Top Ten Motel Rooms, Part Two
(For part one, go here! Top Ten Motel Rooms – Part One).
#7 – It’s The Great Pumpkin Sam Winchester
That entire scene on the horrors of “smiting” was long, but spent the entire time trying to check out every bit of detail in the motel room decor. There’s quite a bunch. In the end Sam’s disillusionment on the angels was lost on me, as was Dean’s bravado, for I was questioning who thought brown, purple and green went together.
Where do I find a green lamp like that?
Sam’s in a fix, no doubt. The rabbit’s foot is missing, Dean needs to go get it, but he can’t take Sam along. The bad luck is that bad. So, if Sam’s going to have to sit in a motel room for several hours where he can’t even scratch his nose (which he does anyway), the room might as well have some eye candy. Like circles. Tons of them, including a giant red one on the wall behind a very bothered Sam. Circles intertwined with flowers, just to add that faux oriental yet completely off the wall touch. Sure, it’s a comedic episode, but man, I think I laughed harder at the absurdity of that motel room than anything. Maybe because Dean also got to be Batman in there.
Ah, everything a room needs when you want to make your love nest a whorehouse. Again, they went all out. Sam is holing up with Ruby somewhere, hiding from the world and doesn’t want to be found. Granted, they wanted to imply that Sam and Ruby were having sex at this time, so you’ve got to have the room to match hot demon passion. I’m still wondering though if any tacky whorehouses have tiger striped wallpaper, animal skin bedspread (on the one bed), a velvet tiger picture (the one from Andy’s van in “Simon Said”!), red curtains, red carpet, red bathroom walls, and is that a daschund lamp with the red shade? Where do I get one? I’ve got two daschunds.
Of course, no sex room is complete without plenty of mirrors on the ceiling designed for smashing on top of Dean when Castiel shows up in his true form. This is one of the rare times that the room actually plays in the plot, and it was spectacular.
(The top three and an honorable mention coming tomorrow.)
Alice Jester is the founder, editor-in-chief, head writer, programmer, web designer, site administrator, marketer, and moderator for The Winchester Family Business. She is a 30 year IT applications and database expert with a penchant for creative and freelance writing in her spare (ha!!) time. That’s on top of being a wife, mother of two active kids, and four loving (aka needy) pets.
What is it about spray-jobs and large carnivores? No-one ever wants a wombat painted on anything …
Awesome choices again 😀 Since the first time I watch most episodes is online, I don’t get much detail in because the quality is not that clear. But when I rewatch it later the rooms always give me a giggle.
But I definitely remember being distracted by the awful floor in ITGPSW. I can almost handle checkered floors..but of all colours! Ew. (Maybe they can recycle it for a season 5 Christmas episode? heh)
Love the reviews. I’m always excited to see what the set designers will come up with next.
I envy them. To be able to be as flamboyant, artistic and outrageous as you want. And on top of that being paid for it. Boy did I ever make a wrong turn in my career path.
My impression of that awkward handshake moment between Sam and Castiel was that Castiel was unwilling, rather than unknowing. I’ve watched it again with your comment in mind, Alice, and now I’m not sure which it is. I guess it’s this sort of thing which helps keep me watching, and wondering.
This is the first show that I find myself paying attention to the sets; the motels are part of the landscape each (almost each) episode and I look forward to them. Like you, I’ve got to wonder what was up with that garish room in ITGPSW but I give them credit, I think they meant for it to be disturbing, the idea of smiting towns and angels being ‘dicks’ was disturbing so why not set the scene disturbing as well.
Looking forward to the rest.
Wow looking at the room from Bad Day at Black Rock again makes me want to bow before the set designers and the direct. That one shot where Sam is set against the red circle and viewed through a circle just screams target like the opening scenes of a James Bond flick. I am in awe, I missed that the first time