Everything from the panel, the press conferences, just everything of what I've been reading I've been mostly very happy and hopeful with. How well-thought out they have the seasonal arc and the overall direction of the show, it makes me so relieved that they aren't falling into the same pattern like before. There's going to be new dynamics, they're going to be exploring character developments. It's really setting up to be new and exciting and a different, but progressive, season. Unlike before when they kept going, "we're going back to the basics with the brothers" thus redundant and boring, this sounds more like, we're headed into the next chapter of the story and that? That I really like.

As for Castiel, initially there wasn't much information because they've been keeping everything kind of hush-hush, but little things have been revealed here and there, and all can potentially lead to be an awesome arc. I don't mind him appearing in the flashbacks at first, just as long as we get him (and the angels) arc somewhere in the season and let that awesomeness happen.

I predict by mid-season we'll be seeing more of that.

Just, yeah. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, considering we've been burned by this show before, however I am confident that the show is in good hands just basing off of what was said by Carver and Edlund alone. They really know their shit, they know about the structure of storytelling which hasn't happened in a while, so I am anxious to see how this all plays out.