Supernatural 11x08 Recap: "Just My Imagination"

Just My Imagination.
Tonight's episode was directed by the one and only, Richard Speight, Jr. Sam's imaginary friend from childhood, Sully, decides to show up at what seemingly is a random time, but Dean can also see him. Sully being around also allows us to see some more of Sam's childhood and why Sam needed Sully around.Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Imaginary friends (known as Zana in the world) are being killed and when Sam first sees his, he punches his straight in the face. Dean can see him, too, and he freaks out when he sees him. Dean's concerned he's not telling the truth, but Sam's pretty much on board with believing it because Sully knows things only Sam told him. Sully helped him as a kid. Sam was a lonely kid and that's why he created his imaginary friend, to keep him company while his brother and dad were gone.

Sam and Dean are playing doctors this episode to
follow up on a trauma report they got from the young girl. (Sam and Dean as doctors are dressed in sweaters. Let's just say it's a very good look for both of them). The young girl won't go back to the room because she can see the blood of her dead friend. Sully helps them to see what the girl can see and that's when they see the murdered Sparkle (her unicorn friend) who even bleeds glitter.

Something's killing these Zana and the boys are trying to figure out what it is. It's not just killing them, but brutally murdering them to the point where the children are traumatized, as any young child would be. Dean makes a toilet joke about flushing the imaginary mermaid friend after she's killed, but it's not well received, since well, she was Sully's friend.

Younger Sam thinks about running away from the hunting life, about going to school and making other friends. Sully tells him that one day he'll no longer have him, but can be whoever he wants to be. It's his life, he can do whatever he wishes with it. They were originally going to hit the road together, but then his dad changed his mind, and John decided it was okay for him to go hunting with them. Sully tried to talk him out of it, and Sam got mad, saying that he wishes he could "unmake him up." He sent him away.

When a third imaginary friend is attacked, the boyfriend of Nicki the Mermaid, he actually survives and Sully gets to him in time. He reveals that it was a girl who stabbed him and then took off in her car. Weems tells Sam that he broke Sully's heart and Sam apologizes for being a jerk kid. He thinks that Sam going off to hunt is one of his biggest failures, but Sam's a hero now that he's a hunter. He's saved the world, but Sam knows that he's screwed up and now he's let the Darkness out into the world. He tells Sully that he thinks God wants to help them fix it, but he doesn't think he can help him fix it. And then he tells him about the cage and how Sam thinks God wants him to go back.

Dean tracks down the murderer, but she gets a hold of his phone and ties him up, texting Sam to come and bring Sully along. Reese is looking for Sully because he apparently killed her sister. He ran into the street and she chased him and was then hit by a car. She's been hunting down Zana ever since she studied about them in Romania. Sully disappeared when her sister died and left Reese to deal with the pain. In order for her to feel better, Sully is going to let her kill him if it'll make her feel better. Dean helps talk her out of it, telling her that when he wasn't there for his little brother, Sully was.

Sully leaves Sam with some advice. Sometimes, heroes are scared and it's because the thing they're facing is important and "no one else is going to face it because no one else has the balls." He says goodbye to Sam and Dean and sends Sam luck. Sam wants to seriously discuss going to the cage with Dean because he can't let it go. Dean is convinced there's another way, because there always is another way.

Next Wednesday, we're getting a look inside the cage and of Lucifer and if it follows suit with other midseason finales, it will probably be intense and possibly emotional. Tonight's episode, though the concept originally seems strange, was great. We got an insight to more of Sam's childhood feelings, and more of his feelings now regarding what he's facing. I'm excited for the midseason finale. A round of applause to Richard Speight, Jr. for directing a great episode!