 Changing the channels. Back when this was a joke, and it's not what we actually wanted to do when we were watching the show in ladder seasons. Oof! That's a hot mug, guys! Hey guys, this is Changing Channels, the eighth episode of Supernatural Season 5, and the second highest rated episode in the entire show's history. This episode has the brothers coming to a town where a lot of weird, peculiar shit is happening. All of these events harken to the history of the Trickster. They go into this warehouse, which then they are transported into this TV land that the Trickster has created to help them realize that they need to play their roles in their destinies in terms of saying yes to Lucifer and saying yes to Michael and having the battle of all battles. Because it turns out that the Trickster has been Gabriel this whole time, who is another archangel who went into his own kind of witness protection program to get away from his family but still has grounded roots and still cares about his family and is afraid to fight them on his own terms when he is brought back to the surface again. All in all, this is a spectacular episode that actually has a lot of little hidden gems in this. For instance, Dr. Piccolo, who is the one who keeps slapping Sam in the face, that is Jenny, the woman who was all the way back in Season 1 with the vampires and also made that random ass cameo in the final episode of the show. Just a bizarre cameo from her. It's always been evident that Supernatural reuses actors throughout and they'll use them as different characters because it's gone so long that they can do it and this is a prime example. This episode was also directed by Charles Benson, who directed The Gamblers, which was one of my more preferred episodes of Season 15. All in all, this episode is really funny. It's got some great bits. It's got some fantastic humor. However, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I think that maybe being the second best episode of the entire series is a little bit high. This is when that whole meta business started to kind of take a power hold over Supernatural. Changing channels, I think, lost a little bit of its appeal to me because at this time they're making fun of other shows. They're pointing at their own kind of shortcomings, or just television in general. But the show would literally become an embodiment of the parodies that this episode is doing. This episode has such a long-ranging effect that when you're watching episodes from Season 13, 14, and 15, you're going to keep thinking back to this episode and thinking, these guys are literally this now. They are the joke. They have become a joke. So that's why I'm a little bit kind of like, wow, why is this episode not hitting me as much as it used to? It's still really funny. It's still really good. All of the parodies are top-notch. But I had to watch this episode twice to kind of confirm those odd feelings I had about this episode. Of all the parodies, I definitely love the Grey's Anatomy one. It's high up there. When I watched this when I was younger, I was like, oh, this is funny. But after having watched far too many episodes of Grey's Anatomy, I can 100% say that they're goddamn dead on. Everything from the music in the background, to how the characters talk to each other, albeit a little bit overgeomatotys, to how they refer to each other to just the general dialogue. It's right out of the fucking show. And I love this shit. It's goddamn tea. And that's what this parody does fantastically well. When Sam has to heal Sudeen, I love it. It's like, you know, you can't be afraid to save people anymore. And funnily enough, from what I've gathered, when Dean gets shot, that is actually a reference to what happens to McDreamy in one of the seasons of Grey's Anatomy. And it only just happened. So this episode actually spoiled it for people who hadn't seen that episode yet. But I kind of wonder how that's possible. Maybe people who watched the show on DVD maybe? Because at the time television shows being released on DVD and not on streaming services was still the thing. Like, it was the DVDs. I know many people who had a crap ton of their favorite television shows on DVD. I, for instance, have a lot other than just Supernatural. So again, I kind of question the validness of that, but aside from that, the CSI Miami ripoff parody is super good. I hated CSI Miami when it was on television. I couldn't stand David Caruso. I couldn't stand all of the crap he did with the sunglasses and terrible one-liners. And I love that they absolutely rip into it in this episode. The ads were funny. The sitcom bit, I wasn't a big fan of sitcoms as a kid. I've just never been. And so that part is still really funny. I like the Night Rider bit. That was kind of cool too. What really draws me back into this episode is the final bit where they confront Gabriel. I love how serious everything gets. We've had our fun. We've had our laughs. And this is when stuff gets serious. Even though it was kind of already evident at the time what Gabriel is reiterating, the idea of Sam and Lucifer and Dean and Michael being literal representations of each other, how it's been prophesized, it's literally biblical in terms of its importance and its groundedness in terms of the events of history to come. Obviously they're building it up. They're building up that this is literally destiny that these two take on these two archangels and fight. Which is another reason why anything after this season is literally impossible. Except for season 11, instead of just the planet, it's the entire universe that's in peril. But the stakes and the build-up that happened in this season, particularly talking about this episode, just never was ever surpassed in the entirety of the show's lineage. Rooted importance, well-grounded foundations, and proper storytelling build-up. But going back to my original kind of conversation, I still do love this episode. I like it. I think it's very funny. A lot of the bits are still quite good. Admittedly, maybe the first five minutes it is not, it drags because you know what's coming. You're waiting for all the funny bits. But they did a lot of great dedication and attention to detail with certain things. All of the different sets that they built for this episode. This was a heavy set episode, so I'll give them credit for that. Changing channels is funny. The metastyle humor of this episode would lead to other episodes of its style, particularly being the French mistake, which I actually think is a better version of this episode. Because while all these little skits are quite funny, they are random. Yes, the whole ideology is that they have to play their roles, but that's kind of a stretch. Whereas the French mistake, it really roots itself in everything about that episode makes sense. So yeah, changing channels is one of the most memorable episodes of the show for its humor for what it did. It is one of the funniest episodes that they ever did. It's one of the most standout from this season, if anything, of the show's entire lineage. But it also does have a little bit of lacking to it in terms of just general story. It's a funny episode. Don't get me wrong, guys. Please don't hate me. When I'm making all these negative comments about it. But it's just, it's not the perfect episode. I remember it being. And maybe it has been soured a little bit by the latter seasons, but I am thinking about this from a standpoint of this episode. So in the end, I'm gonna give changing channels a 6 out of 7. I actually had this episode as a 7 when I did the whole rankings, when I was doing all my presets. I just assumed this one was gonna be a 7, but it's not. It's not for me. I'm really weirded out. I actually mentioned this to Mark the other day when we were at work and he's like, you can't. There's absolutely no way you can actually think that, and I do. It's not a bad episode, guys. It's still a classic. It's just not as important to the overall story of the season as it should be considering how highly acclaimed it is. But now I think I've talked enough about this episode, so let's see what you guys have to say. I know you guys are definitely gonna have a lot to say about this episode, and you're all gonna be really pissed when I see the comments about what you guys think about what I've said. But here we go. Let's see what you guys have to say. Okay, before I talk about this beauty of an episode, let me give you an insight about me. When I first watched the show, I was more used to the first two grounded and serious seasons. So to my shame, I didn't like the comedic episodes, particularly the trickstrap. At the time, I thought they didn't match the tone of the show, and I resented them for it. I hated tall tales, wishful thinking, and no joke, even mystery spot. Oh my. But then I saw changing channels, and by God, I couldn't stop laughing. This episode was so funny, it completely changed my perspective, and I finally realized that the series had moved on from the safe and grounded tone of the earlier seasons. That's why when I rewatched the show again, I finally appreciated and laughed hard at the funny episodes I once hated. That's for changing channels. This episode is like the movie The Mask for me. No matter how many times I rewatch it, I will always laugh my ass off. It is my third favorite episode in the entire series, being only by the other one later on that I finally... I find slightly more funny. Also, I know that you don't think that Jared is a good actor, but how can you say that when he took one hell of a hit for the team? This begs the question, though. How did Sam have a child after this? Sorry, I'm actually kind of confused. Jared has good moments when he has good direction, if he has a good center, but you could tell later on in the show that he had kind of no direction of what to do, and sometimes he overacts. He is a bit of an overactor. If you've seen some of his other work, he's a bit over-traumatic a little bit, but that's what happens when you play the same character for 15 years. You don't really have much depth or any kind of direction to go anywhere else. Apologetically, Changing Channels is my second favorite episode of all in Supernatural. I have a deep love for mythology and storytelling. The way the Supernatural blends paganism and Christianity has always been fascinating for me. So for Supernatural to reveal up the trickster Loki has been Gabriel, all along really intrigued me. The comedy in this episode really spoke with the TV shows at the time. It's just CSI and Grey's Anatomy. Grey's Anatomy is still going, baby. Plus, who can forget the Japanese Game Show and Sam with his genital herpes act? Oh, I get where you're coming from now for the previous comment. The Laughing Studio audience is a nice touch, and the inclusion of Castiel is the right touch as well. The ending is very emotionally melancholic, and gives a sense of Sam and Dean are going to have to give consent to Lucifer and Michael. The main reason this episode is my second favorite of all time is because while it has all the laughs, it ties in with Christianity and pagan mythologies in a believable way, and ties in with the Winchester mythology of why Sam and Dean are the vessels for Lucifer and Michael. That's kind of a good point. Most people talk about the humor of this episode, obviously, but where you're going from here, I actually kind of like how you're bringing up how they kind of very seamlessly melded those two different theologies together to work it into the actual mythos of the show. What to say about changing channels that already hasn't been said by so many others? It's one of my most watched episodes of Supernatural. The comedy in it is just amazing, poking fun at all the TV shows, genres that were popular at the time, but by far the best was the Japanese Game Show. I must say that every time I see the actor who played the Game Show host and anything else, no matter how serious his other roles are, I have to shout out, Not Kraka! At this screen. I actually haven't seen him act like I haven't knowingly seen him in other things. I'm kind of curious what else he's been in. This is easily one of my favorite episodes of season five and my favorite episode from the trickster Gabriel Quadrilogy that starts with Tall Tales and ends with Hammer the Gods. We don't talk about season 13. Exactly. It provides a excellent mix of Monster of the Week and the main storyline continuation. The majority of the episode centers around the parodies of other television shows, the highlights being Grey's Anatomy, CSI and Knight Rider. Other particular amusing TV sketches of the Nutcracker game and the herpidex, or herpexia advert, I've got genital herpes. All those parodies are freaking hilarious, especially with the CSI parody. Good to know that Dean and I share the same hatred of these types of shows. I did not like CSI Miami because of Coroso. I actually was a huge fan of the original CSI though and I watched it for a very long time. I think it was, they had reruns of it on Spike TV all the time, like the early five, seven seasons, like the first five, seven seasons. I would watch it all the freaking time. Aside from the amusement, there is a great development to the Michael slash Lucifer storyline. The trickster was one thing that always got away and we finally get to know why. I love the reveal that the trickster was actually the archangel Gabriel the whole time who left heaven because he was sick and tired of his archangel siblings and that they couldn't take it anymore. I also love the revelation that Sam and Dean's relationship to Lucifer and Michael isn't just a random one. The two archangels are described as brothers. Michael is the elder, loyal to an absent father, and Lucifer is the younger rebellious brother. Sounds familiar? Overall, I give this episode a seven out of seven. I really love it. No, I do like that bit too, how they further cement the relationship and the similarities and the destiny that between Lucifer and Michael and Sam and Dean, they do that really well, especially with an episode that has so much humor in it. It really brings it back down to that serious tone at the end. The curious case of Jeremy Hannaford holding an empty cup pretending there was liquid in it while in boxers. I actually think I had pans on in that video, but I did also have something else in it. But yeah, no, I kind of fun and funny that that's so good. Anyways, changing channel thoughts. Love this episode. One of the classics. I love the meta aspect to it, the humor, and also the lesson involved. The reveal of the trickster as Gabriel was awesome and cool. We had angels since season two. It's sad that what happens to Gabriel's character and how he dies meaninglessly on a dead world, but this episode was great to me and I like the monster at the end of the book. An episode that I will always go back to. I give it a seven out of seven Jeremy boxers. Thank you. Oh my God. Changing channels is a good episode, but it's not my favorite from season five. I really enjoyed it when Sam gets it in the balls. That was so funny. And I really was really shocked about the reveal that the trickster was actually an archangel and why he wanted Dean and Sam to say yes to Michael and Lucifer. I'm glad that Dean calls him out for being a coward, choosing to run and hide from his family, then pick a side. Now admittedly actually, I think it was mystery spot that I always had this feeling. Like there's no way he's just a trickster. Like how the hell is he able to pull off so much power? So when he's revealed to be an archangel in this episode, not to say that I had called it, but I knew that there was something else about him. So I always remember getting that kind of that thought confirmed was always really satisfying with this episode. All right, that's it. And now we've got the real Ghostbusters coming up. I'm happy to move on to the next episode because honestly doing this review, I waited like two weeks almost to do it because I just had these conflicting plots in my head. Give me your guys' thoughts about the real Ghostbusters and we'll talk about that in the next review. Anyways, guys, hope you enjoyed this video. Please don't hate me. And if you liked it, leave a like. And if you're interested in more, subscribe. Otherwise, see you guys next week. To see any and all updates about the upcoming Undergrads movie, be sure to check out and like the Bring Back Undergrads Facebook page. And with any luck, we'll see you guys soon.