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Wow, I got a little behind on these visual reviews.  But hey, a hiatus is a great time to catch back up, right?  So here's my visual review of "Trial and Error" for your viewing pleasure.  This episode was directed by Kevin Parks, so let's see what he had in store for us.

1.



 

I have a real soft spot for the books and paper props on this show.  They always look so amazing, and the directors find the best angles to shoot them from.


2.

 

It's not often that we see the Impala going into a gated area.  It's usually nasty warehouses and natty hotels and the like.


3.

 

That is one gigantic barn.  I like this angle they're shooting from, too.  Makes it look like the barn is almost an infinity loop or something.  Also, Dean, your legs, sir.  Your legs.

5.

 

I liked how this shot panned up from under the table.  It's a nice angle.  Also, it makes Sam look even larger than usual. 
He's almost out of frame he's so tall!.


6.

 

This shot is really moody with the fog and the random light reflrected in the Impala's window and the shadows on the wall.  Very nice.


7.

 

Ah, one of my favorite effects: light streaming through objects.  In this case, it's through trees.  It always looks really awesome.


8.

 

Another cool angle.  Kevin Parks did a great job directing!  Also, check out the horse painting over the mantle.  It looks like if a horse could be a hellhound, doesn't it?  Hellhorse.  Maybe Crowley could get one and use it to till fields and call it Plowley.  Ba-zing!


9.

 

My husband was sitting with me on the couch while I went through caps, and he looked up and saw this one, and said: "oh, Sam's got his angst face on.  You can tell by the angst lines on his face.  They look like horns.  Angst horns.  Mess with the angst bull, get the angst horns."  Angst horns.  What is seen cannot be unseen.


10.

 

Hipster Dean is coming to save the day.



 

Emo Russian Literature grad student Sam will help.


11.


The hellhound effects were so. flipping. cool.  It's almost impossible to see it in still shots, which is even more effective. 
The hound is on the rock to the right of the shot.


12.


This effect was also really flipping cool.  It was also one of the creepiest things the show has ever done.  Well, it super creeped me out.  I mean, just look at that face.  Holy shit, that is creepy!  It's also the first time in the history of ever that Dean Winchester was ugly.


13.


Even the hellhound breath of doom is awesome!


14.


Rawr, I'm a badass hellhound!  Look at how awesome I am!  But look quickly because I'm gonna tear you apart.  Oh, crap, I hope this hellhound wasn't Growley because that is a cute name and I think Growley should stick around for a while.

And there you have it!  Some of my favorite shots from "Trial and Error."  What shots did you like best?  Did I miss any of your favorites?

 


 

 

 

Comments  

eilf
# eilf 2013-03-12 17:31
thanks Ardeospina! It is great to see all the shots and just think about the way they are set up. That one of Dean going all hellscape is the first genuine scare in the show for a very long time! It made me jump! And I found it fascinating to learn that we had never previously seen a hellhound. My brain must have just filled in the picture from previous descriptions and (for once) they looked exactly like they looked in my head, red eyes and all.

You do a really nice job of these! Can't wait for the next one.

Oh and one other thing. I'm going just to come right out and say it. I don't like the glasses. At all. Particularly on Sam. I am the only one, I know, but there it is :D
Ardeospina
# Ardeospina 2013-03-12 20:44
I liked Sam's glasses less than Dean's, but I'm kind of a fan of thick-rimmed glasses.
love2boys
# love2boys 2013-03-14 20:40
Quote:
Oh and one other thing. I'm going just to come right out and say it. I don't like the glasses. At all. Particularly on Sam. I am the only one, I know, but there it is :D
You are not the only one, eilf. I didn't like them either. They covered up the pretty and didn't enhance it at all. So there are 2 of us!
KELLY
# KELLY 2013-03-16 13:16
C'mon on, elif, they looked adorable. But I'll admit to having a weakness for nerds. Especially incredibly hot nerds. :D
just Leah
# just Leah 2013-03-16 16:32
I have to admit that the glasses that Sam got looked a little like my grandpa's, not the most flattering. :-)
E
# E 2013-03-16 17:52
Hehe... I read somewhere that both pairs of glasses were Prada!
LEAH
# LEAH 2013-03-16 17:58
Just goes to show you how (un) hip I am. And also the fact that I used the word "hip"! :lol:
Ale
# Ale 2013-03-12 18:35
Quote:
Emo Russian Literature grad student Sam
LOL! That was the best!
E
# E 2013-03-12 19:42
I agree! Great line, that along with -

Quote:
Also, Dean, your legs, sir. Your legs.
Had me snickering like a loon.

Thanks for the visual review. I am curious what you thought of the Dog episode... not very strong episode wise, but maybe it yielded good visuals?
Ardeospina
# Ardeospina 2013-03-12 20:42
His legs, though! There's a shot right before the legs one I picked where his weight is on the other leg, so I was going forward and backward between the two shots, and it was HILARIOUS because it was the most bow-legged walk ever.

I haven't started the dog episode yet, but I probably will tomorrow. I hope there's some good visuals...or at least some things to make fun of!
E
# E 2013-03-12 22:31
Dog collars on a young, pretty, (minority, shudder) woman, who occasionally became a dog and called her familiar "master." Oh Boy! Let's hope for some good visuals! I have always loved the visual aspect of this show and think Serge LaDouceur is a genius and the ninja that they portrayed him to be in The French Mistake.

Thanks for the review. Im looking forward to the next one!
E
# E 2013-03-13 21:20
Yikes! I just realized how my postmight have read... I'm not shuddering at the fact that the character or the actress was a minority woman, but at the awful implications of her wearing a dog collar and using the word "master."
LEAH
# LEAH 2013-03-13 21:33
:D E- Don't worry ,it was apparent what you meant!!
E
# E 2013-03-13 21:41
Thanks for that. As it read, someone could have been really offended! Just a reminder that they way we think things and the way the come across when written don't alway jibe.
KELLY
# KELLY 2013-03-16 13:13
E, I didn't even consider that when I originally watched it (I'm going to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume it didn't occur to them either), it probably should have, but it didn't. Then someone pointed it out and now it does make me cringe. Really if they'd just left off the master, they probably could have gotten away with the dog collar. Although that wasn't really necessary either. She had on a nice dress when she change, she couldn't lose the collar at the same time? Yeah pretty bad.
E
# E 2013-03-16 17:55
I agree, it was easy to see the connection between her and the dog, we didn't need the extra bit of the dog collar at all. And 'master' should just not be used outside things set in the middle ages.
Ardeospina
# Ardeospina 2013-03-12 20:43
If Sam was a grad student, you know that's what he would study.
aelaine
# aelaine 2013-03-13 17:22
Thanks! Great VFX on this episode loved the hellhounds, believable and scary looking, and deans face!, they get better every year. Of course no special effects needed for those bow-legs ha.
krystal
# krystal 2013-03-13 22:07
Thanks! I really enjoy these reviews!
EireneS
# EireneS 2013-03-16 02:01
When Dean put on his glasses, I thought the "hipster" glasses looked great on him and somehow they seemed to fit his look-sort of glasses that James Dean would have worn in his time or Kerouac in his time.
When Sam had his glasses on, I immediately thought of the "church lady" from SNL, they seemed sort of prissy, which I took as a sort of joke brought about by the crew and cast.
I agree-one of the creepiest scenes was Dean morphing into a monster face.
And the hell hounds were terrific effects.
Kevin Parks did a very good job as director-brough t a new eye to the scenes.
KELLY
# KELLY 2013-03-16 13:05
Ardeospina, great article. The visuals in this one were completely amazing, especially the hellhounds. Usually when shows reveal what something looks like after such a long time the result is disappointing but I thought these were fabulous. The showed just enough. That and Dean's distorted face were the 2 most impressive visual this season. It was a great job. It is amazing what they pull off on a smaller budget at times.

I agree with all your other choices as well. Loved the bow leg shot (though that might be the perv in me). Loved the glasses. (Ditto). And the angst horns thing was hilarious. But Sam still looked GOOD. Great job.
NOLANOLA
# NOLANOLA 2013-04-09 13:01
I AM HALF CREOLE & USED TO SEEING MOSTLY LIGHT SKINNED ACTORS. THIS IS NOT THE EPISODE WITH THE AA ACTOR AS A DOG BUT I HAVE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT IT AND GLAD PEOPLE ARE HIRING BROWN AND DARK BROWN ACTORS.

I MISSED THE RED EYES ON THE HELL HOUND. AH YI YI.

I AM A SCI-FI FAN, NOT HORROR, BUT I LOVVVVVVED THE MONSTER, PHANTOM LOOKING DEAN. IT SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME TOO :eek: