(You know it had to be done...)
Title: Smile, like you mean it.
Vidder:
ash48Song by: The Killers
Category: Character study
Length: 1.03 min (damn, that's short)
Size: 16mb
Summary Dean's doing all he can to smile. Like he means it.
Huge thanks to the lovely
counteragent for the beta. *heffa hugs* hun. I appreciate it.<33
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You TubenotesThis is embarrassingly short. Mostly because I can't seem to make longer vids these days, but it's also because it punched out of me like this.
The notion of Dean smiling as a way of coping with everything really struck a cord with me. In the final scene from Adventures in Babysitting (7.11), you can see the wheels churning in Dean's mind. I wanted to play with the "practice smile" and show what he has to fight (in his mind) to put it on his face.
Feedback is always appreciated. :)
As an aside to the vid (though relevant to it if you watch to the very end), I've heard that some fans felt that Dean was being mean for making fun of Sam's fear at the end of 7.14 - laughing at Sam's ordeal and by buying him a clown doll. I ABSOLUTELY appreciate that everyone sees things differently (and I love that! I really do) but I can't say I saw it that way. The end, to me, was a very brotherly exchange.
Dean laughing at Sam's expense is how it works. Sam knows that. That's why he stopped himself from saying anything (notice that moment when he was going to call Dean on it then stopped?). Instead, he saw Dean enjoying himself for the first time in a long time and let it go. He loved seeing his brother actually smiling.
Especially because it was Sam that made him do so. Sam does the same to Dean (note the ribbing Sam gave Dean in the previous episode, Slice Girls). It's such a brother thing. I think we sometimes get stuck on constantly wanting to see them worry and care for each other (which, yeah...*g*) but I think we can sometimes miss that siblings also rib and make fun of each other. (I'm happy to debate this of course. I can see that Dean
could be seen as being being thoughtless. I just didn't get that vibe with that scene.)
Sam has a fear of clowns, (which does seem rather weird considering the all the things that are out there) so of course Dean is going to leap on that. Add to that a brother covered in glitter? Well...if Dean's looking for something to smile about you can't do much better than that.
And I am completely un spoiled for this ep... but I am equally concerned (in a OMG! We are going to have our hearts ripped out! kind of way...). Still, I can't wait...
:DD
The end, to me, was a very brotherly exchange. ... I think we sometimes get stuck on constantly wanting to see them worry and care for each other (which, yeah...*g*) but I think we can sometimes miss that siblings also rib and make fun of each other. (I'm happy to debate this of course. I can see that Dean could be seen as being being thoughtless. I just didn't get that vib with that scene.)
SO much truth here -- you'll get no debate from me. I'm one of three siblings myself, and yeah, that is exactly how those relationships work. We rib, we tease, we sometimes do things that appear cruel or thoughtless to outsiders. I totally understand both Sam ribbing on Dean in the previous episode, and Dean ribbing on Sam here. It's just what siblings do. :D
Yeah..I'm one of four. And there are times when you want to run and hide so you don't get picked on - but that's all par for the course I suppose. I love how resigned Sam was that he was going to get teased.
X
I mean... Sorry about that. Dean has a way breaking hearts.....
Thanks so much for watching. :)))
(Besides a 7 ft tall glitter-covered Sam, that is.)
:)
<333
(I hope all is good..<3)
wonderfully on-point :) and I love how Dean's head-space if full of Sam bleeding and dying, even when he's trying to be happy.
oh, and I'm totally with you on the brothers ribbing thing. that scene felt *good*, with Dean being Dean and Sam being Sam and everything the way it's supposed to be :D S2, we missed you!
In my mind everything that Sam has been through would weigh heavily on Dean. Even though he still has him, it must be hard not to remember what he has suffered and what could possibly happen to him. And then try to smile..
Hee! Yes S2 happiness. It seems so long ago...
Thanks so much for watching and commenting hun.
xx
Regarding 7.14, I honestly think this was the most "brotherly" episode I've ever seen on this show, even including season 1. Their teasing, their laughter, their recall of past events--it's like they're back to their S1 relationship only with more maturity, a recognition that there are some things you never get over, but you can get past them. With all due respect to differing opinions and at the risk of telling people "Ur doin it wrong," I think being disgruntled with the brotherly byplay in this episode shows a lack of maturity and understanding of what these guys are, and what they are to each other. They're not 13-year-old girls.
it's like they're back to their S1 relationship only with more maturity,
Oh yes. The maturity is really coming through now. They've been through so much together and it's great to see that reflected in their interactions now.
I'm really liking this new understanding they seem to have. (I just hope it can last for a while....or more!)
xx
That last scene of 7.14 was love. That is my take. It was the boys looking after each other and they have both repeatedly needled and teased each other on things. There seemed to be a lot of growth here--it's not even back to S1 even though it has the surface trappings of the jokes and brother bonding but I think there were tensions in S1 that aren't there now while they have different tensions and problems. But the relationship has evolved.
That is the easiest they've seemed together in a while.
I think it's testament to how strong Dean is. If you put together everything he's suffered and still manages to work a smile he's one hell of a tough dude.
But the relationship has evolved.
Yes! I just love that it has evolved and isn't just a "let's go back to S1/S2 "happier" times". It's taking into account everything that's been before.
That is the easiest they've seemed together in a while.
*happy sigh* Of course this means there's trouble ahead but then it wouldn't be show if there wasn't.
Thanks so much for watching sweetie. :DD
Thank you! Eloquent is lovely...:D
Buuuut your vid!!! THANK YOU. Dean's smile is something he has to fight for, yes. I appreciate how you mingled the tragic scenes with this forced smile behind the wheel. And when I saw Dean laugh at the end, it was like... well, like he died and went to heaven. I don't believe in redemption for either Winchester here on earth. So it has to be the afterlife (which will hopefully be better then the ones they already had). And to imagine a Dean who is laughing gleefully, free of all burden, enjoying himself... that is something to wish for.
I'm glad you liked the vid. It always fascinates me what could be going through the characters heads. And I always imagination it will be afterlife when the boys finally find peace. :)
Oh, wow, this vid really highlights how much Dean has to "smile away" in order to be able to keep going. I mean we all know about those things, but seeing it all cramped in between Dean's "test smiles". That's pretty hard to watch. I love that you let him remember the smiles of his loved (and lost) ones in the end, as if that was helping him to keep his smile on. I also think the shortness of the vid is very appropriate and helps the message come across like a punch.
Really wonderfully done!♥ :)
Thanks sweetie. I'm glad you liked the vid. I initially had scenes of his loved ones dying but it wasn't really working so I thought it would be more bittersweet if he remembered them smiling. I also liked the idea of them matching the song title. :)
<3333
As for your rant, I had no idea people were thinking Dean had been mean to Sam with that laugh in the last episode. I guess, it was such a perfect moment of brotherly love, not only Dean's laugh, but Sam's reaction to it, that I never thought someone could take it differently. <3 And you know there was GLITTER! How can one not laugh at that?
I initially had him seeing his loved ones dying but I thought it would be more powerful if he remember them smiling. Smiles that would maybe help him smile too.
And I know! I have to admit it surprised me. It really didn't come across (to me) as Dean being thoughtless at all. The fact that he went to the trouble of buying Sam a "tease" present filled my heart. Same with Sam getting (stealing?) Dean the slinky... So adorable. :DD
What made me somewhat frowny about that scene was what the glitter made Dean think of, but it's hardly anything new for SPN.
Yeah.
xx