Good morning, House of Madness residents:
I started off thinking I'd review each episode of this series individually as the show progresses, but like many other things in the HoM, I'm wildly unpredictable. And lazy. Very lazy. Anyways, rather than give a chronological run-down of every event transpiring in the cursed town of Derry, I will simply provide you with what's been happening, and my thoughts on the show's progress thus far.
Now that we're preparing for episode 7, it feels like forever ago since I originally posted here after episode 2. That being said, it also feels like there isn't a whole lot that has transpired between then and now, and other than some backstory, character development, and some delving into the mind of Dick Halloran, I guess things really haven't progressed substantially. For all of the people that have been screaming for more Pennywise, he has finally made an appearance, but the surface has just been scratched with his presence, much like the bark of a tree by a lion's cub, honing its skills and sharpening its claws ever so delicately as it lets instinct pilot its carnivorous dashboard through the wild.
Yes, Pennywise is here, and has now made it impossible for the adults in Derry to ignore their children's fears and nightmares. As the military uses Dick Halloran to locate "ITs" lair in which "IT" is imprisoned, they're completely unprepared for the power and abilities "IT" possesses, and quickly realize they're out-witted, out-gunned, and outclassed. If the military can't reign this thing in, who is going to do it, a bunch of kids!?
While I enjoyed episode 1, and absolutely loved episode 2, the show has been headed down the road heavily trafficked by CGI monsters, jump scares, and silly attempts to captivate our attention, when all we really want is to be scared by a sewer clown. Having him morph into something gargantuan with a set of chops that would make Gary Busey jealous is fine once, but it just seems like the show is trying too hard to make something that's already scary into something ridiculously scary, and is losing me in the process. Atmosphere, tension, and lingering terror will always hit harder than CGI silliness that screams "BOO!" as you're watching it clumsily stumble through your living room, whilst leaving a muddy trail on a floor you've just cleaned to annoy you even further. Let's hope we get back to story telling, and give the special effects team a breather.
Episodes 3-6 Madness Meter: 6.3/10
NB
