Now that’s the Chucky we know and love.
Chucky Season 2 Episode 4 was a unique hour that broke the fourth wall, introduced a bunch of celebrities, and showcased some big returns.
Off the bat, I wasn’t interested in the show’s attempt at bringing people from Jennifer Tilly’s life into the orbit because I figured it would break the immersion of the series.
I couldn’t have been more wrong because throwing Meg Tilly, Sutton Stracke, and Gina Gershon into the mix as heightened versions of themselves worked well to show that Tiffany is keeping up this ruse as the actress.
It reminded me of BH90210 in terms of the setup and how the series kept tipping the hat to the real world.
Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly have a lot of chemistry that continues to translate very well onto the screen, but I didn’t peg Gershon as the butler killer.
If anything, “Death on Denial” managed to subvert expectations throughout because I couldn’t tell what was coming next, and every time something big happened, I was in shock.
Meg played pain well as she tried to come to terms with why her sister had been ghosting her, showcasing nuances of Tiffany that I didn’t know existed.
The tricky aspect is in how Jennifer will navigate these hurdles in the future, now that it’s clear both Glen and Glenda are not on her side.
Will Tiffany turn to Jennifer’s family and friends for support, or will she go rogue in her attempt to get back at Chucky?
Sutton is a real breath of fresh air on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and her persona from the Bravo reality series transitioned very well to this universe.
Kyle’s return took me by surprise. Look, I knew she didn’t die after the house was blown up, but I just didn’t expect her to be back this soon.
Kyle didn’t get enough time to shine on Chucky Season 1, and now that she’s met Nica and is on a mission well away from Tiffany, I can’t wait to see where this goes next.
Nica’s captivity arc was dragged on far too long, and honestly, I didn’t have hope she would escape because it’s been that long.
The tricky part of Nica’s existence is that she’s on the hook for a bunch of murders, meaning she’s a wanted woman and people will be out to get her, no matter where she goes.
It doesn’t help matters that she’s sharing a body with Charles Lee Ray, who is the reason she’s in this predicament in the first place.
Nica’s arc has been shrouded in darkness, and Chucky rarely lets up because darkness consumes every single person in this narrative.
She’s due some revenge; hopefully, she gets it now that she’s met up with Kyle for the first time.
It certainly leaves me confused about how these storylines will tie together by the season’s end.
The storyline at the school has been dragging the series down because it’s moving at such a slow pace, and it’s also pretty unbelievable.
Hopefully, Kyle drives directly to the school to give that storyline a jolt in the right direction.
The kids could use the help now that Hulk-Chucky is causing death and destruction at every turn.
Tiffany also has some big decisions to make because every single one of her plans falls apart before they reach fruition, sending her back to Charles or off the deep end.
Tiffany is unpredictable, and her impulses take over before she considers the ramifications of murdering people.
It’s hard not to think that she and Charles are more alike than they’d like us to believe.
Lachlan Watson was great as both Glen and Glenda. Showcasing two very different people like Glen and Glenda couldn’t have been an easy task, but I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table next.
Chucky’s talk show was comical when you get over the fact that he’s speaking directly to the audience.
Initially, it was jarring, but I appreciated how self-aware the hour was by the end.
It truly took things in a different direction and told us what happened in a way that didn’t seem bogged down by what came before it.
The addition of Liv Morgan was a shocker, and Chucky playing the tape of her claiming she wanted to get killed by the killer doll was, well, meta.
Chucky Season 2 has been a slog because there’s been much inconsistency in the plots, but the writing on “Death on Denial” was some of the strongest on the series yet.
For that reason alone, the second half of the season is starting to look very promising.
What did you think of this self-aware hour?
Do you think adding celebrities as heightened versions of themselves was a good idea?
What do you think Kyle is up to now that she has Nica?
What’s your take on Glen and Glenda being polar opposites?
Do you think it’s about time the storylines converged to give us the bigger picture?
Hit the comments
Chucky continues Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Syfy.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.