S11.E08: Just My Imagination

[Tara Ariano]

Sam is shocked when his imaginary childhood friend, Sully, makes an unexpected appearance. Sam tries to understand why he is seeing Sully now. Even more surprising, Dean can see him too. Flashbacks reveal young Sam's friendship with Sully and why he needed him.

[SueB]

http://imgur.com/gallery/lhjhbB9

[catrox14]

Giving you an assist here, Sue B

 

[SueB]

Thanks. I could figure out how to do that on my iPhone. Assist greatly appreciated.

[bethy]

The premise of this one looks so good to me - potentially both funny and touching. I hope not to be disappointed.

[Mick Lady]

Hey catrox! It's early, but it's Wed. somewhere!

 

Besides, I need you! catrox in three, two, one...

[catrox14]

 

 

[Mick Lady]

Ahhh, all's right with the world!

[Demented Daisy]

So many It references.  The kids seeing things, the adult smeared with blood she couldn't see, the "monster" killing through the hanging laundry....  

 

Anyway, given the heavy promoting they did for this one, it was kind of underwhelming.  Not nearly as funny as I expected it to be.  Not even close.  Likewise, I have no idea why it was supposed to change Sam and Dean's lives forever, or whatever the FB and Twitter pages were saying.

 

It was cute to see Dylan Everett again.  That's about the best thing I can say about the episode.  Sorry, RSJ.

[Jediknight]

You could tell Richard Speight directed this episode.  This episode had a very Trickster feel to it.

 

I liked it, not too much angst.  I was kind of expecting Dean to have an imaginary friend that showed up.

[SueB]

Well that was adorable IMO.

 

First thoughts:

- The scene in the bedroom!  Kudos to the actress for wiping Sparkle blood all over her face.  And the look on Dean and Sully's faces were priceless.  I wasn't sure who was at greatest risk for hurling, Sully the softie or Dean the germophobe.

- Outstanding 1 liners: "I'm going to get my gun." "Sesame Street Mother Theresas".

- I REALLY like Sully.  He was so GOOD to Sam.  Then and now.  I figured he'd be the one to talk Sam into the cage.  But if there was ANYONE to trust, I'd think it was the guy who was Team Sam all the way.  Dean is Team Sam but Dean can't handle losing Sam.  Sully is Team Sam in a different way.  

- The Air Guitar guy was awesome.  I wonder who played the riff for real?

- I hope the Winchesters keep up their ability to see the ...whatevertheywere's...

- Speaking of which, I get that they are a bunch of sweet dudes but they should probably have some laws or guidelines.  Sully leaving the little girl needed to be handled better.  Maybe he put those in place after his failure.

- Dean was so DONE the entire episode.  No wonder Jensen said it was fun. Buying Ariel.  Hee.

 

Yes, I'm excited for next week.  Catrox.. I'm pretty sure that was a flashback.  And Dean was kinda confused at the start.  Just sayin'.  Maybe he didn't remember making out with her.

[Demented Daisy]

Oops, I forgot.  We got a brief flash of leg and an extended shot of Dean's ankles.  I'm sure that got some pulses racing.  ;-)

[SueB]

Oops, I forgot.  We got a brief flash of leg and an extended shot of Dean's ankles.  I'm sure that got some pulses racing.  ;-)

Dang it, I missed that..... must go rewatch....

[Frost]

I enjoyed it, but I couldn't help but wonder how a child is selected to get a real imaginary friend. Why Sam and not Dean, for example?

I didn't buy John leaving a 9 year old Sam alone in a motel for days.

[catrox14]

Hoo boy.....I really disliked this episode even though the directing was good. So much WTF for me here.

 

Sam needed his imaginary friend to make a decision that we all knew he was going to make anyway? mmmkay

 

Does Sam really have so little self-worth now that he also needed his imaginary friend to remind him of how awesome he is and that he saved the world?  And he can do it again if he needs to? I mean why? Because Dean is balking at Sam going back to the Cage because holy shit it worked out so well the last time for Sam?  WTF?

 

Dean and John left Sam behind in hotel rooms BY HIMSELF? Mmmmkay..../side eyeing that one

 

Sorry but the new young!Sam was not good and he didn't seem like Sam at all to me.

 

It was nice seeing Dylan Everett again...but seriously the hair and the make up on his eyebrows. WTF?

 

I'll rant about the preview in the spoiler thread but gotdammit, I'm pissed.

 

I did cheer at  Dean's bare leg sneaking out of the dead guy robe.

 

Other than that? Didn't like it at all.

Edited December 3, 2015 by catrox14

[2Old2BAFangirl]

It was okay. I thought it would be funnier and I didn't know it was going to be such an all Sam episode.

Sully was awesome and I liked that the imaginary friends were sent to help kids who needed a boost.

But why are they revisiting the "you can choose your own path, Sam" and the running away things again? Didn't they finally get that issue settled already?

I'm not really looking forward to Sam having to go back to the cage. I liked Mark Pellegrino a lot but IMO, the Lucifer story has been done. I am interested in who is sending the visions to Sam though so I guess we'll see.

I missed Dean in this episode.

[SueB]

But why are they revisiting the "you can choose your own path, Sam" and the running away things again? Didn't they finally get that issue settled already?

 

I think they were not revisiting it so much as having Sully acknowledge that Sam is no longer running away. And the no longer running away theme plays into facing his fear of going back into the cage. Sam's not the guy to run away anymore and when it was suggested, it cemented that out loud IMO.  

[redfish]

I thought it was sweet in a perverse kind of way. The entities in this episode don't have an dark motive for a change, they just love the kids they're with. Also kind of sad that Sam needed the advice of his imaginary friend to make a decision with Lucifer/the Cage situation.

 

Funny how they've become really accustomed to living in the bunker now ex. Sam wandering in to make coffee and Dean in his bathrobe. . .okay.

 

They should have at least cleaned up the blood/body in that girl's room. Even if only they can see it at least give the kid peace of mind.

[bethy]

Best part? Sam's haircut!

I actually thought little Sam wasn't too bad. But yeah. Leaving a 9 year old by himself in a motel? Yikes. Then have him get on a bus for another town? Double yikes.

I liked Sully and thought the reactions of both boys to him, especially at first were great.

Not blown away, but I liked it fine.

[SueB]

Didn't John leave an ~ 9 year old Dean to watch 5 yr old Sam for a few days (S1 flashback)?? In that episode Dean said it was 16-17 years ago and Dean was 26-27 during S1.  I think that's kinda worse than leaving a 9 year old by himself.  At least all Sam had to do was stay out of trouble.  

Edited December 3, 2015 by SueB

[2Old2BAFangirl]

I think they were not revisiting it so much as having Sully acknowledge that Sam is no longer running away. And the no longer running away theme plays into facing his fear of going back into the cage. Sam's not the guy to run away anymore and when it was suggested, it cemented that out loud IMO.

Ok, I like that explanation. Thanks Sue B!

[Frost]

I wonder if 'manicorn' was supposed to sound like manticore or if it was just a coincidence? I did a double take.

[Goldmoon]

That was very awful. Missed dean tonight. Enjoyed his knee though.

[Triskan]

Wow, I loved it ! 

 

I mostly laughed my ass off, especially during the first half of the episode. And I definitly shed some tears during the ending ! 

 

As cases of the week go, I couldnt expect more ! 

 

Introduction of a new creature (adding to an already imense mythology) in a very clever way.

Emotional punches of secondary characters delivered perfectly without needing an over the top exposition (that twin story - and acting !) brought me to tears !).

Some real insight into the mind state of one brother in preparation for a big event (guys, next week's gonna be totally awesome !).

And damn, there were some hilarious stuff in it ! I'll definitly have to rewatch ! 

 

Loved it ! 

 

EDIT : actually a lot of my hilarity comes from meta-"private" jokes. The formule is so predictable ! But it works ! I mean, you can tell exactly the structure and the main narrative beats in advance, but bloody hell, it works and I laugh every time I see something coming up ahead ! 

 

Of course, there were some awesome brothers reactions as well and wtf jokes (that riff !) that totally worked on me ! So all in all, on many different levels it was a very good episode for me ! 

Edited December 3, 2015 by Triskan

[catrox14]

 

Didn't John leave an ~ 9 year old Dean to watch 5 yr old Sam for a few days (S1 flashback)??  I think that's kinda worse than leaving a 9 year old by himself.  At least all Sam had to do was stay out of trouble.

 

I think the difference is that 9 year old Dean had been taking care of 5 year old Sam for a couple of years already. And since he messed that one up he pretty much vowed to never let Sammy out of his sight again. 

 

So that was on John making the decision to leave Sam alone without Dean  and 13 or 14 year old Dean apparently had no say in that. 

 

All my side-eyes on that.

 

6 minutes ago

I wonder if 'manicorn' was supposed to sound like manticore or if it was just a coincidence? I did a double take.

 

That's my head!canon!

[catrox14]

ETA: I totally called there being a Bert and Ernie reference :) Heee....

[Ferniesfreckles]

I liked this episode. It was morbid and hysterical at the same time.

Sparkles was all sorts of fantastic! I wish my imagination would have been that creative.

Loved the boys in their sweaters! So, so cute.

I loved Sully. So caring and supportive.

Lots of one-liners. I have to go back and see this again to get them all.

I thought the air guitar might have been Eddie Van Halen.

[mustbekarma]

So my brother's imaginary friend Cackle was real. I would have loved to punch Cackle in the nose for pouring baby powder on every item of clothing in my closet.

 

I so wanted the girl at the end to get ganked. Seriously, in order to prevent children from being traumatized for life she left the bloody corpse of Sparkle for the little girl to find. That wasn't going to traumatize her one bit. I guess it's a good thing Sully was more forgiving than me.

[AwesomO4000]

So that was on John making the decision to leave Sam alone without Dean  and 13 or 14 year old Dean apparently had no say in that.

 

I'm thinking that it was entirely John's decision, and Dean was expected to go along with it, but I'm pretty much betting it was Dean who worked on John and got him to change his mind  for that scene at the end of the episode, getting John to let Sam join them on the hunt.

 

I liked this episode. 12 year old me was very amused and giggled quite a few times. Also poor Dean... he keeps trying to name things, but after the Jefferson Starship incident, no one will give him a second chance.

 

- The scene in the bedroom!  Kudos to the actress for wiping Sparkle blood all over her face.  And the look on Dean and Sully's faces were priceless.  I wasn't sure who was at greatest risk for hurling, Sully the softie or Dean the germophobe.

 

I found that whole scene way more amusing than I likely should have. And as you said, the actress just went for it all out.

 

And I too, liked Sully... he sort of reminded me of the Cupid from season 5 in his innocence and just wanting to help.

 

I'm off to watch this one again.

 

Edited to add:

I thought the air guitar might have been Eddie Van Halen.

 

That's what my hubby said, too, and he's usually pretty good at recognizing that kind of stuff.

Edited December 3, 2015 by AwesomO4000

[catrox14]

Oh.. can someone explain how the killer imaginary friend got the drop on the BEST HUNTER in the world?

[catrox14]

Dean's leg porn

 

[catrox14]

Well this is one of the saddest things I've ever read about Dean :( ...from Tumblr

 

casthewise

Fifty bucks says Dean didn’t have an imaginary friend because wasn’t a kid long enough.

 

[placate]

Oh.. can someone explain how the killer imaginary friend got the drop on the BEST HUNTER in the world?

Probably the same way she knew that Sam and Dean were brothers and knew exactly what number to text.  It wasn't too bad of an episode, but I think hugging it out was a really lame ending.

[Primetimer]

What seems like an excuse for Dean to snark it up is actually sweet and sorta sad

Read the story

[Omegamom]

Awwww.

Okay, yeah, the boys or the zannas should have cleaned up the bloodbath in the kid's room. Bad Show! Coulda just stuck a one-liner in there having Sully, the desk man, assigning some other zanna to clean up. Fifteen seconds, max.

All the imaginary friends were cute. I like having some supernatural critters in the show that are good. If occasionally foolish.

I liked Dean going all ninja pose in his bathrobe. ;-)

It looked like all the flashbacks were of one particular time. I'd have appreciated more, scattered through a year of wee!Sam's life, so the bond seems more deep.

Gotta google zannas. What an excellent culture, to have explained away imaginary friends that way!

Hugging it out ain't gonna do it for Reese. She needs some serious therapy. Losing both your imaginary friend and your twin?!? When most twins have a very intense bond? Holy moly.

No Gabriel. That's okay. I'd have liked it, but I'll just wait.

Dean had some awesome one-liners. And great reactions. And I like that he came around to Sully in the end.

I will say that even as a bi-brother girl, the "no-one else has the balls" thing, and the heavy implication that only Sam can do it bugged me. Any Dean!girl watching this episode is going to come away from it bitter and angry.

My only beef: they released the gag footage of the scene at the end before the airing. Bad, bad, bad: I had that gag reel in the front of my brain the whole scene, which took me out of it.

Dean is very consistent about the not-listening thing in terms of Sam going back to the Cage, and I get it. He's afraid of Sam being stuck there, or sucked back into Cage-induced insanity. His "must protect Sammy at all costs" instincts should go into overdrive about the Cage, cuz it's seriously, seriously bad mojo for Sam.

All in all, I loved it. Not howling-out-loud funny, but definitely some gut laughs and a lotta sweetness.

[catrox14]

In the scene with Young!Dean on the phone it struck me that Dylan Everett's face was much fuller than when he played Dean in s10 and I noticed the car had a license plate that was neither the KYZ nor the Ohio plate...and I was like RURRHHHH?  Wait maybe this is not real? So to the SuperWiki I went. According to SuperWiki, the license plate on the car in the flashback was on the car in the Bad Boys episode when Dean was sent to the boys home.*** I'm thinking maybe that was a deleted scene from Bad Boys they used here?

 

So that leads me to a bit of a fanwank that Sam being left along in this episode happened when Dean was in the boys home. He was there for what two months? 

 

Maybe the phone call was before John left Dean at the police station and Dean called Sam saying that John didn't think Sam was old enough or ready to hunt yet because Dean didn't want Sam to know about the boys home because he was embarrassed and he wanted Sam to stay a kid for as long as he could? John and Dean both lied that Dean got lost on a hunt.  So maybe Dean got wind of Sam being left alone after a couple of days so Dean compelled John to get Sam on a bus to be with John before John sent him to Bobby's?

 

I realize the kid in Bad Boys looked a lot younger than 9 but I always thought that was just a huge mistake even then because Dean was supposed to be 14 when Glass wrote it but they changed it to 16 in post production. And Sam in Bad Boys looked like he was only like 6 or 7.  So if we fanwank Dean was really say 14 or 15 in Bad Boys...9 year old Sam kind of works? 

 

Just a ponderance. Too out there?

 

***ETA: I misread the SuperWiki...the plates are from the After School Special episode....which was set in 1997..Hmmmm. Does that mean the Impala had those plates from before Dean was 17 or 18 in After School Special.  I'm still thinking this could be when Dean was in the boys home.

Edited December 3, 2015 by catrox14

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Okay, yeah, the boys or the zannas should have cleaned up the bloodbath in the kid's room. Bad Show! Coulda just stuck a one-liner in there having Sully, the desk man, assigning some other zanna to clean up. Fifteen seconds, max.

And don't forget the bloody swimming pool.

[Morrigan2575]

I really liked this episode. It was more dramatic/emotional then the promos let on. I thought this was going to be a straight up humor episode.

I loved the interaction between Sam and Sully. It was very sweet and I thought it helped Sam's character growth.

Loved the end scene with Dean talking to crazy girl who lost her twin. Both Dean's and Sully's speeches were fantastic.

[AuntTora]

just as making a tremendous self-sacrifice by entering the cage again is one that he is committing to a little more every week.

 

 

I'm completely unspoiled, so maybe I'm way off here -- but it would kind of surprise me if they went down the exact same road again, Sam jumps in the cage to Save The World. It seems like they've got the Adam complication now, plus the Darkness, and Death... I'm honestly kind of wondering if ultimately DEAN doesn't hop in there to stop Sam from doing it. Or Castiel?. But whatever happens, I hope it isn't just lather-rinse-repeat. And I'd be surprised if it is.

 

Anyway about this ep, I kind of fell asleep toward the end, but that's on me for siting in the comfy chair. I found it very meh, but it was nice to see some benevolent supernatural creatures, and Sam and Dean being completely accepting from pretty much the outset. Live and let live, benevolent supernatural creatures! But thinking back on it later, um, Sam never mentioned this guy to his dad or Dean? I mean, it seems like Sparkle and the little girl sort of had an understanding that, oh -- wacky parents not seeing me! But young Sam would surely have a different mindset.

[catrox14]

 

But thinking back on it later, um, Sam never mentioned this guy to his dad or Dean?

 

Dean said something like 'your dumbass imaginary friend" when we meet Sully in the opening sequence so I think Dean knew of him as just a normal imaginary friend not a corporeal entity of some type.

[TnTexas]

Hugging it out ain't gonna do it for Reese. She needs some serious therapy. Losing both your imaginary friend and your twin?!? When most twins have a very intense bond? Holy moly.

 

 

I remember her saying something to Sully along the lines of "try explaining that your sister died because of the invisible man". So I think the girl did probably go through therapy at the time of her twin's death, which was probably part of her problem. Because of Sully's involvement, the therapy only served to make her more angry and bitter about the situation.

Edited December 3, 2015 by TnTexas

[Omegamom]

I remember her saying something to Sully along the lines of "try explaining that your sister died because of the invisible man". So I think the girl did probably go through therapy at the time of her twin's death, which was probably part of her problem. Because of Sully's involvement, the therapy only served to make her more angry and bitter about the situation.

Well, the previous counseling obviously didn't work. ;-)

I mean, now she has two zanna deaths on her conscience. Sully is a good supernatural critter, but not an adolescent psychologist. He may, however, help her be ready to participate in counseling, instead of struggling against it.

[lulee]

I remember her saying something to Sully along the lines of "try explaining that your sister died because of the invisible man". So I think the girl did probably go through therapy at the time of her twin's death, which was probably part of her problem. Because of Sully's involvement, the therapy only served to make her more angry and bitter about the situation.

I think she said she'd told it to 10 therapists. So she needs help and possibly prison, but there were a bunch of therapy attempts.

[Demented Daisy]

In the scene with Young!Dean on the phone it struck me that Dylan Everett's face was much fuller than when he played Dean in s10 and I noticed the car had a license plate that was neither the KYZ nor the Ohio plate...and I was like RURRHHHH?  Wait maybe this is not real? So to the SuperWiki I went. According to SuperWiki, the license plate on the car in the flashback was on the car in the Bad Boys episode when Dean was sent to the boys home.*** I'm thinking maybe that was a deleted scene from Bad Boys they used here?

 

RSJ tweeted that the scene with Dylan Everett was the first they filmed for the episode. 

[catrox14]

Ahhh ...well thanks. So much for that.

[DittyDotDot]

So, is it just a coinkydink all these imaginary friends are helping kids in the same town?

 

I think it's me who needs all the shrinks after watching that. I don't know, I want to like it, but I just..well...don't. Felt like an after school special--a bloody after school special--too talky and too obvious for my taste. Beyond that, the guy who played Sully was pretty good. ::shrugs::

 

Save me a seat on the don't-buy-John-and-Dean-going-off-to-hunt-and-leaving-Sam-alone wagon. And since when didn't Sam go to school? And, should I continue to find it so amusing that every thing seems to know about the Darkness except when they don't know anything at all about it?

 

Sigh.

[catrox14]

Uh...so I just saw this question on Tumblr and it didn't even occur to me.

 

How the hell did Sully get into the bunker?? Like did he just materialize because he isn't an angel or demon? Where did he know to find Sam?  Isn't the bunker warded against monsters? 

[SueB]

Uh...so I just saw this question on Tumblr and it didn't even occur to me.

 

How the hell did Sully get into the bunker?? Like did he just materialize because he isn't an angel or demon? Where did he know to find Sam?  Isn't the bunker warded against monsters? 

 

Good question.

 

I'm going to go with the notion that 1) Zanna are perhaps not capable of evil or 2) the Men of Letters didn't think they existed so they didn't create a  defense combined with 3) Sully has a permanent connection to Sam and can find him anywhere when Sully goes to look.

 

They aren't very powerful either so perhaps they have to have a certain potency to trip the MOL "alarms"?  

 

YES, I'm making shit up.  But I kinda like the idea that the reason Sully could get around the MOL's defenses is that the MOLs were too stuffy to believe in them in the first place.  It would sort of be ... right.  

Edited December 4, 2015 by SueB

[Wynne88]

But thinking back on it later, um, Sam never mentioned this guy to his dad or Dean?

 

Dean definitely knew.  When YoungSam angrily told him over the phone that he (Dean) had been hunting when he was younger than Sam, Dean responded by saying 'Yeah, but I didn't have an imaginary friend.'  That said, isn't 9 years old pretty old for the imaginary friend business?  I thought that was more common around 5 or 6.

 

It bothered me the way YoungSam kicked Sully to the curb.  The implication had been that he relied on Sullly for companionship and some ego boosting, and there certainly seemed to be a friendship between them.  Even with him knowing Sully wasn't real, he couldn't have just said thanks for everything, so long?  (I mean if he's going to talk to an imaginary person at all, why be hateful?)  I didn't like YoungSam much at that moment, and I don't know if it was that characterization or the actor that was playing YoungSam, but I didn't feel there was any similarity between him and previous versions.

 

I didn't have a problem with the idea that John would have taken Dean hunting and left Sam alone at a motel.  I did have an issue with the idea of Sam being told to catch a bus to Milwaukee by himself.  At least in a motel room, he could lock the doors.  At nine, I wouldn't have let my kids catch a public bus to go downtown by themselves.  Also, would a bus station actually sell a ticket to a kid that young?  I'd be thinking 'runaway' myself.

 

Jensen did an awesome job with the comedy, both with his expressions and his delivery of some great lines.  Loved when he asked about flushing the mermaid.  Also loved Sully saying 'She's got Sparkle on her face," in such a horror-stricken tone.

 

Overall, I enjoyed it, although I confess to fast forwarding some thru the YoungSam/Sully flashbacks on rewatch.

[Mick Lady]

Just got here, busy days. Time with my little sister (Hayward got me into it. Good program, great kids!)

 

But now I wish I had an imaginary friend growing up! I feel cheated!

Edited December 4, 2015 by Mick Lady