This makes me curious..

[ash48]

I've been working on the S4 motel rooms (those high pitched dolphin noises you hear are me when I come across a room that is made of awesome) and I noticed this room divider. It's made me curious because I just cannot fathom the significance of it (probably because there isn't any! *G*)

In most cases the room dividers are in keeping with the theme of the room. But this room divider is very distinct and yet, as far as I can tell, it's completely random...





Episode: 4.07 It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester

Initially I noticed that the centre design looked like a place for a key. That made me look at the rest of the divider and much to my excitement (shut up!) I noticed the other patterns were actually keys. (\o/) I mean... what the? Someone actually made the decision to make this. The motel is called The Moonlight Motel. I would have expected a moon themed divider or something like that..but keys?

Of course I could meta!wank and say this episode unlocks Dean's hell memories and Sam's powers or that this episode is the key to ....ummm.... halloween or something (?) but I think I might be pushing it. ;)

I totally accept that it could mean nothing (which is likely) but based on previous examples there's usually some meaning behind this stuff.

In the meantime...let's drool on the colour scheme of this motel.





Not only is the outside purple and green, so is the inside. I adore this colour combination. It's so out there and is often used in horror genres. (well, it's more often pink and green but purple is close enough. *g*)

Ok. Back to it. If you have any idea what the keys could mean feel free to tell me. Even if it's meta!wank. :DD (I'm going with that this show is the key to my heart...*g*)

Comments

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

Purple and green is supposedly the favorite color combination of psychotics. :D (It happens to be mine, too...)

[dugindeep.livejournal.com]

Of course I could meta!wank and say this episode unlocks Dean's hell memories and Sam's powers

As I read this, I was like HOLY COW THAT'S SUCH AN AWESOME METAPHOR INSIDE THE HOTEL ROOM! And then realized I wasn't even sure what ep these caps were from nor could I remember what really happens there lol. If it were true, I'd give a slow clap to the SPN set department because that's a freaking ingenious idea.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

HA! Well that may well explain why I love it so much...

Psychotics unite!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

INFORMATION FAIL! Dammit... I didn't note the episode. /o\ I will totally rectify that.

In the meantime it's from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester"... when Dean has hell flashbacks (I think it's the first time we see those) and Dean sees Sam use his powers against Samhaim.

I would totally LOVE those to be some sort of hotel room metaphor.

[debbiel66.livejournal.com]

I LOVE this. No brilliant meta coming from me - there never is! - but I just love that you're giving much deserved attention to all the set designers brilliant and ephemeral work. :-)

(1 more day!)

[gooferdusty.livejournal.com]

I studied art history at university and i can tell you that when a key is depicted in a painting alongside a lock it denotes free will. And as we know free will became a pretty big theme on the show as we hurtled towards the apocalypse. Of course it could mean nothing more than it just looks cool!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hee! I kinda love it when I come across these little details. Of course, it's totally distracted me from colour adjusting the screen caps but I had to take some time out to share this. (geek much..../o\)

I more day!!! Ack! Why am I so nervous for this next one? After all the glitter from the last ep we are bound to have some tears.. (::koff:: yay! - as long as they aren't hating on each other I good with the angst).

I have absolutely NO idea what we are in for...

*bounces*

<33

[ash48.livejournal.com]

WOOT! \o/ I LOVE that it could mean this! How awesome..!! Oh... that would be SOoooo cool...

*bounces* I'd love to think they planted that little hint this early on.

Though it's probably more feasible that it just looks cool. I can picture a set designer thinking... I've always wanted to do this.... :)


xx

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

Well, that explains it. That's my favorite color combination, to...

[phx69.livejournal.com]

LOL! It could be an inside joke - is either of the boys known for losing their keys? :P personally I think it is symbolic of the importance of what went on in the episode.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

An inside joke would make my day!! That would be hilarious..

I would also like to think it symbolic. It's on screen for such a short time, it's not easy to catch but if the designers read the script they may well have been trying to say something with this,

[galwithglasses.livejournal.com]

Sam: If there's a key, then there has to be a lock. And when we find the lock we can get the weapons. And then we can have the weapons. And the lock, we'll also have the lock, I imagine, because we opened it and of course the initial key that opened-

Yeah, I got nothing but maybe the spell to break the seal being like a key. I love that lamp and the art. The wallpaper is glorious in its hideousness. I get the connection with the motel name and Halloween but not the keys. The divider does look like the grill on a gate at a cemetery or mausoleum. I know they go to one in the ep but I don't remember what it looks like.

[tiggeratl1.livejournal.com]

ooooo, wasn't this the first episode after the boys found out Lilith was breaking the seals to free Luci where the boys were in another seal breaking situation? Cas did tell Dean in AYTGIMDW to think of the seals as locks on doors. Maybe it was a subliminal hint to the boys (and us) that this hunt was going to be a seal breaker? seal breaker lol (I'm funny in my own mind :P)

[heartlessbytchh.livejournal.com]

It's so very obvious,Ash. Think about it. If there's a lock, there must be a key.
ROFL, it's a future reference to Sam's geeky phrase in the future episode TFM.
*deadpan expression, check to see if she buys it*
;P lol

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

This is one of my favorite hotel rooms (along with the disco-themed one in "Provenance"), so I had to comment. Continuing bellanut's motel room compilations is very cool. What a project. I don't know if you're cross-referencing hotel locations (and you probably already know this) but the City Centre Mortor Motel in Vancouver proper was also featured in 2x07 and 3x03. :)

I don't know what if anything the key motif means, but it is interesting. There was some past speculation about the decor when the episode aired here if you're interested: http://spnematography.livejournal.com/16275.html#cutid1

[wendy.livejournal.com]

It makes me think (unrelatedly) of Sam's "if there's a key, then there has to be a lock" speech in French Mistake...

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Maybe it had something to do with Sam meeting the Angels? Keys were used in old paintings to denote St. Peter and him being given the "keys to heaven". Keys are seen as power, something to protect, so it could be in reference to Sam being backed into the corner to use his powers in front of Dean to save Dean? Or, wasn't the Samhain raising sorta a "unlocking"? He hadn't been brought to earth for thousands of years or something like that? I forget now, it's been a while since I watched that ep. Maybe they were playing off a perversion of the St. Peter thing but with Samhain and Hell?

I agree though, it was definitely for something, keys are SO random on their own to be thrown into set design!

[runedgirl.livejournal.com]

Most awesomely full of thinky thoughts fandom ever. That's so cool :)

[riotgrrlhotel.livejournal.com]

Purple and green are *almost* opposite each other on the colour wheel, which means they have a high visual impact against each other. No meta signifigance, I just love the colour scheme!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

HA!! yes yes.... maybe that's why that speech existed! A call back to the room divider! :DD


The room is quite amazing. It has a red checked floor also.

I checked out the mausoleum gate. It's not key shaped.. but rather... moon shaped. Sort of.

There are some interesting takes on those keys in other comments. It looks like it's been discussed previously at spnematography. Rather interesting - and I'm glad I'm not the only one geeking over this stuff. :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah... I really love that idea. I gotta think there's something subliminal going on with all this.

And...

hey you! *glomps*

<33

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hi! (omg! I was thinking about you the other day. Wondered where you got to...)

And yes... of course! They were totally foreshadowing Sam's wonderful lock & key speech. I should have realised that. ;DD

[gooferdusty.livejournal.com]

I would love it to mean that, if for no other reason than my degree actually came in handy lol! I think it's probably just because it looks cool though! And yeah, as fandom's go this one is pretty bloody fantastic. :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

What a project.

You're not kidding!

I am trying to cross reference locations, so any thing you know and find from S4 on is awesome. I did catch the City Center Motel. :) I've linked it in my Wiki posts. I just love that a room with that exterior exists AND that show used it. \o/

And THANK YOU for the link. I love that this has already been discussed and the idea on that thread are fantastic.

<33

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hee!... yes indeed. Keys and locks play a very important role in our show it would seem...:DD

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Ooh...keys to heaven eh? I like all the ideas here. Samhaim was "unlocked" if I remember correctly and so were Sam's powers - (in a way).

There have been some great suggestions as to what they could mean - It makes me think that they were definitely there for a reason. :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! In fact, the floor was red which is complimentary to green - I just love that all those colours work together. (I'm sure we can dig up some meta how the colours represent the characters in the scene...but that might be pushing it..;D )