Chucky - Death by Misadventure

 This was the pilot for "Chucky", the SYFY/USA series once again helmed by writer/director Don Mancini, about an awkward, bullied, motherless gay middle school student, Jake Wheeler, who is at a yard sale, finding a Good Guy doll on a table, purchasing it from the neighbor because he was "retro". She asked Jake if he was into vintage. At home, Jake has this very creepy giant doll art piece made from the bits and pieces of any number of dolls found at different places (pawn shops, garbage bins, yard sales, etc.). Jake's alcoholic father (Devon Sawa) works at a lube shop, struggling to make ends meet...he's not happy with the fact his son is gay and into "doll art". The heavy drinking, loss of his wife, and difficult job status is a combination of misery that doesn't help Luke Wheeler at all. Luke's twin brother, Logan (also Sawa), is rich and successful, so that also is like salt rubbed in this gaping wound, too. Meanwhile, Jake deals with this horrible popular blond Heather named Lexy who purposely torments him for kicks. And her parents seem to have clout and elitism in the town of Hackensack, so Lexy appears to be in a place of privilege and status that would deem her untouchable. A science teacher looks to get Lexy to take down a Gofundme featuring Jake and the Chucky doll requesting financial help. It is a dig at Jake's father's financial woes, intentionally hurtful. I really feel Mancini truly has a message loud and clear right at the onset about bullying, putting together a very sympathetic story together about Jake's plight. When Jake watches as his father blasts apart the doll art piece with a bat in slow motion, Mancini really looks to provoke as much horror, I felt, as anything Chucky might do in the episode. Mancini also decides to go the route of the very first Holland-directed "Child's Play" (1988), recalling that magnificent scene featuring Andy's mom and Chucky, when the back plate opened revealed no batteries. Jake returning home to his father drinking, pulling from under the table Chucky, knowing that he had left the doll with his Biology teacher at school also intimates something is very wrong. Then the talent show in the theater at school where Lexy is spotlighting folks in the audience (mostly students), making sure to point her light right at Jake, bringing up a podcaster named Devon (whose mom is a detective) ...Chucky whispers in Jake's ear after noising at Lexy, with the audience clueless to the fact a doll is talking. Jake takes Chucky up to the stage, pretending to be a ventriloquist, while Charles Lee Ray really emerges in full for the first time.

That Dourif voice is left quiet for a majority of the episode and Chuck barely moves, for the exception of the eyes. Hearing Dourif speaking through the doll as Logan's wife is brought up as having a secret (Chucky in Jake's closet as she talks to a lover, planning a meet-up), as well as, Lexy's phone in Chucky's hand as her own secrets are revealed (such as a relationship with two boys, interest in smelly farts, and the odd Pokeman porn discovery). These are 14 year olds, according to Mancini. You'd think it was high schoolers! Lexy is already dating a school athlete (boys Jake knows are interested in Junior Wheeler, Jake's cousin), while it would seem she has been covertly involved with a prick named Oliver. Oliver, much like Lexy, seems to enjoy bullying Jake for whatever reason. Mancini establishes that Jake is interested in Devon, who would appear to be interested in Junior. So it would seem middle school has a lot of relationship drama. I guess you might consider this the Chucky version of Degrassi.

I was ready for Chucky to pop to life and hear that Dourif voice as the classic warped face (Chucky always delights in killing or planning to kill, so that cute little face with the sweet "I like to be hugged" voice transforms into this devious psychopath with a foul mouth) reveals to Jake something quite menacing. How could Jake have prepared for this?

The episode also shows flashbacks from kid Charles Lee Ray in POV approaching his mom. Mancini clearly has a purpose for this, later to be revealed. But this first episode is about introducing the kids and some of the adults before Chucky decides to vomit whisky on the floor while Luke is touching the fuse box (a loose wire on the floor) in the basement. Now Jake is parentless, sent to stay at his uncle's house while an investigation is underway. That blackened eyeball (due to electrocution) on the body of Luke as the body bag is zipped up is wicked. Jake having to watch his father be electrocuted then Chucky spring to life talking about "that bitch, Lexy" is a lot of shock to absorb!

Oh, Devon has a HackenSlash podcast detailing true crime in their home town, but he confronts Jake about the bullying, wanting him on an episode. Jake just isn't interested in that. The episode certainly cares about Jake's angst and tension with his cousin, the two always at odds, much like Luke and Logan were. It would appear Jake will struggle as his father did while Junior will follow the successes of his father. I think all of these stories are a means for Mancini to give a show about Chucky legs...Chucky killing folks just isn't enough to build across episodes. So these kids and the relationship drama is a way to extend plenty of story. 3/5