Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Therapy Sessions
A little color theory and the evolution of Oliver and Shane.
Upon watching A Tale of Three Letters the first time, I made a mental note to review the scene in the Pilot where Oliver goes after Shane when she “quits” the Dead Letter Office. The one thing that I know about Signed, Sealed, Delivered is that many details are planned purposefully.
I had a lot of observations upon my second and third time watching this movie and analyzing the music, the callbacks, and the color theory behind particular scenes. Of course, these are just my own interpretations and I could be totally off. Regardless, it is always fun to dig into the layers of Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
Let’s rewind to The Pilot shall we?
When Shane quit her job at the Dead Letter Office in the Pilot movie, she had barely been there a week. As she walks toward Charlie’s house, she senses that someone is behind her and is not surprised that it is Oliver. She smiles and says, “Really?” as she walks toward him.
Oliver responds and says:
“Gave you fifteen minutes to walk to the park, factored in another ten for aimless wandering, which gave me twenty-five minutes to order your skinny vanilla latte and deliver it still hot, by the time you showed up.”
- Oliver O’Toole to Shane McInerney
Despite only knowing each other for about a week, Oliver and Shane were instant kindred spirits even if they hadn’t realized it yet. Take note of their outfits. Oliver is in a grey suit and Shane is in black and red maroon pants.
Fast-forward to A Tale of Three Letters.
Leading up to the scene below, Oliver and Shane just had a massive argument in Dead Letter Office, probably the biggest blow up between these two since From Paris With Love. After Shane storms out of the office, the next scene is Oliver nearly having a panic attack thinking that she was gone.
Norman seeks Oliver out, just as he does in Higher Ground when Shane was away with no return date, and reminds Oliver that she wasn’t gone and just needed some air. Oliver, not in the best head space, says that he doesn’t know where to look for Shane. For a moment, he is doubting himself thinking that he doesn’t actually know the woman he loves. Norman reminds Oliver that he does know Shane. This was enough to reset Oliver’s headspace.
When Shane sees Oliver walk toward her, she breaks down and says, “And here I was, wondering if you know me at all,” a completely opposite reaction from when Oliver seeks her out in The Pilot.
Notice the colors of their outfits. Here, Shane is in all black and Oliver is in a grey suit, similar to the scene in The Pilot. But notice Oliver’s maroon tie. The maroon in his tie is a reflection of Shane’s outfit in The Pilot which is a reminder that yes, even when things are rocky, Oliver knows Shane. They may not be in concert at the moment, but their hearts are still knit together.
Side Note: I put together an Instagram reel merging these two scenes together on Deliver Me a Podcast if you want to see the comparison and contrast more closely. Martha Williamson (creator and executive producer) has confirmed that this scene was a callback to the Pilot, which is pretty cool!
A Tale of the First Therapy Session
True to life, the first therapy session whether solo, with your spouse or partner, or with your family is always a challenge. Each person has his or her own agenda and point of view. Each person wants to not only be seen but also heard. The same was the case for Shane and Oliver. Shane argued her case about the more economical way of washing dishes and Oliver argued his case about the aesthetically pleasing hospital-corner folded sheets. Their arguments were simply just symptoms of a much larger issue. Both were struggling to find their footing with their two opposing perspectives. Side note: Their marital struggles were foreshadowed by their tiff regarding what was considered a federal offense and “not intentional” from earlier in the movie.
Their current marital strife is reflected in the environment of the office. Oliver is sitting and fidgeting slightly whereas Shane is standing and pacing. Both have closed body language, still unwilling to see the other perspective for find a decent compromise. Looking at this scene closer, even their outfits clash with blues and rusts in the room. The lighting is darker indicating the mood in the room and reflecting the mood of these characters.
A Tale of the Second Therapy Session
We find Oliver and Shane on opposite sides of the sofa during the second therapy session and there is a lot to unpack with the colors in this scene. Take note of the greys, blues, and rusts in the painting behind them as well as on the sofa.
Diving deeper into Oliver and Shane’s outfits, the first thing that I noticed was that Oliver was not wearing a suitcoat. The second thing I noticed was that Shane was not wearing her signature necklace from her parents.
We see Oliver in all grey with a blue tie matching Shane’s blue dress. Take note that Shane’s forever necklace from Oliver is a silver matching Oliver’s grey shirt and pants.
So what does this all mean?
Oliver and Shane are beginning to find their balance once again. The accents of blue and grey in both of their outfits are symbolic showing that each are willing to compromise with the other. However, it appears that both feel the need to give up a part of themselves for the sake of the other as signified by the lack of Oliver’s suitcoat and his relaxed posture as well as Shane’s lack of her signature necklace in exchange for the ‘forever' necklace. However, the lighting in the room is brighter than the first session indicating that they are beginning to see the light.
A Tale of the Third & Final Therapy Session
After the O’Toole grandfather clock ran down, Oliver and Shane returned to marriage counseling, but this time, we see them sitting next to each other. The lighting is brighter now, and their outfits now complement the environment, merging the blues, greys, and rusts together. Shane is also wearing both of her necklaces, indicating the idea that “both and” can co-exist in a relationship. Oliver realized that nothing imploded when the clock ran down and Shane realized that she was hanging on to her wedding dress to remember the happiest day of her life. Both were hanging on to the past and the person they used to be prior to being married. Both realized that it was okay to let go of the past without changing who they are at their core.
In this last session, Calliope, their therapist, reminds them that their marriage was never in trouble to begin with as it had only been six months. They just needed a little help to get their marriage started.
We finally see Oliver and Shane in concert.
Thanks for reading this edition of my Substack! If you’re a POstable, I have more thoughts coming for you! Hit the subscribe button below so that you don’t miss a post. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts! Did you notice the color theory in these scenes? Did you see something that I didn’t? I’d love to hear about it. You can comment below or find my on Instagram and send me a DM! Let’s keep the conversation going.
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This is wonderful Kaycee! Thank you for sharing these observations! I love how everything has meaning. As Eric said in an interview I heard...nothing goes to waste. Martha has purpose in everything and it is wonderful that the actors do so well bringing her writing to life.
Excellent observations.i didn't make note of the significance of the lighting and colors. Thanks for pointing that out.