Sorry, but the whole "brotherly conflict" crap has made this series grow so stale over the last several seasons that no amount of mosters or plot twists can make this show interesting anymore.  Series based on characters keeping secrets from each other in order to drive conflict are lazy and uninspired.  In five episodes, the show will shift from Dean being mad at Sam for quitting to Sam being mad at Dean for helping a monster and then it will reverse again and so on.  No episode of this show deserves more than a D rating unless they get rid of this tiresome soap-opera storytelling device.

 "And speaking of God…Ummm…did they ever resolve the issue from a couple of seasons back where God basically checked out and Castiel became..temporarily…the new God? So what, are we not going to have that little plot thread addressed?"

Umm... that was done in the opening episode from last season.  Try to keep up.

The whole "brotherly conflict" shtick is getting old, TheFuzzyDan, and I suspect, that the trajectory of that will be something along the lines of what you predict. However, I think there's enough else in the show to keep it watchable (Crowley is always entertaining, for example).  

"Well, the contrived, Deus Ex Machina plot device of Dean’s escape from Purgatory aside..."

I wouldn't call it a Deus Ex Machina, especially since they've literally had God intervene to save the boys previously in the show.  This?  This didn't involve the deus and actually make sense in the world of Supernatural.  

this is the only good show on the cw if you ask me i don't even know what else is on that channel besides arrow.

Uhhh...No actually it WASN'T resolved in the first episode of season 7...CAstiel becomes God after consuming all the souls in Purgatory including the Leviathans.  However the Leviathans are too powerful for him to control.  The Leviathans eventually gain control of Castiel before they bleed off into a lake.  Castiel isn't even seen again until ending up in a mental hospital in episode 17 of season 7 and God is not mentioned  again until Kevin Tran is brought in as the new Prohphet near the end of the season.   

Yeah - Castiel's "Godness" was addressed, but not the absence of God. 

I have to say, I'm a bit frustrated with the consistent "cliffhanger sending one of them to Hell/Purgatory/Iowa" followed by an unearned escape. I'd actually like to see one of these cliffhangers end in a couple of eps where the one on earth has to find a way to bring them back, maybe with a parallel survival story in the dark realm.

Or better yet, how about NOT ending with a cliffhanger every time. It worked OK for 24, most seasons of Dexter, etc. Hell - that in itself would be a surprise ending.

Supernatural is one of the better series on television. I hope that Kripke and McG  have enough respect for the fans to give  the series a proper ending rather then needlessly dragging it out for another season just to satisfy the network and garnish more ratings. it is a well written series, with great characters, and well-written stories. I t should go out while on top of it's game.

Supernatural should end with Sam and Dean finally banishing all demons and monsters on earth back to hell and maybe finally getting a face-to-face with God. That would be the big red bow that wraps up the whole series.