Matt, I really loved S1, simply because of the nuts-and-bolts approach to "saving people, hunting things, the family business." The hunt for YED was exciting, but I wasn't as enthusiastic about global good vs. Evol war. Honestly, I think the best stories are the intimate ones, with our intrepid heroes interacting with one person, one family, one problem at a time.
The CW okayed a huge budget for the Great War Against the Demons, but then yanked it back after the first or second episode. They saw the strike coming and decided to save every penny they could. They've also reduced the budget for S4 to less than they allowed for S3, after the cut. And I think that's probably a good idea. I don't really want to see a Lucas version of CGI demons clouding the earth's atmosphere in aerial dogfights with Sam's mental powers, or whatever.
It's back to human scale, and I think that's where their forte lies. I do want to take up a collection for the music, though. During my S1 rewatch I was made re-aware of the great music in every ep. We had none in S3. Music rights are the first things cut in a tight budget, and then you start reducing cast and staff. Money was one reason, even more than fan opinion, that Lauren Cohan's character was written out. I don't want to lose our recurring characters--please pay Jim Beaver--and I'd love it if Victor, Ash and Andy got a chance to come back on the side of good, somehow. I'd love to see Ellen, and even Jo, again. But I really really miss the music. It's part of the show's mystique. Mythique? Legend.