When Supernatural Gets Silly: Fans' Top Pick for the Most Hilarious Episode
Supernatural fans have taken to Reddit to declare which episode should be crowned the best comedic venture.
One thing the show has no shortage of is amusing episodes. The writers, fortunately, realize that much of what is encountered by Sam and Dean, and subsequently the audience, is very dark. And so, they often give us something to make us smile and break up that darkness.
With so many to choose from, fans have had a veritable field day reminiscing and comparing their favourites on Reddit. But there emerged a clear winner: Season nine's episode five, Dog Dean Afternoon.
The title is a play on words from the film Dog Day Afternoon, a gritty crime drama from 1975, starring Al Pacino. But if Supernatural fans thought that title meant any resemblance to that film, they would have been completely wrong. It, in fact, takes on a far more literal meaning…
The Winchester brothers are investigating two brutal and mysterious murders, in addition to a mass killing of cats at an animal shelter, and there is only one witness; a German Shepherd named The Colonel. Not to give up easily, the boys decide to find a spell that will allow Dean to communicate with the canine and find the answers they are seeking. The plan works but comes with some very unexpected and hilarious side effects.
Dean can indeed talk to The Colonel and obtains a very helpful description of the murderer, but he also adopts several other curious behaviours. He is suddenly very eager to play fetch, finds a poodle far too attractive, and barks at a mailman. But that is not all. It turns out the spell allows him to speak to all animals, not just dogs. One of the most loved scenes in the episode is Dean's heated argument with a pigeon after it defecates on the Impala.
Sam suffers along for the ride as Dean insists on taking The Colonel everywhere with them to follow up leads and try and find the killer, who for most of the episode is only known as a man in a cowboy hat.
His new skill comes in handy when questioning the dogs in the shelter about the mysterious man, and one offers them a possible location… in exchange for a belly rub from Sam. Before they resume their search, Dean opens all the cages, releasing his new friends.
Animals continue to guide them on their mission, with mice in cages speaking up and directing Dean to another clue.
Finally, the killer is unmasked as a chef suffering from cancer, who relies on eating the internal organs of animals and spell craft to prolong his life. After a failed attempt to eat Sam and Dean, the chef is mauled to death by a large pack of dogs in a glorious display of poetic justice.
It is no wonder fans have voted Dog Dean Afternoon the clear favourite. It is such a wonderful combination of funny and adorable, yet still maintains the creepy, gritty, feel of the show that we all know and love.