Recap of Supernatural
Season 11, Episode 8:
Just My Imagination
Writer: Jenny Klein
Director: Richard Speight Jr.
In Menominee, Wisconsin someone is killing members of the zanna, a mostly invisible race that guides children. Sam's old imaginary friend Sully, also a zanna, comes to him and Dean for help with the case.
Body Count:
For this episode: 2 zannas.
For the series so far = At least 1185 humans (of which 13 were witches), 1119 angels, 182 demons, 69 vampires, 52 ghosts, 36 Jefferson Starships, 22 gods, 19 zombies, 12 werewolves, 10 hellhounds, 7 shapeshifters, 7 skinwalkers, 6 changelings, 5 djinn, 5 reapers, 4 dogs, 4 ghouls, 4 Leviathan, 3 Khan Worms, 2 Amazons, 2 arachnes, 2 kitsunes, 2 rugarus, 2 Thule, 2 vetalas, 2 zannas, 1 cat, 1 crocotta, Death, 1 deer, 1 dragon, 1 fairy, 1 familiar, 1 lamia, the Mother of All, 1 nachzehrer, 1 okami, 1 phoenix, 1 pishtaco, 1 Purgatory creature, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shojo, 1 shtriga, 1 siren, 1 Titan, 1 wendigo, 1 whore of Babylon, 1 wicked witch, and 1 wraith.
Tropes
- Anti-Villain: The killer, while taking an extreme step, does have a valid reason to seek revenge.
- Armor-Piercing Question: At the end Sam asks Dean what his alternative is to going back in the cage with Lucifer.
- Cringe Comedy: Maddie's mother unknowingly wipes sparkly zanna blood all over her face while talking to the Winchesters.
- Dramatic Irony: As a child, Sam sends Sully away so he can be with his father John again, whether or not that's what he really wanted. And we saw how Sam and John's relationship turned out.
- Fantastic Racism: Dean initially resists helping Sully because their mission is to help "people" and he doesn't think Sully and his kind count.
- Friend to All Children: Being one of these is pretty much the zanna job description. They entertain, nurture, and give advice to kids who need them, and ask for nothing in return except that their charges turn into well-adjusted adults.
- I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: Dean asking a Zanna when was the last time he saw Nicky the Mermaid then whispering "God, I can't believe I just said that."
- Invisible to Adults: Zanna are invisible except to the children they are helping. Sully has to whammy Sam and Dean so they can actually see what is going on, but Sam could see Sully without help when he was younger.
- Karma Houdini: When Sully talks Reese down, she cries and comes to terms with her grief and then drives away at episode's end without suffering any consequences for killing two innocent zanna.
- Mood Whiplash: This largely comedic episode takes a hard turn into sad and dramatic in the last act.
- Mundanger: The killer of the week is human and the victims are supernatural (but harmless) creatures.
- My Greatest Failure: Sully is so haunted by the double-whammy of Sam rejecting him and his causing Audrey's death that he took himself out of the field.
- Not-So-Imaginary Friend: The zanna are a whole race of NSIFs.
- Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You: Sully gives Reese the chance to stab him if that is what will stop the pain over losing her sister.
- Shout-Out: At various points Dean refers to Sully as "Mork from Ork", "Drop Dead Fred", and "Totoro".
- Symbolic Blood: Mr. Sparkles bleeds a lot from his fatal wounds, but it looks like red glitter mixed with glue.
- You Can See That, Right?: Sam's response to Dean's reaction to Sully. It happens again (non-verbally) each time the brothers are exposed to another "imaginary" friend.
- Your Favorite: Sully prepares "breakfast" for Sam with all of Sam's childhood favorites, including marshmallow nachos.
