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For a show about bloodthirsty monsters, vengeful ghosts and the Apocalypse, “Supernatural” has a pretty wicked sense of humor, and it’s on full display in this episode. It’s also got the return of one of my favorite adversaries, as the Trickster from season three returns to trap the Winchester brothers in a series of TV-inspired fantasy worlds.This post is coming a week late, sorry, so I’ll try to keep it short. The joke kicks in right away, opening with Sam and Dean in a sitcom kitchen, complete with inane dialog, sight gags and a laugh track. Even the opening titles have been redone in that style. It’s a little weird and sets the tone for the rest of the hour.
The story picks up back in the real world as they investigate the murder of a man by The Incredible Hulk (the Lou Ferrigno version, not the CGI Hulk of the movies, of course), cluing in pretty fast that the Trickster is back. Of course, no sooner do they figure that out then they’re whisked into “TV land” – or more specifically, the world of “Dr. Sexy, M.D.”
I can’t even begin to decide which part of this “Gray’s Anatomy” parody works best, from Dean’s closet fandom to the folk-pop song playing in the background. They even managed to work in a reference to the presence of a ghost on hospital show (brilliant considering that the ghost on “Gray’s” was played by John Winchester himself, Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
The show continues to jump from genre to genre, skewering Japanese game shows, awkward health product advertisements, police procedurals and even “Knight Rider” (with Sam as the voice and personality of the Impala, naturally). Each has at least one genuinely inspired moment, and it’s obvious that both Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are having a blast throughout.
But then “Supernatural,” as it does in the best episodes, drops the snark and shows its teeth. The reveal of the Trickster as the angel Gabriel, hiding out on Earth because he’s just sick to death of the family squabble (you know, the Apocalypse) is masterfully handled. Richard Speight Jr. turns out to be much more fun to watch when he gets mean. His attempt at convincing Dean and Sam to play along with the end of the world was never going to work, but his frustration with both sides carries over well.
As much fun as this episode was, I do find myself hoping that the writers start moving the season’s plot along soon. I enjoyed getting Gabriel’s take on the situation, and the parodies were awesome (god, do I hate police procedurals), but if Sam and Dean are going to save the world, they might want to get cracking.
