I really liked it, but I really am still waiting for them to knock something out of the ball park.
First my dislikes, I found it a little rushed, I honestly think there was enough material here to really nail two episodes. As I felt they could have certainly gone deeper and darker in both story lines.
Two, Sam having his hell experience blocked, even if temporary. While I understand Sam would be seriously fucked up, I really kind of want to see that. To me thats the meat and potatoes. But of course I was also the poster that really wanted to see Dean deal with his hell experience (I wanted On The Head of the Pin Dean to be well every damn episode), and of course there is no way that a show on the CW (let alone on network tv) that's going to have a character be tortured week in and week out to the degree I want to see. The networks know that the audience would not hang with that at all. But it still bothers me a little.
Three: My stupid local station ( a crappy secondary HD signal) never shows any previews, so I have no idea if any aired. THis is of course a issue with every stinking episode.
Neutral: Tessa. The actress and the role just kind of bores me a little. It's not a bad performance, but it also isn't a riveting one either.
Likes: Like that Sam just walked away (apparently) from Dean last week, and wasn't abandoning him.
Likes: Bobby rigging his house. Fits the character and history of what we know of Bobby.
Likes: That the show did use a kid, and that Dean did kill her. The show on occasion tends to shy away from that. For example the producers deliberately had Lilith towards the end take a adult host to prevent the audience from seeing 9ft Sam killing a kid, even one possessed by the original demon, and they admit that they didn't go dark with the opening of the Christmas episode because it featured kids. So I liked that they went there.
Liked: That the show finally acknowledges the fact that hunters would need some form of illegal medical assistance from time to time. You can't just take everything to a local hospital, nor can you manage to patch yourself up all the time.
Loved: Death, the casting of this role is absolutely stellar. I didn't know if the actor could manage it again, but no worries at all. He nailed, every scene, hell every single line. And of course nice to see Freddy bringing someone to an altered state.
Loved: The show having Sam go after Bobby. I have often mentioned how this "Soulless" version of Sam is similar (though not the same, of course) as the Sam who withdrew into himself in Mystery Spot. But seeing how the real Sam was willing to kill Bobby to bring Dean back, just seemed great to see Soulless Sam willing to take out Bobby (who he really doesn't have a connection with) to keep his existence safe.
Loved: The progress made through this 11 episodes (even with the parts in those 11 episodes I didn't like), I haven't felt like any episode has been spinning its wheel's (see the 5 - 10 last season). I think this is actually the fastest the shows has ever started and progressed through a an arc before.
Really am looking forward to having a Sam back that actually has some emotional connection to those around him and the experiences he's going through. But the show better address in some real form the emotional damage done to Sam, otherwise these last 11 episodes will truly be one sided character wise (as they will be primarily about Dean's emotional reaction to the events that occurred.