Chucky, the iconic psychopathic doll with a taste for blood, has seen some competition on his corner. In the past year alone, dancing AI Dolls, giant animatronics, and the return of the tricycle-riding clown have offered stiff competition. Yet there’s only one red-headed monster known for his comedy, his oddly progressive nature, and, of course, his super violent kills. Chucky returns for the second half of its third season and, once again, proves his dark comedy fits best on television.

Chucky Season 3 Plot

After infiltrating the White House, Chucky (Brad Dourif) continues his reign of terror. In Part 1, he already butchered multiple SNL cast members and took out high-ranking Secret Service officials. However, Chucky loses favor with his deity of choice, Damballa, causing him to age rapidly. As the Chuckster tries to stop this process, his love Tiffany Valentine – possessing the body of Jennifer Tilly – awaits execution. Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) keeps guard over Tiffany.

She’s not the only person trying to ensure Chucky and Tiffany do not get their way. Teens Jake (Zachary Arthur), Devon (Björgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind). To get to Chucky in the White House, Lexy works to meet the President’s son. Meanwhile, The President (Devon Sawa) begins seeing haunting visions in the Oval Office.

The Critique

Those who love Chucky are in for some big swings. While the franchise has not always been my cup of tea, its hard to deny Don Mancini’s vision continues to pay off. In a Fast and the Furious kind of way, Chucky seems to get better the more outlandish it gets. This also gives them the opportunity, like certain Vin Diesel-led franchises, to call on their most obscure characters at the drop of a hat. The show does not require previous knowledge of these characters to work, but it especially rewards fans with that background.

Additionally, it is something of a miracle that Dourif and Tilly remain so good. Most performers tire as they take on roles for more than a decade. Yet each finds ways to highlight their performance styles while also having a ton of fun. Dourif gets to have a delightful arc to close out the season with genuinely unexpected twists and turns. Meanwhile, Tilly turns up to an eleven when she’s put on screen. While she’s using sparing compared to Season 2, she actually becomes more effective when called upon here.

The teens continue to grow as performers too. Arthur genuinely surprises late in the season, especially considering he’s acting primarily against dolls. Lind continues her upward trajectory as well. She’s long been the best of younger performers, but her heartbreak and pain are palpable here. Arnarson gets the short end of the stick, but it continues to fall on the writing. Frankly, the team appears unable to give his character anything interesting to play, while Arthur and Lind get far more unique story arcs.

The adult cast, especially Sawa, proves game for the insanity. Why Sawa has become an icon of the franchise is still beyond me. Yet his embrace and total commitment to the bits has left him as Chucky‘s steadiest hands. You never doubt that he will deliver humor on screen, and the second half of this season is particularly special for him.

The kills are once again amazing and potentially even more creative than Season 3’s Part One. They are not just creative. They are grisly and bloody. We’ve now reached Evil Dead levels of comical blood, so the show remains an adult (or older teen) series. With some cool special effects, Chucky once again proves it’s better at utilizing these VFX than nearly every other horror show today.

The biggest swing of the season will undeniably make people question what direction the show is heading. The deep lore pull may cause those with less knowledge of the franchise to grow frustrated. At the same time, it’s such a swing that you cannot help but admire it. There’s plenty of talent stepping on screen to help bring it to life. There’s nothing new here for fans of the franchise, yet it’s possible this will be among the most divisive aspects of the series to date. Any move that can activate that kind of response makes it a win in my book.

In Conclusion

While Chucky has been an acquired taste, this four-episode run could serve as an entry point. If you’re a horror fan, and especially if you’re a Child’s Play fan, there’s more nostalgia to help you on board. Hopefully, Chucky is in prime position for a Season 4, and with enough threads left at the end of this season, we could be getting even weirder. This should be a good thing.

8/10

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