“Goin’ to the Chapel” begins with some promise. Jake (Zackary Arthur) sits in confession with Father Bryce (Devon Sawa) eagerly listening on, as the young teen confesses the guilt he has harbored over the loss of parents and friends. The promising black-and-white scene is interrupted by Chucky’s return to the hall where Dr. Mixter (Rosemary Dunsmore) awaits possession of Good Chucky following the death of Nadine (Bella Higginbotham). “Goin’ to the Chapel” continues to play with time by offering brief glimpses of various characters’ confessions, but it largely leaves the episode feeling scrambled.
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Admittedly, Chucky’s second season has set out to accomplish quite a bit. From meaningfully tying in various characters from the Child’s Play franchise in Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly), Andy (Alex Vincent), Kyle (Christine Elise), and Nica (Fiona Dourif) in its first season to the additions of Glen and Glenda (Lachlan Watson) in season 2, where Chucky and his motives fit into all this gets lost in the shuffle. He’s largely passed around from character to character and his core motivation doesn’t appear solid. What begins as a plot to kill those who have betrayed him and escaped his clutches, quickly becomes takes a detour to involve the splintering of his spirit from Nica, the selfish desires of other Good Guys dolls, and the chaos he aims to bring out of his children.
“Goin’ to the Chapel” largely feels rushed. After enduring a brutal end in last week’s episode, Nadine reappears as a guardian angel for Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind). Her return is startling so shortly after her initial death, leaving little room for any struggle and payoff for Lexy’s battle with her addiction and guilt. Like Lexy, Jake’s guilt has slowly brewed all season. His odd trust in Good Chucky was proven a mistake, though there has still been little exploration of where he, Devon (Björgvin Arnarson), and Lexy stand given all they have endured. “Goin’ to the Chapel” doesn’t have the means to solve this issue on its own, but it still feels Chucky’s second season ringing hollow.
The corruption of Sister Ruth (Lara Jean Chorostecki) is another portion of season 2 that Chucky seems to drop the ball with. Ruth was quickly ostracized by the other nuns and verbally berated by Father Bryce before finding herself at the mercy of Buff Chucky. Ruth’s hope to serve what she believes to be a reincarnation of the Lord has great promise in the world of Chucky and Child’s Play, which has a longstanding history of corrupting characters for the killer’s benefit. However, Chucky disposes of Ruth shortly after this transformation takes form, though she is given a memorable end by Glenda’s hand, with the help of Charles Lee Ray’s knife.
Perhaps one of the most startling choices in the composition of “Goin’ to the Chapel” is its editing. In the memorable scene where viewers are forced to say goodbye to yet another character played by Sawa, there are a series of unconventional cuts that continue to show the gory death from every possible angle. Its repetitiveness contributes to the odd humor of Chucky and the preceding Child’s Play franchise, but it doesn’t fully land the mark. The death of Father Bryce is sudden, but not unexpected; however, he is given a redemption that none of Sawa’s other characters in the series have had. Bryce makes the choice to do what he can to save the children and uphold his faith, even after being excommunicated. Nonetheless, the episode’s stagnant use of jump cuts is one of the strangest occurrences within “Goin’ to the Chapel.”
“Goin’ to the Chapel” attempts to offer a fake-out ending. The apparent murder of Chucky seemingly puts the group’s doll troubles behind them, but the arrival of Glen and Tiffany at the Catholic School threatens the harmony Chucky attempts to propose. As Nica’s hopes to kill Tiffany once and for all are dashed by Glen taking the bullet for their mother, Chucky’s season finale has yet another odd twist to answer for. “Goin’ to the Chapel” also provides what should be an end for Andy and Kyle, though they will always return to the franchise as long as Chucky remains a threat. The most definitive ending “Goin’ to the Chapel” provides is that of Jennifer Tilly, who was imprisoned within the Tiffany doll.
Clues of where Chucky is headed in its finale have been planted. Chucky’s desperation to reconnect with Chucky Prime, Tiffany’s hope to revert to doll form to escape captivity, and Glen’s fresh gunshot wound, all seem to point the iconic characters toward their past. If Chucky is able to pull it off in the season 2 finale, it may set up the reasonable and enticing ground for a third season to be granted.
Season 1 of Chucky is now streaming on Peacock.
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