Fan Contest: Name Sam’s Shirt!
Okay, I was digging through some season two footage and started answering some of my own questions that I raised in the recap of “Free To Be You And Me.” Sam and his just plain weird white shirt. You know, the one that only buttons have way, has all sorts of bizzare light grey patterns on it (paisley?) and has red patterns underneath with the sleeves are rolled up. It’s seems to have seen better days. Here’s a few reminders of what I’m talking about.
Or, how about this? It’s the perfect “throwing something on when your back from the dead brother surprises you with a visit” shirt.
There’s no better shirt to fall back to when getting punched by your livid brother after he finds out you’ve been sending demons back to Hell with your mind. It’s durable enough to be grabbed by said brother while he’s pushing you toward a wall. It also provides comfort for the extreme guilt trip after having the fear of God drilled into you.
Remember Sam when you were under a siren’s spell and told your brother he was worthless and weak? Yes, go to your favorite piece in your wardrobe when trying to smooth over things with Dean. Judging by the guilty look, he may have put too much faith in the shirt.
How about this heartwarming scene? The red in the rolled up sleeves matches the blood from the bandages.
Or the perfect shirt for comforting his recently kidnapped and distraught over giving up his perfect life brother?
Yes, the white shirt. It’s a tragedy against fashion, yet it’s so him. It’s old, ropey, and Sam has been through some pretty weird situations in it. So far, I’ve determined it’s first sighting is “Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things.” Remember, Sam broke his hand in this shirt.
How about this fond memory? Sam finds out his father’s parting words to his brother. Dean has to save him or he’ll have to kill him. At least he had he found out such a horror in comfort.
So, it’s time for the fan participation of this homage. Name Sam’s shirt! You can call it Norman or Sheila, or come up with something like Sammy’s shirt of doom, I don’t care. The top suggestions will be put to a poll vote. Or, in the case of the countdown clock contest, the one person who submits something will win! The winner gets a mention on a tweet and I shall from this point forward call the shirt that name in future recaps. Heck, “What Is and What Should Never Be” is next on my classic episode recapping list, so I’ll do it there too during the next hiatus.
For those that are really creative (fanfic writers, I’m calling you!) write the story of how Sam found that shirt. Just post it in the comments. Winner again gets prestige and mention in a tweet. I know there are bunch of a creatives out there. Let you freak flag fly! After all, after four seasons, Sam’s shirt has earned an identity. Let’s give it one!
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.
Alice! I can’t believe you chose this shirt. I love this shirt. I call it Sam’s “shirt of angst” becaust it seems to be the one being worn most often when poor Sammy goes through some heartbreaking experience – his last Christmas with Dean, Dean beating him after finding out he has been hanging with Ruby and using his powers, finding out what his father told Dean before he died, etc. I always imagined that Jessica bought this shirt for him, and he cherishes it because of that.
Dean has a “shirt of angst” in my mind also. It’s that flannel shirt with the small checked pattern – the one he was wearing in Home when Sam told him they had to go back to Lawrence, the one he was wearing in Shadow when he confessed to Sam that the one thing he wanted was for Sam not to take off right after they killed the thing that killed their mom and Jessica, that his dream was to have his family — himself, Sam and Dad — back together like it use to be, the one he wore at the beginning of ALBL2 when he talks to Sam’s body about how he screwed up and got him killed – “I had one job, one job, and I screwed it up.” I can’t right this moment think where else he wore this shirt, but it was always his shirt of angst to me. It disappeared for awhile, but I’ve caught a glimpse or two of it recently – it was in his bag in a recent episode (I can’t remember which one – maybe MATEOTB?), so he still has it. You can see it in this picture: http://www.screencap-paradise.com/caps/displayimage.php?pid=325232&fullsize=1
So that’s what I call this shirt, Alice. Thanks for this wonderful site.
In all honesty, I love this shirt 🙂
Hmm..I seem to recall other people mentioning Dean’s angst shirt before too, the same one Deborah mentioned. So each of the boys has an angst shirt, which is not surprising since their lives are one giant ball of angst, lol.
Numerous weak suggestions I just pulled out of my ass:
-The-Sad-Puppy Shirt
-Rag of Doom (I hesitated to use ‘rag’ because, as I said, I like the shirt)
-Trouble Threads
-The Samirt/Sham (Sam + Shirt)
It’s Sam’s “I’m the LITTLE Brother” Shirt. And I think it was originally Dean’s shirt but for some reason he bought the wrong size and it was too big for him, so he gave it to his little brother, Sammy.
I second Deborah’s suggestion: “the shirt of angst”
Off Topic: hey Alice, i was wondering, do the ratings system track college campus dorms?
Cause i have a T.V in my dorm apartment and so do my other four roommates in their rooms but it is just connected to the wall and is basic cable. I don’t know how all the trackings happen so i want to know if me and my compadres on campus count towards the ratings.
Thanks a bunch. 😀
Oh, I love this shirt (and Deans angsty plaid shirt too) *heart*
I’d like to call this shirt “Maudling” ’cause, you know, it is 😀 (in a good way naturally)
I can picture it allreadY!! “…and Sam was wearing his Maudling and Dean punched him, not once but twice! and “…the way the Maudlin brought out the angst and pain in Sams face was fascinating.” I know, Ima little… odd 😉
But gotta love that shirt. And I love the fact that they re-use their wardrobe over and over. It’s so rare on tv, and so REAL.
Ode to Custos
Once again I sit shotgun next to my brother.
Leaving one town to head for another.
To search for the next Supernatural entity.
And end their killing wrath for eternity.
While settling comfortably during our new travel.
I notice a thread is about to unravel.
I suddenly have a feeling of sadness and dismay.
For the thought that I might have to toss you someday.
It is then I start to reminisce.
Of the day that I found you amiss.
Left abandon in the laundry mat dryer.
Destine to be added to my attire.
A perfect fix, who would believe.
Not always a task my size can acquire.
And from that time on, what we have seen.
Through out many adventures with my brother Dean.
We have been tossed, flung and dragged across the floor.
We have been punched, kicked and strangled galore.
You have been slept in, bled on and rolled up into a ball.
And believe it or not we have survived it all.
So to see you now becoming tattered and torn.
I can’t give you up, despite that you’re worn.
As you are my comfort, my luck and a friend.
For which I had named Custos my Latin guardian.
I was going t come up with a name of my own but now I got so hooked on your proposal Supernarttu, so I rest my case. “Maudling”. Love it! You got my vote if you make it to the final round :-).
That shirt is definitely girl bought or inspired. Jessica or other college girl friend maybe? In any case I’m sure Dean mocked him the first time he saw Sam wear it. Only a guy as hot as Sam could pull that wierd shirt off.(and umm.. I really wish he would take it off) 😉
I love this site! I thought that I was the only one who noticed that shirt! I do love that they wear the same clothes over & over like real people.
I love ‘Sam’s shirt of Angst’. Perfect.
How about:
The Paisley Peril?
The Paisley shirt of Petulance?
The Palidin?
The Patronis? (Oops – wrong fantasy series. It really doesn’t protect him from much, either!)
Girl inspired? I don’t know. It looks like one of those things my father would buy and my mother would make him take it back to the store…
I like naming things (my piano is called August and the coffeemaker is Ben… Don’t worry, I know I’m weird.) but I have never named a piece of clothing before. Never realy wanted to, oddly enough.
The Paisley Peril has a nice ring to it. Then his jeans would be The Denim Danger.
I just love that shirt. It is so just so Sam. And YES I love Jared in white!
It’s definitely a comfort thing. While this is a rather long name, it fits my idea of Sam’s feeling for the shirt. I’d call it chicken-soup-for-the-soul shirt.
And I know I’m weird too.
As probably the only guy around these parts, Alice, I can answer your question and say no, no guy would ever pick that shirt out for himself. I’ve got plenty of Dean-esque olive green types, but nothing that looks like it came out of a Studio 54 annex. 😎
Alice, I found the scene where I spotted Dean’s shirt referenced in my message above. It was in the 4th season episode Metamorphosis, actually in the same scene where Sam is wearing his shirt of angst. In the scene before Dean hits Sam, Dean stomps into their hotel room, grabs his bag, and begins stuffing clothes into it – he grabs some shirts on hangers from the closet, and one of them is the shirt. The only screencap of the shirt I could find is here: http://www.desiring-jensen.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=414&pos=45
I would love to see him wear the shirt again – and for Sam to wear his angst shirt! Thanks.
It’s definitely a girly shirt, there’s nothing else like it in the rest of Sam’s kit ( probably just as well … )
I think a good name would be Deidre … cos it’s a Shirt Of Many Sorrows.
White is really not a good colour for anyone to find themselves wearing in this show. It generally means that you’re already dead, soon to be dead, about to hear/do something dreadful or being possessed by Ultimate Evil and looking a bit of a twit in poncy footwear.
I love the epic shirt of awesome!
Although paisley peril made me giggle.