Changing Channels - Recap

As the audience applauds, Sam arrives home at the bright shiny motel where he and Dean are staying. Dean is preparing a huge sandwich and Sam wonders if he's done the research for their latest case. Dean sheepishly claims that he has but a girl in a bikini comes out of his bedroom to say they're not done doing their "research."

Two days earlier, Dean is watching Dr. Sexy, M.D. on television while waiting for Sam to get ready to pose as a FBI agent. Once Sam is ready, they talk to the sheriff abut a man who was decapitated. The sheriff insists that it was a bear attack, although Dean notes that apparently the bear chased the man into his house and up to his bedroom before tearing off his head. The sheriff insists that it was a bear but lets them talk to the dead man's wife, Cathy. She admits she must have imagined what she saw, but finally admits that she saw Lou Ferrigno from The Incredible Hulk tear off her husband's head.

The guys check out the dead man and discover that he was a wife beater with a temper problem. Sam checks the house and finds a Hulk-sized hole in the side, as well as candy wrappers. They figure that their old foe the Trickster is responsible, given his like of candy and poetic justice. Dean is ready to stake the Trickster but Sam suggests that they talk to him and see if they can recruit his help in stopping the Apocalypse. If Earth is destroyed, then the Trickster's good times are over as well. Dean doesn't like the idea but Sam warns they may not have many choices, and Dean reluctantly agrees to try it before they kill him.

Eventually the Winchesters hear a police report about a strange sighting. They go to an abandoned warehouse but discover that no one is there. They figure it's a trap but go inside... and find themselves in a hospital, wearing doctor's coats. The staff all knows who they are as characters in the show, and Dean realizes they're on the set of Dr. Sexy, M.D.. They wander around and meet Dr. Picolo, the hot but sexy female doctor who is in love with Sam's character. She accuses him of being a coward for refusing to operate, slaps him in the face, and refuses to listen to anything he says otherwise.

Dr. Sexy comes over to talk to Dean, who realizes that he's an imposter. He grabs the doctor, who transforms into the Trickster. However, the Trickster points out that they don't have their stakes and there's nothing they can do. When Sam asks to talk to him, the Trickster agrees if they can survive his "game" for the next 24 hours. They wonder what the rules are but he simply smiles and disappears in a flash of electric static. A patient asks Dean to give his wife a face-transplant and when Dean refuses, the man shoots him in the back. He's rushed to surgery and everyone expects Sam to operate. He has no choice but to go ahead and discovers that he can actually perform surgery. As Dr. Picolo looks on in triumph, Sam saves Dean's life by removing the bullet.

As Dean recovers, the brothers find themselves in a Japanese game show. Nutcracker. The host asks Sam a question about his own life. However, he speaks in Japanese and Sam has no idea what he's saying. When he fails to answer, a ball on a stick slams into his groin twice. As they go to commercial, Castiel staggers on screen and tries to teleport them away. However, he disappears in a burst of static as the host tells them that the Trickster doesn't like pretty-boy angels. He asks Dean the next question about his life and Dean has no idea how to answer. Sam realizes that he saved Dean because he pretended to be a doctor, and tells Dean to pretend to speak Japanese. It works and a happy Dean doesn't get a shot to the groin.

The show cuts to a commercial... about genital herpes medication. Sam has no choice but to play his role so they can move on to the next scenario. They find themselves in the bright shiny hotel with the girl in the bikini. As Sam gets the girl out, they discover that the studio audience laughs hilariously no matter what they do or say. An injured Castiel breaks in to the room and tells them something is wrong because the Trickster is more powerful than he should be. The Trickster arrives and gags him, then sends him away. Dean demands answers and the Trickster tells him that they have to learn to play their roles in real-life, as the vessels of Lucifer and Michael. Sam wonders why he doesn't help them stop the Apocalypse but the Trickster says that he just wants it up and he's not on either side. Dean questions him and the Trickster angrily slams him into the wall and tells him to accept their destiny or they'll be trapped forever.

The brothers find themselves in a graveyard, wearing sunglasses at night and investigating a man who has been stabbed in the stomach. Realizing they're trapped in a police procedural show, they swagger over to the corpse as Sam notices that one of the policemen is sucking on a lollipop. After making ironic puns about the dead man, Dean tries to stab the policeman. The man actually dies and another policeman transforms into the Trickster to boast that they've got the wrong guy. Sam stabs him from behind, seemingly killing him, and they find themselves back in the abandoned warehouse.

Later, the brothers go back to their motel but Dean wonders why Castiel hasn't appeared now that they're free. He discovers that Sam has disappeared and goes out to the car to start investigating. He finds Sam: he's been transformed into a talking Impala. They realize they're still trapped in the Trickster's TV fantasy and Dean gets an idea. He drives to a campground and takes some equipment out of Sam's "trunk." Dean then calls out to the Trickster, telling him that they're ready to give in. The Trickster appears and Dean demands that he transform Sam first. The Trickster agrees and Dean tosses a cigarette lighter onto the floor. It ignites the circle of holy oil that Dean pulled out of Sam's trunk and spread on the ground in advance, trapping the Trickster.

The Trickster realizes that he's unable to escape and drops the illusion, returning them to the warehouse. Dean points out that the holy oil circle would only trap angels, and asks who they're dealing with. The Trickster explains that he's the angel Gabriel. He fled to Earth when the forces of Heaven and Hell decided to battle each other, and has used his powers to impersonate a Trickster deity and make his own little reality. When Dean wonders what Gabriel's father thinks of his activities, Gabriel points out that God isn't speaking to anyone, and he refused to participate in the squabble between the brothers, the angels and demons. He couldn't stand the fighting starting again and says he just wants it to be all over. When Sam tries to convince him to help, Gabriel tells him that the Winchesters have always been destined to reflect the conflict of Heaven and Hell: the older domineering brother and the rebellious younger sibling. Dean refuses to accept his destiny but Gabriel insists he has no choice.

Dean forces Gabriel to bring Castiel back from wherever he sent him. Gabriel agrees and asks if Castiel's hunt for their father has been successful. Castiel admits it hasn't and Gabriel wonders if they're going to release him. Dean accuses the angel of being too afraid to stand up to his brother and then sets off the fire alarm, causing the sprinklers to douse the holy oil.

As they leave, Dean wonders if Gabriel was right and there's nothing they can do. Sam thinks that they have no choice and neither one of them can do anything about it. As they leave, they wish that they were back in a TV show where everything wraps up nice and neat at the end of the episode.

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