In a new interview, Supernatural‘s Jim Beaver discusses Bobby’s return and tonight’s episode, “Of Grave Importance.”
Speaking to TV Line, Beaver talks about Bobby’s return as a ghost:
Bobby’s going to find there are certain advantages to being a ghost. Initially, a lot of what we’ll see is Bobby trying to get his feet under him in this new condition. Bobby’s trying pretty hard to hang on to being a hunter even though he’s in this new state. But a lot of his old hunter skills don’t work anymore. A lot of this stuff is really tough for him to figure out. But it’s going to be some of the fun, seeing how he grows as an effective ghost and a lot of the frustrations that he experiences. He eventually figures out that ghosts do have certain skills, but they don’t come easily.
That sounds like he’ll be sticking around a while! On whether Bobby will learn to communicate with Sam and Dean:
At first, it will be in little ways like we’ve seen – getting messages or weapons to the boys when they need them. As he becomes more in command of his abilities as a ghost, he gets more and more effective in helping the boys and, to a certain extent, taking the battle to Dick and the Leviathan himself. It won’t be entirely just Bobby helping the boys fight Dick. Bobby’s got some fight left in him.
Of course, it can’t all be fun and games with Bobby, because we all know what happens to ghosts who linger: they become consumed by rage. Beaver says:
I don’t think he’s giving a lot of thought to whether he made the right decision or not. … He’s neck-deep in a specific adventure that’s not going to give him a lot of time to ruminate on whether or not he made the right decision. […] He’s convinced that because he knows [about] that he can head it off and outsmart destiny, I guess. That is going to play a substantial role in his immediate future, trying to head off what fate seems to decree for ghosts. Maybe he’ll be successful.
Are you hoping for an eventual Bobby, the Friendly Ghost outcome? Or will we have to say goodbye – for real this time?