Chucky Season 1 Finale: Why [Spoiler] Death Was Inevitable

Warning: SPOILERS for the Chucky season 1 finale.

As expected, not everybody made it out of Chucky season 1, episode 8, “An Affair to Dismember,” alive — but one death in particular has long been inevitable. With beloved franchise veterans Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) and Kyle (Christine Elise McCarthy) rapidly culling his numbers, the demon doll desperately sought to replenish his “cult.” To that end, Chucky tried and failed to make a murderer out of Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), Lexy Cross (Alyvia Alyn Lind), and her sister Caroline (Carina Battrick). Not one to give up, however, Chucky pulled out all the manipulative stops in episode 7, ultimately making Junior (Teo Briones) his protege and driving the teen to commit a brutal patricide.

As a result, Chucky and his allies had an entire army set to wreak havoc across every state in America. However, before that plot could come to fruition, Junior, Chucky, and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) sought to have one more night of fun and contend with the enemies that had also gathered in Hackensack. That included catching Devon (Björgvin Arnarson), Andy Barclay, and Kyle in an explosive trap, as well as enacting a massacre at a local charity film screening. During the latter, Chucky sought to finally kill Jake, while Junior tried to convince Lexy to join his twisted new family and become his own version of Tiffany. Ultimately, however, it was Lexy who managed to turn Junior, bringing him somewhat back to the light.

After a heartfelt speech explaining why she’d originally fallen for Junior and how she’d changed for the better – thus allowing her to be there for him properly – Chucky moved to just kill her. Calling for Junior to join him in the brutal act, the ending of Chucky season 1 made it seem as though he would actually do just that, as he lunged forward knife-first. Like Darth Vader with Emperor Palpatine, however, Junior instead took out his mentor. As he pulled back, though, it was revealed that Chucky had fatally stabbed Junior as well. As disappointing as that part of Chucky season 1, episode 8 was to countless viewers, the nature of the story dictated that this path was ultimately inevitable.

There was no denying that Junior was a truly fascinating character. Getting to see him interact and thrive within Chucky and Tiffany’s twisted family would have been equal parts fun and sinister. The whole danger and mystique of Chucky the now-aged killer doll, however, has always been that people don’t realize that they are in dangerous until it’s too late. Chucky, as a character and an ongoing story, thrives on being the stuff of urban legend. That would have been disrupted had Chucky’s culpability become more widely realized, even in Hackensack. As such, the Chucky TV show was always going to need a fall guy – someone human upon which all of his crimes could be pinned. And, as disappointing as it may have been, Junior was always designed to be the logical choice. After all, Jennifer Tilly’s Tiffany will run wild and free for as long as the Child’s Play franchise continues.

Similarly, the highly inclusive Chucky TV show was never going to repeat with Jake the fate that befell Nica Pierce in Curse of Chucky. While, for a time, it seemed as though Miss Fairchild (Annie Briggs) might end up taking the blame, she needed to be cleared in order to take in the now-orphaned Jake and Devon. That once again only left Junior to fit the bill. And since he’d murdered his father, as well as had easily discernible motives against Chucky victims like Oliver, it would have been an easy fit to make. Junior’s death would have also meant there’s no need to dispute it. As such, Hackensack could sweep it under the rug and revert back to ignorant bliss. On top of everything else, leading into Chucky season 2, his death also solidified Junior and Lexy as having perfectly reverse arcs.