Roundtable 5x8 Changing Channels

Part One: Summary

Sam and Dean find themselves in Wellington, Ohio following the case of what appears to be a man mauled by a bear, but when they interview the wife she claims that she saw, “The Incredible Hulk,” do it. As they begin their investigation, the brothers begin to think that they are dealing with a trickster, the same one they confronted at the Mystery Spot in Broward County, Florida. With that in mind, they conspire a plan to talk to the trickster about stopping the apocalypse, or just kill him as a back up, and wait for him to make a move which happens when they hear a call-in on the police radio about a strange murder at a warehouse. Stakes in hand, Sam and Dean enter the warehouse which transforms into a TV soap opera, Dr. Sexy M.D. Trying to find a way out, Dean discovers the trickster disguised as Dr. Sexy and they try to talk to him about the apocalypse. Instead, the trickster strikes a deal that if Sam and Dean can survive “TV Land” for 24 hours, he'll help. By the way the trickster talks of the apocalypse and how Sam and Dean must “play their roles” the brothers begin to wonder if they aren't, in fact, dealing with a trickster but something much more powerful.

Part Two: Review

This is perhaps one of the more popular Supernatural episodes, therefore attention to detail and finding something new to talk about was an interesting challenge. One of the reasons it is so popular among the fandom is because of the humor. A motif that is used to display the humor is that of “parody.” Most of this episode is filmed inside what the trickster (Gabriel as we find out later in the episode) calls his, “TV Land,” which is essentially being inside of a real television with different shows playing on different channels. Sam and Dean are thrown into this world by the trickster and must “play the role” of whatever character it is that they are assigned. The first example of parody that we get in the episode is how it begins with Sam and Dean acting on a blatantly typical soap opera set similar to that of Friends or Full House (by the way, the green floral wallpaper on that set can also be seen in Sam and Dean's hotel room later on in the episode). Other elements of the “soap opera”, such as canned laughter, innuendos, dry humor, and a cheap, cheesy opening song such as that of Friends and Full House are played out and mocked in this scene between the brothers.
The first channel that the audience sees Sam and Dean appear in is when they open the door to the warehouse and find themselves in medical scrubs on set of the fictional hospital drama in the show, Dr. Sexy M.D. With melancholic acoustic music playing, ambiguous dialogue from female characters, and sexual tension permeating the air between every doctor and nurse that walks past each other this scene comes off as fan service by showing Dean's "homosexual tendencies" (as was already displayed by his "friendship" with Castiel in season 4). Yes I know that this is probably controversial and I most likely ticked off a couple fans, but before we see the trickster appear in this scene the focus is entirely on Dean and his admiration of Dr. Sexy, which become more apparent when he points out that Dr. Sexy wears cowboy boots not tennis shoes. This observation causes the trickster to reveal himself to Sam and Dean and explain “the game” that he wants the boys to play.
The homosexual innuendos, or “bromance” comments, continue throughout this episode but are especially used during the scene towards the end when Sam and Dean confront the trickster as Gabriel the Archangel. After Sam and Dean presume that they finally killed the trickster in the crime drama channel, it looks as though they are returned to their hotel room but when Dean wakes up he sees that Sam is gone. Going outside to look for him, Dean hears Sam's voice coming from the Impala, because the trickster transformed Sam into the car. As Dean “rides”, to put it explicitly, Sam down the road they discuss how they are going to expose the trickster which is when they first think about the possibility that he is an angel. This transitions into the scene where Dean is pulling something from the trunk of the Impala causing Sam to respond with, “That feels really uncomfortable.” Dean gets the trickster's attention by calling out that they will say, “Yes,” to Lucifer and Michael, an implication of consensual sex which is heightened by Gabriel's comment about Sam being the car, “Satan's gonna ride his ass one way or another,” and then later Dean makes a comment that he pulled the holy oil. “...out of Sam's ass.” During that same scene towards the end, both the brothers and Gabriel refer to God as "Daddy." (Hmmmmmm) It also helps that they included a girl in a bikini hanging in Dean's bathroom on the soap opera set at the beginning of the episode and that  they filmed a scene where Sam was talking about genital herpes and Dean narrated the side affects of the medicine you can take to control it. Isn't everything just so phallic?
       Even though he was only in five episodes of Supernatural, Gabriel's (Richard Speight Jr.) role in this episode resonates with the fandom because of how he challenges the family dynamic trope that has been in the show since the beginning; he is another rogue angel of Heaven which brings about the topic of free will, and most importantly he brings about the big existential controversy: Destiny vs. God (Who is really in control of us on earth?). Gabriel claims that the reason why he ran away from Heaven is because he loved his brothers and sisters too much and couldn't bear to see them "tear at each other's throats." He goes on to comment that the reason why the apocalypse is happening is not because of a war between two brothers, but betrayal. The circle of love between males on Supernatural is a recurring one isn't it? Gabriel abandoned his family and wants everything to end. He doesn't want to find a way out. The complete opposite of how Sam and Dean run their family. And even though Gabriel, "Skipped out of heaven, had a face transplant, and carved out my own little corner of the world," he is still being oppressed by a higher power, which makes Sam, Dean, and the audience think about their own free will. If a powerful Archangel can't escape being noticed by Heaven, who can? Castiel finds Gabriel multiple times and eventually figures out that it is him, and even though Gabriel denies that God cares about what's going on in the world, he still persists that Armageddon happens, which eliminates the free will of Sam and Dean. Everyone in the show has a role and Gabriel is denying his after spending an entire episode pushing Sam and Dean to accept theirs. Gabriel even talks of how it is their "destiny" to do the "celebrity death match" between Lucifer and Michael. Which is it Gabriel, God or Destiny? Did God create the world and then leave it for things to play out? Did Destiny tell God what to do? Does God control Destiny? Can we avoid Destiny?
      The prize-winning theme of this episode though would have to be it's implication of "meta." The episode is about Sam and Dean being inside of a television show (and being aware of that) while Jared and Jensen are aware that they are playing Sam and Dean for a television show inside of a television show. While he is surrounded by holy fire, Gabriel explains his childish behavior by using television shows because that's how he wishes the world would be, but it's not possible just as how some of the fandom wishes for Supernatural, or perhaps other favorite TV shows, to be real but they can't be. Or you could think of it as how they wish to be more a part of that universe, or canon, but can't. Dean even makes a meta comment that breaks the fourth wall at the very end of the episode, "I wish I was back on a TV show."
      All in all, this episode has more depth and it takes watching it multiple times to peel back the layers of it, just as how you can with meta or canon. "Changing Channels" is an excellent, creative representation of the true plot line of Supernatural and the endless possibilities that it can take to get there (as we have seen 6 seasons later).

Part Three: Questions, Concerns

      Besides the numerous use, "Son-of-a-bitch," in this episode, another problem I have with this episode is the fact that they never show "outside" signs of the apocalypse. I understand that in the season finale they show News cast of catastrophes happening around the world, but why couldn't they have shown, or at least said, something about it in this episode. Gabriel wants the apocalypse to happen, he should have gone all sassy and said something about it.
       Speaking of Gabriel, one of my favorite line deliveries was filmed in this episode: the part when the camera has a far-right close-up of Gabriel's face as he stands in the holy fire ring, pauses, and says, "They call me Gabriel." I don't know exactly what it is, but they way Richard sets up this scene is beautiful. There have been days where I needed a little "Gabriel-comfort" in my life and I watch this scene between him and the brothers to feel better.


Anyway, keep up the family business friends.