With the first half of season three slicing through the White House back in October, it may feel like the extended wait to see Chucky‘s third outing conclude has dulled the blade ever-so-slighty. Damn you, pesky strikes! Lest viewers have any doubt, we should learn by now never to count out Don Mancini. Only he can make Tiffany’s sassy dialogue or Chucky’s abrasive cruelty sound so harmonious. Penning every entry of the franchise up through this TV show (except for the unrelated remake), Mancini crafts a consistency that carries over even into these new episodes. Part 2 heavily teases Old Chucky in its advertising—on this front, season 3 part 2 definitely does not disappoint. These four episodes take the series in a promising new direction that feels like uncharted territory for one of horror’s most enduring franchises. Whether leaning into its meta comedy, punctuating major character moments, or reveling in campy brutality, season 3 part 2 is a crowd-pleasing love letter that encapsulates everything we adore about Chucky.
Picking up right after we left things hanging in part 1, President James (Devon Sawa) gives a speech about the losses they suffered at the Halloween party, including the death of ten people. Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) are trying to figure out how infiltrate the White House again, hoping that Grant (Jackson Kelly) will forgive Lexy for using him. First wife Charlotte (Lara Jean Chorostecki) tries to do whatever she can to preserve and protect her family. Meanwhile, Chucky has begun to age more rapidly; laying in bed, the decrepit doll looks increasingly more unwell. This includes nasty sores, deep wrinkles, and liver spots all over his body.
Chucky is losing his enthusiasm for life and killing, contemplating what he truly has done any of this for. Meanwhile, Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), stuck in actress Jennifer Tilly’s body, remains on Death Row, with her imminent execution by lethal injection only days away. A split-screen phone conversation between Tiffany and Chucky is one of the many highlights, emphasizing the importance of their toxic love. Per usual, at first it seems that these disparate threads will take a whole lot of trifling to actually connect. However, Mancini and his skilled team of writers know the patchwork beauty of Chucky mythology like the back of their hands at this point. Every major player whose arcs were started previously gets a meaningful and oftentimes satisfying direction to their respective narratives.
The supernatural elements are cranked up, playing further on the whole White House being the most evil place on Earth angle. In fact, it seems to be something of an epicenter for the so-called Spirit Realm, the Chucky version of purgatory. Insidious‘s “The Further” did it first, albeit extremely different tonally. Those not yet at peace still linger, and in the White House, this means a wide range of spirits both ancient and recent are bound to show their faces. Psychic Timmy swings by to commence a White House seance to help purge the property of its ghostly ties, only because the Long Island Medium was already booked. If any of the insanity seems a significant shift for Chucky, this is really only a stone’s throw away from Damballa and the voodoo hijinks around every corner.
Along with the supernatural elements being cranked up, Chucky continues to focus on its characters. In another win for gay relationships on TV, Jevon shippers will be overjoyed. Jake and Devon grow closer than ever. Their Call Me By Your Name moment earlier in the season has an adorable payoff, and a few unexpected twists and turns call on both Arnarson and Arthur to play up their grandest acting performances yet. Arthur in particular has focus shifted to him once more. Earlier, season-one threads regarding his father and their tumultuous relationship are reexamined, along with the prospect of Jake as the true hero.
Revisiting these threads makes the scope of Chucky feel cohesive even as its stakes evolve crazier than ever. As with Jake and Devon, Lexy’s recurring ties to “Don’t Fear the Reaper” run deeper the closer she gets to Grant. Chucky himself, at the center of all action, remains as complex and unpredictable as ever; Tiffany on the other hand desperately tries to figure out how to use voodoo powers to brainwash more guards to her cause. Tilly savagely devours ridiculous dialogue that cements her character as one of the best of all time, whilst Dourif happily approaches new material with different iterations of Chucky.
These four episodes fly by in rapid pacing that still allows the explosive moments to have their time in the spotlight. These include nightmarish sequences set in the spirit realm, Brad Dourif as Charles Lee Ray in a surprising supporting role, intense, memorable kill scenes, multiple shoot-outs, and outrageous gags one will not soon forget. Callbacks to key franchise moments remain just as important as before, and Sawa gets the most to do since his first appearance on the show during this back half. The body count may seem slightly on the lower side, but in retrospect, the deaths are always major punctuation marks during their respective episodes. Chucky himself, as expected, is responsible for the majority of the bloodshed.
Mancini takes the biggest swings yet in a propulsive season finale titled, “Final Destination.” The last time an imprint this significant was felt in the Chucky ouvre was probably in Cult of Chucky‘s soul-splitting revelation. Turning Chucky into Voldemort was part of what made a television continuation that much more appealing in the first place. One thing is certain: nothing will be the same for any of these characters if Chucky‘s “fourth term in office” comes to fruition. Perhaps, some of the choices made will be controversial amongst the fandom. Once film legend John Waters shows up as doll creator Wendell, all bets are off. What Chucky promises heading into a potential season four aims in a very specific direction amongst the franchise sequels. There are enough cliffhangers to pin several bodies through. Punctuated by series-best performances from the cast and enough over-the-top pizazz to keep Chucky in the pop culture conversation, season three electrifies Washington, D.C. one more time, and refuses to put a Good Guy down for good.
Prepare for the endgame when Chucky returns with four all-new episodes, on USA and SYFY on Thursday, April 11th.
