After an outstanding opening episode, Chucky returns for a Halloween adventure nobody will forget. It doesn’t take long for the titular villain to kick things off as the Wheeler’s dedicated housekeeper meets her end after a little shove into a knife filled dishwasher. The bloodiness kind of ends there though as the second episode may leave some fans wondering if the series has already reached its limit.

This episode finds Jake (Zackary Arthur) heading to a Halloween party at popular teen Oliver’s (Avery Esteves) house. This isn’t a social visit though. Jake had very little intention of showing up until he realizes that Chucky (Brad Dourif) is missing and is surely heading to the party to eliminate Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) as punishment for bullying Jake. We’re fully introduced to Lexy’s little sister Caroline (Carina Battrick), who steals the show as Chucky’s new friend at the party. She’s obsessed with Chucky and it carries a slightly disturbing note as a possible partner in crime in future years.

The turning point of the party comes as Lexy unveils her costume. While Jake has been leaning more towards trying to stop Chucky, Lexy’s costume of Jake’s dad being electrocuted may finally push him to murder. Humiliated, insulted, and hurt beyond words, Chucky sees his opportunity to convince Jake to finally kill Lexy himself. The episode closes with Jake taking up Chucky’s butcher knife, seemingly ready to embrace his murderous ambition and put an end to the bullying that Lexy has been dishing out.

Outside of the opening scene murder, this second episode leans more story than action. There’s some real standout moments, including Chucky’s attempt to murder Lexy while she’s making out with Junior (Teo Briones) in a bedroom, but for the most part it’s a bit of a letdown. Most of the adult actors seem flat and out of place. This is always something I find in teen related content. I frequently wonder if this is something that happens naturally because the focus is on the teens, giving them better arcs, or if it’s something that is intentional, portraying the adult characters in a way that the teens may see them.

Whatever the reason may be, the interactions between the adults and teens struggles to maintain a strong connection with the audience. The show shines when the kids are the ones who are given the reins, and thankfully the party allows for more of these moments. The real highlight is watching Chucky and Caroline play video games together in the basement of the party house. Set aside by her sister, Caroline loves hanging out with Chucky and it leads to so many funny moments.

The bookend scenes of this episode are what make it truly special. The opening murder is fantastic, and the closing scene of Jake and Chucky is truly chilling. While it’s not unusual for fans to cheer for the villain in a horror film or series, Chucky takes it to a different level. Chucky is just such a dick that it should be really hard to cheer for him, and the fact that Jake is basically ready to murder from bullying should be disturbing, not entertaining. Somehow, it’s a blast though. While other horror icons may beat Chucky out in terms of brutality or presence, there’s a pure joy to indulging in Chucky’s world. The combination of Brad Dourif’s voice and the outstanding puppet work of Chucky makes every second spent with the killer doll an absolute blast.

Tune In or Tune Out

This episode actually pushes the limits of a tune in. It starts strong but quickly spirals out of control. I worried that the show had already hit its peak, but the final minutes pulled everything back together. It ends on such a strong note that I couldn’t wait to see where things would go next. The promise of learning more about the as yet untold history of Charles Lee Ray is also a strong point for the series. We’ve never learned the real history of the character and it’s going to be interesting to see if it makes the series a winner or perhaps threatens all the goodwill the series has built over the years.