Yes, yes, yes to everything you said. Including the unfortunate undertones.
I really want to focus on #5 though, because in general *that* is what was missing in most of S3 and the reason I hated the season. I understand that there are hunters out there that can be as good as they are, but their bumbling incompetence last Season to make others look more competent was so much WTF, I prefer to think of S3 as not existing (except for a couple of episodes). But S4 we are back to canon competence and, as you mentioned, it was great to actually see Sam step-up and take control on his own.
I think I laughed myself sick when the cat had Dean screaming and then the spirit had him running away :-)
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I really want to focus on #5 though, because in general *that* is what was missing in most of S3 and the reason I hated the season. I understand that there are hunters out there that can be as good as they are, but their bumbling incompetence last Season to make others look more competent was so much WTF, I prefer to think of S3 as not existing (except for a couple of episodes). But S4 we are back to canon competence and, as you mentioned, it was great to actually see Sam step-up and take control on his own.
I think I laughed myself sick when the cat had Dean screaming and then the spirit had him running away :-)