I’m sorry to say it, but “Little Little Lies” isn’t great. The 80s flashback to Charles meeting non-Tiffany starts things off okay, even with that less-than-stellar ADR of Brad Dourif’s Chucky lines coming out of some other guy’s mouth. While I personally still don’t think any of this backstory is essential to the story, as long as they don’t go full-on Lost with the rambling flashbacks I can take these little sojourns into the past. Frankly, I’m not sure what’s gained by the knowledge that Charles and Tiffany’s meet-cute was based in murder. That seems like a “duh” kind of development.

Previously On Chucky.

Anyway, the rest of this Chucky episode carries the 80s feeling throughout. It’s nothing huge, just some of the musical queues and young people interplay that has a throwback kind of vibe. Jake and Devon holding hands in the hallway, for instance, or their bike ride/kiss when they think Chucky’s been dealt with. Also, the three of them very obviously talking about Junior (while he sits a few feet away, quite aware they’re talking about him) and coming to the conclusion not to involve him reminds me of all kinds of stupid “reasoning” from 80s horror movies. I know there’s also that scene later on when Lexy tells Junior exactly what’s been going on only for him not to believe her, but it feels more like a forced storytelling choice than anything else.

I find everything about all the loose, used needles to be odd. Between Chucky having a great old time playing around in them (and getting high, or something?) to Jake, Devon, and Lexy deciding the best way to take Chucky out is…poking a broom handle around the medical waste while yelling and tossing things around–I wasn’t enthralled by any of this strange & idiotic display. It felt like an underbaked idea poorly thrown together.

Also, when it comes to Lexy’s family I think less is more. I just can’t manage to care about her parents’ marriage troubles or her sister’s obsession with Good Guy dolls. Junior’s parents also have their own things going on, to a degree, but his dad being hell bent on Junior getting back to running and his mom having secret cancer feel less obtrusive than Lexy’s family troubles. Oh, and the Stage Four cancer reveal had the amusing timing to come right after the latest Curb Your Enthusiasm addressed the impact advice has when coming from Stage Four people (she should test that theory). 

Tiffany and Charles in Nica’s body showing up was probably the biggest takeaway from this episode, but it was strangely disconnected from everything and ho-hum. They’re just suddenly there, sexing up in the same hotel room from their first murder together, and then they’re done. Nica suddenly regains control of her body long enough for an exposition dump (apparently it’s only been two weeks since the events of Cult of Chucky), only to be taken over by Charles again when the scene calls for it. I don’t know, I just didn’t find this reveal terribly effective.

As for Chucky’s body switch, well, that seems like another “duh” moment. Obviously Chucky body-hopped into the new doll, so that whole reveal (if you could call it that) sequence at the end falls a bit flat. Chucky just didn’t have much to do in this one and the rest of the proceedings weren’t tight enough to make this one noteworthy–for the right reasons.

So, yeah, after what was probably my favorite episode so far last week I’d say this one face-plants. Oh well, I’m still enjoying Chucky as a whole. I’ll just cross my fingers that next time things coalesce together more successfully and everyone stops being so aggressively stupid.

5 out of 10 Obvious Body Swaps