Dean and Mirrors

[juppschmitz]

Just wondering… are Dean’s mirror scenes all related to the Mark of Cain? Not that it really matters in any significant way, I was just wondering when I saw this gifset. What do the mirror moments even symbolize? Self-realization? Ending in destroying that self-image?

(hunenka on tumblr came up with some mirror moments unrelated to the MoC: 4x01 (at

Comments

[lemanya]

Hi! Here's my interpretation

[hunenka]

Hi, I just remembered that there really is a mirror moment in WIAWSNB:

[juppschmitz]

Lol you beat me there! I remembered reading about the reflection in the family photograph in one of Sheila O'Malleys reviews.

But this (first?) mirror moment is probably the one that hurts most.

*sighs*

And thanks for including the gif, it's awesome!

[hunenka]

Yes, I also remembered it from Sheila O'Malley's review :)

[lemanya]

Exactly! I knew there was a mirror moment somewhere, and this such a beautiful example!

[juppschmitz]

Wow, thank you so much, that is a very astute, in-depth analysis.

And I agree with everything - everything makes so much sense! I hadn't actually been aware that the mirror thing has been going on as far back as season 2 (WIAWSNB has a mirror moment too, as hunenka points out above).

And I think I just fell in love with the show all over again, and especially with Dean's characterization. I love that everything ISN'T on the nose and obvious, but it's there if you go looking for it. And as in WIAWSNB very, very subtle.

Sometimes it might take (me) eleven seasons to cop onto something, but then it's even more worthwhile!

#silentstorytelling

Thank you so much for your comment.

[lemanya]

Indeed! I can never tell just how intentional things are on the part of creators (tv, books, whatever) and how much is just instinct in design, but I always appreciate the effort creators go to to subtly tell the story and round out a character's personality... it feels more realistic.

[juppschmitz]

I also wonder how much is intentional, and how much just "instinct". Maybe sometimes it's just coincidence, who knows.

Some things however (like the mirror moments) are too consistent, and make too much sense NOT to be intentional. That's what I think, anyway :)