Chuckydelivers the best episode of its second season just in time for Halloween with “Death on Denial.” Directed by Don Mancini, the creator of the television series and longtimeChild’s Playaffiliate, the series' pre-Halloween episode could not have been placed in better hands. Co-written by Kim Garland, who worked on a number of episodes in season 1, andFear the Walking Deadwriter Alex Delyle, “Death on Denial” uses a blend of horror and comedy to create its thrilling episode that provides the killer doll series with a breath of fresh air.
Chuckydivides “Death on Denial” into five acts. It frames the Jennifer Tilly-centered episode with a talk show introduction from Chucky himself. The actual screentime for the killer doll is limited in “Death on Denial,” andChuckyacknowledges this by the end of the episode, which features a number of guest stars includingformer WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan. Despite the lack of gore in “Death on Denial,“Chuckyhas never created a stronger intrigue for its ongoing narrative quite like this.
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Ultimately, “Death on Denial” chronicles the perspectives of three characters: Tiffany (Tilly), Glen, and Glenda (both played by Lachlan Watson). “Death on Denial” commences by picking up where"The Sinners Are Much More Fun” left off,with the arrival of Glen and Glenda at Tiffany’s home. Most of the comedic moments of “Death on Denial” occur through Tiffany’s struggles to contain her children, the guests they have invited (Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, Sutton Stracke, and Meg Tilly), the body of the detective she has killed, and Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif). For Tiffany, everything that could have gone wrong does. Her guests begin to ask troubling questions and her children begin to inquire about their mother’s well-being and their childhood, which Tiffany is quick to dispute. This introduces a complex dynamic between Tiffany and her children, who appear to have no knowledge of the sinister acts that lie beyond Tilly’s skin and where the twins have actually originated.
BothGlen and Glenda are introduced toChuckyin a manner that clearly separates them from one another. Glen is the far more trusting, docile one of the two. They immediately offer to help Nica escape from their mother’s clutches with no questions asked. Glenda, on the other hand, is mischievous and violent but has the desire to understand their upbringing. They confide in Tiffany abouta reoccurring dream they have had,where they are responsible for the death of a woman. With this, Glenda recalls hearing a voice that calls them “Shitface.” Glenda’s recollection is an ode toSeed of Chucky,where Glen and Glenda were first introduced. The recollection of this memory early in “Death on Denial” allows the series to create a tense, but meaningful reunion between Glenda and Chucky later in the episode.
In its five-act structure, “Death on Denial” warpsChucky’sconception of time. Beginning where “The Sinners Are Much More Fun” left off,Chucky’slatest episodeappears to continue chronologically. It isn’t until Glen is shown chatting with Nica that this timely balance is thrown off. This is later confirmed by the intertitle card that transports viewers back three months when Glen and Glenda discovered Nica locked away. It is in this scene that Glenda becomes reacquainted with Chucky. However, the return to the present begs the question of how much Glen and Glenda were working together. Glenda expects Glen to leave Tiffany’s home with them despite the attempted murder of Tiffany. It’s also revealed that Glenda hadn’t shared their knowledge of Tiffany and Chucky with Glen, goading Glen to ask their mother about Tiffany Valentine.Chuckythrows one final twist into the mix as Nica and Glenda enter a car driven by Kyle (Christine Elise), who waspresumed dead in the season 1 finale.
The structure of “Death on Denial” serves it undeniably well. Dividing the narrative into five actsallowsChuckyto prioritize different charactersand their perspectives in each act. This division of the characters and their motives creates a twisted storyline that continues to heighten the ongoing troubles Chucky’s victims continue to face. However, “Death on Denial” manages to accomplish this within the scope of an unplanned Murder Mystery party that will ultimately create more problems for Tiffany than it will solve.
In doing so, “Death on Denial” alters the series' formula thus far by shifting the focus from Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Björgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind), to Tiffany and the twins. By reintroducing Kyle into the mix and appearing to free Nica from Tiffany’s control, the question of how these allegiances to various characters will play out remains.The identity of “The Colonel” remains a mystery; Nica’s deal with Chucky is up in the air, as are Glenda’s true motives. Kyle’s own connection to the three teens is certain to complicate the characters' ability to see eye to eye. With Chucky’s list of potential victims continuing to grow and a new set of troubles being brought to the table, the second season ofChuckyis shaping up to have much higher stakes than its first.
