So I finally got a moment to watch the premiere last night and
I can't really say I didn't like it, because I was quite invested in Dean's side of things and looking forward to all the reunions, and I think Jensen did an excellent job. I quite liked the whole montage in the beginning, I was sorry to see the next door neighbour go already ("Possums... kill"), and I feel a lot of sympathy for Lisa (and by extension Ben, though he didn't have much to do).
Dean did say that he went to Lisa to live the family life because he promised Sam, but despite the reason why he went there, I thought it was clear, especially in the moment when he was looking at the family photo's that completely involved him, that he truly loves them now. As I've said before, if the show does get rid of them, I hope it's not going to be in an easy way. Or, since the show went there, I really want them to work with it, stretch their writing muscles and actually make it work. Give it a storyline, try something new.
The episode really bothered me in that I couldn't connect to Sam at all. He acted so laid back and dismissive and cold to Dean (that little condescending smirk when Dean hugs him...). He basically tells Dean that he decided for him that he should get out of hunting (so he didn't tell that he was back, leaving Dean in agony for a year thinking Sam was being tortured in hell), and then completely expected Dean to join him again and abandon his new family because Sam's back now.
Both Sam and Bobby were complete hypocrites about the matter. When Dean was in hell Sam tried to sell his soul, lived only for revenge, boinked a demon and drank her blood, and broke his promise not to use his powers. Bobby became an alcoholic. Both of them were in misery and didn't care about their lives at all anymore. Why would they expect that Dean would just put all that behind him and be happy with his apple pie life? It's a double standard that Dean is always weighed down with on this show and nobody ever acknowledges it and I doubt the writers even get that they're doing it. It really bugs me.
I don't have much to say about the Campbells, except that I don't give a fig about them and if they had to bring a Campbell back, I would've preferred Mary. But then again, who knows what they might have done to her... Big chance that Grandpa is evil after all.
Djinn - so lame here after the glorious What is and What Never Should Be.
Anyhoo, I'll see how next week goes. I might be ranting about it, but I wouldn't do that unless I cared. I still have hopes that this season will make up for last year's.