Changes

|title=Changing Channels

|outline= When [[Sam ]] and [[Dean ]] get trapped in a series of TV shows, they suspect the work of the [[Trickster]].|motw= [[Gabriel|Archangel Gabriel]]

[[Sam ]] and [[Dean ]] investigate a death where the wife swears her husband was killed by The the [[Incredible Hulk]]. They soon work out that they are dealing with the a [[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 [[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 they 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 Oilholy oil]] and entraps the Trickster, who reveals himself to be an [[Archangelarchangel]] - [[Gabriel]].Gabriel reveals he left Heaven and took on his 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.

* [[GabrielTrickster]] aka the / [[TricksterGabriel]]

In [[5.08 Changing Channels]] the * "[[Supernatural Sitcom Theme Song]] plays over [http"://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjizUGe9WjA ''(opening credits] which mimic those of 70s and 80s sitcom like [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AIaakO9YDw ''Laverne and Shirley''] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO5oDScu4ps ''Full House''].<br> The lyrics for the ''Supernatural'' Sitcom Theme Song are:<br>Town to town, two-lane roads <br>Family biz, two hunting bros -<br>Living the lie, just to get by.<br>As long as we're movin' forward<br>There's nothing we can't do<br>Together we'll face the day<br>You and I wonepisode)'t run away<br>When demons come out to play<br>'Together we'll face the day!<br> 

: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.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Ferrigno Lou Ferrigno] starred as David Banner's (played by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0084642/ Bill Bixby], hulky green alter ego. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0051509/ Eric Bana] played Bruce Banner in the [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0051509/ 2003 movie ''Hulk''], and [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001570/ Ed Norton] played him in the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800080/ 2008 ''Incredible Hulk'']. The actual Hulk was basically CGI in these movies.''

:''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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey%27s_anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy''] a medical drama which aired opposite ''Supernatural'' in the US U.S. on Thursday nights, revolving around the love lives of the staff of Seattle Grace Hospital. Dr . Derek Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey, is nicknamed [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mcdreamy "McDreamy"] by other characters on the show. The scenes and melodramatic dialogue mimic that of ''Grey's Anatomy'' - as can be seen in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QiYtEpMKHQ these video clips].

The character Johnny Drake on ''Dr. Sexy, M.D'' is a take-off of the patient [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_Duquette Denny Duquette] on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey%27s_anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'']. He had a romance with intern [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izzie_Stevens IzzieStevens], but then died. Denny was played by none other than [[Jeffrey Dean Morgan]], a.k.a. [[John Winchester]]. In a classic case of [[Surprise JDM]], he later returned twice to ''Grey's Anatomy'' as a hallucination brought on by Izzie's brain tumor.

The '"procedural cop shows" Dean refers to include shows like the ''CSI'' and ''Law and Order'' franchises. Like ''Grey's Anatomy'', ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' aired in the US U.S. at the same time as ''Supernatural'' on Thursday night. They specifically reference ''CSI: Miami'''s David Caruso's character, crime lab lieutenant [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Caine Horatio Caine]. Sam and Dean mimic his mannerisms, demonstrated in this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948 video clip] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeeyWvo1rNg this one] of taking his sunglasses on and off and turning to profile, and/or looking into the middle-distance as he makes makes a pithy observation about the crime. However, if you look closely to the badge one of the techs is wearing, it says LVPD (Las Vegas Police Department) specifically referencing ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' which takes place in Las Vegas. (The the first in the ''CSI'' franchise).)<br>At [[Salute to Supernatural Chicago 2009]] Jensen and Jared revealed that they'd watched the "Horatio" one-liners on Youtube YouTube in preparation for the scenes. They said that for years on ''Supernatural'' there'd been a running joke if a line was a bit "on the nose" that they'd send it up in this way. The lines "a plane crashed here" and "no talent douchebags" were adlibbed by Jensen. ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZsoXjtvU0 Source]).

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey%27s_anatomy ''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''. [http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/scripts/pilotdraftscript.PDF 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'', [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Patsavas 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''.'" ([http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/2009/11/03/the-big-tease-scoop-on-greys-chuck-supernatural-and-more/ Source)]. The music used in the "crime procedural sequence" echoes [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjRG2530rwI the opening theme to ''CSI: Miami''] which uses "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who.}}{{TriviaQuote |Text=Dean drives the [[Sampala]] past a sign that says "Centennial Point Wilderness Area.". Centennial Highway was the highway on which [[Woman in White]] [[Constance Welch]] would pick up her victims in [[1.01 Pilot]].}}{{TriviaQuote |Text=Jensen and Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey both appeared in the Marilyn Monroe biopic ''Blonde'' - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oZC24Ph-xY a scene from the movie].

Jensen and Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey both appeared The mini bikes the boys are seen riding in the Marilyn Monroe biopic ''Blonde'' - opening credits are actually mini bikes they ride around on set.[http://wwwphotos.youtubelatimes.com/watch?v=5oZC24Ph-xY a scene from backlot/gallery/supernatural/2008/10/19/Supernatural_jared_mini_bike See pics of them] during the moviefilming of [[4.06 Yellow Fever]].''

The mini bikes the boys are seen riding in the opening credits are actually mini bikes they ride around on set. [http://photos.latimes.com/backlot/gallery/supernatural/2008/10/19/Supernatural_jared_mini_bike See pics of them] during the filming of [[4.06 Yellow Fever]].}} ==Fan Reaction== * The "Changing Channels" free-for-all meme was started by clex-monkie on LiveJournal and produced fan fics after the premise of the episode, in which Sam and Dean are channel hopping to other TV shows than portrayed in the episode, among them ''Leverage'', ''The Vampire Diaries'', and ''Glee''.^{[http://clex-monkie89.livejournal.com/742063.html Source]}}}

*[http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/10/13/supernatural-first-look-sam-and-dean-check-into-seattle-grace/ Promo pic and synopsis] by Ausiello