Visual Clues to Soulless Sam in Season Six
It's been a while since I've posted anything visual or meta-ish, so I thought I'd put together a little pic-spam. It's possibly grasping at straws a little bit (ok, maybe a lot), but *shrugs*, I enjoy examining the visual elements on the show and it always looks so pretty anyway.
I've always been intrigued by the scene where Soulless!Sam is filmed behind bars in Live Free or Twihard (6.05). I've always felt it was a visual clue to the fact that Sam's soul was still in the cage. Of course, when the episode aired we didn't know that but looking back I really like the idea.
I decided to see if there were any other moments during the soulless!Sam episodes where bars appear and sure enough there were.
I have no idea if any of these are deliberate "hints" that a major part of Sam is still locked up, but I feel that there are times when it looks like a choice has been made to include bars - or the feeling of bars, in a scene.
6.01 Exile on Main Street.
I'm probably really stretching the idea here, but I rather love that Sam is sitting on a stripped blanket when he first appears to Dean. There are also bars on the window.
6.02 Two and a Half Men.
I love the glorious barred shutters in this shot and how awesome are those knives sitting on the bench?! Great choice of prop. We could stretch the them even further by thinking that the streams of light are actually a reference to Sam's soul (I'm pretty sure it's not, but I adore the idea it could be). I love this shot even if it's not a deliberate reference to Sam's soul being in the cage.
6.02 Two and a Half Men.
This isn't "bars" as such, but I love the way the police tape frames Sam.
6.03 The Third Man
Ok, I hear ya. This is a gratuitous shirtless Sam shot but there are bars on the windows! Or, what looks like bars. Oh shuttup. You can't do a soulless!Sam picspam and exclude this scene. :)
6.05 Live Free or Twihard.
Bars of light on Sam's face.
6.05 Live Free or Twihard.
This is the scene that I feel demonstrates the theme best. It starts off with baby locked away behind these bars. Then Sam is filmed on the phone through the bars. It's such a cool location and beautifully shot.
6.06 You Can't Handle the Truth
The bar-like room divider is pretty neat. And with a stretch of the imagination we can picture them being pried open - like someone/thing trying to get out (come on, work with me here...;D). The light streaming through the horizontal blinds is a nice touch also.
6.06 You Can't Handle the Truth
Appropriate doors.
6.07 Family Matters
Horizontal blinds are used a lot in the show, but I do like the use of them in this scene. This is when it's first confirmed that Sam's soul is missing.
6.07 Family Matters
Yep, bars.
6.10 Caged Heat
Sam is knocked out and filmed in bars of light.
6.10 Caged Heat
I really love the composition of this shot. The barred windows behind Sam are wonderful, as are the shadows they create on the floor under him.
Much of this episode is set in a prison and it even had Sam (and Dean) locked up in a cell at one point. It's a really dark episode I think. Looking back it was quite poignant considering where Sam's soul was.
The next few couple of examples are after Sam's soul is returned.
6.13 Unforgiven
In this episode Sam has flashbacks of being soulless. It opens with this lovely shot of Sam behind the mesh room divider. There are also horizontal blinds in the background.
Sam is locked up during this episode and the way they film the bars is a great visual reminder of the cage his soul was once trapped in. I remember thinking that when the episode aired (probably even wrote about it once).
While I'm here I can't neglect a wonderful shot and scene from season five, where Lucifer first appears to Sam. The room divider is an intricate weave of wrought iron. I've always felt this was a visual hint of what's to come.
5.03 Free To Be You and Me.
So there you have it. Even if they are all coincidental, I do believe that directors and set designers can work subconsciously to create these hidden elements.
I've always been intrigued by the scene where Soulless!Sam is filmed behind bars in Live Free or Twihard (6.05). I've always felt it was a visual clue to the fact that Sam's soul was still in the cage. Of course, when the episode aired we didn't know that but looking back I really like the idea.
I decided to see if there were any other moments during the soulless!Sam episodes where bars appear and sure enough there were.
I have no idea if any of these are deliberate "hints" that a major part of Sam is still locked up, but I feel that there are times when it looks like a choice has been made to include bars - or the feeling of bars, in a scene.
6.01 Exile on Main Street.
I'm probably really stretching the idea here, but I rather love that Sam is sitting on a stripped blanket when he first appears to Dean. There are also bars on the window.
6.02 Two and a Half Men.
I love the glorious barred shutters in this shot and how awesome are those knives sitting on the bench?! Great choice of prop. We could stretch the them even further by thinking that the streams of light are actually a reference to Sam's soul (I'm pretty sure it's not, but I adore the idea it could be). I love this shot even if it's not a deliberate reference to Sam's soul being in the cage.
6.02 Two and a Half Men.
This isn't "bars" as such, but I love the way the police tape frames Sam.
6.03 The Third Man
Ok, I hear ya. This is a gratuitous shirtless Sam shot but there are bars on the windows! Or, what looks like bars. Oh shuttup. You can't do a soulless!Sam picspam and exclude this scene. :)
6.05 Live Free or Twihard.
Bars of light on Sam's face.
6.05 Live Free or Twihard.
This is the scene that I feel demonstrates the theme best. It starts off with baby locked away behind these bars. Then Sam is filmed on the phone through the bars. It's such a cool location and beautifully shot.
6.06 You Can't Handle the Truth
The bar-like room divider is pretty neat. And with a stretch of the imagination we can picture them being pried open - like someone/thing trying to get out (come on, work with me here...;D). The light streaming through the horizontal blinds is a nice touch also.
6.06 You Can't Handle the Truth
Appropriate doors.
6.07 Family Matters
Horizontal blinds are used a lot in the show, but I do like the use of them in this scene. This is when it's first confirmed that Sam's soul is missing.
6.07 Family Matters
Yep, bars.
6.10 Caged Heat
Sam is knocked out and filmed in bars of light.
6.10 Caged Heat
I really love the composition of this shot. The barred windows behind Sam are wonderful, as are the shadows they create on the floor under him.
Much of this episode is set in a prison and it even had Sam (and Dean) locked up in a cell at one point. It's a really dark episode I think. Looking back it was quite poignant considering where Sam's soul was.
The next few couple of examples are after Sam's soul is returned.
6.13 Unforgiven
In this episode Sam has flashbacks of being soulless. It opens with this lovely shot of Sam behind the mesh room divider. There are also horizontal blinds in the background.
Sam is locked up during this episode and the way they film the bars is a great visual reminder of the cage his soul was once trapped in. I remember thinking that when the episode aired (probably even wrote about it once).
While I'm here I can't neglect a wonderful shot and scene from season five, where Lucifer first appears to Sam. The room divider is an intricate weave of wrought iron. I've always felt this was a visual hint of what's to come.
5.03 Free To Be You and Me.
So there you have it. Even if they are all coincidental, I do believe that directors and set designers can work subconsciously to create these hidden elements.