
Written by then-showrunnerSera Gambleand directed byRobert Singer(which is quite fitting),“Death’s Door” feels like the end of an era forSupernatural, and for all intents and purposes it is.Seasons 6 and 7are notoriously seen as a turning point in the show as the series struggled to find its voice following the departure of series creatorEric Kripkeand the completion of the show’s primary story arc. This was no doubt part of the reason for killing off Bobby in “Death’s Door,” yet the show does it so masterfully and with such care that I can excuse this tragic tale — it also helps that the show brought Beaver back every season in some capacity or another. As the actor toldRichard Speight Jr.andRob Benedicton theSupernatural Then and Nowrewatch podcast, “If you’re gonna die, do it onSupernatural.”
While one might expect Jensen Ackles' favoriteSupernaturalepisode to be one of Dean Winchester’s finest hours — be itthe two-part “All Hell Breaks Loose"orhis work in “Swan Song”—it’s fitting that the star picked an episode so near and dear to fans' hearts. Bobby was easily the best supporting character on the show, and his loss would be felt throughout the majority of the series. “Death’s Door” certainly made me cry, and if you’re a fan, it probably did the same to you, too.
All episodes ofSupernaturalcan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
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