Episode Prompt and Discussion 6x14

[bowtrunckle]

Thanks for all the interesting comments regarding motifs, visuals, and thematic/narrative connections in the last couple of episode discussions--they've all been really insightful and smart. Of course, we also love squeeful jabber, random flailing over pretty pictures, as well as questions and feedback on possible visual meta anyone may be working

Comments

[bowtrunckle]

So we had a director who was new to SPN this week, Jeannot Szwarc. What did you think of his style? Did anything stand out visually? Any especially memorably shots/sequences?

One of the things I found interesting was how the dummies were framed and included in the periphery of the shots (in particular the anatomy dummy). It reminded me of classic horror films where there's a lot of visual emphasis given to the "bad guy" or the "creepy object" while the protagonists or soon-to-die people remain pretty much clueless. The effect is a whole lot of creeper!dummy, which is ... creepy.

This shot gives the appearance that the Creeper!dummy is watching the janitor, which is a classic visually clue in horror that he's going to be the soon-to-be dead janitor.

[hugemind]

Ooo, I didn't really pay attention to the framing *note to self: learn to pay attention to it* beyond the obvious where Dean toyed with the heart, but caps #3 and #4 make a really strong case. The creepy dummies are staring at the boys everywhere they go. o.O But that's a pretty awesome thing that the director did.

I'm gonna give a thumbs up. :) I liked the shot of the boys where the camera panned and tilted from the cloudy sky to Sam and then to Dean, and also the crane shot of Bobby's salvage yard was pretty awesome (I don't think that we've gotten that wide a view of it yet). All in all, it felt like an episode of Show which is the most important thing.

[bowtrunckle]

I'm gonna give a thumbs up. :)

*thumbs up*

the crane shot of Bobby's salvage yard was pretty awesome

I liked that, too. Although I couldn't help but notice where the actual salvage yard cars (it's a real salvage yard somewhere in the lower mainland) stop (they're mostly grey and newer looking) and where the cars Show brought in start (they're colorful and older models and they're parked on the pavement where they were presumably just rolled in).

[annspal]

Thank you for this post. I had most of the reactions you expected and it's interesting to see how that was accomplished. I'm a little puzzled that the lighting wasn't more consistently atmospheric, though.

Can we talk about the anatomy model? The very choice of that type of dummy recalls the recent descriptions of Sam flayed in the cage. And the way it was displayed suspended on chains and a hook had me flashing on Dean in hell. (The few actual skeleton models I've seen were supported by a less heavy-duty system.)

[bowtrunckle]

So now, the silly, cracky visuals! \o/\o/\o/

The set dressers are clearly awesome. They included (I think) a cockapoo like Icarus, JA and DH's dog.

[hugemind]

Can't brain right now (need sleep!), but I can tell you this: The phone screen with the mural and Dean's feet is from the motel in 6x09. I had to go search through my screencaps when I noticed it, because it just wouldn't leave me alone.

Also noticed the picture frame is Ben's room and thought, 'awww, Ben'. :)

ETA: I'm not sure if it counts as a cracky visual per se, but the science lab had a white board that said "The cell" and had a picture of a living cell and it's parts. I immediately wondered if it was a subtle reference to Lucifer's cage (along the lines of cells, jail cells, cages - it's not a big leap). And Sam was in a cage/ jail cell) in the ep before this also.

[bowtrunckle]

is from the motel in 6x09

Ha! Now we have hard evidence for what Dean does when left to do UFO research (lies on the bed and takes pictures of his own feet). XD

I immediately wondered if it was a subtle reference to Lucifer's cage

Interesting! It's certainly not a big leap as you said. It would be neat to see if there's more cage-like visuals (bars, fences, vertical bar-like things as foreground objects) this season--I know there was some pretty overt barbed wire and metal-bar fences and tall walls boxing in the boys in "Twihard". And I was just sitting there thinking, "Why is there a cell when it's a chemistry and not a biology lab?" I'm such a nerd. But thinking about it now, maybe it was a biochemistry lab and I had a case of The Dumb while I was watching.

[hugemind]

It would be neat to see if there's more cage-like visuals (bars, fences, vertical bar-like things as foreground objects) this season--

Hmm, there's Samuel's "office" in 6x02 that's like chicken wire and there's a (horizontal) "Do not cross" line in that same ep that Sam crosses. Then there's Twihard's obvious parking lot fence and the caged alpha in 6x07. Another "Do not cross" line is blocking Dean's path in the dentist's office in 6x06 and it also has shots of Dean and Bobby through windows (the camera outside is looking in). Those are pretty much the biggest ones that I can gather by quickly flipping through my screencap collection.

But maybe the point is not to show Sam in cages before we know that his soul is still there, because it would sort of ruin the surprise. If were getting more cage visuals now, it can't really mean good things for the boys, because now they would serve either as a reminder or as foreshadowing elements.

[hidden_easel]

well... not so much on the visual front, but the one thing that only really stood out to me this episode was that there was a pretty unique score...

lol, sorry

[bowtrunckle]

Oh, wow, I didn't even notice the score. I'll have to pay attention to it whenever I happen to re-watch this episode. Thanks for pointing it out.