There's something about a show like Supernatural that can deliver devastating emotional episodes, and then also be hilariously funny. After the long, long strike-induced hiatus, Supernatural returns.

Well, sort of.

After the familiar "Then...Now" previously sequence, the screen fritzes out and we see these two guys who are decidedly not Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), but look kind of familiar, breaking into the epic story of the Winchesters. Turns out it's Harry and Ed, a.k.a. The Hellhounds from season one's lighthearted episode "Hell House." Harry and Ed have a new reality TV series that's like the reality TV series Ghosthunters only without the professionalism and budget of TAPS.

The Ghostfacers group -- Harry, Ed, Ed's sister Maggie, their friend Spruce, and eager young intern Corbett -- are investigating a house that's haunted once every four years, on leap year. They have a lot of cameras, computers, and research (headquartered in Ed's father's garage). They're geeky, terribly earnest, a mix of technically savvy and bumbling, and in the end, valiant.

Hang on. Isn't this show supposed to be about these two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester? Who the heck are these Ghostfacers people, why should we care?

Well, I have a few reasons.

It doesn't take too long for Sam and Dean to enter the episode -- photographed this time on hand-held video cameras. Supernatural never seems to run out of ways to examine its compelling leads in fresh ways. This is the ultimate outsider POV episode, as the Winchesters stumble into the Ghostfacers' hunt. Or did the Ghostfacers stumble into the Winchesters' hunt? In a show structured the way Supernatural is -- a two-character, partnership show -- it's difficult to introduce secondary characters, let alone ones that show up in more than one episode. "Ghostfacers" strikes the ideal balance needed in a guest star-focused ep. It manages to stay focused on the emotional journey of the two leads, while presenting entertaining new characters in the Supernatural 'verse.

Don't be fooled: the episode is still (almost) all about Sam and Dean. Which ironically means that while the fictional series Ghostfacers hijacks Supernatural, it's actually Sam and Dean who hijack Ghostfacers.

There's the exchange caught on camera where Sam loses his temper and smashes a chair against a door to demonstrate that the ghost has trapped them all. He complains to Dean that it was Dean's idea to be there: "You happy? Let's go hunting the Morton house you said, it's our Grand Canyon...You've got two months left. Instead, we're going to die tonight." There's a lot of Winchester emotions packed into that 30 second scene. Leap year means an extra day in Dean's year before his time's up and he has die and go to Hell, and Dean chooses to spend that extra day hunting with his brother. I probably don't need to point out the significance behind the Grand Canyon reference (see season two's "Hunted" if you need a refresher). Those two words are enough to make many Supernatural viewers choke up.

We also get to see Sam lose it and blow up at his big brother. It's a moment that is actually larger than it appears to be through the lens of the fuzzy camera. As in any routine episode we see Sam and Dean's concern for each other, as well as the reasons for the irritations and tensions.

Tucked in among the Ghostfacers, we get Sam and Dean partnership dynamics as well as a look at how they cope with stress. Dean gets progressively more annoyed, grouchy, and -- as he gets more worried -- snarky. Sam's annoyance is more stern and quiet, but no less boiling. First the ghost snatches the hapless, sweet-tempered Corbett. About halfway through the episode, it snatches Sam.

Which in turn gives us a fascinating look at Dean. Now fully pissed-off and frantic, Dean keeps yelling for his brother and yet holds himself together, taking the role of leader to protect the amateur group. His focus is on finding and saving Sam, but neither brother seems to lose their instinct to protect not just each other, but the civilians.

In the scenes where the ghost has Corbett and Sam trapped together, we see Sam's square-jawed determination, fear, anger, and also his focus on trying to save Corbett. All while wearing a silly party hat.

Ed, Harry & co., ostensibly focused on recording spirits, fix their cameras on the Winchesters, and seem to find them just as Other and enthralling (and often terrifying) as the ghosts.

We also find out that Sam and Dean do, in fact, curse. A lot (bleeped out by Ghostfacer editing).

I thought the episode did a good job establishing, in very little time, the Ghostfacers' relationships. Corbett's crush on Ed was well handled. It's played for laughs, but gently. After the ghost kills Corbett and his spirit gets stuck in a loop, Ed has to step up and give a heartfelt speech to snap Corbett out of it and allow him to save the others from the Morton ghost. That scene could have been a disaster -- maudlin or disrespectful. Instead, it turned out poignant. I also liked that Ed and Harry intone what sounds like weighty, wise quotations in their farewell tribute to Corbett that don't appear to be actual quotes from anything. (I googled.)

Given the bleak main story arc of this season -- Sam preparing for the demon war, Dean's year running out -- this was a welcome change of pace before we head into the home stretch of the final three episodes of the year. It's also good to see Sam and Dean interacting with others. At its core, the show is about them, and that's how Supernatural should be, how it is at its best. However, TV characters don't exist well in a vacuum and a number of intriguing supportings, villains and allies, have passed through Sam and Dean's lives. Some stay; most don't.

They all give us new insights into our favorite ghost hunting brothers.

Supernatural 3x13, "Ghostfacers"
Writer: Ben Edlund
Director: Phil Scriccia
Guest stars: Travis Wester, Austin Basis, A.J. Buckley, Dustin Milligan, Brittany Ishibashi