Previously... Season 1:
Part 1,
Part 2,
Part 3,
Part 4 This post covers from Shadow through Provenance. The boys go through quite an emotional whirlwind and, as ever, how the Impala is filmed reflects that, although she doesn't feature as prominently as she has before. Still, a lot of faithful lurking about near the boys, looking pretty (...or not, aww).
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS A LOT OF ♥'S.
On with it, then! :)
SHADOW
Our first shot of the Impala is just a gorgeous view of her lines, and I have nothing whatsoever to add to it, except that I like the touch of being able to see Dean in the mirror.
Next, we have an entirely gratuitous shot of Dean getting out of her in his uniform... ♥
...followed by a similarly gratuitous couple of shots of Sam sitting in her in his uniform. ♥
(Can you just imagine if The Benders had shown the boys in the Impala in their state trooper outfits? I know, I know, we get even better in S2's Nightshifter. But still, I'm just sayin': the boys wear uniforms exceptionally well, and she wears the boys wearing uniforms exceptionally well, so why not gratuitously include that in every episode possible? Everybody wins!)
Anyhow, they get out and get moving, and we have double the pleasure of watching them in uniform walking away with her in the background. You can just barely catch a glimpse of her over Sam's shoulder as he walks, until the end when you see her more clearly.
♥
(And I hate to say this, really I do, but... The Benders might have a point. Shouldn't they lock her, especially in a huge city like this? Anyone could break in and steal her, let alone steal what's inside her trunk or report it to the police. Shouldn't that concern them a little...?)
But no matter, because the next time we see her, hilarity ensues, as it is Sam's very first time to be called a pervert by someone other than Dean being Dean, and the Impala was right there, enabling his skeevy little self, hee! Not to mention we have lovely through-the-Impala's-window shots of Sam that remind me of
Bloody Mary.
I have nothing but love for that entire scene. ♥
We get one last shot of the Impala before things heat up...
...and when we pick up with her again, it's in the aftershock of the start of the very long road to hell.
I wonder how much would have changed had they gone together.
But I guess we'll never know. John climbs into his own lifeboat, and the boys climb back home.
They back out of the episode and into the night, leaving Meg staring after them.
EPISODE TALLY:
Driver!Sam: 1
Dean Lovin': 0
Into the Horizon? Sorta (They drive off, but we close out on Meg.)
HELL HOUSE
Now for the first WTF mood whiplash of the series, we open in on Dean driving along the highway and deciding to play a prank on a sleeping Sam. Mood whiplash aside, I am filled with glee about this scene, because it makes me think of all the pranks they must have played on each other (well, specifically all the pranks Dean played on Sam) throughout the many years growing up in the Impala. She must have a lot of memories of it. :D
♥
Back to business, there is an establishing shot of her outside the diner...
...but of course, the real magic keeps happening whenever the boys prank each other. ♥
This starts the trend of Dean really not liking it when Sam messes with his baby, and Sam being completely unimpressed by Dean's displeasure. Hee! ♥ (I can't wait to get to Tall Tales and Lazarus Rising. ♥ ♥)
Although the Impala unfortunately does not make an appearance through the curtain in the towel scene, she does pop up again unexpectedly during that prank's payoff. Do you see her?
(CLICK FOR MINI-DORK ATTACK.)
Do you see her now?
The Impala is everywhere in S1. \o/
She accompanies the boys for a bit longer on some business matters...
...before they drive out of the episode with some rare and well-earned smiles. :D
♥
EPISODE TALLY:
Driver!Sam: 0 (but he did mess with her controls, hee!)
Dean Lovin': 1 (or does it count when he "drums" on the steering wheel? I say yes. \o/)
Into the Horizon? Yes
SOMETHING WICKED
!
STOCK FOOTAGE ALERT ! (All the way back from
Dead in the Water. That's a blast from the past.)
Unfortunate and confusing use of stock footage aside, Something Wicked has one of my favorite opening Impala scenes if only for the shot of the misspelled sign with the billboard. I will never not love the confusion there. ♥
The Impala has a couple of establishing shots again, looking shiny and sleek... which is somewhat ironic, given that the next two episodes deal with her being in slightly less than pristine condition.
There's one of the many pretty rain shots of the Impala as they drive up to the motel for the first time...
...complete with Sam lounging sexily against her. ♥
She spends most of the episode lingering by the motel, driving the boys to and from. She's probably the most like a simple car that she's ever been in S1 (notwithstanding The Benders), until the very last scene where she blends into home again.
I particularly love about this scene following the Sleeping With My Peepers Open lady that you can see Sam laughing inside the Impala as they drive up. It's so nice to see that the breath of fresh air from Hell House lingered for him just a little bit, although it went dark again pretty quickly for Dean. I just love it when they laugh. It's so rare. ♥
All love for the laughter aside, that little dent on the passenger side door hurts my heart. :(
When they walk over to talk with Michael, you can see her in the
blurry background behind Sam's shoulder, then again when Michael
shows up at their motel room. It's not a big deal, but it's a nice touch. You know it's the Impala even when she's a blur.
Then it's all over, but before they drive off into the horizon, they share one of those many heartbreaking/heartwarming moments at her side. And Jensen does something prior to that, which I'm honestly not sure if it's a Dean thing or a Jensen thing, an acting thing or an unconscious thing, but it's a cute thing and a sweet thing and a ship thing. ♥
(CLICK FOR MINI-DORK ATTACK.)
Then comes that moment I still remember so vividly, them standing across the Impala from each other but effectively shoulder-to-shoulder. She's always a bridge between them, always connection, never a wall. Sam puts his arm up on the seat again as they drive off, and the moment completes itself. Home again.
♥
EPISODE TALLY:
Driver!Sam: 1 (implied, to the library)
Dean (Jensen??) Lovin': 1
Into the Horizon? Yes :')
PROVENANCE
I would be remiss if I neglected to point out that our first view of the Impala is of a hungover Dean sleeping inside her.
And it's impossible to capture, but if you watch that scene, notice as Sam walks past Dean's window, you see him suddenly speed up a little, as if the opportunity to honk the horn suddenly overwhelmed him with its brilliant timing. Hee! ♥
This cuteness is followed by cuteness of another sort, the memorable shot when the Impala was for the first time ever in the series (though not the last, John) made to feel self-conscious and inferior. BOO. But aww! And hee! ♥
On the flip side, of course, look at how badass she is, compared to all of those fancy cars who look like they'd rather spend the day at the beach than get their tires dirty saving people. Aww, Metallicar! I'd take you over any of 'em! ♥
p.s. I love Phil Sgriccia's direction so much.
There is further cuteness once the boys meet the inside of their motel room, but unfortunately, we have to leave the Impala outside. :(
She's right there in outline as the boys burn the painting...
...but perhaps the cutest moment of this cute episode was the blooper from the following scene.
Still pictures will never do it justice, but here are the blooper caps, just 'cause. ♥
Sometimes, there just aren't enough ♥'s for this show. :))) Anyhow, back to the episode...
The Impala gets a gorgeous shot as they drive up to Victim #2's house.
And I could swear that she is there in the blurry foreground as they burn the old man's bones...
...but I'm not totally sure.
In any case, she gets one last moment of cuteness...
...before she returns to badassery, smashing through the gates like hell's on her tail. \o/
It's too bad she didn't just smash through the mausoleum, too, but I suppose that would have been overkill.
That's almost the last shot of her, but then there's this:
♥
Like Hook Man, the Impala and her boy hope for something sweet for Little Brother, and this time, he's ready for it. I love how happy Dean was for him there. I love how the Impala frames the shot. I love the chemistry between Sam and Sarah. I love everything about that scene, and although it feels like a time and tone of their lives lost forever, it still makes me a little hopeful that perhaps the boys could find peace of heart and love again. They both were still scarred by memories of the past (Sam's more recent, Dean's from years ago), but they finally here seemed to have reached this place where they were almost okay, not exactly okay but beginning to move past differences and private pain to comfort and be comforted by the other. It hurts to think this is the happiest they'll be for years to come, the least driven and defined by their issues, the most content at heart. That has nothing to do with the Impala, but it's hard not to be wistful for them, looking back on this after knowing all that went down from the next episode onward.
In any case, I'm glad she was there in the last shot. Other things may change and go to hell in a handbasket, but at least that remains constant: the Impala is always there with them. ♥
Verdict: This episode had a lot of ♥'s. Again! :)
EPISODE TALLY:
Driver!Sam: 1 (implied at the start, with Dean hungover in the passenger seat, hee!)
Dean Lovin': 0
Into the Horizon? No (Ends on Sam kissing Sarah.)
That might have been the most ♥-filled post about the Impala yet. \o/
// TO BE CONTINUED
p.s. I expect my S5 DVDs to arrive from Amazon tomorrow, so I'm going to try to get through the end of S1 at least with the Impala before I get hopelessly distracted by S5. *bounces* I can't wait. I have heard the Impala is important in S5, too, as if I wasn't already excited enough! :D