Sam wakes up to his phone alarm and goes into the bunker kitchen to get coffee. There he finds a lay out of colorful candy and food. A man jumps out and we find out that it is Sam’s imaginary childhood friend, Sully. It turns out imaginary friends are real; they are zanna, creatures sent to guide and protect lost children. Dean shows up and is skeptical until he sees Sully. Sully asks for their help in finding out who killed Sparkle. Dean and Sam argue about it but eventually Dean agrees to help.
Sam and Dean investigate with Sully and we see Sam in a flashback to when Sully kept him company while Dean (surprise Dylan appearance!) and John are hunting. Another imaginary friend, a mermaid, is killed!
Sully, Sam, and Dean bury the mermaid and we cut to her boyfriend, Weems, who is with his own charge. Weems is stabbed and he calls out to Sully for help.
They find Weems injured but alive and he tells them he saw a chick in a blue VW. She was the one who stabbed him. Dean says he’ll go track her while Sam stays and watches over Sully and Weems. Weems tells Sam he broke Sully’s heart and we see that Sam rejected running away with Sully to go hunt with his dad and Dean. Sam then confesses to Sully that he thinks God wants him to go back to Lucifer’s cage. Sully and Sam have an emotional heart to heart and then we cut to Dean, who has been kidnapped by the girl in the blue VW. She wants to get Sully.
Sam and Sully arrive and they find out that Sully was the cause of the girl’s sister’s death. Sully ran into the street and the girl ran after him, where she died. He abandoned Reese and she has spent years studying folklore to find out a way to get revenge. Sully offers to let her kill him but Dean breaks free and convinces her not to kill Sully. In an emotional scene, Reese drops her knife and falls into Sully’s arms.
In the final sequence, Sully thanks them and disappears. Sam and Dean are driving in the car and Sam brings up the cage, again, and how he has to go back. Dean says there’s another way. Sam asks what that other way is.
1. This was a wonderfully emotional episode and kudos to Klein and Speight.
2. Who was the witch that gave her the knife? I’m curious.
3. What did you think of the Sam flashbacks and the surprise appearance by Dylan?!!
Leave your comments, feelings, thoughts, etc. below!
Comments
Don't know about the witch but she sound intriguing. Loved Dylan, and I LOVED SULLY. The boy who played young Sam was okay. He's not Colin for sure, but he did have a sweet face and some soulful eyes. He and Sully had nice chemistry. Richard did great and kudos to Jenny Klein for a funny and poignant episode.
And why did Sully make all that food? A peace offering? I mean I didn't see Sparkles making any contribution to the tea party. ;)
There is a lot of green in his kaleidoscope eyes.
2. Who was the witch that gave her the knife? I’m curious. We only know of Rowenna, so she is out there, stirring her couldren
3. What did you think of the Sam flashbacks and the surprise appearance by Dylan?!! Love Dylan the bestest Dean wish we could see more of him. I know they are only flashbacks but they where a bit disappointing We knew Sam had a lonely life, and sat around in motel rooms, I was hoping to discover something diffiernet - I'm not sure about this actor who played young Sam but it was ok
What a lovely lite sweet episode, sooooooo much Sam :o:o:o this season Poor Dean he does so struggle with some of lifes mystery's Dean is so tough LOL :):):):) found this hard to deal with, until something like a car and a human came along. I didn't mind the slight glimpse of leg action from Dean in the dressing gown just slight enough for the imagination I don't mind those track pants on Sam either :o:o:o:o:o
Heard our train again -- So off to hell we go If I heard it right meaning --------------- -- One long, one short: Warning, used before arriving to a crossing.
Also at the end scene when Sully was talking to Sam the shed or garage wall behind Sam over Sam's left sholder there appeared to be a very bright red cross this seemed to appear again in the car
And as Leah said the whole seasons story is just weaving through every ep. this season and it adds to the excitment just Wonderful I'm happy :p:p:p:p:p
There were a few other things that I found mildly annoying. The children's need for an imaginary friend were not made clear at all. In Sam's case it was fairly clear why he might need Sully and the little boy who was befriended by "Weems" clearly needed a friend to help him deal with the mothers drinking. But the first two children? Why did they need an imaginary friend? The first girl in particular had a VERY nice home (that house was gorgeous, like something out of a storybook) and doting overly concerned parents who indulged her every wish. She needed an imaginary friend so that she could manipulate them? That was a very unflattering characterizatio n. And the second little girl had a pool and a mother driving her to fun activities like gymnastics. So the need for the imaginary friend was inconsistent. I'd like to think that Zanna are out there helping the kids that need it the most and would have preferred to see that in all the children even if that would have made the episode a little sadder. And I could have done without the slapstick, slipping around in blood that she can't see moment. Ugh, that was in poor taste IMO. And Jenny Klein appears to be improving, but we still had the "brother knocked out and tied up" trope, though this time is was Dean, "boys split up and one of them gets into trouble as the other is lured into a trap" trope, and the "bad guy monologue" trope too. Basic episode writing 101. I appreciated the attempt to work the theme of the season into the bad guy (or bad gal) monologue and the connection to a twin sister was interesting (more family betrayals!!) but the set up was pretty basic and a bit anvilicious. I did love how Sully offered himself up like the sacrificial lamb though, that was sweet. And my last gripe.......Dea n, Dean, Dean. You are getting on my very last nerve bud. He shut Sam down at every turn. He was unsupportive, rude and irritating as crap. He didn't take Sam's imaginary friend issue seriously at all, didn't use Sully's presence to better understand Sam or seem at all curious about why Sam needed an imaginary friend to begin with, and was rude to Sully and all the other Zanna even though all of them were doing good things and helping kids. And Dean's sudden reversal at the end of the episode the whole "you were there for my brother" stuff that helped to talk down the bad gal was not earned AT ALL. We didn't see even one iota of what precipitated Dean's sudden change of heart which seemingly came out of the blue. It was almost like they gave that speech to Jensen to give him something to do in an episode that was largely about Sam. It didn't ring true and was unsupported by Dean's behavior before that moment AND after it too. Dean's sudden change of heart lasted for all of about five minutes, because later in the car he was back to his normal stance saying "good talk" and shutting Sam down and not even listening to what he had to say nor offering any other solutions to the problems of the cage. Grrr. I know that they are laying the groundwork for Sam going off on his own, and for that I am grateful so that Sam isn't lambasted for "running away" as is usually is. But what I'd really like to see is the brothers working on this TOGETHER! And to do that Dean has to LISTEN to Sam and TALK about the problem instead of just avoiding everything like he usually does. Is it too much to ask that the boys actually have a conversation? Apparently it is.
And yes!! We called it! Train whistles and even the sound of the train barreling down the tracks. I can't remember all of the signals, but in Plush I think it was two long blasts which is the train releasing it's brakes to proceed and I think Jen said that in this episode it was the sound of approaching a crossing? A crossroad's perhaps? Sam goes to Crowley and he was a crossroad's demon at one point. Or perhaps Sam is approaching a crossroads in his life? I am praying to all the gods that Sam is not made a fool and tricked into doing something dumb because it will end up being just another instance of how Sam is always betraying his brother.
What was it that bothered you about the episode?
I didn't hate it, I'd give it a B... maybe a B-. Dean's attitude did annoy me, but at least I understand why the writers are doing what they are doing. I just don't think it reflects well on Dean as a character. To me it was incredibly sad that Sam STILL has to turn to Sully to discuss the cage. Shouldn't he be able to talk to Dean about these things? He did try... to which Dean's answer was "it was dumb then and it's dumb now" and "nice talk." Sigh. Then everyone says "it's Dean's personality," well IMO Dean's personality needs to change. Oh and I couldn't help but notice that the show still thinks that the age difference between Sam and Dean is like 7 years. Sam noted that he was 9 in his flashbacks. Was Dean supposed to be 14 then? There is NO way that Dylan Everett passes for 14... he looked 16 at the youngest and even that seems like a stretch. The actor is 20, and though I like his portrayal of Young Dean he doesn't look 14, he just doesn't.
This episode had the potential to be awesome and if fell short by a lot, for me.
Sully was like a breathe of fresh air who wore snazzy braces and he was there for Sam ,that is not to say Dean does not annoy or frustrate me but I just loved Sully .
I loved the flashbacks and thought the new young actor did a very good job conveying Sam's essential qualities. He did look physically very different from Colin F but I actually thought Colin looked nothing like adult Sam, although he portrayed Sam's character wonderfully. I loved the rapport between young Sam and Sully. Initially it struck me as OOC that young Sam would be so desperate to go along on hunts, but the more I thought about it the more understandable it seemed. Sam apparently has never been allowed to be involved, so he as yet has no concept of what the job really entails. Furthermore, he was so lonely and desperate for his family that being with them under any circumstances trumped being left on his own. But it was so sad to see Sully, who knew that deep down Sam was not meant to be a hunter, fighting his losing battle to expand Sam's horizons. And it was even sadder to see Sam, overjoyed that he has been called to join up with John and Dean, reject Sully. I felt like deep inside Sam knew Sully was right, but at that point he wanted nothing more than to be with his family so he didn't want to hear anything different.
I loved adult Sam's conversation with Sully about the cage. Just as when Sam was a child, Sully is the only one who will really listen to Sam without judgment, and it was very moving to see Sam tear up in front of him. That's a luxury Sam doesn't often have, to let out all of the fears and emotions he's experiencing without having to worry about being judged for it or having his feelings discounted. The deep faith that Sully has in Sam gives him the strength to confront his deepest fear- revisiting the cage. And it enables him to calmly repeat to Dean that this is what he feels he should do. as for whether this is a good decision, well, that remains to be seen.
I also thought there was some nice Dean POV in this ep. It hasn't bothered me that Dean initially rejected and mocked the idea of Sam's "friend." That is part and parcel of Dean's character. He believes and trusts in what he can see with his own eyes, and he has always been all about family, so he has found any glimpses of something "different" about Sam to be worrying, and therefore ignored. In fact, if any of my kids had come to me as 8 or 9 year olds and told me that they had an invisible friend, I would have been seriously alarmed. Dean also felt threatened by the idea that Sam NEEDED another friend. Having John and Sam was enough for Dean, and he always wanted "family" to be enough for Sam as well. It's very Dean-like to dress up these feelings as "it was dumb then and it's dumb now." He is the "no chick flick moments" guy to the core. But Jensen beautifully portrayed the evolution of Dean's feelings throughout the ep, from rejection of the very idea of Sully, to surprise/disple asure at the thought that Sam had been lonely (because wasn't he enough for Sam?), to final understanding of why Sam had needed Sully and a feeling of guilt that he had somehow let Sam down when they were kids by not being there for him. That is Dean to the core- feeling guilty about any way in which he might not have "been there" for Sam. And Jensen did this quite subtlely, with very little dialogue. That is the Dean I love. And it was capped off terrifically with Sully's acknowledgment that Dean had done a great job looking out for Sam.
As far as the other questions, I assume the witch is Rowena, and I loved seeing Dylan again. Speight did a great job with both the funny aspects of the ep and the moving, emotional scenes and I thought the Sully actor (I forget his name) did an amazing job. I loved his wonderful warmth towards Sam and his sassiness towards Dean. All in all, a great and very emotionally satisfying ep.
- Lilah
While I'm on the subject Jared's performance was perfection. You could read on his face the childhood pain and loneliness and the adult fear of what he might have to face in the cage along with his determination to do what he feels is the right thing. These two blow me away every week with their performances.
Quote:I was rushing to type my comment before I left for work but I meant to include how amazing Jared was. I've been so thrilled at the wonderful story Sam has been given this season because it has given Jared the chance to remind people of what a terrific actor he is. He hasn't had that much great material to work with the last couple of seasons, but he has been outstanding this season and it's a joy to watch him get to stretch his acting legs. I would never have become so addicted to this show were it not for the amazing acting by the Js.
Go those trains ======= maybe we should give them a name. Oh sorry its Supernatural not the Flash LOL
DID ANYBODY NOTICE THE RED CROSS I MENTIONED
The acting was top notch, particularly Jared, and the actor that played Sully did a great job. I hope they figure out a way to bring him back. Richard Speight did a nice job in his Supernatural directorial debut and I wouldn't mind seeing him come back to direct again.
John Winchester wins no father of the year awards; sure Sammy, my 9 year old son, catch a bus and meet up with us in Milwaukee, unless of course you can hitch a rid from a stranger in a van who offers you candy or marshmallow nachos
Saw a lot of fandom wank directed at the writer and others last night, saying they trashed Dean, made him out to be a bad brother, etc. I didn't see it that way at all; Dean had wanted to be like his father and hunt, Dad's "good little soldier" always looking for approval from John. It made perfect sense that Dean would be off hunting with John and that they'd either leave Sam in a motel or drop him off at Bobbys, or Pastor Jims. So yes, Sam idolized his brother but was also a very lonely kid. In Plucky's, we knew that Dean would sometimes dump Sam off so he could go out. That doesn't make him a bad brother; it makes him a teenager. And yes, in About A Boy, we see another side of Dean who got a taste of "normal" life and had his first real crush on a girl, and he liked it. Those two sides of Dean are not mutually exclusive.
First I'm a bit tired of the faraway looks as they fade back to a recollection scene. But I can deal with that, everyone does that. I suppose it was more about the little things. Why did Sully make a big deal about cleaning up the mermaid mess? Did they clean up the Manicorn mess too? Why would a real imaginary friend encourage a 9 year old boy to run away? What did he think would happen? Why would an imaginary friend be heartbroken that a kid no longer needs him? Why does Sam feel guilty about breaking an imaginary heart when he was a kid? He's not a jerk, he was a kid! Why does Sam get to hear "You saved the world" from Sully? Shouldn't Dean say that?
And I suppose I've kind of over looked the prior episodes who make a minor mention of the cage (mainly because it makes no sense in the vague way it's been brought up) but in this case Sam specifically says he might need to go back to the cage. Why? At what point in a couple of quick flashbacks does the logical conclusion become returning to the cage? and What is it he's supposed to do when he gets there? These are the questions Dean should be asking, along with the other big one: How does he return to the cage? And, if this is really Luci communicating with Sam why is it he's all of a sudden doing it? If he was capable of it before, why now? Now, having said all that, if it turns out that someone really wants Dean to go to the cage but Dean has turned off his hell-phone, well that might be interesting. Otherwise I have this pit in my gut that someone is trying to rewrite the story.
I don't know, maybe it's just me with this kinda icky feeling when the episode was done, but maybe i'll just clear my head and try again.
- Lilah
Sully knew this was Sam Winchester. Sam 'Lucifers Vessel' Winchester. He would know that both heaven and hell (and specifically Lucifer) had/would be messing with Sams life since, well, the cupids had priority orders to get John and Mary together.
Sam telling him to go wasn't the failure. What really broke Sullys heart was that he couldn't stop the horrible he knew was coming to get Sam.
Yet, he came so close to getting him to run away. Once they did, you know Sully would have done anything he possibly could to protect and position Sam so that he could move forward confidently.
Sooo close.
2. Who was the witch that gave her the knife? I’m curious. Some random witch.
3. What did you think of the Sam flashbacks and the surprise appearance by Dylan?!! Nice to see him back!
The funniest moment for me was when the mother wiped the blood over her face! My least favourite where the flashbacks. Sorry but I wasn't keen on the new young Sam. Doesn't look like him and didn't quite act like Sam :/
As Samanddean said he started to understand as the episode went along, and calmed down, but Dean was Dean in this ep. I loved it and I believe it was the old Dean. Remember Sam has more of a open mind he is usually the Dreamer