Yes, I agree that framing the ep with the war in Heaven storyline was smart, and really interesting to watch. While it was a gimmick I didn't agree with, it did allow for a fair fight between Sam and Dean and an angel. That fist fight? It was great. And you could just see the satisfaction rolling off Sam and Dean.

I usually stay far away from spoilers, but this one was stuck in that TV Guide article a few months ago and it has been gnawing at me ever since. I'm not sure if I would have liked it better if I was struck unawares, though. Maybe it would, but maybe I needed that time to really build up how much it was going to suck in my head, so now that it really isn't that bad it is far more of a pleasant surprise.