This season starts right where we left off and just in time for Halloween. Yes!
After a successful first season which saw the returns of several Child’s Play characters, the horror series promises a new season full of twists and horrifying turns. The season 2 premiere, “Halloween II,” channels the essence of the killer doll and his motives. Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) reappears to bring vengeance upon those that stalled last season’s attempt at domination. The first episode is a perfect way to set up everything that´s coming up. In the season 1 finale Andy (Alex Vincent) left, driving a truck full of Good Guys dolls to destroy them, before he was held up by Tiffany. “Halloween II” continues with Andy’s predicament but quickly allows him to gain the upper hand by driving the truck off a cliff. It’s the last time Andy is seen in Chucky thus far, though he is mentioned again following the six-month time jump. While the opening sequence of “Halloween II” proposes a potential end for Andy’s storyline within the franchise, as unexpected as Chucky and Mancini can be, there’s a chance that Andy can still make another return. I hope so, his death did not feel like closure to me at all. But I think I’m just to attached to franchise characters overall.
Another highlight of “Halloween II” is its references to other horror films and franchises. Shortly after the six-month time jump, Jake receives a number of calls from an unknown number. His interactions on the phone with a voice he struggles to place as Chucky’s, reflects that of Wes Craven’s Scream. The duality that exists within a character like Chucky, where he manages to be endearing and condescending all at once, contributes to the scene’s ability to match Scream’s own unique comedic undertones. The suggestive and sometimes outlandish dialogue is what makes these scenes so memorable.
Also, are there no trustworthy therapists in horror world? I´m talking about Lexy’s family therapist Dr. Mixter (a Halloween reference?) who ended up giving Caroline a vintage Belle doll (from the Bride of Chucky). Not only that, but Dr. Mixter also suggested that Jake, Devon, and Lexy be sent to a religious facility, the ‘Incarnate Lord’, that’s all about fixing juvenile troublemakers. She’s clearly planning something. Upon arriving, the three recognize it as the Burlington County Home for Wayward Boys, which is where Charles Lee Ray once lived at their age. This location was previously seen in season 1 throughout a number of flashbacks, where Charles attempted to goad several boys into his violent ways.
Being sent to the ‘Incarnate Lord’ for who knows how long will surely shake things up for our leads. Lexy’s substance abuse issue will be frowned upon. And of course, it’s clear that Jake and Devon’s sexuality and the fact they are in a romantic relationship won’t be accepted either. I’m looking forward to seeing how Don Mancini will explore the themes of religion and queer sexuality as the current season continues. That´s always a very interesting take when done well.
- That interview to Lexy´s mom was so messy, looked like a reality tv reunion episode. I loved it.
- I´m glad someone brought up Andy´s “death” and how he didn´t contact them if he was indeed alive, there´s too many mentions of his name for it to not mean anything. Right?
- Am I the only one that can´t take actors portraying different characters after previously appearing on the show seriously?
- I was positive that Nica´s storyline will make more sense in season 2 and it kinda has, I mean Fiona does as much as she can with her face but I wish she was more involed in the overall plot. Maybe this will change.
- Just dreaming here but I don´t want Kyle and Andy to be actually dead.
Speaking of Nadine, she goes to confession to abuse some free talk therapy out of the clergy, to the chagrin of Father O’Malley, who is freed from his duties by being strangled to death by a rosary-wielding Chucky, who will be labeled Muscle Chucky. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that a second doll arrived? It must have gotten drowned out with how cute the Scout Chucky’s new demeanor is. And surprisingly, that sweetness isn’t a ruse, since Scout Chucky delivers himself to Father Bryce’s desk on Jake’s behalf and does the right thing.
One of the other human issues is Jake and Devon´s relationship. In my opinion Jake’s been asking a lot from Devon. Chucky killed Devon’s mother. Being asked by Jake to not harm the killer doll required a lot of self-restraint from Devon. Also, Devon’s worried about Jake getting himself killed by refusing to stop associating with Chucky. Similarly, Chucky killed Lexy’s father and her boyfriend. She too didn’t want to be anywhere near Chucky. I understood why Lexy was hesitant to stay in the room alone to keep an eye on Chucky, even if he had turned “good”. For her and Devon, seeing Chucky made them remember the loved ones they lost. Now, I get that Chucky also killed Jake’s father and uncle. But, Jake wasn’t really close to those relatives, especially not in the way Devon was close to his mother and Lexy with Junior.
Alright, we are halfway through the season, I was not aware we were only going to have 8 episodes but i guess that only speeds things up. We are now in episode 4, titled “”Death on Denial”. And we get more Jennifer Tilly which is always great. And this has to be one of the most meta episodes I have ever seen in my life, which is saying a lot. Directed by Don Mancini, the pre-Halloween episode could not have been placed in better hands. Co-written by Kim Garland, who worked on a number of episodes in season 1, and Fear the Walking Dead writer Alex Delyle, “Death on Denial” uses a blend of horror and comedy to create its thrilling episode that provides the killer doll series with a breath of fresh air. “Death on Denial” divides into five acts. It frames the Jennifer Tilly-centered episode with a talk show introduction from Chucky himself. The actual screentime for the killer doll is limited in “Death on Denial,” and Chucky acknowledges this by the end of the episode, which features a number of guest stars including former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan. Despite the lack of gore in “Death on Denial,” Chucky has never created a stronger intrigue for its ongoing narrative quite like this.
Both Glen and Glenda are introduced to Chucky in a manner that clearly separates them from one another. Glen is the far more trusting, docile one of the two. They immediately offer to help Nica escape from their mother’s clutches with no questions asked. Glenda, on the other hand, is mischievous and violent but has the desire to understand their upbringing. They confide in Tiffany about a reoccurring dream they have had, where they are responsible for the death of a woman. With this, Glenda recalls hearing a voice that calls them “Shitface.” Glenda’s recollection is an ode to Seed of Chucky, where Glen and Glenda were first introduced. The recollection of this memory early in “Death on Denial” allows the series to create a tense, but meaningful reunion between Glenda and Chucky later in the episode.
And i just clocked the title of the episode is making fun of that terrible Gal Gadot movie, ha!
Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, Sutton Stracke, and Meg Tilly did a terrific job of playing themselves and revealing what kind of relationship each shared with Jeniffer Tilly (in such a fictional setting). With Gershon and Pantoliano being part of the episode, fans basically got a Bound reunion. This episode is for me. Don Mancini is my friend.
Glenda being the one to interact with Chucky after meeting Nica made for a surprise twist. Even though Glenda was all about helping Nica, they were also into helping Chucky get his revenge against Tiffany. The entire sequence featuring Glenda knocking out Glen and then taking Chucky (possessing Nica’s body) to Tiffany to kill her was quite intense. I’m looking forward to seeing how the dynamic between Glen and Glenda will change after Glenda ran away with Nica/Chucky and Glen decided to stay back to help Tiffany.
As for the other big reveal (a lot happened in this episode!), we got to see that the driver ready to take Nica and Glenda away was actually… Kyle!!! And this is the best news I could have gotten. I already suspected it, since we didn´t see a body but Kyle was able to survive the season one finale and I couldn’t be happier. With Kyle coming back, I think it’s safe to say that Andy’s alive, too. One of the things I was disappointed about in the previous season was how Andy and Kyle didn’t work really together with Lexi, Devon, and Jake to fight Chucky. Here’s to hoping we get to see a proper team-up between all the leads this time around.
Anyway, the rift between Jake and Devon continued to grow. It’s disappointing to see Devon trying his hardest to look out for Jake and yet Jake’s not interested in paying attention to his boyfriend. However, I understand that such a conflict was necessary to raise the stakes. The arguments between the two teens allowed the story to keep them separated and thus in more danger. I also get that they´re pretty much kids in a relationship forced to deal with so much around them, but like any other relationship on TV, I feel like communication could solve so much or in the very least air the problems they are having so they don´t have to deal with them on their own.
“Doll on Doll” covers a great deal of ground in its bouncing between the several characters and their current troubles. Chucky’s newest episode offers an end to some ongoing problems, including Lexy’s drug addiction. However, Chucky also proposes that there’s never a lack of opposition the series can throw at these characters. Jake’s guilt has led him to make questionable decisions that have created a rift in his relationship with Devon, and Lexy and Devon’s latest discovery reveals their need for a new extradition plan.
Devon has an outburst aimed at Good Chucky during the crew’s next regroup, blaming him for everything and revealing to the brainwashed good apple that he was once a bad seed. Jake consoles Chucky and explains his origins to him. He and Nadine have a baptism for Good Chucky to absolve him of his evil, and…if you told me this series would take this direction when I was writing the recaps a year ago, I probably would have called you a crazy, but I apologize to the hypothetical you.
Also, I liked how Devon told Lexy that their current relationship troubles didn’t necessarily have to do with Chucky. Even when the teens thought Chucky was dead, Jake and Devon were still experiencing relationship drama, with both of them being unable to meet each other for months even though they promised to hang out every weekend. Not only that, but Lexy also kept her distance from the two as she tried to address her past traumatic experiences on her own. I do hope that the writers are able to provide Jake, Devon, and Lexy the opportunity to talk about their feelings more openly. I say this because if having their lives threatened by Chucky is the only way the trio can actually be together, then they all are in need of relationship therapy. Also Trevor´s body disappeared, what´s that about?
Another person present in the cabin was… drumroll… Andy! Having Andy be directly linked to Jake, Devon, and Lexy’s storyline in such a manner has me excited. I wanted them to properly team up in the first season. Here’s hoping the teens are able to rescue him.
I honestly don´t know how to explain in a show about murdering dolls and people dying all gthe time, how much i don´t want any of the Original characters to die, other than I would feel like because of how long we have been following them for, a part of the Chucky universe dies with them if that happens, I really have no idea how they will come out of this season, but for now they are alive and that´s all that matters to me. Another reveal (Yes, a lot happened in this episode! I loved it!) was Dr. Mixter being in cahoots with Chucky. I’m looking forward to seeing some kind of flashback explaining why she’s working with a serial killer. I was suspicious of her the moment she suggested sending the main trio to the Catholic School of the Incarnate Lord. At least Sister Catherine’s trying to look out for the teens. But then again, she doesn’t have the actual power to stop Father Bryce from punishing Devon.
Also I know better by now not to get attached to any new character but it´s too late with Nadine, I did question her at the beginning of season 2, and although shs started to grow on me because I just wanted someone to be there for Lexi, I have to say she really has come into her own, please Don Mancini, don´t let anything happen to her.I know this is pointless.
Alright we are almost at the end folks. And closer to the endgame of Season 2. Episode 6 titled “He is Risen Indeed”sets out to cover a lot of ground. In its attempt to explain some of Chucky’s most recent twists, the series makes an effort to merge three of its storylines into one. The series continues to draw upon references to notorious suspense and horror works, including a subtle nod to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. “He Is Risen Indeed” throws a final hail mary in its closing moments in an effort to keep the narrative for the killer doll series alive. The newest Chucky episode sacrifices Tiffany and Glen’s shared narrative to propose a few answers and additional questions for Jake, Devon, and Lexy, as well as Nica, Glenda, and Kyle and Andy, who was recently revealed to have survived the bus crash. “He Is Risen Indeed” opens with Andy driving the bus of dolls off the cliff, only to be dragged away by a few Good Guys dolls and end up in the clutches of a sadistic, cannibalistic Colonel.
We also got some information about why Dr. Mixter was adamant about helping the Colonel. It’s revealed that she was Charles’ therapist when he was only seven years old. For some reason, Mixter was all about encouraging the darkness inside Charles. There were some Harley Quinn-vibes, without the romantic tension, coming from Mixter’s dynamic with Chucky. I hope that the writers offer more explanation about why Mixter experienced such a shift. Did something happen in her past? Why was she so interested in killing the teens? She even offered to do the deed herself. I liked the scene where Devon and Lexy rescued Andy. It took him a while to realize what was happening. And even though he had suffered a lot (chunks of his body had been eaten!), I liked how he was determined to go after the Colonel.
The Colonel only lasts in Chucky for about a single episode, but his presence has been quite purposeful. He has a few villainous monologues in “He Is Risen Indeed” that praise the use of the mind over muscle. He recites it as he watches the muscular Chucky doll die from arsenic-laced communion wafers. The death of the muscular Chucky doll sends Sister Ruth (Lara Jean Chorostecki) spiraling, who believed him to be a reincarnated vessel of the Lord. Chorostecki is particularly brilliant as Sister Ruth, toeing the balance of an innocent but blindly devoted servant. Ruth confides in Father Bryce (Devon Sawa) about the doll, who quickly dismisses the idea, too frustrated by the troubles that appear to revolve around the countless Good Guys dolls and Jake, Devon, and Lexy. Unfortunately for him, “He Is Risen Indeed” forces him to discover the harsh truth about Chucky.
And now I will talk about the scene that shocked everyone. I was with Devon and Lexy about not trusting “Good” Chucky. Turns out, I was right. Jake and Nadine ignored the red flags and continued to care for Good Chucky. Their kindness cost the teens dearly. I had been worried about Nadine ever since she appeared onscreen. Her wanting to befriend Good Chucky only intensified my feelings. The moment she ran after Good Chucky on her own, I knew something bad was going to happen. And it did. Seeing Good Chucky push Nadine out of the window to her death was just… it hurt. Nadine didn’t deserve to die. But when it comes to the Child’s Play/Chucky franchise, safety isn’t guaranteed, especially for newer characters.
I understand that this is in a way a murder show, no one is safe and everyone is equally in danger, most of all if you are not part of the main trio. However, this death just has me feeling all sort of ways, I believe it could be the most unnecessary one in the franchise, hear me out, and this could be coming from the fact that i had the opportunity to sit and diggest the episodes and make a season review instead of weekly ones and have been watching other shows in between, with similar storylines, what i realized was that TV often uses death only as shock value and it uses it so often that in my opinion, it has lost meaning, perhaps this has been said a lot already, but I have been feeling it more and more lately, I will elaborate more once i finish my Dead To Me review because it also happens there. Anyway, I am getting away from the point, maybe it´s just that i got very attached to Nadine and what that character could mean for Lexi, or even what she could mean for the show in the long run. But I feel a bit disappointed at what Don Mancini did with her, honestly what is the point of introducing anyone new if you´re just going to take them away for no valid reason. I can also see how this could further Lexi´s character davelopment as she had gotten very close to Nadine, how the guilt will claw most at Lexy and Jake will likely send her spiraling. Jake, who was adamant about keeping Good Chucky and already feels guilty about his foster brother’s death, will certainly feel he is partially to blame for what happened to Nadine. If the goal is for the Chucky spirit that resides in Nica to be placed into another entity, these teens are beginning to unintentionally make themselves viable candidates.
I´m pretty sure I say this every now and then but episode 7 titled “Goin’ to the Chapel” is my favorite from the show, it genuinly has everything and sets up perfectly for a finale. Itimplements a number of stylistic choices that separate it from every other episode of the series. I think this season has had up and downs but this one is definitely is an up. “Goin’ to the Chapel” begins with some promise. Jake sits in confession with Father Bryce, eagerly listening on, as the young teen confesses the guilt he has harbored over the loss of parents and friends. The promising black-and-white scene is interrupted by Chucky’s return to the hall where Dr. Mixter (Rosemary Dunsmore) awaits possession of Good Chucky following the death of Nadine (Bella Higginbotham). “Goin’ to the Chapel” continues to play with time by offering brief glimpses of various characters’ confessions, but it largely leaves the episode feeling scrambled. However, in my opinion that´s not a bad thing.
Admittedly, Chucky’s second season has set out to accomplish quite a bit. From meaningfully tying in various characters from the Child’s Play franchise in Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly), Andy (Alex Vincent), Kyle (Christine Elise), and Nica (Fiona Dourif) in its first season to the additions of Glen and Glenda (Lachlan Watson) in season 2, where Chucky and his motives fit into all this gets lost in the shuffle. He’s largely passed around from character to character and his core motivation doesn’t appear solid. What begins as a plot to kill those who have betrayed him and escaped his clutches, quickly becomes takes a detour to involve the splintering of his spirit from Nica, the selfish desires of other Good Guys dolls, and the chaos he aims to bring out of his children. In a sense, ‘Goin’ to the Chapel’ could have worked as a series finale because of the cliffhanger it ended on. However, with it being the penultimate episode, I’m very excited to see what Don Mancini and his team have envisioned as the finale because what craziness is yet to happen?
It was understandable that Jake didn’t like the idea. With how “Good” Chucky betrayed his trust, Jake wanted to kill the doll. But, as Kyle put it, they needed the doll to save Nica from Prime Chucky’s control. The poor woman had been through a lot, and allowing Jake to simply get rid of the last Good Guy Doll wasn’t an option. And everyone, mostly everyone is involved in this one, finally. Seeing all of the characters reunite was very niceand nostalgic for me.
With Father Bryce getting ready to perform the exorcism, after being excommunicated by the Vatican (what the heck was he expecting?), he told everyone to see him for confessions. Apparently, the souls of the people participating in the exorcism needed to be cleansed. The episode actually opened with Jake’s confession which had him share his guilt with Father Bryce. It’s understandable that Jake blamed himself for everything. So, here’s hoping Jake finds the help he requires to work on those feelings.
Andy’s confession was the most interesting for me. He got to experience Chucky’s terror at a very young age and then spent the rest of his years trying to put an end to Chucky. With the possibility of Chucky finally being defeated for good, I liked how the writers made Andy confess that he was confused and a bit afraid about what he was going to do next. Who was Andy without Chucky? Which is a fair question. The scene between Kyle and Andy, near the end of the episode, and how it linked back to a flashback from the Child’s Play 2 movie was incredibly well done. As a now adult Kyle put it, Andy had his entire life to figure out what he could do next with Chucky gone. I was not prepared for that scene from the movie to be shown folks.
Now, some of you might be wondering why I haven’t mentioned Lexy yet. Well, it’s because with everyone else busy with the exorcism, Lexy was away dealing with her own thing. She took Nadine’s death hard and her guilt, anger, and sadness led her to take some of the pills that “Good” Chucky gave her. It’s clear that Lexy contemplated taking her own life. However, Nadine’s ghost appeared, in angelic-ish attire, to stop her. I really liked the scene where Lexy questioned the trio’s friendship. Did the three of them even have anything in common? Would they have ever become actual friends if it wasn’t for Chucky bringing them together?
All things considered, Devon’s been very coolheaded with Jake. And I do feel that Jake doesn’t give Devon the same amount of love that Devon gives to him. Here’s hoping the writers explore the trio’s friendship dynamics as the series continues. I really want Chucky to come back for a third season!
I did question Mixter running away instead of falling on her knees and screaming about Andy killing Prime Chucky. And I was right! The cliffhanger of Mixter driving away and that moment being linked to her confession to Father Bryce about having learned the secret to eternal life was awesome. Prime Chucky’s still alive. I mean, of course, he is!
As for Nica getting her revenge, it really didn’t play out the way she had hoped. For some weird reason, Glen decided to use themself as a human shield to protect their mother. And with Glenda already facing difficulty when trying to balance their good and dark sides, I think they might go scorched Earth if Glen dies. The twins still have the Glen/Glenda doll with them. So, let’s see how that comes into play during the finale.
I have to say there were some ridiculous episodes this season and this was one of them, only in the best way possible, this show sure know how to play into it´s strengths, only these actors can pull that off. I´m so glad they are self aware. The tweens go home for the holidays after thinking they have defeated Chucky for good, which sort of allows our core trio to come to terms with the season’s events and find the sense of peace they’ve sorely missed—Lexy’s taking steps to heal with the support of her two closest pals. Removed from the watchful eyes of the Catholic school, Devon and Jake can focus on moving forward. There’s a feeling of closure lingering in the air, helped along by the holiday revelry.Except this is “Chucky,” and peace on Earth lasts only so long. “Chucky Actually” ensures that the second season won’t go out with a bang in the form of a gnarly body count guaranteed to paint the snow red.
I was very thrilled to see the original Glen/Glenda doll from the seed of Chucky movie, It was a very nostalgic callback, and the accent was hilarious, it sort of makes sense this is how they were able to combine the twins souls into one. I was not so thrilled to see that al of main characters are orphans now, poor Lexi, it looked her her relationship with her mom could have been on the right track until Chucky decided to make use of that chainsaw, but I am glad that they gave her at least a final girl look killing him.
In many ways, “Chucky Actually” feels more like an epilogue to a thrilling season than a finale. With many of the season’s characters now dead or simply elsewhere, there’s a pared-back simplicity that gives some of the emotional moments the space to breathe and settle. Jake, Devon, and Lexy have undergone tremendous growing pains and have become more resilient, mature, and ready to beat Chucky at his lethal game. Season Two delivered an insane ride and evolved the franchise in surprising ways, and “Chucky Actually” takes just enough time to establish a momentary calm before sowing the seeds for the next season.