Imaginary friends and very real emotions.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Supernatural’s mythology has expanded over the last 11 seasons. We started with ghosts and demons, and then at some point dragons and fairies came into the lore, and now? We can add imaginary friends to the list. On the surface, “Just My Imagination” sounded goofy. It’s a concept that could go wildly wrong, but it soared. What could have easily fallen into caricature territory was instead a mix of humor and heart with a side of glittery blood. Oh man, I bet effects had fun making the unicorn blood.
Gore and blood are as much a part of Supernatural as the Winchesters, but there was something especially macabre about the brutal murders of the imaginary friends. Sparkle’s murder was sad when it happened but became more awful once you got to know Sully and see other Zana — they exist to make kids cheerful, plain and simple. The thought of someone killing such pure expressions of joy was chilling. And how screwed up is the poor kid who found Sparkles going to be? It’s the very definition of traumatizing.
We want to hear it.
Just when I was pondering the little girl’s future filled with visits to very expensive doctors, the next scenes had me both horrified and cracking up. It’s remarkable how they managed to nail a lighter tone without making it incongruous with what happened. The fact that the episode’s writer Jenny Klein kept a sense of humor about the situation took off a little of the edge but didn’t wear it down too much.
Nate Torrence hit all sorts of notes as Sully, too. He found a way to make the character authentic and genuine without turning him into a happy go lucky cartoon you’d find in a Disney movie. This poor guy who only wanted to do what was best for his kids carried so much burden. I found myself wanting to hug him the entire time. The flashbacks showing him encouraging Sam to choose his own path were great, and it was nice to see Sam have the idea of leaving the family business so early on.
The circumstances that drove Sully back into Sam’s life were terrible, but he showed up at a time when Sam needed him. Between listening to Sam and helping Reese, hopefully Sully has found some peace. And again, it goes back to the performance and writing — Sully was so sincere. His words to Sam about heroism didn’t come across as inspirational platitudes. It was clear Sully meant every bit of it, and Sam took it to heart.
Sully’s mini pep talk spurred Sam to talk to Dean about the cage again. Dean was still not the biggest fan of the idea, but since there aren’t other alternatives at the moment… Speaking of Dean, his reaction to Sully and all the Zana were in character and often hilarious. I’m always amused at what Dean accepts about the weird world the Winchesters live in and what he doesn’t.
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photo Gallery:
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
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Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
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Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
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Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” Photos
The reveal of the Zana killer was the weak point of the episode. Her motivations didn’t quite match the level of her crimes, but it was a smart touch to have her talk about digging into the lore to the point of finding a witch. It made her drastic actions believable. But what really worked about the final scenes was Sully’s reaction. He was willing to let her kill him if it would make her happy. Torrence brought so much sweetness to the dialogue that he made me cry.
Klein killed it with the humor on this episode and I have to call out a few of the best quotes: “I’m gonna get my gun.” “Even when he’s dead, Sparkle can’t stop shining.” “She’s got Sparkle on her face.”
This week’s Supernatural blended together the hallmarks of the series — one-liners, horror, Winchester bro bonding, and emotion. It’s hard not to be skeptical about the idea of imaginary friends being included in the lore, and while there were certainly some silly elements, the concept worked surprisingly well. Nate Torrence was never too cheesy as Sully; he was earnest and lovable.
