Visual Review 6.13

[ash48]

Were they..??

I liken it to my not drinking at the moment. The longer I go (five weeks now ..) the more I am looking forward to enjoying my first glass of wine and savouring it when I can start again (3 weeks and 2 days..*g*). Having gone 11 episodes without Sam it's an appreciation of what I have been missing that I am savouring and thoroughly enjoying at the moment.

Having said that, I do think these episodes, in themselves, have been pretty strong. Though if this one had appeared say, in the middle of season 3, then maybe I wouldn't be so loud with my squee. The fact that after two years and 11 episodes we are finally getting a chance to see the boys working together, talking, caring, having each others' backs and not being deceitful etc. ... is making me SHOUT from the roof tops. I am well aware that this probably won't last so I'm enjoying it while I can. :)

And this isn't me wanting the show to return to S1 or S2. I don't want that. Why would I? The boys have had issues throughout the whole series. It's been a continual part of the story arc. We've seen them at odds, torn apart, at each others throats and lying to each other, so to see them in a place where they can start to rebuild their relationship is very satisfying.

I would like to think this is a new beginning for the boys. A chance for each to re-discover themselves within this very messy, co-dependent relationship. I've been having an interesting discussion with the lovely smilla02 on the boys' story arc, in particular what direction each might need to go in order to complete their journeys. I suspect there is still a long way to go. And I'm buckling in for the ride, because we may be waiting a while.

For me, this wasn't a "flashback" episode. This wasn't doing what "I Know What You Did Last Summer" did. It wasn't about learning more about what Sam did in his soulless year. Sure, it was great (for me) to see some of that, but the flashbacks did two things. One - provide a narrative structure for this week's hunt and two, bring about the final scene. I enjoyed the way it worked in both these ways.

Here's some things I found particularly interesting:

"Where memories are made"!! A sign post for the episode to come. Awesome and perfect. And really? Tentacles? They really do keep an eye on LJ don't they...;) And er... net or spider web in the corner? Ok.. so maybe I'm pushing it. :)




During this scene with Dean all I could keep thinking is how difficult it must be for this actress to look across at Jensen and keep her concentration. I mean... god damn but he's gorgeous. He seemed so at ease in this scene and when that happens he seems to suddenly look a lot younger. Those angsty frown lines are gone....



I'd have this look on my face if I was working with Jensen .... (I reckon she was totally fangirling him during this scene. Or maybe that was just me... :D).



Oh Sammy... You and your peen got around a bit during your soulless year it would seem. (I've been enjoying the comments about Sam's peen continuing to be deadly. hehe). If Sam's body did return from hell rehymenated, it's pretty clear it isn't any more. (I'm sure there's some heavy meta here on the nature the soul plays in the role of sex for Sam, but I might leave that to someone else to nut out..)



After watching the final scene it became clear to me that so many moments in this episode were leading up to it. The scene in the jail becomes extremely interesting. First up - it's a cage. It's no accident (and ok, maybe they are hitting us over the head with it..) that Sam ended up behind bars. I love the way this scene was shot. (and heads up to destina for pointing out the colour choices in this scene).




Love this angle of the cage...



I adored this transition:




But check out the colours on Sam's face. Red and green. The duality of Sam's personality and continuing inner struggle. I like that at times in the scene Sam looked menacing, and then looked completely harmless and soulful. He really had to sell his innocence here.

Love the bar down the middle of his face...



And this amazing close up as he exits the cell. I think they are still playing with us a bit here...



And talking about playing with us... only one bed slept in boys?! What's the story...? (And I think it's a couch no less...)



With all the clues leading up to the final shot I'm surprised it came as such a surprise. But I really wasn't expecting this so soon. But I'm glad that Sam (and we) now has something to go on now. I think it was a smart move. It leaves the door open to see what Sam does with this knowledge.. (and if I'm going to be able to wallow in some hurt!Sam for a bit..*g*. *iz shallow*)

I liked that this mirrored Dean's Hell shot. Sometimes it's hard to know if show is being repetitive and therefore not particularly inventive, or deliberately putting up a mirror and therefore being consistent. I'd like to think the later.



Really liked this shot of Sam in Hell. I can already see some awesome manips come out of this scene.



Just another brick in the wall

I would like to think that we only witnessed a slight crumbling of the wall here. A brick popped out and Sam will quickly cement it in again. Up until now Sam hasn't really been aware of what Dean is protecting him from. I'm sure he believes Dean, but Sam's driving need to put right something his soullessness caused was too important to take real notice. I think he knows now.

I'm thinking we might get a Sam who might just be more careful in the next couple of episodes. Or not. We may have basketcase!Sam, demonic!Sam, coma!Sam.... but I suspect more of a holycrapIbetterlistentowhatdeanhasbeentellingmeforachange!Sam. :D

And now... HANDS!!!!! o/



So yeah. Loved that episode and I look forward to seeing where they go from here. :)

*heffa hugs* to netlynn for the gifs. THANK YOU!

Comments

[missyjack.livejournal.com]

Lovely pictures and insightful observations! esp about Sam in the cell and how they used the lighting. Also love this: The duality of Sam's personality and continuing inner struggle. I thought the cell was also a metaphor for his time in Lucifer's cage.

I adored the boys dynamic both last week and this, as we can see how it is a follow on from where they were at in Swan Song. yet of course their old ways are still there too, so we get to see them falling into old patterns, realising it, and trying to do things differently. It's some wonderful writing.

Oh and great minds think alike - I posted this on Tumblr yesterday:
(http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/missyjack/?action=view&current=peenodoom.png)

[amnisias.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love this. There's really nothing that could scare a true fangirl, is there...

[cece-away.livejournal.com]

Awesome. Are your affairs in order?

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Wheeee! That's awesome! And um.. yep! I'd risk it!!

Thanks for the pic!! \o/

[greyowl88.livejournal.com]

Oh! Pic(and GIF)spam. \O/ I really have to find time to watch the ep again. I had the sun shining on my screen when I did, and couldn't blow the image to "full screen" then either (don't ask lol). I'm thinking I missed out on the details here.
Lovely post. (Or should I say "hot"? *g*)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yep! Now with gifs...:D (I will figure out how to make them myself one day!! I like that they can show movement.. :)

Glad you liked the post. It seemed to take me ages to put it together for some reason.. (maybe it was the Sammy distraction factor..)

<333

[amnisias.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that! I love your insta reactions (first thing I read after watching the eps) but this is even better. I adore all your thinky thoughts and pics. You're kind of digesting the ep for me, I never would have the time to go over it with so much consideration and attention to detail, but this way I can enjoy those bits as well, which make the ep even better in retrospect.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks sweetie!! I knew there would be some other stuff to say once I thought about it some more. I was far too bouncy to think straight after the ep!

And I clearly have too much time on my hands...I think about this show far too much!
<33

[cece-away.livejournal.com]

Hadn't really put much thought into the dual personalities conveyed through green and red. That's why I have smart people as my flisters. Good call.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I have to admit I was thinking more about him being in a cage and that lovely transition and mood created in that scene than the lighting significance. When destina pointed it out it was like "yeah! That's what was making that scene so intense and interesting".

Love it when Show thinks about this stuff.

<3

[heartlessbytchh.livejournal.com]

I have to say the same thing. I would've never thought of that. Trust Ash to come up with it though.
:)

[redteekal.livejournal.com]

So much pretty in this review post combined with your thinky thoughts always makes for a good read. That blonde did look kinda awestruck didn't she? I was thinking that myself! And yeah Sam's face as he walked out the prison cell - Jared really nailed this episode in terms of his acting (I'll refrain from salacious comments regarding robo!Sam's propensity for nailing but only barely *g*) And re missyjack's picture comment? EXACTLY. *vbg*

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks sweetie.

Oh - I'm so glad I wasn't the only one thinking that about her. I kept thinking she was sharing some kind of private joe with him.. and then I though... she's probably just awe struck. It is Jensen after all!!

hehehe -- Jared nailing it... (man, I think I may have even said that in past posts, not realising how accurate that is.. tehehe..

MJ's pic is perfect. Absolutely right too!!

xx

[secretlytodream.livejournal.com]

wow I haven't even thought about bars, interesting :)

The only thing I can't get is why BURN IN HELL? Lucifer said himself that contrary to the common belief he's pretty cold...:\

[amindaya.livejournal.com]

Er, not to comment-jack here, but I was thinking about this too, and if Lucifer is cold, and the cage is meant to be a place to contain and punish him, then it makes sense that it would burn hot.

[amindaya.livejournal.com]

When that actress danced around it and said "loud, and athletic," I could just FEEL her glee. It made me gigglesnort. She DID look like, "OMG I'm standing near JA, I'm talking to JA," like she couldn't look away.

The way that Sam appealed to that woman with his innocence got me thinking. I mean, there's the whole debate about is SammySam really RoboSam, and Sam says that he WAS. And Bobby can't forget so easily because he questions how much of that was really Sam.

I question it too. We've seen that Sam is incredibly empathetic and caring, and that RoboSam sucked at both, and couldn't really talk to people. (But had no probs boinking them. A lot of them.) But I wonder how much of SammySam's convincing is manipulation. Manipulation with the best intentions, but still manipulation. I'd never really considered that in earlier episodes.

And I LOVED the bar across his face, and noticed the strange way he was lit, but the red and green...! Fantastic.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

She DID look like, "OMG I'm standing near JA, I'm talking to JA,

Didn't she though?!! I mean, I can't blame her, but she definitely had stars in her eyes..:)

I think Sam has certainly learned how to manipulate - to use those puppy eyes. I think he pulls them out when he really needs to be persuasive - like with victims. But I don't see it as malicious. Where as Robo!Sam often "faked" the look and really didn't sell it. Not entirely. During those soulless eps I love the way the camera would show him "faking" it and then show his uncaring face (I'm thinking about that Veritas episode).

In this ep I thought he was desperate and genuine. Doesn't mean he can't turn it on when he needs to. Like in the prison cell.

And I think that prison cell scene was one of my favourites. Shows that they are really thinking about this stuff. Which mean we can!! \o/

:D

[heartlessbytchh.livejournal.com]

Hey Ash, cracked up about your comments about the sign. But did you dig on the part down at the bottom?
"Where Memories Are Made".
hahahahahahahahahahaha
How damn ironic izzat?

Yeah, SimSam made some memories there a year ago alright.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yep! I mentioned it in the post..:D I couldn't believe that line when I saw it. During the ep it was the tentacles that I noticed first (my flist talk about tentacle porn a lot! *G*) then when I went back I saw that line on the billboard and the whole ep kinda fell in to place. I think the designers had a lot of fun with that billboard. I'm sure the net that looks like a spider web was not accident either.

Hee.. and yes, Sam gave a lot of ladies some awesome memories too it would seem ...

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Emotionally, I've been pretty meh about the last two eps, even though intellectually I can appreciate what they're doing, callbacks and shots and the like. I can't put my finger on it exactly. Maybe just 'cause the first half had me reeling so constantly with how bizarre and different it was that having things back and normal is weird? idek.

But I've noticed right at the start last week, red and blue were back in full form with shots of both boys, and fluidly moving between them. (i.e. red was back with Sam in addition to the blue.) So maybe the red is more showing he's alive and back. And the green is meant to be the reminder of the corruption of his mind from the crumbling wall just around the corner. ??? Who knows.

This shot was one of my favorites this week though:


I thought it was pretty pointed. But I'm with you, I didn't think for a second theyd throw this wall crumbling threat that fast. I was left very BUZZWHAATTTTT????

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh? You've not been emotionally stirred up? I can honestly say, I have been riding high on them. But as I said above a lot has to do with just missing Sam and the bromance.

I have to say when I saw the blue in the shot I did think of you. When I see the red and green here I see the red as the hell fire side of Sam and the green as the conflict - the more human side. I think just the fact that they split his face up during that scene to be incredibly interesting.

And the colouring in the shot above is wonderful. I'm not as in tune with the colours as you are, but I love seeing that they are at least thinking about how the light can create and telegraph emotion and character thoughts.

At the time the final scene was a shock. But now, having accepted it, it makes sense to have it happen so soon. It will, (maybe?) give Sam a chance to make decisions about not scratching the wall (now that he knows what it actually means) and have a few more episodes to see how both character are going to "be" post Sam's return. I've been chatting to Dot and I think the next few episodes are going to be crucial in seeing where they go - character wise - in the future.

Thanks so much for dropping in. I adore hearing you thoughts on the show. <33

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

Haha I love how you were all soulful and stuff and then

BAM

SEX HANDS!!!!!

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

PS ITA with you emotionally. I am am ROLLING AROUND IN GLEE IN SAM'S POV.

Who knew Sam had a POV?!?!?!

[luminosity]

I loved the transition of Sam in the cage to Sam in the cage, and interestingly as well, the transition moves from right to left, leading us to unconsciously signify it as "the past." Even though it wasn't in the plot, it totally was in the meta-plot, which is totally awesome of them to shoot it that way, and maybe I'm giving them too much credit, but I don't think so. :)

In retrospect, I think that the positioning of the red/green in the jail cell could also signify that hell's flames (from the past) are licking at his face. Like, Sam is so preoccupied with being in an earthly jail that he isn't pinging to the hell-cage that he experienced. It's like we're watching the wall start to crumble *visually* in the jail cell.

The mirrored go-to-hell shots. I love that they took the poetic license to do it, and you *know* the hell shall be vidded out of it *g*, but I looked at it as a thematic illo, you know? At this point, if we didn't know better and were buying it as a plot/character mirror, Sam would be DEAD. A better mirror could be Sam looking into a literal mirror, like Dean did, and going off, but that's just me and nobody asked me. LOL The Sam/Lucifer mirror thing was unparalleled, and why take a chance on cheapening that? :)

Also, Sam wasn't on meathooks. He seemed to be eternally self immolating, and isn't that a can of worms that we can talk about on another day?

I also love the somewhat (hee) subtle way that they ARE calling back to S2, including the interesting lighting in the abandoned house. It seemed almost cheerful, a la Tall Tales. And there's been an overabundance of LOUD plaid, which I'm sure has been mentioned already.

/shutting up now :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hey!! Awesome thinky thoughts...

I think transitions are one of my favourite things to watch and this one was fab. They could have just done a fade down and up (into a darker cell) but that pan across (and I love the idea that that signifies "the past") to then come in from the otherside (kinda like a loop..) was inspired and I'm sure it was planned. Just like the lighting choices.

I too saw the red as hell fire and perhaps a call back to soulless Sam. The green, to me, was indicating the more human side of Sam and the conflict and inner fight he has going on with remembering what he has done. I dunno... but it created a wonderful atmosphere.

And yes to the mirror.. though it might be interesting if they play with that later on. I think the mirror might still play a part in eps to come. A cracked mirror may indeed pull another brick down...

He seemed to be eternally self immolating, and isn't that a can of worms that we can talk about on another day

Oh, that's so interesting...I'm pretty sure they thought long and hard about how they would represent Sam's hell. I'm sure fire was there for a reason... Argh.. your brain! \o/

And yes, yes... that room they were in reminded me of a couple of previous places. Namely the house in M7 (shafts of light an all..). The overall colouring seems to be making a bit comeback.. namely that muted green.

Hee.. don't shut up! I love hearing your thinky thoughts... thanks so much for sharing. :)

[phoenix39.livejournal.com]

Great observations and meta. Love the hand!porn.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks sweetie! Couldn't help the hand!porn. Sam's hands seem to dominate... well, his hips also.. :)

[netlynn.livejournal.com]

I can't say I blame the woman for her reaction to him either, he is quite stunning. Funny cap, though.

I'll admit that I did not catch that transition gif you wanted when I saw it, my first thought was it's gonna be the robo!sam screwing in the bathroom. (Which, I need to work on one of those.)

I wasn't expecting the ending either with the glimpse into Sam's Hell. I'm with you on hoping it was only a small crack that he can patch up for the time being.

HANDS!!! Loooong and HUGE. YUM!

Glad you liked how the gifs came out. Anytime I can help, just give me a shout. ♥

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yeah - bathroom!Sam would be the one I'd pick.. (In fact I might still use the one you made in a post..*g* it is valentine's day afterall). I wanted that one because of the wonderful transition. The geek in me loves that kind of stuff.

And yay HANDS!! Man! They are huge.. they nearly cover that (lucky!) gals head..:D

Anytime I can help, just give me a shout

Ha! You're brave offering that. :D But thank you! I appreciate it. <333

[sandymg.livejournal.com]

Spot on commentary. Love reading these! I had the exact thoughts about Dean in the scenes with the blonde woman. He looked so freakin' young! He looked like the younger brother. It was his ease as well as the fact that he seemed to be lit a bit more brightly than usual. The whole scene was bright. I assume because it was intending to be rather illuminating for Dean.

And, yeah, bathroom sex? Bring it on. Also special kudos to the line, 'cuff me'. Because really did anyone not hear something else when they heard that?

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun!

He did look younger, didn't he? I'm thinking he's just so much happier now that Sam is back. Everything is better for Dean. Even though he still have worries - things are just better now.

Because really did anyone not hear something else when they heard that?

*yikes* I gotta say I missed that?! missyjack used the "cuff me" line in her pic. I didn't realise it was actually said..? I am definitely more of a visual person... my hears miss stuff a lot of the time.../o\

:D

[chiiyo86.livejournal.com]

One - provide a narrative structure for this week's hunt and two, bring about the final scene.

Good point. It didn't bother me that we didn't learn anything we didn't know, because I enjoyed the narrative structure. And the black and white - mmmh, Sam in black and white...

I was totally not expecting the last scene, but now that you're pointing it out I should have!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Sam in black and white was awesome.

Yeah - I didn't mind seeing the flashbacks. I know some people did. Expecting to get more info on soulless Sam, but I don't think that was the point of it at all. I think we did see how cold he was and we can perhaps understand why Samuel is so cold to them in turn.

And I think the end was really hard to see coming. I think there were definitely sign posts... but only in hind sight. They really shocked us with that one I reckon. Love it when they do that. :)

[(Anonymous)]

I noticed that Dean DIDN'T take the bed closest to the door - and was completely shocked. But now that you pointed out that the other bed was a couch, it makes a little more sense that Dean would take the couch and give Sammy the bed, even if the bed was closest to the door. :D

[samantha890.livejournal.com]

^ That was me, sorry I forgot to sign in

[august-monsoon.livejournal.com]

I didn't think they'd be showing the wall breaking so soon either, it seemed like more of a May sweeps kinds thing, but I do like the way they're going about this.
Awesome parallel between the Hell moments, I hadn't noticed that....

Also, hands? um yes. :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yeah - too soon to have Sam as some sort of basket!case just yet (assuming this is the effect the wall coming down will have...) I mean, Sam might even survive the wall coming down...though, yeah. That's not the feeling I get. I think it will be a ticking time bomb for Sam...

xx