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The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the "Fresh Blood" episode of the CW series "Supernatural."

We join the Winchester brothers already in a hunt for a vampire, who has left a sloppy trail of bodies in her wake. Dean (Jensen Ackles) decides to “chum the waters” with his own blood to flush her out, then poisons the vampire with a syringe full of dead man’s blood.

Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean interrogate the blonde vamp (Mercedes McNab). Turns out, her name is Lucy and she has no idea she is a vampire. Much less that vampires are even real. She thinks she’s on a high and can’t come down.

After dealing with her, the Winchester brothers decide to hunt down the man responsible for turning her. Unfortunately, their chase is cut short by Gordon (Sterling K. Brown) and his religiously fanatic partner. Dean recklessly draws their fire so his little brother can get to safety and Gordon is taken prisoner by the vampire.

Dean realizes Bela (Lauren Cohan) turned them in to Sam’s mortal enemy and threatens to kill her. She tries to make it up to him by telling him Gordon’s whereabouts (via her “ouija board”). Unfortunately, it’s too late. Gordon has already been turned into a vampire and is out for blood; Sam’s.

Now that he’s supercharged, he’s determined to kill Sam, who he believes is the anti-Christ. After a final showdown - and a couple more innocent victims - Sam finally kills his arch-nemesis and saves his brother.

What Worked

It was great to see Gordon again, and even more interesting to see him become the very thing he has spent a lifetime hunting. Recurring characters - especially recurring villains - add depth to the mythology.

And it was fun to see McNab return to the small screen as a vampire. Hmm ... seems strangely familiar somehow.

Also, it was about time the brothers addressed the gravity of Dean’s situation and how he has chosen to handle it. The ending was heart wrenching, as Dean started teaching his little brother how to fix the Impala: something he’s going to need to know when his big brother isn’t around. And was that classic rock I heard?

The gore factor has definitely been a plus this season, and seeing the world through the eyes of a vampire was especially enlightening. Who knew street lights were so obnoxiously bright?

What Didn’t Work

Again, what’s with the lighting? With the added gore this season, the show should seem darker. Instead, it’s like “Supernatural Lite.” Just imagine how wonderfully creepy the hour would be if they had kept the same look from the first two seasons.

Another problem is Bela. While the actress seems to be quite talented, her character feels forced into each episode. And what was the “mojo bag” she got off of Gordon? It really peaked her interest, but disappeared into obscurity after the teaser. It seems odd because the writing is usually much tighter than that.

It’s also a shame that Gordon and his protégé died. It would have been interesting to explore their characters more throughout the season.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

“Fresh Blood” was written by Sera Gamble (“Eyes”) and directed by executive producer Kim Manners.

“Supernatural” airs on Thursday nights at 9/8c on the CW.

Marx Pyle contributed to this review.