8.01 - Mini Picspam with meta-ish thoughts

[ash48]

I can't stop thinking about how familiar many of the scenes were in episode 8.01. I love the deliberate choices to "call back" or mirror past episodes. It not only uses our past knowledge of those moments but it also gives them extra significance by being used again.

I thought I'd take a little look at those moments.



1. Monster of the Week:

As I mentioned in my episode reaction, the very beginning is similar to many episode beginnings. We usually have a scene where innocent victims are terrorised and often killed (or munched!) by the MotW. They started this episode much the same, only this time the "monster" turned out to be Dean (poignant yeah?!)

The scene in 8.01 reminded me more specifically of the beginning of 1.02 (Wendigo).



The next few scenes are direct comparisons to 4.01 (Lazarus Rising). I love how Dean's return from Purgatory is mirrored in his return from Hell.

2. The Walk:

I think of this as a symbolic of Dean's journey. I'm sure Dean being framed in green is deliberate in both scenes. Green represents new beginnings and a sense of life and health. Opposite to the places he's emerged from.



3. The Testing:

Testing for the supernatural in each other has now become a returning from the grave ritual. We've seen it when Dean returned from Hell in 4.01, Sam from Hell in 6.01 and now both Dean and Sam in 8.01. It's a motif now - they usually come in threes. Each time it tells us something about the state of their relationship. This time Dean is all business (similar to Sam when Sam returned from the Cage) and Sam is "we've done this enough to know we're each other". So cool!



4. The hug

Another returning from the grave ritual. No wonder Dean was all "Well let's do this. Come here". They've done it so many times now. If we looked at each hug we could see how their response offers a window to their states of mind when it happens - that's probably for another picspam though. Here Dean seems thoroughly warmed and relieved. And Sam, even though surprised, does seem equally warmed. Dean likes to close his eyes when he hugs Sam. He gets totally immersed in the hug. (Different to the way he hugs Benny you will notice. All smiles but no eye closing...)




5. Sam with a mysterious woman:

I think this is an interesting comparison. 4.01 presented us with a "mysterious" woman with Sam in the beginning of the episode. She later turned out to be Ruby. Here we have another woman who Sam has obviously had a relationship with. I think it's no accident that each time one brother is without the other they form a relationship with another person. I think Lisa understood it. The boys aren't able to sustain a healthy relationship with another person when they have each other. (Epic love story I tells ya!)



6. The Impala's key toss: (no good pics for this one I'm sorry...)

The keys to the Impala have become very symbolic over the course of the show. They have been used quite a few times now to represent the various stages in the boys relationship (I plan to do a mini picspam on this later on so will examine each of those later). Twice now Sam has looked after the Impala while Dean has been away and both times he's tossed the keys back to Dean upon his return. I love that they chose to mirror the tossing action from 4.01. A handing back of the Impala is a ritual now.

7. Sammy's "who me?" face.

Both times Sam has handed back the Impala Dean has spotted something different with his car. The first time the iPod and this time the dog smell. Such great mirroring.



8. The phone call:

I'm not sure if this is a deliberate "mirror" as such but Dean's sneaky phone call to Benny reminded me very much of his phone call to John in Home. There's been a suggestion that Dean has become more like John in this episode (military man) so I wonder if this was done for that reason? I think it's possibly done like this to emphasis that Dean is keeping this from Sam - much like he did his phone call to John in Home.





There may be some others but they are the ones the came to mind on the first viewing. I do love that they have chosen to present the scenes like this. It raises the question...what will be different this time and why?

Comments

[missyjack.livejournal.com]

oh i love this SOOO much - you know I love these mirrors! The other one that caught me was Dean wrestling Sam to the ground at Rufus' Cabin - certainly reminiscent of the boys first encounter in the Pilot, and recreated in What Is And What May Never Be. And I note in both those as well, Sam is out of the hunting life, and Dean ends up on top *koff*

[ash48.livejournal.com]

All our chatting brought this about! We talked about the key toss and then I realized there were so many more repeats.

Oh and yes! Boy wrestling when Sam is out of the hunting life. Indeed! And Dean ends up on top?! *dies*

[tattooeddevil.livejournal.com]

I spotted those too, it's great to actually see them together like this. I like the mirroring, especially because it begs the question you pose too; what will be different and why? I, for once, am excited to see, no matter how OOC Sam seemed in EP01 (and he did), because it is a very interesting story choice and it lends itself for so many fabulous moments and side-stories <3 Thanks for putting this together, it's really cool to see it like this!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Sam is interesting because on each return he has seemed "different" to the one we know. In 4.01 there was uproar that Sam slept with Ruby (well, her innocent vessel) and was sneaking off behind Dean's back and in 6.01 that he was so cold and horrible to Dean. In both cases it turned out he had reasons for this. I have absolutely no doubt he'll have reasons for not looking for Dean as the story unfolds in S8. So exciting.

[linda3m.livejournal.com]

You know! I wanted to comment on the really observant and clever post you assembled here, but now all I can think of is - if Sam isn't hunting Dean ends up on top!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

HA! I know... it kinda consumes the brain doesn't it?! I now want, no NEED fic - Sam has to return to the hunting life just so he can reclaim top! ;D Lots of wrestling ensues....

[dotfic.livejournal.com]

So much mirroring going on in this ep--including these callback mirrors. Not that this kind of callback is unusual, but 8.01 seemed more than usual (and I loved that with all the shoutbacks, 8.01 also propelled things forward story/character-wise).

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hey! (not sure I told you how much I like your thoughts on Sam on your Tumblr. It resonated with me...<3)

And yeah - the mirrors or shout outs aren't unusual in SPN. I love that they do that and have used it so effectively in this episode. And I certainly had a sense that things have moved forward. That's why these devices are so effective - we can clearly see what has changes.

xx

[maenad.livejournal.com]

Ooh, meta. :)

The scene in 8.01 reminded me more specifically of the beginning of 1.02 (Wendigo).

This reminded me not just of Wendigo itself, but of the moment in Two Minutes to Midnight when Sam asks Dean if he remembers how simple their lives were when they just hunted wendigos. Dean didn't remember then - too much political nonsense in the air - but now he remembers: the purity of it. Except, as you say, he's coming at it from the other side.

It's a motif now - they usually come in threes. Each time it tells us something about the state of their relationship. This time Dean is all business (similar to Sam when Sam returned from the Cage) and Sam is "we've done this enough to know we're each other". So cool!

I think it's interesting how much this operates as a mirror image of Lazarus Rising. There Dean was frightened and confused and had no idea what had happened to him. He was so desperate to have people believe him and help him work out what was going on that the idea that they might think he wasn't himself didn't occur to him until he was ducking blows. Sam tried to kill Dean because he'd given up hope of ever getting his brother back and assumed this was a monster coming to hurt him.

This time Dean knows exactly what happened to him (even if we don't!), and that constant stream of action pushes the possibility of talking about it into the background. And Sam never doubts that it is Dean, either because he's fully committed to not hunting, or because he knows something we don't.

I'm not sure if this is a deliberate "mirror" as such but Dean's sneaky phone call to Benny reminded me very much of his phone call to John in Home. There's been a suggestion that Dean has become more like John in this episode (military man) so I wonder if this was done for that reason?

I think the interesting difference is that, really, in We Need to Talk About Kevin Dean is answering the phone - I mean, technically he's calling Benny back, but it was Benny who initiated the contact. In Home, Dean was pouring out his worries to John's voicemail because he hadn't yet learnt to talk to Sam; here it's Benny who wants to discuss what has happened to them. Dean's back to not being able to talk to Sam, because they get like that when they've been apart, but there's no pretence that anything else will work.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hey.

Dean didn't remember then - too much political nonsense in the air - but now he remembers: the purity of it.

The notion of purity in purgatory is fascinating to me and I think you're right, it comes down to the purity of the hunt. Dean has always loved hunting but over the last few years it's take such a personal toll - there's too much other crap surrounding it. Perhaps there he could simply enjoy the hunt - like he did when he hunted with John.

And Sam never doubts that it is Dean, either because he's fully committed to not hunting, or because he knows something we don't.

I really love how different Sam's reaction is to Dean compared to anything we've seen in the past reunions. He almost makes Dean's actions look silly - or over the top. Sam seems to be taken by surprise but is not actually surprised by Dean's return. I wondered if it's simply because it's happened before or because Sam just knows Dean that well. Hmmmm....

Dean's back to not being able to talk to Sam, because they get like that when they've been apart,

Yeah, good point. They have to relearn to communicate again (not that they've always been good at that *sheesh* boys...).

That scene really made me want to know more about Benny - I have a feeling he might be a thorn in Dean's side.

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Great observations! I too was struck by the scene in Home when he said he was going to the mensroom and then walked out of earshot and phoned..

And hon, I am all for a hug comparison analysis at some point ::bats eyes winningly::

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hee.. hug comparison. I'll get on that! Any excuse to look at the boys hugging. <33

[gateslacker.livejournal.com]

Love the meta and the pic spam!!

The boys aren't able to sustain a healthy relationship with another person when they have each other.

So true! It's actually rather sad, when you stop to think about it. But, this is the relationship we love!! This dysfunctional, co-dependent relationship between the boys is what we can't seem to get enough of.

(Epic love story I tells ya!)

I don't slash pair Sam and Dean but, yeah, pretty much. I've always been a fan of the bromance. (I maintain that The Outsiders started it all) But Sam and Dean have set the bar so high I wonder if any other or future bromance will ever be able to live up to it.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Even though I do slash the boys I totally think of the "epic love story" as pure bromance. Their love for each other is just so friggin epic. All the time! (and I love it)

Hee... and I can't imagine any bromance being as intense as this one. How many brothers or partners get to die or sell their soul for each other?!

xx

[colls]

The mirroring does seem very out-there and unsubtle this ep. Another thing is when Dean tackles Sam to the floor and how it reminds of the season 1 Pilot. Only Sam doesn't feel the need to fight back?
IDK, but I think I want to rewatch to see the differences and if it speaks to how much has changed since then (and how much is the same between them).

Otherwise, I'm kinda happily lost in thought over "4. the hug" and "6. & 7. the Impala and Sam's face". <33

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh yes.. the tackling is an interesting comparison. I am so curious why Sam doesn't fight more - he seems resigned to let Dean go through his paces with the testing. But yeah, I think the tackling we have definitely seen before.

Yay hug!! Such a nice hug it was also...<33

[metallidean-grl.livejournal.com]

I love your comparisons here from 8.01 to past episodes. This is brilliant and just brings to mind, for me, why I loved this new episode so much. I thought of Wendigo and Home from those particular scenes, but didn't catch on to the others. Most of all I love your observations about "the hug." I hadn't really noticed that but yeah, Dean closing his eyes, totally taking it all in. Dean not wanting anything he sees to obscure the feeling that he has Sammy in his arms. Now I need to go back to all the other hugs and see if he follows suit with all of them. I look forward to your Picspam and analysis of the different hugs. This was awesome.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I am hoping to take a look at all the hugs and see what it tells us about the currently state of their characters' journeys. Dean loves his hugs and I think you're right. He blocks out everything else when he has Sammy safe in his arms. :)

[sandymg.livejournal.com]

Excellent meta. Yes, I noticed some things that paralleled earlier scenes. SPN does that often and very well. I'm very intrigued by this season's mysteries and by the huge character growth we are seeing. It's all good stuff.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think seeing the paralleled scenes in 8.01 can give us confidence that the past is not forgotten. I know that was a issue for some going into S8. Their past is extremely important in forming how they handle the future.

Good stuff indeed. :)

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

Great notices, and I really appreciate the pix to show the similarities--written descriptions can't pack the punch of actually seeing the mirroring!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad the pics helped. :))

[growyourwings.livejournal.com]

Ooohhh, this is very interesting. Thank you for taking the time to do this. So many parallels.

Edit. I had noticed a few of them myself. But seeing them side by side is very cool. Plus I was very distracted by The Walk. It was done on a stretch of road they've used so many times before and which I've walked myself. Made me smile.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun. Glad you liked. Hee... and if I had walked that same walk I think I too would have been distracted. :))

[chemm80]

Ah, so cool!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

IKR? Show is very cool. :))

[amnisias.livejournal.com]

Just to say I loved this! And the last one I totally think is a shout-back to Home. The setting, the context, the camera angle, the zoom in on the face...it's all there.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yeah, the more I think about it the more I think that phone call is a shout-back to Home.

[cherry916.livejournal.com]

Ooooh I noticed those parallels to Lazarus Rising as well. I mean the Season so far certainly has a Season 4 feel already, with maybe Benny being Dean's Ruby, we'll have to see but I love the shows use of parallels

[ash48.livejournal.com]

with maybe Benny being Dean's Ruby

Yeah, I did wonder if Benny might be being set up as a kind of Ruby character. I definitely think he might be a thorn in Dean's side.

[jessm78.livejournal.com]

Yay, meta discussion!

I seriously had the same thoughts about how some things in the premiere seemed eerily familiar to earlier scenes.

#5. Very good point! (and yes, epic love story :D) I can't help but wonder if Amelia will turn out to have ulterior motives somehow. I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of her, and maybe I'm just overthinking and she could be someone totally benign - but I am very curious. Did you see that shadowed figure watching her in bed when Sam left? I still wonder who that was... Dean or someone else? Hmmm...

#7. I love Sam's "who, me?" Face!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yep! I love a good meta discussion! :))

I've very curious about the role Amelia will play in Sam's back story. I have no doubt that will be explored. I'm thinking she won't have an ulterior motive - it's hard to say yet though. I'm wondering if she was able to fill a gap in Sam's life without Dean and if she did I'd love to see how she did that.

Sam's "who me" face is such a little brother thing to do. :DD

[auntmo9.livejournal.com]

Wonderful observations and great picspam! Makes me love the season even more.

Dean likes to close his eyes when he hugs Sam. He gets totally immersed in the hug. (Different to the way he hugs Benny you will notice. All smiles but no eye closing...)

Oh...this....I am not one to stress over the show. I can take a wait and see what the writers have up their sleeves. But I see the stress others have. This, right here; the small things that aren't so small. You can't point to people who are stressed out and say...remember this moment.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

And yes, there has indeed been some stress over this episode. I'm actually glad I'm not one of those people - the more I discuss and observe, the more i am impress with what they did with this episode. Dean definitely hugged Benny differently to Sam. No matter what, Dean will always be happy to see Sam safe and alive. <333

[sothcweden.livejournal.com]

You caught so many things I didn't! But I did catch the episode intro parallel and the hidden phone call/callback to Home thing. Thanks for pointing out the others! I love it when Show is smart!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I too love it when show is smart! Go show! :D

[redteekal.livejournal.com]

So glad you took the time to do this! It was in my head the whole time I rewatched the episode. Also the whole use of flashback itself made me think of homage to episodes gone past. And what I'm loving even better is that through twitter you can feedback these thoughts and feelings to cast and crew. Love this age we live in!

I'm gonna rewatch again tonight and cap some I think. There's just too much gorgeous cinemaphotography and stunning close ups not to.

And I really have cooled on my intial flailing over Sam's seeming unWinchesterBrotherlyness. Jared's selling it I believe because that way it solidifies the doubts in viewers minds. Sends them down this track. Sam's lying I think, as much as Dean is. So now that I've concluded they are both lying liars who have lied in 8x01 I am perfectly okay with the episode now.

Onward ho! What's Up Tiger Mommy is just a beautiful title on it's own...can't wait to see it. But first DEXTER!!!!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Sam's lying I think, as much as Dean is.

The indications are all there that there's lying going on. They have both done something they think the other will be ashamed of. Dean has friended a monster and Sam...? I wonder what Sam has done. One thought I had is that Crowley may have offered Sam a deal to bring Dean back. If Sam actually thought Dean was dead (and perhaps safe in a place like heaven) he wouldn't go searching OR making a deal. He's learned from past mistakes. Crowley is the only person who knows where Dean went so I figure there's some connection there.

Ooooh - I can't wait to find out. And wheeeeeee only a few days to see MORE!! \o/

<33

[cassiopeia7.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is an AWESOME mini-meta. I noticed the Wendigo reference, and the comparison with Dean's reunion with Baby from 4.0, but your comparison of Dean's walk back from Hell / Purgatory is nothing short of brilliant. Awesome catch!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun! Glad you liked! I love it when show goes to the trouble of giving us reminders of the past. :))

[greyowl88.livejournal.com]

Yay for all the mirrors in this ep. I really enjoyed noticing them, too. It made me feel like the show is not just taking off "into space" with the new season but connects to the past. To the substance of the characters and how they do things. (hope that makes sense)

And getting it all presented in your picspam post is just lovely!! :D

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yes yes...I love that they have made past connections. During some spoiler chat there was a concern that what had gone before might be ignored this season. Obviously not! :)

Glad you liked hun! <3

[galwithglasses.livejournal.com]

The Who Me? Face...Little brothers...

That's a cool catch on the parallel phone calls with Home. I thought of Wendigo as soon as the shadow ran by. It's great to see them side by side.

The other thing that reminded me of an earlier episode was the way the floor boards got disturbed in the church when the demons came in. When Cas showed up in 4.01 there were a lot of boards rattling on the barn where they were. The symbols they had laid down didn't keep Cas or the demons out.

I'm so glad the show is back. I missed all these thinky thoughts.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

When Cas showed up in 4.01 there were a lot of boards rattling on the barn where they were.

Ah yes. Good pick up. Hee...you'd think the boys would realise that those symbols are pretty useless sometimes... ;)

Yay thinky! I have a feeling there'll be plenty this season. :))

[sowell.livejournal.com]

This is awesome! I didn't even think about The Walk and the Who Me? until you pointed it out. So great.

Dean's eye-close during the hug was maybe my favorite part of the episode. Like the only time he lets himself relax for a split second.

They started this episode much the same, only this time the "monster" turned out to be Dean (poignant yeah?!)

I am veeeeerrrry interested to see if this is a theme they explore with Dean's character this season.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad there were some new things in there for you. :)

And yeah...eye closing Dean is so sweet. Hee - I was watching the ep again and he closes his eyes when he is eating that burger. That Sam bought him. ;)

Can't wait to see what they have in store for Dean this season. It looks so interesting so far...
xx

[hugemind.livejournal.com]

There was a lot of similarities between 4x01 and 8x01. I watched 4x01 just before 8x01, thinking they would probably share themes, but sharing also the visuals was kind of awesome. You have listed even more of them than I noticed! The boys getting in the Impala was really funny in this way, because they even referenced the douchy iPhone jack in 4x01 with Dean's "No visible signs of douchery, I'll give you that." :D

Also, the Purgatory scenes reminded me Show's S1 look. Having that desaturated look back felt really good. \o/

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hi.

Purgartory looked great. I love the way they filmed it and I agree it had a S1 feel.

I was so excited to see them mirror the Impala return from 4.01 - right down to referencing that past douchery. :D So cool. <3

[snowin-you.livejournal.com]

Great analysis! I'm not sure if the parallels are a good thing or a bad thing though. In Lazarus Rising it was great, but this one? Guess we'll just have to wait and see..

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

It will be interesting to see if they mirrored 4.01 because of what's going to happen in the future - maybe a twist of some sort on what happened to both of them during that season, or whether it was just because Dean is again returning from the "grave" as he did in 4.01.

We shall see! :)