5.08 Changing Channels

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Promo pic for 5.08.jpg
Title Changing Channels
Episode # Season 5, Episode 8
First aired November 5, 2009
Directed by Charles Beeson
Written by Jeremy Carver
On IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1511910/
Outline When Sam and Dean get trapped in a series of TV shows, they suspect the work of the Trickster
Monster Gabriel
Timeline
Location(s) Wellington, Ohio
[[{{{prevep}}}|« Previous Episode]] | [[{{{nextep}}}|Next Episode »]]

Synopsis

Sam and Dean investigate a death where the wife swears her husband was killed by the Incredible Hulk. They soon work out that they are dealing with the Trickster, but he manages to lure them into a trap and plant them into a series of TV shows including a hospital drama of which Dean is a fan (Dr Sexy M.D.), a Japanese game show, an ad, and a sitcom. Castiel manages to appear at one point but is banished. When he reappears, Castiel is bloodied and bruised, and says he thinks it may be something more powerful than the Trickster - who appears and again banishes him. The Trickster says he is trying to drive home the lesson that they must play their roles' as Michael and Lucifer's vessels and finish the apocalypse even though it will destroy the Earth. Dean tries to find out which side the Trickster is on, but he denies he is allied with either Heaven or Hell. Sam and Dean continue in TV until during a cop show they think they spot the Trickster and stab him with a stake dipped in blood. But while it momentarily appears things are back to normal, when Sam appears to have been transformed into the Impala, it is obvious they aren't out, they've merely changed channels again. Finally, acting on a hunch, Dean sets a ring of Holy Oil, and entraps the Trickster, who reveals himself to be an Archangel - Gabriel. Gabriel reveals he left Heaven and took on the disguise as the Trickster because he couldn't bear his father (God) and brothers (Lucifer, Michael, and the other angels) fighting. He says that Sam and Dean are destined to be the vessels, because they mirror the relationship between Michael and Lucifer. Dean is like Michael - the loyal son obeying the absent father, and Sam is like Lucifer - the rebellious son. He says it has always been predestined.

Dean gets Gabriel to bring Castiel back, and then they leave, after setting of the fire sprinklers so Gabriel will be released eventually.

Characters

Definitions

Music

In 5.08 Changing Channels the Supernatural Sitcom Theme Song plays over opening credits which mimic those of 80s sitcom like Full House.

The lyrics were: Town to town, two-lane roads
Family biz, two hunting bros -
Living the lie, just to get by.
As long as we're movin' forward
There's nothing we can't do
Together we'll face the day
You and I won't run away
When demons come out to play
Together we'll face the day!

Download the song
Grey's Anatomy has become known for its use of indie pop music and each episode is named after a song. This is precisely the type of music Kripke didn't want used in Supernatural. In an early draft of the script for the Supernatural Pilot he wrote "CUE MUSIC And you can take your anemic alternative pop and shove it up your ass. Dean plays bass thumping, pile driving Zeppelin, and he plays it loud." (See Music for more). In this episode, great care went into choosing the music. Kripke said “We share a music supervisor with ‘Grey’s,’ Alex Patsavas, so she made sure we had the perfect type of songs. I think a few may have even been used on ‘Grey’s.’” (Source).
The music used in the "crime procedural sequence" echoes the opening theme to CSI:Miami which is based on "Won't Get Fooled Again" By The Who.
The music playing when Sam becomes the Impala is very similar to the theme from Knight Rider

Quotes

Sam: What are you watching?

Dean: A hospital show - "Dr Sexy, M.D.". I think it's based on a book.

Sam: When did you hit menopause?
Sam: I need a pen knife, some dental floss, a sewing needle, and a fifth of whiskey. Stat!
Game show host: No, no - Mr Trickster does not like pretty boy angels.
Gabriel: Where did you get the holy oil?
Dean: I guess you could say we pulled it out of Sam's ass.
Gabriel: You do not know my family. What you guys call the Apocalypse, I call Sunday dinner!

Trivia & References

Sitcoms have been around since TV began from shows such as "I Love Lucy" through to "Two and a Half Men". They were often aired with a pre-recorded laugh track, although in the last decade this has become a less common practice.
Dean: You might say you wouldn't like him when's he's angry?

The wife of the first victim reports seeing "The Incredible Hulk" - and the line Dean quotes is a classic from the TV show and movies.

Lou Ferrigno starred as Bruce Banner's (played by Bill Bixby, hulky green alter ego. Eric Bana played Bruce Banner in the 2003 movie "Hulk", and Ed Norton played him in the 2008 "Incredible Hulk". The actual Hulk was basically CGI in these movies.
Dean: A bloody violent monster and you want to be Facebook friends with him?
Dean has come a long way since a girl gave him her MySpace address in 2.08 Crossroad Blues and Dean asked Sam "Yeah, MySpace, what the hell is that? Seriously, is that like some sort of porn site?"
"Dr Sexy, M.D". - hospital show set at Seattle Mercy Hospital -is a send-up of Grey's Anatomy a medical drama which airs opposite Supernatural, revolving around the love lives of the staff of Seattle Grace Hospital. Dr Derek Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey, is nicknamed "McDreamy" by other characters on the show. The scenes and melodramatic dialogue mimic that of Grey's Anatomy - as can be seen in these video clips.
= "Dr Sexy M.D." was first mentioned in 4.18 The Monster At The End Of This Book by the publisher as one of the reasons the "Sueprnatural" books went out of print.
The character Johnny Drake on "Dr Sexy, M.D" is a take-off of the patient Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy. He had a romance with intern Izzie, but then died. Denny was played by none other than Jeffrey Dean Morgan aka John Winchester. In a classic case of Surprise JDM, he later returned twice to Grey's Anatomy as a ghost!
Japanese Game Shows are known for their weird, often humiliating and painful stunts. On the show Say This Right! Nut Cracker, contestants have to recite a tongue-twister, and if they get it wrong they get hit in the nuts with a ball on a stick!
The 'procedural cop shows" Dean refers to includes shows like the CSI and Law and Order franchises. They specifically reference CSI: Miami's David Caruso's character, crime lab lieutenant Horatio Caine. Sam and Dean mimic his mannerisms (demonstrated in this video clip and this one of taking his sunglasses on and off and turns to profile (and/or looks into the middle-distance] as he makes makes pithy observation about the crime.
Knight Rider was a 1980s series (recently unsuccessfully revived) about crime fighter Michael Knight played by David Hasselhoff and his intelligent car KITT.
The ad for "Herpexia" is a spoof of the ad for Valtrex genital herpes treatment.

Minutiae

Jensen and Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey both appeared in the Marilyn Monroe biopic "Blonde" - a scene from the movie
The mini bikes the boys are seen riding in the opening credits are actually mini bikes they ride around on set. See pics of them during the filming of 4.06 Yellow Fever.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

Promotion

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