Jake, Devon and Lexy formulate a plan to get into the White House to take down Chucky once and for all… again.

Let’s face it, much as I loved Season 2 of Chucky, it was beyond bonkers, especially when Jennifer Tilly got involved. What makes Season 3 so interesting is that because the premise – Chucky in the White House – requires a bungee of disbelief elastic enough to suspend to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Don Mancini and his team are treading very carefully in these opening episodes. Aside from the occasional gory murder courtesy of you-know-who, they play like light comedy.

Devon and Jake (Zackary Arthur – who has been working out and perhaps has it written into his contract that he will be getting his shirt off in every episode to prove the point) have decided to take their slightly fay – strictly petting only – gay relationship to the next level. In a brilliantly comic exchange, they get a sort of bees-and-the-bees pep talk about the sexual practicalities from their foster mum which is laugh out loud funny and turns out to be powerfully poignant by the end of the episode.

Meanwhile, Lexy is working her magic on Grant Collins, the President’s wayward older son, in order to get our trio an invitation to the White House Halloween ball.  What could possibly go wrong???

And as for Chucky, well, he’s doing what Chucky does best, only now there’s a shady Secret Service operative, Pryce (Gil Bellows), trying to cover things up in the name of protecting the American Constitution.

Verdict: This softly, softly, measured approach is a stroke of genius. It’s sure to go completely loco soon enough, but Mancini is keeping his powder dry because he wants to take us with him. Another episode that’s delicious stuff from start to finish. 10/10

Martin Jameson

www.ninjamarmoset.com