Whoa. [Still staring at the TV in stunned disbelief.] I'm sorry, you here for a review? Okay, it'll happen as soon as I pry my jaw off the floor.
Just wow! There's so much to swallow. Remember when Sam and Dean found... and then they got trapped in... and we laughed hard when they had to... then Cas... oh, but what about the time they... then the Trickster... oh, how do I review this? How do I review a hysterical yet stunning classic that can only be compared to my favorite episode of all time, "Mystery Spot?" With several deep breaths and a shot of whiskey, that's how.
[Deep breath, better now.] Just like the aforementioned "Mystery Spot," the brothers in "Changing Channels" find themselves in a precarious alternate reality courtesy of the Trickster. Yeah, calling their TV land nightmare "precarious" is like calling the apocalypse "threatening." They’re trapped in a private Hell. For us though, it's pure side-splitting entertainment! This show is so good at switching from funny to grim in a flash and by the end, grim becomes an understatement.
TV Land
As in the past, when the Trickster is involved, the Winchester brothers have to endure an elaborate lesson. This time it’s a trip through TV land, where there’s no shortage of imagination. No surprise since this week’s writer, Jeremy Carver, has provided in the past entertaining scripts that have been plentiful in pop culture references and parodies. In skipping through the various shows, it’s clear he’s again outdone himself.
Dr. Sexy MD: You know what's funnier than throwing these guys in a Grey's Anatomy spoof? Dean being a big fan of the show. Sorry, guilty pleasure. After all, it's based on a book. I have no idea what’s funnier, the melodramatic nurse who keeps slapping Sam and emoting through her "brilliant coward" speeches, the ghost patient a la Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character in Grey's, Dean through his man crush figuring out Dr. Sexy is the Trickster because he isn't wearing the cowboy boots that make Dr. Sexy sexy, or Sam's improvised surgery on Dean using a pen knife, dental floss, a sewing needle, and a fifth of whiskey. Stat! No, the best part is the perplexed facial expressions of both brothers throughout the whole thing, especially Sam. It's obvious he never watches this type of show and Dean does.
Article comments
1 - Emma
I am in total agreement. This episode was AMAZING. Everyone involved should be very proud indeed. One of the series' best.
Alice, I'm glad you mentioned the contrast between the Sitcom motel room and the real life one because its something that caught my eye as well. It's one of the things I love about the show is going back and re-watching an episode just to check out the motel set decoration and this week's was no different. It was a great contrast. As we've seen in It's A Terrible Life Supernatural light their alternate realities brighter than normal and return to the filter once back in the real world, making the real world look darker which helps heighten the danger. With this AU being TV land the Sitcom motel room was over the top bright and the faded paint, rug and overall darker feel in the real world was achieved effortlessly. Great job everyone :D
2 - Huppy
I really liked the parodies, but I didn't like that the Trickster was really Gabriel all along. I liked the Trickster as the prankster pagan god. But now he is Gabriel, which is a retcon that doesn't work for me.
And I was disappointed that Gabriel showed as little understanding and compassion to humans as Raphael did in "Free to Be You and Me," (not "The End" which is the episode you mentioned in your review, Alice). If Gabriel is the Trickster, he's been on earth a long time, and you would think he would know humans better. But no, he just goes on about destiny and the need to have the Apocalypse just like Raphael did. It seems like Castiel (and maybe Anna) is the only angel or archangel who is not anti-human. I would have liked to see angels and archangels not all having the same mindset.
3 - jazzjulie
I loved episode too. Huppy, I don't think the angels like humans at all as they are jealous of them as God prefers them. They don't bother to get to know humans as they think they are far superior.
4 - JessD
I liked the episode. The Grey's anatomy spoof made me laugh so hard, my mom thought i'm nuts. And the one about CSI with sun glasses is awesome =)) I guess guys had lots of fun filming this episode.
5 - Deej1957
Dean was angry about the Trickster ganking him hundreds of times in Mystery Spot. He never said a word about all the horror Sam went through in that episode, which was a shame becuase it would have been a perfect moment for it.
6 - Sablegreen
Great recap Alice. I loved this epi! The parodies were great! I can't imagine how they came up with this idea, but kudos to them!
As for Dean and the mystery spot. Sam told him all about it. After all Sam went through, can't see why he would even consider talking to the trickster. Of course now that the triskter is an archangel, it makes sense. As a pagan god...he couldn't of cared less.
Seems to me that if all the angels dislike hunmans so much...what do they keep coming here for? The keep knocking humans but keep hiding here! At least that is what Gabreil did. Raphael appears top have stayed with family until Lucifer was out. Why leave now? He has my permission to go back...any time!
7 - Jasminka
Hi Alice,
I'm always in awe when I find your reviews here - as you put so much into them, despite a confined quantity of words. Thank you again for a most amazing review!
My fave episode of this season, yes, I re-watched it a few times by now and I still can't stop laughing... Sometimes, though, a feeling comes crawling up my back like a venomous snake... that there is a bittersweet note to be expected. Your reference to Milton tipped that nicely... All is not well by far, and I've become even more curious about where this season might be headed. I believe the next two episodes before the big holiday hiatus will probably point to things to come (and leave us biting our nails till January....?)
I second your praise of the creative bunch behind the camera, the set decoration alone was hilarious and impeccable, the music, and expecially the fantastic way they used light in this episode to accentuate and veil. I love it when we can watch masters at work!
Inspired by this episode I rented the first two episodes of Grey's Anatomy (I've never seen it before) and was instantly taken aback by the accuracy of the parody here... Didn't surprise me, though, as the other shows I've seen (used to watch Knight Rider with my dad when I was a kid, and I've looked at CSI MIami just long enough to be able to praise the incredible Horatio Caine impressions we find here - and, I agree, Jared was fabulous here... I would certainly watch any comedy he might (hopefully) shoot some day, the man is vastly talented...)
Cheers, and thanks again !! Jas
8 - Bern
Glad to see so many other people think that "Changing Channels" was brilliant. It's my theory that it was actually the secret series finale. You can read my entire decoded message on my blog. I'd be interested in your thoughts.
9 - Scott
I actually liked how they tied the Trickster into the mythos, cause when you go back to previous seasons (before we were even introduced to angels), the Trickster was a league above the rest. Every other pagan god we've been introduced to (like the Rakshasa or even the Paris Hilton clone) turned out to be nothing more than some soul-feeding monster that could die a normal (supernatural-normal) death, yet here we had a pagan demi-god that killed Dean 1000x and never seemed to actually die, as early as S1 or 2. I'm glad they tied it back because in this supernatural world, it made little sense how a master of illusion seemed more powerful than several of the angels and demons who we've come to know later.
10 - Christi
You know I never knew dean was holding a grudge against the Trickster over Mystery Spot until this ep. either. I loved this ep. It so rocked. Man-crush, ruled. Confession: I haven't yet been able to stomach listening to the openintg song of the sit-com. I try but just end up cringing.