Reviews
[TV Review] “The Returned” Episode 3.04: ‘Victor’
This is the episode of The Returned I’ve been waiting for. There were a few deviations from Les Revenants and plenty of revelations were made about various characters. Characters are starting to merge into each other’s storylines, which is a huge plus. The pace has definitely started to pick up a bit and for the first time, I’m actually kind of excited for where the series is headed!
Victor
We finally learn how Victor died in the opening of tonight’s episode. 29 years ago, two men broke into his house and murdered his entire family. The twist in this is that one of the men is none other than Peter (Jeremy Sisto)! This is the same thing that happened in Les Revenants, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to me, but I forgot how early this reveal is made. Things are definitely starting to piece together with Victor, but we have yet to learn why he was on the road the day of the bus crash four years ago. Might this be revealed soon?
Also, Julie’s neighbor Annie was murdered and her tongue was ripped out (her cats were eating it!). I can’t say I’m going to miss her. She was a pain. If there’s one good thing to come from this, it’s that when Nikki (Julie’s cop ex-girlfriend) cam t investigate the murder, she found Victor. She (like all viewers of this show) realized how insane it is that Julie has been keeping a child she just found on the side of the road, so she took him into custody and delivered him to the community center, which is overseen by Peter.
The reveal of Peter being one of the thieves from the night Victor was murdered was perfect (albeit a direct copy of the reveal from Les Revenants) and was a fantastic way to end the episode. I’m not sure what victor is going to do to Peter, but it can’t be good. This was the first episode to give some answers on Victor and it was well worth the wait.
Camille
Over in Camille-land, Tommy interrogates Jack regarding Lucy’s attack (which we still haven’t been given a lot of information on). This leads him to confess to Claire that he was sleeping with Lucy because she claimed to have her “gift.” Claire is flabbergasted that he would ever believe someone could communicate with the dead only while mid-coitus and tells Jack as much. There are many flawed characters making poor decisions on The Returned, but that is what draws me into it. It’s difficult to watch characters make stupid decisions and behave irrationally, but that is how some people react when they are grieving. It is difficult yet fascinating to watch.
Lena’s scar is still giving her trouble, but it leads to my favorite sequence from the episode. In a flashback to the night of the bus crash, we see a younger Lena sneak into the morgue with Ben to see her sister’s body. It is too much for her and she breaks down over the corpse and proceeds to hug it. This is when we are shown that Camille’s corpse had the same wound on her back that Lena has in the present day. This revelation is unique to the American version (I think), and I like it. Some might say that it is over-simplifying the symbolism of Lena’s scar, but I’m okay with the series giving us at least one concrete answer (something Les Revenants rarely did).
Simon
Speaking of revelations, Rowan had a few of her own. After keeping Simon hidden in her attic (and having sex with him while Tommy was at work), she discovers the security cameras Tommy had installed (after Chloe pointed to it). Again, I feel like all happened very quickly, but the impact was great. Rowan’s confrontation with Tommy was like a kick to the guy, made even worse when he tells her that Simon didn’t just die, he committed suicide by walking in front of an 18-wheeler on their wedding day.
Winstead’s character is probably the most heartbreaking on the show. Of all the people that have come back from the dead, Simon is the only one who was someone’s significant other (besides Helen), and he was the only one to commit suicide. Watching her deal with everything, which I would argue is worse than what any other character has had to go through so far, is fascinating. I’m very much looking forward to her confronting Simon next. He has some explaining to do.
Helen
Helen’s storyline this week is all about her questioning the purpose of resurrection. The conversation she has with the priest is fantastic (and Forbes is great in the scene). There isn’t really much else to her scenes, except to reveal that she is now staying at the same community center where Victor is, which could prove to be a dynamite pairing. The two most mysterious/vague characters on the show in cahoots? I’m in.
A faster paced episode with some major revelations and deviations from its source material helped make this the best episode The Returned has had yet. Let’s hope next week’s episode keeps it up!
Random Notes
- Camille is thrilled to see how many nice things people have to say about her on her Facebook page.
- More black sludge is coming out of Helen’s sink. It’s really gross.
- Julie still doesn’t understand the seriousness of her kidnapping offense. She should have turned Victor over to the police in the first episode.
- Michelle Forbes needs more screen time. She is amazing and I love her.
- Rowan tells Chloe that Simon is actually an angel and she believes it. Are children that gullible? I mean, Chloe was smart enough to spot a security camera in her fire alarm when Rowan couldn’t. So I feel like Chloe would be smarter than that.
- Love that Claire admits she might not know if Lena was hurt by somebody. You always see parents in film/TV be overly protective and claim to know where their teenager is at all times so it was refreshing to see a TV parent admit that they aren’t perfect.
- Claire makes note that Camille is eating “again.” I noticed how Simon was eating a lot in his titular episode, and now Camille is. Is there significance to that? I think so!
- Next week’s episode is titled “Tony and Adam.” Some of you might not know who those characters are (unless you read my reviews), but you will be happy to find out next week!
Movies
‘Tha Rae: The Exorcist’ Review: Gory Thai Possession Horror Faithfully Adheres to the Tropes [NYAFF 2026]
Possession films are an exceedingly common subgenre in horror to the point that far too many of them feel far too familiar. This is a generalization, obviously, but it too often seems that someone is possessed, a representative from the area’s dominant religion is called in, and a fierce spiritual battle comes to a dramatic conclusion. The idea that the demon in question always happens to be of the exorcist’s faith and denomination is simply chalked up to plot necessity.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist adds an intriguing wrinkle into that trope by introducing a demonic entity that rebuffs both a Catholic priest and a local Yao shaman. It’s only when the two join forces that they’re able to put up a fight against the evil being.
The film opens with a Catholic exorcist out of options. A possessed child writhes before him, pustules and other signs of devilish control wracking the little girl’s body with snarls and contortions. Unable to beat the demon, and unwilling to let it grow stronger and move to another host, the priest convinces the child’s mother that death is the only choice left – so they plunge a knife into the girl’s heart.
Forty years later, it’s that same priest, Ming (Thaneth Warakulnukroh), who’s become possessed to the point of attacking and trying to eat other villagers. His daughter Malee (Nichaphat Chatchaipholra) arrives to check in on her father, but she too soon falls prey to a possessive entity with a taste for flesh. Two exorcists with wildly differing faiths and styles are called in – Sopha (Phiravich Attachitsataporn) is a self-described Yao witch doctor and TikTok exorcist who uses props, dance, theatricality, and ancestral spirits to combat the forces of evil, while Father Paolo (Jirayu Tangsrisuk) is entrenched in the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church.
Photo: © 2025 SAHAMONGKOLFILM INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. North American Premiere
There’s both tragedy and betrayal at play in the narrative of Tha Rae: The Exorcist, but director/co-writer Taweewat Wantha puts the thematic focus on the collaboration and understanding required to go toe to toe with a deviously malevolent force. It’s an interesting spin on the expected formula, and while the rest of the film stumbles in its supporting players and follows more traditional beats – albeit with some fun, gooey gore – that core element is enough to make it stand apart from the crowd.
Wantha broke onto the film scene with 2004’s memorably titled Sars Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis and continued that trend with oddball genre comedies like The Sperm and Kindergarten War, but he found major success with the one-two horror punch of Death Whisperer and Death Whisperer 2. His latest is more in line with those hits as jump scares and local mythologies play into his creepy tale of possession and generational punishment.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist arguably has more personality and humor, and both are due in large part to the character of Sopha and the playful but sincere performance that brings it to life. Where Tangsrisuk is saddled with the more straightlaced priest, Attachitsataporn’s witch doctor enjoys his local celebrity and has fun while aiding his community. Sopha’s social media followers expect a show, and he delivers, but there’s an engaging dynamic at play within him.
Photo: © 2025 SAHAMONGKOLFILM INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. North American Premiere
Sopha’s grandmother was the original witch doctor, and he was just her apprentice. When she passed – and subsequently became the primary ancestral spirit that he calls upon during his rituals – Sopha took up the mantle. For one reason or another, continuing her legacy requires him to carry on with his more feminine foot forward. Makeup, costumes, and a feminine lilt to the way he walks and talks are all part of the show. He apologizes to Paulo for it, but there’s no shame in his words or tone as he embraces the gifts he holds and the power he wields.
There’s no disdain between the two even as they seem initially unimpressed by each other’s efforts. Eventually, though, after each has struck out in dramatic and painful fashion, they realize a combined approach to fighting this particular demon is the only way forward. It’s here where the film shines brightest with the idea that beliefs can intermingle and co-exist without the need for disdain or dismissal.
The two of them are the heart of Tha Rae: The Exorcist, but the meat and potatoes of the genre come in the form of creepy antics and a bit of the ol’ gut munching. Intestines are nibbled, a feral man bursts through floorboards to terrorize young girls, and the possessed have a generally unsettling look about them. Wantha too often neuters his atmosphere and mood, though, by jumping quickly to the gore. It cuts into the horror of it all, leaving the film to work in fits and bursts rather than as a cohesive, propulsive whole.
Shortcomings in both the script and direction prevent the film from coming close to denser, more memorable, and atmospheric possession horrors like It Comes or The Wailing, but its main theme and dual lead characters still offer up an intriguing combination.
Genre tropes exist for a reason, but Tha Rae: The Exorcist is a good reminder that they also exist to be twisted, teased, and, when necessary, torn to shreds.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist made its North American premiere at the 25th New York Asian Film Festival.
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