This review contains spoilers for Chucky.“He Is Risen Indeed” sets out to cover a lot of ground. In its attempt to explain some ofChucky’smost recent twists, the series makes an effort to merge three of its storylines into one. The series continues to draw upon references to notorious suspense and horror works, including a subtle nod to Alfred Hitchcock’sVertigo. “He Is Risen Indeed” throws a final hail mary in its closing moments in an effort to keep the narrative for the killer doll series alive.
The newestChuckyepisode sacrifices Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) and Glen’s (Lachlan Watson) shared narrative to propose a few answers and additional questions for Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Björgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind), as well as Nica (Fiona Dourif),Glenda (Watson),and Kyle (Christine Elise), and Andy (Alex Vincent), who was recently revealed to have survived the bus crash. “He Is Risen Indeed” opens with Andy driving the bus of dolls off the cliff, only to be dragged away by a few Good Guys dolls and end up in the clutches of a sadistic, cannibalistic Colonel (voiced by Brad Dourif).
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One of the largest mysteries ofChucky’ssecond season has been the identity of the Colonel.In last week’s “Doll on Doll,“Devon and Lexy uncovered the mystical figure in a bald Good Guys doll, whose spirit shares a past with Dr. Mixter (Rosemary Dunsmore). “He Is Risen Indeed” wastes no time delving into their relationship, as Dr. Mixter is abruptly revealed as Charles Lee Ray’s former therapist as a child, who surprisingly encourages the killing and offers to contribute to the cause herself.Naturally,Chuckydoesn’t leave it at that.Instead, it makes the surprising choice to kill the Colonel and muddle Mixter’s true involvement with the children, Chucky, and the Catholic School. In another interesting choice,Chuckysuggests that it isn’t the shared dislike of Chucky that will connect the fragments of the series' narrative and its estranged characters, but Dr. Mixter.
The Colonel only lasts inChuckyfor about a single episode, but his presence has been quite purposeful. He has a few villainous monologues in “He Is Risen Indeed” that praise the use of the mind over muscle. He recites it as he watches the muscular Chucky doll die from arsenic-laced communion wafers. The death of the muscular Chucky doll sends Sister Ruth (Lara Jean Chorostecki) spiraling,who believed him to be a reincarnated vesselof the Lord. Chorostecki is particularly brilliant as Sister Ruth, toeing the balance of an innocent but blindly devoted servant. Ruth confides in Father Bryce (Devon Sawa) about the doll, who quickly dismisses the idea, too frustrated by the troubles that appear to revolve around the countless Good Guys dolls and Jake, Devon, and Lexy. Unfortunately for him, “He Is Risen Indeed” forces him to discover the harsh truth about Chucky.
Just asChuckyprovides the first glimpse of what has become of Andy since the season 2 premiere, “He Is Risen Indeed” offers an answer into Nica, Glenda, and Kyle’s peculiar alliance.The trio’s union in “Death on Denial"was far-fetched, given the violent tendencies of Glenda, Nica’s shared vessel with Chucky, and Kyle’s adamancy to rid the world of all Chucky entities. “He Is Risen Indeed” discloses that Kyle is taking Nica to New Jersey where someone can help separate Nica from the fragment of Chucky that resides within her. The New Jersey location to which the trio is headed is revealed as that of the Catholic School, as Nica-Chucky calls Dr. Mixter on the phone to confirm the arrangements. Dr. Mixter warns them to hurrybecause of the scarcity of Good Guys dolls.The only one that currently remains is the newly baptized Good Chucky, who may not be as pure as Jake and Nadine (Bella Higginbotham) wanted to believe.
Where “He Is Risen Indeed” is its strongest is undoubtedly the end. As Dr. Mixter takes off with Good Chucky, the pair run into Father Bryce and Sister Catherine (Andrea Carter), where Chucky charmingly says, “Help! I’m being kidnaped!” Andy and the four teens attempt to get involved, but the frantic encounter leaves Catherine shot in the arm begging for the police to be called, while Father Bryce insists upon calling the Vatican.In one ofChucky’smost chaotic scenes,Good Chucky takes the opportunity to escape and as Nadine treks after him, isolates her from the group. Nadine and Good Chucky share a playful exchange before the young teen is pushed from the window, and poetically killed. Lexy is forced to watch the encounter, having been subjected to yet another tragic death.
Chucky’sending packs a powerful punch. It explicitly puts a number of actions in motion, but subtly proposes a few others. Good Chucky not-so-innocently slipped Lexy a pill bottle shortly before the chaotic ending of “He Is Risen Indeed” commenced. Nadine’s death andthe guilt that will claw most at Lexyand Jake will likely send her spiraling. Jake, who was adamant about keeping Good Chucky and already feels guilty about his foster brother’s death, will certainly feel he is partially to blame for what happened to Nadine. If the goal is for the Chucky spirit that resides in Nica to be placed into another entity, these teens are beginning to unintentionally make themselves viable candidates.
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