For the past few episodes, Chucky has heavily leaned into the franchise’s past by bringing old characters back and shining the spotlight on them. This pattern had been a fun trip down memory lane, but it somewhat lessened the importance of the series’ main characters because they were pushed aside. Last week, we expressed our hope that the show would strike a better balance between the two in order to create a hybrid of the two eras. The latest outing takes some steps in doing so, but it trucks through the middle ground. Instead, it almost entirely focuses on newcomers Jake, Devon, and Lexy. In doing so, this chapter is somewhat jarring because the viewer has come to expect more blasts from the past; without them, Tuesday’s episode felt incomplete.
“Twice the Grieving, Double the Loss” explores the fallout of last week’s brutal cliffhanger, when Chucky killed Devon’s mom right in front of him. This focus allows the show to set up a dichotomy between Devon and Jake; whereas the latter eventually used the tragic loss of his parents to stop Chucky, Devon’s reaction is the polar opposite. Initially, he calls is quits and gets ready to run because he doesn’t want to deal with the homicidal doll anymore. This contrast is the essential narrative of this episode, and it pushes Jake and Devon, who had been forming a bright romance in recent weeks, apart. At first, it seems like all hope is lost, as the not-so-merry band of heroes temporarily gives up the fight.
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Thankfully, the good guys later realize that they’re the only ones who can stop Chucky. Other than Andy, who doesn’t arrive in Jake’s neck of the woods until the end of the episode, anyone who knows about Chucky’s reign of terror is either dead, institutionalized or worse — possessed by Charles Lee Ray himself. Desperation might be the best motive of them all, so it makes perfect sense to see Jake and his allies falter before they regain their commitment to the mission at hand. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen a few times before in the series, Chucky might be multiple steps ahead of them anyway.
When Devon gets back on track, he opts to investigate Charles Lee Ray’s childhood home, hoping to find a lead that could help him stop Chucky once and for all. Little does he know, Tiffany, Chucky’s twisted lover, purchased the house, so he stumbles into a potentially lethal trap upon his arrival there. Nica Pierce, a Chucky victim who is now irregularly possessed by the killer, blindsides Devon and seemingly takes him captive. By the end of the episode, he’s in the clutches of Tiffany and Nica, and it’ll be up to Jake, Lexy and potentially Andy to save him.
Speaking of Andy, he does show up right before the ending credits. Early on, he adopts the “lone wolf” philosophy and abandons his partner, Kyle while they’re on their way to help the kids stop Chucky. On one hand, it feels like this choice could lead to a climactic showdown between Chucky and Andy, the two characters who started it all, which could deliver an epic, satisfying conclusion to the franchise (until the inevitable reboot or continuation.) But with the way this week’s episode largely ignored the characters from the past, it’s fair to assume that Jake, Devon and or Lexy will be the ones who stop Chucky once and for all. Hopefully, Andy will have an important part to play in the conclusion, but this story is about the new generation, and the finale should showcase that.
This week’s episode was a stark departure from the style the past few chapters utilized, as old characters like Andy barely played a part in the latest chapter. Hardcore fans who enjoyed the focus on the past will likely be disappointed by this shift, but it was a needed reminder about the main story. Once again, viewers can hope that the series will compromise and feature both the OGs and the new school moving forward.
Thankfully, horror fans won’t have to wait too long to see what’s next. New episodes of the Syfy and USA Network series will be released weekly, so catch Chucky, along with our review, every Tuesday.
