Futon Critic posted the CW's new midseason schedule and gave us this information:

Furthermore, "Reaper" will return to the schedule on Tuesday, January 15 at 8:00/7:00c before sliding to Thursdays at 9:00/8:00c on February 28. ("Supernatural" will have completed airing its first-run episodes by said date.)

So - ep 10 - Jan. 31st, ep 11 Feb 7 and ep 12 Feb 14?

That must be it, sumi.

That just gives me nineteen kinds of willies. I like Reaper, sure, but LEAVE MY SPN ALONE, KTHX.

I've always felt that Reaper is the show the CW wanted Supernatural to be. They really don't want SPN, or the demographic of fans who watch the show no matter how loyal they are. CW wants basically T&A and sophomoric humor, or cheap reality. Their bottom line doesn't really respond to anything else. They would decline if offered Shakespeare or Playhouse 90.

It's painful, but it's the truth as I've been observing it since the changeover from WB to CW. I would like to think that TPTB have seen the wisdom of putting their "runaway hit" opposite the big guns on other networks at 9:00 on Thursday. But I don't think that's it. I think they're cutting SPN loose, and good riddance, from their point of view. I'm more than willing to be proven wrong, however, and I fervently hope I am.

Edited to remove incorrect info. Apologies to any who saw it and went woohoo. I really should learn to read.

I think they're cutting SPN loose, and good riddance, from their point of view.

::cries and cries and cries::

Well, if Reaper is upagainst Lost and whatever CBS has to throw against it - it's going to fail. It's just not that good.

Last I heard Kripke was feeling fairly optimistic about getting a 4th season.

Yeah, Thursday at 9 is just a death slot for the CW. Nothing is going to win there. The best you can hope for is a faithful and little bit obsessive following. But I can't see a network being content with that scenario, so...

I really hope we get a fourth season. Especially as a full third season feels pretty impossible and they've got a lot of that story to tell still. And because, for all of its significant faults, I love this show.

TV Guide confirms that the next new SPN episode is on the 31st:

But don't fret, Supernatural fans — a CW rep assures me the series will be back Jan. 31, as planned, to air three or four new episodes in a row.

Thanks, sumi!

And four will run them out of filmed eps, yes? (I kinda vaguely recall that they had up to 3-12 written before the strike.)

Man, I miss my show. Come back, Winchesters.

Am I a heartless person if I think that Dean with a pirate's headband looks really silly?

Sam looks great, actually, but even though the drawing of Dean is very good, it just makes me giggle.

Drawing's very good. Scoundrel!Sam is workin' that ponytail.

Headband? Very silly.