Chucky 2×3 Review: “Hail Mary!”

Chucky Season 2 Episode 3, titled ‘Hail Mary!’, showed Jake and his friends trying to handle the serial killer doll in a very unusual manner.

The previous episode of Chucky had the teens realize that the Chucky doll running around in the Incarnate Lord was basically a scout. ‘Hail Mary!’ had Jake and co trying to unravel what Chucky was actually planning. They even used torture to get him to speak, but alas, you can’t really torture a sadist. All they could find out from the cellphone was that Chucky was in contact with someone named The Colonel. The gap between the events of Season 1 and Season 2 had given Chucky a lot of time to plan stuff. And the teens were understandably worried.

With the Child’s Play/Chucky franchise known for paying homage to iconic horror material, the third episode had Jake and his friends brainwash Chucky in a very A Clockwork Orange manner. Considering the teens were currently being held at a strictly religious establishment, and the organization’s stance against the queer community, the brainwashing segment also reminded me of conversion therapy.

Even though the brainwashing experiment actually working wasn’t guaranteed, the result was definitely unexpected. Undergoing the sensory overload led to Chucky tapping into his ‘Good Guy Doll’ psyche (the factory settings? Ha!). There wasn’t an ounce of Charles Lee Ray in him. The new version also didn’t remember who he was working for. This Chucky was all about making friends and being hugged. And while Jake might trust him, I couldn’t help but be like Devon and side-eye Chucky’s every move.

While brainwashing Chucky made for some comedic and intense scenes, most of the episode was focused on the teens trying to deal with more human problems. Our trio’s going through it. I appreciated how the writing team didn’t simply brush away the emotional turmoil these characters had experienced during the first season and how those dark moments resurfaced due to Chucky reentering their lives didn’t help. Jake and his friends were in serious need of therapy. Lots of it.

The episode opened with Jake being interrogated by Father Bryce about the whereabouts of the missing Chucky doll. Jake’s being feeling a lot of guilt. He blamed himself for deciding to bring Chucky home during the yard sale in Season 1. He blamed himself for all the deaths Chucky caused. And the recent death of his foster brother weighed heavily on him. Being sent to the Incarnate Lord and being constantly told about feeling ashamed and guilty due to his “sins” were both doing a number on Jake.

As far as my opinion goes, I think Jake felt that it was up to him to permanently stop Chucky. However, in his mission to put things right, he was clearly ignoring the emotional ordeal Devon and Lexy were going through.

There’s no denying that Jake and Devon are in love. However, Jake’s been asking a lot from Devon. Chucky killed Devon’s mother. Being asked by Jake to not harm the killer doll required a lot of self-restraint from Devon. Also, Devon’s worried about Jake getting himself killed by refusing to stop associating with Chucky.

Similarly, Chucky killed Lexy’s father and her boyfriend. She too didn’t want to be anywhere near Chucky. I understood why Lexy was hesitant to stay in the room alone to keep an eye on Chucky, even if he had turned “good”. For her and Devon, seeing Chucky made them remember the loved ones they lost. Now, I get that Chucky also killed Jake’s father and uncle. But, Jake wasn’t really close to those relatives, especially not in the way Devon was close to his mother and Lexy with Junior.

Currently, Lexy’s been given the most material to work with. I liked seeing Lexy be vulnerable as she talked to her new roommate Nadine about how it felt as if her world was crumbling apart around her. The first season of Chucky had Lexy go through some major character development. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what changes the writers have in store for her this time around.

Coming to Nadine, I wasn’t sure at first, but I have started to like her as a character. She brings a fun dynamic to the core friend group with her quirks and emotional intelligence. I don’t know why she thought confessing to the priest about meeting a supernatural doll was a good idea, but oh well, Nadine’s going to do what Nadine’s going to do. I have my fingers crossed she makes it out alive by the end.

Due to her mother being a drug addict, Nadine’s able to see the signs in Lexy. With Devon and Jake dealing with their own relationship issues, I liked seeing Lexy find a friend. Yes, Devon and Jake are her friends too, but Lexy needed a friend who was also a girl.

Another surprising moment in ‘Hail Mary!’ was Trevor’s fate. I really thought Chucky was going to recruit him to his cause to get back at the teens. Trevor’s had it out for Lexy after all. But nopes. The writers made it clear that Chucky was going to do things differently during the sophomore season. He didn’t need young human recruits because he had a bunch of Chucky dolls to use.

Trevor’s death being caused by an uber-strong Chucky doll was handled well. I enjoyed the gore and the shock value. Many people like to joke about how easy it would be to handle a threat like Chucky. You can simply kick him away, right? Well, what if the Chucky doll coming after you was strong enough to punch a hole through your chest? What then? Jake, Devon, Lexy, and Nadine are in for a rude awakening.

Some other thoughts and questions:

• Father Bryce noticing Jake and Devon kiss each other isn’t something he’s going to let go of. I highly doubt Father Bryce will allow such a relationship to continue. He already punished Devon to force Jake to give the Chucky doll back. He will do something again.
• I hope Jake doesn’t let the speech about forgiving others before you can forgive yourself to get to his head. I don’t think that line of thought applies when dealing with murderous supernatural dolls.
• Next week’s episode seems to focus more on Tiffany. So, I guess we will finally be properly introduced to Glen and Glenda? Yay!
• I can see Sister Catherine stepping in to help the teens. 
• Apparently, Nadine took Krav Maga for a couple of years. I need to see her fight!

What did you think of ‘Hail Mary!’? What did you think of the superstrong Chucky doll?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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