I'm somewhat concerned about how they will have Castiel involved in the Season 6 monster-of-the-week stories yet avoid him becoming a deus ex machina

That's my problem too. I don't dislike Castiel. I find him intriguing, but not as a constant presence. And having him around on a regular basis would lessen the badassness of the Winchesters, due to Castiel's ability to transport and explode things and all his other magical/mytical abilities. Really, if he's hanging around with all his superhuman capabilities, what's the point in our guys slogging their way through the case of the week? Castiel can just snap his fingers and fix the problem.

I thought they did a nice job of tying things up with Castiel in Swan Song

I thought they did a crap job! And I'm not just saying that because I slash them. I thought him vanishing and Dean's general lack of reaction really didn't look like it was playing out the depth of emotion they'd shown a few episodes earlier.

They could have wrapped it up in that ep with a few well chosen lines, but it's really the part of it I'm most dissatisfied with.

I can only guess he won't be allowed to be with them much because he's too busy fixing shit in heaven, and maybe he randomly saves them and sometimes randomly messes things up more or randomly gives them quests to go on that angels can't do. That sort of involvement.

I vaguely remember Jim Beaver posting something about not wanting to be a series regular last year because he didn't want to be away from his daughter that much. I'm not sure if I'm conflating my stories though as I know he has turned down some cons for that reason.

How old is his daughter? Not that old, right? Man, I feel bad for Colin, leaving his shit behind. I can't even imagine what it's like for a single parent.

I'm not sure, I think maybe 8 or 9. I know she has a nanny and "siblings" from that family that he's talked about. So I think she has a pretty stable home life when he's gone. I'm sure it helps to have a larger family to be part of when he's gone.

Ugh. My father travelled a lot, but at least we were left at home with my mother when he was gone. Also, I was a heartless bitch, so that helped.

She is about nine, I think.

Jim's daughter is also somewhere on the autism spectrum.

I adore Jim and his Bobby (possibly my favorite SPN character), but I think he's best used as an accent, not the main flavor.

I think Jim also appreciates the opportunity to do lots of other things. At least, if his tweets are anything to go by.

God, I miss Deadwood. He's fabulous as Bobby, too, but he was so. excellently. good. in that show. Which I miss like hell.

Count Chocula...

Narratively speaking, I think Bobby should have died this season past. I don't want him dead. I'm glad he's not dead, but I think he should have died. That would have made story-sense to me on a number of levels.