This hit me like a ton of bricks just a bit ago. When I looked at the bridges I was noticing in season four, I went further back in the series and was able to trace the motif back to the pilot episode. So, I’m looking back to the pilot again now while thinking about doors. It turns out there are a couple doors worth remembering in the episode.

When the boys get to the motel and find Burt Aframian has already checked in, Sam uses his skills to get them into John’s room while Dean stands lookout.

101 sam picks lock

He then reaches back to yank Dean through the door by his collar giving the show a chance to make a Raiders reference.

101 sam yanks dean thru door

At the end of the episode we get Dean skipping the finesse of lock picking and instead kicking through the door to Sam and Jessica’s place.

101 dean kicks in door

He pauses in the open bedroom doorway calling to Sam and surveying the fiery scene.

101 dean at doorway

101 dean in doorway

When Sam doesn’t come out of his own accord, Dean enters the burning room.

101 dean enters bedroom

Dean must physically push Sam out and restrain him when Sam would have insisted on going back in to Jess.

101 Dean drags Sam

Each boy takes a turn in charge of opening a door and making sure his brother comes with him. The motel door is an attempt to catch up with dad and handled without serious consequence. The end scene, however, is a violent reminder of what happened to Mary and required extreme actions. edit 6/24/09: It occurred to me to wonder if there’s any of the Prophet Chuck’s literary symmetry to be noticed in Sam pulling Dean IN through the door he’s opened while Dean is pushing Sam OUT through the doorway?

Can anyone else imagine these scenes as foreshadowing where the boys are at the end of 4.22 Lucifer Rising? Were they ambiguous enough about the final seal to leave room to wonder if we aren’t witnessing another example of one brother saving the other?  (My goodness, I’d be a wreck if we hadn’t been left with Sam and Dean together over the summer break!)

Pilot caps are from marishna.

(I’m skipping any other significant doors between the pilot and season four. Anyone with more energy than I have is welcome to tackle that.)

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