Season 8: predictions and parallels?

I've been reading up on a few minor spoilers from random articles posted on fan pop, so if you are uncomfortable with spoilers, don't continue.

I've read so far that:
-Crowley will cause some trouble
-Broken angel will be a little less broken
-Sam will have a new love interest
-Dean will get out of purgatory almost immediately
-Dean's time in purgatory will be told in flashbacks
-There will be someone that gets in Dean's way, as he tries to hide some things from Sam about his time in purgatory
-A year has passed since the end of season 7, and Sam has spent it away from hunting in normalcy
-Dean will initially be peeved because Sam didn't look for Dean, despite him having zero leads

I'm not really complaining, and with the new leadership, I'm excited to see what Supernatural is gonna be like. But from the above that I've read about, it sounds an awful lot like the beginning of season 4. Basically put:

-Dean is separated from Sam at the finale (in a different world so to say)
-Sam tries his best to live without Dean and finds love
-Dean and Sam reunite immediately
-Dean hides his experiences from Sam
-Someone forces Dean to confront his experiences

I do hope the story lines are completely different, as I personally didn't really enjoy season 4. What are your predictions for season 8? Feel free to add any other things you've read about and your opinions.