Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Chucky Season 3, Episode 2.
The big picture
- Chucky Season 3 continues to be unhinged and reckless, killing off major characters with brutal and unexpected deaths.
- The show’s willingness to take risks and not play it safe with its kills inspires a sense of fear and excitement in viewers.
- The constant subversion of expectations keeps the tension high and the thrill heightened as no character is safe from Chucky’s sadistic ways.
The Child’s play The franchise has always existed in its own unique little bubble. What started as a classic horror story about a possessed doll terrorizing a family soon evolved into a franchise full of absurd storylines. So it’s no surprise that the TV series is just as crazy at times. But unlike the films where Chucky was the only consistent character (Brad Dourif), The Chucky The TV series is now in Season 3 with a solid cast of characters that we have become familiar with. It’s great to follow these characters and watch them grow, but Chucky has proven many times now that no one is safe. It’s a fact that should just be nerve-wracking, but it’s actually one of the best parts of the show.
“Chucky” is unforgiving and ruthless – and it’s great
Image via SYFY
From the beginning Chucky turned out to be a rather unhinged show. Chucky himself was just as rude as ever, and he clearly hadn’t developed an ounce of conscience since we last saw him. It was an exciting time, especially when the very first episode Jakes (Zackary Arthur) Father. It became pretty clear when we first met Lucas (Devon Sawa), that he would eventually end up on Chucky’s victim list. He wasn’t the greatest father to Jake, and for all that Chucky is, he’s pretty loyal to his owners in his own twisted way. But it was completely unexpected that it happened so quickly. It was a great start to the series, but the shock didn’t end there. Jake continued to live with his Uncle Logan (played again by Devon Sawa), Aunt Bree (Lexa Doig) and her son Junior (Teo Briones). While Logan and Bree weren’t exactly unexpected deaths, their son Junior was. He was introduced as the main character, Lexys (Alyvia Alyn Lind) friend, Jake’s cousin and an all-around popular guy at school. Therefore, it was extremely shocking that he died at the end of the season.
As if it wasn’t enough to essentially eliminate Jake’s entire bloodline, the show did the same thing to Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) and Lexy, with only Lexy’s little sister Caroline (Carina Battrick) left alive, although missing. Because the series doesn’t delve into these deaths in as much detail as you’d expect, you almost forget how tragic these characters are. Yes, we love watching Chucky do his thing, but he really did Jake, Lexy, and Devon dirty. And he didn’t just target the parents, he also killed teachers, other students, and even Jake’s very young foster brother Gary (Simon Webster), REST IN PEACE. Just when you think a character is safe and will somehow be invincible to Chucky, the not-so-good guy throws you a curveball and takes out the least clueless character. Chucky has always been a sadistic character, but the TV adaptation puts him in a new light and proves time and time again that absolutely no one is safe.
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It’s a good thing that in “Chucky” no one is safe
Image via Syfy
As twisted as it may be to say, the fact that no one is there Chucky sure, it’s actually a good thing. All too often a show or movie plays it safe and doesn’t take much risk with its kills, creating a safety net that leaves no room for fear or nervousness. While wondering about the fate of your favorite character isn’t inherently fun, it’s still a good movie, and Chucky certainly succeeds in that regard. Many of his most shocking murders come out of nowhere, such as Mayor Cross (Barbara Alyn Woods), Lexy’s mother. This death is still one of the most surprising (and bloodthirsty) murders in the series. She was the only mother left and the mayor, so she felt pretty darn safe. But Chucky managed to deflect that pretty quickly and literally sawed her in half. It was brutal and killed the second season by further pushing the narrative that anyone can be on this show.
Going into season three with this knowledge is pretty daunting, but fortunately – or perhaps unluckily – we didn’t have to wait long for Chucky to make a big move. Chucky kills Mrs. Fairchild (Annie Briggs) real quick. A recurring character since the very first episode, she took in Jake, Devon, and Lexy in Season 3 and became their legal guardian, so her death was definitely not expected – at least not anytime soon. But as sad as it is to see her go, the show deserves praise for how unafraid it is to be ruthless. But could a Chucky show really be anything less? However, this raises a very pressing question: are Jake, Devon and Lexy even safe? You might think so, because they are the main characters and have been since day one. But characters like Junior and Nadine (Bella Higginbotham) also became main characters for a while, only to eventually succumb to Chucky. All three children have had close encounters with Chucky, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if they didn’t manage to make it out alive one day. It would certainly raise the stakes, and three seasons later and so many deaths later, it doesn’t seem impossible.
Chucky is a brave series for many reasons, but its brutality and coldness towards its characters remain its strengths. In fact, at times it feels like this is a show made for Chucky himself, where no one is safe, no one makes it out alive, and there are killings aplenty. It’s completely unrelenting, but because of that, every new episode exudes tension and suspense. You can never guess what’s going to happen because the show constantly subverts your expectations. It’s not often that a show does this, and normally there would be a ton of backlash, but this is it Chucky, and this franchise has always existed on its own level, so really anything is possible. If it was playing it safe, it just wouldn’t be Chuckyand while it can be sad to say goodbye to some of these characters, it’s always exciting to see who’s next on Chucky’s list.
Source : collider.com