Ok, so I was looking through Mick’s last scene in 12.17 but I got distracted by the blocking... and Homeward Bound. I also still have to rewatch 12.18 again to finish that post, but @obsessionisaperfume talked about 9.06 and it intrigued me to have a look again since it does heavily remind me of the current arc with Cas. It’s also on Netflix so yay not dealing with ads. I had used this lens before but actually writing it down showed some interesting patterns. Have 3 scenes from 9.06 with Cas and Dean annotated with editing.
As before, bold text doesn’t necessarily mean important, it just means coverage. Not in coverage is a reaction shot. I’ll note inserts of other things but there really aren’t many. These scenes are all pretty focused.
Some notes about these scenes: There is a lot of OTS (over the shoulder). This shot is often used to show connection and closeness. Having a character in 2D space OTS minimizes the space between the characters in the shot. It also builds a connection and sense of space. Some of these shots could be considered a 2 shot, but they sort of osculate between 2 shot and OTS.
Both denote connection, the 2 shot says that what’s happening from both characters is important.(unless the focus is the environment or space. You can usually tell which is being used when in practice) In western film, if the shot is close, the subject is important, if the subject is far, the environment or space is important. People generally take a more individualistic approach in western cinema, so if someone is in the shot with another character, it probably means something. It could mean that whatever is happening affects both of them, or it could mean that they are the only couple in the crowd. It depends on the narrative.
Scenes below with notes:
1) [2 shot mid, profile] CASTIEL
Good day, ma'am.
[mid-close OTS] (CASTIEL gives her an emphatic thumbs-up, and says very intensely:)
And good luck!
[Technically 2 shot, focus shifts from customer to Dean]
[Quick insert of mid-close Cas for reaction]
DEAN
I'll have some beef jerky and a pack of menthols.
[Camera lingers on Dean]
[Mid close]CASTIEL
...What are you doing here?
[OTS mid close] DEAN
Gee, it's nice to see you, too, Cas.
[OTS mid close]CASTIEL
It's … Steve now. (gesturing towards his employee name tag) And... uh, you surprised me.
[OTS mid close]DEAN
Well, the feeling is mutual. I mean, I knew you had to lay low from the angel threat, but, uh, wow. This is some cover.
[OTS mid close on Cas, he crosses behind the register. The camera settles in an OTS pos]
[OTS mid on Dean, cuts to OTS mid close on Cas’ coverage. Cas’ profile can be seen during Dean’s coverage.]
CASTIEL
My Grace is gone. What did you expect? Do you have any idea how hard it was? When I fell to earth, I didn't just lose my powers. [cuts to OTS mid close on Dean] I –
[cuts back to OTS mid close on Cas] I had nothing. Now... I'm a sales associate.
[OTS mid] DEAN
A sales associate?
The beer delivery guy hands "Steve" a clipboard from out of frame. Cas reaches for before Dean can continue.
[Hand into frame] DELIVERY GUY
Hey, Steve. Sign here?
[Mid 2 shot of Dean and Cas across from each other in profile with the counter between them. Delivery guy partially obstructs our sightline of Dean. Dean is not pleased with his blocking being blocked.
CASTIEL takes the clipboard and signs it, continuing to speak to DEAN.
[OTS close mid] CASTIEL
I'm responsible for inventory, sales, customer service. I keep this place – (he hands the clip board to the delivery guy, who says "Thank you" and leaves) – Thank YOU (to the delivery guy) – clean and presentable. And when my manager's busy, I even prepare the food.
[OTS close mid] DEAN
Wow. So you went from fighting … heavenly battles to nuking taquitos?
[OTS close mid] CASTIEL (nodding)
Nachos too.
Scene.
^Notes about the scene above:
The shots make the characters seem a lot closer to each other except when it pulls back to the master and a couple of high angle OTS shots.
Dean and Cas being interrupted by the delivery guy is interesting. It kind of shows a sudden amount of space between them from what was a series of very close shots in 2D space.
The dialogue that’s given importance when it’s on coverage is generally regarding Cas’ job and humanity. Off coverage is reaction shots mostly. This editor seems to mostly cut around dialogue, or cut like mad. Check this out:
CAS: What are you doing here?
DEAN: Gee, it's nice to see you, too, Cas.
CAS: It's … Steve now. you surprised me.
DEAN: low from the angel threat, but, uh, wow. This is some cover.
CAS: how hard it was? When I fell to earth, I didn't just lose my powers. I had nothing. Now... I'm a sales associate.
DEAN: A sales associate?
CAS: I keep this place – Thank YOU – clean. I even prepare the food.
DEAN: Wow. So you went from - to nuking taquitos?
CAS: Nachos too.
----Interesting. Next!
2) Cas walks out of the Gas n Sip storage room [Master tracking mid 2 shot, follows Cas], Cas is annoyed.
DEAN: This is not you man, you are above this. C’mon!
CASTIEL: No Dean, I’m not.
[Ots Close] CASTIEL (cont.) I failed at being an angel... everything I ever attempted came out wrong. But here, at least I have a shot of getting things right.
[OTS close 2 shot, Dean in focus] Castiel (cont.) I guess you can’t see it, but... there’s a real [back to Cas’ ots close] dignity in what I do. A human dignity.
[OS to 3 shot mid wide] NORA: I hate to interrupt you guys but Steve, a customer had an accident in the men’s room.
[OTS mid 2 shot of Dean and Cas] CASTIEL: I’m on it.
[CAS OTS mid] NORA: Oh, and tonight. 7 at my place work for you?
[Back to the Dean/Cas OTS mid 2 shot] CASTIEL: Great.
[Close mid] NORA: You’re the best.
[Mop OTS mid 2 shot] DEAN: That’s what this i-[cuts to OTS close when he looks to Cas] -s about.
(Agh, the way Dean looks during this part of the scene is really similar to how he looks in the diner in 12.12 during his “support” there too)
[OTS mid close] CASTIEL: What?
[OTS mid close] DEAN: A girl.
[OTS mid close] CASTIEL: No, Dean. It’s not. Nora... She’s a very nice woman. [shot cuts to include more of Cas and a closer shot of Dean] I’m pretty sure she’s not a reaper intent on killing me... and she’s asked me out. Going on dates is something humans do right?
[CU Dean’s focus with Cas in profile] DEAN: Yeah, I mean my dates usually end when I run out of singles but yeah.. it’s something that.. humans do.
(Dean’s phone starts to ring)
[Master tracking mid 2 shot, follows Dean] DEAN: This is agent Lee Ermey. I’ll be right there.
[2 shot, Dean’s focus, Close mid CAS] DEAN: There’s another kill. Up at the highschool. You coming?
[OTS Close mid] I wouldn’t be much use, and I don’t have my powers.
[Dean’s focus mid close with close Cas’ profile] DEAN: So? I’ve never had powers.
[OTS mid close] CASTIEL: You are a hunter.
[Dean’s focus mid close with close Cas’ profile] DEAN: You’re a hunter in training, remember?
CASTIEL: Yeah, I remember. [cut to OTS mid close] you said I sucked.
[2 shot mid Dean’s focus, mid close Cas] DEAN: I didn’t say that. I said that there was uh, uh... you know, room for improvement. Come on!
[Master OTS 2 shot mid Cas focus] CASTIEL: *sigh* alright, my shifts over in 5 mins and my date’s not until later so..
[OTS mid close] DEAN: That a boy. I’ll go get the car. (pats Cas on the arm)
CASTIEL: Not just yet.
[OTS mid close] CASTIEL: I have to clean the bathroom.
Scene.
Some notes: Again, coverage dialogue involves stuff regarding humans and dignity.
This scene’s closest shots are of Dean when he decides Nora is the reason for Cas’ dignity. Dean is not pleased about it. It really reminded me of the diner scene in 12.12. Seriously, watch those scenes back to back, it’s freaky.
The mop gets a OTS mid wide 2 shot... Cas has a connection to the mop... Damnit director.
Cas and Dean sort of have their own space throughout the scene. We enter their “space” by following Cas’ track. We exit it briefly following Dean’s track when he gets the call. He goes back and we end the scene in the space but Cas exits it.
-----Onward!
3) [Wide of the Impala] DEAN: Cas.
[OTS mid. Most of Dean can be seen with Cas. Cas focus] DEAN: Wait.
[OTS close] DEAN: I can’t let you do this.
[OTS mid close] CASTIEL: What?
[OTS close] DEAN: You’re gonna wear that on a date?
[OTS mid close] CASTIEL: This is all I have, Dean.
[OTS mid. Most of Cas can be seen with Dean focus] DEAN: Okay. Uh.. lose the vest.
[Mid close, 2 shot, Cas focus] CASTIEL: What are you-?
[Focus shifts to Dean at the end of his line] DEAN: Lose the vest. Come on.
[Mid close on Cas. He’s taking the vest off] DEAN: That’s a little better. Alright.
[OTS close] DEAN: And now your buttons. Why don’t you unbutton it?
Insert Mid of Cas undoing the buttons.
[OTS close] DEAN: Okay. That- that’s far enough, Tony Manero.
[OTS close] DEAN: Uh.. Yeah. Good. All right. Listen to me.
[OTS mid close] DEAN: Always open the door for her, okay?
[OTS mid with Cas’ profile] DEAN: Ask a lot of questions. They like that. And uh.. oh, if she says she’s happy to go Dutch? She’s lying.
[OTS mid close] DEAN: All right?
[OTS mid with Cas’ profile] Go get ‘em, Tiger.
The focus shifts from Dean to Cas and back to Dean. We can see Dean watching Cas leave.
Cas steps out of the Impala with Dean still watching. Dean watches the rest of the scene play out and gives Cas encouragement.
Cas approaches the house intercut with Dean’s PoV. We get a close shot of Dean watching him.
Heh, Dean tries to leave after being waved off but a truck with the brown and cream motif Cas’ current truck has, blocks him.
Scene.
^Ok, that scene there. Serious 11.23 vibes. Like, I had them before but man. I just watched the scene 4 times and agh. Dean even handles it more or less the same way. He leads in, and then backtracks. That was a long ass pause, and yeah, it may have been a joke, but there are only so many close shots you wanna doll out in a scene. These are the only close shots. All of them have coverage dialogue except the last one:
[OTS close] DEAN: I can’t let you do this.
[OTS close] You’re gonna wear that on a date?
[OTS close] DEAN: And now your buttons. Why don’t you unbutton-
[OTS close] DEAN: Uh.. Yeah. Good. All right. Listen to me.
[OTS close] DEAN: Tony Manero.
Close of Dean watching Cas approach the house.
By the way, that last one? It probably wouldn’t exist if it didn’t mean something. If there wasn’t some reason to show that close up, they probably wouldn’t have. They likely have tons of footage from different setups of that scene. They chose that shot. Why?
Actually, this entire episode feels that way. Especially that scene. Scenes are supposed to go through a -/+ emotional change or a +/- change. So.. what changed in the scene emotionally? What purpose did it serve in the ep overall? In the arc overall? What purpose did this ep serve?
Obviously, I can’t really know about the intent for any of this, but it really seems like Dean has a thing for Cas and vise versa by the editing. Not only that, but this ep is just saturated with romance film tropes.
Some of s12 really feels like an exploration of some of the concepts of this ep. Not sure if intentional, but it’s sure there.
Oh, and @obsessionisaperfume, if you wanted different scenes, just let me know.
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So, they’re married. Either they end up meeting the person together, or they tell the other person pretty much right away... so, instead of repeating myself, might as well combine them.
We have connection points for Fang, Hibiki, Hongyu, and Xun already, so skipping them. Sousuke they hear on the radio sometimes.
The only Byakko Warriors I think either of them would meet would probably be a connection between Jianyu and Meg/Shahil. Prosthetics isn’t really what either of them do, but it is a subset of automata and mecha, so... I dunno. Oooh, Jainyu might ask for a special order after hearing adverts about Chaudhary Smithy during mech polo matches?! Like a very specific instrument for prosthetic adjustments or something, or maybe Jianyu comes up with an idea for the world’s first swiss army knife. Obviously once he meets one, he meets all, but that’s the easiest connection point I can think of.
Azat: we talked about him in length in the chat. Jianyu is careful about his taxes and paperwork, and handles Yuhan’s paperwork as well because, well, that’s boring to her, and if he didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done. Jianyu keeps his head down as much as possible, but with a wife like Yuhan... that’s not always possible. I’ve been trying to do some research on drug prices, strengths, dosages, and the like, but I can’t find any concrete numbers. Jianyu tries to cover his tracks though (if someone pays cash, he might not write down their appointment) but there’s still going to be some issues.
Aoi: Maybe the Empire has doctors-in-training practice skills on soldiers? Not like sutures or full on medical care, but learning how to build a rapport with patients, etc. If nothing else, it gives soldiers who don’t see a lot of combat someone new to talk to. (Do soldiers see a lot of combat? Or is it just mostly scuffles with local militia?)
Mokuren: Maybe she fixes one of Jianyu’s shoes while he waits? He doesn’t have very many pairs of shoes, and while buying shoes for his left foot is easy, finding someone who knows how to make a steady filler for his right shoe isn’t. His prosthetic needs to fit snugly, but still be able to move and flex as he walks. Maybe some of the filler or sole becomes dislodged, which is throwing off his gait.
Qingjao: During Jianyu’s schooling, while he never came in the top three of his class (which is where all the honorifics are), he was always damn close. (He kept getting distracted by prosthetic... everything to properly study). His proficiency in medicine, prosthetics, patient care, community before self, lecturer, etc etc makes him a Model Citizen in the Empire’s Eyes. I’m sure he gets invitations to various fancy shindigs and commemoration parties, most of which he ever so graciously declines (as to not stress the community, as they do need their doctor, I’m sure you understand). I’m not sure how Yuhan would do in a fancy party; even if Jianyu stressed to her how important it was for her to keep her head down and her voice low, she gets way too excited way too easily, which means accidents.
Turns out the third episode was perfectly placed to build up my impression that there wasn’t enough character development or emotional grounding going on in the modern day storyline. I’m not going to edit my review, but
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