Sorry, Glen & Glenda fans, they’re not in this episode.
Sorry if I got your hopes up, but our preview at the end of the episode heavily implies we’re not going to be getting a lot of interaction between the plotlines, at least in the front half of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were pulling a Cult of Chucky and only meeting up in the finale. Which kind of sucks if it’s true but is very understandable logistically.
But back at the Incarnate Lord, we got a great episode waiting! The crew finds out Scout Chucky is only contacting one person, a mysterious liaison known as The Colonel (most likely our primary Chucky for the season, the same way we had Patton Chucky in Season 1). Devon is left to watch him and of course, gets taunted relentlessly by the two-foot-tall tied-up menace. When he brings up Detective Evan’s death last season to goad Devon into putting him down, Jake stopping him gives him the idea of trying to reprogram the Scout Chucky for info on his origins.
We get the best scene of the episode, with a brain-washing montage where they try to get him on their side with nauseating clips from famous horror movies, namely The Thing, Psycho 3, and 28 Days Later. Using this, heavy metal music, dripping water on his forehead, and a barrage of children’s programming, Scout Chucky breaks. More problems arise, however: Scout Chucky remembers nothing, and though they’re now up one doll on the scoreboard, this puts a strain on Jake and Devon’s relationship, given Devon’s justifiable stance against allying with any more killer dolls. More importantly, it gives Father Bryce an insight into the fact that they’re together when he catches them embraced on the stairs. Father Bryce keeps them apart, with Devon given busy work and Jake tasked with returning the doll to him at the end of the week.
Jake suffers through another bout of guilt in conversation with Sister Catherine, whom he finds a kindred art-loving spirit, with him concluding that he may never stop feeling responsible over what happened. Meanwhile, our minor villain Trevor Cain finally begins antagonizing Lexy proper, threatening to reveal her Xanax addiction to the faculty but seemingly wanting to leverage it over her. He also lets her know Mayor Cross is no longer the incumbent, having lost the election in the wake of the scandal.
Under more stress, Lexy tries to raid the pill cabinet in Sister Ruth’s office, and after that fails, gets Trevor into a prophylactic snafu with Sister Ruth and some fake requests for condoms. Lexy going through withdrawal, is hit hard when she drops her last pill down a drain, but finds consolation in Nadine and a heart-to-heart about her addiction and the crushing weight of her expectations. It’s an endearing moment that makes Nadine feel less like a comedic relief and more like a fleshed-out character, even if her propensity to humor might distract from that angle.
Nadine 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.
Trevor, seeking revenge for Lexy’s condom one-liner getting him in trouble, ends up planting pills in her room. However, this is interrupted by Muscle Chucky dragon punching Trevor and shattering his mouth. In the end, it seems Chucky is more of a Mortal Kombat fan than a Street Fighter fan because he punches a massive hole through Trevor’s chest and rips his heart out, taking out the little rascal surprisingly early. Three points on this:
- I told you there’s a reason we’re calling him Muscle Chucky.
- Lead puppet designer Tony Gardner confirmed this was the Chucky in the season opener who was mocked for having noodle arms. Glad he got swole in the time jump. I wonder what his macros are?
- NetherRealm Studios, Chucky DLC for MK11 when? I don’t care how small the hitbox would be; or if it’s impractical you make it work!
After the kids cover up the body and hide it in the girls’ closet from the prying eyes of Sister Ruth to Devon’s frustration, our baritone-voiced buff Chucky arrives in Father Bryce’s office to dismantle his kinder counterpart with a cut to black and a crunchy noise. Brutal.
VISUAL HIGHLIGHTS: I loved the brainwash montage and how they incorporated iconic horror films into this; the editing of the clips they chose to disgust Chucky were smoother than I expected. But I must give credit to the special effects department for what I hope isn’t the best kill of the season so soon with Trevor’s Kano-style heart-rip fatality. If it is, though, I’m not going to fault them for putting their best work first.
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS: Alyvia Alyn-Lind’s depiction of Lexy going cold turkey and slowly getting worse over the episode in distinct phases was impressive. We’re not out of the woods yet, though, since the full effects of her going cold turkey are still yet to be seen. I’m excited to see Lind push her acting chops when that time comes.
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:
“I’m hungry.”
“Awww! It must be from all the vomiting.”
– Chucky & Nadine, on doll digestive systems
RATING: 9 (“Never Skips Arm Day” Empowered Dolls)/10. That explosive chest shot is half of why I like this episode since it may just be my new favorite kill of the franchise. It really couldn’t rate lower than a 9, but it is admittedly just a hair slower than the previous two. Now that the secrets are piling up, I only wonder how the pacing will be affected, given we’re switching tracks back to Tiffany’s b-plot next episode. Only time will tell, and I’ll see you here when it does!