What a whirlwind. “Chucky” Season 3 let the killer doll loose in the White House, where he unleashed multiple bloodbaths, temporarily gained control of the nuclear weapons, and even faced his greatest fear, death, along with the wrath of Damballa. The season finale, appropriately titled “Final Destination,” has a lot of ground to cover, yet Chucky (Brad Dourif) is still running amok in the spirit realm while Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) hopes for one final Hail Mary to escape death. Luckily, the super-sized episode packs in the revelations while tying up the season’s loose ends and paying tribute to the franchise’s past. It all makes for a satisfying capper to another delightfully unhinged season.
While “Final Destination” hits the ground running with explosive action, it also doesn’t waste any time exploring the aftermath of Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) choosing to die temporarily in the hopes of finding Caroline (Carina Battrick). Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson), Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind), and Grant (Jackson Kelly) keep watch over Jake’s body while his spirit confronts ghosts of the past. With a very limited amount of time before death becomes permanent, Jake’s inherently risky plan becomes even more precarious when it comes to Chucky.
The episode serves as an excellent showcase for Zackary Arthur, who gets to explore new sides to Jake. It’s not just Chucky or the White House’s past that haunts the teen here, but his past, too. An emotionally charged confrontation threatens violence, but Jake instead finds closure. It’s a poignant, impactful moment that grounds the campy horror comedy but more importantly highlights just how far Jake has come with self-acceptance and self-love. That Jake is also trying to outsmart Chucky means that “Final Destination” also lets Arthur go toe-to-toe with Dourif in deeply entertaining ways. Arthur deftly navigates both the episode’s sentimental moments and the outlandish horror turns with ease, demonstrating infectious comedic timing with the latter.
“Final Destination” also finally delivers on John Waters’ return to the franchise, this time as the eccentric Wendell Wilkins, creator of the Good Guys doll. Waters’ humor suits “Chucky” well and makes for another welcome addition to this twisted horror family. How Wendell factors into the finale is for you to discover, but the character reiterates the franchise’s consistency with and respect for its own history. It’s a feat worth celebrating, considering Chucky’s reign of terror has lasted more than three decades and is still going strong with Don Mancini leading the charge.
The finale continues the series’ knack for pushing the franchise forward in unexpected ways but with an added layer of retrospection. That also extends to Jake Wheeler and his found family in Devon and Lexy, all of whom have grown immensely since their introduction in season one. “Final Destination” looks to the past as a means of showing just how far its characters have come. That it does so without ever scaling back the camp humor or outrageously gory body count is a tricky needle to thread. “Chucky” Season 3 winds down with a satisfying conclusion that doles out punishing losses and triumphant wins, with more than a few surprises and lingering questions.
The only significant disappointment is that “Final Destination” ends the season on such a daring note that the wait for the not-yet-announced next season is already unbearable.
The finale of “Chucky” Season 3 airs Wednesday, May 1 at 10/9c on USA & SYFY.
