Editorials
Six of the Strangest Episodes of “Supernatural”!
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.
The home video market used to be a chaotic industry wedged neatly between theatrical releases and television productions. It was where indie filmmakers could experiment with and profit from low-budget bangers while big studios could also squeeze extra money out of beloved properties without necessarily investing in blockbuster sequels.
There were plenty of cinematic duds during this time, and you never really knew whether you had just picked up a legitimately fun low-budget endeavor or a quick cash-grab from the rental store, but I’d argue that the good outweighed the bad because these flicks were allowed to be weirder than their big-budget counterparts – especially where sequels were concerned.
In honor of these home video hidden gems, today I’d like to recommend five underrated direct-to-video horror sequels that are still worth tracking down!
For the purposes of this list, I’ll be defining direct-to-video productions as films that were exclusively released on video/DVD, so no limited theatrical releases or TV movies that later made it big on home video. That means avoiding popular recommendations like Curse of Chucky and Wrong Turn 2 in order to focus on less-discussed horror flicks.
That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite sequels if you think we missed a particularly thrilling one.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
5. Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)
The success of Ron Underwood’s original Tremors was lightning in a bottle that can’t ever be replicated, so as much as I understand the love for the second film and its campy thrills, Tremors 4 remains my personal favorite sequel simply because it dares to do something different with the franchise.
Directed by series co-creator S.S. Wilson, The Legend Begins is a surprisingly effective prequel that tells the story of how the town of Perfection earned its name after a terrifying 1889 encounter with the graboids. This horror western may not live up to the original, but it doesn’t really have to, with the period aesthetic and fresh story making it one hell of a standalone adventure.
4. Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995)
There are those who argue that there are no good Children of the Corn films, but I think the series has something to offer for every kind of horror fan if you’re willing to deal with low budgets and strange creative decisions. In fact, I’m of the opinion that the initial trilogy of Children films only got better over time, with the third entry being the most entertaining despite having the least to do with Stephen King’s original story.
In this urban horror romp, we follow a pair of siblings who enter foster care after their abusive father is transformed into a scarecrow by He Who Walks Behind the Rows. What follows is an effects-heavy descent into madness as the kids bring their particular brand of religious fury to 90s Chicago – with deadly results.
If that’s not enough to convince you to give this flick a try, you should know that this is the only entry in the series that King himself has admitted to liking. Not only that, but it also marks Charlize Theron’s feature film debut.
3. Boogeyman 2 (2007)
Jeff Betancourt had his job cut out for him when he was first contacted to helm the sequel to 2005’s Boogeyman. Not only was the first film a critical bomb, but the sequel was set to be produced for a mere $4.5 million – less than a fourth of the budget of the original flick.
Yet, Jeff decided to use this direct-to-video sequel as an opportunity to improve on the generic aspects of the flick’s predecessor by making the monster more uncannily human and focusing more on the script than elaborate set pieces. The best part is that Boogeyman 2 isn’t limited by a PG-13 rating, meaning that the deaths are more interesting in spite of the lower budget.
2. Maniac Cop 2 (1990)
The original Maniac Cop is a legitimately entertaining slasher even if it can’t compete with some of the other great franchises from the 80s, but fans know that the direct-to-video sequel is way more fun to revisit despite its shoddy production value and rushed script.
In fact, this rental store hit features more elaborate death sequences while also exploring more of what it means for a community when a police officer goes rogue. Director William Lustig also looks back on this project fondly, claiming that he considers it his personal favorite film of his career and a “terrific B-movie”.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
1. Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993)
More of a middle part of a sprawling trilogy than a standalone horror romp, Ted Nicolaou’s Subspecies II is still the pinnacle of the auteur director’s vampire series and a great example of why it was often worth diving into the bargain bin in order to pick up a Full Moon Features VHS tape.
This fast-paced sequel takes place immediately after the events of the 1991 original, meaning that Subspecies II wastes no time in getting to the lovable practical effects that likely motivated you to purchase the flick in the first place. Nicolaou and Anders Hove (who plays Radu, the iconic vampire) are also much more sure of themselves in this sophomore effort, and that’s why I’d argue that it’s worth watching even if you’re not a fan of the first movie.
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