Holy crap!!!! That's nothing what I expected. Nothing! It's incredible. Of course I don't want to be guilty of setting lofty expectations, but there's a reveal in there that blew me away. Heck, the whole episode blew me away. (Below is a list of teasers. I promise, no massive spoilers. I'm basing these comments on the fact that you've already seen the preview and have an idea of what's happening).
********************************************** You've been warned and yes, even the comments section is fair game. **************************
- This is a Mytharc episode. A very important one. Castiel is in it. As is The Trickster, but considering the episode description says that, I don't consider that part a spoiler. As we would expect, Richard Speight Jr. does not disappoint.
- This plays a lot like "Mystery Spot." Funny to start off with and then it turns dark. It's also as well done as "Mystery Spot" but not as fast paced.
- It starts off with the sitcom and it's huge goofy fun.
- There's a new mock episode intro ala "The Monster At The End Of This Book," and it's the craziest damned thing I've ever seen on this show.
- They do spend a fair amount of time in the medical show, Dr. Sexy MD. Yes, that's the exact name used by the publisher in "The Monster At the End of This Book." It is SO a Grey's Anatomy spoof. Dean is funny in this bit for reasons you'll see early on and Sam is forced to play surgeon.
- I especially died laughing over a little Public Service Announcement that made Sam's issues with the clap this past episode seem tame.
- The CSI Miami thing is brilliant, and both brothers jump into the role a bit too much. There's a line that Dean says about wearing sunglasses at night that had me falling off the couch in laughter.
- One of the shows is a spoof on Knight Rider. So the Impala is the Kitt car, that leaves one brother to be the driver and the other...well, figure it out.
- One burning fandom question about "Mystery Spot" is answered.
- Don't be fooled by the goofy TV Land stuff. There's some heavy stuff in this episode.
No wonder Warner Brothers wanted to get the buzz out. Either that or they were testing a new way to streaming previews like this online instead of sending discs. I like it! "Changing Channels" is a must see. No filler here.
Comments
Hi, Alice – this is exactly what I was somewhat afraid of.
With all those funny, goofy scenes the CW gave us in the trailer, I began thinking – no, it’s impossible that they are going to give us a comedy-only episode. It wouldn’t fit into the story, and – looking back – those episodes in the past that included a lot of comedy, also revealed some cruel info.
Mystery Spot was hilarious, but it also opened Sam’s mind to a world without Dean and served as a sort of catalyst to put him on his doomed path. Yellow Fever confronted us with Dean’s fears of Sam (still forgotten the blink-of-an-eye moment in the end when Dean realizes the flash of yellow in Sam’s eyes). The Monster At The End of This Book gave some great side blows to overactive fans, but revealed a lot about the brothers’ destiny.
I’m looking forward to Changing Channels, as it will probably give the guys a lot of different environments to show their acting abilities, but it somehow scared me to hell. Even more after what you hinted at here… Being afraid of a tv-show… yes…. This is serious… maybe I should consult a shrink. Or a sorcerer… Gandalf, anyone?
I LOVE THE ALTERNATE TV UNIVERSE IDEA. I will admit that on occasion I watch silly Nickelodeon shows like the Fairly Odd Parents and the one with the magic remotes I will always stop and watch or record every time it comes on.
I LOVE JEREMY CARVER. No explanation needed.
Mmmmmmmm I don't think I can wait until Thursday now. =[
But more than irritated I'm just anxious. Come, Friday, come!
And know I have to wait until friday, so not fair
I didn't think I could be more excited...guess I was wrong. Is it Thursday yet????
So do the boys have "Mc-something" nicknames for their Dr. Sexy, MD characters?
If 'Changing Channels' is as good as 'Mystery Spot' then I love it already
I have to say that this season has exceeded all my expectations so far.Jeremy Carver has been an inspired addition to the writing team and I'm really looking forward to this episode & the rest of the season.I love this show!!!
Very excited to see this episode, I love this series, it is very special to me
One question though, anyone have any ideas on what the burning question that will be answered from Mystery Spot will be? I've been going over that episode in my head and can't think of anything that really stood out that we would want an answer for. Any ideas?
I need to ask you something... You don't 'have' to answer, of course, but the reviews that I read made me nervous for what is about to come, so... I would really appreciate if you could.
With the revelations that will come and the scenes that you teased us about, does this episode make the brother more connected or does it make them to be upset with each other or torn apart somehow?
Thanks so much again!
Sadly, my powers of clear memory are faulty -- probably all the candy I ate yesterday -- thus I cannot remember the dialogue clearly. However, I now know what I'll be doing Thursday at 8:00 p.m., watching Mystery Spot to get back into the groove.
I'm loving this season and am thoroughly looking forward to this episode even without this teasing review from Alice...but I'm thrilled to get the tease.
Congrats Alice on getting this 'reward' from the network, with all your efforts, you definitely deserve it!
Alice - one question - way back in your summary of the Supernatual interviews at Comic Con you said:
"More meta episodes are coming after Kripke had his fun with the online fan base. There's a great story behind the creating on "Monster At The End of This Book" that I'll share."
Did you ever share that story? I've been checking regularly and never saw anything about it. Please share it!!!
Thanks for the review, Alice. That was really cool. Can't wait to see it. It sounds amazing.
The "burning question" answered is from when Sam asked The Trickster "What's that's supposed to mean?" The Trickster's answer, "That's for me to know and you to find out." In other words, there's a reason The Trickster is taking suc h an interest in the Winchesters. 60; Also, Dean kind of throws us a bone about how much he knows about the entire Mystery Spot incident.
But I can wait. I'm patient. *bites fingernails* Honestly I am. I can be. *bounces on chair*
I thought this was going to be more TV spoofery that would bounce right off me as I don't watch much and never get the jokes ( sniff ) and now it's huge and heavy AND has the Trickster doing his thing ( joy! ) and it's only Monday and I bet the sodding computer goes down again cos it hates me and wants me to suffer ... AAARGH!
Yep, I like it when I 'get' what 'it' is. At least I know what the burning question is...don't know the answer yet but yee, hee, love when I actually remember something.
Okay. Self-congratula tory, narcissitic moment over...back to counting down to the eppie.
I can't wait!
Witnessing today ... I think it will be one of the best of the season, but the best!
I am biting my nails in waiting for this episode, just as about everyone here. But, personally, I think you have already revealed more than enough - that's okay. If you had not had the opportunity to watch the coming episode in advance, we would have to wait just as we do now... You're obviously a woman of integrity, and the ones responsible for the sending out of the preview surely count on that (and - as you point out correctly - they would never send you anything again. I'm happy for you that you were given the chance to see something special in advance. I will wait, though for us online viewers, it's going to be Friday... I'll take a look at Mystery Spot in the meantime. Apart from Heart, that is my all-time favourite episode, too.
Love, Jas
Cheers, Jas
And like some folks here, I gotta wait 'till friday afternoon to watch this ep... So damn, stupid me. I would have been living in a lovely ignorant bliss if I hadn't read these little tidbits you shared
sooooo...is it friday yet?
es mui bueno si si
amo
amo
amo
All my best, Jas
I'm just freaking out since I luuuuurve Mystery Spot and the Trickster and the juicy things Alice hinted just made me all giddy and stuff
I love being spoilerfree this season 'cause last season I wasn't and was sometimes bummed when my hubby watched the eps with fresh eyes and I could see the suprise and excitement in his reactions... Where as I basicly new most of what was happening so the actual shocks weren't that shocking...so now I get to join the club... and it's a much better club
And I'll raise your collective sigh with a collective freakoutsquee tomorrow night
you're really sweet, you know?! I like that club. It's like tasting the best ever ice cream for the first time... Or chocolate... or the first ripe strawberries of the year...
My God, I'm hungry...
It's only one more night to go... Sigh...
Blessings, Jas
They went back and made the Trickster an angel to fit their shiny new mytharc. They told us Sam and Dean were vessels (heard that already), told us that it was their destiny and they had no choice (heard that, too), they repeated the story of Lucifer and the angels and we saw yet another angel begging for an apocalyptic ending, and most of all, Dean and Sam going head-to-head and one killing the other? Hasn't that obviously been where this is all heading for two seasons now? I thought so. Not a single thing was news to me. Not to mention, the shoehorned Castiel in because Misha Collins hasn't hit his 17 episode requirement yet.
So disappointed that a show about two brothers, urban legends, monster and love of family has become about angels, demons, apocalypses, and killing one another.
The last exceptional episode I saw that I can think of is Born Under a Bad Sign. I was never a fan of the whole "Dean's deal" storyline because I felt like they really wrote themselves into a corner, and then didn't pay it off in season 3 because apparently they can't tell a story in 16 episodes (hate to see what they'd do on a cable show with a 13 episode season). So that's about when I started scratching my head. That being said, the last episode that I really enjoyed? A Very Supernatural Christmas - good old fashioned hunt, minimal grade-school humor (omg!nutcracker ,herpes,haha!), appropriate levels of angst, no angels, and both boys playing an equal and important role that was not diminished by being the ultimate meatsuits.
After season 3, though, it became a different show, and Sam and Dean became different characters. To say that I've been disappointed with the execution of it all is an understatement. I think there was an intelligent and capable way to change the story, and I would have been all for it if I felt they did it well, but they didn't. In my viewing experience, they've done it badly. There's zero finesse, zero subtlety, retconning abounds, continuity is out the window, the plot holes are big and dangerous, the brotherly relationship was ripped apart and cobbled back together using bad writing and a lot of anvils, and on a more minor I really wish that the grade school humor and meta would stop. The meta especially takes me right out of the story. The only episodes that I really enjoyed last season were Lazarus Rising, It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester, When the Levee Breaks, and Criss Angel is a Douche Bag.
I just really find myself wishing they'd done a better job with all of this.