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The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the "Sin City" episode of the CW's "Supernatural."

Casey: "Dick Cheney."

Dean: "He one of yours?"

Casey: "Not yet. Let’s just say he’s got a parking spot reserved for him downstairs."

A demon, a hooker and a priest walk into a bar.

No, seriously. Welcome to Elizabethtown, Ohio. The folks are friendly -- a little too friendly, unless they’re trying to blow your brains out. In fact, everyone seems to be giving in to their darkest desires: booze, sex, violence. Every day’s a party.

While Bobby (Jim Beaver) disassembles the Colt to find out what made it tick, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) head off to this supposedly sleepy, boarded up factory town to investigate a homicide and a suicide.

There, they encounter fellow hunter Richie (Martin A. Papazian), whom Dean knows from a job he worked when Sam was away at school. Lovable, dopey, horny and thoroughly not cut out for the job, it isn’t long before Richie gets in over his head.

Sam keeps close tabs on Trotter (Don S. Davis), the apparent architect of the town’s new lifestyle, while Dean tries to track down his missing friend. Sam’s investigation hits a wall, but Dean discovers the truth buried deep in the sexy bartender’s basement.

After trapping the possessed woman in a devil’s trap, she in turn traps him in the basement with her and a touching heart to heart encounter ensues.

Dean learns more about the fate from which he saved his brother, but is troubled by what may still be in store for him. The demons may no longer be united, but that may not be a good thing.

Chaos has followed the breakdown in the chain of command, and now hundreds of demons are pursuing their own agendas: some vying for power, others following their demon dogma, and some gunning for Sam. And to top it all off, Dean learns his damnation may be particularly hellish as a result of his current and past actions.

Meanwhile, Ruby (Katie Cassidy) approaches Bobby with an offer to help resurrect the Colt, and Sam tried to track down his missing brother. He enlists the help of the priest (Robert Curtis Brown), who turns out to be the demonic backup the bartender had been waiting for. In the final showdown, Dean is unable to stop his brother from coldly killing the demons while saving his life.

Dean finally confides in Bobby about his fears that Sam came back from the dead a different person. Ruby continues her manipulation and corruption of Sam, taunting him with promises to save Dean from his horrible fate.

What Worked

Overall, this was a strong episode that moved along the season 3 mythology, upping the ante with regards to the war. Ruby served a purpose by fixing the Colt and the end scene with her prodding Sam in the direction of the dark side was very telling of things to come.

The Winchesters shared enough brotherly time onscreen, but held their own when separated. The conversations between Dean and Casey the bartender were wonderful. Ackles gave a great performance, treating the audience to a wide range of emotions befitting a man facing his own mortality.

When the conversation veered into his seemingly inevitable demise and subsequent damnation, his slightly guarded expressions were enough to break your heart. Yet, thankfully, he’s still Dean. Sarcastic, hedonistic, heroic Dean with just a hint of sentimentalism.

Finally, we are getting a glimpse of Ruby’s endgame, but the "Supernatural" powers that be are still playing it close enough to the chest to keep us guessing about the final reveal.

She’s playing Sam, wearing him down at his weak points, and cultivating what strengths she can use to boost her own power base. All this makes for terrific drama.

Also, it was fun to see Don S. Davis on television once again. As a fan of "Stargate-SG1," I’ve missed his commanding performance as the commanding officer of our world’s greatest defense against alien incursion.

His performance in "Sin City" was just what you’d expect from Davis: sophisticated, likeable, and thoroughly fun to watch. Too bad he didn’t have more time onscreen.

The dialog was well done. I loved the quote about Dick Cheney, but more importantly it revealed the culture of the underground. Demons have faith, they fall in love, they strive for power, they fear death, and they can show mercy along with hate. This truly counterintuitive to what we have believed about them for two seasons. And it makes things very interesting.

What Didn’t Work

For one thing, I have a hard time believing Bobby would trust a demon enough to let her even touch the Colt. And get in a car with her to fight demons and save the brothers? In the words of poor, sweet, dead Richie, "Forget about it!"

I also don’t care for the new, lighter look to the show. I haven’t checked yet to see if they have a new director of photography or if the network dictated an airier feel, but it seems to detract from the dark storylines. Frankly, it’s hard to stay on the edge of your seat in suspense when the lighting looks as scary and oppressive as an episode of "Gilmore Girls."

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

"Sin City" was written by executive producer Robert Singer and Jeremy Carver and directed by Charles Beeson ("Afterlife"). "Supernatural" airs Thursday nights at 9/8c on CW.