Season 2 of Chucky is in full swing on SyFy, focusing on Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), Devon Evans (Bjorgvin Arnarson) and Lexy Cross's (Alyvia Alyn Lind) time at Catholic School of the Incarnate Lord. Chucky is, of course, back to create more problems for the three young characters who are desperate to escape him.
There are several reasons to love this second season, from getting to watch the adorable and terrifying killer doll again to seeing how Jake, Devon and Lexy come up with a plan to get what they want. But can season 2 as a whole live up to the smart, scary and well-crafted first season?
While there are some good aspects of season 2 of Chucky, it's fair to say that, based on the episodes that have aired so far, season 1 was superior. The Chucky season 2 premiere episode "Halloween II" gets off to a promising start as Jake and Devon's estrangement from Lexy is chronicled. It makes sense that the three characters would have stopped talking about the ordeal that they went through in the previous season and there are some sweet scenes between Jake and Devon. But as soon as the three friends are sent to a boarding school, the show dips in quality a bit.
The biggest problem with season 2 of Chucky is that Lexy, Jake and Devon are sent to a boarding school and as soon as they are there, the show becomes a little stale. It's just not the most exciting setting. Of course, shortly after the characters' arrival, a delivery of a Good Guy doll shows up. While Chucky keeps coming back and he can't ever be stopped, several other dolls can definitely be defeated. But the three characters realize that instead of killing this doll, they should use him to help them figure out what Chucky wants from them as he seems to be using this toy as a spy. This is an alright storyline, but unless more information comes out and fast, this will get old quickly.
Season 1 of Chucky deserved its season 2 renewal because of the strong characters and also the fun small town location, which is always a popular horror movie setting. The boarding school feels stable after an episode because it's not particularly cool-looking and it's dull to watch the characters constantly get into trouble for being rebellious. Based on the episodes that have aired so far, it's hard to say that the season will shape up to be as terrifying and fun as the first one.
Another wrong note in season 2? The relationship between Tiffany Valentine, who has taken over Jennifer Tilly, and Nica Pierce. While it's fun to watch Brad Dourif's daughter Fiona in the role of Nica, it's not enjoyable seeing Tiffany continue to torture Nica and keep her captive in her home. While of course Tiffany is a cold-hearted killer like Chucky, these scenes become a bit much after a while. Without Chucky actually there, they lag on too long and feel boring, and it's easy to believe that Nica should be able to just live her own life and be set free.
There are definitely some solid parts of season 2 of Chucky. In some ways, the Chucky TV show is better than the movies and the premiere episode has a shocking and perfectly crafted scene when Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) drives a truck that is packed with Good Guy dolls off a cliff. This is exactly the entertainment that fans of the Child's Play slasher franchise are looking for.
There's also a stand-out new character in Nadine (Bella Higginbotham). At first, Lexy isn't thrilled about having a roommate, but the two begin to bond when Nadine shares that she has a problem with stealing. Nadine is adorable, full of charm, and sweet, and despite Lexy's protests that she doesn't need any new friends, it's clear that the two will connect more as the season goes on. This new friendship makes Chucky a great scary TV show to watch.
Separating Lexy from her family seems like a mistake, as her relationship with her younger sister Caroline (Carina Battrick) is adorable and sweet, and it's also fun watching Lexy deal with her frustrating mom Michelle (Barbara Alyn Woods). Seeing Lexy away at school isn't as enjoyable and she leans too hard into a regular teenager rolling her eyes and acting disgusted all the time.
Chucky is a timeless killer doll because of his dialogue, spunk and how truly scary he can be. Hopefully the remainder of season 2 of the TV series focuses on what fans love about Chucky and less on Nica and the boarding school setting, as these elements don't capture the magic that was present in the first season.