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[TV Review] “The Returned” Season One Finale: ‘Peter’

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The Returned

Well that was certainly different from the season one finale of Les Revenants, and honestly The Returned is all the better for it. While the first half of the season was essentially a clone of its French counterpart, the latter half slowly morphed into its own show. I’ve seen people complaining about this finale, harping about the lack of answers, but I feel like people also forget that we barely got any answers in Les Revenants as well. Now that pretty much every storyline has broken apart from Les Revenants, season 2 (if we get one) will enjoy the freedom of being able to go in an entirely new direction.

Peter

As usual, the character the episode gets its namesake from barely gets any screen time in his own episode. We do get to see how he died 29 years ago, but other than a scene in the prison (Tommy arrested him because Tommy is a douchebag) where a podcaster visited him, he didn’t have much more screen time. Kara the podcaster did provide this useful bit of information: the same thing happening in this town has happened in other cities as well, but they no longer exist (Roanoke is an example she mentions).

Camille

Camille was able to make amends with (most) of her friends, but it ended in tragedy as Ben died after Camille lost her virginity to him. This is another area of the finale that raised more questions than it did provide answers, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Clearly, it’s not the sex that killed Ben, since Peter has had plenty of sex with Claire and she’s still alive, but what else could it be? I suppose it could be a negative reaction to the shrooms, but that’s doubtful.

It’s not the most compelling way for Camille to spend an episode, as Ben and Hunter and the rest of her friends have been underdeveloped all season, but it was a shocking way to end the episode. Also, Adam popped up for a bit at the end to spook Lena, but it comes across as a case of “why bother?” when nothing else happens on that front.

The Returned

Victor

After everything Victor has put Julie through this season, all she had to do was tell him that he had to let her go and he disappeared, only to appear on the road for another lonely woman to pick him up. Out of all the storylines this season, Victor’s was probably the weakest. This is mostly due to the fact that Julie took way too long to wise up to his antics (it took her the entire 10-episode season!). Overall, it seemed like a really easy way to get rid of him, but the scene between him and Julie in his house was a good one. He was finally able to speak to Julie, and Holt did a fine job reacting to it (acting is reacting everyone!).

Simon

Rowan is pregnant, as discovered by Lucy, who creepily heard the baby daddy’s thoughts. It’s an interesting turn (and something that was discovered earlier in Les Revenants’ season), but it’s odd that she can hear Simon’s thoughts when he’s still “alive.” Maybe this means Simon isn’t the father? Who knows, it was a creepy moment nonetheless.

Finally, we get to the moment the entire season has been building towards: the dam bursting. While Simon popped up to say hello to Helen, their reunion was short-lived as she knocked him out when he discovered her dynamite. He came to only to see the dam burst and the town begin to flood. Cut to black. As cliffhangers go, it’s not a terrible one, but since we knew this was going to happen ever since Helen started going cuckoo bananas halfway through the season, it wasn’t exactly surprising. I almost wish this would have been the penultimate episode and that we had one more episode left in the season. Despite that minor issue, it was still effective, since we don’t know who will still be left alive next season (again, if we get one).

The Returned ended its first season on a mostly strong note. Some parts of the season (Victor, Camille’s friends) didn’t really gel with the rest, but overall it was a solid first season. Ideally, we will get a second one so that the show can really come into its own and fully step out of the original’s shadow.

Random Notes

  • Just can’t stand Kevin Alejandro’s smarmy smirk. When Rowan said “I do” I wanted to punch him in the face.
  • Helen sees George in the back seat of her car and he apologizes to her. It’s a decent moment but not entirely necessary.
  • All those women Victor killed are probably sitting there in the afterlife going: “Man that’s all I had to say to make him go away?”
  • That’s it for The Returned this year everyone! I’m not sure if I’ll be covering Season 2 if we get one, as there wasn’t much interest in the reviews for Season 1 and covering this on the same night as Bates Motel is a big load! I hope those of you who read these reviews enjoyed them!

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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