Over the fifteen seasons of Supernatural, there were plenty of opportunities for adventure. While much of it was dangerous fights with vampires or epic battles with demons, the series had a gift for the bizarre. The paranormal premise allowed the writers to stretch their imaginations to their limits.
While such strange premises are often chalked up to a long-running series going for too long, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) were having these weird encounters early on in their run. The hefty episode count of the series just allowed for more significant risks to be taken.
10
“Ghostfacers” (Season 3, Episode 13)
While many shows only get high-concept later in their runs, Supernatural did it early on. Sam and Dean are strange guys, especially when viewed from another point of view. In “Ghostfacers,” that point of view is a camera lens, filming the pilot for a ghost-hunting reality show. The Winchesters cross their path when investigating the Morton House, purported to be one of the most haunted houses in America.
Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler (both names paying homage to Ghostbusters) are just ordinary people who come across the Winchesters. Unlike most normal people, they don’t become victims of the ghosts or eventual Hunters. Through their eyes, Sam and Dean are annoying guys who take over everything.
9
“Monster Movie” (Season 4, Episode 5)
Season four had been incredibly serious for the first few episodes, dealing with the repercussions of Dean’s return from hell. “Monster Movie” was the first time the Winchesters went on a standalone case. Sam and Dean investigate a case at Oktoberfest, where classic movie monsters are attacking people.
That this episode is different from an average Supernatural episode is evident within a second of watching: it’s in black and white. It channels the Universal Monsters from the first moment with a custom title sequence. Todd Stashwick’s over-the-top Count Dracula talking to a disaffected pizza delivery boy about whether his pizza has garlic on it is a memorable absurd moment.
8
“Hunteri Heroici” (Season 8, Episode 8)
As Supernatural moved on in its run, it became more ambitious– and ridiculous– with its episodes. “Hunteri Heroici” has Castiel (Misha Collins) decide to become a Hunter, finding a case where a man’s heart has burst out of his chest. Castiel’s investigation with the Winchesters reveals more deaths resembling cartoons.
This episode is not a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-style mix of animation and live-action, aside from one scene inside the mind of telekinetic Fred Jones. Cartoon conventions are used in the real world, which is jarring for both the audience and the characters within the story. Castiel’s interrogation of a talking cat may be the height of this unreality, but Castiel’s unfamiliarity with the human world means he doesn’t see a problem with it.
7
“Wishful Thinking” (Season 4, Episode 8)
The premise of “Wishful Thinking” is very straightforward. It is a trope that has been used in many pieces of fiction. People make wishes that have unexpected– and dire– consequences. Sam and Dean investigate a possible ghost attack but realize something more is happening in town as everyone is getting what they want, thanks to a man with a magic coin (Ted Raimi).
While other Supernatural episodes may have more outlandish premises, the gigantic, living teddy bear makes this episode truly strange. When Sam and Dean encounter a young girl who wished for her teddy bear to come to life, they pretend to be teddy bear doctors to speak to the depressed, alcoholic bear.
6
“The Monster at the End of This Book” (Season 4, Episode 18)
Named after a famous Sesame Street book, this episode had a profound impact. Sam and Dean come across a book series entitled Supernatural, which chronicles their adventures. They track down the author, Chuck Shurley (Rob Benedict), a Prophet of the Lord writing what Castiel calls The Winchester Gospels.
While most high-concept episodes remain self-contained, the existence of the Supernatural book series and Chuck would carry through until the finale. It allowed for a meta look at the writing of Supernatural and a pointed look at the fandom surrounding it.
5
“Mystery Spot” (Season 3, Episode 11)
Episodes with the Trickster (Richard Speight Jr.) were always weird, owning to the Trickster’s outlandish personality. While investigating a local Mystery Spot, Dean is killed. Sam wakes up the next day to find the day repeating itself in a Groundhog Day-esque loop, always ending in Dean’s death.
The number of ways the writers found to kill Dean is staggering, with most being ridiculous. Sam’s unraveling as he’s repeatedly forced to relive the same day is unnerving but also hilarious.
4
“Changing Channels” (Season 5, Episode 8)
With each appearance, the Trickster upped the silliness of his plans. “Changing Channels” starts with Sam and Dean stuck in a brightly lit sitcom. The Trickster then forces them to go through a plethora of television shows. While the Trickster’s plan may seem arbitrary, his real purpose is revealed to play into the season-long arc of the Apocalypse.
Sam and Dean being forced into other genres, such as parodies of CSI: Miami, a Japanese game show, and a commercial for herpes medication, makes this episode feel like absurd skits. While the Trickster is trying to teach a serious lesson, it is the outlandish way he does it that’s remembered by the audience.
3
“Fan Fiction” (Season 10, Episode 5)
Despite many television shows doing musical episodes and Supernatural’s penchant for genre-breaking, this was as close as it ever got to a musical episode. Sam and Dean investigate the disappearance of a high school teacher, discovering she was the faculty advisor on a musical production based on Chuck Shurley’s Supernatural books.
The 100th episode of the series, “Fan Fiction,” celebrates and pokes fun at the Supernatural fandom. It references various slash ships, with Destiel even being named. The songs poke fun at conventions from the series, such as “A Single Man Tear,” about Sam and Dean’s emotional moments with one another.
2
“The French Mistake” (Season 6, Episode 15)
With so many episodes poking fun and Sam and Dean’s lives, perhaps it was inevitable Supernatural would poke fun at the production. “The French Mistake” has Balthazar send Sam and Dean into a parallel reality, where they are Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, filming a show called Supernatural. They must navigate through this world where their lives are fictional.
In the alternate reality, Genevieve Padalecki appeared as herself, with Dean shocked that Sam had married “fake Ruby,” referencing her role in the show’s fourth season. Misha Collins appeared as an obnoxious, Twitter-obsessed version of himself. The real Misha even Tweeted the same things his fictional counterpart did when the show initially aired.
1
“Scoobynatural” (Season 13, Episode 16)
Crossovers are usually weird, but “Scoobynatural” is a cut above the rest, combining two shows from different mediums and genres. Dean receives a haunted television that pulls him, Sam and Castiel into the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! episode “A Night Of Fright Is No Delight.” Sam and Dean team up with Mystery Inc. when the usual Scooby-Doo mystery becomes more like a regular Winchester case.
The episode brought the then-current voice actors of Mystery Inc., Matthew Lillard, Frank Welker, Grey DeLisle-Griffin and Kate Micucci, into Supernatural. Not only were Sam, Dean and Castiel able to act as cartoon characters, but Mystery Inc. was able to react to a real supernatural murder case. The juxtaposition between the two was strange but memorable.
Source: collider.com