Here at the CosmicSparky compound we
always look forward to Friday the 13th but this one is all
the more special with it falling so close to Halloween. For a change
of pace I thought we’d forgo talking about the movies which have
been written about plenty by far more in-depth sources than I.
Instead let’s chat about a less remembered branch of the franchise
and return to Friday the 13th the Series.
To be more precise I want to talk about the best installments from
season two which you better believe are plentiful. In fact the second
season is much improved over its predecessor. In the interest of
encouraging new viewers I will avoid spoilers as much as possible.
Fingers crossed I can finish this post on the day in question as my
day has been appropriately thirteenish.
A few changes occur during this
season. First and most obvious is the overall quality of the show is
raised up across the board. Unlike the first season where some flabby
episodes could sneak into front-runner positions season two has got
major contenders throughout. Part of that is thanks to tighter
writing and better twists. When the show began there were some
concepts barely strong enough to fill an episode yet here they often
find ways to evolve as the narrative moves along. Another big
improvement is a greater emphases on character which means less
episodes feeling like anthology entries. With that spotlight comes
some growth like Micki becoming a bit less air-headed and Ryan losing
some of his man-child attitude. Jack is likewise made more human and
given more back-story. There’s even some work done to introduce new
characters like Johnny Ventura, essentially the Fonzie of
supernatural investigations before Dean Winchester took the title.
Beyond all of that is how much more interesting some of these stories
are. Early stories were often comfortable setting up a cursed object
and leaving it at that but now there’s potential for multiple
objects in a single episode or maybe the antique belongs to someone
who’s already dangerous in their own right. There are a few outings
that revolve around the forces of hell coming to stop the trio.
Unfortunately not all of the
aforementioned series growth pans out. A planned recurring character
named Rashid was introduced over the finale of season one and the
premier of season two only to disappear without further notice. Much
like Rashid there are a few concepts that seem to come and go without
much forethought. The season finale in particular for adding an
element to Micki's character that is seemingly forgotten from then
on. Now that I think of it this show has the opposite issues of
Supernatural by having strong
premieres and dreadful finales. We also got our first sequel
storyline though it lacks bite with the evil makeup compact returning
in a lesser follow-up
Working on this list yielded some
honorable mentions many of which have some excellent features but
lack when it comes to the total package. Consider The Mephisto
Ring for which is a pretty normal installment elevated by an
outstanding twist ending. Scarlet Cinema gives
us a fun hour of werewolf antics but relies too much on old movie
clips. Symphony in B# provides a neat take on the Phantom
of the Opera while giving Ryan
some decent dramatic material but comes up just shy of greatness.
There are plenty of just flat out crazy installments so it was a
tough time narrowing it down to a clear five but I think the list
I've complied offers a fine selection of different narratives to
choose from.
The Secret Agenda of Mesmer's Bauble
This one barely made the cut due to
how basic the majority of it is. The majority of the episode feels
like a throwback to season one with a great deal of focus on the
antique owner over the core trio. He's a lonely and somewhat homely
dude obsessed with a pop star played by Vanity. His life starts to
turn around when he gains possession of a bauble that allows for
mind-control and wish-granting. Much of the story comes across as
fairly standard until some final act twists and surprising gore
suddenly elevate the whole thing to a new level.
Some viewers might find revelations
about the villain to be a bit unwoke in this day and age. I don't
imagine the production teams meant to insult anyone given how the
conclusion is written, I just think they wanted to shock and surprise
the audience. It's important to realize certain subjects simply
weren't handled with the utmost care in 80s TV. Keep that in mind and
the ending twists should leave you very entertained.
Friend Till the End
While Jack's away in search of some
cursed object both Ryan and Micki concern themselves with tracking
down an artist who turns her models to stone using the shard of
Medusa. Complicating matters is Micki's nephew who's been
unceremoniously dumped at the store while his mom goes off to bang
her new man. Unable to babysit while lives are in danger the pair
send the kid off with a bicycle. Before long a gang of boys dares him
to enter a haunted house where he makes a new friend.
Thanks to the opening segment the
audience is already aware of there being some kind of zombie boy in
the house but who'd have guessed the pair would make such quick
friends? Yep this is one of those unexpected childhood friendship
tales only in place of a giant robot or space alien we have a
life-sucking zombie. That novelty alone would set this apart from
other parts of the series but there's some legit craftsmanship on
display in regards to cinematography, set-design, and the pacing as
we bounce between the key story and the bits involving the shard of
Medusa.
The ending is unexpectedly tender for
this show and there's possibly some hidden depth to be found give
that zombie boy is presented in such a way that he could possibly be
gay. Seeing as he's a monster this may not have been a wise decision
though as it's not outright stated you can ignore it and just accept
things on a more two-dimensional level.
The Butcher
While
the young ones are away Jack must contend with a specter from his
past. Turns out his old WWII buddies are being killed off by a
resurrected German officer whom Jack personally killed. When he's not
out hunting old folk this same ghoul hosts a loudmouth right-wing
radio show and is using his growing popularity as a platform to run
for government office. It's up to Jack to deal with his war memories
and save America from its worst instincts.
Damn
near every aspect of the show is firing full-throttle with this
adventure which helps to make up for two-thirds of the main cast
being absent. In their place are a few of Jack's old unit who regroup
for a funeral only to find their lives in danger.
Corny
as it may sound this episode is still timely given a hateful
loudmouth manipulating idiots into a growing base of power. One
doesn't often expect parallels with modern events to appear in a
low-budget Canadian horror show from the 80s but it sure makes for a
solid hour of entertainment.
Heads I Live, Tails You Die
Oh man is this ever a beauty. A
satanic cult leader has a coin that sucks the lifeforce out of people
which he then uses to restore his dead comrades to life who will then
bring the devil onto Earth. That’s right; devil worshiping zombies.
If that ain’t metal I don’t know what is. Thankfully the writers
know a good thing when they see it and resist the urge to
over-complicate things too much. There are some wrinkle for sure
though the key concept stays in focus.
This is such a fine example of how
much bigger the show got in this season. Having to deal with a killer
coin, zombies, or satanists would be bad enough on their own but
tackling all three at once is crazy and takes a massive toll on the
characters. There's enough tears, death, and grim twists for a couple
installments all piled up in one wonderful adventure. Apparently the
evil coin returns in the third season which I believe is on tonight's
viewing schedule. I'll be sure to include an update on that when we
cover season three.
Read My Lips
Gearing up for Read My Lips involved
getting the right company around. My sister is very much afraid of
ventriloquist dummies and also had a strange crush on Billy Drago in
her younger years. The very notion of Drago playing a ventriloquist
with an evil dummy meant she had to join in and by god she didn't
leave disappointed.
Where do I even start? How about the
guest star? Billy Drago is well-known for playing nutty villains be
it a murderous mobster in The Untouchables, backwoods
hillbilly voodoo practitioner in The X-Files, or appearing in
a few different Chuck Norris vehicles. For this episode he brings his
absolute A-game playing a rare example of someone with a slight
conscience as the evil doll tears at his life. There's a scene where
Ryan confronts this guy and I swear Drago actually scares Paul LeMay
with all his twitching and overacting. We must have re-watched this
part a good four or five times that night.
Furthermore the plot is bonkers.
There's a true multi-act structure here with different characters
moving in and out of the tale and the true nature of the dummy being
hinted at by seemingly throwaway dialogue. Much as I'd love to share
that details it's best left to be discovered during a proper viewing.
Let's put it this way. In an era when it seems like everything's been
done to death, this episode's twist stands out as something totally
unexpected.
Consider this another primer for
dipping your toes into this fun series. It may not have the killer
hockey fan we all adore but it earns the right to exist within that
franchise during this excellent second season. I'm currently on track
to finish the series the day after Halloween which seems fitting and
at the same time a little sad. I've grown a real soft spot for the
show and the thought of it being over so soon doesn't settle well.
Much like Halloween however it's important to enjoy the ride for what
it is and accept that it can never be exactly the same as it was
before. That's enough rambling on my part. The moon is full, the
night is young, and I've got a good show and some moonshine to enjoy.
Have a fun 13th everyone and while you're here feel free
to share your special activities for the night.
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