The brothers Winchester took on the brothers Grimm on Supernatural this week, but it was siblings, not fairy tales, that made up the true core of the story.

This week's episode opens on a shot of a billboard advertising a new housing development. "Once Upon a Time," it reads, over a picture of a smiling, happy couple. So of course, horror and mayhem can't be far away. Sure enough, in the teaser three brothers (complete with references to brick, wood, and cinderblocks) overseeing the construction are attacked.

Good set up, but never mind those brothers, we want to see these brothers: Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles). Now that they have a working magic Colt again, Sam wants to trap and then shoot the crossroads demon to free Dean from his deal. Dean is having none of it, and they're in the middle of a shouting fight when we first see them. Dean thinks it's too risky for Sam, who could drop dead if Dean tries to wriggle out of his contract. As usual, Winchester dynamics are in play -- Dean's best argument is "because I said so" and "I'm older." It's telling that Dean finally defuses the argument by coaxing Sam to "tell me about the psychotic killer."

Watching them yell at each other is really, really good TV, and shows why Jared and Jensen's performances as Sam and Dean are so amazing. They aren't just Sam and Dean because they're yelling or because of the words. It comes across in body language, the ways each brother handles the conflict. So far this season has kept them distant from each other. "Bedtime Stories" finally starts bridging the gap a little.

Sam and Dean investigate (to a background of tinkling music that reminded me of The X-Files in a whimsical mood). They interview the surviving brother (Michael Coleman) from the teaser. I enjoyed the mix of humor and drama in that scene as Sam pretends to be a sketch artist and has a moment of empathy with the grieving sib.

A Hansel and Gretel reenactment takes place -- again involving siblings, again leaving only one sibling alive to grieve -- while a mysterious little girl (Ava Rebecca Hughes) garbed in a Snow White color scheme watches. Sam, who's smart and reads a lot, figures out the fairy tale connection. It's not the repackaged bedtime stories, Sam exposits, but the original, bloody folktales as collected by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 19th century. When the boys rescue a girl caught in a Cinderella replay, Dean sees the mysterious little girl, who flickers and turns into an apple.

It turns out the little girl is the spirit of a young woman who's been in a coma since she was a child. Her father, a doctor (Christopher Cousins), reads to her from a book of Grimm's fairy tales and her spirit causes ordinary people to carry out the stories. I thought things unfolded a little too easily, but the doctor's willingness to accept what Sam tells him was explained when he reveals that he's been seeing the apparition too. The girl's stepmother poisoned her, and the girl's spirit is trapped because no one ever knew what happened. The father reassures his comatose daughter that he believes her, kisses her on the forehead, and she goes flatline. In this fairy tale there's a kiss for Snow White, but instead of waking her up, it puts her to sleep forever. But she's rescued in another way, her spirit freed.

Meanwhile, Dean's off saving Little Red Riding Hood from the Big Bad Wolf, which is just the coolest thing ever. In the original tales, it's a hunter who rescues Grandma and Little Red, and a huntsman who takes pity on Snow White. Sam and Dean each have their own iconic roles to play.

That wraps up the MOTW but the real story here, as always, is about the brothers. There's a wonderful, heartrending moment when Dean tells Sam he should maybe follow the doctor's example. "Is that what you want me to do, Dean? Just let you go?" says Sam. Dean doesn't reply, but an entire silent conversation seems to take place until Dean walks away alone down a corridor.

Which would have been a stunning episode closer, but the final act hasn't quite played out. Against his brother's wishes, Sam takes the Colt, summons the crossroads demon (Sandra McCoy). He threatens to shoot her unless she releases Dean from his contract. "Aren't you tired of cleaning up Dean's messes?" she taunts Sam. The demons of Supernatural frequently take a grain of truth and distort it. We know that Sam and Dean do frequently get on each other's nerves, but neither wants to be rid of the aggravation.

Whether the demon got the response she was going for is a question mark -- perhaps the demon was supposed to get Sam to shoot her in the forehead. She's a pawn in a murky, demonic game of chess -- we learn she's not the one who owns Dean's contract, her unnamed boss does. Regardless, Sam continues to be really scary this season. And he'll probably do just about anything to save Dean.

Smart premise, superb brotherly interaction, and an ever-deepening mytharc that so far has managed not to trip over its own feet.

Supernatural 3x05, "Bedtime Stories"
Writer: Cathryn Humphris
Director: Mike Rohl
Guest Stars: Sandra McCoy, Christopher Cousins, Michael Coleman

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