Grabbing a drink, Winchester style

[ash48]

I recently created an entry on the Super Wiki for Sam and Dean's green cooler. I thought I'd create a post here too (with a little more comment). I love it when we see certain props being re-used. Sometimes it's because they have certain items in stock and they use (and re-use) them when decorating a set. Other times it's because it forms part of a character's personal belongs. Like the awesome green cooler. The cooler they have is a Coleman vintage cooler - circa 1960s. We have no information about how it's come into their possession, but I'd like to think it's somehow connected to the Impala. We mostly see it next to her and as they are both vintage I'd like to think that maybe they were purchased around the same time. I can see John buying something like this. There are three types of cooler that appear in the show. Season 3-7 cooler Benny's cooler 8.09 Similar to the one used in 8.10 More information about that first cooler here. These seem to be extremely rare. If your neighbour happens to be throwing one out...grab it! The cooler first appears in season 3 - Fresh Blood. This is a significant and memorable scene - Dean showing Sam how to fix the Impala so he can look after her when he's gone. The cooler doubles as a trusty seat. I suspect this prop was introduced to create this wonderful scene. The next time we see it is in season 4 - After School Special. It's another beautiful setting and I love that they include the cooler in this scene. It could be considered a motif now - especially as we see it a third time in season 6 (6.09), where its presence holds greater significance. Free to be You and Me (5.03) is the first time we see the cooler inside. Dean and Cas are squatting in an abandoned house - so there wouldn't be a fridge. He grabs a beer while talking to Raphael. 4.13 After School Special 5.03 Free To Be You and Me The cooler makes another appearance at this significant moment. It's the final episode of Season 5 (Kripke's last episode) and Sam and Dean take a moment to talk about what's about to happen. I love that the cooler, like the Impala, acts like a support for them. Great to get a close up of it also. 5.22 Swan Song 5.22 Swan Song I think it's significant that it appears in this scene. The previous times we've seen it by the car the boys share a companionable drink. This is soulless!Sam and he refuses a drink when Dean offers him one. I like that Dean has his foot on it this time - I think he's the one needing the support here. 6.09 Clap Your Hands if You Believe 6.09 Clap Your Hands if You Believe Another interior shot - and another squat. I like that their portable "fridge" carries beers and not food. Dean picks it up and puts it right next to him on the sofa so he can have the drinks in easy reach. 7.09 How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters 7.09 How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters Another squat, another instance where the cooler is used. This time doubling up as a footstool. It's a multipurpose prop! 7.12 Time After Time After Time 7.12 Time After Time After Time A green cooler appears in season 8, but in both cases they are slightly different to the one we've seen the boys with previously. Benny's cooler has the handle at the top and the one that appears in Torn and Frayed has a white band around the bottom. I can't find a cooler like the one in 8.10 on the net (white lines in the bottom white band with hinges that so not appear on the top of the lid). The cooler has been turned around so it's hard to make out which model it would be. I am very curious about the change in 8.10. I wonder if this means the original prop was lost and they have replaced it with one similar one (thinking we'd not notice). The one next to Dean in Citizen Fang could easily be theirs (the idea being that Dean has given it to Benny for his blood supply), but it's not the same model. Weird... 8.09 Citizen Fang 8.10 Torn and Frayed Update! The green cooler was spotted in 1.15 (The Benders). This is a similar style to the one Benny has. This suggests they have kept this prop from S1 to S8. I hope we continue to see the green cooler (especially as it has changed!). I adore the roadside drinks, so I'll be keeping my eye out for more of those, AND more of this wonderful prop.

Comments

[smalltrolven.livejournal.com]

Lovely to see all this in one place, it's such an interesting and meaningful prop. I've written several fics featuring it. I call it the "Green Cooler of Conversation", because it seems to be there when they need a reminder of how long they've been fighting this fight together.
I know we see it in Rufus' cabin several times. I can remember one specifically, it was during the silent eating/reconciliation scene at the end of "Torn and Frayed" it's right next to the battered red couch and coffee table, within Dean's reach.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hee..yes - green cooler of conversation indeed! :)

And yay! It appears in S8? Great - I'll track that down and add it to the post (and wiki). Thank you. :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

omg I'm back because... IT'S A DIFFERENT COOLER! It's still a coleman one but it's the one with the white band. I just. ack.. don't know what to do with that. Either they lost the original one and just got the next best thing OR they got a Sam and Dean "bought" a new one...

[smalltrolven.livejournal.com]

Oh my, a different one, how weird! Guess I'll have to write another story about the replacement of the green cooler. Perhaps it's just Rufus' and came with the cabin??

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I think we're going to have to create some head canon for the change. My guess would be they have just used a different cooler and hoped no one would notice. It's only that I'm looking so closely at the thing that I even noticed the white band at the bottom. I think if they wanted us to think it was Rufus' it would be completely different.

Interestingly also, a very very similar green cooler appears in Torn and Frayed in Benny's camp. Not the same though. If it was exactly the same I'd say Dean gave Benny the cooler for his blood supply and then in the next scene they got a new one. (maybe that's were going for. Though I doubt it).