These days, it’s hard to imagine that Supernatural once dominated the CW as one of the highest rated programs on television. Featuring urban-legend inspired monsters of the week, angsty hunters and an iconic cast, this used to be a show that united horror geeks and TV drama fanatics alike on a weekly basis.
Of course, thirteen seasons and several end-of-the-world scenarios later, the once-beloved show has since become entangled in the ever-expanding web of its own mythology, slowly transforming into an over-the-top telenovela with occasional conflicts with God, the Devil and everything in between.
That being said, in the span of nearly 300 episodes, the writers have had to come up with some seriously weird stuff in order to keep things interesting (which is partly why I still watch this glorious mess of a show). In light of the long-anticipated ScoobyNatural crossover, I thought that this would be a great time to highlight six of Supernatural’s strangest (and most fun) episodes!
Of course, this list is subjective, and several great episodes weren’t quite weird enough to make the cut (Yellow Fever and The Monster At The End Of This Book come to mind), but I’d love to read about your favorites in the comments below.
6. The French Mistake (Season 6, Episode 15)
The French Mistake may not exactly be the strongest episode on this list, but it’s certainly a fun time for fans of the show’s behind-the-scenes antics. Transported into a parallel dimension in which their adventures are nothing more than a television show, Sam and Dean must impersonate the real Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles in an effort to evade an angelic assassin.
Again, not one of the best episodes of the show, but I definitely recommend this one to fans of meta-storytelling, as it features several tongue-in-cheek fourth-wall breaks and clever nods to the series’ past. Also, the twitter-addicted Misha Collins always cracks me up.
5. Monster Movie (Season 4, Episode 5)
A spooky black-and-white homage to the Universal Monsters set during Oktoberfest? Sign me the hell up! While The X-Files may have done the classic monster throwback shtick first with The Post-Modern Prometheus, this lovable romp serves as a love letter to Supernatural‘s horrific roots while also managing to be a genuinely amusing piece of television.
The script does occasionally go a little overboard on the references, but Monster Movie remains thoroughly delightful. The monochrome cinematography is stunning, the effects are lovably cheesy and Sam and Dean are charismatic as ever, making this a must-watch for horror and television enthusiasts in general.
4. Mystery Spot (Season 3, Episode 11)
The Groundhog Day scenario has been aped numerous times in several forms of media since Bill Murray’s original predicament (most recently in the surprisingly fun Happy Death Day), but Supernatural‘s take on the trope is entertaining in its own right.
When Sam becomes trapped in an infinite loop of a particularly awful day, it’s up to the confused Winchester to solve this paranormal mystery on his own as Dean keeps getting horrifically murdered. Featuring sadistic trickster gods and a clever soundtrack, Mystery Spot is a fun self-contained story that also highlights our main characters’ unhealthy codependence as their greatest weakness.
3. Ghostfacers (Season 3, Episode 13)
An unconventional spin on Supernatural tropes, Ghostfacers pits the Winchesters against their most formidable foe yet: Reality TV! Starring Travis Wester and AJ Buckley as Harry Spengler and Ed Zeddmore, Ghostfacers puts two previously minor characters in the spotlight as we get a chance to see Sam and Dean’s antics from a different perspective.
Not only is this a clever spoof of ghost hunting shows, but it’s also some damn original television as well. Wester and Buckley are naturally charismatic, and it’s no wonder that they later got their own spin-off Ghostfacers web-series (which I also wholeheartedly recommend). It’s a real shame that later seasons of the show would come to ignore these fascinating side-characters.
2. Bitten (Season 8, Episode 4)
One of my personal favorites, and a rare example of a genuinely chilling episode from the show’s later seasons, Bitten is another radical departure from the tried-and-true Supernatural formula. Barely featuring the Winchesters at all, this tragic Found-Footage inspired episode stars three youngsters forced to deal with the catastrophic aftermath of a werewolf attack.
Similar to films like Chronicle and Afflicted, the Found-Footage approach brings another level of relatability to what could have easily become a clichéd monster-of-the-week story. Some of the characters even returned later on in an episode of Season 10, though it lacked Bitten‘s creative script and presentation.
1. Changing Channels (Season 5, Episode 8)
Any habitual internet user has undoubtedly come across the iconic “I’ve got genital herpes” clip from this hilarious episode. Once again featuring Richard Speight Jr. as The Trickster, Changing Channels transports the Winchesters into the wonderful world of television, forcing them to reenact absurd scenes from Game Shows, Sitcoms and even ridiculous commercials.
This insanely creative satire represents Supernatural at its best, pitting well-written characters against incredibly bizarre situations while still finding time in between laughs and thrills to discuss the finer points of family and loyalty.
They sure as hell don’t make them like this anymore.