Last week’s episode of “Chucky” delivered some Halloween tricks and treats and pushed Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) further onto the path of following in his killer doll’s homicidal footsteps. This week’s episode, “I Like to Be Hugged,” focuses on Chucky’s drive to birth another murderer in his image while potentially laying the groundwork to humanize a monster.
This week, Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) remains at the top of Chucky and Jake’s hit list. Or rather, her offensive costume choice and subsequent unrepentant mentality uncorked a dam of pent-up rage within Jake, prompting him to follow Chucky’s advice on murder. The only one that seems to notice Jake’s barely contained wrath is his cousin Junior (Teo Briones), whose warnings to Lexy fall on deaf ears. While Chucky positions himself to take another stab at Lexy, pun intended, two tiny beacons of hope for Jake’s salvation come in the form of Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) and kind teacher Miss Fairchild (Annie Briggs).
That Lexy’s the top priority for Chucky and Jake makes her historic family home the most prominent set piece of the episode. That’s important not just for Chucky’s latest murder attempts but another vital character-building glimpse into Lexy’s home life. She remains a stone-cold mean girl, but “I Like to Be Hugged” shows the faintest cracks in the ice queen façade, proof that there might be a decent human being lying underneath the callousness after all. Is it enough to root against Chucky? Not at all, but it does present a fascinating inverse of Jake’s arc; as he embraces his darker impulses, or tries to, will Lexy slowly seek redemption?
This week’s callback to the film franchise is a subtle but humorous one, specifically a nod to Chucky’s viewing habits in reference to Child’s Play. At least, the most overt nod. The way that Don Mancini seamlessly embeds this series within the film franchise’s canon without ever feeling out of place or shoehorned in continues to impress.
The flashbacks to Charles Lee Ray’s childhood don’t work as well here, at least not yet. It gets a more considerable emphasis this week, and while it’s a chilling peek that further supports the nurture vs. nature themes, it feels superfluous to the plot. Brad Dourif has long masterfully presented Chucky as a ruthless killer that was rotten to the core from the outset. We’re no closer to understanding why or how these flashbacks factor into the present, if at all. The one detail in this week’s episode that teases the potential for something relevant comes in the form of a mentor, in the loosest sense. Whether it’s just a mirror for Jake’s arc or something more has yet to be determined.
It’s present-day Chucky that we care about, and this killer Good Guy doll seems to be having a blast. “I Want to Be Hugged” doesn’t forward momentum much in the overarching narrative but instead uses the episode to expand on some of its core ideas and plant kernels for future payoffs. That’s okay when we get more Chucky cutting loose and having the time of his life using his hometown as his latest slaying grounds. It’s worth it for the puns and demented imagery alone.
“Chucky” airs on USA and Syfy on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
