It’s no secret that Supernatural was always at its best when it committed to being a horror series. Hunting down ghosts, monsters, demons, and otherworldly creatures was where the Winchesters thrived, and each new case opened the door to some personal and intimate drama. But there is one Supernatural episode that sticks out as being a masterclass in comedic timing, blending the show’s intense mytharc with one of the most ingenious characters the series put together. Give up? I’m talking about Season 5’s “Changing Channels,” which makes me laugh and holler every time I turn it on.
“Changing Channels” Remains One of ‘Supernatural’s Most Inspired Episodes
When “Changing Channels” starts, we’re already thrown head-first into the wild antics that are about to ensure. With an intro that feels like Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) have been transported to a bad ’90s sitcom, we’re then delighted with a theme song (dubbed “Together We’ll Face the Day”) that shows us just what we’re in store for. Frankly, there are few comedic episodes of the show that are structured as well as “Changing Channels,” and it’s easy to see why it remains such a fan favorite to this day. It’s certainly one of my favorite episodes, even if I generally prefer the show’s standard horror dramas. What other show can throw its leading characters into “TV Land” (or “TV Hell,” if you rather), flipping through different genres and shows as if some otherworldly viewer were changing channels on them? Penned by future showrunner Jeremy Carver, “Changing Channels” is quite inspired.
This episode takes the Winchesters through soapy medical dramas, Japanese game shows, a Knight Rider parody, and more. The only thing really missing is a Western, but the show would get to that the following season. As the Winchesters are sucked into a reality where they must pretend to survive, the theme of the episode becomes “play your roles,” which has a double meaning by the end. There’s so much to unpack here, with plenty of hilarious “in” moments and references for longtime fans, not to mention all the great material for Ackles and Padalecki to work with. Of course, it’s also a Trickster (Richard Speight Jr.) episode, so just like “Tall Tales” or “Mystery Spot,” we can expect this one to get a bit crazy, and it delivers in the best of ways.
In a season that was so often focused on the looming Apocalypse, “Changing Channels” uniquely addresses Sam and Dean’s destiny while still living up to the show’s clever and hilarious antics. The beauty of it is that the episode can really be enjoyed as-is, whether you are invested in the overall plotline or not. It’s endlessly rewatchable. I’ve certainly shown this single episode to folks who had only vague ideas of what Supernatural is about, and the response is always the same. There’s something about the way that Padalecki and Ackles play Sam and Dean that always feels universal and accessible, no matter the context of previous episodes. “Changing Channels” certainly fits that bill.
Ever since Season 2’s “Tall Tales” and “Hollywood Babylon,” Supernatural steered further and further into the meta space, and Season 5 is where a lot of that comes to a head. “The Real Ghostbusters” is all about Sam and Dean’s five-season story, including fans in the narrative. But “Changing Channels” (which aired only a week prior) explored these meta ideas another way. On the Japanese game show “Nutcracker!,” for instance, the episode asks Sam and Dean questions about their life and childhood. But, because the host is speaking in Japanese, it’s only the audience (who has the benefit of subtitles) that is privy to what is being discussed. (I love the whole bit about Sam being asked about his connections to Ruby, it’s a great in-joke that works perfectly for devoted fans.) Additionally, the show riffs on other shows and genres as well, spoofing Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and other procedurals that so often feel like the same thing over and over again.
As the show continued, episodes like “The French Mistake” and “Fan Fiction” would continue this trend, but only “Changing Channels” was able to blend meta humor about Supernatural itself with television as a whole. What I think is especially great is that it doesn’t just stick to the types of shows or content currently on air. The sitcom sequence feels a bit dated compared to many of the sitcoms that were popular at the time (The Office comes to mind), and the Knight Rider bit at the end is undoubtedly a callback to ’80s television. That’s not even getitng into the commercial sequence for “Herpexia,” where Sam is forced to talk about his experience with genital herpes.
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Eric Kripke Counts “Changing Channels” Among His Favorite Episodes
In addition to naming the aforementioned “The French Mistake” as one of his favorite episodes, series creator Eric Kripke told Entertainment Weekly in 2016 that “Changing Channels” was his other most-watched episode. It’s not hard to understand why. While “The French Mistake” is a love-letter to Supernatural as a television production, “Changing Channels” is a Winchester power hour that perfectly unites the show’s occasionally campy tone with the intensity of the Apocalypse story at the heart of Sam and Dean’s life. Sure, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments here worth enjoying, but the way the brothers’ journey through this TV Hell leads to a full-on confrontation with the Trickster (revealed to be the archangel Gabriel) about the importance of loyalty and family, makes the end of the episode just as strong dramatically as the rest of it is comedically.
Although he didn’t write the episode, I fully understand why Kripke is drawn to both “Changing Channels” and “The French Mistake.” They may depart from the tone of the show’s earliest years, but they do so in a way that honors the show’s own metamorphosis over the span of five and six seasons. Which one is better? It’s hard to say, and I think that’s why Kripke cites both as his favorite episodes rather than choosing between them. But if you’re looking to revisit a great Supernatural episode with hysterical stakes and a deep, impactful ending, then “Changing Channels” ought to be the one you choose. There are few episodes of any “spooky procedural” out there as hilarious as this one.
Supernatural is available for streaming on Netflix.
