It’s no secret that “son of a bitch” became Dean Winchester’s unofficial catchphrase throughout the 15 year run of Supernatural. Whether it was mouthing off to demons or part of a goofy punchline, the phrase became embedded into the show’s everyday vernacular as well as the hearts of the show’s fans — it just ain’t Supernatural without a good ‘ol S.O.B. moment. To commemorate some of our favorite irreverent moments involving the usage of the phrase, today we’re taking a look at some of the best utterances of “son of a bitch” throughout the course of the show.
3×01 “The Magnificent Seven”
Pre-Hell Dean was something else. Full of lighthearted, cocky bravado, even in the face of doom, in this episode, Dean tells Sam he’d like to make the most of the year he has left before the Hellhounds come to collect on his deal in one of the most quoted lines of the series.
3×03 “Bad Day at Black Rock”
The best part about this memorable scene is that it was totally improvised by Jensen Ackles, who as we all know has immaculate comedic timing. Dean’s enraged “son of a bitch!” really ties the whole episode, filled with hilarity due to Sam and Dean’s misfortune, together for a perfectly goofy ending to a perfectly goofy installment in the Winchesters’ misadventures.
3×12 “Jus in Bello”
Dean often uses bravado and sarcasm to cover his true feelings in sticky situations, and this is definitely one prime example. As Agent Henrickson antagonizes the brothers by gloating about finally catching them, Dean — in true Winchester fashion — quips back an irreverent, innuendo filled joke. The purpose this serves besides being antagonizing? Who knows, but it definitely elicited a chuckle from the audience.
4×22 “Lucifer Rising”
As heartbreaking as it may be, this powerful scene was the catalyst for Castiel’s full-fledged rebellion, and as such, it holds a special place in our hearts. Dean’s unique ability to irreverently knock some sense into the angel was really on display in this iconic scene featuring the unforgettable line “It’s all a bunch of lies, you poor stupid son of a bitch.” Is it really Dean if it doesn’t involve some profanity?
5×08 “Changing Channels”
“Changing Channels” is one of many fan favorite episodes because of a multitude of unforgettably hilarious moments just like this one. Dean “playing his part” in TVland leads him to utter what was probably the highest pitched “son of a bitch” the show has ever seen in the sitcom segment that Gabriel threw the brothers into.
6×12 “Like A Virgin”
Yet another moment where Jensen Ackles manages to imbue this classic line with humor is in “Like a Virgin,” when Dean — in a very un-Knightlike fashion — tries to pull the Sword of Bruncvik (an ancient sword forged with dragons blood) out of a block of stone in order to kill a dragon. Unfortunately, the task proves harder than the elder Winchester imagined, leading him to hilariously curse in disbelief at his lack of results.
6×14 “Mannequin 3: The Reckoning”
The gif speaks for itself.
9×05 “Dog Dean Afternoon”
This entire episode is hilarious, and Dean breaking out S.O.B. as he crazedly points his gun at a mouthy pigeon in a fit of rage over Baby’s virtue is one of the moments that makes it so side-splitting. Well, that and Sam frantically trying to placate the bystanders that witnessed this hilarious exchange. Again, Ackles’ comedic talents stand out in this scene.
BONUS ROUND
Dean “potty mouth” Winchester wasn’t the only one that let “S.O.B.” fly. Here are a few of the best times that the phrase was broken out by other characters on the show.
Sam – 6×03 “The Third Man”
Did you really think Sammy boy wasn’t gonna break out this phrase every once and a while? Come on, he grew up looking up to Dean. It was inevitable that this would make its way into his vocabulary. And isn’t it just so very Sam that his usage of the phrase would backfire? In this scene, Sam gets Dean to pray to Castiel, who hasn’t been answering the younger Winchester, to prove he’s not reachable. Unfortunately for him, Cas shows up immediately (profound bond amirite?) — right after he calls him an S.O.B. Great timing, Sammy.
Cas – 9×10 “Road Trip”
It’s so rare for Cas to lose his cool so completely like this — and even less common for him to break out the curses. For a character that typically deals in eye rolls, head tilts, and death stares, the usage of S.O.B. (the only time he uses this phrase in the series if I’m correct) in a fit of holy rage was a surprising moment for fans.
Ruby – 4×22 “Lucifer Rising”
Iconic? Yes. Palatable? Not so much. While this is one moment that fans may look back on in despair, it’s undeniably one of the most memorable speeches on the show. Ruby passionately declaring she was “the best of those sons of bitches” right after Sam learns of her betrayal is something that has definitely seared itself in the memories of many. And while we may have hated her for it, she was kind of right. Like it or not, her performance was awesome.
Adam – 5×18 “Point of No Return”
It’s always especially satisfying to see extended members of the Winchester clan pull out S.O.B. It’s practically a family trait at this point. We can’t help but think we might have gotten more of these attitude-filled moments from the youngest Winchester if only he had been around more (#JusticeForAdam).
Jack – 15×14 “Last Holiday”
Like I said, are you even a Winchester if you don’t casually drop a S.O.B.? This particular moment tickled fans, as it went against Jack’s penchant to refrain from using profanity (I mean, he is three). The scene just went to show how much Jack had grown to be like his adopted family of salty old hunters.
While many aspects of Supernatural changed as the show progressed over the years, hearing Dean and co. drop and “S.O.B.” was something that remained constant. As well as serving as a fan favorite character quirk, the continued usage of the phrase — especially in the numerous instances that we couldn’t even hope to list — served to remind viewers that no matter what the Winchesters had been through, they always managed to retain their stubborn grit, “give ’em hell attitude,” and unending passion to help continue their cause day after day, no matter what obstacles stood in their way.
