Tied Up Sam: SPN meta-picspam
Saturday, 28 March 2015 17:24![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aletheiafelineaSecond part! If you have seen the first one, ‘Dressed Up Dean’ picspam, you know all the whys & what fors. Same as before, the theme technically applies to the both Winchesters. Sam gets tied up a lot. Dean does too, but not as often as Sam, and what’s essential, he can’t rival with Sam’s master level of Dramatic SufferingTM. Restrained Dean is most often between annoyed and angry, and/or posing for derisive. Restrained Sam is the allegory of misery painted with angst and framed in fur of murdered little seals. And with their eyes.
That’s why, first, allow Jensen to present the entry’s unofficial motto:
Thank you, Jensen. Now, to the point. The list includes only actual bonds, not any other form of restraint – cages, drugs and else. And though there are categories, they all sum up to one big ‘Because the Universe Hates Sam Winchester’ anyway.
STAY THERE AND SHUDDUP
…when elders are doing their business. These Winchesters, really… In the hunter’s line of work, being an annoying hindrance comes naturally. An enterprising monster can turn a hindrance into an advantage, though. Or try to, anyway.
1.06 Skin
It’s Sam’s first bound time in the canon, and already twice in the episode. Frankly, I’ve been always puzzled with this particular shifter’s motivation for killing, but whatever his(?) reasons are, Winchesters are annoying distraction, and of course it’s easier to tie them and hope they stay like this, instead of killing them right away… oh, wait. *shrug* Monster logic is monster.
1.16 Shadow
‘Stay There, Shuddup, and Be a Good Little Worm(s) on the Hook’. They both are to be the bait in a trap for John Winchester, but Meg forgot that the art of fishing is more about waiting for the fish, and less about playing with the worms.
4.12 Criss Angel Is a Douchebag
“Stay there, shuddup, and oh, look! Blades! Did I mention they are scopophobic?”
5.12 Swap Meat
He gets tied up even when not in his own body. And this body is too weak to get free, which makes him double-restrained. Meantime, his body also is tied elsewhere, ‘cause you can keep cheating Dean only so long (which actually means pretty long :P ). Clearly, it’s the natural state of Sam Winchester… And the natural state of this episode’s viewer is confusion, since most of the time bodies that are there aren’t the bodies that actually are there.
8.12 As Time Goes By
Too bad we didn’t get the scene of searching for the keys in all reachable pockets… *g* Though I guess there wasn’t too much of “What you mean ‘You had them’?!”, since they still got free soon enough to catch Henry.
Also, thanks to Abaddon we know the prices on the Winchester market. One Sam is more or less one Henry.
8.18 Freaks and Geeks
There are also bright sides of being tied: others do all the work. If only they didn’t do it over your head…
9.16 Blade Runners
A variation ‘Stay There, Shuddup (or not), and Look Miserable’. And let’s make sure Dean has a good view.
10.11 There’s No Place Like Home
Because an ordinary rope is so last season!
MEAT HOOK IN THE LARDER Being a provident monster, you make sure to prevent any ideas of your meal about crawling away before consumption. If the meal is a Winchester, often it’s also a subtrope of the previous one: ‘Stay There, Shuddup and Wait for Your Turn’. One wonders how some monsters don’t get overweight… Oh, right, they get killed before they have a chance.
3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas
Sam seems to think it becomes a boring routine…
3.13 Ghostfacers
This time it’s not as much a meat hook in the larder, as a butterfly pin in the glass case, since the whole thing is not about consuming, but collecting. Sam doesn’t give a damn about the difference anyway.
3.14 Long-Distance Call
Talking to your dinner is a bad habit. Means you’re not so hungry after all. And you annoy your dinner.
3.15 Time Is on My Side
Oh, come on! So much of a Winchester and… just eyes and nothing more? What about the rest?
That’s terribly eco-unfriendly of you, Doc.
4.19 Jump the Shark
…With a canon like this, one wonders why this fandom needs any fanfiction at all. *g*
5.05 Fallen Idols
Being bound by Paris Hilton probably deserves a whole new trope on its own… Even if it’s not to be repeated. Hopefully.
5.11 Sam, Interrupted
Basically it’s a case of a hungry wraith, but it makes also another trope: ‘Sam Winchester + Mental Hospital = Restraining’. No exceptions. Bobby’s panic room counts too.
6.06 You Can’t Handle the Truth
Would she have eaten him anyway, or liars are inedible?
6.13 Unforgiven
Cobwebs. *shrugs* Hunter’s life…
7.08 Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!
It totally counts here! *g* What is the real mystery, though, is how in hell Becky managed it, Hell’s help or not… Let me remind it involved a car ride between two houses.
7.11 Adventures in Babysitting
A rare case when Sam has a companion in misery and it’s not Dean…
9.12 Sharp Teeth
Basically he’s to be framed into a murder, but when the soon-to-be-victim is a werewolf with a big family, it all boils down to being a meal anyway. *shrugs*
9.15 #thinman
Not a meal as such, this time, but still a sacrifice, to be killed for real due of a fake monster. Well, as Dean says, people are crazy.
9.19 Alex Annie Alexis Ann
Makes me wonder how do vampire cook books look like…
10.08 Hibbing 911
*yawn* *shrug* Vampires…
NOW, LET’S HAVE A TALK Applied at times when a long walk under stars or a beer shared on a park bench are not an option. Or are not thought to be an option, at least.
2.03 Bloodlust
We all should appreciate efforts of vegetarian vampires. In peace talks they’re better than hunters. Meaning: they at least try. Even if it’s not exactly well-considered to welcome a blindfolded and gagged guest with a book and tea…
3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me
It’s more a case of ‘Let’s Have a Kill and Don’t Move when I’m Taking Aim’, but the wannabe killer is still pretty talkative. “You can’t stop me” has to be said, just in case the victim doesn’t notice himself. Probably it’s a rule in “Villain 101” manual.
6.10 Caged Heat
Apparently it becomes a habit for Meg. Hasn’t she ever heard about meetings in café?
10.01 Black and 10.02 Reichenbach
You know, Cole could have been more successful, if he tried an approach in the line of “Let’s talk about how having a big brother sucks” in place of a hammer. Ah, right, Cole probably has no big brother…
NEEDED OR NOT, WE HAVE REGULATIONS HERE
Which means basically every encounter with the law enforcement of any sort.
2.19 Folsom Prison Blues
“But, sir, this jewelry is an excessive luxury. We really want to get in, scout’s honor.” *g*
There’s also a second time, though…
…which is more about ‘Know Your Place’ than mere regulations.
3.12 Jus In Bello
If you needed one reason named for why we should appreciate Henriksen, here you are: chaining the Winchesters together. *g*
FOR YOUR OWN GOOD
Considering it’s done by those who are least expected to do it, happens surprisingly often…
2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign
Actually, it’s for Sam. For Meg it’s a serious case of ‘Now, Let’s Have a Talk’. Which by the way raises a question – does holy water burn only the demon, or its vessel too, at the time?
4.21 When the Levee Breaks
Hallucination vs reality, where only the latter fits the trope. Anyway, Alastair never gives any explanations for what he’s doing beyond, well, being Alastair. Oh, and also a demon who came back to his killer, even if only in said killer’s imagination. Notice that the real cuffs are cushioned – blood junkie or not, Dean still cares.
5.14 My Bloody Valentine
The first and so far only time which is on Sam’s own wish. By the way, looks like crappy motels the Winchesters stay in aren’t that crappy after all, since the pipe didn’t break, heh.
6.07 Family Remains
Or is it more of ‘Stay There and Shuddup (While We’re Thinking)’ with a side of ‘Let’s Have a Talk’? Dean probably isn’t sure, as he isn’t really sure how much of Sam is there…
6.11 Appointment in Samarra
Notice the lack of cloth wraps under the cuffs this time. Now Dean knows exactly how much of Sam is there.
7.03 The Girl Next Door
Well, technically it counts, though it’s just to prevent Sam from falling and he’s not even conscious at the time anyway.
9.10 Road Trip
Again, for Sam’s good, but a serious case of a talk for Gadreel.
NO, LISTEN, THIS IS A TERRIBLE MISTAKE!
No one ever listens. It could turn out it’s really a mistake, and this would be embarrassing.
3.03 Bad Day at Black Rock
“Winchester is a monster and needs to be killed on sight. That’s why we’ll sit him there, where he was already sitting anyway, and then we’ll wait for the other Winchester to come and be very mean to us.”
5.02 Good God, Y’All
Oh, look, holy water again. It’s almost like the universe is trying to tell him something, but come on, he does shower…
6.13 Unforgiven
Can be considered also a case of ‘Needed or Not, We Have Regulations Here’, though the sheriff is definitely not indifferent, if not unprofessional.
7.06 Slash Fiction
Or is it more ‘Needed or Not’ again? And ‘Let’s Have a Talk’, in the second scene (Sam’s cuffed to the tabletop), which is in the interrogation room. Very suitably.
BECAUSE!
Because there were some restraints at hand and Sam Winchester happened to walk by.
Because some powerful jackass wanted fun.
Because the universe got bored with inventing excuses.
5.08 Changing Channels
…Any questions?
7.01 Meet the New Boss
Hallucinations probably deserve their own trope too, but usually they involve also a jackass in power, as I said, even if only imagined. Alastair before, and Lucifer here.
7.17 The Born Again Identity
See? *shrug* Told ya. Every time in mental hospital, no exceptions.
~*~
So far, Sam Winchester gets tied up 49 times (or 48 if we count 5.12 Swap Meat as a single time with body and soul in different places) in 43 episodes, which makes 20% of all. Six times it happens twice in the course of one episode (1.06 Skin, 2.19 Folsom Prison Blues, 6.13 Unforgiven, 7.06 Slash Fiction, 7.17 Born Again Identity, 8.12 As Time Goes By, though it’s arguable whether he got untied at all in between in 7.06 and 7.17). In roughly third of the all cases, Dean is tied along with him at the same time and place, though not necessarily the same way as Sam, who manages to get free on his own in about 20% of all cases. More often than not he’s tied to furniture, and the most popular are chairs (17 times). And twice it’s agricultural machinery – anyway, SPN has the reputation of a show big on countryside to keep up. ;)
If you’re interested in further studies, you may find this analysis interesting. It has charts. ^^
~*~*~*~
All photos come from screencapped.net, supernaturalfansonline.com, caps.oxoniensis.org, homeofthenutty.com, caps.swannees-place.com and ksitetv.com. The gif’s source is here. Also SupernaturalWiki was a big help.
Thank you, Jensen. Now, to the point. The list includes only actual bonds, not any other form of restraint – cages, drugs and else. And though there are categories, they all sum up to one big ‘Because the Universe Hates Sam Winchester’ anyway.
…when elders are doing their business. These Winchesters, really…
1.06 Skin
It’s Sam’s first bound time in the canon, and already twice in the episode. Frankly, I’ve been always puzzled with this particular shifter’s motivation for killing, but whatever his(?) reasons are, Winchesters are annoying distraction, and of course it’s easier to tie them and hope they stay like this, instead of killing them right away… oh, wait. *shrug* Monster logic is monster.
1.16 Shadow
‘Stay There, Shuddup, and Be a Good Little Worm(s) on the Hook’. They both are to be the bait in a trap for John Winchester, but Meg forgot that the art of fishing is more about waiting for the fish, and less about playing with the worms.
4.12 Criss Angel Is a Douchebag
“Stay there, shuddup, and oh, look! Blades! Did I mention they are scopophobic?”
5.12 Swap Meat
He gets tied up even when not in his own body. And this body is too weak to get free, which makes him double-restrained. Meantime, his body also is tied elsewhere, ‘cause you can keep cheating Dean only so long (which actually means pretty long :P ). Clearly, it’s the natural state of Sam Winchester… And the natural state of this episode’s viewer is confusion, since most of the time bodies that are there aren’t the bodies that actually are there.
8.12 As Time Goes By
Too bad we didn’t get the scene of searching for the keys in all reachable pockets… *g* Though I guess there wasn’t too much of “What you mean ‘You had them’?!”, since they still got free soon enough to catch Henry.
Also, thanks to Abaddon we know the prices on the Winchester market. One Sam is more or less one Henry.
8.18 Freaks and Geeks
There are also bright sides of being tied: others do all the work. If only they didn’t do it over your head…
9.16 Blade Runners
A variation ‘Stay There, Shuddup (or not), and Look Miserable’. And let’s make sure Dean has a good view.
10.11 There’s No Place Like Home
Because an ordinary rope is so last season!
3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas
Sam seems to think it becomes a boring routine…
3.13 Ghostfacers
This time it’s not as much a meat hook in the larder, as a butterfly pin in the glass case, since the whole thing is not about consuming, but collecting. Sam doesn’t give a damn about the difference anyway.
3.14 Long-Distance Call
Talking to your dinner is a bad habit. Means you’re not so hungry after all. And you annoy your dinner.
3.15 Time Is on My Side
Oh, come on! So much of a Winchester and… just eyes and nothing more? What about the rest?
That’s terribly eco-unfriendly of you, Doc.
4.19 Jump the Shark
…With a canon like this, one wonders why this fandom needs any fanfiction at all. *g*
5.05 Fallen Idols
Being bound by Paris Hilton probably deserves a whole new trope on its own… Even if it’s not to be repeated. Hopefully.
5.11 Sam, Interrupted
Basically it’s a case of a hungry wraith, but it makes also another trope: ‘Sam Winchester + Mental Hospital = Restraining’. No exceptions. Bobby’s panic room counts too.
6.06 You Can’t Handle the Truth
Would she have eaten him anyway, or liars are inedible?
6.13 Unforgiven
Cobwebs. *shrugs* Hunter’s life…
7.08 Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!
It totally counts here! *g* What is the real mystery, though, is how in hell Becky managed it, Hell’s help or not… Let me remind it involved a car ride between two houses.
7.11 Adventures in Babysitting
A rare case when Sam has a companion in misery and it’s not Dean…
9.12 Sharp Teeth
Basically he’s to be framed into a murder, but when the soon-to-be-victim is a werewolf with a big family, it all boils down to being a meal anyway. *shrugs*
9.15 #thinman
Not a meal as such, this time, but still a sacrifice, to be killed for real due of a fake monster. Well, as Dean says, people are crazy.
9.19 Alex Annie Alexis Ann
Makes me wonder how do vampire cook books look like…
10.08 Hibbing 911
*yawn* *shrug* Vampires…
2.03 Bloodlust
We all should appreciate efforts of vegetarian vampires. In peace talks they’re better than hunters. Meaning: they at least try. Even if it’s not exactly well-considered to welcome a blindfolded and gagged guest with a book and tea…
3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me
It’s more a case of ‘Let’s Have a Kill and Don’t Move when I’m Taking Aim’, but the wannabe killer is still pretty talkative. “You can’t stop me” has to be said, just in case the victim doesn’t notice himself. Probably it’s a rule in “Villain 101” manual.
6.10 Caged Heat
Apparently it becomes a habit for Meg. Hasn’t she ever heard about meetings in café?
10.01 Black and 10.02 Reichenbach
You know, Cole could have been more successful, if he tried an approach in the line of “Let’s talk about how having a big brother sucks” in place of a hammer. Ah, right, Cole probably has no big brother…
Which means basically every encounter with the law enforcement of any sort.
2.19 Folsom Prison Blues
“But, sir, this jewelry is an excessive luxury. We really want to get in, scout’s honor.” *g*
There’s also a second time, though…
…which is more about ‘Know Your Place’ than mere regulations.
3.12 Jus In Bello
If you needed one reason named for why we should appreciate Henriksen, here you are: chaining the Winchesters together. *g*
Considering it’s done by those who are least expected to do it, happens surprisingly often…
2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign
Actually, it’s for Sam. For Meg it’s a serious case of ‘Now, Let’s Have a Talk’. Which by the way raises a question – does holy water burn only the demon, or its vessel too, at the time?
4.21 When the Levee Breaks
Hallucination vs reality, where only the latter fits the trope. Anyway, Alastair never gives any explanations for what he’s doing beyond, well, being Alastair. Oh, and also a demon who came back to his killer, even if only in said killer’s imagination. Notice that the real cuffs are cushioned – blood junkie or not, Dean still cares.
5.14 My Bloody Valentine
The first and so far only time which is on Sam’s own wish. By the way, looks like crappy motels the Winchesters stay in aren’t that crappy after all, since the pipe didn’t break, heh.
6.07 Family Remains
Or is it more of ‘Stay There and Shuddup (While We’re Thinking)’ with a side of ‘Let’s Have a Talk’? Dean probably isn’t sure, as he isn’t really sure how much of Sam is there…
6.11 Appointment in Samarra
Notice the lack of cloth wraps under the cuffs this time. Now Dean knows exactly how much of Sam is there.
7.03 The Girl Next Door
Well, technically it counts, though it’s just to prevent Sam from falling and he’s not even conscious at the time anyway.
9.10 Road Trip
Again, for Sam’s good, but a serious case of a talk for Gadreel.
No one ever listens. It could turn out it’s really a mistake, and this would be embarrassing.
3.03 Bad Day at Black Rock
“Winchester is a monster and needs to be killed on sight. That’s why we’ll sit him there, where he was already sitting anyway, and then we’ll wait for the other Winchester to come and be very mean to us.”
5.02 Good God, Y’All
Oh, look, holy water again. It’s almost like the universe is trying to tell him something, but come on, he does shower…
6.13 Unforgiven
Can be considered also a case of ‘Needed or Not, We Have Regulations Here’, though the sheriff is definitely not indifferent, if not unprofessional.
7.06 Slash Fiction
Or is it more ‘Needed or Not’ again? And ‘Let’s Have a Talk’, in the second scene (Sam’s cuffed to the tabletop), which is in the interrogation room. Very suitably.
Because there were some restraints at hand and Sam Winchester happened to walk by.
Because some powerful jackass wanted fun.
Because the universe got bored with inventing excuses.
5.08 Changing Channels
…Any questions?
7.01 Meet the New Boss
Hallucinations probably deserve their own trope too, but usually they involve also a jackass in power, as I said, even if only imagined. Alastair before, and Lucifer here.
7.17 The Born Again Identity
See? *shrug* Told ya. Every time in mental hospital, no exceptions.
So far, Sam Winchester gets tied up 49 times (or 48 if we count 5.12 Swap Meat as a single time with body and soul in different places) in 43 episodes, which makes 20% of all. Six times it happens twice in the course of one episode (1.06 Skin, 2.19 Folsom Prison Blues, 6.13 Unforgiven, 7.06 Slash Fiction, 7.17 Born Again Identity, 8.12 As Time Goes By, though it’s arguable whether he got untied at all in between in 7.06 and 7.17). In roughly third of the all cases, Dean is tied along with him at the same time and place, though not necessarily the same way as Sam, who manages to get free on his own in about 20% of all cases. More often than not he’s tied to furniture, and the most popular are chairs (17 times). And twice it’s agricultural machinery – anyway, SPN has the reputation of a show big on countryside to keep up. ;)
If you’re interested in further studies, you may find this analysis interesting. It has charts. ^^
All photos come from screencapped.net, supernaturalfansonline.com, caps.oxoniensis.org, homeofthenutty.com, caps.swannees-place.com and ksitetv.com. The gif’s source is here. Also SupernaturalWiki was a big help.
