I love the hopefulness of this,  I certainly agree that Kripke is kind of piling on.  And Cas' line about Dean's refusal to simply obey;  "Not even your father...not even mine" is just perfection.  It's great to see Cas developing some social skills!  One of the most interesting parts of the season has been Cas' development as a character, and you've tapped into that beautifully.  And the Winchester boys, and famiy dynamics are right on.  Beautiful job!  Please, keep them coming!