Jake and Devon did the thing and it was so very sweet.
Last night, our favorite series about a killer doll, Chucky, returned to our screens. Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) was in jail, Chucky was dealing with the ravages of aging (relatable), and Jake and Devon, our sweet little gay heroes, lost their virginities. It was, in a word, healing to see their relationship treated with so much reverence and reality. We would expect nothing less from creator Don Mancini, and he delivered on a moving and earned moment for the characters. PRIDE told the creator as much.
“Thank you for saying that, it really means a lot to me. The way you described it is exactly what our goal was,” Mancini tells PRIDE, adding that this has been his plan all along. “Having first introduced these characters three years ago, in season one they’re 14, 15 years old. We knew that if we got to season three, just to be realistic we’d want them to take that step,” he shares.
His intention was to showcase queer joy and love in ways that they’re so rarely depicted — and even less so in a horror medium. “One of the things I said to the actors is that we want it to seem fun and transformative. I love the pillow talk scene afterward, where they’re looking at each [other and] looking into the camera,” he discusses. “I thought the way that our director Samir [Rehem] did that was so beautiful, where they’re like, ‘I feel closer to you than ever, nothing can come between us.’”
The scene not only served as wish fulfillment to the fandom rooting for these young gay heroes, but for Mancini himself, or rather the gay teen he once was. “These are the messages you want to send to young, gay, or queer teenage horror fans. When I was that age in the ‘70s and ‘80s, you didn’t get to see that,” he recalls. “I’m so glad that you responded that way because that’s exactly what we wanted. Kudos to the actors Zack [Arthur] and Bjorgvin [Arnarson]. I think they were just wonderful.”
Not only was the scene in and of itself notable and validating, but as Mancini explains it will impact the season as it goes on. (Don’t worry, no spoilers follow, beyond that our heroes face dangers in the final episodes, duh). “I wanted to do that when you get to episode seven and eight and Jake [is in real danger], I just know now that they’re lovers and [the danger] just lands in a different way,” explains Mancini.
t’s one of the reasons that the show is so successful; yes, it follows a serial-killer-possessed toy wreaking havoc and enacting absurdly gory kills. It’s meta, over the top, and it stars the luminous Jennifer Tilly who is serving pure camp. But it’s also at times emotionally profound and real in a way that few other shows are — again, this is by design. “As over-the-top and crazy and occasionally camp as we get, we do like to touch the ground with real feelings and emotions and humanity at times. I think that one of the reasons people like the show is that there’s something a little surprising about that,” says Mancini.
He’s not wrong: The show manages to balance on the knife’s edge of high camp and poignancy incredibly well. So whether you’re there for the skewering and exploration of found family, first love, and toxic relationships, this show has plenty to say and plenty of fun to be had. That it also features one of the best depictions of young queer love we could ever hope for is just a huge bonus.
