SN timeline
Jun. 13th, 2009 04:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
llywelaIn the spirit of giving myself a bit of a break from Real Life, I've been looking at updating my Supernatural timeline for season four. Turned out I had already done most of it, up to episode 4.14 anyway, back in the last hiatus...and it also turned out there were next to no date references at all in the final third of the season. I'll put what I've got behind a cut - if anyone can think of any references I've missed, please give me a shout!
18th September 2008 – 4.01 Lazarus Rising
Dean finds a newspaper dated 18th September, giving us the date on which he was raised from the dead.
September 2008 – 4.02 Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester
We are told that it has been only three days or so since the end of the last episode, so it is still September.
September/October 2008 – 4.05 Monster Movie
This episode takes place during Oktoberfest, which is traditionally held at the end of September or first week in October.
This episode was switched from third to fifth in the running order, which complicates the sequence of events slightly, compressing the events of five episodes into just two weeks.
(ETA, thanks Lyn) 29 October - 1 November 2008 – 4.07 It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester
This episode begins two days before Halloween and ends the day after Halloween.
November 2008 – 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer
The flashbacks in this episode are dated six months ago and show the immediate aftermath of Dean's death. Since we know that Dean died at the beginning of May, this episode therefore dates to November.
November 2008 – 4.10 Heaven and Hell
This episode follows immediately on from the one before, the events of both episodes taking place within just a couple of days. That places this episode in November.
December 2008 – 4.11 Family Remains
Sam tells us in this episode that it has been a month since Dean's hell confession at the end of Heaven and Hell. Since we know that was November, this episode therefore takes place in December.
January-February 2009 – 4.14 Sex and Violence
There are two possible dates offered by props in this episode. The first is on Sam's mobile phone, which gives the date as Friday 8 August. However, since 8 August fell on a Friday in 2008 (and Sam had stated that it was already 2009 earlier in the episode) we know this to be a production error.
The most plausible date for the episode comes from an evidence bag taken from the scene of a murder that takes place during the episode – this gives the date as 1 February 2009. Therefore it seems most likely that the events of the episode take place during the couple of days before and after this date.
Spring 2009 – 4.19 Jump The Shark
Dean says it has been more than two years since John died. Since John died in July 2006, if this episode was any later than July he would say three years, so presumably it is still spring (although still nearer to three than two years).
There are no clear timeline references for the remainder of Season Four, apart from the flashback caption in 4.20 The Rapture, which says 'one year ago', but offers no information by which to pin down an actual date that can be carried forward. 'One year' is rather vague, easy to round up (or down) from a more precise figure of months. We are not told how long Castiel was in contact with Jimmy before taking his body, and the flashbacks seem to suggest a period of weeks, rather than days. In the present there is snow on the ground, so it is unlikely to be exactly 12 months before Dean's resurrection, which was September, while it is also unlikely that the timeline would have jumped that far forward between episodes. It is possible that Season 5 will offer references by which episodes at the end of Season 4 can be back-dated, but until then even an approximate date for the final episodes of the season remains impossible to determine.
18th September 2008 – 4.01 Lazarus Rising
Dean finds a newspaper dated 18th September, giving us the date on which he was raised from the dead.
September 2008 – 4.02 Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester
We are told that it has been only three days or so since the end of the last episode, so it is still September.
September/October 2008 – 4.05 Monster Movie
This episode takes place during Oktoberfest, which is traditionally held at the end of September or first week in October.
This episode was switched from third to fifth in the running order, which complicates the sequence of events slightly, compressing the events of five episodes into just two weeks.
(ETA, thanks Lyn) 29 October - 1 November 2008 – 4.07 It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester
This episode begins two days before Halloween and ends the day after Halloween.
November 2008 – 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer
The flashbacks in this episode are dated six months ago and show the immediate aftermath of Dean's death. Since we know that Dean died at the beginning of May, this episode therefore dates to November.
November 2008 – 4.10 Heaven and Hell
This episode follows immediately on from the one before, the events of both episodes taking place within just a couple of days. That places this episode in November.
December 2008 – 4.11 Family Remains
Sam tells us in this episode that it has been a month since Dean's hell confession at the end of Heaven and Hell. Since we know that was November, this episode therefore takes place in December.
January-February 2009 – 4.14 Sex and Violence
There are two possible dates offered by props in this episode. The first is on Sam's mobile phone, which gives the date as Friday 8 August. However, since 8 August fell on a Friday in 2008 (and Sam had stated that it was already 2009 earlier in the episode) we know this to be a production error.
The most plausible date for the episode comes from an evidence bag taken from the scene of a murder that takes place during the episode – this gives the date as 1 February 2009. Therefore it seems most likely that the events of the episode take place during the couple of days before and after this date.
Spring 2009 – 4.19 Jump The Shark
Dean says it has been more than two years since John died. Since John died in July 2006, if this episode was any later than July he would say three years, so presumably it is still spring (although still nearer to three than two years).
There are no clear timeline references for the remainder of Season Four, apart from the flashback caption in 4.20 The Rapture, which says 'one year ago', but offers no information by which to pin down an actual date that can be carried forward. 'One year' is rather vague, easy to round up (or down) from a more precise figure of months. We are not told how long Castiel was in contact with Jimmy before taking his body, and the flashbacks seem to suggest a period of weeks, rather than days. In the present there is snow on the ground, so it is unlikely to be exactly 12 months before Dean's resurrection, which was September, while it is also unlikely that the timeline would have jumped that far forward between episodes. It is possible that Season 5 will offer references by which episodes at the end of Season 4 can be back-dated, but until then even an approximate date for the final episodes of the season remains impossible to determine.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 04:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 04:42 pm (UTC)I'm going to wait a few more days to see if anyone chimes in with said something really obvious that I missed, and then I'll update my actual timeline, which is over on my website.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 06:11 pm (UTC)I have almost, almost finished my recap for Jump the Shark now, though, I'm glad to say, since I've had it bubbling away in the background since it aired. Haven't even been able to look at it for most of that time, my head being so elsewhere, but I've found a few free moments this last week or so and found it oddly restful to give Show some meta attention again.
But The Rapture is up next, and I still really, really dislike that episode, so...well, we'll see.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 09:57 am (UTC)Bahhhh. My head has been who knows where lately.
I saw you posted JtS and have been meaning to read it for EONS. It seems that any meta or show thoughts just escape me lately. SPN Vids are on par with my brain space lately ("Oh, pretty picture that move.")
The Rapture is up next
*hisses* I am no way objective when it comes to that episode, so I should just keep my thoughts/fingers to myself as I've said my piece and polluted my own journal enough. ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 05:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 05:25 pm (UTC)LOL
It would make life so much easier if the writers made sure there was a clearly defined timeline that everyone involved worked to, even if the dates aren't given on-screen in the episode. It would add so much consistency! Still, they don't do too badly, all things considered - there aren't a huge number of inconsistencies or points of confusion, really, and compared with some shows it is frankly remarkable that we are able to follow any kind of timeline at all!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 05:36 pm (UTC)And maybe you meant to leave it off since it's obvious, there 4.07 It's the Great Pumpkin at Halloween. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 05:48 pm (UTC)