TV Review: Chucky: Season 3: Episode 3 (Syfy)

“Whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, right Chucky?”
“Wanna bet?”

With their splattery, silly, and self-referential show Chucky, SyFy, and USA Network have a blood-splattered success on their hands. Episode 3 of season 3, Jennifer’s Body is a fun watch as the production primes for its halfway peak.

After debuting his killer doll Chucky in 1988’s Child’s Play, creator and writer Don Mancini continued the franchise for seven feature-length pictures. In 2021, the focus shifted to the small screen and is now titled Chucky, broadcast by the Syfy and USA Network. In episode 3, of season 3, Alex Vincent and Kenan Thompson guest star alongside Jennifer Tilly, Devon Sawa, Carina London Battrick, Fiona Dourif, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Björgvin Anarson and Zackary Arthur with Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky. At NYCC’23, Fanboyfactor.com and this reviewer were given a preview of the penultimate episode before the mid-season finale.

“OMG! I can’t believe Jennifer Tilly would do those things!”

Chucky has been abandoned by Donballa and as a result, the sociopathic spirit of Charles Lee Ray (Dourif) discovers to his dismay that the Good Guy doll that has been serving as his vessel has begun to age rapidly. Until Ray gets back in the good graces of his patron Loa, he will be trapped in a decaying child-like container until it dies. Unabashed by his growing Crow’s feet, unperturbed by the increasing body count and confident in her ever-growing understanding of Voodoo for Dummies, Caroline (Battrick) is increasingly willing to carry on with Chucky as he quests to regain Donballa’s favor. He has to dedicate to his sponsor the slaughter of six people in a house known for horrible evil to have any hope of escaping decrepitude and senescence by regaining the ability to discorporate and inhabit other vessels before the body he’s in kicks it. A road trip is called for. What Chucky and Caroline set their sights on as the final destination brings pause.

Trapped in Jennifer Tilly’s body and set up by an unlikely alliance of Chucky and Nica (Dourif), Tiffany Valentine (Tilly) is pinched and in terrible danger. She’s been charged with a multitude of murders Valentine attributes entirely to her erstwhile enchanted ex-paramour. Arrested in NYC, arraigned in Austin Tx and aiming for an insanity defense, she could easily get the death penalty. Her only hope is honesty. She’ll just tell her story from start to finish. After her truthful testimony, no one would think she’s actually a murderous body-hopping apparition; it would be obvious to any on the jury that the actress Jennifer Tilly has simply lost her goddamn mind instead and they will toss her in the loony bin instead of giving her a lethal injection. 

Will Tiffany’s crazy plan to be declared insane succeed? Will she keep the secrets of Caroline’s whereabouts from Lexy? Will Chucky be able to ignite a performative horror large enough to catch the attention of a spurned loa? Will Caroline’s brain continue to spiral down into depravity? Will Lexy be able to rescue Caroline and get her off the hellride she’s on? Tune in to Chucky, season 3, episode 3, Jennifer’s Body to find out.

“Even her fashion sense is deranged!”

Episode 3 begins with the typical “last episode’s recap” trope which is kind enough to also keep the viewer abreast as to the gore quotient. Then Jennifer’s Body gets off to the races with an inventive if icky use of a folding umbrella and really doesn’t slow down. This is a quip-laden black comedy bursting with brutal and bloody ultra-violence disguised as a really silly show; the burgeoning barrel of laughter strains to conceal its extraordinarily dark nature. Brad Dourif’s Chucky is a doll on a mission and he will not be denied. Jennifer Tilly’s gleefully insane Tiffany is great. Her breasts are magnificent; whether on the lam, on the stand, or in prison orange, her glorious globes can be seen from orbit and we’re all the better for it. Horrible things are happening in the mind of Carina London Battrick’s Caroline and she makes the unraveling clear as day. Fiona Dourif’s intensity as Nica is impressive and Alyivia Alyn Lind‘s Lexy palpably puts her desperation on full display. If super-squicky horror-comedy full of gags and gore is your bag, you will enjoy Don Mancini’s Chucky.

Season 3 of Chucky is streaming now on Peacock as well as available on SyFy and USA Network.

Andy Barclay, Tiffany Valentine, Charles Lee Ray, and Chucky were created by Don Mancini.