A fun episode with some new information about why the Winchester brothers were chosen as vessels.

This was my favorite episode of the fifth season of SUPERNATURAL.

Not only did “Changing Channels” offer up some hysterical comedic moments as Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are thrown into a game by an apparent Trickster – that plays pranks on humans by creating a false reality with deadly consequences – but it also offered some pretty good information to the mythology of Season Five. Specifically, why the Winchester Brothers are the chosen ones as the vessels for the battle between Heaven and Hell and how it was inevitable.

Investigating some odd appearances happening in Ohio, the Winchester Brothers – having dealt once with the Trickster already – believe he’s back and causing havoc. They figure that if they convince the Trickster to come to their side, maybe they can prevent the coming apocalypse. But before that happens, the Trickster transports them into a game where they must play various parts of television programs or face the consequences.

Among the hilarious situations they are placed include a buddy sitcom, a GREY’S ANATOMY rip-off (which Dean loves), a Japanese game show that gets the best of Sam, a commercial for genital herpes (the second episode in a row where Sam has had to deal with a STD – last week was The Clap), CSI MIAMI and KNIGHT RIDER.

There were many moments during these “television shows” that had me laughing out loud – especially the Japanese sitcom where Sam gets a shot to the grapefruit with painful slow-mo. But the overacting drama in DR. SEXY was just as funny as Sam must operate on Dean using a hunter’s knife and dental floss.

But when Castiel (Misha Collins) shows up inside the Trickster’s TV fantasy realm, he warns the boys that it might not be a Trickster based on the power he’s displayed. So they set a trap for him and it works. The Trickster reveals himself to be the archangel Gabriel that has been hiding from the other angels in order to get away from his family, despite the fact he loves them.

But what we really learned was the reason as to why Sam and Dean are the vessels for Heaven and Hell. That which happens among angels is reflective on Earth, meaning because an angel fell from Heaven and became Lucifer, betraying his brothers, thus Sam and Dean in a similar situation were a perfect fit.

Gabriel goes so far as to say that this was all ordained from the time God “turned on the lights” of the human population. They have known this all along that Sam and Dean would bring an end to humanity.

That’s one hell (pardon the pun) of a burden to bear – if Sam didn’t already have enough to think about with him starting all of this – and it will be interesting if this is really the case or if there is something that can be done. Obviously, if they had no other choice in the matter the show would just be over and be done with it. But given the (assumed) presence of God and a possible way out of this war, we have to assume at some point another option will become available. We just don’t know it yet, and neither do Sam and Dean. One thing is certain, we don’t know just which side Gabriel will fall on, or will he sign up with the Winchester Brothers? Can’t wait to find out.

Source: ifmagazine.com