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Editor’s Note: The following contains Chucky Season 3, Episode 2 spoilers.
The Big Picture
Chucky Season 3 continues to be unhinged and ruthless, killing off major characters with brutal and unexpected deaths. The show’s willingness to take risks and not play it safe with its kills creates a sense of dread and excitement for viewers. The constant subversion of expectations keeps the tension high and adds to the thrill, as no character is safe from Chucky’s sadistic ways.
The Child’s Play franchise has always existed in its own unique little bubble. What started out as a classic horror story of a possessed doll terrorizing a family, soon evolved into a franchise full of absurd storylines. So it really should be no surprise that the television series is just as crazy at times. But unlike the films where the only consistent character was Chucky (Brad Dourif), the Chucky TV series is now on Season 3 with a staple group of characters that we’ve now grown attached to. 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 be nothing but 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 get-go Chucky proved to be a rather unhinged show. Chucky himself was just as crude as he’d always been, and he clearly hadn’t grown an ounce of a conscience since we last saw him. It made for a thrilling time, especially when the very first episode killed off Jake’s (Zackary Arthur) dad. It became pretty clear from the first time we met Lucas (Devon Sawa) that he would eventually end up on Chucky’s victim list. He wasn’t exactly the greatest dad to Jake, and for all the things Chucky is, he is pretty loyal to his owners in his own twisted way. But it was wholly unexpected for it to happen so quickly. It was a hell of a way to start off the series, but the shock didn’t end there. Jake went on to live with his Uncle Logan (played again by Devon Sawa), Aunt Bree (Lexa Doig), and their son Junior (Teo Briones). While Logan and Bree weren’t exactly unexpected deaths, their son Junior was. He was introduced as a main character, Lexy’s (Alyvia Alyn Lind) boyfriend, Jake’s cousin, and an all-around popular guy at school. So for him to die by the season’s end was extremely shocking.
As if it wasn’t enough to basically knock out 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, albeit missing. Since the show doesn’t dwell on these deaths as much as you might expect, you almost forget just how tragic these characters have it. Yes, we love seeing Chucky do his thing but he’s really done Jake, Lexy, and Devon dirty. And it’s not just parents he’s gone after, he’s killed teachers, other students, and even Jake’s very young foster brother Gary (Simon Webster), RIP. Just when you think a character is in the clear and will somehow be invincible for Chucky, the not-so-Good-Guy throws you a curveball and takes out the least suspecting 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 No One Is Safe in ‘Chucky’
Image via Syfy
As twisted as it may be to say, the fact that no one on Chucky is safe is actually a good thing. Too often a show or a movie will play it safe and not take any big risks with its kills, creating a safety net that doesn’t leave room for any sort of dread or nervousness. While it may not be inherently fun worrying about the fate of your favorite character, it does make for a good watch, and Chucky certainly succeeds on that front. A lot of his most shocking kills come out of nowhere, like with Mayor Cross (Barbara Alyn Woods), Lexy’s mom. That death still remains one of the most surprising (and gorey kills) in the show. She was the only parent left standing, and the Mayor, so she felt pretty darn safe. But Chucky was pretty quick to divert that and literally chainsawed her in half. It was brutal, and it left Season 2 off by further pushing the narrative that anyone can go on this show.
Going into Season 3 with that knowledge is pretty daunting, but lucky for us, or perhaps unlucky, we didn’t have to wait long for Chucky to make a big move. Chucky kills off Ms. Fairchild (Annie Briggs) real quick. A recurring character since the very first episode, Season 3 had her take in Jake, Devon, and Lexy and become their legal guardian, so her death was definitely not anticipated — at least, not so soon. But as sad as it is to see her go, the show does deserve some praise for how unafraid it is to be ruthless. But really, could a Chucky show be anything less? With that though comes the very urgent question of: Are Jake, Devon, and Lexy even safe? One would think yes, as 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 time only to ultimately succumb to Chucky. All three of the kids have had close encounters with Chucky, so it really wouldn’t be all that surprising if one of these times they didn’t manage to make it out alive. It would certainly raise the stakes, and three seasons in and so many deaths later, it doesn’t seem impossible.
Chucky is a brave show for many reasons, but its brutality and coldness toward its characters remain its strongest points. In fact, at times it just feels like this is a show designed for Chucky himself, where no one is safe, no one makes it out alive, and there are plenty of kills to go around. It’s completely unforgiving, but because of that each new episode exudes tension and excitement. You can never guess what will happen because the show is constantly subverting your expectations. It’s not often that a show does that and normally plenty of backlash would follow, but this is Chucky, and this franchise has always existed on its own plane so really anything goes. If it played things safe it simply wouldn’t be Chucky, and though it can be sad to say goodbye to some of these characters, it’s always thrilling to see who will be next on Chucky’s list.