Chucky Is Back to Reclaim Its Title as TV's Best Horror Comedy
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Chucky wrapped up the first half of its third season just before Halloween—ending on a cliffhanger that made fans wonder if the pint-sized maniac, who’d managed to infiltrate the White House, would figure out how to reverse his sudden skid into very old age. Or rather, “how” he’d reverse it, not “if,” because if there’s one thing we know by now, it’s that Chucky will always find a way to come back.
The series returns today with the first of four more episodes in season three, and it’s safe to say creator Don Mancini and company had an absolute blast working their way though the biggest conundrum Chucky has ever faced. As we learned earlier in season three, Chucky wormed his way into the White House for one specific reason, and it didn’t involve a political power grab. Instead, he needed to be in the most evil environment possible to get back in the good graces of Damballa—the voodoo god that made it possible for serial killer Charles Lee Ray to transfer his soul into a Good Guy doll back in 1988's Child’s Play, and the supplier of the black magic that had, until very recently, imbued Chucky with eternal life.
Of course, wherever Chucky goes, bloodshed follows, so season three has already seen its share of gruesomely mutilated dead bodies—and that trend continues. (No spoilers in this review, but let’s just say the White House gets drenched in plenty of viscera.) While Chucky grapples with his declining health, his teenage foes—Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Björgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind)—scramble to find a way to take him down once and for all, and his former paramour, Tiffany (still in the body of “convicted murderer Jennifer Tilly,” played by Jennifer Tilly), frantically plots an escape from Death Row in Texas.
There’s a lot stacked up, plot-wise, and that’s without even mentioning the storyline revolving around the POTUS (Devon Sawa), his family, and the morally slippery government agent (Gil Bellows) sworn to protect them... even as things get supernaturally freaky in D.C. But Chucky knows there are two big reasons why it’s become such a fan favorite, and neither of them have much to do with the show’s knowingly silly narrative. Chucky fans want to see bombastic death scenes—and they want those oddball moments of humor that have made the main character (and others in his orbit) so endearing and enduring.
Chucky’s third season doesn’t disappoint in either regard; the show’s writers have done well exploring Chucky’s vulnerability, but they also include a hilarious scene in which Chucky takes note of other “killer doll” celebrities—including M3GAN—and reacts with the exact level of obscene disgust you’d want out of him. (There’s another moment where Chucky demonstrates his hatred of Santa Claus to an extreme degree.) The show also takes the time to mend the rift between Chucky and Tiffany, which was perhaps inevitable but feels remarkably tender considering the estranged lovers’ main bond revolves around piling up a body count. As glimpsed in the trailer for season three’s new episodes, we even get to see Charles Lee Ray in his ghostly form, finally bringing Brad Dourif out of the vocal booth and giving him his most significant on-screen presence in the Child’s Play franchise since 1988.
Though certain loose ends are tied up by the end of season three—with a last act commanded by guest star John Waters, playing a character who’s both new to, and crucial to, Chucky’s decades of lore—Chucky can’t resist leaving the door wide open for more. By now, three seasons in, you get the feeling this show’s campy energy could go on quite awhile longer; in Chucky’s world, there’s always going to be people who need to be creatively slaughtered, quips that need to be delivered (“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chuckytown”), and a cackling laugh to remind us that even though the good guys might try to stop him, there’s one Good Guy who will always come out on top.
Chucky season three, part two premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on USA and Syfy, with new episodes weekly until May 1. You can also stream episodes the next day on Peacock.
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