Review

In Maple Springs, New York, three brothers are at a housing construction site discussing planned sub division developments. They are apparently attacked by a wolf. Dean and Sam, who are arguing about the deal with the demon yet again, are soon embroiled in events. Folks are turning up dead and there seems to be a fairy tale connection to each murder, at least that's what Sam surmises. Dean wonders just how gay Sam can get.

While tracking down the culprit, it would appear to be a revenant with a literary bent, Dean will have to face the big bad wolf, and Sam will have to convince a Father to make a tough decision. Naturally there is plenty of humour and supernatural happenings along the way. Let's get the Grimm Brothers Tales out and do a little research here.

First Supernatural review of the year, we're still playing massive catch up with the franchise, and I got to say not the best episode to get stuck into. For sure the story is neatly book ended with Dean's satanic deal, the Brothers arguing about the toss at the beginning, and Sam testing the theories at the crossroads at the end, but it's the stuff in the middle that kind of drags the chain here. I have the feeling writer Cathryn Humphris couldn't decided if she was doing a serious full on horror episode or was playing with the concepts to get a few punch lines. Equally I'm quietly concerned that Bedtime Stories breached some of the mythology of the show, in particular what a revenant, (for want of a better word), can manipulate.

The show starts solidly enough with three brothers who are working late one night at new sub division construction site, loved the company by-line "Once upon a time ... all homes were built this well". One of the chubby threesome makes a comment that they should have used block for construction like he wanted rather than the wood they decided upon. He even mentions that one gust of wind will knock the flimsy houses down. Queue the big bad wolf and his two Bros are blood splattered extras. The topping here is our focal character even gives a sort of piggy grunt at one stage, which for mine was cleverly closing the deal on the illusion being created. For anyone slightly challenged in their fairy tale lore, we're talking The Three Little Pigs. A darkness has entered the land of faery with murderous intent.

Later we are also witness to a couple lost in the woods who come across a picturesque cabin. Surprisingly, though there is a little old lady in attendance, it's not the candy you have to worry about. And yes before closing this capture of Bedtime Stories' intent there is also Red Riding Hood, Grandma, etc. I was hoping for Jack and the Beanstalk, but hey, you can't always get what you wish for.

Not the best episode to start our yearly forced march through the Winchester back catalogue

While I thought the episode was pretty average to be honest, sorry call them as I see them, I was still grooving to Sam and Dean's relationship and the continued examples of the effect someone dying has on other people. Dean simply doesn't want to risk the deal he signed with the Crossroads demon, case closed, no discussion entered into. It's family or nothing for Dean, which sort of made for a strange episode when he didn't emphasis more with another character and his decision. Conversely Sam got the full frontal on lost, and did what he was gearing up to do all episode. I'm not sure what effect this will have on Sam, but for sure the bloke is hardening up and getting toward the notion of doing what needs to be done. Still don' t trust Ruby, Dean is probably right on that, she is guiding Sam down a path I don't think he should take for his long term mental health.

Don't worry the episode might not be the new kid on the block for yours truly, but the humour is still rocking along like a brought thing. Dean putting Sam in the position where he has to pretend he's an FBI sketch artist is certainly worth touching bases with, as are some of the one liners both brothers are throwing at each other. One thing you can't fault the various writers of Supernatural on is their comedic overtones. While the flesh might be hitting the meat, it's still done in a fairly refreshing light fashion that'll have even non-horror fans digging the various aspects of the show. This time Dean introduces the pseudo FBI agents as Plant and Page for example.

One of the strange aspects of this episode is the Boys initially think they are dealing with a werewolf, say what! While a werewolf could certainly be the supernatural culprit, given the survivor's evidence, there are any number of other entities in the Supernatural universe that may have been the problem. Surprisingly the Bros may have got it wrong, but in the wider sense of "werewolf", write in for a definition if unsure, they were correct with one aspect of the events going down. Still I'm slightly hazy as to why the whole lupine thing came into play, perhaps trying to focus on an earlier incident involving Sam, if so handled really badly.

Rocking it out mullet rock style were, oh wait not sure we got any tracks.

A season high of 3.24 was delivered by Bedtime Stories as the episode seemed to catch public attention with a number of non-regular viewers tuning in. Not sure why this one was so high to be honest, but what the hey some movement at the station, and for sure we like to see that.

In terms of referencing the patheon of horror the one name that kept leaping into my head during the episode was Patrick! Hell yeah, an Aussie horror reference, I'm high fiving the Flow residents staying over for the weekend.

Got to say I wasn't that impressed with Bedtime Stories, yes I got the horror reference to a real "B" grader and the possible remake/re-imagining. The story just didn't seem to be well constructed or to have much to hold my interest. The debate about Dean's fate at the end of the season, can't happen as a single Winchester Bro won't carry the show, was interesting but the rest of the episode seems to have been spun out from a script that didn't really reach any heights. Don't get me wrong, it's a highly polished outing but I was left with a meh feeling as the end credits rolled. One you cans safely miss if not a Supernatural fan, otherwise I guess catch up with the episode to complete your season viewing requirements. Don't worry kids this one won't be on the spot quiz come end of Term.