After last week’s Dead of Summer episode, where Amy killed Joel and survived three bullets to the chest, “Home Sweet Home” lifts the lid on Malphas. We learn a lot more about Amy who, it seems, was a bad seed way before Stillwater. Holyoke was wrong about the “state” of Amy. Of all the things she could be called, “innocent” is clearly not one of them.
In this penultimate episode there were buckets of blood and a very impressive body count, even before Amy went all “Lizzie Borden.”
Flashback sequences showed a young Amy with her parents and older brother. The scene was not a happy one. The girl lived in a house with parents who ignored her and a big brother who disliked her.
She lets his pet mouse free. Later it is found dead in the garbage disposal unit. He locks her in the garage and the unhappy child falls asleep. The next morning, mum, dad and big brother are all dead from carbon monoxide poisoning. Amy scores her first kills years before Camp Stillwater.
As episodes go, this was an almost epic win. There were enough nods and winks to other films to satisfy the most devout horror geek. Some may have been unintentional. The bus scene for instance felt a little Jeepers Creepers II (but really only a little). The scene where Jessie throws lake water on Amy was straight from The Exorcist. Just compare the two:
Jessie: “The water washes your filth away…”
Father Merrin: “The power of Christ compels you.”
Very similar, both are a six word phrase, and both have the same effect on the intended.
Deb, along with Drew and Blair, gather the remaining children up and put them on a bus. As they flee the camp, a great wave of blood splashes the windscreen. The vehicle hits something and then stalls.
The bus driver gets out to check on what they hit. Apart from his face being smashed into a bus passenger window, he does not return.
At Holyoke’s cabin the exorcism has begun and seconds into the ceremony, Holyoke melts and disappears. It is left to Jessie, Alex and Garrett to continue. Amy/Malphas cajoles and pleads with her captors.
“Deb” arrives and knocks on the door. (The one Holyoke tells them must stay closed.) She tells the kids inside about the bus and her concern for Amy. They open the door. The woman standing there may look like Deb but it is a trick. Pure lake water is flung on the thing and it is repelled.
It was a distraction to allow Amy to escape her bonds. She quickly takes over the proceedings.
Like “The Exorcist” the whole thing has gone pear shaped. The possessed is now in control and the “good guys” are in serious trouble. Taking a note from Father Karras’ bible, Jessie invites the demon into her.
She is then plunged into the vat of pure lake water and killed. (Holyoke did say if the possessed was put into the water they would die…) Amy brings her back with CPR and it all looks to be over.
Meanwhile back at the bus. Drew keeps attempting to restart the vehicle. When Amy brings Jessie back, the blood on the windscreen dissolves and the bus starts.
Deb bumps into her old “Dharma Bum” pal who starts throttling the life out of her while lecturing the camp owner on how this was all her fault. Once again, as Jessie wakes up, Deb’s dead boyfriend disappears in a red mist.
Amy is “cured” and her three saviors all want to hit the road immediately. Amy says she needs a moment to reflect.
At the start of the episode there is a young woman; Margo Tate, who is looking for Camp Stillwater. Her car is broken down and a local gives her a lift.
Deb shows up at Camp Stillwater to confront Amy, who still has the demon in her. As she and Amy talk, Margo arrives and gets the chop. Deb plunges a knife into Amy/Malphas but ultimately loses the battle.
Cue a montage sequence that shows Amy was a very, very busy killer bee. After it finishes Amy starts to clean the blood off and Jessie asks if she is coming. Smiling, Amy answers, “Be right there.”
The season finale airs next week. It seems that the demon has won after all. Deb has been killed, Holyoke banished and poor old Margo Tate finally got to Camp Stillwater only to die.
It will be interesting to see where the last episode goes. Will the survivors of Camp Stillwater rise up to shove Malphas out? Has Jessie, as the really “pure” vessel be able to finish what they started?
Tune in and catch the season finale of Dead of Summer. Hopefully this is not the end of Holyoke although, to be fair, he did get it so wrong. The series airs Tuesdays on Freeform.
CAST:
- Elizabeth Mitchell – Deb Carpenter
- Tony Todd – Tall Man/HolyOke
- Amber Coney – Carolina Diaz
- Elizabeth Lail – Amy Hughes
- Zelda Williams – Drew Reeves
- Alberto Frezza – Garrett Sykes
- Rogen Rubinstein – Alex Palmer
- Mark Indelicate – Blair Ramos
- Eli Goree – Joel Goodson
- Andrew J. West – Damon
- Paulina Singer – Jessie “Braces” Tyler.
Mikes Film Talk 