“I’ve been wanting to gank that mother since Mystery Spot.” So, is that a hint that Dean knows how much torture Sam went through in "Mystery Spot?" Judging by his anger, I'm thinking he knows.
Other Stray Thoughts
The attention to detail in this episode is incredible and everyone involved outdid themselves. The set design, the direction, the writing, the music, the acting, the cinematography, it’s all just splendid. The most impressive feat is all that original "eclectic" music during Dr. Sexy MD. The story is the music director for Supernatural is the same person who’s worked on Grey's Anatomy. Awesome!
I especially admire the set designers since they had to do all those shows. I'm quite taken with the contrast between the motel room in the sitcom and in the real world. The layouts are the same, but in the sitcom world the colors are way brighter, the cabinets and door bright white, and the refrigerator is full. In the real world everything is dingier and run down. Not a happy accident.
The direction of Charles Beeson here is phenomenal, for switching from one TV show parody to another and making them all look brilliant without losing the flow is no easy feat. The entire confrontation with the Trickster too is an extremely well shot scene that manages to spike the tension from the script even more.
The Trickster obviously needed to trap Sam and Dean since they can’t be found by angels and the Hulk incident is inspired. Not the bad movies Hulk but the Lou Ferringo 70's TV show Hulk. Dean's line is priceless. “Is there any reason Lou Ferrigno, the Incredible Hulk, would have a grudge against your husband?”
How about these lines:
“You might say you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.”
“Ally with the Trickster. A bloody, violent monster and you want to be Facebook friends with him?”
“This show has ghosts? Why?” Ha! I know many Grey's Anatomy fans were asking that one.
“Dean, this feels really uncomfortable. Ow.”
“You might say we pulled it out of Sam’s ass.”
“So which one are you? Grumpy, Sneezy, or Douchy?”
.jpg?t=20130517094513)
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.